What the skin is to humans, the exterior façade is to buildings: a protective layer that keeps out the weather and has a damping effect. All the more important to preserve it.
Putz has its origins in the word "butzen", which means "to clean" or "to beautify". Since the 17th century, beautiful clothing, headgear and jewelry were considered finery. Knights also wore jewelry on their helmets at tournaments, which they referred to as finery. For this reason, in some cases people still really go for the finery today.
For Uwe Walter, founder and managing director of the company named after him, plastering is primarily about craftsmanship. He doesn't just apply plaster, he ensures, among other things, that houses have attractive and, not least, sustainable exterior facades. Plaster is more than just a coat of paint, knows Uwe Walter. In our interview, he explains why it is important to pay attention to the exterior of your home.
What is involved in an all-round professional exterior façade?
An exterior façade must be technically intact and keep out the weather. Technically intact means that a façade surface must not absorb water uncontrollably and pass it on to the inside. Cracks should always be repaired so that no major damage can occur. Connections to windows and doors should be intact to prevent damage. Concrete as a plaster base or as a visible surface must be protected so that the iron in the concrete cannot corrode. But at this point my voice of warning: Responsible living behavior with sensible shading and sensible ventilation in the use of energy is the real pound on the island. Steam costs a lot of energy to produce, so we should learn from previous generations.
What defects do many exterior facades on Mallorca have?
There are various damage patterns and situations in Mallorca: Less elastic cement plasters are often used on a clay tile, which leads to fine cracking that just lets the moisture in. However, as there are generally no sub-zero temperatures on Mallorca and the hours of rainfall are relatively low, serious damage rarely occurs. It is only when a coat of paint comes into play that you often see peeling paint. In Mallorca, plastic-coated paints are often used, which are easy to apply, but are quite dense and do not bridge the cracks.You often find a skeleton construction in Mallorca, a static concrete frame is chosen, which is bricked up. Here it is not uncommon for plaster cracks and static cracks to appear, which can no longer be repaired by painting. In this case, the only solution is a plastering solution or even crack grouting.
What consequences does an inadequate exterior façade have for the house and living quality?
A defective exterior façade has an impact on the quality of living. First of all, it is of course an optical issue, it looks unsightly. Defects always let water into the construction and the interior. If highly plasticized paints are also used in the interior, this leads to mould, which is a major issue on the island. Rainy days are not so frequent on Mallorca and the generally warm temperatures dry out quickly, but ultimately this leads to delayed damage, which then costs money.
Sustainable insulation saves energy costs. Can every façade be insulated?
The EU directives have also brought facade insulation to the island, but here more as thermal insulation in summer to reduce the use of air conditioning. The most natural protection is, of course, constructive solar shading in conjunction with thick and neat brickwork and small windows. Of course, insulation cannot be a long-term solution on the island with so many sunny days and little cooling at night if you continue to build huge window fronts that are well insulated but let the sun's energy into the interior in the form of heat, which is certainly intentional in winter in order to use natural energy. In any case, you should adapt your habits to local conditions in order to save energy. I think that the old Malloquin population has a good handle on this.
Are there ways to improve the insulation of a house with exterior plastering alone?
If the façade of a house needs to be renovated due to damage, you should always use a thermal insulation exterior render with a fabric insert. Then you have done everything right. Sometimes, however, there are also damage patterns with structural cracks, which can also be covered with a layer of Dämm boards after renovation to make them permanently invisible.
How can costs be saved with good insulation?
Insulation can help to save perhaps up to 10% heating energy and up to 30% air conditioning energy. Of course, insulation can also have negative effects and lead to increased mold growth, as it also increases the tightness of a building.
