Ty-Mawr Thermafleece - The First Welsh Sheepswool Insulation
Children see how their school is insulated
Brecon based company Ty-Mawr, will be celebrating the successful launch of their exclusive sheepswool insulation product, Ty-Mawr Thermafleece at this year’s Wonderwool Exhibition held at Bulith Wells over the weekend of the 26th and 27th April.
Ty-Mawr now guarantees that at least 75% of the wool used in Ty-Mawr Thermafleece comes from Welsh hill farms. Since its launch last Autumn Ty-Mawr Thermafleece has already been used to insulate numerous buildings throughout Wales from home lofts to large scale public buildings, including new homes built by Pembrokeshire Housing Association.
Welsh Minister for the Economy and Transport, Ieuan Wyn Jones, welcomed the launch of Ty-Mawr Thermafleece and described it as an important boost for the rural economy.
Joyce Gervis Director of Ty-Mawr gave some background to the initiative; “We have successfully sold Thermafleece and worked closely with the manufacturers Second Nature UK who are based in Cumbria for the last six years. Having established a strong and respected market , it ‘s fantastic that we now have a specific Welsh wool insulation developed with Second Nature UK which embraces our company ethos. We can’t buy wool directly from Welsh farmers, as we have to work within the parameters of The British Wool Marketing Board. However, by ensuring segregation of Welsh wool within this buying system, it is our aim to stimulate the Welsh rural economy and create a viable market for Welsh wool in the future.”
School children at Brecon Road Infant School in Merthyr Tydfil caught a glimpse this week of their new school extension and saw the wool insulation in the roof and walls of the timber frame building before it is sealed in. Mrs Lambe, Headteacher at the school said; “We plan to leave a small section of the wall un-plastered so that the children can see the sheepswool insulation and have a concept of the building materials used in their school. Not only creating an environmental awareness but also an appreciation that the wool from sheep we see grazing in the fields around here, may have been used to insulate the school!” Councillor Brendan Toomey, Chair of the Governors added; “We are extremely pleased that the design of the new nursery achieves eco-targets set by the Government, with global warming high on the agenda, it is very satisfying to note that Brecon Road Infant School is the first school in Wales to benefit from this new, local insulating material."
Ty-Mawr Thermafleece was recommended for the school by Architect Robert Spencer of Atkins in Cardiff. He said; “We wanted to use a technically excellent product with good insulation values which was locally sourced and had desirable environmental credentials. We were also required to consider health and safety when specifying materials and components on the nursery school, the benefits of natural wool fibre over and above other products was certainly a prime factor."
Contractors G Adams from Tredegar working on the school’s extension certainly found Ty-Mawr Thermafleece far easier and pleasant to install.
Far from the modern classroom to a cosy, traditional country house hotel; Susie and James Suter, owners of Gliffaes Hotel in Crickhowell, Powys, saw energy costs rising and with no insulation in the roof they considered all the insulation options. When Susie and James heard about Ty-Mawr Thermafleece it made perfect sense to use a highly efficient insulation with a similar country ethos to the hotel. Due to the breathability of the insulation it makes it the perfect choice for older buildings like Gliffaes and what’s more it won’t lose any of its thermal efficiency or slump down over the years. James Suter commented; “Whilst Ty-Mawr Thermafleece was more expensive than conventional insulations, we know that it is going to be keeping the hotel warm for many generations, we no longer have to use additional electric heating in the bedrooms, so insulating with wool has been an investment.”
Nigel Gervis of Ty-Mawr said that “Ty-Mawr Thermafleece has been very well received throughout Wales, as well as the exciting projects listed above, we were also pleased that it was chosen because of its environmental credentials by Howies Organic Clothing company based in Cardigan Bay to insulate their West Wales offices. As importantly, families are realising that although it is more expensive, it's the sensible choice for a wide range of reasons for their homes with long term economic benefits for example by installing 250mm of Thermafleece in a loft, the typical household can reduce its heating costs by up to 25% and their CO2 emissions by a staggering one tonne per year!
You can learn more about Ty-Mawr Thermafleece and see some of their range of traditional and ecological building products at their stand at Wonderwool on the 26th and 27th April or visit www.lime.org.uk.
About Ty-Mawr Lime
Ty-Mawr manufacture and supply traditional and ecological building materials from their new purpose built site at the Brecon Enterprise Park. They also run specialist courses in traditional and ecological building for over a decade on the site of their head office near Brecon. The newly restored training centre is based in a beautiful complex of Grade 2* listed buildings, formerly a framstead in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Mid Wales. The site is still the family home of the founders of Ty-Mawr, Nigel and Joyce Gervis, and is an on-going restoration project. Last year, over 400 architects, specifiers, builders, plasterers, painters, interior designers, homeowners, planners and conservation officers attended these courses from all over the country.
About Second Nature UK Ltd
Second Nature UK Ltd is based near Penrith in Cumbria. The Company began in 2001 with the launch of Thermafleece, the first sheepswool insulation to be manufactured in the UK using wool from British hill sheep. In 2002 Thermafleece gained British Board of Agrement (BBA) approval for use for use in loft, sarking and timber frame wall applications. The Company gained The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, in the Sustainable Development Category in 2004. Thermafleece has recently received Energy Savings Recommended accreditation by The Energy Saving Trust. Second Nature UK prides itself in its trusted brand, Thermafleece and its efficiency of service to provide more natural insulation products commercially and efficiently through a network of merchants throughout the UK.
For Further information please contact:
Penny Randell, Second Nature UK Ltd, Soulands Gate, Dacre, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 OJF. Telephone: 017684 86285. Fax: 017684 86825 Mob: 07984870909 penny@secondnatureuk.com www.secondnatureuk.com
Joyce Gervis, Ty-Mawr, Llangasty, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7PJ. Telephone: 01874 658000. Fax: 01874 658502 www.lime.org.uk joyce.gervis@lime.org.uk