Kind of insulation: Wall heating system in a former church

Construction: Werner Haase, Architect

Contact: Werner Haase,

VIP product: va-Q-tec AG, Würzburg

Location: Former church in Wernfeld / Main

Date of realization: May 2003

Funded by: Bavarian State Ministry of Economics, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology

Description of the construction: Thick, conventional insulation was not permitted as the building is classified as an historical monument. Nevertheless, efficient insulation was necessary to reduce the heat loss through the natural-stone solid wall. VIPs measuring 0.5 x 1.0 m² were mounted onto polystyrene boards with dispersion based mortar. To prevent moisture from inside the room getting into the wall, the gaps were closed with tape. 5 cm wide polyurethane strips were installed between the rows of VIPs. To fix the wall-heating system, oriented strand boards (OSBs) were screwed onto the polyurethane strips in front of the VIPs. Heating pipes were fixed onto these panels and plastered over with loam.

Figure 1: Photo of the wall before the OSBs were mounted over the VIPs.

Figure 2: Cross-section of the wall.

Figure 3: Photo of the wall after the copper heating pipes were installed.