Service
Technologies, heating & insulation
Sympathetic insulation, plumbing, heating and renewables — bringing old buildings up to modern comfort while keeping them breathable.
Integrating new technologies into older buildings, if undertaken sympathetically, can improve energy efficiency, solve problems and save money — without compromising the character or the breathability of the building.
Plumbing & heating
We can provide complete heating installations, or adapt existing systems to use more sustainable heat sources such as heat pumps, PV solar panels (electricity), solar thermal tube panels (hot water), woodburners with back boilers, and biomass.
We work alongside Jupiter Underfloor Heating and trusted local renewables installers to bring together the best of the new technologies with the expertise and knowledge to create plumbing and heating systems that significantly reduce running costs and carbon emissions.
Our pricing for natural insulations now compares favourably with mass-produced rigid PIR and fibreglass-type products.
Insulation
Insulation is widely recognised as the most effective way of improving the efficiency of your home. We believe it is equally important to use natural materials whenever possible — for health, the environment, performance and breathability. Our pricing for natural insulations now compares favourably with mass-produced rigid PIR and fibreglass-type products.
Paints
Through the centuries, highly breathable finishes such as limewashes and distempers have proven their worth, and remain excellent options for finishing lime plasters and renders, or for use directly onto brickwork where breathability is required. We also work with claypaints, mineral paints and specialist silicate masonry paints from the leaders in the field — for breathability, excellent colour-matching, longevity and a uniform finish.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I just use standard foam or PIR insulation on my old solid walls?
Old solid walls of cob, brick, stone or flint have no cavity and were built to breathe — moisture moves through the fabric and evaporates away. Sealing them with closed-cell foam or PIR boards traps that moisture, causing interstitial condensation, damp, salt damage, mould and rot in timbers over time.
For traditional buildings we use vapour-open, capillary-active materials instead, so the wall can still dry out safely.
What breathable insulation materials do you use on period and listed buildings?
We work with natural, vapour-open materials matched to the building, including wood fibre boards, sheep's wool, hemp-lime (hempcrete), cork and lime-based plasters and renders. These let damp from driven rain migrate and dry outwards rather than becoming trapped.
The right choice depends on the wall type, exposure and whether you are insulating internally or externally — we advise on a sensible system after seeing the building.
Do I need permission to insulate or upgrade heating in a listed building?
Usually yes. Insulating walls, floors or roofs, or altering heating, in a listed building typically needs Listed Building Consent, and external wall insulation often needs planning permission too. Work must also meet Building Regulations Part L, though listed status allows exemptions where strict compliance would harm the historic fabric.
Critically, solid walls should not be over-insulated — pushing too hard for modern U-values can make the wall colder and far more prone to condensation. We help plan a proportionate, consent-friendly approach.
What does breathable insulation roughly cost in the UK?
As a typical UK market guide (not a quote), internal wood-fibre wall insulation often runs around £90–£200 per m² supplied and fitted, and external systems more, depending on render finish, access and scaffolding. Sheep's wool and hempcrete vary widely by thickness and detailing.
Every old building differs — wall condition, exposure and consents all affect the figure. We provide a tailored quote after a consultancy visit, the fee for which is deducted from the final invoice if the work proceeds.
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