Coping with heat in construction: Protecting constructions from the outside

Heat doesn’t just affect construction during the building phase, ensuring that buildings are well protected once built improves the sustainability of a project. In this, the last post of our ‘Coping with Heat in Construction’ series, we look at one solution that ensures buildings can withstand the elements - External Wall Insulation (EWI). 

EWI comprises a continuous layer of insulation that is fixed adhesively and/or mechanically to the outside of a building. The insulation is then coated with a decorative weatherproof render which can be finished in a wide array of textures and colours, allowing freedom to create the desired aesthetics for a building. Being weatherproof, reliable EWI systems not only maintain their performance when faced with heavy rainfall and variable wind loads, but also when faced with high UV radiation, high humidity and fluctuating temperatures.

Eliminating thermal bridges through ‘outsulation’

An extremely effective method of insulating buildings, EWI systems are based on a simple premise…insulation is more cost effective when placed on the exterior of a building. By bringing insulation to the outside of external walls, it eliminates thermal bridges; reduces air, wind and moisture penetration through the systems; stabilises interior environments and minimises thermal shock.

Similarly to the ICFs spoken about in our last post, EWI comprises an insulation core and outer weather-proof layers, designed to help buildings stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Their installation can reduce heat loss by up to 40%, delivering significant sustainability and cost savings.

Find out more about External Wall Insulation and the benefits this can bring to your construction and discover the other posts in this series to explore the full range of beneficial building materials to protect your building from extreme temperatures.