4.13. Maintenance And Repair
Maintaining a timber shopfront to a good standard requires yearly checks and touching up of the paintwork, especially around the windowsill and joints in the framing (commonly required as a 7-year maintenance item). For larger repairs, timber can be scarfed-in around the joints by a qualified joiner, whilst minor areas of repair could be undertaken using resins. Keeping on top of repairs helps to ensure that the shopfront continues to invite people in and avoids large bills further down the line.
Rendered or timber-panelled stallrisers can be subject to a lot of damage, especially if they are carried down to the ground without any gap or damp-proof course. Splashback from the road and pavement surface are a constant problem leaving them dirty and stained and more susceptible to decay. Regular cleaning can mitigate this and highlight minor repairs at an early stage. Unless inappropriate given the historical architectural context, using stone or glazed brick, with a damp-proof course, is a very good long-term solution for stallrisers.
The effects of poor maintenance can clearly be seen on this shopfront joinery
A poorly maintained traditional shopfront in Newport
Timber stallriser suffering from bad damp
