Part of the historical landscape
This beautifully constructed Victorian detached house in Hertfordshire is typical of its historical landscape. But as much as its exterior nods to the architectural nostalgia of its age, internally it told a different story. It was in desperate need of TLC.
The current owners wanted to create additional room in the existing loft, but they were faced with a major issue, head height was extremely limited. To overcome this, the decision was taken to reroof and raise the roof to create more space. However, due to structural limitations, they still grappled with the trade-off between optimal head height and the depth of PIR board insulation within the roof space to meet current building regulations.
Enter the ‘2-in-1’
Our 2-in-1 insulating breathable membrane, TLX Gold, was the obvious 
solution to overcome the space saving problem, since it works in conjunction with PIR as a hybrid system to achieve building regulations without needing to compromise on space. With TLX Gold pulled taut and counter-battened over the top of the 200mm rafters and 80mm of Kingspan in-between them, this achieved a U value of 0.21w/m2k. An unventilated air gap was maintained between the shiny, breathable underside of TLX Gold and the PIR board. This allows for TLX Gold to reflect heat back, in order to maximise the thermal efficiency of the structure. The optimum depth of the unventilated air layer is 20mm, although 10mm is acceptable if there are significant space saving concerns.
PIR on its own = poor airtightness
If PIR alone was used as roof insulation, it would prove extremely difficult to achieve airtightness. Furthermore, additional PIR board would be necessary to achieve the same u value. So not only does TLX Gold represent an excellent space saving solution, it also constitutes a substantial thermal energy saving. In the present day, this is an invaluable solution.
Listed building? No problem
As for the original lath and plaster walls, the best solution was to use TLX Gold as a single layer. TLX Gold can be used in walls, especially
in Listed buildings, or where breathability is essential. But most importantly, the cladding must not let light through as all breather membranes can deteriorate when exposed to UV. Apply TLX Gold directly to the outer face of the stud in place of the usual breather membrane. In this way, TLX Gold ensures a U value of 0.66w/m2k within the wall structure.
What’s the best way of cutting the material?
The builders found scissors to be the best tool to cut TLX Gold to its required length. We recommend the Kretzer Finny scissors due to their high performance and sturdy construction which cuts through TLX Gold with ease and accuracy.
Conclusively, TLX Gold was used successfully to tackle retrofitting problems within the roof and walls, providing a comprehensive space and energy saving solution. To find out how TLX Gold helps solve a variety of retrofitting problems, view more of our case studies.
