Timber is one of the oldest of man's building materials, but because the building scene today is dominated by concrete and steel, many designers are unfamiliar with the properties of timber and its structural vocabulary. This new book begins with an extended introduction to timber as a building material: its various forms and properties, its response to environmental conditions, and the Building Regulations relating to its use. It goes on to follow the general sequence of work, starting with the commission, and then dealing with the survey, the investigation and the appraisal.