External Wall Insulation System

Hello My Friends,

Hope youre well. I found an interesting forum today - Green Building Forum - worth a look.

I responded to a question about external wall insulation. Hence I thought I would post a note about Wall-Reform and Wall Transform.

There are a lot of ways to install insulation to properties that are either solid wall or narrow cavity construction that cannot benefit from cavity wall insulation. I recognise that there may be some issues with external insulation render in certain private dwellings like terraced houses, or homes with reveals and external period features. There is also the cost of on site scaffolding.

However one solution is Wall-Reform. Wall-Reform is an external wall insulation system that is applied to the external walls of a property helping to create a warmer, more comfortable home. It is suitable for use on almost all property types.

The Wall-Reform system contains thermal properties which when applied to the wall area of a property helps to improve household energy efficiency levels. Wall-Reform prevents valuable heat from escaping from the home and can help to reduce heating bills by upto 25%. Wall-Reform is the most thermally efficient render material available in the UK - it uniquely insulates and transforms a wall !

The Installation Process:

In common with tradition renders, it is essential that the surface to be rendered provides a sound base for the Wall-Reform render to bond to. The installation therefore involves a certain amount of preliminary work to ensure the substrate is suitably prepared to accept the Wall-Reform application. Wall-Reform render is then applied by hand in the same way that a traditional render is applied (some contractors may use a specially designed machine to spray apply). Wall-Reform is usually installed to a depth of 40mm. After drying out, a BBA approved acrylic top coat is applied on top of the Wall-Reform render for decorative and weather proofing purposes.

Assess method and health and safety requirements
Erect scaffolding as required
Remove rain water pipes etc
Prepare surface of existing masonry/render to receive new insulated render which may include galvanized lath or bonding agent
Fix flashings and beads
Apply base coat
Apply insulated render to the property incorporating reinforcement at corners of openings
Allow at least 24 hours for drying
Apply agreement approved decorative finish/top coat to the insulated render
Re-fix pipes, television aerials, fencing, gates etc
Clean and clear the site A typical installation will take between 3 to 7 days

There are details of approved contractors on the Wall-Reform site and contractors can also apply to be considered as approved installers.

There may also be Council grant assistance to help towards the cost of installations - hopefully your local Energy Efficiency Officer or EEAC could help with advice on what may be available.

I recently saw a good example of a Wall-Reform installation to the rear of two converted mid terraced houses in Manchester which is currently used as the Manchester Energy Group Eco Home. The property was transformed and is a good demonstration of what can be achieved to improve thermal comfort and reduce heat loss where a dwelling isnt suitable for cavity wall insulation. The contractor - Millfold - provided the installation free of charge to help the Eco Home Project and a solar thermal hot water system was installed by Zen Eaga.

More information to follow soon on bio mass heating. Thanks for reading !

From Your Friend The Energy Angel