A 1970's industrial office building in Northern Ireland has been dramatically transformed into a stylish and efficient 21st century office environment by the skilful application of weber.therm XM External Wall Insulation (EWI), the innovative and versatile system manufactured by Saint-Gobain Weber, leading UK formulator of outstanding construction materials.

B/E Aerospace Incorporated is the worldwide leading manufacturer of aircraft passenger cabin interior products for the commercial and business jet aircraft market. The company supplies most of the world's airlines and the Killkeel facility manufactures high-class seating for airlines’ first class cabins. The renovated building houses the Learning & Development suite and conference facilities.

The original building followed construction methods of the period with a brickwork plinth up to window cill height and a blockwork structure with wall cladding up to the flat roof fascia. Limited insulation had been integrated and the building was difficult and expensive to heat in winter. The renovation plans called for the fascia height to be raised to improve the building’s exterior aesthetics. Dunmore Construction, of County Down, was awarded the main works contract and M Clarke & Sons Contracts Limited, of Co. Antrim, was awarded the contract to apply the weber.therm XM EWI system.

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This lightweight EWI system, incorporating thin-coat polymer renders with meshcloth reinforcement, extends the life of existing buildings, substantially improves thermal performance and facilitates the remodelling and decoration of tired facades. These attributes were particularly valuable in the renovation programme determined for the B/E Aerospace building. Another advantage is that the exterior application of the system means there is no disruption to internal accommodation allowing the staff and business operations to continue uninterrupted.

The insulation determined for this project was 80mm of expanded polystyrene which was mechanically fastened. weber.rend LAC, a factory batched mortar, is applied to the insulation boards, then the meshcloth is bonded in with a further coat of the mortar to give a total 6mm thick application. Appropriate flashing beads were installed above the brickwork plinth to give rain drop-off. The finish coat of weber.sil TF150 is a silicone based, decorative finish that is applied after the render is primed with an even coat of weber PR310 low viscosity primer. weber.sil TF150 is highly water repellent and available in a wide range of colours. It is factory premixed and applied by hawk and float.

Nearly 400m² of weber.therm XM EWI has been applied to the B/E Aerospace building in a six week operation carried out by Michael Clarke’s experienced team. The thermal efficiency has been substantially improved and the owner expects to see an overall reduction in energy costs. The new visual appearance of the building is now much more in keeping with the modern, high technology company that operates from these premises.

(CD)