W.A.W.C. Limecrete Specialists Kerry Cork Limerick

Limecrete Specialists

W.A.W.C. Limecrete Specialists in Kerry Cork
Limecrete floors may well be the right option for your old building or renovation, but before you go ahead there’s a few things you need to know, says sustainable building experts.

Old buildings allow moisture to be absorbed by the fabric of the building and evaporate away naturally. This is what we call a ‘breathable’ fabric.

Breathability can be important when it comes to floors in old buildings, as they often consist of stone floors laid directly on the earth. In its original situation any moisture below the floor could rise to the floor surface to evaporate away with no detriment.

If we then install a concrete insulated floor with a dampproof membrane (DPM), any moisture below the floor will continue to rise and, as the floor is now impermeable, may get pushed to the walls where it could appear as damp spots. It is this that gives rise to the idea of a breathable floor and where limecrete comes to the rescue for old building owners.

Limecrete

Limecrete is a mix of natural hydraulic lime and sharp sand or glass fibers are mixed in to give a more durable surface.

Once the limecrete has been installed, any breathable floor finishing material can be used to finish.

Thermal Efficiency

The low thermal conductivity of earth floors mean that they provide good thermal mass. They are capable of absorbing heat and releasing it when the internal temperature drops. When the earth is reasonably dry, the ground under the building will maintain a fairly stable temperature of around 10°C year round. But that is not enough to meet modern standards of thermal efficiency and potential heat loss, so some form of insulation and, perhaps ironically, a moisture barrier, is needed. Standard insulation materials are not breathable, so cannot be used, neither can a traditional DPM.

Recycled Foam Glass as an Insulator

The default option is recycled foam glass – small foamed glass beads used as the base to limecrete (rather than hardcore) – that provides both the insulation and the moisture barrier, although a breathable moisture barrier can also be used.

There is another reason why recycled foam glass may be used. Achieving true breathability is always tricky and lime is a more tricky material to work with than cement. It needs mixing in a different way, and needs different laying and curing methods.

Laying limecrete in cold or wet weather conditions can be problematic and the usual hardcore base will also be a problem. Hardcore allows capillary action that could draw up ground moisture. As a breathable floor cannot have a traditional DPM, that moisture could penetrate the limecrete and cause damp problems. There are not many non-capillary substrate materials available, which is why foamed glass beads have become the default option.

Any Floor Finishes Can Be Used

Any breathable floor finishing material will be fine. If stone, slate or tiles are used then the grout gap needs to be a little wider than usual and the adhesive must also be breathable. Wood is the most favourable and presents no problems.

Limecrete in All Old Homes

Limecrete ability to deal with naturally occurring moisture. It has nothing to do with air moving in and out of the house. A modern house, built to modern standards, will be able to deal with moisture, without the trouble and expense of breathable construction.

Geocell foam glass is now widely used under concrete construction in new builds, with a separate LABC approved systems.

When it comes to old properties with stone floors laid directly on the earth, there is an argument that these are breathable floors and if you are replacing them, then there is a need for limecrete. There are two problems with this argument:

  • The stone making up the floor may or may not be breathable. Slate, for instance, is not a breathable material and was commonly used as flooring. Any ‘breathing’ (i.e. moisture dispersal) can only be through the joints between the slate slabs. The implication is that if we laid a concrete floor but left sufficient gaps around the edges, that too would be breathable.
  • If we have a breathable floor, by implication at least, we will also need breathable wall.

The problem facing people converting old buildings is how to bring them to modern standards of comfort and meet the ever-growing demands for CO2 reduction while retaining the character of the original building.

A limecrete floor, laid on foamed glass, is seen as one way of helping with this problem. It prevents damp penetration, provides insulation, maintains breath ability and provides a solid, durable floor, in character with the original building. But it is an expensive option using materials that are tricky to work with, and not necessary as often as might be imagined.

House Restoration West Cork

Construction | Conservation | Renovation | Restoration | Lime Pointing Rendering Contractors

W.A.W.C., Renovations, Restoration and Conservation.

Thatched Roof Listowel Cottage Restoration
 
Thatched Roof Listowel Cottage Restoration
 
 
Beehive Hut Restored Dingle, Co Kerry
 
Beehive Hut Restored Dingle, Co Kerry
 
House Restoration West Cork
House Restoration in Goleen West Cork "An Tigin Gra" Lime Render
House Restoration West Cork
 
 
Underfloor Heating Contractors

Underfloor Heating Contractors

Underfloor Heating Contractors
Lime Mortar Repointing Contractors
 
Lime Mortar Repointing Contractors
University College Cork Lime Mortar Pointing at the Windle Buildings
Restoration Cork and Kerry Building Contractors

Restoration of House in Coachford County Cork

Restoration Cork and Kerry Building Contractors
Dry limestone wall feature Sphere
 
Dry limestone wall feature Sphere
Dry limestone wall Steps in Stonework
 
Dry limestone wall Steps in Stonework
 
Stairs House Construction in Prince Street Tralee
 
Stairs House Construction in Prince Street Tralee
stonework contractor Kerry and Cork
 
stonework contractor Kerry and Cork
stonework front of house Killarney Masonry
 
stonework front of house Killarney Masonry
Stonework in Killarney Kerry Ireland
Stonework on Boundary Wall in Killarney
Stonework in Killarney Kerry Ireland
Brick Paving in Cork Kerry and .
Backgarden Paving Property Tralee - Killarney Road
Brick Paving in Cork Kerry and .
Building Contractor Cork limerick kerry
 
Building Contractor Cork limerick kerry
Slate Roofers Construction
Roofing and Roofing Repairs Contractor
Slate Roofers Construction
Kiltallagh National School Walls
Stonewall Wall Restoration Contractor Kiltallagh National School
Kiltallagh National School Walls
Stone wall racked out and replaced with lime mortar Kiltallagh
Stone wall racked out and replaced with lime mortar
Stone wall racked out and replaced with lime mortar Kiltallagh
Faha Court Hotel Chimney relined and re-plastered
Chimney Relined and Re-plastering. New concrete cap fitted at The Faha Court Hotel Killarney
Faha Court Hotel Chimney relined and re-plastered
View of Chimney at The Faha Court Hotel Killarney
 
View of Chimney at The Faha Court Hotel Killarney
Chimney Crack Faha Court Killarney Co. Kerry
Damaged Chimney Relined and Re-plastered, concrete cap installed in Faha court Hotel, Kerry.
Chimney Crack Faha Court Killarney Co. Kerry
UCC Windle building lime mortar pointing
 
UCC Windle building lime mortar pointing

W.A.W.C. Restoration & Building Services. Quality building of Extensions, Attic Conversions, New Builds and Full Renovations in Ireland. We Provide Building Services & Tradesmen for Construction. Building Restoration Specialists.

Contact Micheal on 087 3143-767 or email wildatlanticwayconstruction@gmail.com

 

We are W.A.W.C. a building services provider covering Stonework, Lime Render Plasterers, Blockwork, Chimney Repairs/Chimney Relining, Brickwork, Brick Paving and Restoration Contractor.

Beehive Hut Restored Dingle, Co KerryCurraully House Restoration, Dingle

Restoration of a typical 1920 farmhouse with original beehive hut also restored to the rear of the building. New roof  with reclaimed Blue Bangor slate. All existing sand & cement was stripped off to expose original stonework, Repointed using NHL 3.5 lime. Beehive hut was stripped back, cleaned out joints and repointed to restore it to its original status.

An Culu,Castle, Restoration Kenmare

General maintenance of a 1990s castle. New conservatory roof which involved removing all glass and replacing with reclaimed Blue Bangor Slate. Upgrade insulation with Gutex fibre insulation, new lead work, new metal pvc valley & repair to parapet stones and lead work.

Thatched Roof Listowel Cottage RestorationThatch cottage restoration in Kerry

Traditional Irish stone & cob thatch cottage in Listowel. Complete restoration which includes new extension using traditional methods of stone and cob

New thatch roof with new timber roof structure including limecrete ring beam. New foam glass insulation, under floor heating with limecrete floor finish. Eco cork insulated lime render on internal walls, lime plaster on all external walls. Fully restored original windows.

Join Thatched Cottages of Ireland at https://www.facebook.com/thatchedcottagesireland/

See our work featured on “A Thatched Kingdom by Karol O’Mahony”.

Lime Render plastering across Ireland

House Restoration West Cork
An tigin Gra House Restoration West Cork

W.A.W.C. Lime Render plastering company dedicated to the traditional method of lime Plastering. We are the leading lime plastering company on the island of Ireland, working in all corners of the country from Kerry to Limerick, Cork, Galway, Donegal and across to Dublin, Kildare and Kilkenny even Waterford and delivering  our projects on time and within Budget.

All our work is carried out to the highest building standards. We are one of the few companies in Ireland to use Natural Lime for the traditional method of plastering including Lime Plastering, Lime Washing, Hemp Lime Plastering, Lime Pointing and Remmers Breathable insulation system.

Guaranteed Irish. We are a 100% Irish owned and run company who buy the best Irish Owned Products namely Natural Hydraulic Limes from Round Tower based in Innishannon Co. Cork, Ireland. We buy work products from local Irish owned businesses. Helping the economy locally.

Save

W.A.W.C. Limecrete Construction Contractors

Lime mortar repointing,new limecrete floors and lime whitewash Kerry Cork Limerick

W.A.W.C. Lime Mortar Re-pointing Contractors

W.A.W.C. Underfloor Heating Contractors

underfloor-heating-contractors