In April 2024 the Department for Education issued a very interesting document entitled Managing Older Buildings: A guide for estates maintenance staff. Part 1 provides a brief history of school building in England which answers that intriguing question, “Why did my trust end up with the buildings it’s got?” Part 2 gives an overview of the common types of construction used in school estates over the years. For each different type of construction, it also details which parts you particularly need to keep an eye on with regard to maintenance, with helpful diagrams illustrating the issues and links to more detailed documents.
So, how can you use this document to best advantage? Here’s some ideas:
- Integrate your specific building issues into your asset management plan and planned preventative maintenance tasks –
The latter can be achieved most easily by adding the tasks to your computer aided facilities management system. Well, that’s an aspirational mantra that all school FM staff (whether in-house or outsourced) should have uppermost in their mind when they walk into their school every morning. Is the building safe, dry, warm and clean? Are the building users going to be inspired to give of their best today because the environment they will be working in encourages them to do so? If not, what positive action can we as the facilitators of those environments do to improve it? - Identify what type of older buildings you have across your estate and their location –
For a high level summary, have a look at your latest Condition Data Collection reports which will summarise approximate building age and construction type. For more detailed information, look at your building condition surveys and your Operations & Maintenance manuals if you have them. - Identify specific maintenance issues relating to your older buildings –
Use the DfE’s document to identify what specific maintenance issues you should be aware of for the different construction types of each of your older buildings. - Draw up a list of the specific maintenance issues for each of your buildings –
Some tasks will simply require a visual inspection by the premises team to identify any issues, such as the condition of brickwork pointing. Other inspections may need to be carried out by a building surveyor or structural engineer, for example, if you’re concerned about the state of your Strammit board ceilings.
The Challenge of Maintaining Listed Buildings
Listed buildings aren’t included in the DfE’s guidance but they bring their own challenges in terms of maintenance. Set out below are some examples of issues you may encounter.
Brickwork
- Rainwater splashback may cause bricks at the bottom of a wall to decay. These bricks should be brushed regularly with a stiff nylon brush, pending repair.
- Fractured bricks should be replaced or repaired.
- Pigment on brickwork repairs will need to be matched to surrounding bricks, and the correct pointing mortar used for the type of brick.
Rainwater goods and pipework
- Rainwater downpipes will need to be repaired and redecorated with appropriate paint to prevent corrosion.
- Box gutters should be checked regularly, and debris removed.
- Soil vent pipes extending over several storeys will need be to be appropriately clipped.
Roofing
- Missing or damaged roof tiles will need to be replaced with like for like tiles which may be hard to source.
- Chimney stacks should be inspected annually, and a record of their condition kept so that it can be compared with the following year’s inspection to identify any deterioration in their condition.
Stonework
- Chipped coping stones will need to be repaired to prevent water ingress.
- Brick lintels that are dropping should be monitored and will require repair by a specialist contractor.
Timber
- Timber at the base of door frames should be checked regularly to identify any signs of decay.
- Paint blistering at the bottom of doors should be scraped off and repainted, and any soft timber should be cut out, replaced and then redecorated.
- Old timbers should be inspected regularly for signs of attack by insects.
Ventilation
- All redundant flues should be ventilated to avoid the build-up of moisture. Single ventilation bricks are unlikely to be sufficient.
- Disused fireplaces should not be blocked in order for passive ventilation of the chimney stack. The baffle plate in the fireplace should also be removed to increase ventilation.
Walls
- The insides of parapet walls, gable ends and other rendered walls should be inspected regularly for signs of hair cracking.
- Any holes through walls which have been previously used for fixings or cables and then subsequently removed should be repointed. Holes that are required to be made for services to be routed through a wall should be made from the inside out, not from the outside in.
Windows
- Sash windows require more regular maintenance than modern windows for which you will need to find a suitably experienced contractor.
- A linseed oil-based paint should be used on sash windows once they’ve been rubbed back, rather than a plastic-based paint. The oil-based paint will stop moisture from getting trapped in the timber which causes it to decay.
- Where wood has decayed, it will need to be cut out and replaced and redecorated.
- If the sash cord is loose, this would suggest that the rope has lost its weight. This will need to be retrieved from the window casing and reattached.
Windowsills
- Stone windowsills should be checked for signs of cracking which should be repaired with a specialist product. Putty should also be checked for signs of cracking and repaired with an appropriate product.
- Any lichen or debris building up on windowsills should be removed to prevent them from holding moisture against the timber and stone.
Where to find further information
The DfE’s document can be downloaded via:
More information about the maintenance of historic buildings can be found at
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Managing Your Older Buildings