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Building facades need care and maintenance to address various issues throughout their lifetime.
Sika’s Refresh, Repair, and Renovate program is designed to provide you with solutions for various issues affecting your building’s walls. We don't just offer a broad range of products. We also provide step-by-step guidance to address specific concerns, such as improving the thermal performance of your building walls or tackling issues like rising damp, ensuring that you find the right solution for your unique needs.
Why Refresh, Repair, Renovate with Sika?
Generally, renovating a house is more sustainable than building one from scratch. Even if new buildings are more focused on the implementation of renewable solutions, the overall extraction, processing, and transportation of materials for a new building result in more air, water, and soil pollution.
Our products are continuously subjected to sustainable evaluations by our internal sustainability team and third parties to ensure compliance with our CO2 reduction strategy and to optimize their material performance.
By using more efficient products with a better lambda (λ) value, the overall energy consumption of a building is reduced. This results in lower use of HVAC systems, leading to energy savings and an extended lifespan of HVAC equipment.
Structural integrity guarantees a longer lifespan for a building. By addressing and resolving issues like capillary humidity, wall degradation, or surface pathogen attacks, we reduce the maintenance costs of a building, extend the lifespan of its structure, and improve the health of the building's occupants.
A direct consequence of a renovated building with better thermal performance and aesthetic appeal. By renovating, a building’s historical patrimony is preserved, ensuring it can be passed on to future generations.
Many governments currently offer fiscal incentives for the renovation or repair of older buildings. By taking advantage of these tax benefits, the high-quality products offered by Sika become even more appealing and affordable.
Three Ways to Improve Your Facade
Touch up your facade
Aesthetic changes to a building can be accomplished quickly by repainting or refinishing an existing wall or insulated facade project.
Skimcoat
Mineral and organic products for aesthetic finishing
- High-build/ thick renders and stuccos
- Thin-coat solutions
Cleaning, protection, and sealing products
- Non-reactive hydrophobic impregnations (water or solvent-based) for facades and masonry walls in residential applications
- Protective sealers for building facades
- Cleaning agents
Thermal insulated facade systems (ETICS/ EIFS)
- Basecoat
- Finishes
Fix issues with your facade
Clean and inspect the building, identify minor repairs to address to prevent larger issues in the future and extend the life of the wall finishing.
Joint compounds
Crack fillers
Patching products
Leveling mortars
Rising damp solutions
- Aerated renovation mortars for rising damp
- Silane cream for rising damp treatment (damp proof course)
- Bedding mortars for bricklaying and pointing
- Hydraulic binder-based consolidation slurries
- Primers to prepare the substrate before leveling or painting
Change/ replace your facade
A complete replacement of the wall is required in cases of a neglected facade or a facade with very poor thermal transmittance values.
Basecoat/ skimcoat
Renders and stucco
- Mineral/ organic thick products
- Mineral/ organic thin products
Thermal insulated facade systems (ETICS/ EIFS)
- Basecoat
- Insulation
- Finishes
Heritage Facade Mortars
- Dry-mix mortar based on lime binders for facade renovation
- Leveling, smoothing and finishing
- Primers to prepare the substrate before leveling or painting
Refresh
Refreshing a facade means to refinish, repaint or reclean it.
Refinish: Refinishing is achieved by the application of a skim coat layer on a wall or in case of thermal insulated facade system, e.g. ETICS, solutions by the application of basecoat and finishing.
Repaint: Sika provides a variety of mineral and organic products for aesthetic finishing, including high-build (thick) renders, stuccos, and thinner coating solutions.
Reclean: Sika has developed a wide range of products for cleaning, protection, and sealing, including water- or solvent-based, non-reactive hydrophobic impregnations for residential applications on facades, masonry walls, etc., as well as protective sealers for building applications and cleaning agents.
Leveling mortars for leveling and smoothing walls
Skimcoat
- Smoothing grey (or white) mortar is usually applied over a basecoat or, sometimes, directly on the wall to create a smooth surface and prepare it for a thin finish coating, such as paint (1–10 mm).
- White products can sometimes remain exposed if their waterproof properties allow.
- Often referred to as finish plaster or mortar.
- Available in powder form, ready-to-use paste, or paste to be mixed on-site.
Acrylic paste, ready to be mixed on-site with cement or gypsum.
Very smooth and easy to apply.
Acrylic paste, ready to be used.
White products.
Easy to prepare and apply.
It can contain fibers to cover small cracks.
Different technologies according to needs.
Cement-based.
Gypsum-based.
Mineral and organic products for aesthetic finishing
Thick renders and stuccos
- May be mineral or organic
One-coat renders (monocouche): A colored mortar applied directly to the wall in a 1.5 – 2.0 cm layer, serving as both leveling and finishing with a single product.
Thick mineral renders and stuccos: Applied over basecoats in thinner layers than monocouche, typically 3 – 4 mm.
Thick mineral renders and stuccos: Available as either powder or ready-to-use paste.
These products can be cement-based, lime-based, or silicate-based.
Organic-based renders and stuccos, including siloxane and silicone products.
Application thickness: 2/3 mm.
Thin coatings and paints
- Mineral or organic coatings or paints applied in very thin layers. These coatings can be organic, cement-based, lime-based, or silicate-based, depending on the requirements and substrate needs.
Cement, lime, or silicate-based products.
Lime and silicate products are better suited for heritage buildings due to their breathability properties and compatibility with older materials, such as stone and lime mortars.
Acrylic and siloxane coatings and paints (available in select countries: PT, PE, FR, DK, SRB, etc.)
Cleaning and protecting products to care for your facade
Cleaning products
- Mold and algae removal
- Efflorescence, cement and lime residue removal
- Dirt and grime cleaning
Protection products
- Hydrophobic protection of masonry, plaster or roofing tiles.
- Hydrophobic and oleophobic protection for all porous materials on facades, walls, pitched roofs, pavements, and interior flooring – designed for natural stones.
Repair
Repairing a facade means to replace or refill it.
Replace: Repairing and leveling mortars may be necessary in some cases. Our solution uses two components: the basecoat and the skimcoat. The basecoat, a grey mortar, is applied as a rough first layer to level the wall, typically in thicker layers (1–2 cm). The skimcoat, a smoothing mortar in grey or white, is usually applied over the basecoat— or directly on the wall in some cases— to create a smooth surface, preparing it for a thin finish like paint (1–10 mm). In certain situations, white products can remain exposed if they have waterproof properties.
Refill: Sometimes cracks occur on the wall surface or deeper within the wall due to mechanical adjustments or seasonal hygrothermal changes. Sika offers a variety of joint compounds, crack fillers, and patching solutions. We also provide solutions for addressing rising damp issues.
Leveling mortars for leveling and smoothing facades
Basecoat
- First layer: grey mortar to level the wall; usually a rough product applied in thicker layers than skimcoats (1-2 cm).
- Basecoat / plaster / brown coat.
- Usually in powder form.
Skimcoat
- Smoothing grey (or white) mortar is usually applied over a basecoat or, sometimes, directly on the wall to create a smooth surface and prepare it for a thin finish coating, such as paint (1–10 mm).
- White products can sometimes remain exposed if their waterproof properties allow.
- Often referred to as finish plaster or mortar.
- Available in powder form, ready-to-use paste, or paste to be mixed on-site.
Acrylic paste, ready to be mixed on-site with cement or gypsum.
Very smooth and easy to apply.
Acrylic paste, ready to be used.
White and grey products.
Easy to prepare and apply.
It can contain fibers to cover small cracks.
Different technologies according to needs.
Cement-based.
Gypsum-based.
Damp walls treatment
Moisture issues to tackle - mold and saltpeter due to:
- Bad ventilation: a superficial damp problem.
- Internal condensation: mortar is damaged.
- Driving rain and leaking roof: water entry must be stopped externally.
- Rising damp: salt presence in the wall comes from water in the soil, usually rising up to 1.5 meters.
Silane-based injection fluid
- Indoor and outdoor
- Solid brick/cavity walls
- Easy to apply
- Very effective
- Water-based
Aerated mortars
- Highly porous mortars to retain salts
- Highly breathable mortars to release water vapor
- Cement or lime-based products
Aerated mortars
- Highly porous mortars to retain salts
- Highly breathable mortars to release water vapor
- Cement or lime-based products
Mineral finishing recommended
- Highly breathable products to release water vapor
- Thin lime or silicate-based products
Renovate
Renovating a facade means to refinish, restyle, or re-energize it.
Refinish: Applying a combination of basecoat and skim coat layers can restore wall surfaces and prepare them for further finishing.
Restyle: The restyling of a facade can be achieved using renders and stucco (mineral or organic products) with a thinner or thicker layer, depending on the wall's requirements.
Re-energize: Thermal performance is guaranteed by using thermal insulated facade systems such as ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite System) or EIFS. Sika provides the complete system technology, including basecoat, insulation, and finishes.
Renovate for heritage buildings: Buildings constructed before the 1950s can be vulnerable to severe damage due to inadequate maintenance or natural wear over time. We offer specialty products for old facades, masonry treatment and renovation, as well as bedding and pointing mortars.
Leveling mortars for leveling and smoothing facades
Basecoat
- First layer: grey mortar to level the wall; usually a rough product applied in thicker layers than skimcoats (1-2 cm).
- Basecoat / plaster / brown coat.
- Usually in powder form.
Skimcoat
- Smoothing grey (or white) mortar is usually applied over a basecoat or, sometimes, directly on the wall to create a smooth surface and prepare it for a thin finish coating, such as paint (1–10 mm).
- White products can sometimes remain exposed if their waterproof properties allow.
- Often referred to as finish plaster or mortar.
- Available in powder form, ready-to-use paste, or paste to be mixed on-site.
Acrylic paste, ready to be mixed on-site with cement or gypsum.
Very smooth and easy to apply.
Acrylic paste, ready to be used.
White products.
Easy to prepare and apply.
It can contain fibers to cover small cracks.
Different technologies according to needs.
Cement-based.
Gypsum-based.
Mineral and organic products for aesthetic finishing
Thick renders and stuccos
- May be mineral or organic
One-coat renders (monocouche): A colored mortar applied directly to the wall in a 1.5 – 2.0 cm layer, serving as both leveling and finishing with a single product.
Thick mineral renders and stuccos: Applied over basecoats in thinner layers than monocouche, typically 3 – 4 mm.
Thick mineral renders and stuccos: Available as either powder or ready-to-use paste.
These products can be cement-based, lime-based, or silicate-based.
Organic-based renders and stuccos, including siloxane and silicone products.
Application thickness: 2/3 mm.
Exterior wall insulation systems and products for facade insulation and finishing
Systems
- ETICS: external thermal insulation composite system
- EIFS: exterior insulation finishing system
Components
- Insulation boards for ETICS/ EIFS
- Mechanical fixing for installing ETICS insulation boards
- Thermal insulation renders
Basecoat
There is a wide range of cement-based products, used for adhering insulation boards, as well as protecting them.
Guidance range, performance level based on:
- Maturity of the market.
- Insulation materials used.
Insulation
Solutions for insulation materials exist based on different technologies:
- EPS – cost-efficient
- Mineral wool – highest fire safety
- Wood fiber – sustainability
- Cork - sustainability
Finishes
According to the performance level of the system as well as insulation material used, a wide range of finishes is available, roughly divided into:
- Acrylic – basic finishing render
- Silicone – improved dirt- and moisture-repellent
- Silicate – high vapor openness and sustainable
Heritage renovation solutions
Full range of specialty products for old, historical and heritage facades
- Dry-mix mortar based on lime binders for facade renovation
- Leveling, smoothing, and finishing
- Rising damp aerated renovation mortars
- Rising treatment silane cream (Damp Proof Course)
- Bedding mortars for bricklaying and pointing
- Hydraulic binder-based consolidation slurries
- Primers to prepare the substrate before leveling or painting
Lime-based restoration mortars and stone repair - respect for the original substrate
- Low mechanical resistance, ideally suited to old substrates
- Flexibility and deformability to adapt to building movements
- Impermeable to running water but porous and permeable to water vapor
One single layer applied in two coats, allowing minimum interval of four hours between coats (til firm consistency is reached)
Two layers applied, basecoat then finish coat
For restoring and repairing stone facades
Masonry mortars for bedding and pointing
Bedding mortars
There is a wide range of products based on cement or lime, according to needs:
- Support: bricks, blocks, stones, non-load-bearing walls, etc.
- Product specifications: strength, shrinkage, breathability, vapor transmission, auto-healing, resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, or de-icing salts, etc.
- Project requirements such as sustainable repointing (LEED) or historical monuments.
Pointing mortars
There is a wide range of products based on cement or lime, according to needs:
- Support: bricks, blocks, stones, non-load-bearing walls, etc.
- Product specifications: strength, shrinkage, breathability, vapor transmission, auto-healing, resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, or de-icing salts, etc.
- Project requirements such as sustainable repointing (LEED) or historical monuments.
