This site has been updated - please go to the new site for up-to-date information on limecrete

Limecrete / Lime Screed Floor Compatible with Under-floor Heating

Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd first used this system of insulated limecrete floors in historic properties where a dense concrete slab maybe inappropriate, however it is equally useful in new build as an ecological equivalent to concrete.

It has since been used successfully in both private dwellings and by specialists in the field of historic building repair. Examples include...., an art gallery/shop in Mid Wales, the new Thermafleece offices in Cumbria, numerous private restoration projects, from the humble to the grand, in Wales and the borders but also Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Winchester and Gloucestershire . We also have a number of churches and country homes in progress. New builds are also using the floor, particularly whose made with other natural materials such as wood or straw where moisture control is essential. Examples include a timber-frame building in Essex and a straw bale build in West Wales.

The benefits of this lime screed floor are:

• it maintains the vapour permeability of the floor when used to replace earth floors in historic properties.
• it reduces the need for sub-floor aggregate.
• the embodied energy of hydraulic lime concrete is significantly less than that of Portland cement concrete.
• It can be designed to meet part L (Insulation Standards) of the Building Regulations*

Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd has commisioned extensive testing on the floor which has shown that it has an adequate strength for normal domestic use including supporting non-loading bearing internal walls and that the limecrete slab makes a significant contribution to the insulation value of the floor and hence reduces the amount of additional insulation required.

There are a range of factors that influence both the design and suitability of the floor, these include :

• wall thickness and construction type
• floor area and shape
• substrate type
• groundwater pressure
• intended use
• radon protection

Ty-Mawr provide free Technical Advice for your specific situation where the materials are being purchased from Ty-Mawr Lime Ltd.

*In certain circumstances Part L Regulations do not apply to listed building works, please discuss this with the Conservation Officer in your Local Planning Authority.

Damp Proof Membranes - in historic properties that have not had a DPM it can be detrimental to put one in, as the moisture that formerly evaporated through the floor will tend to migrate towards the walls leading to rising damp and hence an increased risk of damage to the walls.

Call 01874 658000 or email tymawr@lime.org.uk.

Or visit www.lime.org.uk for the full range of lime crete and lime products and courses available from Ty-Mawr Lime