Maintenance for historic buildings: a current perspective

Abstract

PurposeIt is well understood that maintenance is critical to the survival and in‐service use of any building. Despite recognition that the best way of protecting and maintaining historic buildings is to undertake a combination of proactive and reactive maintenance, it is rarely adopted or implemented, and when it is undertaken it often results in varying degrees of success. Maintenance theory currently exists, but fails to be realised in practical application and implementation. It is the purpose of this paper to ask why this failure is occurring.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is composed of a critical review of existing literature, highlighting some of the major issues affecting maintenance implementation. It also reports the early stages of proposed research ongoing at Heriot‐Watt University.FindingsDespite recognition in the literature of the need to maintain historic buildings, this review suggests that the ways in which maintenance is organised and financed often mitigates against its implementation. In addition, advice to owners of historic buildings could be improved and there is a shortage of skilled operatives.Originality/valueUnless this situation is improved, much of our culturally significant buildings will be lost to future generations.

Analysis of Critical Factors and Difficulties in Maintaining Historical Building - A Current Implementation

“…The historic building which have a lot of significance value to the country are need to be preserve appropriately in aligned with the tool or principle for maintenance which is 'minimal intervention'. It is clear that retaining historic building elements are leads to the retention of cultural significance with the most suitably method to achieve and undertake maintenance on a minimal intervention basis [13]. They added, the primary objective of minimal intervention is to restrain decay without damaging the building character and prevention on the unnecessary disruption.…”

“…With referring on the scholar's and writers earlier, it can be summarized that the effective way to ensure the historic building are well taken and conserved, the maintenance approach are strongly encouraged to be implemented. Therefore, Maintain Our Heritage (MOH), 2004, as cited in Foster and Brit [13] indicating that 'much of the need for capital expenditure on the historic environments is the result of poor maintenance' Maintain Our Heritage, 2004 also claimed that the maintenance is 'all too often responsive, not pro active, not systematic, a low, not a high priority and in many cases, in not happen at all'. Thus, with referring to the graph, it can be concluded that, the reactive maintenance or condition based maintenance is not cost effective rather than implementing a pro active or preventive maintenance.…”

“…The Venice Charter in International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), 1964 also pointed out the same opinion which stated that, 'it is essential to the conservation of monuments that they be maintained on a permanent basis'. Thus, English Heritage as cited in Foster and Brit [13] suggests that the best means of ensuring the continued preservation of a building is to carry out regular maintenance. With referring on the scholar's and writers earlier, it can be summarized that the effective way to ensure the historic building are well taken and conserved, the maintenance approach are strongly encouraged to be implemented.…”

“…Maintenance for historic building is very important procedure in a way to preserve and conserve the historic building. With referring to Dann and Cantell [12] as cited in Foster and Brit [13], pointed 'maintenance is still accepted as the best suitable way and sustainable to conserve the historic building'. The Venice Charter in International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), 1964 also pointed out the same opinion which stated that, 'it is essential to the conservation of monuments that they be maintained on a permanent basis'.…”

Interval of Routine Maintenance and Maintenance Performance: A Literature Review

“…Whereby, numerous researches introduce and recommend the scheduled maintenance as a strategy to tackle the issues [10][11][12]. However, the effectiveness of the maintenance strategy can be jeopardised by the inappropriate or inaccurate routine of inspection and maintenance [13][14][15][16].…”