Buildings and architecture are all around us and we don’t notice them at all. From old office blocks, churches, cathedrals, town halls and guildhalls, there is a good chance that there are some interesting and fantastic buildings where you live. Unlike a large percentage of modern countries, Great Britain has a very long history, which has meant that lots of different building styles and building methods have been used in order to erect extravagant buildings of all shapes and sizes. As a country we often want to preserve and maintain these structures, in order to hold on to the different eras in our communal history.
In Britain laws have been created to look after buildings and other structures that have been designated as being of special historical, architectural or cultural significance. These structures are known as listed buildings and there are in the region of half a million in the United Kingdom. Listed buildings are not allowed to be knocked down, extended or developed in anyway, unless permission has been granted by the local planning authority, this is so they can protect these places of interest.
There are 3 different types of listed buildings in the United Kingdom, Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Grade I listed buildings are of outstanding architectural or historical interest, Grade II* are significant buildings that are of interest to the wider population, while Grade II are of special architectural or historic interest. People who own listed buildings can get into trouble with the law if they don’t maintain and restore damage to these buildings. As a result of this many people are being encouraged to hire listed building restoration businesses for help. These are specialist builders and craftmen who focus on listed building restoration use the traditional supplies and methods used when the building was first built.
Building restoration is the process of refurbishing and renewing a buildings materials. This can be anything from completely reconstucting a damaged building that is beyond repair to major repair work and cleaning the building. Building conservation is all about maintaining the original design and look of a building, whilst helping to extend the life and increase the functionality of the property.
Some building restoration companies also build permitted extensions and new builds to a property but these tend to require planning approval before construction can begin. Heritage Restoration builders can do this by using reclaimed bricks as well as traditional bricklaying and roofing methods to keep in tune with the look of the original structure.