Insulating Cotswold stone without damaging it
Limestone cottages are beautiful, absorbent, and almost uniquely intolerant of the wrong insulation. We are based inside the AONB.
A Cotswold cottage is a solid, rubble-filled limestone wall bound in lime mortar, usually with no damp-proof course, no cavity and no membrane anywhere in it. It stays dry because it can dry. Almost every damp problem we are called to in the Cotswolds traces back to something that stopped it doing so.
The building stock here
The failure pattern is consistent enough to be predictable:
- Cement pointing applied over lime, which is harder than the stone and forces moisture to leave through the stone face instead of the joint — causing spalling
- Gypsum plaster internally, which holds moisture against the wall and blows
- Masonry sealants and water repellents, which stop water getting in and then stop it getting out again
- Modern board insulation on battens, creating a cold void where moisture condenses out of sight
- Raised external ground levels from repeated re-surfacing of paths and drives
The practical consequence is that insulating a Cotswold cottage is rarely just an insulation job. The assessment has to identify what is already wrong before anything is added to the wall.
The second constraint is planning. Much of the Cotswolds sits inside a National Landscape and a dense network of conservation areas, and listed buildings are commonplace even in small villages. External wall insulation is effectively never an option here. Internal is the only realistic route, which makes vapour-openness non-negotiable rather than a preference.
Where we work
We are based at Todenham, inside the Cotswolds, between Moreton-in-Marsh and Shipston-on-Stour. Most of the AONB is within forty minutes.
- Moreton-in-Marsh
- Stow-on-the-Wold
- Chipping Campden
- Bourton-on-the-Water
- Burford
- Northleach
- Cirencester
- Tetbury
- Painswick
- Broadway
- Winchcombe
- Fairford
- Lechlade
- Chipping Norton
- Shipston-on-Stour
- Witney
If your town is not listed, it does not mean we do not cover it — ask. We work across the UK and travel regularly.
Local project evidence
17th century farmhouse
Solid stone walls, cob partitions, original lime plaster. Significant thermal improvement while satisfying Historic England's strictest requirements.
- U-value: 0.22 W/m²K
- Energy bills down 52%
- Grade I compliant
Persistently damp wall, no damp course
"It allows the moisture in the wall to pass through and wick — result has been a dry wall throughout recent downpours."
Traditional property upgrade
"Far more straightforward and successful than I could have imagined. I would have no hesitation recommending BreatheTherm to anyone looking to improve the performance of a traditional property."
What an assessment involves
- Visit and inspection. Wall construction, mortar type, existing moisture problems, available build-up depth, and the condition of rainwater goods and external ground levels.
- Written recommendation. A proposed build-up, the U-value it achieves, an indicative cost, and a note on hygrothermal risk.
- Consent support. If the property is listed, documentation to accompany a Listed Building Consent application to your local authority.
The assessment is free and carries no obligation. See what projects typically cost, or check grant eligibility first.
Contact
BreatheTherm
The Old Forge, Todenham
Gloucestershire GL56 9PF
Book a free property assessment
A specialist visits your property, assesses the wall construction, and produces a written build-up recommendation with indicative costs. No obligation, no hard sell.