Historic Building Simulation of the Internal Insulation Behavior in Climate of Slovakia in a Case Study

Abstract

Abstract Main topic of the article speaks about historic building renovation in Košice. Nowadays, the building is in use as puppet theatre. The theatre suffers from various disorders caused by humidity. The envelope of building has been renovated several times, however, over time, the faults return over and over. The article can be divided into two parts. The first one presents the results of moisture analysis of the support wall. The samples from the facade probes were evaluated by gravimetric method. The second part of the article discusses the interior insulation of a historic building. Internal insulation is one of the solutions to reduce heat loss of historic buildings. The use of this type of insulation brings risks that affect the thermal-humidity behaviour of the perimeter structure. These risks are assessed using a simulation model. In addition to the risks, the impact of the insulation on the original wall structure and the impact on the indoor environment were also assessed. Based on the simulation results, we can assess whether the restoration approach is appropriate in this specific case of using insulation. The study shows that the initial humidity of the perimeter wall structure is an important factor for internal insulation. Before applying the internal insulation, it is necessary to examine the moisture and material properties of the masonry.