'thermal shield'

The scientists from Oxford University - where ivy adds colour and character to many of the college buildings - found that rather than damaging walls, the plant positively protects them.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1278430/Why-ivy-creeping-walls-home-actually-protect-building-thanks-thermal-shield.html#ixzz3yLezB8AS

Interesting. Thanks for the article

I guess that is what theses people were thinking.

Talk about ‘soft’ report writing…

It’s also an invasive species in some areas. Not a good plan for green buildings. At all. It has to be kept away from woodwork and harbors vermin and poison ivy.

You weren’t supposed to read the entire article.

Yeah, well… I an A-hole like that! :mrgreen:

I can well understand that the example shown of a well tended ivy on a building within the campus, would not be harmed by the plant’s presence. But, that building in that very special location would have the huge advantage of being within the campus area which is tended by the gardening staff.

It looks as if the ivy is carefully pruned back annually, or possibly more frequently. I would say that would require quite a few man-hours of work from a ladder.

The first image is quite different with the ivy apparently having grown into the guttering. It is self-evident that the ivy cannot be allowed to grow into the guttering as that would soon result in blockage with leaves and roots. Water would then cascade down the walls. That could not occur without damage, so in my view, ivy groath is best only allowed when there is reliable labour on-hand (like at the university), but nowhere else!