Our Top 5 Tips for Winter Working

We all know that winter can often bring additional challenges to the construction industry and particularly for those trying to complete outdoor tasks such as insulation and finishing external walls. Check out our top 5 tips working with EWI systems in the winter months ahead:

1) Plan ahead

Working in the winter months can be challenging. Make sure you plan ahead to ensure you have the right equipment, supplies and clothing.

2) Check the Weather Forecast

We recommend between the months of mid-November to early April that it is worthwhile to plan and check the expected weather conditions in advance of starting external render jobs. Also, as rainfall is more frequent there is an increased risk of limebloom, particularly on deeper colours of bagged render.

3) Be Aware of the Temperature

K Systems cementitious and synthetic products have a working temperature range of 5°C to 35°C. It is very important that render products are not applied onto frozen surfaces and that surfaces are always protected from rain or frost for a minimum of 48 hours after application, whilst the render is curing. Drying times may be prolonged in colder conditions.

4) Keep Substrates Dry

This is a key thing to remember as a wet substrate can prove problematic with adhesion and bonding due to a lack of suction, weakness and reduced bond for the render. Even surfaces which have become saturated and are only dry on the surface can lead to potential problems such as limebloom.

5) Choose the Right Products

Make sure you have the best products on site before you begin. Our best products for winter working are:

Accelerator – Reduce the drying time for K Systems base coats and dashing renders and reduce the waiting time before scraping scraped texture renders.

TC-Additive – Reduce the drying time of K Systems synthetic resin based thin coat renders under low temperature conditions.