Application

Continuous Insulation (EIFS)

Heat leaks out of a building fastest at the places the insulation stops — the slab edge, the ring beam, the lintel, the steel stud. Continuous insulation (EIFS) answers this by wrapping an unbroken layer of EPS board around the OUTSIDE of the structure, then covering it with a weatherskin: either a reinforced Terraco render (the classic EIFS) or a LiteClad profiled-steel over-cladding (an "EIFS in metal"). It sits in the external wall envelope, outboard of the structure, and it is the correct move where the wall is lightweight (LSF, panel, thin-leaf) or where thermal bridging — not the wall's average R — is what is costing you.

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What it must achieve

Performance targets

External masonry wall — deemed-to-satisfy (no added insulation required)

Double-skin (cavity) masonry, OR a plastered single leaf ≥140 mm

SANS 10400-XA

Be honest about this: if the wall is cavity masonry or a plastered leaf of 140 mm or more, XA is already satisfied WITHOUT continuous insulation. Do not sell EIFS as a code requirement on those walls — sell it on comfort, thermal-bridge control, energy modelling (SANS 204 rational route), or because the wall is lightweight.

Lightweight / non-qualifying external wall — minimum TOTAL R

≥ 0.35 m²K/W External walls with a SURFACE DENSITY LIGHTER THAN 270 kg/m2 (light steel frame, timber frame, drywall, sandwich panel) must reach a minimum TOTAL R-value of 2.2 m2K/W in energy zones 1, 2, 6 and 7, and 1.9 m2K/W in zones 3, 4, 5 and 5H (SANS 10400-XA:2021, ch.3). And any walling with metal sheet, metal studs, metal tracks or metal battens fixed to each other SHALL have a thermal break. The 0.35 m2K/W figure applies to MASONRY types not covered by the standard provisions - it is NOT the lightweight-wall bar.

SANS 10400-XA

This is the real code driver for continuous insulation: LSF, panel and thin-leaf walls that are not deemed-to-satisfy. The 0.35 is a TOTAL assembly R (all layers + surface resistances), not the board R alone — and it is a low bar that a thin EPS layer clears easily. External walls with a SURFACE DENSITY LIGHTER THAN 270 kg/m2 (light steel frame, timber frame, drywall, sandwich panel) must reach a minimum TOTAL R-value of 2.2 m2K/W in energy zones 1, 2, 6 and 7, and 1.9 m2K/W in zones 3, 4, 5 and 5H (SANS 10400-XA:2021, ch.3). And any walling with metal sheet, metal studs, metal tracks or metal battens fixed to each other SHALL have a thermal break. The 0.35 m2K/W figure applies to MASONRY types not covered by the standard provisions - it is NOT the lightweight-wall bar.

Roof / ceiling minimum TOTAL R (for reference where the CI layer wraps up into the roof)

3.7 m²K/W in all zones (Zone 5H humid-coastal may use 2.7 with roof ventilation)

SANS 10400-XA:2021

XA:2011 was zone-specific {1:3.7, 2:3.2, 3:2.7, 4:3.7, 5:2.7, 6:3.5}. Confirm which edition the local authority is enforcing before you size anything.

Thermal-bridge / ψ-value control

No numeric limit is set by SANS 10400-XA — assess by rational design

SANS 10400-XA / SANS 204 (rational design)

Continuous insulation's real technical claim is bridge elimination across slab edges, ring beams, lintels and steel studs. There is no published Technopol ψ-value for these junctions — model your actual junction in the free 2D thermal-bridge tool rather than quoting a number.

Reaction to fire of the insulation layer

Class B-s1,d0 (EPS FRCel 20DV, 60 mm)

SANS 53501-1

VERIFIED, report IT 23-08-00009 (valid to Aug 2028). This is a reaction-to-fire class, NOT a fire-resistance (minutes) rating. All EPS is combustible, fire-retardant treated.

Façade fire spread (large-scale) for the rendered EIFS system

PASS — Terraco EIFS Alpha System (report FTC 21-033)

SANS/BS 8414-2:2017

PASS — Terraco EIFS Alpha System, report FTC 21-033. This is a large-scale façade fire-spread result, not a fire-resistance (minutes) rating; confirm the tested build-up matches the project.

The continuous insulation build-up, layer by layer

The same build-up, in the order it goes together. Generated from the assembly data this page lists below, so the drawing and the words cannot disagree.

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Where it goes

The assembly

Section through the continuous insulation assembly

Decorative/weatherproof outer skin…
Reinforcement coat…
Decorative/weatherproof outer skin…
Continuous EPS insulation layer…
Fixing layer…
Substrate: masonry, concrete, or a sheathed…
Internal lining (LSF only)…

Layers listed outside → inside. The section is drawn to show the ORDER of the layers and where the Technopol product sits in it; the band widths are not to scale.

What each layer is doing — 7 layers, full detail

Decorative/weatherproof outer skin — OPTION A (render EIFS): Terraco Terracoat textured topcoat (Excel / Granule / Sahara, 0.8–3 mm grain) — Ready-mixed acrylic/silicone resin-bound render. It is the finish and weather skin only — it contributes no meaningful insulation; λ/R/U belong to the EPS board below it.
Reinforcement coat: Styrobond DP basecoat with Terramesh glass-fibre mesh fully embedded — The mesh coat is what makes the render impact- and crack-tolerant; it is not optional. Double-mesh at ground-floor impact zones.
Decorative/weatherproof outer skin — OPTION B (metal EIFS / rainscreen): LiteClad profiled 0.5 mm PPGL/PPGI steel weatherskin on top-hat rails or battens — LiteClad is BARE roll-formed steel — it is NOT a composite and has NO bonded EPS core (that is the separate NuClad board). Profiles: IBR Wide 990, Corrugated 990, Standing Seam 282/495, ClipClad 270, DutchClad 293 (wall only). The 0.5 mm steel adds negligible R; the EPS thickness behind it is an independent design input.
Continuous EPS insulation layer — Technopol bulk insulation (LiteCel / FRCel fire-retardant EPS board), thickness to suit the R-value target — This is the only layer that does the insulating. Grades 12–30 kg/m³ (λ 0.033–0.045 W/m·K, grade-dependent). Board runs continuously across studs, slab edges, ring beams and lintels — that continuity, not the λ, is the point of the application.
Fixing layer: adhesive dabs/ribbon and/or mechanical washer fixings back to the substrate — Mechanical fixings must be corrosion-appropriate and are the primary wind-load path on lightweight substrates. Solvent-based adhesives are NOT permitted against EPS (see 'Where not to use').
Substrate: masonry, concrete, or a sheathed light-steel-frame / LSF wall — On LSF, the sheathing board (not the EPS) carries the fixings. Note that the substrate, not the EPS, determines any fire-resistance (REI) rating of the wall.
Internal lining (LSF only): gypsum / fibre-cement lining per the tested assembly — Where an REI-rated load-bearing LSF wall is required, the assembly must follow the tested NuClad LiteCore build-up (FT 24-003) — you cannot substitute layers and keep the rating.

Which products, and why

The products that do this job

Product

Bulk Insulation Products

The continuous insulation layer itself — cut-to-size fire-retardant EPS board (LiteCel / FRCel, grades 12–30 kg/m³). This is the ONLY layer in the system that insulates; its grade and thickness are the design inputs.

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Product

EIFS/ETICS External Wall Insulation

Option A weatherskin — the reinforced render: Styrobond DP basecoat + Terramesh glass-fibre mesh + Terracoat textured topcoat. It is the finish and weather barrier; it contributes no meaningful thermal resistance.

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Product

LiteClad Steel Profiles

Option B weatherskin — bare 0.5 mm pre-painted profiled steel (IBR Wide 990, Corrugated 990, Standing Seam 282/495, ClipClad 270, DutchClad 293 wall-only) fixed on top-hat rails OVER the separate EPS layer. It has NO bonded EPS core and is not a composite or insulated panel.

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The numbers

Performance data

Every test report and certificate behind these figures is held by Technopol and is available on request.

18 figures, full data

Property	Value	Standard
EPS board thermal conductivity λ @10 °C (grade range: 12SD 0.045 to 30DV 0.033)	0.033–0.045 W/m·K	Manufacturer grade table
EPS board nominal density (grade range)	12–30 kg/m³	Manufacturer grade table
EPS board-only thermal resistance, 50 mm sheet (derived across the λ grade range: 0.05/0.045 to 0.05/0.033)	1.1–1.5 m²K/W	R = t/λ, derived from the datasheet λ range — board only, excludes all other layers
EPS board compressive stress @10% compression (grade range)	60–200 kPa	Manufacturer grade table
EPS service temperature (long-term / short-term)	80 / 100 °C	Manufacturer datasheet
Reaction-to-fire class — EPS FRCel 20DV, 60 mm (Euroclass)	B-s1,d0 class	SANS 53501-1 (reaction to fire — NOT a fire-resistance/minutes rating)
Fire-resistance (REI) rating of a plain EPS board / generic EPS-and-render wall	None — plain EPS cores carry no fire-resistance rating; all EPS is combustible (fire-retardant treated only) —	SANS 10177-2
Fire-resistance — NuClad LiteCore LSF wall assembly (load-bearing)	FR60 (E/I/R 60) min	SANS 10177-2 — applies to that tested assembly only, not to a generic EIFS wall
Façade fire spread — Terraco EIFS Alpha System, large-scale test	PASS Not a fire-resistance rating. —	SANS/BS 8414-2:2017
LiteClad steel skin gauge (bare pre-painted steel weatherskin — NO bonded EPS core, not a composite panel)	0.5 mm	Published LiteClad datasheet
LiteClad profile cover widths (IBR Wide 990 / Corrugated 990 / Standing Seam 282 & 495 / ClipClad 270 / DutchClad 293 wall-only)	990 / 990 / 282 & 495 / 270 / 293 mm	Published LiteClad datasheet
LiteClad contribution to thermal resistance	Negligible — 0.5 mm steel adds effectively no R; the separate EPS layer thickness is an independent design input m²K/W	—
Terraco render — adhesion / pull-off bond strength	>2.0 N/mm²	Supplier datasheet
Terraco render — water behaviour (vapour-permeable, low liquid uptake)	Sd <0.10 m; W24 <0.15 kg/m²·h^0.5 —	Supplier datasheet
Terraco render — grain size / finish grades (Excel, Granule, Sahara)	0.8–3 mm	Supplier datasheet
Terraco render — coverage	1.5–4.5 (grade-dependent; ~2.0 typical — 25 kg pack ≈ 12.5 m²) kg/m²	Supplier datasheet
Quality management certification (company)	ISO 9001:2015 —	ISO 9001:2015 (EQCSA, SANAS C22)
Agrément SA certification scope	Certificate 2020/609 covers the LiteCore Building System ONLY, as a NON-LOAD-BEARING wall. It does NOT cover LiteClad, Terraco coatings, bulk EPS board, LiteSpan or geofoam. —	Agrément South Africa

Size it

SANS 10400-XA compliance checker

Enter your actual wall build-up and climatic zone and let the checker tell you whether you need insulation at all (cavity masonry and ≥140 mm plastered leaf are deemed-to-satisfy), and if you do, what board R is required to reach the total. Do not size EPS thickness from a headline R-value. Then, if your junctions are the problem rather than the field of the wall, model the actual detail in the 2D thermal-bridge (ψ-value) tool at ../../technical/thermal-bridge/ , compare cores at ../../technical/core-comparison/ , and pull compliant wording from ../../technical/spec-writer/ .

Open the tool → Write the spec clause

On site

Installation

The full installation sequence — 10 steps

Confirm the substrate is sound, dry, plumb and free of laitance, form-release oils, dust and loose paint. On LSF, confirm the sheathing board and its fixing pattern are complete and signed off — the EPS is not a structural sheathing.
Set out and fix a starting/base track or drip bead at the bottom of the insulation zone, above the splash/ground-contact zone. Do not run EPS board down into permanently damp ground contact.
Bond the EPS boards with an EPS-compatible cementitious/dispersion adhesive (dabs or ribbon-and-dab) and/or mechanical washer fixings. NEVER use a solvent-based adhesive, bitumen primer or solvent-borne mastic against EPS — the solvent dissolves the cells.
Lay boards break-bonded (staggered joints), tight-butted, with no adhesive in the joints. Interlock boards around corners and cut single boards around openings so that no board joint lines up with a window or door corner — that is where the render will crack.
Rasp the board face flat after the adhesive has set. A flat board face, not a thick basecoat, is what produces a flat render.
OPTION A (render EIFS): apply the Styrobond DP basecoat, fully embed the Terramesh glass-fibre mesh with 100 mm overlaps, add diagonal mesh patches at all opening corners and a double mesh layer in ground-floor impact zones, then apply the Terracoat topcoat (Excel / Granule / Sahara, 0.8–3 mm grain) in the specified texture.
OPTION B (metal weatherskin): fix top-hat rails / battens through the EPS to the structure, then fix LiteClad over them — Standing Seam / ClipClad on concealed clips, IBR Wide 990 / Corrugated 990 with exposed roof screws. LiteClad is the weather skin only; the EPS behind it carries the whole thermal duty.
Protect the EPS from UV. Do not leave the insulation layer exposed and un-coated / un-clad on site — cover it within the shortest practicable period.
Detail the terminations: head, sill, jamb, parapet and slab-edge. The continuity of the EPS across the slab edge, ring beam and lintel is the entire value of continuous insulation — a bridged slab edge undoes it.
Record the actual grade, thickness and fixing pattern installed, and check the as-built build-up against the SANS 10400-XA compliance checker before sign-off.

The limits

Where not to use this

A material specified for the wrong job fails you, then us.

Against or near flues, chimneys, braai/boiler enclosures, or any hot surface

ALL EPS is combustible — it is fire-retardant treated, not non-combustible. Its service temperature is roughly 80 °C long-term / 100 °C short-term; it softens and recedes well below flame temperatures. The valid B-s1,d0 class (IT 23-08-00009) is a reaction-to-fire class, not permission to place EPS against a heat source.

→ Keep EPS clear of the flue/appliance by the appliance manufacturer's and SANS 10400-T clearances; use a non-combustible board (stone wool) or a masonry surround in the hot zone.

Where the wall must carry a fire-RESISTANCE (REI / minutes) rating — party walls, escape routes, boundary walls, firewalls

A plain EPS core has NO fire-resistance rating, and PIR carries no fire-resistance rating at all (a 100 mm PIR 40 panel FAILED its SANS 10177-2 test). Minutes come from a tested assembly, not from the insulation core.

→ Specify a tested REI assembly — Technopol's only currently-valid load-bearing result is FR60 (E/I/R 60) on the NuClad LiteCore LSF wall (FT 24-003), and it holds only for that exact build-up. Otherwise use a Stone Wool core or a rated masonry/plaster system.

On ordinary cavity masonry or ≥140 mm plastered single-leaf walls, sold as an XA compliance necessity

Under SANS 10400-XA a double-skin (cavity) masonry wall, or a plastered single leaf ≥140 mm, is DEEMED-TO-SATISFY with no added insulation. Selling EIFS as a code requirement on such a wall is simply false.

→ If the wall is already deemed-to-satisfy, only specify continuous insulation where you can justify it on comfort, energy modelling or bridge control — and say so honestly rather than invoking the code.

In contact with solvent-based adhesives, bituminous primers, petroleum products or solvent-borne mastics

Polystyrene is dissolved by aromatic and chlorinated solvents, solvent-borne bitumen primers, and many PU/MS solvent-carried mastics. The board simply melts away at the contact face.

→ Use only EPS-compatible cementitious/dispersion adhesives and water-based primers. Where a solvent-based membrane or bituminous primer is unavoidable, separate it from the EPS with a compatible barrier board.

Left exposed to UV / weather for extended periods during construction

Unprotected EPS chalks, yellows and becomes friable under UV, and a degraded surface will not hold the basecoat bond. The system has no weather integrity until the outer skin is on.

→ Cover the insulation with the render or cladding within the shortest practicable period; rasp back any yellowed/friable surface before rendering.

Carrying sustained structural or bearing load (under footings, backfill, slabs, trafficked surfaces)

EIFS board is a non-structural insulation layer. Sustained load beyond about 1% compressive strain drives long-term creep; board compressive stress @10% is only 60–200 kPa and 10% strain is a failure metric, not a design allowable.

→ Use geofoam (a graded, load-rated EPS engineered to a 1% strain design limit — see the geofoam design checker) or a load-bearing structural solution.

Below grade, in permanent ground contact, in splash zones, or as an inverted/warm-roof insulation layer

EPS is closed-cell but not impermeable — prolonged saturation raises its moisture content and erodes the effective λ, and a rendered EIFS skin is not a below-grade waterproofing system. The same moisture-uptake caution applies to inverted / protected-membrane roofs, which are a separate application with their own board specification.

→ Terminate the insulation above the splash/ground line on a base track with a drip; use a closed-cell, load-rated below-grade product (geofoam / perimeter board) below that line.

High-impact / high-abuse ground-level zones without an armoured detail

A rendered EPS skin has low impact resistance. In high-abuse zones — loading yards, plant rooms, public frontages, agricultural buildings — the render will be punched through.

→ Use a masonry or impact-rated build-up at ground level, or at minimum double the mesh reinforcement in the impact zone and detail an armoured base.

Where it has been used