Helping To Preserve Historic Locations

By Author: National Monuments Foundation
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The world is changing faster than most people realise. As new buildings are built and old ones are demolished to make way for these advancements, it is more important than ever to hold on to and preserve historic structures. As a result, those hired to provide heritage building preservation must adhere to a strict set of guidelines.

Don't change it into something else
When heritage building preservation specialists take on a project, their ultimate goal is to find ways to preserve what is already there by replacing what is damaged. When heritage building preservation specialists work on a building, they are cleaning it up rather than rebuilding it.

Document the original
Before any work is done on these historic structures, everything must be documented with photographs, video, and precise measurements. If the original building plans are available, they should be used and preserved to ensure that nothing else is changed. When heritage building preservation specialists use technology, they can also perform 3D scans of the building to aid in restoration practises and ideas.

Find evidence of lost ...
... detail
No matter how meticulous you believe you are, there will be times when details are simply lost due to the passage of time. In these cases, heritage building preservation specialists want to do their research work of the heritage site and look for fine details that are present but are not visible to the untrained eye.

The heritage building preservation specialists can take notes and measurements as they look for these fine details, just as the heritage building preservation specialists have with all of the other processes. As the heritage building preservation specialists conduct their site investigations, they may be drawn back in time to when amazing discoveries were made.

Communication is key
Before beginning any work, discuss the tasks and objectives. There can never be enough conversations and channels of communication when working in conservation. If someone jumps into a project without knowing what needs to be preserved, how to preserve it, and fails to follow instructions, irretrievable components may be lost forever. And if this happens, the entire project may be ruined.

Keep things open
There will be times when a restoration or cleaning project is required for a space that was altered to be more modern by previous tenants or owners. Closed-in verandahs are one of these common changes. If a verandah has been closed in by walls or other construction, you should open it up to restore its original beauty and charm. If a verandah is open, closing it would be inconvenient for cleaning or restoration.

Roofing
Roofs are a major project that you may encounter. The roof will become warped, loose, or have holes over time. Because many of the roofs being worked on are galvanised metal, saving and reusing as much as possible will help keep the charm and overall style intact. If you can't keep the original pieces because they're beyond repair, it might be a good idea to look for salvaged materials that will do the job and incorporate them into the reconstruction and cleaning projects.

Know more about National Monuments Foundation, please visit www.thenmf.org.

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