Special Report
Why heritage properties should
follow the Queen’s example News that Buckingham Palace is to undergo a significant renovation has provoked a mixed reaction. Luke Czerpak of Eaton Electrical looks at the issues involved in the electrical makeover of a heritage property.
O
ne of Britain’s biggest draws for visitors is the iconic historical buildings. Travellers come from far
afield to get a glimpse of the famous architecture. In London alone there are sites such as Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Kensington Palace and the Tower of London. Because of the significant role the buildings
play in the tourist industry, they are not only the backbone of our cultural heritage, they are also an important asset for our economy, However, all buildings, whether iconic or not, inevitably decay over time and will need repair work. The costs attributed to the maintenance and renovation is an area that is often overlooked in iconic period buildings. The latest high profile public building to announce an upgrade with restoration work is Buckingham Palace.
What plans are in place at the palace? Restoration work at Buckingham Palace has been scheduled to commence in spring 2017. The plans for the palace, which attracted over half a million visitors last year, have provoked mixed reactions. Some are outraged by the estimated size of the bill (around £369m) while others feel that the renovation of one of the UK’s most iconic buildings is long overdue. Originally known as Buckingham House, the
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building forming the core of today's palace was built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. John Fitch built the main structure by contract for £7,000. It was in the 19th century that the next
exterior amendments to the palace were made. During the end of George IV’s reign, John Nash, an architect, imposed an extension that created the U-shaped building which has come to be a staple of the palace. A series of construction work has been completed up until 1914 but since then there have been no major adjustments to the palace.
Health and Safety concerns The simple fact is, there are many heritage properties and listed buildings across the UK in serious need of electrical renovation, and Buckingham Palace is just one of them. Given the fact that some of the Palace’s electrics haven’t been updated since the 1970s (the refurbishment plans will be the largest undertaken on the property since the Second World War) and the renovation is estimated to involve working with 5,000 light fittings, 100 miles of electric cabling and 20 miles of heating pipework, it’s a massive task. One reason why electrical renovation in older buildings can be neglected is because these sorts of projects are often more complex,
expensive and challenging. However, in any public building or residence, safety is of paramount importance. Electrical faults are cited as one of the major causes of fire in the both the workplace and the home and the likelihood of fire breaking out in older buildings where wiring may be outdated or even hazardous is drastically increased.
Complementing originalities Renovating a period property is not the same as building a new house or adding an extension – period property renovation requires specialist skills. It is important when renovating or extending a historic property that new additions complement the original style of the building. For building contractors, the use of authentic materials help to retain the character of historic buildings. The same considerations and thoughts as this need to also be made for the inside of the property. Even if the exterior of property looks right, getting the elements correct on the inside can be equally difficult and just as important. One of major problems is that few heritage properties were built with the need for electricity in mind. This means that any modernisation project is likely to require sympathetic wiring solutions
●Continued over September 2017 electrical wholesaler | 47
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