Common Problems with Plastered Facades

This section comes under our plastered masonry umbrella. These walls (without insulation) are in fact a very practical base for installing greening technology and allow for relatively easy mounting. Plaster facades are sensitive to lateral pressure at the drill holes and are susceptible to rainwater infiltration, so special attention is required- particularly when using our Eassystems or if installing eyelet screws without thrust washers. Plasters with a thickness >2cm, especially insulating plasters, profiling, and those with large grains of sand can be problematic. Here we provide an overview of the challenges this material can pose.

Lateral Pressure

As the photo on the right shows, façade plaster is very sensitive to the installation of rawlplugs ('dowelling'). Lateral pressue due to loose (movable), unsupported eyebolts are usually the culprit. The thinner their shaft and the greater their distance from the wall (the more they protrude from the wall), the more concentrated the pressure will be on the neck of the bolt. This results in micro-cracks cratering around the drill hole.

 

Sealing against Moisture

Sealing is very important. Though water that gets into the drill holes- during a heavy rain, for example- will eventually evaporate, it is still important to seal all holes efficiently to minimise the risk of moisture in your masonry. The sum of the times during which the wall is 'wet' is proportional to the degradation that will result. As with roads in winter, the presence of moisture causes the most damage during frost.

 

Further Potential Problems

Plasters thicker than 2cm can be problematic; we address them separately under special plasters. Plasters with a rough grainy structure will often have to be sanded in the area you wish to install your anchors, bolts, etc.. for optimum sealing. Beneath the plaster, the masonry itself may also be problematic, particularly certain types of brickwork, mixed masonry, or certain timbers. You can find out more under historic masonry.

 

Which cable trellises are suitable for plastered facades?

All of our kits with a support (thrush) washer and a sealing ring (which will cover small cracks or damages that occur during drilling) are suitable. If selecting from our Medium range, the Classic and Premium versions are preferable since they can be mounted  more deeply; for this reason they are more stable than the Eco version. Our Easy design is suitable in some cases. Their plastic rawlplugs with collar (flanges) provide better support for the eyescrews, minimise load-realted movement, lateral pressure, and chipping of the plaster. But the potential for moisture remains.  So, for most representative walls-- our Easy style version with its exposed rawlplugs is therefore not recommended.