Thermal Insulation: What Is Thermal Sheathing and How Is It Done?
The average person encountering the term ‘thermal sheathing’ may think it sounds like expert jargon, without correlating it to a familiar process. Just like we would put on thermal clothing to warm our bodies, thermal sheathing is used on buildings. Since goose down coats for buildings readily available, sheathing is one of the best ways to provide insulation!
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Especially during the winter months, the temperature difference between the heated air inside a building and the cold air outside is huge, causing heat to escape through the windows, roof and walls. This escaping heat means we can’t warm ourselves up, and we end up consuming much more energy. We turn the boiler up to its highest setting, resulting in energy bills that burn holes in our pockets come the end of the month. So, how can thermal sheathing help? The sheathing acts as the heat police, trapping all of the warm air that’s trying to escape inside the house. This results in more heat, and can reduce your energy usage by up to 40%. You’re benefiting both your own personal finances, the wider economy and being more sustainable. Heat and humidity transfer from the front of the building will be minimized due to thermal sheathing, creating more resilient walls that will live longer lives.
How is external sheathing applied?
1) When applying sheathing to a building's exterior, basement panels must be placed first. Use a spirit level for correct placement.
2) Now the panel bonding application has started. The sheathing panels can be made of styrofoam, rockwool, fuga, etc. Be sure to ask the company you’re working with which panels are most suitable for the job, and their features. The frame method is generally used for panel bonding. Adhesives are applied around the perimeter of the panels completely, starting with one or two panels in the middle. After bonding, the adhesive is left to dry for 1 day.
3) After ensuring the panels are firmly adhered, doweling starts. The dowels are used in the joints of the panels. One dowel is also applied to the middle parts of the panels. If the building is tall, more dowels will be used towards the top floors.
4) After the wall plugging has finished, plastering begins. A thick layer of plaster is applied to the sheathing panels, followed by mesh and then another thin layer of plaster. Wait for another day after this process has finished.
5) Once the plaster is dry, a decorative coating is applied. The trick to decorative coating is to cover the building facade in one go, to prevent any protrusions. Once this has been applied, the thermal sheathing process is complete. The building can now be painted in any colour you want.
What is interior sheathing?
If you don’t own your apartment and your landlord hasn’t used exterior sheathing on the building, don’t worry - interior sheathing can be applied (although it isn’t quite as efficient). The application process is the same as for external sheathing, apart from the material used. External sheathing is thick, whereas interior sheathing panels won’t exceed 2-3cm. Interior sheathing isn’t as effective as exterior sheathing as it can only be applied to walls. Whilst it will certainly result in some heat insulation, it would still be worth your while persuading your landlord or building management team to apply external thermal sheathing.
“I’m working full time, I’m busy! Where do I find a company who can apply sheathing?” Armut is here to help you with this process. Sheathing companies are one click away thanks to armut.com. You can choose between different companies yourself, and get a free quote.
