Introduction -- Part 1, assessing and remedying building defects: chapter 1, surveying; chapter 2, what a building tells you; chapter 3, local environmnet; chapter 4, dealing with people and defects -- Part 2, residential defects: chapter 5, 1400-1600, the vernacular house, buildings 400 to 600 years old; chapter 6, 1600s, a move towards design, buildings between 300 and 400 years old; chapter 7, 1700s, the Georgian era, buildings 200 to 300 years old; chapter 8, 1800s, into the Victorian era, buildings 100 to 200 years old; chapter 9, 1900s, the twentieth century, buildings up to 100 years old -- Part 3, compendium of defects: chapter 10, top ten residential defects; chapter 11, brick bonds and window types; chapter 12, how to view rooms; chapter 13, how to view roofs; chapter 14, how to view electrical systems; chpater 15, how to assess cracks; chapter 16, water -- Part 4, planning and managing repairs: chapter 17, clint expectations; chapter 18, money and budgets; chapter 19, care over selection of material and contractors; chapter 20, specification writing; chapter 21, managing projects; chapter 22, health and safety

Provides simple principles for the day to day management and assessment of residential buildings and their defects. Organising defects by era, the book covers what building materials and methods were used originally, what the common defects are, and how they can be remedied. Also offers advice on issues such as how to read buildings and interpret their age, how to deal with occupants and contractors, and how to write effective specifications.