Insulating an Old Building with the Internal Warmshell System

With the need to create warmer homes we are increasingly insulating old buildings. However many Standard insulation products may stop heat escaping from your home, but they can also trap moisture, causing the damp and condensation within old walls, that creates rot, mould and bacterial growth. This can lead to health problems for the building but also for occupants, simulating asthma and respiratory diseases.

However, there is an alternative and Womersley’s have over the past few years have supplied the Warmshell Interior insulation system to old buildings. A recent example is to a barn conversion in Halifax with 600mm wide stone walls, where the sympathetic owners wanted to continue to allow the walls to breath as well creating a warmer home.

Insulating on the outside of this listed building was not an option. Having looked at the building Womersleys suggested using the Warmshell Interior insulation, which has been subjected to long term independent monitoring by the SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings).

The walls were levelled, although the characterful movement in them was not lost, using Ionic Hydraulic Lime and sand backing coats. Then 80mm softwood fibre insulation boards were secured to the wall surface using insulated mechanical fixings. The wall insulation was plastered with one coat lime plaster, Lime Green Solo, supplied by one of our partners Lime Green, who developed the Warmshell system. Because Warmshell Interior insulation uses natural lime plasters and wood fibre boards, the whole system continues to allow the wall to breathe.

The soft wood fibre board insulation boards used in this system keeps the temperature inside consistent, offering insulation from the cold but also preventing over heating in the summer.

On walls within the barn conversion where the window and architectural character would be damaged by a thick insulation board an insulating lime plaster called Ultra was used before being finished with the one coat lime plaster.

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2024
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2023
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2021
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2020
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2019
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2018
Day 6: Promoting Tourism through Conserving Heritage Conference Final day in Ethiopia Conservation Management Plans and Goodbye Day 4 Lime Training in Ethiopia Day 5 Lime Training in Ethiopia Day 3 Training in Ethiopia Day 2 of Lime Training in Ethiopia Empress Mentewab's Kuskuam Complex Lime Training in the Royal Compound at Gonder Day 1 of Running Lime Training in Ethiopia Conservation at Guzara Palace Earth mortars and Northern Ethiopia Inspirational Wattle and Daub in Ethiopia Providing Lime Training Out of the Rain An introduction to Silicate Paints Natural Pozzolana described by Vitruvius in the Roman Era Faux Marbling and Traditional Paints Training test Spenfield House Decoration Inspires Training Day Training at the Jewellery Quarter Birmingham Lime render finish coats for innovative design Paint Stripping Samples for Wythenshaw Hall A refresher day on Hot Limes for Mono Masonry Cast Roman Cement from 1840 on a building in Liverpool The colour is great and lots of very positive comments Fiona's Sheep formed from Womersleys Stone Repair Traditional Stand Oil Paint on new garden gate Tithe Barn now finished after Womersleys supply foamed glass insulated floor Ryedale Plasterers honing their skills & techniques Stone and Brick Repairs We would love to see you at Harrogate free tickets are available here Womersleys Insulating Lime Render Plaster and Moisture Buffering New Wattle and Daub supplied by Womersleys Ordsall Chord is coming to a successful finish Oil Paints and Distempers used to create an Illusion The iron rich limestone and aggregates of south east Sicily Marbeleizing with Natural Oil Paints Lime Mortars have always had to with stand extreme weather and seas The Cathedral Church of Saint Nicolo presents a fine Baroque façade The beautiful Noto limestone cladding Noto's Baroque Buildings Beautifully weathered lime render Lime stucco repairs to capitals Brick and Stone Formwork Exposed behind Lime Stucco Render Historic Lime Kiln at Shap Lime Stucco Work by Giovanni Bagutti Plaster, Daub and Render Survey at Old Hall Farm Repairing clay daub and lime plaster on panels of riven lath and insulating externally with insulated lime renders Use of mobile elevated platforms in Theatres Creating Formwork and Constructing an Arch An introduction to Lead Work Training Day Working with volunteers on the Chesterfield Canal Helping the Canal and River Trust Volunteers Training Course Sicily Building Kiln Training Course Sicily: Chuch of San Nicola Womersleys training course Sicily It really is as beautiful as they say Traditional buidling techniques Garden Corner Tower circa 1650, Agra Living Heritage Real Market Places Fine polished lime plaster ensured opulent splendour Indian Mortar Mill India Gate Lotus Flower forming 17th Century Column Bases Seventeenth Century Chrysanthemum Detail The Lotus Flower and the Indian Flag 17th Century Lime Stucco on brick Seventeenth Century Indian Frescoed Lime Stucco RIBA accredited CPD paint seminars Ceiling Survey Reveals a Glimpse of Former Decorative Glory Clay Infill found in Exeter's Grand Royal Clarence Hotel Foamit Sub Base for Great Tythe Barn
2017
Consolidation of Ruined Walls Free Tickets for Harrogate Homebuilding Show Pig Feeders in Troutsdale Lime an Essential Commodity One of largest Dovecotes in Britain Free Heritage Training in Leeds City Centre Checking Behind Plaster Fan Vaults Exhibiting at Yorkshire Show The world’s first passenger railway station Sixteenth Century Beauty New Pre Mixed Hydraulic Lime Introduced A seeded anhydrite hot lime attic floor screed Lime Render and Lime Wash on The Green The Valley of the Temples St Benedict Church, Sicily Digging out Argillaceous Limestone and Marlstone Forza d’Argo's Pink Hot Lime Mortars Stanley Hall Restoration Stucco formed Sugar Twist Baroque Columns Community Lime Burnt at Marple We at the NEC this weekend Come and help us build a small Lime Kiln at Marple Lime Kilns, on the 30th March Materials for Green Roofs Elland Bridge Stonework rebuilt with Hydraulic Lime Tadcaster Bridge Rebuilt with Hydraulic Lime Reopened Today. Lime Stucco Modelling Training Day Terracotta Training at Wolverhampton Hot Lime Mortar for Oswaldkirk Hall Top Tip Using Lime Mortars in New Build Lime Kilns at El Cotillo
2016
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2015
Foamed Glass Floor and Lime Screed for Lambeth Palace Installation of a 6 person MATRIX system Lime Mortar Training in Sicily Natural Materials construction at Sheffield University Foamit Recycled Foamed Glass used to create Green Roofs at CAT Sewage Treatment Provided for York Cycling Pods