External wall insulation cladding: Do you know the best softwash products to clean it?

External wall insulation cladding is frequently applied to ageing concrete structures where the substrate shows early signs of degradation.

In addition to extending the structural lifespan, it improves thermal performance, making the buildings more energy-efficient and comfortable to occupy. The same cladding systems are now widely specified in new-build projects as well.

What is external wall insulation cladding?

External wall insulation cladding is a building envelope system where rigid insulation boards are fixed to the exterior of a structure, then overlaid with a protective finish such as render or an acrylic coating.

This combination enhances thermal efficiency while shielding the underlying substrate from environmental exposure.

How to clean external wall insulation cladding?

External wall insulation can be soft washed in the normal way with Benz Lightning Cleanze, Bio Cleanze, Tornado Cleanze or Perma Cleanze.

We found the combination of Lightning Cleanze and Tornado Cleanze particularly effective on STO type acrylic renders.

Click here to learn about Benz softwash products suitable for treating external wall insulation cladding

Quick tip: If the external wall insulation has been left for a long time without cleaning, then discolouration or “shadows” can remain. It is best practice to let your customers know about this possible outcome of a soft wash treatment before starting work.

Re-coating: STO Rend international is one of the leading brands of wall insulation and they suggest occasional re-coating to freshen the look of their cladding, or simply to change the colour. The cladding will require thorough soft washing prior to re-coating to ensure all colonisation by growths such as algae, etc has been killed. If not treated with a quality biocide prior to re-coating, the algae can regrow under the surface of the new coating.

We hope this information is helpful and sincerely wish you great success in your soft washing business,

Team Benz

Click here to explore the full range of Benz softwash cleaning products