The congregation at the Long Eaton Baptist Church in Nottinghamshire can continue to enjoy its historic place of worship while benefiting from a drier atmosphere and reduced heating bills now that the building has been treated with Stormdry from Safeguard Europe — the UK’s leading specialist in damp- and waterproofing, and masonry repairs.
Although the church’s front vestibule and rear choir vestry were added in the 1950s, two of the building’s main walls date back to the 1860s and were suffering badly from penetrating damp, as Paul Walker of CK Walker Damp & Timbers discovered.
He recommended Stormdry Masonry protection cream having used it successfully since it was first launched and because the product is backed by solid research data, case studies – and BBA accreditation. Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream is also the only damp-proofing cream that has been independently shown to not only prevent penetrating damp from rain; but also enhance the thermal efficiency of walls. This is quite simply because dry bricks have twice the thermal resistance of wet.
“Whilst undertaking works at another part of the church we noticed that the brickwork was showing signs of deterioration. I used the Stormdry masonry absorption test kit on the brickwork on the two sides of the church, which showed that the brickwork was very porous,” he explains.
“In my opinion Stormdry is ideal for this sort of project because it doesn’t change the appearance of the building in any way, is easy to apply and you can have complete confidence in it: you can come back, throw a bucket of water at the wall you’ve treated and see the water just bounce off.”
The church was also pleased that the product would not only deal with rain penetration but also cut heating bills, writing: “It was felt that not only would this treatment stabilize the remaining brickwork but stop rain penetration and help to insulate the building against heat loss.
Now the church has been treated with Stormdry masonry protection cream, after repointing where the masonry had deteriorated. Easily applied by either brush or roller, Stormdry cures colourlessly to the original finish of masonry in just 12 hours. A single coat will protect the substrate for up to 25 years. Stormdry is more deeply penetrating than traditional liquid applied water repellents – up to 12mm in flettons – meaning that its crack-bridging capability is greater; and its life expectancy increased.
Even if the weather has started to deteriorate before application, Stormdry – uniquely – can even be applied to wet walls. These will continue to dry because it works by lining the pores of brickwork and other masonry rather than blocking them: enabling water vapour to escape while preventing further moisture ingress.
Safeguard has scientifically and independently proven this link so definitively that Stormdry is classified under VAT Notice 708/6 as an energy-saving measure that qualifies for a reduced VAT rate of 5%. According to tests conducted on solid wall constructions by the University of Portsmouth, the treatment will provide energy savings of up to 29%.
Stormdry cream has significant advantages over insulation because it costs less to install, does not change the appearance of the building and can be applied quickly and simply with minimal disruption to the occupier. The masonry protection cream will also cut growths such as mould and moss and is also part of Safeguard Europe’s flood protection system.
It can also be used to deal with the issues of damp that can arise with cavity wall insulation. Its vapour permeability enables the wall to dry out while preventing the entry of more water that may impact adversely on the insulation’s performance. More technical information is available on the website (www.stormdry.com) or by calling Safeguard’s experts.
