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Buildings and architecture are part of our everday lives and we don’t notice them at all. Everything from art deco office blocks, cathedrals and churches, town halls to guildhalls, there is a good chance that there are some interesting and fantastic buildings where you live. Unlike many newer countries, the United Kingdom has a very long history, which has meant that many different building styles and building methods have been used in order to create fantastic buildings of all shapes and sizes. As a country we often like to preserve and protect these buildings, in order to hold on to the different eras in our joint history.

In Great Britain legal guidelines have been set up to take care of buildings and other structures that have been set apart from the rest as being of special historical, architectural or cultural significance. Structures such as these are called listed buildings and there are around half a million in the British Isles. A listed building cannot be knocked down, extended or developed in anyway, unless permission has been granted by the local planning authority, in order to protect these places of interest.

There are 3 different types of status of listed buildings in the United Kingdom, Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Grade I listed buildings are of outstanding historical or architectural 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 fail to maintain and restore damaged buildings. As a result of this many people are being encouraged to hire listed building restoration businesses for help. These are skilled builders and craftmen who focus on listed building restoration use the traditional supplies and methods used when the building was first put up.

You can also use building restoration as a process of rennovating and renewing a buildings materials. Building Restoration can consist of anything from completely rebuilding a damaged building that is beyond repair to major repair work and cleaning the building. Building conservation is all about keeping the classic design and structure of a building, whilst helping to extend the life and functionality of the property.

A large number of building restoration companies also build extensions and new areas to a property but these tend to require planning approval before construction can begin. They can do this by using reclaimed bricks as well as traditional bricklaying and roofing methods to maintain the look of the original building.

Filed under: General Interest