EXTERNAL THERMAL INSULATION & COMPOSITE SYSTEM

- THE ECONOMICAL & EFFICIENT WAY TO SAVE ENERGY

Barun Sanki
Business Development Manager – ETICS, Berger Paints
OVERVIEW OF ETICS TECHNOLOGY

The chief aim of this write-up is to furnish you with the basic knowledge on exterior insulation made with the
use of Bolix S.A. and Berger Paints (BPIL) materials. Bolix S.A. is one of the leading suppliers of building
chemistry, specializing in the production of facade systems in Europe. It is a Poland based company with
Business presence in the UK, France, Ukraine and other European countries and a 100% subsidiary of Berger
Paints. Bolix products and services are recognized in most of Europe for their quality, durability and
efficiency.

Bolix has implemented an Integrated Quality and Environmental Management System, which has been
granted ISO certificate for conformity with EN-ISO 9001:2000 and EN-ISO 14001:2004 standards. The
European Technical Approval (ETA) granted to the BOLIX ETICS systems based on EPS boards confirms BOLIX
renown and the excellent reputation of solutions offered by them. BOLIX new building insulations as well as
retrofitting insulation to existing buildings for conservation of energy have been tested in many laboratories
all over Europe and have parameters substantially exceeding comparable products of the competitors. It
deals with major issues occurring during insulation application, using light-wet method based on EPS and
mineral wool.

This write-up also facilitates the process of application and in this way enhances the aesthetic effects and
thermal insulation properties, thus limiting to a great degree the risk of oversights and defects in
workmanship. This intended for all kinds of Technical and Construction personnel and also everyone
interested in this topic, whose aspiration is to obtain highly efficient thermal insulation and durable as well as
pleasant elevation.

This write-up does not object or criticize the Technical Design for Building Insulation, Other related
Guidelines and Specification or any Indian Standard Code, but complements the above mentioned
documents with detailed guidelines for insulation application and the usage of Berger products in the
systems.
Exterior thermal insulation technology

Heat loss/gain in a building is a major concern in India and also across the globe. Fromm the experience and
all other technical researches this can be concluded that wall is the majorly responsible for energy losses.
Study shows that the “Wall” is responsible for 50-60% of heat gain/losses (depending on building
architecture). That is why ETICS helps to minimize the loss and increase the efficiency of the heating/cooling
devices.

The technology called External Thermal Insulation and Composite Systems - ETICS are used to insulate
existing as well as newly constructed buildings (apartment, industrial and public buildings) in order to provide
optimal thermal com-fort, durability and magnificent look of the finish coat.

Foamed polystyrene and mineral wool along as well as all kinds of thin-layer plasters along with exterior
paints are used in Berger-Bolix ETICS.
 Fig. 1: Components of External Thermal Insulation and Composite Systems (ETICS)

OVERVIEW OF ETICS TECHNOLOGY

Advantages of ETICS application:

 Most economical and proficient Energy Saving System

 Highly Efficient Thermal Insulation system compared to other available systems
 Environment protection and mitigation of greenhouse effect, as a result of reduced CO2 emission,
caused by lower energy carrier consumption.
 Durable and pleasant building elevation,
 Highly water-repellent walls (reduction in moisture absorption of the system exterior surface)
 Lengthening of building structure life-span and strengthening its weather resistance,
 Improvement of thermal microclimate in interiors especially in the colder region,
 Cost-effectiveness, reduction in thermal power consumption resulting in lower investment costs for
Cooling/Air-Conditioning system,
 Reduction of thermal bridges,
 Prevent contractions and mechanical damage of walls due to small temperature fluctuation in
construction layer.

Efficient thermal insulation of a building saves energy and thus lowers cooling costs. One-time investment in
quality thermal insulation enables us to save on cooling costs every peak summer over the whole building
lifespan.
External Thermal insulation of walls.

To a large extent building energy effectiveness depends on thermal insulation of exterior walls. A technical
parameter that characterizes this quantity is the overall heat-transfer coefficient “U-Value”. The U-value of
the total system as detailed below;

External Thermal Insulation and Composite System (ETICS)

Thermal Thermal
Description Specification Conductivity Thickness Resistance
(k Value) (R Value)
W/m.k m m². k/W
External System
Brickwork, common (Building Brick) Class I 0.7 0.230 0.329
Plaster 1:4 1.73 0.012 0.007
Adhesive 2 Coats 1.2 0.050 0.042
Expanded Polystyrene 120mm 18 kg/m3 0.035 0.120 3.429
External Texture Coatings 1mm Avg thick 1.95 0.001 0.001
Interior Surface Thermal Resistance m2 °k/W 0.130
Exterior Surface Thermal Resistance m2 °k/W 0.04
2
TOTAL RESISTANCE m °k/W 3.98
2
TOTAL U VALUE W/m °k 0.251
SPECIFICATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR BERGER-BOLIX ETICS APPLICATION

Technical documentation guidelines

ETICS should be applied in conformity with the Technical Design, adopted for a given building. The design
shall take into account a technical condition of building external walls. Therefore, a site survey shall be
carried out to perform technical evaluation encompassing:

 Materials composing walls, especially a technical condition of external layers,

 Window and door woodwork and window and door frame finishes and flashings,
 Construction of balconies, loggias, plinths and attic walls, performance of DPC,
 Performance of water supply and drainage system,
 Presence of any ventilation, its performance and its type,
 Other factors that may negatively influence insulation work like e.g. wall cracks and irregularities

Thermal insulation design shall include:

i) Building identification data,

ii) Short technical characteristics of a building containing information on building height, number of
floors, type of external walls and their previous insulation,
iii) The choice of thermal insulation system meeting a specific technical approval requirements,
iv) The choice of the type of materials for thermal insulation,
v) Fire classification of a given system for designed thickness of thermal insulation,
vi) Technical description of a chosen system that specifies thermal insulation material, adhesive,
plaster, reinforcing mesh and mechanical fasteners,
vii) Wall surface preparation for the installation of insulation boards,
viii) Reinforcing layer application with the indication of the spots requiring special attention,
ix) Finish coat application including type of plasters, its application and color,
x) Details of special spots, such as: window and door reveals, cellar and attic walls, balcony and
loggia slabs and expansion gap finish,
xi) Calculation of the overall heat-transfer coefficient U

Estimated values for wall heat transfer and possible energy and cost saving in a given heating period shall
also fall within the scope of the documentation. A thermal insulation design shall be prepared by a designer
who has building qualifications as defined by the standard Building Code.

ETICS shall not be applied in following weather conditions

 In temperature below +5°C and above +35°C,

 On walls exposed to direct sunlight,
 In strong wind
 During and shortly after rainfall
 Other condition which is lower or higher than manufacturer’s recommendations for a given material.
Technical properties of BERGER-BOLIX ETICS components

It is necessary that EPS boards used in ETICS fulfils the following requirements:

 EPS board be made with self-extinguishing foamed polystyrene (in accordance with the Technical
Design), should have density between 18 – 24 kg/m3, according to PN-EN 13163:2004,
 solid structure
 Dimensions not larger than 600x1200 mm (acceptable deviations +/- 2 mm),
 thickness not greater than 200 mm,
 Rough surfaces,
 Straight, sharp edges, not dented,
 Be seasoned for a required in thermal insulation period (specified by EPS producer).

EPS-BASED EXTERNAL INSULATION SYSTEMS

BERGER-BOLIX ETICS system

BERGER-BOLIX ETICS system is an integrated and advanced set of products for external insulation and finish
systems. It consists of expanded polystyrene (EPS) boards installed to a wall and fixed with mechanical
fasteners, and reinforced with fiberglass mesh embedded in the Base coat. The finish coat is made of acrylic
or Silicon render Texture coat. Ready-to-use acrylic plasters are available in a wide range of colors and
textures. The mineral plasters are available in white color and in the version for painting, all in a variety of
textures.

BERGER-BOLIX system is composed of the following products:

 Adhesives for EPS/ Mineral wool /XPS boards

 EPS/MW/EPX boards
 Mechanical fasteners /compatible with the requirements of the Technical Design
 Base coat Universal adhesive
 Fiberglass mesh
 Primer for preparing the substrates before plaster
 Thin-layer acrylic/Silicone plasters
 Protective coating against micro-biological aggression
 Mineral plasters
 Acrylic paints
 Silicate paint for painting mineral plasters;
 Ancillary materials (e.g. starter strips, protective corners, sealing tapes and other finishing materials).
INSTALLATION OF EPS-BASED EXTERNAL INSULATION SYSTEMS

1. Preparatory works and substrate preparation

2. Application of Adhesive

a) FULL COMB METHOD

b) RIBBON AND DAB METHOD

3. Fixing of Insulation Board in the Wall

4. Fixing of Corner Protection

5. Embedding of Glass Fibre Mesh

6. Application of Primer & Texture

Glimpses of Projects Done by Bolix SA, Poland
Conclusion

ETICS conforms to a set of globally acknowledged standards which take into account the procedures and
installation techniques related with the systems. These standards were historically established in Europe, but
have since blowout to all the parts of the globe. The system contains components including the insulation
materials (EPS Board or Mineral Wool), layer of adhesive, mechanical fasteners, a reinforced layer with fibre
glass mesh and the top coat finish renders.

Addition of the system to the external wall of a structure can make a major influence to reduce the amount
of energy needed for cooling/heating.

The Top coat finishing layer of ETICS successfully refreshes the external face of a structure. Indeed, suitably
designed and detailed ETICS retains a fresh, clean appearance for a substantial period of time.

Application of ETICS offers a weather-proofed structure, overcoming hard or complex problems of water
ingress that may be too deteriorating and more expensive to repair in isolation.

Considering the Government’s interest in energy savings ETICS can be classified as the best and economical
solution for Heat insulation, reducing Heat Island Effect and most sustainable solution for the environment.