New KOMO Assessment Guideline 5212-3, for listed historic building market

The new KOMO Assessment Guideline 5212-3, for the installation of ‘zinc, copper and lead roof, facade and gutter structures on historic buildings and sites’ is complete! Both the guidelines of the Dutch Department for the Preservation of Historic Buildings and Sites (RCE) and of the Recognised Foundation for the Conservation and Restoration Quality of Historic Buildings and Sites (Dutch ERM) were incorporated and approved during the development of this Assessment Guideline.

RCE wants to stimulate the care for protected historic buildings and sites. One way this is done is by granting owners a subsidy for maintenance and restoration. The government department can make a recommendation to use a specific guideline for the work, such as Assessment Guideline 5212-3.

ERM, Zinkmeesters (sector organisation), SKG-IKOB (certification body for building and property sector), and KOMO (building material certification), are all involved in the Assessment Guideline.

Relationship Implementing Guideline 4011 with Assessment Guideline 5212-3

In the words of ERM director, Walter de Koning. “ERM developed the Implementing Guideline 4011 for ‘Metal roof coverings and gutters installed on historic buildings and sites’. The Assessment Guideline 5212-3 ‘Installation of zinc, copper and lead roof, facade and gutter structures on historic buildings and sites’ refers to certain guidelines and principles of Implementing Guideline 4011.”

‘Best of both worlds’

Walter de Koning sees advantages for the market: “Documents relating to the restoration of historic buildings and sites are available to clients both through ERM and KOMO. Companies can, with limited extra effort, also easily and simultaneously obtain certification based on the Implementing Guideline 4011 and the Assessment Guideline 5212. ”Therefore, when the audit is properly organised, you have certificates for both markets.”

Berry Blaak, auditor at SKG-IKOB

Berry Blaak says: “The Assessment Guideline 5212-3 has been developed in order to ensure that the historic buildings market also has a thorough process certificate for installing zinc, copper and lead roof, facade and gutter structures on historic buildings and sites. It allows the client to receive a subsidy from RCE for the maintenance and management of historic buildings and sites.”

“Assessment Guideline 5212-3 is an extension of the three existing Assessment Guidelines 5212-0/5212-1/5212-2, with additional conditions for restoration ethics, historic buildings and sites. With this process certificate the client can rest assured that inspections take place four times a year. What is more, SKG-IKOB monitors the quality of the work in accordance with the relevant Assessment Guideline. ”From now on companies can certify themselves according to this new Assessment Guideline!”

Zinkmeesters pioneered Assessment Guideline 5212-3

The outgoing chairman of sector association Zinkmeesters, Hendri Otte, talks about the run-up to Assessment Guideline 5212-3. “The Zinkmeesters sector association was founded in 1992 by a number of companies specialised in metal roofing. Many processors then joined our national association. At the initiative of Zinkmeesters, in 1996 the KOMO process certificate Assessment Guideline 5212 was drawn up, along with the associated Implementing Guidelines for the traditional processing of zinc. The aim was to define knowledge and controlled quality in specific terms.”

“For the new Assessment Guideline 5212-3, it was important that the value assessment* (valuation) was clearly defined, with specific requirements for the following steps in the context of preserving the historical value of a historic building or site. Following consultations with ERM, these specific requirements have been added to Assessment Guideline 5212-3. Additionally, when it comes to installing metal roofs, ERM in turn benefits from the specific knowledge of Zinkmeesters. All in all, Assessment Guideline 5212-3 is an important addition for processors and clients in this specific field. Along with Assessment Guideline 5212-2, for ‘Design and Installation of Lead Roof, Facade and Gutter Structures”, our assessment Guideline series is complete.”

* The value assessment is part of archaeological research in which the value of historic buildings and sites is both substantiated and made clear, eds.

National Cultural Heritage Agency (Netherlands)

Mark Stafleu, head of RCE Strategy on the new Assessment Guideline 5212-3, “The RCE is pleased that this KOMO guideline is available and has been drawn up by a wide range of parties. A guideline such as this promotes the proper conservation and restoration of historic buildings and sites. A positive element is that the KOMO guideline also explicitly devotes attention to the preservation of cultural and historical values, in addition to attention to good implementation technology.”

Ton Jans, KOMO director

Ton Jans is looking forward to the collaboration with ERM, “This new Assessment Guideline paves the way to a lasting relationship with ERM. We are going to further develop these in the coming months.”