Thermal facade of buildings

Starting from the basics we can say that:

Thermal insulation is the ability to maintain the desired temperature inside a room. For example, in summer, the thermal insulation does not allow the hot air that is outside to penetrate the walls and enter while maintaining the cold climate that we have created with the air conditioner. Respectively, in winter, the cold air is blocked outside the house and at the same time the warm indoor atmosphere from the radiators is maintained inside the space.

It is achieved through use suitable materials called thermal insulation materials and are commercially available in the form of slabs - panels.

Thermal insulation can be applied to the floor, the roof, the floor, but also to the shell of a building either internally or externally. Exterior thermal insulation is the most common type thanks to its significant advantages.

Exterior thermal insulation-Thermal facade (or thermal facade), is called the construction solution in which the thermal insulation boards are placed on the outer surface of the building shell.

The thermal insulation boards that are the main structural element of a thermal facade are placed in combination with other materials that form a external thermal insulation system (glue, mesh, plasters, etc.). The steps of its implementation are a complex process which we will analyze in the next article. Briefly, in a thermal facade the thermal insulation boards are placed with glue and with special plugs in the wall, then a layer of glue is applied on top of which a glass mesh is integrated and finally a colored plaster for the final protection and aesthetics of the final face.

The The most commonly used thermal insulation material is expanded polystyrene and especially the graphite expanded polystyrene which is chosen by experts as it offers up to 20% better thermal insulation performance compared to graphite expanded polystyrene.

It is worth noting that it is the dominant material at pan-European level, as 82-83% of the external thermal insulation is made of expanded polystyrene-EPS (white and graphite) while only 11-12% with mineral wool (including stone wool).

Exterior thermal insulation is a construction choice that has been applied for more than 50 years in Europe and has been proven to work and perform excellently. It is applied in new and old buildings for which it is an ideal opportunity for their aesthetic upgrade.

What do you achieve by applying an external thermal insulation system?

• You save money as heating and cooling costs are reduced. The property is upgraded and acquires greater value for sale or rent. By applying special design of buildings of which the thermal facade is always part, energy consumption can be reduced to zero (passive buildings, nZEB buildings)
• Make a reliable investment with a payback period of a few years.
• You ensure thermal comfort. The thermal facade creates a warm and thermally comfortable environment in winter and a cool one in summer respectively. Interior wall surfaces are maintained at the desired temperatures and even noise levels can be reduced.
• You aesthetically upgrade your building. Almost all architectural plans are feasible. Old and unattractive buildings can be made more beautiful. You can choose from a wide variety of finishes and colors to give your building a personal and special character.
• Thermal bridges are eliminated, ie the areas that show increased heat flow, as a result of which the heat losses are reduced to a minimum. In contrast, in other solutions such as thermal insulation in the core of the masonry (double wall with intermediate insulation), or in the internal insulation, there are thermal bridges that remain and can not be eliminated.
• The shell of the building is protected from temperature changes, stress, cracks.
• The heat capacity of the structure is fully exploited, ie the ability of the structural elements to store heat and emit it back into space. This is extremely important in continuous use buildings (eg homes) because the desired temperature is maintained for a long time after the heating or cooling has stopped.
• Eliminate mold and moisture, as the possibility of condensation of indoor air vapor on the wall leading to its appearance is minimized.

Contribute to the protection of the environment. The energy consumption of buildings is dramatically reduced, thus reducing the pollutants produced by the consumption of fuel for heating or cooling.