Keylite opens up renovation of barn at Elms Farm

Keylite roof windows have been used in the refurbishment of Grade II listed barns and farmhouse at Elms Farm, Derbyshire. Originally built in 1775, the barns are the former home of the Little Eaton Brewery Company.

Ken Tansley, from builders Interbuild Ltd, said: “It was a typical old barn when we first started. We needed to rip a lot out of the building, dig out the floors, do some repointing, and the roof needed to be redone. With it being a listed building, all this preparation and rebuilding work had to be done very carefully and by the book.”

Light and heat were two predominant issues, the barn had little-to-no insulation, and what would become the second floor had no access to natural daylight. To accommodate this, many of the upstairs’ original beams, had to be covered for insulation, and fifteen roof windows were drawn into the plan to bring natural daylight into the top floor rooms.

Tansley first heard of Keylite when visiting Buildbase Derby, and soon got in contact with Keylite’s national brand development manager, Tom Jarvis. “Tom was fantastic, he came out to Elms Farm to meet us and even bought a sample. It was an easy sell due to the price and the fact that all the flashing and add-ons came with the windows as standard, which again saved us on time and price. That, and the homeowners knew they could also get a wide range of blinds from Keylite as well.

“Usually, roof windows can pose an issue for listed buildings, as they sit higher than the roof tiles and therefore cause compliancy issues, as well as being an eyesore. However, another huge selling point for Keylite is that the windows are recessed as standard – meaning they sit lower in the roof, enhancing the overall appearance, and improving the thermal performance of the window.”