A new report is available from the environmental management consultancy, Giraffe Innovation, which was co-funded by MAS South East and Safeguard Europe Ltd. It has established the energy and carbon savings that can be achieved by treating walls with the breathable water-repellent, Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream.
The evaluation includes a peer review of existing data and test reports, updated SAP CO2 figures for a model house with solid brick walls, and a detailed carbon footprint analysis for Stormdry. This has used a full lifecycle approach (from cradle to grave) to analyse the total carbon use for the production and application of a Stormdry treatment.
An estimate is given of the energy and carbon savings that can be made from lowered space heating requirements following treatment of masonry walls with Stormdry. Key findings are:
* Treatment with Stormdry can produce energy savings and a carbon reduction of up to 27% (excluding additional benefits from reduced evaporated cooling)
* The carbon footprint of a Stormdry application is 0.73 kg CO2e/m2 (i.e. driving a small car for 2.4 miles, or less than 1% of a UK person’s average carbon footprint)
* The average “carbon payback” for a Stormdry treatment is one month; the monetary investment (including materials and labour) is recovered in 6 years
* Over Stormdry’s lifetime of 20-30 years, it can potentially save between 24 and 37 tonnes CO2e in total
Stormdry is applied directly to masonry and penetrates deeply before curing. An invisible, breathable, water-repellent barrier is formed that resists rain penetration. The original look of the building is conserved.
The use of Stormdry to reduce heat loss through masonry walls is of particular interest for “hard to treat” properties. Reducing CO2 emissions for single skin construction masonry walls is not always straightforward. In many cases traditional insulation products are not suitable for these types of property, where they reduce internal space or alter the external appearance of the building.
