"Fitting External Insulation near domestic pipework"
One of the constants of retrofitting external insulation to an existing Irish house is plumbing. There will always be pipes penetrating the facade and travelling along the facade. Naturally there might also be electrical cables and gas pipes which have to be taken care of, but in this piece we are just considering pipes that contain fluids!
Retrofitting insulation to inhabited houses
When performing a deep retrofit, the house is typically still inhabited, this means that we need to keep all essential services running. But at the same time we are bringing the facade forward by at least 100 mm, so we need to move the pipe work.
Amounts of External Insulation Required
Please note the exact depth of insulation fitted will depend on the desired final U-value for the insulated wall and the type of insulation used. The Irish and UK building regulations are both being tightened, but they are out of step with each other. So depending on the year either the UK or Ireland will have tighter regulations. The general trend is to head for "low carbon" / "zero carbon" or "carbon neutral" homes. If you want advice on the optimum level of insulation please talk to us.
Pipework and regulations
A simple solution would be to bury the pipe work in the wall, this 
simple solution is used in central Europe quite a lot and some Dublin ETICS installers will recommend it. But we are not in favour of it because the pipes may leak without you being aware of it and through frost action destroy the insulation layer. Also importantly it is in contravention of Irish building regulations and the NSAI standards.
Downpipes and external insulation
Typically we can detach downpipes from the gutters and change the elbow joints so that the pipe does not return quite so far into the wall. This is to cater for the fact that the new External Insulation brings the wall out further. Quiet how far further depends on the type of insulation and the building regulations being followed. At the bottom of the downpipes we often have to change the connector so that the downpipe drains correctly into the existing gully.
Soil Pipes and External Wall Insulation
Outside baths rooms and kitchens you normally get several pipes penetrating the wall of the house that drain to an outside gully. These pipes need to be lengthened so that they bend in the right place to travel down the new externally insulated facade. Sometimes we have to open the existing wall to secure a good extension. These openings are filled with insulating material which secures the pipe work in place.
Naturally we perform this work in such a way that the householder can enjoy their home without being disturbed. External Insulation is a job which can be performed from outside.
EWIS is unique unobtrusive, and is very suitable for families with small children or anybody who does not want builders trampling around their house. Once your home has been insulated with by our professional teams you will never look back!
Contact us now to learn how your home can benefit from External Wall Insulation.