The Effect of Temperature and Humidity on the Permanence of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of temperature and humidity on external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), resulting in internal stresses and frost damages as a serious sustainability problem. In order to predict the behavior of ETICS in different weather conditions, a variety of climatic conditions and cycles were composed on the basis of the Estonian statistical data. All coating components of ETICS were tested separately and as a system for dimensional changes using thin layer measurement principles. This study focuses on three types of plasters most commonly used in ETICS – mineral plasters, acrylic plasters with higher flexibility and silicone plasters. As a result of the research, a potential micro-cracking mechanism of ETICS in Northern climate conditions is presented in this paper.