Newton Membranes used in Windsor Castle
Newtons Help Defeat Damp In This Heritage Building
Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world and is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The original castle was built for William the Conqueror around 1080. Originally part of a ring of defenses around London, Windsor Castle gradually became a popular royal residence because of the good hunting in the nearby forests. The Round Tower, along with the original outer wall, was erected by King Henry II. Further improvements and enlargements took place over the centuries until the magnificent castle that we see today finally emerged in 1830.
Windsor Castle had many problems with rising and penetrating damp. Newton damp proof membranes Newlath and Newtonite were used as a permanent solution to the damp problems
Of course with a building this size and this old, there was no question of damp proof provision being incorporated into the original building. Both rising and penetrating damp has presented problems to the custodians of the castle over the centuries. John Newton & Company are pioneers in the field of ‘air gap technology’ with their damp proof membranes – the air gap created by the studs on the damp proof membrane allows damp walls to dry out over time. John Newton & Company supplied their old pitch impregnated Newtonite material for remedial work at Windsor Castle in the 1950′s.
Newtons continued to develop new products and the new polypropylene membrane Newlath which has a mesh thermic welded to the front, has also been used in many parts of the lower regions of the castle over recent years. Newlath is fixed polypropylene plugs and it allows the area behind the material to ‘breathe’ whilst the mesh provides a firm key for plasters or renders.
One of the great advantage of Newton Damp Proof Membranes is that they are deemed ‘reversible’ so can be used on Historic and Listed Buildings, which have very stringent building regulations
Many hundreds of thousands of metres of Newlath have been used in all manner of buildings over the last thirty years. One of the useful attributes of the membrane system in old and heritage buildings is that if the fixing plugs are driven into the mortar – which the translucency of Newlath allows the operative to easily identify – then the material can at some future date be taken down without damaging the original stone or brickwork, which may be of considerable historic interest and value. Also by allowing the substrate to ‘breathe’, no damage is caused through unfamiliar atmospheric conditions, so this again makes it particularly attractive where the substrate is of value and must not be exposed to systems that may result in its deterioration.
Thus Newlath has provided a permanent solution for treating damp walls at Windsor Castle
John Newton & Company are happy to advise you on the best solutions for your damp proofing and basement waterproofing needs, so do contact us for more advice on 0800 533 5396
This entry was posted in Damp Proofing Articles • February 17th, 2010 • Back To Top
