ROCKWOOL ETICS for private homes

External insulation, based on stone wool, that’s easy to apply and suitable for any home.

The super power within the ROCKWOOL ETICS façade solution is stone wool, a material drived from abundant, natural volcanic rock. The solution is a unique combination of insulating layers whose natural properties ensure the best possible energy efficiency, noise reduction and fire resilience for your home.

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Understanding ETICS

Stone wool is the super power within ROCKWOOL ETICS. This means that façade solution’s layers are packed with its natural benefits. We have distilled the natural power of stone into 7 strengths that are inherent in the versatile properties of stone wool. So, whether your building is new or existing, when you rockcover its façade with ROCKWOOL ETICS, its performance is boosted with these 7 important benefits.

Stone wool's 7 strengths

Stone wool is the super power within both ROCKWOOL façade solutions. This means that both ROCKWOOL ETICS and ROCKWOOL ventilated façades are packed with its natural benefits. We have distilled the natural power of stone into 7 strengths that are inherent in the versatile properties of stone wool. So whether your building is new or existing, when you rockcover its façade with either solution, its performance is boosted with these 7 important benefits.

Withstand temperatures above 1000°C.

In land-scarce urban areas, more and more people are working and making their homes in high-rise buildings. These structures can be brilliant solutions to the challenge of safely housing a growing population.

Save energy by maintaining optimum indoor temperature and climate.

It makes living and working conditions more healthy and comfortable, helping people to thrive, especially in urban environments. Temperature maintenance can dramatically reduce heating, cooling, and ventilation costs, and reduce a building’s carbon footprint.

Block, absorb or enhance sounds.

From railways to tramways, roads to airports, good infrastructure is crucial to urban life, which can be very noisy. The resulting ground-borne vibration, traffic noise – and not to mention human noise pollution – all have a serious and negative impact on our wellbeing, especially in densely populated areas.

Increased performance and greater stability with lower costs.

Match performance with aesthetics.

When people live and work in aesthetic spaces, they feel comfortable and motivated. Environments in which people enjoy spending time can improve social cohesion and make neighborhoods safer and healthier.

Manage our most precious resource.

A growing population puts traditional food production under pressure, and climate change has increased the need for flood defenses. Stone wool can be engineered to absorb or repel water as needed, as well as recirculate it in a greenhouse, solving a range of water management problems.

Reusable and recyclable materials.

Rock is one of the most abundant raw materials on the planet, but we still need to make better use of our planet’s resources. We have developed our technology in a way that allows us to use waste from other industries as alternative raw material.

FAQs

1. Does stone wool insulation contain harmful chemical fire retardants?

No, stone wool insulation does not contain any fire retardants. It meets the highest fire safety standard, Euroclass A1 non-combustible, naturally. Combustible materials like fossil-fuel based plastic foams add chemical flame retardants to enable these products to meet minimal fire standards. They are still combustible, however, and will contribute to the spread and intensity of a building fire while also emitting significant amounts of toxic smoke.

2. Why is it important to choose non-combustible cladding and insulation?

Fire safety. In a fire, a building’s materials can make the difference between a fire in a building and a building on fire.

Unlike combustible building products that require chemical flame retardants to achieve even minimal fire-safety ratings, stone wool insulation products do not burn. They will not contribute to the spread or intensity of a fire and won’t emit significant amounts of toxic smoke – the leading cause of fire-related fatalities. In a building fire, this helps reduce the risk to the people living inside who need to evacuate and for fire rescue crews helping them.

3. Why does “circularity” matter in building materials and how is ROCKWOOL making a difference?

Circularity refers to an economic concept that aims to reduce consumption and waste so resources are used more efficiently, helping to create an economy that’s both sustainable and profitable.

Such a shift is particularly urgent in construction, the single largest consumer of resources in the world that uses a staggering three billion tonnes of raw materials every year and accounts for 36 percent of all the solid waste generated globally.

Since buildings are essential to our lives, we need to design and build them better – to be more energy efficient, less wasteful and with reusable and recyclable materials that are not harmful to us or our environment.

Our stone wool helps with all of these: it is natural, contains no harmful chemical flame retardants, can be reused and endlessly recycled at a growing number of Rockycle locations without losing any of its performance traits. Learn more about our approach to circularity and our Rockcycle programme.

4. Why is it better to use a “breathable” product?

Stone wool is a 98 percent porous material. This open-cell structure means that it is vapour permeable – the vapour passes through it so your house can “breathe”. At the same time, water repellent fibres prevent the intake of water so that your walls don’t keep water inside, allowing them to dry out quickly. Think of it like the difference between a ventilated waterproof rain jacket and a regular rubber or plastic raincoat; as you sweat, the ventilated jack allows the vapour to escape while the other does not.

5. Why should I install ETICS?

A building’s façade is normally the largest surface area between its internal and external environment – where a great amount of heat loss can occur. Thermal insulation of the external walls from the outside is an efficient way of protecting against thermal energy loss .

ETICS works to insulate the vertical envelope of a building – whether an individual detached house or entire apartment block. This prevents temperature load, weather related damage and condensation problems.

6. What key benefits come with the installation of ETICS?

7. Is ETICS difficult to install?

ROCKWOOL ETICS products are highly robust, with a great fitting ability that can adapt to irregularities in external walls during installation.

Installing can be done on a layer-by-layer basis. It generally requires a few components, including the insulation material, anchors, adhesive, reinforcement, base coat and finishing layer . Each can require a different installation method.

Key tips :

Measure the façade – Knowing the size of the external wall being insulated is essential, so you can make sure you have the right amount of insulation material.
Prepare your tools – ROCKWOOL slabs and boards are easy to cut with a long-bladed knife or insulation saw. Have one on hand if you need to resize your insulation.
Choose the best product – Check those available in your area and decide which is best for the building.

8. Is ETICS a sustainable choice?

Stone wool can be recycled again and again without degrading its quality . To support sustainable choices, ROCKWOOL products provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in more than 20 markets.

ROCKWOOL products used in external wall insulation systems reduce heating fluctuations and improve the thermal comfort of any building – helping work towards LEED, passive house , BREEAM standards and other sustainable building rating schemes.

There is a strong focus on reducing thermal bridging through a continuous stone wool insulation system. This minimises the use of heating and cooling systems throughout all seasons to bring big energy savings.

ETICS can also enhance acoustic insulation, cutting noise pollution to create an even more comfortable living environment.

9. Which ETICS options are available in my market?

10. Who can help me choose the best ETICS option for my project?

Downloads to guide and support

When you invest in our ROCKWOOL façade solutions, we won’t just provide the products to help you rockcover your home or project, we’ll help you to do it, too.

Explore this area for the downloads we’ve collated – to help you upgrade your knowledge, get support for your next project and make the most of your chosen solution.