Evaluation of Energy Savings Achievable by Treating Masonry Walls with Stormdry Water-Repellent Cream
– An evaluation of the energy savings achievable from the application of Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream to masonry walls has been carried out by the respected environmental management consultancy, Giraffe Innovation.
The report includes a peer review of existing literature and data as well as a carbon footprint analysis of the production and application of Stormdry carried out using the lifecycle (cradle to grave) approach.
Key findings of the report include:
- The updated SAP figures for space heating are around 5,209 kg CO2 per year for an untreated house model, and 3,798 kg CO2 for a surface treated one under extreme weather conditions, i.e. a carbon reduction of 27% (excluding additional benefits from reduced evaporated cooling).
- The carbon footprint of a Stormdry application is 0.73 kg CO2e/m2 (i.e. less than 1% of a UK person’s carbon footprint).
- Annual carbon savings from reduced space heating range between 635 and 1,991 kg CO2e depending on weather conditions. Over a product lifetime of 20 – 30 years, the treatment can potentially save between 24,081 and 36,817 kg CO2e compared to an untreated solid brick house, provided there is no change in consumer behaviour.
- On average, the “carbon payback” for the Stormdry treatment due to savings in space heating is one month; the monetary investment (including labour) is recovered after 6 years.
Stormdry is a white cream that becomes colourless once it has penetrated into masonry. Once cured it forms a colourless, breathable, water-repellent barrier that resists rain penetration.
The use of Stormdry to reduce heat loss through masonry walls is of particular interest when CO2 emissions need to be reduced from “hard to treat” properties constructed using single-skin masonry walls. In many cases traditional insulation products are not suitable for these types of property as they can unacceptably reduce internal space or alter the external appearance of the building.