The first ETICS system was manufactured in Berlin in 1957. Countries like Austria and Switzerland adopted the new technology already in the early 1960s. Experience shows: ETICS have performed since extremely well.
This has been scientifically approved. The German Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics controls the life cycle of facades insulated with ETICS regularly. They monitor the aging effects of a variety of projects and precisely document their findings.
The last study and latest reports emphasize that even after more than 40 years all inspected facades show no signs of failure. Thus, the life cycle of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems is much longer than originally expected.
If the system is installed properly following the instructions of the ETICS manufacturer, and as long as inspection and service are taken seriously, the life-time expectation is equal to non-insulated brickwork with render systems. Moreover, as the outside render of an ETIC system is decoupled from the brickwork thanks to the insulation, the risk of cracks is even smaller.
Today, after millions of square meters of installed ETICS under different climate conditions, we can state that with today’s technical knowledge and the variety of materials available on the market ETICS contribute to the prolongation of the life cycle of buildings. ETICS normally need not to be replaced after a certain period but last as long as the building they are applied to.
Isn’t that amazing? And truly sustainable.
IBP REPORT 539
External thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) have been in use since the early 1960s. In the beginning, these insulation systems were only applied using polystyrene hard-foam boards and synthetic resin plasters. Later on, mineral systems were also used. As early as in the 1970s, the Holzkirchen branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP was commissioned at several times to examine completed buildings to determine the reliability of these systems under practical conditions.
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