Professional Retaining Wall Contractors in Gloucester

During the course of our work in Kilbury Conservation we come across some interesting cases which throw up materials used a while ago and which we’ve not encountered before. In this case the soft strip at one of our school summer holiday projects uncovered what looked like a form of insulating material between the ceiling and the floor construction above. This material, Cabot’s Triple Ply Quilt, was manufactured in the US and has fascinating history. It’s an early insulating material using dried eelgrass (a marine plant harvested from beaches in the Northwest US and Canada) stitched between heavy sheets of Kraft paper. Patented in the US in 1891 the product was marketed nationally, so it’s surprising to find it in a UK building. The heaviest product was the triple layer version used here and adverts said it provided more insulating ability than 12” of brickwork! A plant disease all but wiped out underwater eelgrass beds around 1930 and by 1942 the product was no longer being manufactured. Needless to say, it’s insulating ability is far outweighed by modern standards and although sustainable in its day, the plant disease put an end to its use and usefulness. So there you have it – less a building material, more a puzzling archaeological relic! Have a good Friday everyone! #kilbury #construction #conservation #friday #work #history #interesting #building #projects #business...