Cowley Terrace

Cowley Terrace, Peel, Isle of Man

Cowley Terrace is a row of 11 properties in Peel on the Isle of Man built in around 1880. Due to the dated external appearance and failures in the existing render, a scheme of refurbishment was commissioned by the building owners and Ashley Petit Architects which has recently been completed. The render finish has been updated and an insulation system incorporated on parts of the buildings to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance. Each property has had a new front door, its slate roofs repaired and flat roofs upgraded. The chimney stacks have been refurbished including the application of a render finish. Works were carried out by LM Construction Ltd and The Venetian Plaster Company.

At the start of the project the existing render was removed to expose the traditional Peel sandstone. It was extremely important, when choosing the right materials for the re-rendering that they were lime based to allow the building to ‘breathe’ as well as protect the substrate from the damaging effects of weather and water ingress.

Keim Universal Render provided the ideal product choice. Extremely easy to apply, the hydrated lime material allows a comparable amount of moisture vapour permeability to that of a conventional NHL (Natural Hydraulic Lime). It is however much more straight forward in terms of preparation, application and maintenance during curing. Unlike traditional NHL materials which need to be re-wetted to stop then drying out too fast, KEIM Universal Render is incredibly consistent in its drying time, retains its flexibility and does not craze whilst drying. Future thermal expansion and contraction of the building will not cause the render to crack. Unlike some alternative options, KEIM Universal Render did not require any expansion joints, despite being applied to eleven adjoining buildings, because of its inherent flexibility.

Once the KEIM Universal Render finish had been applied the logical choice was to apply a mineral paint finish. KEIM Soldalit-ME was the product selection which provides a high quality, matt paint finish. The system will provide many years of protection to the building from weathering and moisture ingress, whilst the paint itself will provide a long life decorative finish. Made with only natural materials and earth oxide pigments the colours will never fade and be much more durable than a conventional finish. All KEIM Mineral Paints are inherently resistant to mould and fungal growth and in addition the KEIM  Soldalit-ME has a catalyst which will actively kill mould and fungal spores helping to provide an even better aesthetic finish to the building.

In conjunction with KEIM Mineral Paints‘ area technical manager, Paul Milligan, advice and on-site assistance was provided by David Norman of Lightfast Ltd, a dedicated supplier and advocator of KEIM materials on the Isle of Man.