Practical Building Cinservation : Mortars Plasters and Renders

'[The Practical Building Conservation volumes] offer considerable information and advice on many aspects of conservation... Great emphasis is placed in all the volumes on making the reader familiar with the material in question, giving them as much information and direction as possible to allow them to understand what they are dealing with... gives a comprehensive 'hands on' approach; solutions are found, methods described and practical tips freely given... should be kept on the bookshelf within reach of most practising professionals in the field.' Jane Jones-Warner RIBA SCA AABC IHBC, Member RIBA Conservation Group 'A large, colourful book, it has been well organised and presented, with excellent photographs and detailed drawings, complementing the well-written text, which contains a tremendous amount of interesting and useful information.' Cornerstone 'My overriding impression of this series is that it is comprehensive, well set out and easy to follow, and it should be of interest both to all involved in the repair and maintenance of historic buildings, and to the casual reader. Each volume stands alone or as part of a set. This represents a substantial body of work in the field of building conservation that is unlikely to be repeated in the near future. The tables and technical drawings are clear, and some of the photographs included are remarkable. The amount of information within each volume is staggering and must represent the nearest thing to a one-stop-shop for historic building practitioners.' Context 'I find this to be a very practical and user friendly volume which presents and explains this fascinating subject in a clear and digestible manner. The editors and contributors should be congratulated for their combined efforts.' Peter Martindale ACR, Icon News 'The primary editors for each volume acknowledge the contributions of numerous authors and the series' strength is in the breadth of the conservation community engaged in the project - a twenty-first-century galaxy of highly regarded practitioners and conservators brought together in a single technical series... the books are accessibly organized and elegantly designed. It is easy to navigate around them and, importantly, between them. Links to other volumes in the series are colour-coded in the text so that cross-referral to Stone, for example, from Mortars, which is frequently relevant, provides helpful signposting to the relevant detailed guidance in the companion handbook... The illustrations are enormously valuable and the Timber volume, in particular, includes axonometric drawings of timber structures that beautifully display complex construction. These volumes are in all ways an essential, one-stop resource for conservation practitioners: well-organized, expertly informed, compellingly illustrated, signposting other key resources and (let us not take this for granted) written in lucid English.' The Historic Environment 'It is ... pleasing to see such a broad perspective of current theory and practice condensed into this sizeable, yet manageable publication. The extensive historical research is very apparent and the references to historic mortar mixes and specifications enlightening to contemporary 'specifiers'. The book is delightfully and generously illustrated with each and every image having a purpose, with a good balance of historic and contemporary illustrations. Of particular note are the many helpful diagrams and tables that are clearly presented and easy to follow. ... It is practical, comprehensive, well researched and beautifully presented - a valuable addition to my bookshelf, as it will be to anyone involved in historic building repair, from building professionals and craftspeople through to students and researchers ...' Journal of Architectural Conservation 'This book by any standards is exceptional ... it is a lesson in how to present information of a technical and practical nature and yet do so in a visual and beautiful way ... In its 643 pages costing GBP65 it is a treasure trove that English Heritage can be justifiably proud of ... I recommend it to those who have a technical interest in the subject and also to those who appreciate useful, intelligent and beautiful presentation that may result in a rekindled interest in a resurgent skill and its application'. Magazine of Concrete Research 'The book considers in great detail the developing formation of mortars and renders by way of text, illustrations and charts, photographs, explanations and recognition of failures; and more importantly methods and specifications for remedial work ... an extremely valuable reference book in all building surveyors' office'. Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal and Valuation