NEW ONLINE TOOL YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

From Russell Holter, DAHP Compliance Reviewer

Deputy Director, Greg Griffith asked me to review some information that DAHP recently received from Historic Scotland (the next best thing to being there). The packet contained a CD chock full of information pertaining to traditional building owners’ and their unique maintenance issues. Unfortunately, the program does not appear to be entirely compatible with North American computer software so the program had functions that didn’t work and it stalled repeatedly. However, I was so thoroughly intrigued with the information that I found on the CD that I decided to surf their website www.historic-scotland.gov.uk. This website is a real preservation gem. The guides (which they entitle "Inform") are very much like the National Park Service Preservation Briefs and in many cases the information overlaps, however, the Historic Scotland Inform briefs cover many additional topics not broached by the NPS. I was not able to download all of the titles for my personal library but I did download about forty of the fifty titles. Topics covered include: Boundary Ironwork Care and Maintenance of Historic Bronze Gilding Techniques Architectural Glass Pantiled Roofs Bituminous Flat Roof Repairs Rain Leaders and Scuppers The Proper Use of Lime Mortars Bird Blocking …and many other interesting titles The Inform titles similar to the NPS Preservation Briefs include topics such as windows and doors; rising damp; graffiti removal; tuckpointing; energy efficiency; interior finishes; and a myriad of other preservation issues that seem to be pervasive whether you are on this side or that side of the pond. Beyond the Inform papers, Historic Scotland also has, free of charge, more in-depth information on the maintenance of historic homes and another on wood windows called "Short Guides". Dr. Tasa and Susan Goff were thrilled to find published information on how to conduct research at your local cemetery (hey, they live in a very small universe). As we all know, finding this type of information can be problematic, especially when there are deadlines to be met, but here is one more resource we can draw upon when providing guidance to historic property owners and architects.