C O N T E X T 1 2 5 : J U LY 2 0 1 2 35 Book reviews One-stop-shop for materials English Heritage, The Practical Building Conservation Series: Stone; Glass and Glazing; Metals; Mortars, Renders and Plaster; Timber Series Editors: Bill Martin and ChrisWood, Ashgate Publishing, 2012, hardback This review covers five volumes of English Heritage’s new series of Practical Building Conservation technical handbooks. The series consists of 10 volumes, including Conservation Basics, Building Environment, Concrete, Earth Brick and Terracotta and Roofing, in addition to the titles which are the subject of this review. Each volume is priced at £65 (£58.50 website price) or the set of 10 volumes is currently available at £500 (£450 website price). The series supersedes the highly successful Practical Building Conservation Series written for English Heritage by John and Nicola Ashurst, published as five volumes by Gower Publishing in 1988. These books had a particular influence on my career as a heritage practitioner as I was lucky enough to study for a degree in building conservation technology under Professor Ashurst in the 1990s. The books continued to be a valuable source of information for over 20 years. However, given advances in technology and building conservation philosophy, it is entirely appropriate that a new series of technical handbooks is published. The series, aimed at conservation practitioners and students, would be of interest to all professionals involved in the repair, maintenance and management of historic buildings and structures. The books are clearly set out and generously illustrated in colour. They would also be likely to appeal to building owners and non-professionals with an interest in historic buildings. The series has been commissioned by English Heritage and overseen by its Building Conservation Research Team. The series has drawn on the experience of English Heritage specialists and independent consultants within each specialist field. Each volume has two editors, both specialists in their field, and additional principal contributors. The topics are split into generic subheadings: materials and history of use; deterioration and damage; assessment (of condition and deterioration/faults); treatment and repair; care and maintenance; special topics (specific to the material or common scenarios); and glossary and bibliography. The series draws on the extensive practical experience of the authors and contributors, for which this is an opportunity to share aspects of their accumulated knowledge that would otherwise have been lost if it were not for this endeavour. The series features many real-life scenarios and cases encountered. In the words of one of the volume authors, the books contain everything we know about or have come across in historic buildings. Many of the authors and contributors have previously published books and papers regarding their specialist topics, but some of the information has been comprehensively documented within this series for the first time. By drawing on the experiences of leading practitioners within each field, it has been possible to include a substantial collection of photographs of examples on site to illustrate points within the text. Historic photographs and illustrations are included where appropriate. There are numerous technical drawings and illustrations of construction and repair techniques, commissioned especially for the volumes. It appears that no limits have been set on the number of figures and illustrations. If it has been considered helpful to include figures and illustrations to explain points within the text, these have been included. The series includes easy-to-follow tables explaining topics such as the selection of appropriate repair techniques. Running through each volume are colour-coded references to other volumes in the series for further reading.Where appropriate, there are information boxes throughout the text drawing the reader’s attention to related considerations or techniques which may be relevant. For instance, under sections regarding survey of deterioration, the reader is reminded to consider factors such as the presence of asbestos or protected wildlife species. Such asides can prove very useful, especially when matters of health and safety and legal obligation can unexpectedly delay or curtail building conservation projects. Some volumes such as Glass and Glazing cover constructional materials and techniques up to the recent past in 20th century buildings. Where relevant, current published standards and guidelines (such as British Standards) are referred to. Practical Building Conservation: Stone Volume editors Alison Henry and David Odgers, English Heritage, 2012, 348pp, ISBN 978 0 7546 4552 8, £58.50 (website price) The volume introduces the use of stone in English buildings by type and application, and the properties that govern its appearance and durability. The processes of stone decay are explained and many common, and notso-common, faults explained with the use of photographs of real examples. The volume goes on to look at the assessment of faults and failures, and methods of remediation. Tables and diagrams explain potential causes of faults, and remedial techniques such as
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