Marmox Thermoblocks Insulate Tudor Reconstruction

The reconstruction of a rambling old farmyard close to Ely in East Cambridgeshire is making use of well proven Marmox Thermoblocks, specified in three widths as the ideal solution for tackling thermal-bridging around the building perimeter as part of a well-insulated design. Mitchell’s Barn is replacing a sprawling complex of dilapidated tin cowsheds and a rather more attractive oak barn which was founded on a plinth of Tudor era bricks.

The original planning permission allowed for the reconstruction of the latter structure, but when the owner, Ben Hughes came to dismantle the outer envelope, much of the timber was found to be rotten while the bricks showed significant frost-damage. The work which got under way earlier in the autumn, is therefore seeing both 215mm and 140mm wide Thermoblocks being used to support a 800mm high brick base which will then carry the conserved oak beams, creating a traditional looking inner ambience.

Ben Hughes commented: “I have taken responsibility for the design as well as the construction of what will be a four-bedroom, three-bathroom property, as a self-build project with the help of a builder, Peter Axton who I have worked with on previous projects. As it is such an exposed site, the house takes the form of a three-sided courtyard which will shelter the south facing terrace. Primarily a Class Q conversion of an agricultural building into a residential building, the new structure is all single storey, but with a mezzanine to accommodate the plant and services that will include an air source heat pump and MVHR system."

"Essentially, we are rebuilding it at the same scale using the same traditional techniques as the original, with additional oak for the frame coming from a tree felled on the site. In order to meet Building Regulations, we have gone for an insulated cavity wall with 150m of PIR insulation for the floor and roof, but when I was researching how to address the issue of thermal bridging at the floor wall junction, Marmox Thermoblock seemed to be the only targeted product solution. In terms of the loadings and the insulation values I am certain it will work well. It’s a good mix of old and new technologies and I’m very happy with the design overall.”

In total Ben and his bricklayer have used 144 x 140x65mm blocks plus 18 x 100x65mm blocks and 50 x 215x65mm blocks, purchased from Insulation Shop on-line. Bedded in conventional mortar, the stepped overlaps between adjacent Thermoblocks have been secured using a high performance (Sika) adhesive.

Ben concluded saying: “The work is progressing well and my bricklayer, Danny, has had no issues with laying the Thermoblocks or cutting them where it has been necessary. Some of the packages, such as for the windows, are still to be placed, but I am confident of the finished property exceeding the current Building Regulation requirements and making a very comfortable home.” 

He is also consulting with Marmox’s technical department over the use of the company’s even longer established Multiboard thermal tilebacker board and other products for fitting out the bathrooms, including at least one wetroom. With a proven track record going back more than a decade, Thermoblocks are available in widths of 100, 140 and 215mm and feature a unique design where two rows of high strength epoxy concrete mini-columns are encapsulated in sections of XPS (Extruded polystyrene).

They are attached at either end to the top and bottom layers of glass-fibre reinforced polymer concrete to achieve a strong bond with the rest of the structure. As well as being used in basement construction and around the floor-wall junction – supporting timber frame as well as masonry walls – Thermoblocks regularly feature at first floor level and beneath parapet walls. They are further employed for swimming pool construction. www.marmox.co.uk

Firefly® Phoenix Continues To Protect Home Bargains Chain

As value for money makes the Home Bargains brand an increasingly popular choice with price conscious shoppers, the national retailer is continuing to increase its coverage by building new stores in locations such as Camborne in Cornwall, with products from the FIREFLY® range repeatedly being included in the specification to help ensure the safety of staff and customers.  As with many of its outlets, the existing 9,150sq ft warehouse and sales floor on the Camborne Retail Park is being refurbished by Oakhurst (Southport) Ltd. with WPL Consulting filling the role of project architect. 

The Phoenix Vertical, Collaroll and ancillary FIREFLY® products have been used to create a semi-permanent fire barrier that is suspended from the underside of the pitched, metal decked roof. Installation of the 60- minute rated fire curtain and smoke barrier was carried out by sub-contractor S R Shopfitting over a period of just a couple of days in early July, with the new Home Bargains outlet scheduled for its official opening on August 22nd. Working from hydraulic platforms, the lightweight Phoenix fire barrier was fixed to sections of steel angle bolted onto the roof members, with all overlaps sealed using FIREFLY® High Temperature Adhesive, while butt joints were fixed using stainless steel staples. 

While the Collaroll was used to wrap the high-level steel beams, the manufacturer’s ablative batts – introduced into the range last year to assist with tasks like creating protected zones – fill voids beneath the soffit level. The Site Manager for Oakhurst, Kerry Humphrey’s, commented: “Along with a number of S R Shopfitting’s operatives, I have been on the FIREFLY® training course at its Rochdale premises and consider the systems to be far easier to install than the previous solution, which involved installing quite bulky sections of rock mineral wool which, even for those not directly involved with the work, tended to make you itch quite badly.  The Phoenix and other products, by contrast are light to handle and easy to fix.  It’s a brilliant system.”

“In respect of the Home Bargains stores we’ve been involved on, the fire requirements vary slightly between England and Scotland, where the regulation is for a full fire and smoke barrier and we know FIREFLY® will provide any special details we need for new jobs.  With the barrier now installed by SR Shopfitting, the internal construction will continue so that the Phoenix terminates on top of the ceiling structure.  Everything is going well and we are on schedule to handover the building on the 21st.” 

Manufactured from woven and non-woven glass, the FIREFLY® range is designed to optimise resistance to flame and smoke as well as offer heat protection in a wide range of scenarios. The barriers are easy to install horizontally or vertically using a full selection of FIREFLY® ancillary products to ensure a fully tested and certified installed system.  www.tbafirefly.com 

Ultra-Fin UFH Assists Quest For Net Zero With Supporting Role In The Actors’ Church

A recently completed contract for an underfloor heating company has demonstrated how a Grade I listed landmark building can undergo a transformation, in terms of its energy efficiency, without any traces being left on the existing historic internal fabric: while also future-proofing it for a switch to a fully renewable heating source in the coming years. 

St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden is not only known for its architecture - prominent from the famous Piazza - but also as the ‘Actors’ Church’, hosting memorials to film and stage stars from Charlie Chaplin to Sir Noel Coward.  Working with the Diocese of London and under the Church of England Net Zero Carbon programme the Church has achieved what might have seemed impossible less than a year ago. Established in 2024, Ultra-Fin UK Ltd. already has a strong presence in the heritage sector and was exhibiting at this year’s Listed Property Owner’s Club show at Olympia.

The team met Westminster Churches Net Zero Forum Officer, Alison Moulden, who made the introduction to the Parish priest, Revd. Simon Grigg, and Parish Administrator, Phil Hunt, who took a keen interest in the potential of the underfloor heating system which is designed for joisted floors.  

Director Tom Dixon-Smith explains the contractual relationship on the project, saying: “Our business model normally involves supply and training but the nature of this project inspired us to take on the role of manufacturer, supplier and installer, using our own team of engineers.  The Church is so important we weren’t prepared to let anyone else complete the project”. 

Tom went on to say “Phil Hunt did a fantastic job of steering the project application through all the Grade I listing and other compliance issues and we supported that by producing what became a 250-page document detailing not just the system but also the installation method.  For example, we had to calculate how many notches we would have to take out of the existing joists once the historic floorboards were lifted and also specify the insulation solution over which the system would run.”

All buildings lose heat through the ground floor and St. Paul’s Church is no exception. Tom explained “we specify insulation beneath our pipework to avoid downward heat losses. In this case the 50mm of fully non-combustible Rockwool insulation maximises the heat from our system whilst making the Church building more energy efficient through restricting building heat loss."

The support for the insulation is provided by a super tough, A1 fire rated breathable PhotonWrap barrier, which also enhances the heat delivery from the Ultra-Fin diffusers by being heat reflective. The membrane was lapped over the joists, held in place with staples and painted black along the top of where it sits on the joists to prevent a shiny glare from between the floorboards. The composite PEX Aluminium pipe and the Ultrafins were installed during a thirteen-day period in mid-August 2025, before the Company’s engineers completed the connections to the existing boiler and undertook the commissioning. The new underfloor heating extends across the whole of the nave from in front of the Altar to the main entrance, leaving the chancel/choir’s flagstone flooring in place. 

The joisted floors cover 2,900 sq.m in 10 bays and they are split into a dozen separate heating zones, prioritising the coldest space towards the Altar, while the pair of eight-port Ultra-Fin Cross manifolds retain spare connections to facilitate the replacement of the boiler with air source heat pumps in the future.  There are hard-wired sensors to ensure the flooring will not rise above 270 C degrees to safeguard the timber. Having overseen much of the work, the Parish Administrator for St. Paul’s,

Phil Hunt observed: “The nave of the Church was previously heated by five radiators which took a long time to heat up (even though we were running the boiler at 80o C). We will be carrying out monitoring, but anecdotally, the times we have turned on the heating it has warmed up far quicker, even though the boiler is running at just 45o C.  The Ultra-Fin system was also ideal for the project because it proved to cause far less harm to the fabric of the building than the alternatives being considered – not requiring the floor height to be built up or screeded, while it remains demountable and – valuably – it was also significantly cheaper than the other systems which would have required far more work.”        www.ultra-fin.co.uk