Roundtower blog

Our knowledge base is packed full of resources to help your projects run smoothly and ensure you're using products in the best ways possible.

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Cork Board Internal Wall Insulation System

When considering insulation materials it is important to ensure that they are not going to have any damaging effects to the fabric of the building. As well as providing insulation they should enable the building to breath and be sympathetic and work with the fabric of the building.

Wood Fibre Insulation For Solid Wall Constructions

When considering insulation materials it is important to ensure that they are not going to have any damaging effects to the fabric of the building. As well as providing insulation they should enable the building to breath and be sympathetic and work with the fabric of the building.

Helifix Crack Stitching

Learn how to repair cracks in masonry walls with HeliBar and HeliBond. This step-by-step guide involves cutting slots, cleaning the crack, applying HeliBond, inserting HeliBar, adding more HeliBond, and filling the crack. Following these instructions and using the correct tools and materials can help to ensure that your building remains safe and structurally sound for years to come.

How STEICO wood fibre insulation materials are manufactured.

Steico produce both wet and dry process boards. What is the difference ?

Steico Wood Fibre Insulation - It's Advantages

Wood processed into STEICO wood fibre insulating materials delivers truly outstanding performance. The wood fibres create tiny air pockets within the insulation boards providing proven excellent insulation performance wood fibre insulation is ideal for the construction of state-of-the-art energy-saving buildings or for energy saving renovations.

External Lime Rendering / Plastering

There are a number of different substrates you could be working with, from a simple brick wall to a timber lath substrate, and we have tried to keep the following guide as generic as possible.

Pointing

This is the process where new mortar is inserted into prepared joints between brick or masonry.

Mortar Mixing

A comprehensive guide to mixing lime mortar.

Selecting a Sand

Sand selection is vital when producing a lime mortar.

The Restoration of Cor Castle

Cor Castle and the surrounding land has been in my family since the 18th Century. The building was passed down the generations to my grandparents who were living there when it was destroyed by fire in 1921...

SupaSoft Insulation made from Recycled Plastic Bottles

About 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year. SupaSoft Insulation is helping to reduce this number by reclycling plastic bottles and turning the plastic into high performing Insulation.

Why Lime?

For the past 150 years modern artificial cements have slowly been replacing traditional lime based mortars and plasters, to such a degree that now virtually all construction is carried out using only modern materials. Whilst many of these materials are perfectly suitable for modern buildings they have been found to be incompatible with the construction of old buildings.

Limecrete

The use of limecrete is desirable in a historic building as it allows naturally occurring moisture to escape through the floor. The use of modern cement floors has caused some problems as moisture is unable to escape through the floor.

Raking Out and Pre Pointing Operations

The purpose of this operation is to remove either old and deteriorated pointing/bedding mortar or modern cementious mortars that are causing damage to the building fabric.

Lime Harling

Harling is a Scottish name for what is often called wet dash or roughcast. This is probably the most traditional finish that is still common today.

Lime Protection, Curing and Aftercare

Lime Protection, Curing and Aftercare is a vital process in the successful use of lime mortars.

Limewash

Limewash (or other breathable paint finish) is the final part of the protective envelope for structures coated with a lime render either smooth or rough as in the case of harling.

Guide to mixing natural hydraulic lime mortar

A comprehensive guide to mixing natural hydraulic lime mortar.

Guide to mixing and storage of non-hydraulic lime mortar

Today, non-hydraulic lime mortars are mixed from high calcium non-hydraulic lime putty and aggregates.

Pozzolans & Additives

The word pozzolanic is derived from the word Pozzuoli. This is the name of an area on the Italian coast near Vesuvius.

Lime Pointing

This is the process where new mortar is inserted into prepared joints between brick or masonry.

A Complete Guide to Lime Mortar

Roundtower's guide to Lime Mortar. Covering the usage, types of lime, sand selection & water.

A Guide To Internal Lime Plastering

A comprehensive guide to internal lime plastering.

Breathable Paints

A look into Beeck breathable paints.

Natural Hydraulic Lime Mortar (NHL)

Natural hydraulic limes (NHL's) differ from non-hydraulic limes in that they have a chemical set as well as the process of carbonation.