Why External Insulation Changes Everything

[Shane Clarke] My name is Shane Clarke. I'm the General Manager here at Nuralite, and welcome to webinar number 42. Today's topic is how we can construct smarter building envelopes. This topic is important to designers, specifiers, and constructors for a couple of reasons. The first is that our insulation requirements are changing due to legislation. Secondly, building owners are now demanding better performing buildings and are stepping away from the lowest quality they can legally get away with. Nuralite has been a pathfinder in this area with our warm roof concept. Today, we're talking about external insulation on the outside of the building. I'm pleased to introduce you to our sister company, Outright, which focuses on high-performance external insulation. That is led by our general manager, Mike Skilton. Also on the panel today is Jason Wandon, the senior technical manager for Sto, with over eight years of experience and a background in product development, testing, and compliance. This webinar is 30 minutes, with time for Q&A at the end. Use the Q&A function, and we will answer all questions in the transcript if we don't get to them. Everyone who registers will get a copy of the recording. This webinar is worth five NZIA CPD points. Today's key message is simply this: external insulation delivers far superior thermal comfort, fire safety, and acoustic performance. (Poll: Understanding of External Insulation) Shane Clarke: Welcome, Mike. Your first slide: what do we mean by "outsulation," what are the benefits, and what problems does it overcome? Mike Skilton: The word "outsulation" comes from our European suppliers. They describe it as putting on a coat to protect yourself from the elements; the same applies to our buildings. Insulation has been mandatory in New Zealand for almost 50 years, but there hasn't been a significant change in how we insulate. Outright works with the design community to wrap the exterior of buildings using high-performance insulation products. The "warm wall" concept aims to create a perfect wall for designers. When we look at the outsulation model, we consider four key areas: Rain screens: Provide protection from the elements and aesthetics, but not necessarily water tightness or thermal control. Air control: Minimizes or eliminates air movement within the wall buildup, which can impact insulation performance. Vapor control: This depends on the structure. We provide the best high-performing insulation for the right structure. For concrete structures, we use vapor blockers like PIR. For timber or metal substrates, we use vapor-permeable products like Rockwool Rainscreen. Thermal control: The insulation itself. It is critical that these elements work together as a system. We believe in collaboration to provide the design community with new-generation, high-performing insulation products and solutions that ensure compliance. Shane Clarke: Your next slide shows a completed Outright wall. Mike Skilton: This is an example of an outsulated wall designed by RTA Studios for the Z House. All the insulation is behind the rainscreen. The Entherm P product was chosen for this award-winning, single-story brick structure. Shane Clarke: The next slide explains how that was achieved. Mike Skilton: For designers, building height and rainscreen style are key considerations. This product is a seismic tie designed to transfer lateral loads from the brick or block back to the structure. It is essential for buildings over 3 meters and in seismic areas. It is a thermally broken brick tie, designed to hold insulation and reduce thermal bridging. Shane Clarke: The cross-section shows the brick tie attaching to the substrate, transferring the load and allowing for seismic movement. The insulation is held firmly in place. Mike Skilton: Our ultimate goal is to reduce or eliminate thermal bridging. Our range includes thermal flanges, temporary fixing pins, and shot fixings. We also provide thermal modeling to locate dew points. We encourage designers to talk to us about their projects. (Poll: Biggest Pain Point with External Insulation) Shane Clarke: Welcome, Jason. You're from Sto and will talk about the Sto Ventec system. Jason Wandon: For over 25 years, Sto has delivered engineered insulation, render, and facade systems. We are backed by our head office in Germany. Sto Ventec is a weather-resistant, highly crack-resistant facade system for new construction and refurbishment. This image is the University of Technology in Sydney, a multi-level facade with curves, completed by Sto 12 years ago. The makeup of the Ventec system: An adjustable subframe of stainless steel brackets and aluminium rails reduces thermal bridging and levels the facade. A lightweight, sustainable carrier board made from over 90% post-consumer recycled glass, reinforced with fiberglass mesh. It is 12mm thick, cut with a knife, and weighs only 6 kg/m². Non-combustible Rockwool insulation can be added to the cavity. The thickness can be tailored by adjusting the bracket depth, maintaining a minimum 20mm cavity for drainage and ventilation. The system is finished with Sto's synthetic render system, available in unlimited colors and finishes. Shane Clarke: The next slide shows action shots. Jason Wandon: This was the first live Ventec project in New Zealand, a reclad of the top two stories of Kelvin House, a heritage building in Wellington. The Ventec system was specified for its ability to deal with substrate variation, its lightweight nature, and to incorporate insulation. This project used 75mm Rockwool. The adjustable rail and bracket system allows for unevenness in the structure, minimizing rework. Cavity depths can range from 70mm to over 300mm. The render system is a synthetic, cement-free render, approximately 4mm thick, providing a weathertight, flexible, and crack-resistant layer. Shane Clarke: The finished result is a credit to all parties, replicating the heritage facade while meeting current compliance requirements. Jason Wandon: This slide demonstrates the potential. The building on the left uses the Ventec R system. The sleek building on the right is another Ventec system incorporating photovoltaic panels. We are no longer limited to standard render finishes. Shane Clarke: It's a striking system that can straighten older buildings in a lightweight way.