Curtilage listed Stable Conversion in Dorset, built in the 1800's

[TPickford]

Solid stone stable building in a conservation area. It has taken us 2 years to get all the planning. We live in Singapore currently and are doing this remotely with a project manager. Our conservation officer has insisted we ensure the building is insulated with breathable products - being totally naive about everything we are now doing the research we should have done before! It seems our PM was happy to use modern methods, having done the research we realise this is not necessarily the best way. Hoping to find more help on here....

[Mr Punter]

Can you knock it down and rebuild properly?  You could reuse the stone and lay it in proper lime mortar, but have proper insulation, airtightness, services etc.

[TPickford]

Not allowed, it's curtilage listed

[Redbeard]

...and if you don't knock it down...

 

I would use rigid wood-fibre, and get a WUFI (or similar) dynamic condensation risk analysis done first to inform the 'safe' depth you can use. Some say only 60-80mm, some say 100 OK in some circumstances, but bear in mind that, depending on the exg fabric the resultant U value will be worse than 0.3W/m2K, probably. Some would say use plastic ins (PIR nearly twice as good for a given thickness as some rigid WF) and just get the vapour control right. It is this bit - getting the VC layer right - which, while hardly rocket science, can often be done badly. Difficult for you to control from abroad!

 

My stance on wood-fibre is that if it is designed to operate without a VCL that's one VCL not to get messed up. I have used it a lot, internally and externally. Is the pointing done in lime, by the way?

[Mr Punter]

That is a shame.  Properly done it could look far better than currently.  No more cement based pointing, concrete cills and lintels, brick stretcher window reveals and metal roof.  Did the Conservation Officer entirely dismiss the idea?

[TPickford]

@Mr PunterThe metal roof is being replaced by slate tiles and the pointing re-done with lime. We wouldn't want to knock it down as we love it as is, just want to make sure we look after it properly. We haven't asked if we could knock it down but as they are being so strict with conditions we have assumed it would be no. 

 

@Redbeardthanks for the advice

[Jilly]

The Period Property website might help, and Chris at Back to Earth

[Redbeard]

+1 for Back to Earth. They will do a WUFI assessment.

[TPickford]

Thanks for the tip. I've looked at Back to earth and will definitely speak to them. 

[gravelrash]

Wife's uncle has a thousand year old barn which is nearly derelict..he managed to get permission to dismantle and rebuild as a residential with better foundations and the necessary internals for modern living, even though listed as historical...each stone had to be mapped by an expert and rebuilt in same position. It never took place due to cost and planning has lapsed.