INCA Case Study: Ealing Social Value Retrofit Project

A large-scale EWI retrofit scheme upgrading 280 solid wall homes in Phase One across three areas within the London Borough of Ealing.

Project Overview

A Large-Scale Retrofit Programme Across Ealing

The Ealing Social Housing Retrofit scheme is a major external wall insulation programme being delivered across three areas within the London Borough of Ealing. With 280 solid wall homes included in Phase One and approximately 50 completed to date, the project represents a significant investment in improving the performance, appearance and long-term condition of existing housing stock.

The programme is being delivered through three main contractor packages, each supported by a specialist installer. R. Benson is working with First Renderers Ltd, Greyline is working with ShapeUp Construction Ltd and Durkan is working with PJ Mear.

Across the scheme, an EWI Pro Mineral Wool External Wall Insulation System is being used to improve the thermal performance of solid wall homes while supporting a consistent silicone render finish across the upgraded properties.

The works form part of a wider retrofit approach, with external wall insulation coordinated alongside other improvement measures including roof works, window replacement, trenching and scaffold adaptation. This makes careful sequencing, specification control and technical support essential across the programme.

Key Project Details

Delivery Structure

Three Areas, One Consistent Retrofit Approach

The Ealing scheme is being delivered across three areas within the borough, with each area managed through a separate main contractor and specialist installer team. This delivery structure allows the programme to progress across multiple locations while maintaining one consistent EWI Pro system approach.

With 280 homes included in Phase One, coordination between delivery teams is essential. Each area must follow the same system specification, installation standards and technical guidance to help ensure consistency across the completed homes.

The three-area model reflects the scale of the programme, bringing together multiple workstreams under one wider retrofit objective: improving the performance, appearance and long-term condition of solid wall homes across Ealing.

Delivery Teams

One borough-wide retrofit programme, three delivery areas and one consistent EWI Pro system approach.

The Retrofit Challenge

Upgrading Solid Wall Homes at Scale

The properties included within the scheme are solid wall homes, making external wall insulation a key measure for improving thermal performance. Unlike modern cavity wall construction, solid wall homes require a different retrofit approach, with the building fabric upgraded from either the outside or the inside.

External wall insulation was selected because it allows the thermal performance of the walls to be improved without reducing internal living space. This was an important consideration across the Ealing programme, where homes needed to be upgraded while keeping disruption for residents as low as possible.

The scale of the scheme added further complexity. With 280 homes included in Phase One across three areas of Ealing, the project required consistent specification, reliable material supply and clear communication between main contractors, installers, designers and technical support teams.

The EWI works also needed to be coordinated alongside other refurbishment measures, including roof works, replacement windows, trenching and scaffold adaptation. This made sequencing and site coordination essential to successful delivery.

Pull-out testing formed part of the quality process, helping confirm the fixing approach before the EWI system was installed across the wider programme.

External wall insulation was chosen to improve the performance of solid wall homes and protect valuable internal living space.

Whole-House Retrofit Approach

More Than an EWI Installation

The EWI works formed part of a wider retrofit approach across the Ealing properties, with the insulation system coordinated alongside roofline works, window replacement, below-DPC detailing, trenching and external services.

On existing homes, these interfaces are critical. Rooflines, windows, ground levels and gas boxes all affect how the system is installed, detailed and finished, making careful sequencing essential across the programme.

Coordinated Retrofit Interfaces

The EWI works were coordinated around rooflines, windows, below-DPC details, trenching and external services.

System Selection and Build-Up

Mineral Wool EWI System for Solid Wall Retrofit

The Ealing scheme uses an EWI Pro Mineral Wool External Wall Insulation System to support the thermal upgrade of existing solid wall homes across the borough.

The main system combines 100mm Mineral Wool insulation with a reinforced basecoat layer and a 1.5mm silicone render finish. This build-up was selected to improve wall performance, provide a consistent external appearance and support long-term durability across the wider retrofit programme.

Mineral Wool onto Brick Build-Up

1. Brick (Substrate Primer)
2. Insulation Adhesive
3. Starter Track
4. Mineral Wool
5. Mechanical Fixings
6. Basecoat
7. Fibreglass Mesh
8. Topcoat Primer
9. Silicone Render

Why This System Worked

The EWI Pro system build-up combined 100mm Mineral Wool insulation, a reinforced render system and a consistent 1.5mm silicone render finish.

System Components

Materials Used Across the EWI Build-Up

The Ealing retrofit scheme used a selected combination of EWI Pro materials to support the Mineral Wool external wall insulation system across the upgraded solid wall homes.

The main build-up included substrate preparation, 100mm Mineral Wool insulation, mechanical fixings, a reinforced basecoat layer and a 1.5mm silicone render finish. Below DPC, 70mm XPS was used as part of the ground-level insulation and detailing approach.

EWI-225 Premium Basecoat played a key role, acting as both the adhesive for the insulation boards and the reinforced basecoat layer.

Each component helped support a consistent Mineral Wool EWI system across the wider Ealing retrofit programme.

System Components

Project Delivery and Quality Control

Coordinating Sequencing, Specification and Site Standards

Delivering the Ealing scheme requires careful coordination across three active retrofit areas, with multiple contractors and installer teams working under one wider programme.

The works are being carried out to existing homes, which means each property must be assessed and detailed around real site conditions. Rooflines, windows, ground levels, service boxes, scaffold access and below-DPC details all affect how the EWI system is installed and finished.

Quality control is also central to the delivery of the programme. Pull-out testing, specification compliance and clear technical guidance help ensure that the fixing approach and installation standards are consistent across the wider scheme.

With 280 homes included in Phase One, maintaining consistency is essential. Each delivery team must follow the same system approach, resolve site details correctly and coordinate with other trades.

Key Delivery and Quality Factors

Careful sequencing, pull-out testing and specification compliance helped support consistent EWI delivery across the wider Ealing retrofit programme.

EWI Pro’s Role

Technical Support, Site Visits and Material Supply

EWI Pro supported the Ealing scheme through system supply, technical guidance and responsive communication with installer teams across the wider programme.

For a live retrofit scheme of this scale, reliable material availability and quick technical support were essential. ShapeUp Construction highlighted the consistency of next day deliveries, clear communication from the office team and practical support when technical queries were raised.

The project also required input where design or site questions needed to be resolved quickly. EWI Pro’s technical team supported installers with practical guidance, while Business Development Manager Will Dodds helped maintain communication across the wider project.

This level of support gave installers a clear route for resolving site-specific details, helping keep the works moving across active properties.

EWI Pro Support

EWI Pro supported the programme through technical site visits, Will Dodds’ project support, reliable material supply and responsive design query support.

Early Project Outcomes

A Strong Start to a 280-Home Phase One Retrofit Programme

The Ealing Social Housing Retrofit scheme is still in its early delivery phase, with approximately 50 homes completed to date as part of a 280-home Phase One programme across the borough.

The completed properties demonstrate the value of a coordinated external wall insulation approach for existing solid wall homes. The EWI Pro Mineral Wool system supports improved thermal performance while allowing the works to be carried out externally, helping protect valuable internal living space for residents.

The 1.5mm silicone render finish also provides a cleaner, more consistent external appearance across the upgraded homes. This helps improve the visual quality of the properties while supporting the long-term condition of the external envelope.

As the programme continues, the consistent use of one EWI Pro system approach across three delivery areas will help support specification control, installation quality and visual consistency.

Key Early Project Outcomes

The completed homes demonstrate the early impact of a coordinated EWI approach across a 280-home Phase One retrofit programme.