Installation practice with ETICS

The existing surface must always be examined before an ETICS is installed. It is essential to investigate the old plaster which the insulation is to be bonded to, for example to identify cavities.

It is important to fasten and bond the elements exactly as laid down for the system. Implementation details must be checked with care, especially at the foot of walls, around windows and at the junctions between eaves and fascia.

It should also be considered that thermal bridges in the external wall occur at all component joints, particularly with protruding elements which are not thermally decoupled, such as balconies or canopy roofs.

Detail showing a window sill and insulation (source: Sto SE & Co. KGaA)

Detail showing a window sill and insulation
(source: Sto SE & Co. KGaA)

Load-bearing thermal insulation element for cantilevered balconies (source: Schöck Bauteile GmbH)

If it is not possible to provide an airtight layer on the inside of the external wall, this can also be provided within the adhesive layer of the ETICS. In this case adhesive must be applied over the entire surface and must cover cracks properly. In addition, the joints between plaster and openings (e.g., windows and doors) must be made with care and be airtight throughout.

Joints between external insulation and windows must be implemented with care (source: Schulze Darup)