T W E N T Y F I R S T E D I T I O N
T H E B U I L D I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 1 4
5 5
2
BUILDING CONTRACTORS
FINDING SKILLED CRAFTSPEOPLE
JONATHAN TAYLOR
R
esearch published in 2013 by
the
Construction Industry Training
Board (CITB), English Heritage and
Historic Scotland found that most work on
traditional (pre-1919) buildings in England
and Scotland is undertaken by non-
specialist contractors.
However, the construction techniques
and materials used a hundred years ago
are very different from those used to
construct buildings today. Using modern
technology to repair them may not only
change their character and appearance,
but it can also be highly damaging. For
example, it is well known that the mortars
used to build masonry walls were far less
rigid and more permeable than the cement
mortars used today. Even the early cements
used were weaker than modern Portland
cement. Nevertheless, it is still common to
find untrained builders pointing historic
masonry with hard cement. The result
is that the surface of the wall is liable to
decay.
The results of inappropriate repairs
may not always be obvious, particularly
to the untrained eye. Some problems are
cumulative, such as the use of inappropriate
or overly aggressive cleaning methods,
resulting in a small loss of the original surface
each time it’s cleaned. This is particularly
obvious on old silverware, where the
indentations of the original hall mark are lost
due to repeated polishing. It is less obvious
when ironwork is shot blasted and then
over-painted. However, all materials found in
historic buildings are vulnerable to over-
cleaning or repeated cleaning.
Knowledge of the effects of the processes
we use in the conservation and repair of old
buildings is constantly advancing, and it is
important that those responsible for their
conservation remain abreast of current
developments. In the best conservation work,
decisions are made by the conservation
team as a whole, including the contractors
and craftspeople involved, together with the
architect and the owner or client. The skill
and knowledge of a specialist craftsperson or
contractor can be invaluable in formulating
the best solutions, both in the planning stages
and as work progresses.
It is thus essential to have the right skills
for every conservation project. But how do you
find them? And how do you distinguish the
craftsperson from the cowboy?
THE BUILDING CONSERVATION
DIRECTORY
Contractors and conservators listed in the
directory are specialists in the fields described
in their entries. Many of the companies listed
employ registered or accredited craftspeople,
but entries are not exclusive to companies
employing these people. This is because,
on the one hand, some highly skilled and
experienced craftspeople have no formal
qualifications, while on the other, a qualified
and accredited craftsperson may be perfect for
one job but not for another. Whatever source
one uses to find the right person for the job,
it is important to understand the particular
requirements of the work proposed, and the
capabilities of the individual carrying out the
work. If there is any doubt about the match,
owners of historic buildings should employ
a conservation professional (a specialist
architect or surveyor, or a heritage consultant)
with the expertise required to supervise
and co-ordinate the work. The directory
is designed to provide a reliable resource
for finding both specialist contractors and
consultants with experience in conservation.
HERITAGE CSCS CARD SCHEME
Although architects, surveyors and engineers
may be accredited in conservation, there
is no general accreditation system for
contractors and craftspeople, and only a few
of the craft disciplines offer specific relevant
accreditation.
The Construction Skills Certification
Scheme (CSCS) was established in 1995 to
provide a certificate of competence for the
construction industry. Backed by a health
and safety knowledge test, CSCS cards are
currently available for 21 ‘Heritage Skills’
and hundreds of other construction skills.
The scheme provides employers and their
clients assurance that the contractor’s
workforce is up to speed on health and
safety issues, and that their craftspeople
have achieved sufficient competence in
their specialist field. The system is based on
the NVQ level achieved by the craftsperson
and satisfactory completion of the CITB
Health, Safety and Environment Test.
To hold a CSCS heritage skills card, the
craftsperson must be trained to advanced
craft level, holding an NVQ Level 3 or its
equivalent. This card is gold coloured (see
table overleaf).
The heritage craft skills covered by the
system include a broad range of masonry
skills (brick and stone), earth walling,
roofing (lead, hard metal, slate, tile and
thatch), carpentry and joinery, plasterwork
(fibrous and solid), painting and decorating,
finishes and tiling (floors and walls).
There are also CSCS skills cards
(although not ‘heritage’ skills cards) for
heavy timber frame carpentry, conservation
technicians, conservation site supervisors and
conservators.
Not all the craft skills required for
the conservation of historic buildings
are covered by the heritage skills card. In
particular, wrought ironwork, cast iron and
other metal conservation skills currently fall
under the umbrella of construction-related
occupations (CROs). However, The National
Heritage Ironwork Group is working towards
establishing an NVQ level 3 in heritage
blacksmithing so that conservators can qualify
for the CSCS heritage skills card.
Other omissions include glazing related
work, such as stained glass and leaded light
conservators, metal sculptors and timber
carvers (although stone carving is included).
CSCS heritage skills cards are valid for
five years and are renewable upon application
provided the health, safety and environment
test is retaken and passed. Specific craft skills
and competencies are not checked on renewal,
and there is no requirement for continuing
professional development.
Most larger conservation contractors
require their craftspeople to carry CSCS
cards, and there is a growing demand from
central and local government departments
for the contractors working on their buildings
to employ a fully carded workforce. English
Heritage, for example, through its standard
preliminaries requires all contractors working
on its 400 plus sites to be registered with
the Construction Industry Training Board
(CITB) and their operatives are required to
carry CSCS cards appropriate to their skills.
Skillingtons conservators Simon Ebbs and Simon
Nadin restoring the ‘Wrestlers Herculeus and Anteus’
sculpture at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire for the
National Trust: both conservators hold CSCS heritage
skills cards. (Photo: Paul Wooles, Skillington Workshop
Ltd, by kind permission of the National Trust)
