client private
engineers Millard Consulting
contract value £78,000
area 200 sq. m.
Stenton Farmhouse is a large Georgian farmhouse that has had several extensions, but otherwise has had little work or renovation carried out. The owner wanted to upgrade the house to meet contemporary living standards, rationalise the labyrinth of back rooms, convert the garage into habitable space, and relocate the open plan kitchen. They also wanted the addition of a southwest facing conservatory for growing fruit and vegetables.
Several internal walls were taken down and internal windows added, opening up the space and bringing more light into the ground floor.
All concrete floors with no insulation were removed and a new floor built up including insulation. All suspended timber floors were retrofitted with insulation between the joists with care taken for a tight fit. The quality of the work, and in particular the air tightness of the external fabric, can significantly improve or reduce the effectiveness of the insulation.
The attic was super insulated and again made as airtight as possible with cross battens laid across the rafters to hold an additional layer of insulation and care taken to include all changes in direction such as at knee walls.
Sheep’s wool was chosen to line the solid stone walls because of its remarkable ability to absorb moisture and bounce back into its original position when it slowly releases it. Many natural insulation types can slump over time. This ability means sheep’s wool can be pressed up against an uneven wall, filling any hollows, avoiding the need for a membrane in this position.
All sash and case windows were replaced with triple glazed proprietary windows.
