Facade Insulation in House Construction: Layer by Layer

The scaffolding is up. The "shell construction" look is disappearing. After plastering the interior walls, the craftsmen move outside and insulate our facade with a multi-layered system. We provide an insight into our technical planning for electrical systems and sun protection within the insulated facade.

Structure and Insulation Thicknesses of Our Facade

Craftsmen already insulated the roof, the floor slab, and the basement walls in contact with the ground in earlier construction phases. Now the rest follows.

A full thermal protection system based on EPS boards of thermal conductivity group 035 (WLG 035) is being used in various thicknesses:

• Basement level: 18 cm
• Ground floor: 16 cm
• Loggia cladding: Varying thicknesses between 4 cm and 14 cm

In the garage, the insulation remains reduced: only the wall directly adjacent to the residential house is insulated inside the garage. This saves material and costs without deteriorating the energy efficiency of the house.

Facade Scaffolding: Why We Had to Change the Scaffolding

The first visible step was changing the scaffolding. The craftsmen dismantled the shell builder's scaffolding and replaced it with facade scaffolding. For facade insulation, the distances to the wall must be exact. Only then do the craftsmen have enough space for the multi-layered structure.

Avoiding Thermal Bridges: Tips for Blinds and Electronics

Windows, sockets, or lamps: every opening in the facade breaks through the insulation layer and allows heat to escape from the house. Here is how we insulated our building shell without gaps.

Insulation of External Blind Boxes

We provided recesses for the external blinds in the reinforced concrete ceiling. To prevent thermal bridges from forming there, special insulation boards of thermal conductivity group 030 are used.

Electrical Installation: Telescopic Supports for Lamps and Cameras

For outdoor lamps, cameras, and sockets, we use system solutions:

• We install telescopic supports for the outdoor lighting. They can be adjusted exactly to the thickness of the insulation boards (16 cm or 18 cm). Later, we can screw the lamps directly onto the support plates.
• We use telescopic device boxes for outdoor sockets and cameras. They allow for a flush-mounted installation within the insulation.

Especially when installing outdoor cameras, a little space for a "Keystone" in the device box is practical. We plan space for the network connector in the box for outdoor cameras. This allows us to connect the camera directly inside the wall using a waterproof patch cable.

The Layer Structure: Protection for the Facade

Good insulation is a team effort: insulation boards alone keep the heat in the house, but they are sensitive to sun, wind, and rain. Therefore, the EPS boards are followed by a multi-layered structure:

• Reinforcement layer: The craftsmen embed a fiberglass mesh (reinforcement fabric) over the entire surface of the base coat plaster. This layer stabilizes the facade and prevents cracks, ensuring a longer durability for the finish.
• Primer and finish coat: These layers also protect the facade from weather and mechanical stress. The finish coat also determines the final texture of the wall.
• Facade paint: What color should the house be? The paint forms the final design element of the facade. We are going for contrast: the ground floor will be painted white with gray accents, and the basement level will be set off in darker gray.

Costs for the Insulation System

The final detailed cost breakdown for our thermal insulation composite system (insulation, exterior plaster, façade paint) follows: