UK Construction Journal - Issue 1 - April 2026 - Flipbook - Page 18
Grade II Listed Farm House Restored
With Natural Building Materials
A historic Grade II listed farm house in the Lake District, dating from the mid-17th century, has
undergone an extensive renovation with building products from Ecological Building Systems to
create a well-insulated and energy-efficient sustainable home.
Main contractor Nielsens Ltd and architects O’Neil
Associates collaborated closely with Ecological Building
Systems to identify sustainable materials and methods that
would improve comfort and energy use while still protecting
the building’s fabric.
To complete the airtight layer, Pro Clima Tescon Vana tape
was used on membrane overlaps, edges and penetrations.
Its solid acrylic adhesive is fully water-resistant and remains
stable regardless of temperature or humidity changes,
creating a robust and long-lasting seal expected to perform
for 100 years.
Their approach focused on ensuring that the restored structure
would be watertight and airtight, yet fully vapour permeable,
allowing the solid walls to breathe. The aesthetic qualities of
the materials, internally and externally, were also carefully
considered to ensure that the completed work blended with
the historic features.
To enhance thermal performance, Gutex Thermoroom
natural wood fibre insulation boards from Ecological Building
Systems were selected for the internal wall insulation at the
farm house. Manufactured from recycled waste wood chips,
this fully breathable insulation board provides excellent
thermal improvement, sound insulation and a healthy indoor
environment by allowing moisture to pass through the building
fabric rather than becoming trapped.
A key component of the restoration was the use of Pro Clima
Intello Plus, a hygrosafe airtight vapour control membrane. This
specialist membrane allows up to 100 times more moisture
vapour to pass through when humidity levels rise, for example
due to back drying of moisture vapour through the building
element in the summer. This helps protect the building fabric
from moisture-related damage, while eliminating the risk of
condensation and mould within the living spaces.
In the cattle shed and barn, Ecological Building Systems’
Diasen Diathonite Thermactive.037, a lime- and cork-based
insulating plaster, was applied by Border Lime Construction.
Its capillary-active and highly vapour-open nature makes it
especially well-suited to older solid-wall buildings. The plaster
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