The external thermal insulation (thermal facade) of the walls is the installation of thermal insulation on the outside of all vertical external walls of the building
The external thermal insulation (thermal facade) of the walls is the installation of thermal insulation on the outside of all the vertical external walls of the building and its protection with successive layers of specialized materials in order to provide great resistance to time, weather conditions, mechanical stress, wind pressure, strong impacts and any other impact that may affect its operation.
The choice of the appropriate external thermal insulation in a building is made taking into account its existing thermal insulation capacity (for an old building) or the energy study (new building) in combination with the climate zone (area) where the building is located, its use and the structural elements of which it is composed.
Method of application
- Cleaning the entire surface, leveling it and removing various loose mortars.
- The flatness of the seamed facades is checked.
- Install – if required – the marble window sills, as they should protrude from the final surface of the system.
- It is defined at the base of the wall, (usually 50 cm high from it) with a special metal piece, a horizontal guide which must be absolutely perpendicular to the vertical edges-corners of the building.
- The heat-insulating plates made of graphitic expanded polystyrene (Neopor) or other heat-insulating material are pasted with a special heat-facing adhesive and placed in such a way that their longest length develops horizontally (i.e. parallel to the ground), taking the horizontal guide as the starting point. It is important that these plates cross so that their vertical ends do not coincide with the vertical ends of the heat-insulating plates of the bottom row. Exactly what we pay attention to when we build bricks.
- Especially at the base of the thermal facade, a waterproofing and protection zone is created. The density of the heat-insulating material increases and, if necessary, it is coated with a cementitious sealant to prevent the appearance of rising moisture in the future.
- Depending on the height of the masonry, but also whether it is made of brick, concrete or cement board, the thermal insulation plates are fixed mechanically with the corresponding special plugs.
- The gaps between the joints of the thermal insulation sheets or the contact they have with elements that interrupt the continuity of the surface are filled and then all the points protruding from the thermal insulation sheets are sanded so as to ensure a flat surface without irregularities (curves or edges).
- Corner caps and downspouts are placed with the original coating material, in order to form the frame in which the special coating will be applied. They are reinforced with rectangular pieces of glass mesh, which are the imaginary extension of the diagonals of the windows and exterior doors.
- This is followed by spreading the base coating with a notched trowel (at an angle of 45 degrees) to determine the thickness of the layer, completely covering the polystyrene (which, it should be noted, must be previously cleaned of dust residues due to the previous rubbing). The start of laying the plaster is now starting from the roof and ending downwards.
- With the coating still fresh and soft, place the glass mesh (160 gr) by dipping it into the coating with the straight side of the spatula, avoiding creating wrinkles or bubbles (points where it will not be covered by the coating).
- After the first layer has hardened, the surface is primed with a colored quartz silicone primer. For the final layer, a waterproof, colored silicone plaster is used, which can take on a special texture depending on the diameter of its quartz grain, but also the style chosen by the architect or the owner of the project.
Optionally:
- To increase the mechanical strength of the external thermal insulation system, double reinforcement (glass mesh) is recommended on the publicly accessible sides of the building.
External thermal insulation has the following advantages:
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- Complete thermal insulation, without creating thermal bridges in the concrete building elements, e.g. beams, columns, walls, etc.
- The external thermal insulation (thermal facade) protects the wall surfaces from moisture, because no conditions are created for liquefaction of water vapor inside the building or inside the wall, while at the same time it waterproofs them.
- We achieve better utilization of the heat capacity of the interior wall, resulting in maintaining the desired temperature of the building for a longer period of time after the heating or air conditioning has stopped.
- With external thermal insulation (thermal facade) the area of the interior is not reduced, as all work is done externally.
- The exterior walls of the building are aesthetically upgraded.
- The thermal facade system proposed offers high breathability and elasticity, as well as great resistance to dirt, mold and microorganisms. The final surfaces are “self-cleaning”.
- Construction costs are amortized over five years.
