A building is a complex built system that interacts with its environment. Not only aesthetically, but also in an osmotic relationship of energy exchange with the environment. The correct balance of the latter largely determines living wellbeing, the result of a virtuous building design process aimed at reducing consumption and pollution. All this is part of a regulatory framework ( Italian Law Decree 192/05 and 311/06) that, by establishing the mandatory energy certification of buildings, presents new challenges for architectural and plant design. This stimulus for research into materials and technologies has been taken up by CAP Arreghini which, for years, has been focusing its know-how on the study of innovative solutions for thermal comfort inside buildings and energy saving. Thermocap is one example of this. Thermocap, a composite system for external thermal insulation of masonry, is an essential contribution to the containment of energy consumption as it reduces the transmittivity of opaque vertical surfaces. With year-round benefits: it insulates against the cold during the winter and shields against the heat in the summer months, while also acting as an effective façade protection and sound barrier.
It can be applied both to new constructions and to restoration or extraordinary maintenance works, to solve problems caused by structural cracks or shrinkage with water infiltration.
Equipping a building with a thermal insulation system generally means improving its living comfort, intervening decisively on various factors that determine its soundness: reducing dispersion and eliminating thermal bridges, reducing interstructural movements, stabilising thermo-hygrometric conditions. As a result, indoor environments are warmer (with consequent savings in the management of the heating system), condensation and, consequently, mould formation is prevented, and noise is considerably reduced.
Thermocap 1
Thermocap is a composite system, bonded with additional mechanical fixing, consisting of adhesive, insulation, reinforcement mesh embedded in plaster, primer and finish. It can be used for external thermal insulation of building facades on various types of substrate: old or new plaster, solid masonry, clinker, ceramic or brick cladding, exposed concrete walls. This product thus fulfils its function as a layered system, where the individual element, performing its specific function, participates in the success of the whole.
The optimum performance, calibrated to suit each individual situation, depends on the assembly of the various layers, formulated according to the various project requirements. Within an overall quality overview that makes Thermocap among the best solutions - in terms of yield, resistance and durability. In fact, there are numerous technical advantages. The system provides the right balance between vapour permeability and water permeability; the insulators it is composed of have the lowest conductivity on the market; the Rasacap Line skim coatings, even in situations of high humidity, have an adhesion resistance (between EPS insulation and masonry) that is considerably higher than the minimum value required for CE marking; the reinforcement mesh is also highly compliant with EU regulations on protection and safety, and is highly resistant to tearing even years after installation. The quality of the individual components ensures that the entire Thermocap system remains unaltered even when subjected to temperature fluctuations between -20°C and +50°C, rain and heat peaks of up to 70°C.
CAP Arreghini offers six variants, in a range structured according to the different types of insulation used, starting with Thermocap, the certified thermal insulation system using sintered expanded polystyrene panels (EPS), suitable to meet energy efficiency requirements, meeting ETAG 004 requirements.
Thermocap S1 stands out for its cost-effectiveness and ease of installation through the use of sintered expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels.
Thermocap S2 ensures high thermal performance thanks to athermanous (graphite-based) additives mixed with EPS insulation, which reduce the effects of radiation and increase thermal insulation especially at low densities.
Thermocap S3 uses Sintered Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) panels with graphite additives which, in the S4 system, are refined on the outer surface with a semi-covering treatment that prevents deformation due to heat absorption.
Thanks to the presence of rock wool, Thermocap S5 ensures simultaneous fire resistance, soundproofing characteristics and high levels of transpiration.
Current events are showing the extent to which energy efficiency works (structural and plant engineering) of buildings are a strategic asset at government level and a driver for the construction market. But apart from the economic factor, it is the environmental urgency that demands action in one of the most energy-intensive and impactful sectors on the planet. One only has to think that, according to European Union estimates, the building sector consumes 45% of the energy produced and is responsible for 50% of air pollution: receiving 50% of the resources taken from nature, the sector produces 50% of Europe's annual waste. Ideally, a thermal insulation system should be applied.
