Ivy 'protects' house walls
24 June 2010
A study has found that a thick covering of ivy can be good for your house, protecting walls from damage and insulating them from the worst effects of heat and cold.
Researchers from Oxford University were asked by English Heritage to analyse ivy growing on historic buildings. They found a canopy of ivy acts like a blanket, warming up walls by an average of 15% in cold weather and cooling the surface temperature by an average of 36% in summer. Ivy-covered walls are also less prone to the damaging effects of pollution, salt and temperature fluctuations.
However in unsound walls with soft or old mortar, the team found ivy could worsen existing cracks and holes. They're now carrying out further research to measure deterioration rates with and without ivy.