Fastener manufacturing specialist EJOT® UK has successfully supplied over 60,000 insulation anchors for a major housing refurbishment project. ETICS installer Retrofit UK was contracted for the project designed to update the appearance and modernise thermal standards of a 1950s Housing estate on the north western outskirts of Preston. The Ingle Estate comprises of 133 two storey properties and the task presented the usual problems associated with materials involved in mass building projects of the 1950s.

Simon Hope, contracts manager for Retrofit said, “Like many constructions of this period, the properties were orginally rendered on Wimpey No-fines which creates difficulty in achieving a decent pullout value from external wall insulation anchors or fixings for overcladding an existing structure.
We needed the reassurance from a known anchor manufacturer who could also provide technical assistance onsite with a testing capability ”

Retrofit were applying a 90mm expanded polystyrene to existing walls, covered with a Structherm BBA approved lightweight acrylic render.

As solution providers, EJOT® UK manufactures STR U, a unique self-countersinking anchor designed specifically for the fast and secure mechanical fixing of ETICS systems. The anchor itself is suitable for all masonry substrates and is integral to a one step installation process that provides a confirmed hold. Thermal loss is minimised through internal insulation fixing and a polystyrene cap, placed over the secured anchor, completes installation. This anchor is ideal for thin coat render systems as there is no washer face to patch over and therefore, no build up of render. This removes the possibility of future marking from the attraction of dust or noticeable warm spots on a frosty day. The system is equally effective with high density wool and carries European Technical Approval ABCD and E.

The Ingle Estate project required 60,0000 fixings over 6500 square metres and took Retrofit four months to complete.