A Twin Cottage Revamp

This project involved two old cottages on a historic walled estate. The cottages are rented out and were suffering from such extremely cold temperatures and condensation that the building fabric was seriously degrading with running water on the walls and mould throughout. The client reported that even with a fire burning 24 hours a day seven days a week the cottage was freezing and in one cold month a tank containing £700 of oil was three-quarters emptied.
Once this project began it was found the building structure was of hollow Spanish clay blocks. The contractors have wrapped the cottages in woodfibre and rendered them using fully breathable renders. While the cottages are now being renovated internally, the occupants report that they can already feel a significant improvement in comfort and insulation.