11. Further Options for Building Fabric Upgrades - Historic Scotland

Further Options for Building
Fabric Upgrades
Jessica Snow
Technical Conservation Group

10%
25%
20%
10%
35%

Typical refurbishment:
expanded phenolic foam

Insulation types for traditional buildings
• ‘Breathable’ – vapour permeable
• Reversible – if attached to historic fabric
• Affordable – to make it a feasible option

Interior of tenement, Glasgow
External wall U-value 1.00

‘breathable’ insulated board
U value improvement 65%

U value improvement 68%
bonded polystyrene bead

U value improvement 71%
cellulose fibre

Hemp board
U value improvement 78%

How do I insulate here?

Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate
potential for use behind lath and plaster?

External Insulation
Maybe not here…

But what about here?

25% of heat lost
Roofs

More sustainable options:
sheep’s wool insulation

Sheep’s wool pinned to under floor joists

Is it worth lifting this?

Breathable?

Stone floors – can this be improved?

hemp / lime-concrete insulated floor beneath
stone flags

Concrete floor insulation: U-value 0.25 W/m 2 .k

Sustainable?
Energy Efficient?

new sealed units within existing sashes

vacuum DG panes – made in Japan

Acrylic ‘conservation’ glazing
Typically 50% reduction in U-value

low emissivity film

Secondary glazing : U Value 1.7

shutters, curtains and blinds –
reduce heat loss by 62%

The future?
We need to keep our options open:
• Skirting board heating
• Heated window panes
• Radiant heat paint
• Heating people, not buildings
• Insulating ‘breathable’ external renders