weber.therm XP insulated render system makes Eagle House fly

The speed of application offered by the weber.therm XP external wall insulation system has resulted in the first phase of the major redevelopment of Eagle House, London Borough of Hackney, being completed right on schedule. A team of six applicators covered up to 90m² per day, twice the area possible with traditional brickwork.  

The 1920s building, previously owned and occupied by Hackney Borough Council, has some areas listed as of architectural interest and essential remodelling has been carried out. Substantial concrete structural alterations had already been completed using Weber concrete repair mortar by specialist sub-contractor Kafften Limited for building developer, McCabe Builders UK Limited. Some external surfaces, where repairs have taken place and no insulation is required, have been treated with weber.rend LAC, a render mortar, and colour match painted.  

Kafften has installed the weber.therm XP external wall insulation (EWI) system which features 100mm polystyrene insulation bats fixed to the existing wall substrates and then rendered with mesh cloth reinforcement included in the initial render coat. The plan is for the same render finish to be applied to the new-build sections of this development when the market conditions enable the project to move to completion.  

A new seventh floor level has been added to the existing structure and these large residential local authority and housing association apartments have substantial glazing, whilst elsewhere several hundred replacement windows have been installed in the existing building.  

The addition of the Weber external wall insulation system increases the depth of the window reveal but the Weber system returns the mesh cloth and render into the reveal with a neat 6mm bead trim. The smart characteristics of the system give precise and attractive sharp edges to the apertures throughout the building. The many apertures, mouldings and shapes on the walling has determined that hand application of the finishing Weber render is the most practical method for these sections of the building, providing high performance thermal insulation with sharp, modern aesthetics.