Boat House Renovation Benefits From “Intuitive” A. Proctor Group Membranes

A chemical engineer’s retirement project to convert a former fishing bothy is taking advantage of the benefits of two different membrane products from the A. Proctor Group: Facadeshield® UV and Proctor Air.

The former boat house, complete with double doors leading directly onto a slipway to the beach, has been bricked up for a decade. Now, it is being renovated by David Gibson into a two-storey beach house, fulfilling a long-held ambition.

Facadeshield UV provides short-term protection to exposed walls

The existing boat house structure provided a tight footprint, being only 3.5m wide by 8m long. David took the  existing walls down to around one metre in height, and then began the process of erecting the timber frame that would sit behind. All of this allowed him to use the existing sleeper foundations.

Originally, he planned to use an open-jointed timber cladding as the finish above the retained brickwork. He therefore chose the A. Proctor Group’s Facadeshield UV membrane, which combines UV resistance, water resistance, and high vapour permeability. Designed specifically for open jointed cladding, Facadeshield UV is also dark in colour to provide a shadow effect in the open joints. Ultimately, David had to amend his timber cladding specification to a closed system. The boat house sits right on the boundary of his property, and fire safety regulations necessitated a change in approach.

Nevertheless, the qualities of Facadeshield UV still proved useful. As David is carrying out the work himself, progress can inevitably be slow – especially if weather conditions are not favourable. The wall membrane was left exposed for three months before the timber cladding was completed in January 2025, but it has protected the OSB sheathing and timber frame well in that time.

Maintaining a traditional appearance

On the roof, David chose Proctor Air as an air permeable, low resistance (APLR) membrane, for use below a traditional slate finish. Maintaining a traditional appearance as part of the conversion work is important to David, given the building’s history of use.

The monopitch roof design made ventilation provision tricky, as David was specific in how he wanted to detail the ridge and keep it secure in the coastal location in Carnoustie. Selecting Proctor Air removed any such concerns, as it provides a uniform flow of air that effectively ventilates the roof space and removes any risk of condensation.

A tile or slate roof finish is the first line of defence against the weather. As water can get into the space below the tile or slate, the chosen underlay must also be capable of resisting water ingress. While not waterproof, Proctor Air has a W1 water resistance, and can be left exposed to UV for up to three months.

“Installing both membranes has all been quite easy and intuitive,” said David, before adding, “as long as it isn’t windy!” Although carrying out as much of the work by himself as possible, he did seek some help in getting the roof membrane installed, acknowledging “that it would be tricky for one person.”

Having an understanding of heat loss and dew points, David was happy to carry out U-value and condensation risk calculations himself. He has been grateful for the support available during the project so far: “I swapped a few emails with the A. Proctor Group technical team to check things were okay,and Building Control have been really helpful on site as well.”

At the time of writing, most of the external works to the boat house are complete. David will move on to the internal works, where he plans to use the company’s Reflectatherm® Plus to the internal side of the timber frame. https://proctorgroup.com

Marmox Fireboard Offers Safe Soffit For Radiant Heaters In Hampshire Home

The painstaking refurbishment of a semi-derelict bungalow in Hampshire has highlighted the fire resistant as well as thermal insulation benefits of the latest addition to Marmox UK Ltd.’s growing product portfolio. The property, located on the outskirts of Southampton, had suffered weather damage during the two years it stood empty after the previous owner passed away, with the ingress of heavy rain having brought down the ceilings in the lounge, hall, kitchen and bathroom.

The new owner and her building contractor opted to utilise Marmox Fireboard because of the intention to install all-electric heating: including ceiling mounted radiant panel heaters throughout the rooms. The versatile new Marmox product therefore reducing the rate of heat loss into the roof-space above and mitigating the risk of ceiling joists and other materials possibly being set alight by a malfunction with the panels.

Fireboard has been developed to suit both internal and external wall insulation (IWI/EWI) applications, while the Stone Wool based board features the same ‘honeycomb’ surface structure as Marmox Multiboard, to create a weatherproof, A1 non-combustible certified render-backer. Fireboards are available in thicknesses of 20mm, 50mm and 100 mm. Fireboard can also be specified for internal use on walls or ceilings to take a plaster finish. The 20mm Fibreboard, though, is especially suited for lining window and door reveals, to tackle cold-bridging and improve overall U-values. www.marmox.co.uk

Aluprof Excel In Passivhaus Projects

By Wojciech Brożyna - MD Aluprof UK. Passivhaus design is a set of standards and design principles to achieve exceptional energy efficiency, significantly reducing heating and cooling demands in buildings. By employing rigorous insulation standards, airtight construction and high-performance windows, Passivhaus buildings minimise energy loss and maintain stable indoor temperatures.

Wojciech Brożyna

The use of heat recovery ventilation systems ensures that fresh air is continuously supplied, whilst retaining warmth in winter and coolness in summer. This leads to dramatically lower energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint. Additionally, the controlled indoor environment enhances occupant comfort, liminating drafts, temperature fluctuations, and cold bridging.

Specifying Passivhaus windows, doors and facades from Aluprof contributes to sustainability by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and supporting the transition to net-zero carbon emissions. The methodology prioritises efficient use of materials, often incorporating sustainable and recycled options. Beyond environmental benefits, Passivhaus buildings promote superior indoor air quality through continuous ventilation and effective pollutant filtration. This is particularly beneficial for occupants with respiratory issues or allergies. The focus on thermal comfort and noise reduction further enhances the well-being of occupants, making Passivhaus a holistic approach to healthy and sustainable living spaces.

Aluprof was the first systems company in the UK to design and supply Passivhaus certified aluminium framed glazing systems and currently has the widest range of Passivhaus Trust certified aluminium windows, doors and curtain wall systems. Utilising low-carbon aluminium helps reduce embodied carbon emissions during the production phase, while the thermally efficient products further lower operational carbon emissions throughout the building's life by reducing energy demand. Sustainability is further enhanced as quality methods of construction with high quality finishes, well specified and designed products supplied by Aluprof, can offer many decades of extended service life.

Some of the projects supplied by Aluprof in recent years include the following high profile buildings: The RAD Building (GERA Building) is a 2,500 sqm Passivhaus certified research facility for the University of Nottingham, providing laboratory, office and support accommodation for the UK Government Energy Research Acceleration Initiative, known as the ‘RAD’ Building (Research Acceleration & Demonstration) on the Jubilee campus. The building achieves a BREEAM Excellent rating and includes extensive Passivhaus measures to reduce energy requirements. Aluprof’s high performance TT50 curtain wall & MB104 window and door systems have been used throughout the building offering very high levels of insulation. On completion the building has been extensively tested and has gained the coveted Passivhaus certification.

Purdown View at University of Western England (UWE) Bristol, is a remarkable milestone in sustainable living, featuring more than 900 bedrooms distributed across three striking six-story buildings. With a total floor area of 21,000 sqm, Purdown View is distinguished as the largest certified Passivhaus development in the United Kingdom to date. It was designed by Stride Treglown and uses Aluprof’s high performance TT50 curtain wall & MB104 window and door systems, the project was fabricated and installed by DenvalCo. The Greenhaus project stands as the largest Passivhaus affordable housing initiative in the North West. The development was completed for the English Cities Fund (ECF), a collaborative effort involving Muse, Legal & General, and Homes England, in partnership with Salix Homes, a Housing Association in Salford, and with the support of Salford City Council. Greenhaus features 96 highly sustainable and affordable residences within a nine-storey structure located on Chapel Street in Salford.

The project, designed by Buttress architects and constructed by Eric Wright Construction, has received official certification from the Passivhaus-Institut, the organisation dedicated to promoting and certifying this internationally recognised building standard. Voreda House in Penrith has undergone a significant transformation from its previous role as an NHS office to become the council's energy-efficient northern anchor building. This facility is notable for being the first retrofit office in the UK to achieve the Passivhaus EnerPHit standard, with projected energy savings of 85%.

This initiative aligns with the council's dedication to minimising its carbon footprint and taking a leading role in the pursuit of carbon neutrality. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) undertakes groundbreaking research and maintains a Research Station located 67º south on Adelaide Island which was established in 1975. Known as Rothera, the busy station is used as a hub for other countries working in the area, offering a landing strip and wharf. The site has continued to develop over the years and in 2018 work began on the new Discovery Building, named to commemorate the discovery of Antarctica 200 years ago by the British naval officer Edward Bransfield in 1820.

High thermal performance windows specified on the project have been provided by Aluprof. The MB-86 ST window and door system has been designed to offer outstanding insulation properties. Offered in three varieties, ST, SI and AERO the MB-86 was the first ever aluminium system to employ silica aerogel, a nano-porous material that has a very high proportion of free void volume compared to conventional solid materials. Aerogel’s high pore volume, low solid content, and its ‘torturous path amorphous structure’ offer very low values of thermal conductivity.

Aluprof UK have been supporting specifiers in the UK and Ireland for over fifteen years with advanced systems that include, high performance windows doors and facade systems. Many UK and Ireland based fabricators and installers supply these systems and are on hand to offer surveys and cost analysis as to what improvements can be made with likely paybacks. Further information about systems and specification support is available through the company website at aluprof.co.uk or direct from their UK head office in Altrincham by phoning +44 (0) 161 941 4005.