From the series "Facade and wall materials—trends 2023"
Despite the tightening of standards for greenhouse gas emissions, construction is still the largest generator of pollution. There are both public and private buildings that are often inadequately heated and consume a lot of energy. This is often due to the fact of piecemeal thermal modernization, based on selected technologies. The main challenge facing the initiators and coordinators of this process is to precisely define the purpose, nature and scope of the work to be carried out. In this process, components, including fixing techniques, play an important role, which will guarantee the efficient and effective implementation of the renovation.
At a time of ever-increasing gas, electricity and fuel prices, more and more investors are thinking about carrying out thermal modernization of their homes, which is the best way to reduce heat loss and has a significant impact on the household budget. In addition to replacing the heating source, an important process is the replacement of woodwork, especially windows, insulation of the roof and external walls. Due to the introduction of a common Green Deal strategy for Europe, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions, thermal modernization is a necessity, but also a very expensive investment. That's why homeowners can take advantage of the Clean Air Program or the Thermal Upgrading Relief, which provides for a subsidy within the framework of materials and work related to home insulation.
In order to receive the subsidy, one must meet the conditions specified in the program. The scope of work is determined by an energy audit, carried out before the start of thermomodernization, which will show the energy condition of the building and indications of how to improve it, the costs and effects of implementation, as well as the expected consumption and cost of energy after the work is done. Mostly the first to be replaced should be the windows. The program specifies what conditions should be met by the various components used during renovation and refurbishment, not only windows, Styrofoam or wool, but also construction chemicals and fastening techniques.
Comprehensive thermo-modernization with Klimas Wkręt-met fastening techniques
© Klimas Wkręt-met
Replacement of windows as part of thermomodernization—frame fixings
Window joinery plays an important role in the energy balance of a building. It has an impact not only on heat loss, but also on the passive acquisition of solar energy. Their share of heat losses reaches an average of 15-25% (especially in houses made before 1990, when such window installation, which did not take into account energy savings, was the standard). This is one of the reasons why replacing windows with new ones with more favorable parameters should be a prelude to further thermal modernization work. Installing windows first is advisable, as it is easier to properly fix and seal them before the thermal insulation layer appears on the walls.
The window is constantly exposed to the weather and the forces that occur when we close and open the window sash. In addition, the joinery-wall connection must be tight. Seemingly invisible elements such as fasteners therefore have a very significant impact on the safe and trouble-free use of the product throughout its lifetime. Regardless of the size and material of the windows, they should form a unified system with the building wall. One of the basic activities affecting the achievement of such an effect is the proper mechanical connection of the joinery structure with the building structure. Klimas Screw-met fastening techniques are adapted to different types of installation.
When installing outside the opening, KPS-FAST-S/KPR-FAST-K screws will work well. If the window is protruded beyond the face of the wall and installed with special consoles or guides, two- or multi-point mounting to the window recess using frame dowels, such as KPS-FAST-S, is recommended. However, when extending into the thermal insulation zone using a dedicated fastening system, the KPR-FAST-K frame dowels of the Klimas Screw-met offer will be suitable. The length, diameter, number and placement of fasteners must each time be matched to the dimensions of the frame and to the recommendations of the woodwork manufacturer.
Comprehensive thermal modernization with Klimas Wkręt-met fastening techniques
© Klimas Wkręt-met
For installation in a window opening, the manufacturer recommends the use of WHO/WHOW screws. According to the general rules, in single-layer walls, windows are set in half the thickness of the wall, while in two-layer walls with a layer of thermal insulation of 15-20 cm—as close to the outer edge of the wall as possible. In two-layer walls, where the insulation is more than 20 cm, the woodwork can be installed outside the wall, in the zone of insulation. In three-layer walls, windows must be installed directly in the insulation layer, between the supporting wall and the facade wall.
When installing in the center of the window opening through the appropriate mounting holes in the frame in solid substrates, it is recommended to use hardened self-tapping screws for WHO frames. These screws are equipped with a notched thread, which guarantees a secure and durable fixing in both masonry (concrete, ceramic and silicate bricks) and wooden substrates, and the tapered head ensures stable embedment in PVC. In turn, for the installation of wooden profiles, it is recommended to use a WHOW screw with a cylindrical head, which guarantees the smallest possible exposure of the head while ensuring secure seating.
If the window is located on the outer edge of the wall, flush with it, then it is recommended to use the LO frame fastener. This is a high-quality expander fastener, made of galvanized steel. During installation, always remember to maintain a minimum distance between the fastener and the edges, so as not to damage the masonry.
The methods and quality of these connections will affect the functionality of the joinery, which is subjected to temperature differences, dead weight loads, external forces from wind pressure and suction, operational loads during use.
Comprehensive thermal modernization with Klimas Wkręt-met fastening techniques
© Klimas Wkręt-met
Thermo-modernization of the roof—screws for roof over-rafter insulation
Eavesinsulation is an ideal solution when you want to insulate the roof without renovating the attic. Covered from the outside, the roof truss is protected from changes in ambient temperature, improving the energy balance of the building. With this method, all work can be done from the outside. This method has many advantages over traditional roof thermal insulation technologies: not only does it reduce the heat loss of the building, but also protects the roof structure. In addition, it gives more options for the arrangement of the attic and does not further reduce its height.
For structural reasons, the roofing insulation is possible with sloping roof structures, where the angle of inclination is greater than 20°. PIR boards are most often used for insulation by this method, but both rock wool and wood wool have a number of technical parameters that determine their thermal insulation efficiency.
Proper installation of this type of insulation depends on the proper selection of screws and their appropriate use. Klimas Wkręt-met offers WKPC carpentry screws, which meet the technical parameters confirmed by the ETA certificate.
The key solution of WKPC screws is an additional thread under the head. It is he who ensures stable fixing of counter-battens and transfers loads directly to the rafters, thus relieving the load on the insulation and protecting it from damage.
Klimas Wkręt-met offers a wide assortment of screws and carpentry fasteners for various applications, whether for sloping or flat roofs, including, for example, spacer screws. A full portfolio of proven solutions from one manufacturer guarantees comfort, safety and efficiency.
Comprehensive thermo-modernization with Klimas Wkręt-met fastening techniques
© Klimas Wkręt-met
Thermal modernization of external walls—ThermoDrive V2 fasteners.
Due to the surface area, thermo-modernization of external walls is among the biggest challenges in the process of thermo-modernization. Thus, mechanical fasteners play an important role. They perform a number of functions such as load transfer, including, most importantly, protecting the ETICS system from wind suction forces and detachment from the substrate. Mechanical fasteners have the task of stiffening the entire insulation system, eliminating displacement and deformation of individual insulation boards, limiting the formation of point thermal bridges or protection against failure due to loss of adhesion and bearing capacity of the adhesive layer with the substrate. These are the basic parameters that should be met by mechanical fasteners in ETICS thermal insulation systems. A new generation of thermal insulation fixing is the ThermoDrive V2 fasteners by Klimas Wkręt-met, which, while maintaining the required parameters, thanks to its design can be used for: fixing Styrofoam and mineral wool to, among others, substrates made of concrete, solid ceramic brick, ceramic hollow block, lightweight aggregate elements and cellular concrete. In addition, it is ideal for uneven substrates, including those contaminated with old layers (such as plaster or adhesive). The design of the universal anchorage zone of 25-65 mm guarantees solid anchorage of the fastener even in hollow materials with voids inside and thin walls of the internal structure of the masonry element.
The ThermoDrive V2 fastener is successfully suitable for the mechanical fastening of ETICS(and ETICS on ETICS) during the renovation of exterior walls of buildings made with large slab technology. From the formal point of view, it can be used in the concrete „texture” layer with a minimum thickness as low as 40 millimeters, achieving high strength parameters. All this is due to the achievement of sufficiently high parameters, demonstrated during the certification process. It should be mentioned that more than 90 percent of facade connectors, so far on the market, did not have this capability.
Contractors and ETICS system providers will appreciate the rigidity of the plate, which increases the durability and safety of insulation systems. The sleeve of the fastener has been designed so that the screwed-in steel pin, which allows the attachment of the insulation layer, is sufficiently isolated. As a result, the ThermoDrive V2 is characterized by minimal point heat conduction coefficient. Particularly noteworthy for a metal shank fastener with such a wide range of applications is the fact that the point heat conduction value of only 0.001 W/K—applies regardless of the thickness of the insulation to be fastened to the substrate.
Klimas Screw-met, present in the Polish construction market for more than thirty years, has made a significant contribution to the development of the entire sector. Experts are actively working on the evolution of the various groups of mechanical fastening systems that comply with international and national requirements. It is also actively involved in organizations such as the national Association for Thermal Insulation Systems and the European Association forfor Complex External Thermal Insulation Systems—EAE and the French Association Le Mur Manteau, which ensure the dissemination of complete technological solutions with documented quality, as well as the Association of Polish Windows and Doors or the Association of Woodwork Fitters, which promote good installation practices.
For more information, visit the company's Klimas Wkręt-met page on the Products for Architects portal.
