400-year-old House at Church Terrace, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
A former British Army barracks in the time of the Nepoleonoic Wars, accommodating men and horses, this building was also a grain store before becoming used as a house. Although extensive work was carried out when last exchanging hands, the current owners needed to rearrange the interior to better suit their needs.
In so doing, they also decided that they would like to improve the buildings’ insulation values and its ability to better deal with condensation, which was a big issue. This is not an uncommon feature of older buildings as they are used today and is often the kind of issue that architects with conservation knowledge are asked to get involved with.
In this instance, we specified that the internal plastering (cement) should be replaced with a more “breathable” plaster that would also help insulate the walls of the building and reduce the occurrence of condensation. A cork-lime plaster with a moisture-porous paint finish was called for and was applied throughout the building. Sheep-wool insulation was used to insulate the attic spaces. New bathrooms were fitted with humidity-controlled extractor fans. The stairs, kitchen and entrance area were rearranged to produce a light-filled space, utilising glazed screen to the side of the stair as per sketch below.
Externally, a french drain was created to allow the base of the external walls to release moisture and therefore assist in controlling rising damp.
More photos will follow soon.
