Grade II Listed Tudor property gets Selectaglaze makeover

Selectaglaze recently helped a 500-year-old Grade II* Listed Tudor building to improve its thermal performance and tackle issues with damp.

The Cheam property recently received a grant from the Heritage lottery fund and contributions from the Local Council and the Friends of Whitehall Charity to carry out a major restoration. The refurbishment involved several structural renovations and thermal improvements to the windows.

Originally the fenestration would have consisted of wooden mullions set in a gap between upright timbers and would have been unglazed but may have been covered in beaten leather or oiled paper to remain weatherproof. One of the original Tudor windows can still be seen although the glass in it is a newer addition.

The windows at the front of the building are more recent changes but still rich in architectural history so Curl La Tourelle Architects specified the installation of secondary glazing to make the improvement required without damaging the architectural features. As it is reversible, the adaptation is generally accepted by heritage agencies in the UK.

The introduction of secondary glazing traps an insulating layer of air, which can reduce heat loss by more than 50%. With the introduction of low emissivity glass, U-values of around 1.8 can be attained. The use of high-performance twin seals help to virtually eradicate draughts. However, an added benefit of secondary glazing is noise reduction. When there is a gap between the primary and secondary glazing of at least 100mm, a reduction of 45dB is possible.

Main contractor, R. Durtnell & Sons Ltd chose Selectaglaze to undertake the secondary glazing works. Consequently, 15 Selectaglaze units were installed from the lightweight range and 2 fire retardant units.

The old Tudor building, with sloping irregular floors, bowed walls, uneven height ceilings and extremely uneven window openings, meant any works carried out there had to be very carefully planned and required high levels of craftsmanship.

In addition, tapered and splayed timber grounds were used to take up the irregularities of the building structure which were scribed on site. Once these were in place the secondary glazing could be installed.

However, the treatment of the fire rated windows posed another challenge as the building was built from local oak and elm. After careful planning, Durtnell & Sons created new fire-resistant reveals into which the secondary glazing was installed ensuring the integrity of the treatment.

Whitehall Museum is now back open to the public, offering a better thermal performance and a more comfortable environment. 

Contact:

Selectaglaze,
Alban Park,
Hatfield Road,
St. Albans,
Hertfordshire,
AL4 0JJ

Phone: 01727 837271

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