Saint-Gobain: Weber EWI System Is Part Of Goole's Extensive Changing Streets Scheme

Date: 13 August 2009

An imaginative property regeneration scheme called “Changing Streets” has been established by East Riding of Yorkshire Council (EYRC) and is dramatically improving a swathe of privately owned housing in Goole.

By funding the complete street renovations the visual aesthetics of the area are vastly improved. Homes in the project require refreshed facades and the opportunity has been taken to up-grade the thermal insulation using the weber.therm XP external wall insulation system.

weber.therm XP provides an attractive and thermally efficient answer to solid wall housing refurbishment and has contributed significantly to the overall success of this project – around 40% of the properties in this area are currently being refurbished with the system.

The Weber EWI system uses phenolic insulation boards of 60mm thickness which are fitted onto the original external wall substrate and with the mesh cloth bonded into the render for strength, dramatic U-value improvements are obtained. The existing construction gave a U-value of 2.90W/m2K but following the application of weber.therm XP this was slashed to a U-value of 0.32Wm2K, a welcome reduction of heat loss for the residents.

“The speed and versatility of the weber.therm XP system over traditional multi-coat systems helps us keep this busy programme ahead of schedule and contributes substantially to our efficiency,” says Phillip Bristow, Housing Renewal Officer for EYRC. Unlike traditional multi-coat systems Weber’s expertise in mineral renders has resulted in a one-coat, through-coloured mineral render which can be applied directly to all major insulation types.

The mineral, through-coloured, one-coat render finishes available with weber.therm XP are contributing to the visual enhancement of the area. Residents are given a choice from a palette of five pastel colours: Mauve Clair, Granite Grey, Turquoise Pale, Gris Perle and Beige Clair, a selection which sit happily together in terraced properties. The added attraction of these through coloured renders is that they are low maintenance requiring little or no cleaning over time.

The Goole “Changing Streets” scheme is a housing regeneration project launched to fund badly needed improvements to 53 complete streets of over 2000 pre-1919 solid wall, private sector terraced homes. Improvements also include cleaning and re-pointing of brickwork; replacement windows and doors; new fascia and guttering and new boundary walls and railings.

A pilot scheme of more than 100 properties on four streets determined that the weber.therm XP system be used for the project. The benefits of the system were demonstrated early when the application contractor, Ray Clough of Lloyd Clough & Sons, was able to prove the speed of application of the weber.therm XP system following the pilot scheme in which an alternative traditional multi-coat render proved substantially slower in application and drying capability.

“The speed at which we can install the weber.therm XP has significant impact on the reduction of on-site hours and the on-cost of other factors, such as scaffolding hire,” continues Ray. Being a one-coat system there is no waiting for a base coat to dry and the material can be applied by machine pump making the application the most economical in the industry. “Being able to minimise disruption to tenants is a prime consideration,” says Ray.

Simon Woods has managed the project team and praises the supplier partnership. “The weber.therm XP system takes just three days per property, one to board out the insulation, one to render and one to scrape back the finish. It enables me to move the schedule capacity up to meet the Council’s expectations.”

Phillip Bristow, Housing Renewal Officer for ERYC, comments that resident reaction is positive: “Everyone is very happy with the render appearance, choice of colours and the instantaneous improvement in warmth provided by the insulation, as well as a feeling of improved security.”

Further funding from the Regional Housing Board and the Humber Partnership Group has been agreed and the programme advanced to include more homes. 450 properties will have been refurbished during 2008-09. It is projected that half of the 53 streets identified may be completed ahead of the 2011 schedule.

More information about the Weber EWI systems is available in the Weber Render Solutions Handbook which can be ordered on line: www.netweber.co.uk, or call 01525 722169 for a free printed copy or CD. Alternatively, technical and product information and case studies are available now on the new website.