A prominent Northern Ireland apartment block has been given a new
lease of life with the installation of a combination of products supplied by
Sto.
The 15-storey Carnet House building on Belfast’s
Ardcarn Estate, owned by the Housing Executive, now boasts a U-value of between
0.15 and 0.23W/m²K thanks to the installation of a Sto
high-performance and cost-effective insulation system, finished with a special
self-cleaning external render.
Paul
Isherwood, Director of Asset Management at the Housing Executive, explained;
“This is a 1960s building with 72 apartments. It was being refurbished to give
our tenants more comfortable homes and we wanted an insulation solution to
significantly increase the building’s thermal performance and to help keep
residents more comfortable and to reduce their heating costs.
“Additionally,
it was important the solution be applied externally to ensure no loss of
floorspace inside the apartments. We also wanted to future-proof the building
and apply an external finish that would refresh its appearance and allow it to
look attractive in the years ahead. Already, feedback from residents has been
extremely positive and we hope this adds to their levels of comfort in their
homes.”
Some 2,500
m2 of StoTherm insulation was applied
to the façades of the
45-metre tall building. This BBA certified insulation system has European
Technical Approval ETA-03/0027, and it has an efficient single-leaf
construction that provides excellent thermal performance whilst also protecting
the external wall surface from weathering.
It was fixed using StoLevell Duo Plus, a mineral
bonding and reinforcing mortar. “Given the height of the building we then
supported this with a secondary dowel-fix solution which added extra strength,”
adds Michael Clarke of Clarke Ecowall who installed the
Sto products.
The insulation was finished with a
1.5mm layer of StoLotusan external render. StoLotusan is the only render which
features the patented Lotus-Effect which gives unbeatable water and dirt
repellence. The surface of the StoLotusan features a unique microstructure
which encourages water to run off quickly and efficiently, removing particles
of dust and debris as it does.
“This was a key feature as it will
protect the surface from staining and marking and will keep the building
looking good,” adds Michael Clarke.
StoLotusan provides highly efficient
protection against algae growth and also features very high water vapour
permeability characteristics. Available in a range of textures and up to 800
colours, StoLotusan is the ideal partner to the StoTherm insulation system.
