When I moved back to Shropshire, the first thing I decided to do was maximise insulation of the cottage to make it warm and energy efficient for the future. I decided to project manage the work myself, and made a start in the summer of 2023. I was a bit apprehensive at first, having never managed a home improvement project, but I found that chipping away at it made it surprisingly manageable. My eternal thanks go to all the tradespeople and in particular Mark the plasterer, for doing the work to such a high standard on time and within budget.

I’m delighted to report that by the summer of 2024 the work was complete – apart from the odd bit of decorating and final finishing off. These final details are down to me so who knows when they’ll get done?!

The work has included:

• Replacing all double glazed units on windows and doors, retaining the original frames and woodwork. A fiddly job but worth it as the thermal performance has been enhanced without ruining their aesthetic quality
• Draughtproofing all the external doors, including inserting insulation material between the wooden panels at the bottom of the doors
• Secondary double glazing added to the arched windows and door, which were individually designed for the building around twenty years ago with single glazing. I commissioned a specialist provider to design the units, and again, the thermal performance has massively improved without compromising their look. They have also almost completely eliminated condensation in cold weather
• Replacing an old and inefficient wood burner with a new eco-burner from Norwegian manufacturer Jotul. This has been an absolute corker, keeping the living and bedrooms warm in the coldest of weather while looking great too
• The really major work happened in the spring of 2024, when I had most of the cottage interior plastered with insulated lime plaster. I cannot describe adequately what a massive difference this has made to the whole cottage, thermally and aesthetically. The dark and cold stone has been overlaid with lovely soft looking lime plaster. The recent cold weather really put the new system to the test, and I’m pleased to say it has passed all expectations, keeping a lovely steady warmth in the cottage while keeping the rustic character of the building. As I wanted to keep as much space as possible, I opted not to use plasterboard but layer insulated plaster straight on to the walls to a thickness of around 3.5 – 4.0 cm

Here is a before and after of the living room – I’ll add more detail in my blog soon