Assessing The Age of Dwellings

Name: Assessing The Age of Dwellings
Uploaded: 2017-07-19T01:46:46+00:00
Duration: PTM35S19
Channel: Danny Abbot
Description: Assessing The Age of Dwellings

Assessing The Age of Dwellings
This afternoon I am going to speak to you about dating domestic properties and a little bit of history as to how these changes in architecture came about

Property Date Bands England and Wales Northern Ireland Scotland
Pre 1900 2007 onwards Northern Ireland Pre 1919 (not applicable) 2007 onwards Scotland Pre 1919 2008 onwards You will notice the age bands getting tighter from 1976 onwards due to more regular changes in the Building regulations If you are ever unsure of a property date, always select the older age band.

Importance of Dating Houses
Identifying the age of a property is fundamental to the EPC process because the RdSAP software makes a whole series of assumptions based on the property age The age of a dwelling determines three important factors The assumptions correspond to the default U-values for the wall, roof and floor. It can also provide an indication to the buildings construction type. Ratio of floor area to window area These assumptions correspond to the default U-values for the wall, roof and floor. And Houses of different ages have different window to floor ratios This is true as older buildings are more likely to be solid wall construction

Ageing Properties If a house has undergone a conversion it must meet building regulations for the time of conversion – this means you can enter the age of the property as the conversion date (providing there is suitable evidence to prove it has met building regulations) For most cases dwellings built at the beginning of an age band would have received building approval under the earlier age band regulations i.e. a building being built in 1991 would have received planning for the age bracket Always take the worst case scenario

Ways to Assess The Age Ask the occupants Using documentary evidence
Local authorities Changes in building regulations Constructional features Architectural style Surrounding property's Many people will now when there house was built and in some cases you may well be able to ask a neighbour When you are dating older properties using old maps of the area would be a useful tool Some local authorities keep accessible records of all building regulations applications Changes in building regulations applies to things such as window with trickle vents….which came into force in the 1990 regulations Constructional features and architectural style deal which how the building looks, which can sometimes be misleading

External Indicators of Ageing Dwellings
Fascinating topic

Pre 1900 A mixture of styles ranging from classical through to gothic
Covers a long period so there are many different fashions and influences Generally characterised by ‘over ornamented features around doors, windows, etc. Use of local materials Large chimneys, often several chimney pots Mixture of styles No driveways or garages Solid wall construction Sliding sash or wooden casement windows Small front gardens Old outbuildings – used to house outside loo Internally, large houses had servant’s quarters in the basement or attic. During this period transporting large quantities of stone for building purposes was not normal, so as a result of this house built in Scotland would be more likely to be built form granite rather than sandstone. And houses in Yorkshire are more likely to be built form sandstone than granite Houses needed more chimneys in these days due to the fact there was no central heating so every room had a fire place to keep the occupants warm, hence more chimneys and pots. Cars were not invented so there was no need for a parking space although larger house would have perhaps had a stable to keep horses. Any garages would have been a more recent addition Solid brick wall were common due to cavity walls being very much in there infancy

Early Properties Oak nearly exhausted (not true for all earlier properties) Small panes of glass Heavily panelled front door Building Act 1774 imposed restrictions on materials Flat facades The glass would be in small panes as it was very expensive and hard to manufacture in large sheets You will notice the vertical and horizontal glazing bars Fronts doors for this period tended to be very large and heavy The building act of 1774 set regulations which included the stipulation that doors and windows should be recessed at least four inches from the front of the building and made from brick or stone. Architectural style was for flat facades

Typical Gothic & Victorian Houses
Front doors side by side Slate roof coverings Gable roofs Ornamental moldings around the windows and over the doors Wooden sash windows Solid brick Notice the Victorian tiling leading to the front door A new quarry open in Wales in 1770 and slate had become the most popular roof covering up until about the 1900’s

Typical Gothic and Victorian Houses
Brick decoration between floors Stone lintels with some embellishment No car parking facilities Close to footpath A single course of coloured brickwork was very popular during the 1870 to 1900 period Buildings were no longer aloud to be built back to back due to the Public Health act of 1875 so developers built as close to the footpath as they could The public health act of 1875 covered: housing, sewage and drainage, water supplies and contagious diseases. It was to combat all of the cholera epidemics and filthy living conditions

Early 1900s Whole streets developed at once More consistency in style
Gothic arches and gables Larger panes of glass used Sash windows Mainly solid masonry – although cavity starts to be introduced in exposed regions of the country, generally narrow cavity Tiled floor in porches Narrow Cavity Walls (220+) & Solid walls are both used The arts and crafts movements tended to determine the site layout and appearance of the more up market properties This was also a period of low building activity

1900 - 1929 Steep pyramid shaped roof Canted bay windows
Access directly of the street No parking in lower end buildings The pre 1900 period saw the introduction sanitation and plumbing but nothing was done about over crowding so as a result many street developments were in the form of long terraces and narrow frontages -

1920s saw introduction of 70ft rule – the minimum distance allowed between houses, reducing the number of properties in an acre from to 6-8 This meant an larger property and garden size Garden city movement 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained, communities surrounded by greenbelts, containing carefully balanced areas of residences, industry, and agriculture

1900 - 1929 Clay roof coverings Large chimneys
Introduction of vertical tiling Steep roofs Arts and crafts movement inspired timber gable Mock Tudor Textured rendering

1900 - 1929 Typical of late 1920’s building design Vertical tiling
No ornamental moldings Low rise buildings most common Large pyramid shaped gable roof

1920’s Large property No integrated parking facilities
Well spaced from adjacent properties Small roof tiles/slates

1930’s Rounded Bay windows designed to fit metal casement windows (nearly all now replaced) Detached garage or space for car Semi detached properties very common Cavity walls commonly used throughout the UK Hipped roofs Still have chimneys Properties have damp proof course installed when built Council house estates – predominantly semi-detached and terraced properties. Any flats built would be low-rise due to lack of lift technology Density of properties is increasing again Large growth of suburban estates Introduction of non-traditional (system build) buildings such as steel frame, timber frame, pre-cast and in-situ concrete

1930 - 1949 Chimneys still common Double bay windows
Buildings set further back from the road Squarer in design Hipped roof Cavity wall

1930 - 1949 Double height bay window Tile hung bay Casement windows
Hipped roof Square in shape Covered porch This is a classic example of a 1930’s house

1930’s Estate

Typical 1940’s Typical 1940’s detached house Square in design Chimneys
Exterior soil pipe Cavity walls now common (250mm+) Introduction of bungalows, but not common until after WW2

1940’s Estate 1940’s estate type housing Often on large estates
Square boxes Plain features Low cost housing

Post War During the war there was little property construction
Immediately after the war there was a big need for properties, but limited resources or skilled labour System build properties used cheap materials and did not require high skill levels to build Massive numbers of system build properties were constructed in the post war years

System Built Post War House
Cornish type 1 Precast concrete panels Due to skilled labour shortage Inherent defects Easily identifiable

System Built Post War House
You can see here how the next door neighbour has had there exterior walls replaced with a cavity wall Today most system built houses have had the external walls improved or replaced Located usually on large housing estate

1950s Council house building but reverted to brick/stone construction rather than system build Large open plan estates Steel casement windows (usually replaced with UPVC now) Chimney’s still present on most properties until the 1960s, when gas boilers became more common Most properties now have a driveway and or garage Bungalows became popular Flat roof porches Bay windows on non-council houses Concrete roof coverings Window openings increase in size and tend to be wider than they are high

1950s Semi casement windows Chimney’s Cavity wall (260mm+)
Plain flat fronted, simple in design Enclosed front garden

1950s semi Semi detached Hipped roof Small chimney
Single height bay window Drive-way Small front and rear gardens

1960’s Clean Air Act of 1956 greatly influenced the heating of dwellings and saw a reduction in properties with traditional chimneys. Solid fuels were rarely used Brick cavity walls (260+mm thick), with some use of timber boarding, tile hanging or concrete panels for sections of properties Chalet style bungalow with roof dormers Tall tower blocks common from 1960’s Attached or integral garages Open plan rooms, lounge/dining room The Parker Morris report of 1961 In one, two and three bedroom dwellings, one water closet is required, and it may be in the bathroom. A semi-detached or end-of-terrace house for 4 people should have a net floor area of 72 square meters. A dwelling for three or more people should have enclosed storage space for the kitchen of 2.3 cubic meters. Dwellings should be fitted with heating systems that maintain the kitchen and circulation space at 13 degrees C , and the living and dining spaces at 18 °C, when the external temperature is -1 °C.

1960’s Introduction of brick and block external walls – should be able to determine inner block wall during loft inspection Concrete roof coverings, slate rarely used Flat or low pitched roofs covered in roofing felt New materials employed for construction, including plastic gutters to replace asbestos cement Window areas are large and originally single glazed, with little consideration for heat loss due to the low price of oil Introduction of building regulations in Scotland in 1964, England and Wales 1966 and Northern Ireland in 1972 The Parker Morris report of 1961 In one, two and three bedroom dwellings, one water closet is required, and it may be in the bathroom. A semi-detached or end-of-terrace house for 4 people should have a net floor area of 72 square meters. A dwelling for three or more people should have enclosed storage space for the kitchen of 2.3 cubic meters. Dwellings should be fitted with heating systems that maintain the kitchen and circulation space at 13 degrees C , and the living and dining spaces at 18 °C, when the external temperature is -1 °C.

1960’s Chalet Bungalow Cavity Wall Concrete roof coverings Car parking
Mix of gable and hipped roofs Use of different building materials Larger windows Asymmetrical design Introduction of coloured panels to front elevation

1964 Semi Detached Concrete roof coverings Cavity wall
Off road parking Timber and stone cladding becoming more popular No front garden fencing Good example of cross construction – usually brick gable ends with timber making up majority of front and rear walls, often have large windows filling part of cross construction area too

1960’s Terrace

Typical 1960’s Bungalow No front fencing Large windows
Concrete roof coverings Chimneys with less pots Off road parking Built in estates

Altered 1960’s bungalow This bungalow has had replacement windows and a new cloaked verge roof, which would suggest construction around the easrly1980’s

1960’s Estate Style Housing
Introduction of flat roofing for the main roof covering Integral parking facilities No front fencing No chimneys

1970’s No chimneys, roof vents for central heating
Cavity walls measure 260+mm thick Introduction of pre-fab trussed rafter roof, from mid 60’s, extensively from 1970’s Wider variety in built form, reacting to sameness of 1960’s design Increase in density of housing as the price of land increases – also off plot car parking Soil stack integral to building Cross wall construction still common, coloured panels used in front elevations Change in building regulation requirements for roof insulation (still less than a quarter of today) Flat roofs, mono pitch and shallow pitch roofs become popular, particularly in low cost housing developments Use of timber and steel frame construction is common The collapse of part of a concrete constructed block of flats (Ronan Point) in 1968 lead to the demolition of a number of similar style buildings with others undergoing substantial strengthening work Small amount of insulation assumed by RdSAP in roof and walls

Early 1970’s Cross wall construction Integral garages No chimneys
Large front windows High density housing Built in soil stack

Early 1970’s Roof vents, no chimneys Cross wall construction
Large casement windows Concrete roof coverings Small garden space Note smaller windows, no chimney,

Mid 1970’s 1973 oil crisis increased awareness of need
for fuel efficiency; started to make houses more energy efficient introduce wall insulation much smaller windows double glazing introduced

Note smaller windows, no chimney,

1980’s Building design starts to come back
Cavity walls measure 270+mm thick Cul-de-sacs in estates Mixed styles in same estate Double glazing in dark wooden frames Chimneys start to reappear for gas flame effect fires Reduction in use of asbestos for external building materials i.e. soffits Introduction of roof vents Enclosed front garden often with paved space for a car and integral garage Complicated roof shapes, occasionally with dormer windows

1980’s Dark window frames Concrete roof tiles Dark bricks
Variation in design on estates Off road parking No chimney

Early 1980s Dark wood double glazing No chimney Integral garage
Small floor area Close to neighbouring property

Typical 1980’s Picture above shows good example of a dormer window with dark wood surround Mock Tudor becoming popular again

Example of a Flat Flats in general follow the same architectural principles as housing As you can see dormers in the roof no chimneys and dark wood window frames

1990’s Often small plots, small property footprint and garden area
Different materials and slightly different styles in same development Cavity walls measure mm thick Often inclusion of some of the following features: Bay windows Mock pillars Porches Decorative brickwork Shared drives for several houses Small detached homes, narrow gaps between properties Studies, utility rooms, downstairs toilet and en-suite bathrooms become more common Introduction of trickle vents over windows

Typical 1990’s Mixture of styles Small plot size Double glazed
Modern building techniques with the use of UVPC

House Built in 1997 Date stamp on front elevation Decorative brickwork
Small plot size Cavity wall Off road parking

Further Examples of 1990’s Estate type housing with small plots.
Mixed styles Note the mock Tudor gable

2000 to Present Day The owner/occupier is almost certain to know the original build date of the property Increased density of housing Encouragement to develop Brownfield sites – so lots of post 2002 inner city developments High purchase and building cost mean 3 storey houses and rooms in roof more common. Timber frame construction popular again Big developments with a few different property designs Weep holes above openings Soil stacks are built externally to the property Double glazing may have the date stamped in the bead

2003 Estate This building was built in 2003, in a low cost housing estate Much harder to date as they do not follow any of the previous architectural features The inside window bead may well provide an accurate date for when the building was constructed

Post 2000

2008 Onwards Land is at a premium in the UK, which is steering building regulations and planning authorities to ensure more efficient use of land Increased use of Brownfield land Increased density of housing within developments Encouragement to build up Brownfield” is the term generally used to describe previously developed land, which may or may not be contaminated. Across the UK there are thousands of sites, which have been contaminated by previous industrial uses and may present significant risks to human health and to the wider environment. More and more houses built nowadays have 3 storeys as opposed to 2

Windows From this photo you can clearly see the date stamped in the bead of the window. In this case

Building Your Skills Establishing the date of a house by identifying style/construction is not an exact science, the training given should only be used as a guide You can: Ask the seller (do not solely rely on this) Ask a neighbour Look at old maps Look at neighbouring property's When assessing properties as a DEA you will not have to rely on external images, you can go inside where there may be much more useful evidence to help you age the property- covered in next slide

Internal Identifiers of Age
Period fireplaces High skirting boards Ceiling roses Heavily panelled doors Cornicing Decorative architrave around windows and doors

Housing age test

Answers

Date from style If previous approach does not establish the age develop your own dating skills in increments: Start by putting the property into 1 of 3 broad age bands Pre WW1 Interwar Post WW2 After this add in detail: 1920s 1930s 1960s Post 1970s If you are ever unsure of a properties age band, select the older band

Summary As with all skills and techniques the more do you and the more experience you gain the better you will become at assessing the age of properties It is not an exact science but with some consideration of what you have learned today coupled with your own field experience it should make your assessment much easier in the future Dwelling types vary immensely from area to area The style of the property is dependent on who the intended occupants are i.e. private or social housing Dwellings can also be changed from there original plan to something completely different and sometimes it helps to have a look at the neighbouring properties to aid you in your assessment

Sampling Sampling is a process used to assess a large number of similar dwellings by identifying and surveying a representative group and applying the results to the whole group. Typically this will be most appropriate for social housing

Sampling-Process 1. Identify the dwellings which share similar characteristics – the landlords stock must be divided into groups of dwellings which share similar characteristics. This information can be gathered from the landlord’s asset management database. If the DEA is not directly involved in the group selection then they should understand how the groups were derived 2. Identify common elements – identify elements which are common to all the dwellings in a group, such as age band, build type or heating system 3. Customize the dataset for known variations – Identify elements which are different, there should be no more than six differences between two or more dwellings 4. Enter data and produce an EPC for each dwelling – The DEA must visit a sample of the dwellings to verify that the variations based on the landlords database are correct. The number of properties visited is determined by the group size

Sampling Please note… It is unlikely you will have to use sampling. You may want to use it if you are contracted to produce EPCs for a very large block of flats Sampling is not required within the DEA portfolio

Any Questions?

Assessing The Age of Dwellings

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Assessing The Age of Dwellings"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

Assessing The Age of Dwellings

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Assessing The Age of Dwellings"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback