ᐅ After installing the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS), the roller shutters are rubbing against the housing.

Hello everyone,

The renovation of our small house is steadily progressing, and we are getting closer to moving in. Unfortunately, we have now encountered our first real setback—actually, the first problem that is causing me some real headache. Since the plasterer applied the external wall insulation system (ETICS), some of the roller shutter slats have started to rub against certain windows. Unfortunately, the entire house has already been fully plastered and painted. Here is a summary:

• New Schüco uPVC windows with Lakal roller shutter boxes
• Windows including the roller shutter boxes were installed flush with the exterior wall to avoid deep reveals after applying the ETICS
• To do this, the concrete sills were cut out, so the ETICS was applied directly onto the roller shutter boxes
• The plasterer used a transparent adhesive suitable for plastics (Powerfix?) and pressed and tapped firmly during installation, similar to applying facade adhesive
• The problem now: The ETICS adhesive pushes the roller shutter box inward in the middle (the wider the window, the worse), causing it to rub against the slats in some areas

Now the window installer and plasterer are somewhat half-heartedly blaming each other:

• The window installer says the plasterer damaged his work. When he left the site, the shutters did not rub, and the boxes were straight
• The plasterer, who is definitely a skilled company with continuous training and has otherwise done all work to our utmost satisfaction, says he has never seen this happen with ETICS before. I know he has insulated quite a few houses
• The plasterer complains that the window installer should at least have left a warning about this issue
• Technicians from Lakal were on site because a roller shutter motor was defective right after installation. They said it is common practice to wedge between the shutter slats and box when applying the ETICS to prevent deformation. According to the plasterer, he had never heard of this before

Can anyone tell me who is responsible for fixing this defect?
And does anyone know if there is a minimum clearance that should be maintained between the slats and the box?

Thanks and best regards from the Southwest Palatinate

Benjamin

We have the same problem with two windows.
In my case, the question of who is responsible doesn’t matter because the windows were installed by the general contractor’s subcontractor.
Much more important is how the issue can be resolved—ideally without having to remove the entire facade again.

Please provide more information: Are you building with a general contractor or managing individual contracts? Do you have a construction manager/site supervisor? I’m not ready to decide yet.

@Vicky Pedia:
Single contract award. We are managing the construction ourselves; my dad is a retired civil engineer. Among other things, a problem became apparent on one window before plastering, after which the plasterer removed the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) there and reattached it. However, he apparently still didn’t pay attention to proper clearance at the other windows.

@ Denz:
In our case, the reveal was constructed using the GIMA PrimusLPS reveal system (reveal panels are inserted into connection profiles that are glued onto the windows and the roller shutter box). We are currently discussing three possible solutions:

1:
The roller shutter slats enter the guide rails on the window via a funnel. According to the Lakal technicians, these funnels can be moved inward or omitted entirely. The guide rails then need to be rounded off at the top edge so the roller shutter still moves smoothly in the rails. This should provide up to 3mm (1/8 inch) of clearance. Our problem is that we have aluminum cladding on the outside, so the rails are also aluminum. Good luck with filing those down...

2:
The window manufacturer wants to simply cut away the part of the roller shutter box that is too narrow, i.e., the lower outer approx. 5cm (2 inches). In our case, the reveal panel would then no longer be glued to the roller shutter box but only to the ETICS above it.

3:
Create space with a multi-tool or similar device between the compressed roller shutter box and the ETICS, then fill the gap with adhesive and wedge the roller shutter box outward until the adhesive sets.

I understand your concerns because that really frustrates me too: we have a large house and many windows are affected. Having the facade replastered would be a complete disaster. On the other hand, I’ve also made up my mind not to accept patchwork solutions that last 6 years, only to pay the price myself in 7 years.

Anyone else have a tip?

Unfortunately, we have the same problem. Has there been a solution here?
In our case, the window company and the facade company are blaming each other.