Externally Insulated Solid Walls
Solid masonry walls may be insulated on their external surface and the insulation covered by an external finish such as render, boarding or tiling (see Figure 52). This construction offers numerous benefits:
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all the thermal mass of the wall lies within the insulation envelope, resulting in a structure with a slow thermal response which is well suited to continuously heated buildings;
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solid walls do not require vented cavities to drain away moisture, which eliminates one route for air infiltration, making it easier to construct buildings with low rates of air permeability;
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detailing of windows and doors is easier as there is only one structural plane to consider within the wall;
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large format blocks and thin joint systems speed construction and reduce the effect of thermal bridging
