Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care & Repair by Roger Hunt & Marianne Suhr - Non Fiction - Hardback

Details
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780711281479
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Edition: 2nd Edition (2023)

Overview
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair is the trusted, SPAB-approved reference for anyone who owns, restores, or simply adores a period property. Written by conservation specialists Roger Hunt and Marianne Suhr, this fully revised second edition explains how to look after timber-framed cottages, Georgian townhouses and Victorian terraces alike, favouring sympathetic repair over destructive "restoration". It's an essential shelf reference for homeowners, students and building professionals working with historic fabric.

About the Book
Approved and authorised by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), this handbook is grounded in decades of hands-on conservation experience. Authors Roger Hunt and Marianne Suhr take readers from the foundations to the roofline, explaining how older buildings actually work and why treating them like modern houses so often causes damage. The book covers structural movement and settlement, breathability and damp in walls and floors, traditional lime mortars and plasters, timber repair, and the sympathetic renewal of windows, doors, roofs and finishes. Clear, jargon-light explanations sit alongside diagrams and real-world case examples, making complex conservation topics genuinely accessible without dumbing them down. Whether the reader is deciding what to tackle themselves or when to call in a specialist, the guidance throughout is practical rather than theoretical, always weighing up cost, risk and long-term building health. This newly revised 256-page edition brings the content fully up to date, reflecting current thinking on retrofit, energy efficiency and modern services in historic properties — subjects increasingly important to owners balancing heritage value with everyday comfort. It remains one of the most cited references for anyone serious about looking after an old house properly, rather than guessing.

• SPAB-authorised guidance built on respect, restraint and repair, not risky over-restoration
• Covers timber-framed, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian properties
• Clear chapters on damp, breathability, movement, roofs, windows and materials
• Brand new 256-page hardback, fully revised second edition
• Ideal for homeowners, contractors, surveyors and conservation students
• Ideal gift for new owners of a period property

About the Authors
Roger Hunt is an award-winning writer specialising in sustainable and vernacular architecture, and co-author of several books on historic buildings alongside his journalism for titles including House & Garden and Homebuilding & Renovating. Marianne Suhr is a Chartered Building Surveyor and broadcaster who trained with the SPAB and has spent her career repairing and retrofitting historic buildings, including three series as co-presenter of BBC2's Restoration. Together they bring decades of combined, hands-on conservation expertise to this handbook.

Why You'll Love This Book
Practical, trustworthy and beautifully clear, this handbook turns bewildering old-house problems into manageable, well-explained decisions — protecting both the character and the value of a much-loved historic home.

Please Note: Cover design may vary slightly from the image shown; this listing is for the UK edition with ISBN 9780711281479 as stated.