ASK THE EXPERT

Douglas Kent, technical and research director at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), answers your queries

Q We are thinking of buying a listed home – which parts will be covered by the listing?

It is a common misconception that only the front elevation, exterior or certain features are listed – this is rarely the case. If a building is listed, it is listed in its entirety, including the interior, unless explicitly excluded in the description. The listing may also cover other structures, later extensions and outbuildings.

You can see the list entry for your house at historicengland.org.uk.

Q Should I paint my old brick walls to protect them?

No, as it can hasten deterioration by trapping moisture in the brickwork. The moisture can then be forced to escape, leading to the mobilisation of harmful soluble salts. However, where a render has been stripped from a wall, it can be prudent to replace it to help protect bricks. A render or alternative protection, such as vertically hung tiling or lead cladding, can also be appropriate in some contexts.

Q I’m considering replacing the modern concrete floor in my cottage with timber floorboards, and was wondering whether they would have originally been the same or varying widths?

In ordinary dwellings, the floorboards would often vary in width, with the builders making the best use of valuable materials and minimising wastage. An important exception was in highstatus houses, where owners often wished to display their wealth with boards of unvarying width. This situation changed with increasing standardisation, from the mid-19th century.