Many of Britain's four million Victorian and Edwardian houses were shoddily built and often require 'essential repairs'. Problems such as rising damp, timber decay, bowed roofs and subsidence are well-known, but at what point do these common problems become major defects? Forget 'makeovers': this easy-to-use manual shows where to look for danger signs, what's normal and what isn't, and how to fix common defects. Equipped with this book, you can talk the same language as builders and property professionals, and this new edition includes updated rules and regulations as well as guidance on the latest environmental issues