Introduction

The author, Christopher J Pearson, a qualified Building Surveyor, formally the Managing Director of Epsicon Limited, a major supplier of EWI components, successfully externally insulated many thousands of buildings of all descriptions over the years up to 2000, since retiring, the Epsicon Limited has progressed under new management.

A former Council Member of the External Wall Insulation Association, now the Insulated Render & Cladding Association, and a former member of the original Technical Sub-Committee, Christopher Pearson was instrumental, with others, in the composition and production of the original technical data sheets for the Association. These lead ultimately to full BBA Certification.

The Complete Guide to External Wall Insulation reviews and analyses the techniques currently available to insulate externally the walls of most types of buildings. Since the major energy saving interest in the United Kingdom is concerned with up-grading dwellings and public sector buildings, such as schools and hospitals, these are the areas in which attention is focussed. Over recent years domestic housing has increasingly been examined as to their thermal performance with the additional aspect of sustainability now fully explored.

The past decade has seen increasing energy costs. Both at home and in the workplace where we have become used to expecting a high standard of thermal comfort. Real incomes have declined, energy costs increased, so the effect of costs and conditions has produced the demand for insulation.

The Building Industry is now refurbishing more and more houses due to lack of new house building and the effect of increased planning restrictions.