Raising the bar on productivity, quality and performance

EJOT UK’s Mark Newell explains why the latest additions to its ETICS range are helping the EWI industry maintain consistently high quality during installation for the long-term benefit of specifiers and property occupiers and streamline its supply chain. 

The performance of an external wall insulation (EWI) system or external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) will only ever be as good as its component parts. A weak link in the system build-up will not only undermine its promise to improve the thermal performance of a property, but it could add complexity and hassle to the installation process, resulting in additional time costs for contractors. 

Advanced fixing solutions have a crucial role to play, therefore, and EJOT has offered a range of innovative anchors – tube-washer and screw combinations – for many years. But anchors are just one of the components which contribute to the efficient installation and performance of the system. That’s why EJOT offers similarly innovative ancillary products, such as fixing components for safely and securely mounting external elements including handrail and downpipe brackets onto the façade. 

EJOT’s latest developments, however, offer a holistic solution that could change the way EWI components are sourced. By extending the EJOT Pro-Line range of profiles, EWI system providers can now source their complete suite of fixing and attachment components from a single supplier. That brings a host of benefits, as a number of systems companies are already realising. 

Improving system performance  

EJOT’s EWI solutions are designed to optimise the performance of the EWI system and ensure everyone in the supply chain maximises the benefits of using technically advanced products. These benefits include reducing thermal bridging – a common issue for wall insulation systems which can also result in dampness and mould growth on internal surfaces. 

Thermal bridges can occur in many areas of the system’s construction, with anchors and edge profiles being particularly vulnerable points. This is why EJOT’s R&D team has focused on creating products that address these risks, including through manufacturing all our profiles in PVC rather than aluminium, and the development of a new patent-pending PVC base ‘high load’ profile. This features a hollow chamber design to reduce thermal transfer, while also offering increased rigidity. 

In addition, our profiles enable precise edge formation and help to permanently drive rain away from the building. Pro-Line profiles are also designed to compensate for movement where applicable, such as around doors and windows, to prevent cracks developing over time. 

The Pro-Line range of profiles complements EJOT’s established anchoring products, including external attachment components. These are designed to allow planned external attachments to be integrated within the EWI system and enable external elements to be retrofitted as required, without compromising system performance. 

The EJOT ETICS range is also supported with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to provide quantified data on its environmental impacts. This maximises transparency for specifiers and enables informed, whole lifecycle management decisions to be made when selecting systems for EWI or ETICS projects.  

Process optimisation and streamlined supply chain 

For ETICS / EWI system providers, EJOT UK can effectively become a ‘one-stop shop’, meaning they do not have to rely on multiple suppliers, often with their own payment terms and lead times. This delivers operational benefits in terms of the efficiency of ordering, delivery and invoicing processes, easing the pressure on staff resources and reducing volumes of paperwork and waste.  

The process optimisation possible through single-sourcing encompasses other environmental advantages too. For example, EJOT can deliver the complete suite of EWI components and profiles on a single vehicle in one journey, reducing deliveries to site. This reduces the impact of site operations in local communities and helps to minimise the carbon footprint of the EWI supply chain.  

Helping installers achieve higher quality 

We also ensure installers are comprehensively supported to work more efficiently and achieve better quality consistency through a 360-degree service. This involves EJOT technical consultants providing on site services covering the three product segments – anchors, profiles and mounting elements – to help installers achieve the optimum results.  

For ETICS anchors, we provide pull-out tests on-site and a digital product configurator to assist at the specification stage. This also helps the deployment of EJOT’s ETICS mounting elements, with additional support provided for pre-dimensioning, and for profiles, our technical consultants carry out adhesive tests on-site, helping installers get it right first time and deliver a quality installation for clients. 

www.ejot.co.uk