PRC.01 · Construction Process

External Thermal Insulation (ETICS)

A well-installed ETICS is not recognised on handover day: it is recognised ten winters later, when the facade is still flat, dry and free of anchor "ghosts". The difference is not made by the materials — it is made by the hand that installs them, and by the time that hand is given.

Energy saving

up to 40%

Typical thickness

8-16 cm

Lifespan

30+ years

Steps

Overview

TAV. 00

External thermal insulation (ETICS) is the most common way to upgrade existing buildings. It wraps the building in a continuous shell that removes thermal bridges and moves the dew point outside the wall: the envelope stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer, protected from the thermal shocks that crack renders. It is the basis of almost every energy-efficiency retrofit.

The site score

TAV. H

The detail of the craftthe straightedge and the pull test

01Days 1–2

Substrate preparation

Cleaning, levelling and flatness check of the wall. Removal of loose parts and primer application.

Why it is done this wayThe system transfers its weight and wind loads to the substrate through adhesive and anchors: if the substrate doesn't hold, no glue will save it. Today's check is the warranty for the next thirty years.

staggia 2 m · flatnessprova di strappo · cohesionin bolla · base profile

In hand2 m straightedgeprimer rollerhammer and chisel

air and substrate +5…+30 °Cdry substrate

The mistake that costs dearlyInstalling on a chalky or damp substrate: detachment comes from self-weight, not wind — and it is the costliest pathology to repair.

Site supervision checkSubstrate verification report (flatness, cohesion, moisture) and base profile level: the site's first hold point.

"Run your hand across the wall: if it comes back white with dust, that wall isn't ready — and no primer works miracles."site notebook — editorial synthesis

The beats — with site daysbeat 1 of 5

24–48 hadhesive

dayscuring

click a beat · arrow keys ← → walk the site · dashed pauses are the chemistry at work

Before starting

Why outside, not inside

TAV. G1

ETICS wraps the building from the outside: the masonry stays warm, thermal bridges close, and the walls' mass works for you — holding heat in winter, delaying it in summer.

Qualitative synthesis of the thermal behaviour — up to −40% heating demand on uninsulated envelopes (depends on building and climate; design verification via the "Legge 10" report).

The choice that shapes everything

Which insulation, and why

TAV. G2

Conductivity says how much it insulates at equal thickness; but in an ETICS fire, summer behaviour and water matter too. No insulation wins on everything: you choose for the building, not for the price list.

Fire decides before you do: mineral wool is non-combustible (Euroclass A1) and above certain heights wool fire breaks are standard practice even in EPS systems. Summer flips the ranking: the EPS that wins in winter is last for phase shift, while wood fibre — which gives up a little λ — buys half a day of delay against the heat. Mass has a price: fibre and cork weigh more and demand more careful anchors and fixing design.

The real calendar

The weather rules

TAV. G3

The wet works of ETICS — adhesive, base coat, finish — live in a narrow window: below +5 °C the chemistry stops, above +30 °C (or in full sun) the water escapes before it is needed.

Exact thresholds are set by the system datasheet: this is the good-practice frame shared by industry guidelines.

How it ages (and what betrays it)

TAV. P

SPETTRIanchors draw themselves on the facade → sunken anchoring or point thermal bridges (beat 03)

CAVILLATUREspiderweb of hairline cracks → squashed mesh or base coat too thin (beat 04)

GIUNTI VISIBILIthe panel checkerboard in raking light → dabs-only bonding (beat 02)

ALGHE A NORDgreen film on cold elevations → physiological on ETICS; finishes and maintenance keep it in check

DISTACCHIdetaching areas → substrate never verified (beat 01): the costliest mistake of all

Questions from the site

TAV. Q

Can ETICS be installed in winter?

Yes, if air and substrate stay above +5 °C even at night while coats cure — which, in half of Italy, is not true in winter. Winter additives help the adhesive, not the finish: the finishing phase is the one the calendar rules most.

Does ETICS let walls "breathe"?

It depends on the build-up: mineral wool and wood fibre with silicate finishes stay highly vapour-permeable; EPS less so. The design rule is that permeability should grow towards the outside — the mistake is sealing a damp wall behind a layer that lets nothing out: fix the moisture first, then insulate.

How long does it really last?

Properly installed ETICS have passed 30–40 years in European monitoring (the first Berlin systems from the 1960s are still in service). Durability lives almost entirely in phases 01 and 04: a sound substrate and a correct reinforced base coat.

Scaffolding or mobile towers?

Above the ground floor you need scaffolding: phases 02 to 05 demand horizontal continuity ("wet on wet" along the same bay) that mobile towers cannot keep. And scaffolding belongs to safety costs (PSC), not to the panel price.

Materials involved

TAV. M

Synthetic Polymer (EPS)

Natural Material (ICB)

Reference regulations

5 norms

Informational links to the regulatory framework. Always verify the current text on the official source.