There are a number of reasons why it is necessary for you to maintain your property, some of which are listed below. For more information visit http://conservation.historic-scotland.gov.uk/scotmonumentwatchsummary.pdf
Physical condition
Many of Scotland’s buildings are in a state of disrepair, suffering from physical decay as a result of a lack of basic external fabric maintenance over an extended period.
If you live in a tenement which is in need of common repairs and are experiencing problems coordinating/agreeing how to conduct these repairs the Scottish Government provides guidance at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/privateowners/Looking
Public safety
Buildings in disrepair are a public risk, and a serious health and safety issue for all concerned with the built environment.
Climate Change
The resilience of a building to future climate change will be determined to a large extent by its condition and state of maintenance.
Energy efficiency
Good fabric maintenance is a fundamental requirement of a building’s energy efficiency performance, and essential before interventions such as wall insulation can be made effectively and safely.
The Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety for Scottish Buildings report stated “When damage does occur to the envelope of a building, the energy performance of the building may be reduced, but opportunities could be taken with repair and maintenance programmes to install energy improving measures.”
The Historic Scotland Traditional Building Skills Strategy stated “A well maintenance building is one which is more energy efficient” and “The adaptation of Scotland’s existing building stock and ongoing maintenance over wholesale replacement are critically important to achieving our low carbon objective” and “The focus of any action to reduce carbon emissions in Scotland therefore must focus heavily on the domestic stock.”
Historic Scotland’s Short Guide Fabric Improvements for Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings states: “It should be said that proper and regular maintenance is a prerequisite to undertaking energy efficiency improvements in a traditional building. If a building is not watertight there is little point in making energy efficiency upgrades”, such as the home insulation.
Stirling Council has developed supplementary guidance Energy Efficiency and micro-renewables and their impact on the historic environment, it contains a sequence of alterations to consider prior to considering installing any micro-renewables, it’s section 3, in particular section 3.7. http://www.stirling.gov.uk/__documents/temporary-uploads/economy,-planning-_and_-regulation/approved-ldp/sg-teith-house-jan-2015/sg20-historic-environment_energy-efficiencyrenewables_feb-2015.pdf
Homes That Don’t Cost The Earth
The Scottish Government issued “Homes That Don’t Cost The Earth: A consultation on Scotland’s Sustainable Housing Strategy”
Within this consultation it outlined a hierarchy of needs to look after properties, quoted below:
- Make sure that your home is wind and watertight and that it is structurally sound; make sure that it stays that way by carrying out regular maintenance.
- Make sure that work is done properly because poor quality repairs may be ineffective and can cost more in the long run.
- Consider retrofitting appropriate insulation.
- Make sure that your home is properly ventilated because this is essential to keep it healthy.
- Review your boiler to ensure that it is efficient.
- Ensure that points 1-5 have been addressed before considering microrenewable technology.
The Scottish Government has acknowledged that “Improving Condition Homes can only become more energy efficient if they are in a good state of repair.” See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/sustainable
