Soltherm external insulation roadshow launched at major passive house site

The first time Soltherm on the Road has been held in Ireland, the event took place at the Tinteán Carraig respite home site in Ballinacarrig, Co. Carlow on 18 April, and was attended by a number of key players from the public and private sector involved in designing, procuring and constructing low energy buildings.

Designed by Meme Architects and built by New Ross-based contractor John Somers Construction, the new building has been constructed with a build system whose simplicity, durability and scalability must make it an attractive option for delivering low energy buildings in the midst of a housing crisis: 215mm block on flat with 200mm of Graphite EPS externally, complete with the impact resistant Soltherm silicone external insulation system.

As Hammond Roof & Energy director Nick Hammond explains, the NSAI Agrément certified system combines passive house thermal performance – with a U-value of 0.15 W/m2K in this instance – with exceptional strength: “The system is impact resistant to above 25 joule, achieved by a special dispersion base coat and a single mesh,” he said. “It’s a robust solution for buildings with a heavy use.”

As per best practice for externally insulated buildings, the windows were installed proud of the blockwork, so that the external insulation layer and triple-glazed windows provided an unbroken thermal envelope.

In addition to technical presentations by Soltherm’s western Europe development director Mariusz Marciniszyn and sales support engineer for Western Europe Marcin Skupien – including physical demonstrations of the system’s impressive adhesive strength – the event included a Soltherm external insulation applicator demonstrating how the system can be installed quickly and at high tolerances of accuracy.

Hammond said the well-received event was filling an urgent need in the industry for practical technical advice on how to detail low energy building envelopes, and was the beginning of an educational drive by the company. “This is the first of many. People interested in getting in touch with us with regard to future demonstrations and technical days can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”