Cold bridge anchoring in exterior wall insulation

An exterior facade insulation system with a decorative plaster and stone strip final finish has been quite popular in our country, particularly in recent years, driven in part by the sustainability challenge. "Unlike in our neighboring countries, the Netherlands completely misses the mark when it comes to anchoring, for example, awnings, air conditioning units and rainwater drains to this type of facade," notes Roel Tromp of LJ Innovate in practice. "To prevent degradation of the plasterwork, a thermal bridge-free anchoring is crucial."

Mounting an object to an exterior wall insulation system requires proper attention, according to Roel, because "the damage that occurs afterwards is always many times greater." He gives an example. "An awning mounted with regular steel studs causes a thermal bridge in the facade. The stud will condense and because the stud will sink 1 or 2 mm, the back of the mortar fabric layer will be continuously fed with moisture. This creates a "wet" spot around the stud in the mortar fabric layer and is a breeding ground for algae and mosses. It causes damage to the stucco. Often the plasterer is held liable for this, when the fault lies in the use of incorrect mounting hardware."

Preventing damage

With an awning, there are easily six suspension points where condensation can build up and thus affect the plaster on the back, says Roel. "With a bit of bad luck, the plasterer may have to re-plaster the entire facade. A shame about the damage and waste created. Not to mention the extra money involved in the repair. Not to mention the reduction in insulation value. But the great thing is, it's simply preventable by using a cold-bridge-free anchoring method." LJ Innovate supplies special ventilation and fastening products for traditionally plastered facades and exterior wall insulation. "We distinguish two types of fastening products: an anchor with a full polyester threaded end or an anchor that incorporates a thermal bridge break. So the solution is extremely simple, but it needs attention. And this is often lacking. Not enough attention is paid to how sun blinds and air conditioning units, but also the rainwater discharge, can be installed in a thermal bridge-free manner. For the latter category, for example, we supply special plugs."

LJ Innovate is part of LJ Solutions, known for the durable and maintenance-free Neolife and Scanroc cladding systems, among others. "We import the cold-bridge-free anchors from countries around us -with many years of experience with exterior wall insulation systems- and supply them through wholesalers in the Netherlands," says Roel. "Our goal is to make the market aware of the fact that a lot of suffering can be prevented by thinking about cold-bridge-free installation in exterior wall insulation systems in the preliminary stages. It results in facades that not only retain their functionality, but also remain beautiful much longer."