The Tenement Handboook

A practical guide to tenement maintenance and management

Contents

1 MANAGING YOUR TENEMENT

2 THE LAW OF THE TENEMENT

3 ORGANISING COMMON REPAIRS

4 PROFESSIONAL HELP

5 DEALING WITH BUILDERS

6 THE REPAIRS BALANCE SHEET

7 GRANTS

8 OTHER SOURCES OF FINANCE

9 TAKING LEGAL ACTION

10 A TENEMENT ALPHABET

11 THE ROOF

12 THE STRUCTURE OF A TENEMENT

13 STONEWORK

14 THE CLOSE

15 WINDOWS

16 INTERNAL WALLS, FLOORS & CEILINGS

17 PLUMBING

18 DAMPNESS AND DECAY

How to buy

The Tenement Handboook costs £10 plus postage and packing. You can buy it in two ways.

1. Amazon.co.uk

The easiest way to buy the book is from Amazon's website. We'll despatch it to you within three days of you placing an order. Just follw this link.

Buy the Tenement Handbook

2. Bookshops

We currently have limited distribution of the handboook.

In Edinburgh:
Pickering's Books
30 Buccleuch Street
Edinburgh EH8 9LP
Tel: 0131 662 8570

In Glasgow:
Hyndland Bookshop
143 Hyndland Rd
Glasgow G12 9JA
Tel: 0141 334 5522

For bulk orders pleases phone 0141 339 7054.

Contents

1 MANAGING YOUR TENEMENT

• Organising a Close Meeting
• Organising the Owners
• Using a Factor
• The Law of Agency
• Consultation
• Standard of Work
• Stair Associations
• Opening a Bank Account
• Keeping Records
• Keeping in the Black
• Dealing with Interest Earned on Accounts

2 THE LAW OF THE TENEMENT

• Common Property
• Where Scots Law comes from
• Common Interest
• Title Deeds
• Finding the Deeds
• Missing Title Deeds
• Whats in the Title Deeds
• Changing the Title Deeds
• Words and Phrases used in Title Deeds
• Common Repairs - Individual Repairs

3 ORGANISING COMMON REPAIRS

• What is a Common Repair
• Dividing up the Bill
• Calculating the Rateable Value Share
• Taking Decisions about Common Repairs
• Common Repair Trouble Spots
• Dry Rot
• Damp Proof Courses
• Emergencies
• Not Being Consulted
• Compulsory Repairs
• Getting Agreement
• Getting it in Writing
• Paying for Repairs
• Paying for Big Repairs

4 PROFESSIONAL HELP

• Do you need Professional Help?
• Architects Surveys
• Choosing Contractors
• Inspecting Builder's Work
• Dealing with Owners
• Building Bureacracy
• Whose Side is the Architect on?
• What will they Charge?
• How to Find an Architect
• Building Surveyors
• Clerk of Works
• Quantity Surveyors
• Structural Engineers
• Choosing the Right Person
• Organising a Repair Scheme
• What the Architect Does

5 DEALING WITH BUILDERS

• Getting a Rough Cost
• The Building Contract
• Choosing a Builder
• Finding the Good Builders in Your Area
• Quotations and Estimates
• What Causes Differences between Quotations
• Your Contract With the Builder
• Using your own Contract
• Using a Contract Drawn Up by a Builder
• Getting Permission
• Building Bureaucracy
• Using the Bureaucrats
• Going on Site
• Living on a Building Site
• Safe Working Practices
• Access Facilities
• Tools and Machinery
• Materials

SCAFFOLDING

• Checking on Workmanship
• When Things Go Wrong
• Awkward Jobs
• How Long Will it Take?
• Problems with Builders

6 THE REPAIRS BALANCE SHEET

• Costs and Benefits of Repairing Costs and Benefits
• The Value of Repairs
• Is Your Building Worth Repairing?
• Amenity, Comfort and Safety
• What Adds Value to your Home?
• Repair Priorities

7 GRANTS

• Which Grant Should I Apply For?
• Getting the Grant for your House When Should You Apply?
• Filling in the Forms Grant Rates (as at March 1992)
• New Grant Rules
• Approaching the Council for a Grant
• Types of Grant Available
• The Standard Amenity Grant
• The Improvement Grant
• The Repairs Grant Lead Pipe Replacement Grant
• Disabled Conversions and Adaptations
• Environmental Grants
• Insulation Grants Grant Rules
• The Small Print

8 OTHER SOURCES OF FINANCE

• Help from Social Security
• Income Support and Housing Costs
• Income Support and Mortgage Interest Loans and Department of Social Security
• What to do if You have a Mortgage and Lose Your Job
• Where to go for Loans and Mortgages
• Building Society
• Banks
• Insurance Companies
• Local Authorities
• Finance Companies
• Credit Unions
• Arranging a New Loan
• Extending Your Mortgage
• Mortgage Arrears
• Loans for the Elderly

9 TAKING LEGAL ACTION

• Before You see a Lawyer
• Conciliation and Arbitration Procedure
• Visit a Solicitor
• The Fixed Fee Interview
• Action in the Sheriff Court
• How Legal Expenses are Calculated
• Legal Expenses
• Insurance
• Taking Legal Action where more than one Person is Involved
• Someone Takes Legal Action Against You
• Appealing Against a Notice
• Negligence
• Breach of Contract
• Architects and Negligence
• The Council and Negligence
• Taking Action Against the Council

10 A TENEMENT ALPHABET

• Absentee Owners
• Agency Agreements
• Alterations
• Anti-social Neighbours
• Backcourts
• Basements
• Capital Gains Tax
• Closing and Demolition Orders
• Commercial Premises
• The Common Stair
• Compensation
• Copulsory Purchase
• Crime Prevention
• Dangerous Buildings
• Demolition Work
• Empty Flats
• Feus and Ground Burdens
• Fire
• Front Gardens
• History
• Main Door Flats
• Mortgage Surveys
• Noise Nuisances and Public Health
• Occupiers Liability
• Ombudsman
• Pests
• Pets
• Planning Permission
• Rehousing
• Rented Property and Repairs
• Residents Associations
• Rights to Light
• Right of Support
• Staircleaning
• Standard Amenities
• Tax Relief on Loans
• Tolerable Standard
• Vat

11 THE ROOF

• Roof Inspection
• A Slated Roof
• Reslating versus Retiling
• Repairing a Slate Roof
• Reslating a Roof
• Standards
• A Tiled Roof
• Repairing a Tiled Roof
• Retiling a Roof
• Reroofing Procedure
• Flashings
• Material for Flashing
• Chimneyhead and Wallhead Flashings
• Ridges Skew and Valley Flashings
• Stairhead Glazing
• Renewing the Glazing
• T.V.Aerials
• Chimneys
• How a Chimney Works
• Rebuilding a Chimneyhead
• Dismantling and Rebuilding Procedure
• The Loft
• Roof Construction
• Firebreaks
• Access
• Electrics
• Loft Insulation
• Dormers

12 THE STRUCTURE OF A TENEMENT

• The External Walls
• The Internal Walls
• The Foundations
• Structural Problems
• Localised Cracks
• Bulges
• Separation Cracks
• Floors Off-Level
• Differential Settlement
• Structural Repairs
• Local Crack Repairs
• Tying the Building Wall
• Rebuilding Bed Recess Walls
• Beam Replacement
• Foundation Repairs

13 STONEWORK

• Weathering
• Soluble Salts
• Pollution
• Stone Repairs
• Indenting
• Mortar repairs
• Common Faults
• Stone Features
• Stone Pointing
• Stone Cleaning
• Linostone Treatment

14 THE CLOSE

• The Close Floor and Landings
• A New Close Floor
• The Close Stair
• Retreading Stairs
• Balusters
• Handrails
• Close Doors
• A New Front Door
• A New Rear Close Door
• Ironmongery
• Close Windows
• Repairing a Close Window
• Close Walls and Ceilings
• Repairing Plasterwork
• Renewing the Dado
• Close Decoration

15 WINDOWS

• The Sash and Case Window
• Ironmongery
• Security
• Draughtproofing
• Mastic Maintenance and Decoration
• Replacement Windows
• Cleaning Windows
• Window Materials
• Double Glazing
• Security Glazing

16 INTERNAL WALLS, FLOORS AND CEILINGS

• Internal Walls
• Loadbearing Walls
• Internal Brick Walls
• Timber Stud Wall
• Wall Linings
• Skirting
• Floor Construction
• Levelling Floors
• Soundproofing
• Floors
• How Sound Travels
• Traditional Soundproofing
• Sound Testing
• Soundproofing Remedies
• Ceilings
• Cornices
• Repairing Old Ceilings
• Renewing Ceilings

17 PLUMBING

• The Water Supply
• Hot Water System
• Electric Immersers
• Back Boilers
• Insulation of Pipes and Tanks
• The Waste System
• Fire Stopping
• Pipes Drains and Sewers
• Overflows Gutters, Valleys and Downpipes
• Front Gutters
• Gutter Types
• Gutter Replacement
• Lead Cornice Gutters
• Rear Gutters
• A New Rear Gutter
• Parapet Gutter
• Renewing a Parapet Gutter
• Downpipes
• Repair and Renewal

18 DAMPNESS AND DECAY

• Condensation
• Causes of Condensation
• Rising Dampness
• Surveying Rising Damp
• Other Causes of Rising Damp
• Installing a DPC
• Solum
• Penetrating Dampness
• Dampness from Plumbing Defects
• Timber Decay
• Dry Rot
• Wet Rot
• Specialised Survey
• Remedial Work
• The Green Approach
• Woodworm

APPENDICES

• APPENDIX 1 What Your Factor's Contract Says in Plain English
• APPENDIX 2 Schedule of Factorial Duties
• APPENDIX 3 Stair Association Model Rules
• APPENDIX 4 Stair Association Minutes of Agreement
• APPENDIX 5 The Standard Building Contract
• APPENDIX 6 DIY Contract Agreements
• APPENDIX 7 Contact Addresses and Selected Reading

INDEX

©John Gilbert and Ann Flint 2005. None of the information on this site can be reproduced without prior permission.