Old Kiln Waterproofing and Thermal Insulation

This very old listed farmhouse had to be fully renovated and thermally insulated in order to convert it to holiday lets. There were two hop kilns as part of the building. Due to conic shape of the kilns, fixing the ongoing rainwater ingress presented a difficult challenge. The building has been pointed in the past with lime, however over time cracks have appeared and the seeping rainwater deteriorated the condition of the building.

In order to solve this problem in a sympathetic way, Core Conservation has been contacted for advice, who after an initial survey specified the right materials and approach to permanently overcome the problem.

The Rinzaffo MGN Roman lime waterproofing base coat has been applied first in 2 coats in approx 25 mm thickness. This breathable lime plaster, due to its microporous pore structure, is capable of blocking liquid water ingress while allowing the passage of vapours, allowing the building to breathe.

This base coat has been followed by a Roman lime thermal insulation coat with excellent hygrothermal properties that was capable to efficiently regulate the internal humidity. This was an important requirement of the project as one of the kilns had to be converted into a bathroom which should be warm and able to cope with elevated humidity without forming condensation and mould. A cocciopesto (lime + brick dust) thermal plaster is the perfect material for this purpose, cocciopesto plasters being used during antiquity in the Roman baths.

Here is a photo gallery showing more details of this project.