The innovative one-coat, through-coloured weber.therm XP External Wall Insulation (EWI) system has been used in the dramatic thermal and aesthetic upgrade of a traditional estate lodge house. The property is one of many sited in the parkland grounds surrounding a beautiful 400 year old private estate in Hertfordshire, just 20 miles from the centre of London. The estate’s properties have been built over many decades for the purpose of staff and members of the family who have owned the estate for many generations.
The lodge is an attractive property built in the mid 1900s that urgently required complete renovation to provide a comfortable and elegant home. Built of nine-inch solid brickwork, recognised as a hard-to-heat construction, the house required insulation and complete internal restructure. The project contract was awarded to local construction and renovation experts TSP from Old Hatfield, Hertfordshire and managing director Gary Bates led the team who have completed the project.
“This is a good solid brick building but with no insulation it was not fit for purpose and any attempt to improve the efficiency of heating made little impact. The client’s architect designed a scheme that solved the heat loss problem without losing any interior volume. By selecting the weber.therm EWI and render system, and with very skilful application, the attractive features of the original building have actually been enhanced. It now looks even more attractive than when we arrived on site,” says Mr Bates.
The weber.therm XP EWI system uses 60mm, high-density wall insulation panels mechanically fixed to the sound brick substrate. The architect and client called for the built-out base detail, and mid-floor feature band running around the facades, to be maintained when the new render coat was applied. It is this render coat that weatherproofs the insulation material keeping it warm and dry. Saint-Gobain Weber-approved applicator, M.Clarke & Sons Contracts Limited of Co Antrim, built out the base feature using high density polyurethane boards and the stainless steel expanded metal lath. This was then rendered with weber.therm L2 which is a lightweight, one-coat polymer modified cementitious render with waterproof values normally required below DPC.
The feature band around the facades was created using a further layer of the insulation and pvc angle beads. The weber.therm M1 one-coat, through-coloured render was applied by machine and includes meshcloth reinforcement. The resulting finish enhances the attractive original design of the property whilst delivering a dramatic improvement to the thermal performance of the building.
The BBA accredited weber.therm XP EWI system is versatile, quick and simple to apply and is unlike traditional multi-coat systems. Saint-Gobain Weber’s expertise in the manufacture of mineral renders has resulted in this one-coat, through-coloured mineral render which can be applied directly to all major insulation types. Waiting for a base coat to dry is eliminated and being suitable for pump application, it is one of the most economical within the industry. Labour and scaffold costs are significantly reduced with minimal disruption to the homeowner. The finish is maintenance-free and available in a wide range of colours and textures.
Please call 08703 330070 for more information about weber.therm External Wall Insulation and render systems or visit www.netweber.co.uk and request a copy of the Weber Render Solutions handbook in hard copy or CD format.
