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STEICO wood fibre roof insulation supports thermal upgrade of the iconic Grade II listed Manchester Museum

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Wood fibre insulation from STEICO was selected to support the upgrade of the thermal efficiency of the new roof on the iconic Grade II listed ‘New Warehouse’ building at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.

The choice to specify STEICO insulation was an easy one, as Tom Carruthers, Sustainable Insulation Specialist, from Mike Wye, explains: “As STEICO insulation helps to reduce CO2 emissions through upgrading a building’s thermal performance as well as binding  CO2eq within the wood fibre itself, it was a natural fit for this iconic renovation project. We work closely with STEICO to supply solutions that help to achieve modern standards of performance whilst supporting each project’s sustainability aspirations.”

 

Grade II listed ‘New Warehouse’ building at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum

The existing roof of the 140-year-old building was being renovated as part of a £14.2 million project funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. To carry it out, a colossal scaffolding structure was erected to support a temporary roof structure. It used the equivalent of 41 miles of scaffolding tubes and took 34 weeks to complete. Essential repairs were needed to keep the roof watertight and structurally sound during the renovation. Any rotten timbers were repaired or replaced where necessary, and the opportunity was taken to upgrade the roof’s thermal efficiency to modern standards.

The New Warehouse was built in the 1880s to provide essential goods storage in support of the expansion of Liverpool Road Station. The station served as the terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway – the first steam powered inter-city railway for both freight and passengers. After its closure in 1975 the site was taken over by the Manchester Museum in 1983.

The Museum was keen to decarbonise the renovation by using materials that were in tune with the sustainability goals of the project wherever possible. Buttress architects, who specialise in restoring listed and historic buildings, was appointed to the project.

The importance of the opportunity provided by the roof renovation was explained by Alex Scrimshaw of Buttress: “The re-roofing works also provide the opportunity to significantly improve thermal performance; seeing the introduction of an innovative wood fibre insulation; as well as carrying out the meticulous masonry, stonework and window repairs required of a building of this grand stature.”

The roof renovation work was carried out by the highly skilled craftsmen from Heritage Conservation Restoration who specialise in the conservation and restoration of heritage buildings and monuments. They worked closely with Mike Wye, a builder’s merchant with over 30 years of experience supplying sustainable and traditional building materials, to ensure the right products were procured for the restoration.

STEICO insulation solutions help overcome challenges faced when renovating the New Warehouse roof

The renovation of such a complex roof on a heritage building presented several challenges.

Protecting existing sarking boards with STEICOmulti cover 5

The renovation work began by stripping back the existing roof to its sarking board and replacing any rotten timbers as necessary. The sarking board is visible from inside the museum, so as many of the original boards as possible were either left in place or carefully restored. To help preserve them and protect the roof, the external surfaces of the sarking boards were first cleaned. Then STEICOmulti cover 5 was applied to the outside of the sarking boards. This forms a water resistant, rain proof vapour barrier with high tear resistance and can be used as a temporary covering[1].

Providing wood fibre insulation for a complex heritage roof with STEICOspecial dry 

The biggest challenge when adding thermal performance to the renovation sprang from the fact that the roof was built in the 1800s. Roofs dating back this far were not designed with any provision for insulation.

The overall roof is large, at around 5000m2 (about the same area as two Olympic swimming pools). If it’s formed of one single structure with multiple pitches, it’s referred to as a ‘sawtooth roof’. To add to the challenge, it has intricate details such as glazing and lead work as well as gullies and gantries, making its thermal upgrade even more interesting. The much-needed roof insulation was provided by a layer of STEICOspecial dry  sheathing boards.

Tom Carruthers explains the benefits that the composition and manufacture of STEICO insulation bring to the project: “The wood fibres in STEICOspecial dry sheathing boards are bound with polyurethane resin and have a paraffin wax coating. This gives the boards increased compressive strength allowing them to take the weight of tiles and also gives them a hydrophobic surface for enhanced weather resistance. The STEICO insulation boards are diffusion open, allowing the roof to breathe. This makes STEICO insulation an ideal way to provide protection and insulation to a heritage roof without altering its natural cycle of moisture management”.

Due to the intricacies of the roof design, while the majority of the 3,500m2 of STEICOspecial dry boards were 180mm thick, some 100mm and 80mm boards were also specified. This allowed adequate ventilation to be maintained while still upgrading the roofs thermal performance in line with building regulations.

Protecting the breather membrane layer from penetration with STEICOmulti nail tape

The STEICOspecial dry sheathing boards were covered with a breather membrane. Before counter battens were installed, STEICOmulti nailtape was applied. This tape seals the penetrations caused when fixing the battens so there is no pathway for water to enter the construction.

The roof was then re-tiled with around 60,000 Welsh slate tiles from the UNESCO World Heritage site at Blaenau Ffestiniog to match the original slates.

What will be the impact of the roof renovation at Manchester Museum?

The renovation project for the roof began in February 2024 and completed construction in the summer of 2025. The New Warehouse building has three floors and is an integral part of the experience offered to the approximate 500,000 people who come to see the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry each year.

As well as greeting visitors through the main entrance, the New Warehouse has three permanent galleries and three changing exhibition areas to explore, plus a café, shop and conference space. Improving the thermal performance of the roof with wood fibre insulation not only helps to improve energy efficiency, but it also provides visitors with a comfortable environment to explore the museum and be inspired by the scientific ideas that are continuing to change the world.

Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum says[2],

“We are delighted that the next stage of the site’s multi-million-pound restoration project is underway. This marks an exciting moment as we carry out vital repairs to our main museum building, including a brand-new roof. Whilst this repair work will bring some disruption to our site, including our largest scaffolding structure to date, the changes taking place now will mean visitors can enjoy our museum for years to come. We’ve always been a place of change and transformation and the work on New Warehouse is our next step to future-proof our historic site.”

When asked about the project, Martin Twamley, STEICO’s Technical Director commented

“The wood fibre insulation offered by STEICO is a blend of traditional ideas and modern scientific manufacturing techniques. It allows us to improve the thermal performance of historic buildings without compromising the breathability of the original structure—something that’s essential when working with heritage fabric. We’re proud to be involved in the roof renovation at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum. It’s a great example of how wood fibre insulation can bring older buildings up to modern performance standards while respecting their original character.”

Where can I find out more information about wood fibre insulation solutions for new build and roof renovations?

If you would like more information about the STEICO range of wood fibre insulation, please contact our technical team where one of our experts will be happy to answer any questions you may have about STEICO products and systems. If you would like to know where your nearest local supplier of STEICO products is, we have a list of our UK supply partners here.

[1] https://www.steico.com/tds_steicomulti_cover5_gbr-irl_en

[2] https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/about-us/press-office/new-warehouse

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