Crick Smith

The building is the first line of defence and a survey can establish how well the building buffers the internal environment from that outdoors. A building with poor features may be capable of satisfactory modification and its physical improvement may be more cost effective than the installation of expensive environmental control equipment.

Factors considered include:

• The site itself, including drainage and shading from light.
• The building materials: damp proofing, insulation and water ingress.
• The building design: roof construction and condition, windows, rain water disposal, draught exclusion.
• Physical access, environmental zoning, fire divisions, storage & display of the collection, separation of public access and other areas.
• The building’s internal environment. (see Environmental Monitoring)
• Potential pest entry points. (see Pest Management)
• Disaster preparedness.
• Health & Safety: safe storage of chemicals and equipment.
• Good housekeeping practice.
• An ongoing programme of preventive building maintenance.

Crick Smith can also conduct condition assessments to provide recommendations for remedial treatments, in addition to reports about the decorative features found on the exteriors of historic buildings, for example: stucco work, sgraffito, decorative stone and timber elements.