Argyll and Bute Council’s Campbeltown THI team is encouraging local residents to take advantage of National Maintenance Week to prepare their homes for the winter.

The initiative, which runs from 18 to 25 November, kicks off on Friday 18 November with a drop-in event in the Town Hall from 12 noon – 6.00pm.  Council officers will be joined by a representative from Historic Scotland’s technical team to answer your questions.

You will be able to discuss the repair and maintenance of your building and receive some simple, practical advice which can make a significant difference to your property.   A presentation on historic building maintenance will be shown at 1.30pm and 4.30pm.

Now in its tenth year, National Maintenance Week coincides this year with National Gutters Day on Friday 25 November.  This event aims to raise awareness of how important it is to have your gutters cleaned regularly.

Something as simple as removing leaves and other debris could actually save you from having to spend hundreds of pounds at a later date to put right any damage caused by blockages.

Crucially, after the snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures of last winter those simple checks might be more vital than ever as the legacy of those freezing conditions could be serious damage including cracked pipes and fractured water courses.

Chair of the CHORD Project Board Councillor Rory Colville said, “National Maintenance Week is a good opportunity to catch up with all those jobs that you know need done but haven’t got round to.  I would encourage as many people as possible to come along to the event on 18 November and get some expert advice on maintaining your building.”

You can find out more about the Campbeltown THI project at ww w .argyll-bute.gov.uk/CampbeltownTHI.

Editors Notes

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) – which oversees National Maintenance Week - recommends the INFORM series of publications regarding all aspects of historic building maintenance and repair, which are available to download at www .historic-scotland.gov.uk/freepublications

In addition, there is a short ‘Maintaining Your Home’ guide for homeowners at htt p://www .historic-scotland.gov.uk/maintaining-your-home.pdf

National Maintenance Week is designed to promote awareness of the straightforward, economic and achievable maintenance steps that can be taken in autumn to stave off costly major faults and damage at a later date.

SPAB’s dedicated website is at www .maintainyourbuilding.org.uk.