What is External Wall Insulation?
External Wall Insulation (EWI) is a type of thermal insulation applied on the external walls to reduce the transmission of heat between the inside and outside of a building or any enclosed space. In EWI, thermal insulation material is applied with a finish system to the outside face of the external walls of a building to improve its thermal performance. External Wall Insulation is a great way to improve the insulation of a building and its envelope. The trend of EWI is continuously progressing in Ireland like the rest of the world. Many companies are offering plastering and External Wall Insulation in Ireland.
What are the Benefits of External Wall Insulation?
The major benefit of External Wall Insulation is that it upgrades the thermal performance of an enclosed space or a building. Some other common benefits of the External Wall Insulation are as follows:
EWI reduces heat losses by reducing the transmission of heat between the outside and inside of a building. In this way, it lowers the heating bills as well with an improved carbon footprint.
EWI reduces the risk of condensation
Condensation could be dangerous for the existence of a building. External Wall Insulation can reduce the chances of condensation if installed properly.
Enhances the beauty of building
You can enhance the beauty of your building because external wall insulation provides a wide range of colors and textures of finish to choose from. So, you can change the look of your building according to your choice.
Solar heat gains can be reduced with the help of EWI in the summer
In summer, heat gain is one of the major problems in enclosed spaces like buildings. External Wall Insulation, if properly installed, can efficiently reduce solar heat gains in summer which surely increases the life of the building
External Wall Insulation keep the floor area the same
EWI does not reduce the internal floor area. The only dimension which is changed after applying external wall insulation is the thickness of the walls.
Extreme weather conditions such as hail, snow, high-precipitation, and extreme temperature can destroy a building material. External wall insulation saves the buildings from this destruction by enhancing their weather Resistance
Excessive heat can cause discomfort in residential buildings, particularly in houses. External Wall Insulation insulates the excessive heat and keeps the internal environment comfortable in houses and buildings.
Preserves the substrates of external walls
Many people use expensive materials in building the external walls of their buildings such as old brickwork, marble or expensive stone, etc. External Wall Insulation keeps the expensive substrate of the walls safe and preserved. It also reduces the moisture content in walls which is very helpful in increasing their lifetime.
What are the different types of External Wall Insulation?
In the past, commonly clay tiles, brick slips, or slate were used to insulate the external walls of the buildings. But now, as the world has progressed, EWI also has modified like External Wall Insulation Plastering in Ireland. Following are some common types of External Wall Insulation used in many countries in the world including Ireland:
It comprises of a topcoat render and aggregates (Like graded hard stones) with a slurry-type consistency.
Three-Layer type of External Wall Insulation
This insulation type comprises of three layers, Insulating Layer (cement, sand, or any other insulating material), Reinforcing Layer (Layer of metal or plastic mesh), Weatherproof Finishing Layer (Final layer of render).
Slips
Simulated Brick Renders
Terracotta Tiles
Composite Cladding Systems
The Process of Installation of External Wall Insulation
The whole Process of Installation of External Wall Insulation consists of the following steps:
The first step in the installment of External Wall Insulation is Render Test. In this test, it is determined that whether the existing render is strong enough to support the EWI. If the existing render is strong enough, then the process of Installation of EWI continuous by just smoothing it. However, if it is not strong, it will be removed first before the installation of EWI.
After Render Testing, all pipework is removed before starting the installation process of EWI. The water sanitation from the building is carried out through temporary downpipes to prevent water leakage. Any soil or waste pipes are removed from the walls to prevent any hindrance in the process of installation of EWI.
A firm cover or protective layer is fitted on the windows to protect them from any harm during the process.
Before starting the installation process, you will decide the height of insulation against the walls. It is usually a few inches or feet above the ground. A starter is applied to the decided height of insulation.
After this, insulation boards are installed and the process of installation of insulation begins. A layer of adhesive is applied to each board and then they are fixed on the wall in a staggered format.
For securing insulation boards, mechanical fixings are added in addition to adhesives.
For the safety and tightness of insulation around windows and doors, corner beads and stope beads are applied.
Adding Reinforcing render and mesh
After the installment of insulation boards, two layers of render with strengthening properties are applied. Fiberglass mesh is fitted between the two layers of render.
In this step, a primer is painted on the insulation boards. Primer provides the substrate for the attachment of the final render because of the sticky nature of its granules.
In the last step, the final render is applied and the pipework is reinstalled.
The whole process of installation of External Wall Insulation can be explained with the help of the following picture:
