Saint-Gobain Weber Monocouche render brings new life to Gosford Castle

Modern monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber, the leading manufacturer and formulator of innovative materials for the construction industry, has been specified in the exceptional restoration project of 19th century Gosford Castle, County Armagh.

Once the largest private houses in Ireland, the Castle has been rescued from dereliction and is now an exclusive community of 23 individually designed homes created within the fabric of the original building.

A+ Green Guide rated weber.pral D by Saint-Gobain Weber has been spray applied to the interior walls of the three-storey Bastion Gate which has an imposing portcullis entrance, high arched ceilings and fine, intricate detail work.

This through-coloured render incorporates innovative One-Coat Technology which is recognised for its contribution to minimising programme works. By reducing the drying time associated with a traditional two coat system by as much as 50%, on-site labour and the cost of equipment is greatly reduced which has helped with the demanding completion schedule of the Bastion Gate.

Saint-Gobain Weber is the first producer of monocouche renders to be awarded an A+ rating as defined in the BRE Global 2008 Green Guide to Specification. These audited materials help specifiers to make selections that will collectively reduce the environmental impact of their buildings.

Main contractor Samuel Millar, of Randalstown, County Antrim, has undertaken the interior refurbishment of the walls and ceilings in just five months. Sam Millar, managing director, comments: “This has been a really labour intensive project but it looks magnificent and my applicators are very proud of the finish we have achieved. We normally work on new, modern buildings where dimensions are true and walls are straight so this has been a challenging project.”

“Everything about this render is perfect for us – it’s quick and easy to apply, suitable for spray application, and achieves a perfect finish. Just brilliant, we can’t fault it,” says Michael Martin, render applicator, Millar Construction. “We’ve used other brands but they are unworkable by comparison and couldn’t have been used in this specialist application, especially on the ceilings.” In the Bastion Gate, authentic colours of Chalk, Sand, Earth Red and Stone Grey have been used to replicate the original colour schemes in the principal rooms which have recaptured the bright atmosphere of the Castle in its prime.

Leading London architect Thomas Hopper was commissioned to create Gosford Castle in 1819. This family home, which has 197 rooms, took 20 years to complete and was designed in the Norman Revival style. The castle walls are finished in granite while pink marble was designed into much of the interior. Local masters were responsible for the construction of the marble columns; local craftsmen and materials were employed for the wood panelling and carvings; the vaulted ceilings were picked out with gold paint and Italian plasterers created many of the magnificent ceilings.

Gosford Castle has seen a variety of uses over its lifetime, from a military billet to the winter base of a travelling circus. It remained derelict until 2006 when it was rescued by a local businessman who, with specialist architects and the Northern Ireland Heritage Service, saved the fabric of the building restoring it to its former glory.

Saint-Gobain Weber’s renders are manufactured in Bedfordshire and Shropshire providing local manufacture, while reduced transportation mileage and CO₂ emissions contribute to the company’s sustainability and environmental policies.

For further information about this project, or for technical support, please call Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or 028 9335 2999 in Ireland. Or visit www.netweber.co.uk for a free download of literature and the new weber.app. The download for iPhone and iPad users is available from the iTunes app store and from Google Play for android smartphones and tablets. Follow us on twitter @sgweberuk for the latest company news and updates.