External Insulation Render Choice

conor2949

Hi all,

I'm going with external insulation on my newbuild.

I've been offered an Acrylic render and a Silicone render.

I've been told that both types are suitable for external use.

I've been told that the silicone based render is "self-cleaning" hence the slightly dearer price.

anyone got any advice for me on which render i choose?

thanks

Carlow52

The starting point is to ensure that the system you select has an IAB certificate for all the components.
http://www.nsai.ie/index.cfm/area/page/information/CertificateSearch

You also need to ensure that what is actually used is what is specified

I cant comment on the pros and cons of the different render finishes.

ps: keep an eye on this thread, might be useful
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055628906

Also could do worse than search this forum for other contributions

trevdahead

conor2949 wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm going with external insulation on my newbuild.

I've been offered an Acrylic render and a Silicone render.

I've been told that both types are suitable for external use.

I've been told that the silicone based render is "self-cleaning" hence the slightly dearer price.

anyone got any advice for me on which render i choose?

thanks

hi there
what external insulation system is being used weber,sto etc?

the acrylic render is the same as a textured paint,can give you the same type finish as a smooth plaster but a bit more texture.
silicon is a scratch render,which gives you a honeycomb type finish.altho the silicone is as you say self cleaning,i have still seen these discolour

PCPL

Hi there,

Both acrylic and silicone (monocouche) have there own qualities, acrylic being applied 1.5mm to 3mm thick and the finished product being a glossy finish where monocouche is applied generally 13mm thick and having a matt finish, discolouring of monocouche can occur if the product is not machine applied or the background suction is not controlled, this shouldnt be a problem when i comes to EWI as the basecoat is generally no more than 6mm, my main concern would be the depth of monocouche applied, if too much is put on it can become top heavy and separate from the EWI.

trevdahead

PCPL wrote: »

Hi there,

Both acrylic and silicone (monocouche) have there own qualities, acrylic being applied 1.5mm to 3mm thick and the finished product being a glossy finish where monocouche is applied generally 13mm thick and having a matt finish, discolouring of monocouche can occur if the product is not machine applied or the background suction is not controlled, this shouldnt be a problem when i comes to EWI as the basecoat is generally no more than 6mm, my main concern would be the depth of monocouche applied, if too much is put on it can become top heavy and separate from the EWI.

monocouche will discolour no matter which way it is applied,its a nightmare to keep clean.
as for background suction do you mean apply a base coat,this is defeating the whole one coat concept.
the monocouche has been widely used on the continent for years on external insulation without any problems

conor2949

So monocouche has been used on the continent for many years without any problems

yet once it takes a 2 hr plane journey to Ireland, its gonna discolour no matter what ?

Is this a reflection of the skills of the irish installers of the system or is it irish climate that causes discolouration?

trevdahead

conor2949 wrote: »

So monocouche has been used on the continent for many years without any problems

yet once it takes a 2 hr plane journey to Ireland, its gonna discolour no matter what ?

Is this a reflection of the skills of the irish installers of the system or is it irish climate that causes discolouration?

sorry should have been a bit more clearer with my response.the point i was trying to make was that silcone render has been used with ewi systems for years on the continent.
the discolouration issue is a whole different problem.irish installers are applying the product as of manufacturers specs.now i have to say that discolouration does not happens all the time but it does happens,alot.
the irish climate does seem to really effect the monocouche renders.it does seem to be a widespread problem.i know of a few architects and engineers who wont touch the stuff anymore

kkelliher

There are acrlyic renders on the market that are very different to monnochue. Acrlyic renders are silicone infused and usually are only installed to a thickness of 2-3mm. There are more of a paint than a render but have the properties of render and are applied with a trowel. They can be painted over and can also be patched using a special paint in the same colour.

Monnochue is a different animal in that it cannot be patched if it gets damaged. If it gets chipped you cannot repair it as the colours will never match.

Companies that do the external renders include (they have approved applicators lists):

http://www.netweber.co.uk/
http://www.sto.ie/evo/web/sto/18677_EN
http://www.contech-accessories.ie/sc/RefurbishmentRepair/AcrylicRendersOutsulation

Hope this helps

PCPL

trevdahead wrote: »

monocouche will discolour no matter which way it is applied,its a nightmare to keep clean.
as for background suction do you mean apply a base coat,this is defeating the whole one coat concept.
the monocouche has been widely used on the continent for years on external insulation without any problems

Hi Trevdahead,

Had a 10 month running rings around me last night and didnt give my quote full attention!

What i was trying to say was that some systems apply a basecoat as normal to the insulant such as Powerwall and in some cases Weber, then the monocouche is applied as normal, also on discolouration, it can occur on a sunny day where the top lift of the scaffolding is exposed and the bottom lifts are shaded and it dried out a different shade, while i agree with what you said about it being a nightmare to keep clean id put id down mostly to where the project is located e.g near trees etc. A lot of people fall for the "maintenence free for 20 years" speech from reps but ive seen cream coloured monocouche being painted 18 months after they have been applied

johnny3555

I'm building a new house and its externally insulated. I'm on the coast on an exposed site and am trying to decide on the type of external render. Original choice was a Weber thin coat acrylic silicone coloured render or Lefarge Monorex colour render a monocouse finish. Both plastering companies are making a case for each product. I'm tending towards the Lefarge Monorex product. Any experiences or advice would be appreciated

kkelliher

johnny3555 wrote: »

I'm building a new house and its externally insulated. I'm on the coast on an exposed site and am trying to decide on the type of external render. Original choice was a Weber thin coat acrylic silicone coloured render or Lefarge Monorex colour render a monocouse finish. Both plastering companies are making a case for each product. I'm tending towards the Lefarge Monorex product. Any experiences or advice would be appreciated

Monocouche and the coast would be a complete disaster. It generally allows mould growth and is not easily repaired or cleaned (chemicals required)

Acrylic can be painted and generally easily maintained. Weber or sto would generally be seen as the market leaders in external insulation products

air

Does anyone use cladding outside EWI in this country? Pretty much all the buildings in Iceland use cladding (usually the cheap type with curved profile) on the roof and walls.
I would have thought some of the panel products out there could be a long lasting & attractive option for a contemporary build.

belcampprisoner

http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2009/02/passive_house_the_idea_of_the.html

Just wondering if you don't like the colour of the render how difficult is it for them to change it?

Dudda

Deleted User wrote: »

Just wondering if you don't like the colour of the render how difficult is it for them to change it?

Very hard if going from white to black or vice versa. Not to hard if it's in the same color tone but you'll probably pay well for it.

Just get samples done. We drove our guy mad with 8 different samples before we picked one.

trevdahead

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Just wondering if you don't like the colour of the render how difficult is it for them to change it?

If the render is already on, the easiest way is to repaint with a approved paint from the system manufacturer