INCA, the Insulated Render and Cladding Association, have, in March 2023, published their new technical guidance document entitled the External Wall Insulation Maintenance Guidance Manual.

It is designed to be adopted as best practice by the EWI industry as a whole and can therefore be downloaded and adopted by all involved in the industry. SWIGA have supported this initiative and provided significant input into the content and the format - as such it is FREE for all SWIGA members to download and use as required directly from this website.

John Sparrow, Company Secretary for INCA:
 

"The new External Wall Insulation Maintenance Guidance Manual is designed to provide important maintenance guidance and general advice to homeowner’s on how to look after their property once an external wall insulation system has been installed. It also provides general guidance to the home owner on what steps to follow should they experience any problems or where the installed EWI system becomes damaged.

The information is published for general guidance only and obviously we advise seeking advice from the system designer or installing contractor regarding any specific issues. INCA would expect that all areas highlighted in the document will be covered in system holders supporting maintenance guides.

The guide is aimed at homeowners who have either moved into a property which already had EWI installed of whos property has just been retrofitted and thermally upgraded with an external wall insulation system. We want it to be read and understood and as such we have kept it as short as possible and made sure it is written in clear and easy to understand sections.

We would like to thank SWIGA for their valuable contribution in the publication of this document and would encourage its members to download and distribute"

There are 4 main sections to the guide:

Section 1: Living with external wall insulation systems - what an EWI system is, the benefits it delivers and how it can potentially change the way the homeowner lives. It also stresses the importance of care and maintenance.

Section 2: What the homeowner should know and do - checks, maintenance and care of an EWI system, covering the likes of inspections, ventilation, mastic seals, fixings, cleaning, weathering, cleaning along with specifics such as painting, the use of ladders, hot items, plants, soil, impact, vehicle emissions and general DIY.

Section 3: Making physical alterations to a property - issues such as adding an extension, replacing windows, patios and decking, replacement fascias and utilities.

Section 4: Damage and what to do next - what to do if the EWI system is damaged and how to protect a damaged area. It goes on to then stress the importance of getting the system repaired professionally.

Download The Guide

The INCA External Wall Insulation Maintenance Guidance Manual is completely FREE to download and distribute as you see fit. You can access it via the Technical Guidance page in the SWIGA Knowledge Hub.

Whilst it's completely free to download you will need to be a member of SWIGA in order to access the Knowledge Hub itself. If you are not yet a member you can join as an associate member without cost - all that we ask is that you meet the basic criteria. Read more about Associate Membership >

Joining couldn't be easier - simply fill in the form below: