At EWI Store we offer many different types of beading, all designed to help strengthen specific areas of the render system or external wall system. You will notice many of our beads have mesh wings – these are designed to be embedded within the basecoat layer of thin-coat render systems.
Types of beading
Corner beading for Render/EWI systems
As the name suggests, corner beading provides additional strength to the corners of the building. Corners are more prone to knocks than other areas of the wall surface, so it is very important to provide extra reinforcement via this type of beading.
The corner bead also helps provide a perfect 90-degree corner, as well as ensuring a straight line up the corner, giving a more aesthetically pleasing finish once rendered.
This EWI-66520 bead is specifically for thin-coat render systems. The bead is covered by the basecoat adhesive and render, so once the job is finished you will not see any of this corner bead protruding out of the render system (unlike monocouche/scratch renders, where the corner bead is visible in the system).
Corner beads are not required in internal corners – only external corners!
While EWI-66520 is great for reinforcing 90-degree corners, it is unsuitable if there is any variation in angle. Our flexible corner bead allows you to reinforce angles that are not 90 degrees. The corner bead comes in long 25-metre strips and, when cut to size, helps provide additional strength in areas that tend to encounter more knocks than average.
The bead is to be used only with thin-coat systems and is fully embedded within the basecoat render system, so once installed, no beading will be visible.
Bellcast beading for Render/EWI systems
Our bellcast bead is only used in render-only systems. It is mesh-free and available in two variations: 6 mm and 10mm. The 6mm is used for thin-coat render systems, while the 10mm is used for scratch renders.
The bellcast bead is embedded within the basecoat layer at the bottom of the wall where you want the render to finish (normally above the DPC level). The bellcast allows you to generate a nice straight finish at the bottom of the render, but it also serves an important secondary function. The protruding lip also directs water away from the wall. This lip means water cannot run back along the bead to the wall, helping to prevent damp forming.
Reveal beading for Render/EWI systems
The reveal bead is used around windows to help provide a tidier finish. It also means that silicone is not required. The bead is used on vertical reveals and the top reveal and can be used on EWI systems (where the mesh is tied into the reveal using the basecoat adhesive) or the mesh can be cut and used on render-only systems.
The reveal bead has a removable tab, so once the final top coat has been applied, you can simply remove the tab, leaving a nice, crisp, clean finish.
This reveal bead is available in either white or grey (to match windows finished with RAL-7016). It comes with a rubber ‘O’ ring that sits on the window frame and compresses to give a waterproof seal when the bead is installed correctly.
This reveal bead is very like EWI-66458, although instead of using the compressible rubber ‘O’ ring, it uses a sponge to provide the seal. This reveal bead is only available in white.
This bead resembles the EWI-66520 corner bead; however, when you look closely, there is a drip on the bead. This bead is used in EWI systems and prevents water from travelling back along the reveal at the top of window frames. The drip on the bead ensures that water travelling vertically down the wall towards a window will then be forced to drip down onto the window sill.
The bead has two mesh wings, which are embedded into the basecoat layer – ensure that you install the bead in the correct orientation as per the picture below.
Starter track
This is our basic starter track, which forms a stable plinth on which you can build up the EWI systems. The aluminium starter track is available in a few different thicknesses as standard—50mm, 70mm, 90mm, and 100mm. However, other sizes are available to accommodate other thicknesses of insulation, but these are made to order (expect a delay of 5 working days if you want to order bespoke products).
The aluminium starter track is attached to the wall at 300mm centres using screws and rawl plugs. We recommend connecting aluminium starter tracks to adjacent pieces using starter track connectors to help increase strength.
This particular bead is normally bought in conjunction with the aluminium starter track. It is the mechanism with which the aluminium starter track is tied into the external wall insulation System. The bead clips onto the front edge of the aluminium starter track and then is embedded within the basecoat layer of the EWI system.
Our Premium Starter Track is made from high-strength uPVC. It consists of two parts – a female part that is attached to the wall using screws/rawlplugs at 300mm centres, and a male part.
The male part of the premium starter track slides into the female part of the starter track. The reason there are two different product numbers is that this starter track is designed to work with a range of different insulation thicknesses.
EWI-64206 is used for EPS thicknesses between 50-90mm
EWI-64216 is used for EPS thicknesses between 100 – 160mm
The premium starter track does not require the additional clip-on profile, since there is already a mesh wing connected to the leading edge of the male part of the starter track – and it is this that is that gets embedded within the basecoat layer of the EWI system.
Flexible arch beading for Render/EWI systems
A flexible uPVC arch bead is used to form perfect arches, either internally or externally. The bead sits within the basecoat layer and provides sharp, clean edges while supporting the angles against accidental impacts.
The flexible arch bead has been constructed to match the contours of the arch and provide additional strength.
Once the bead has been embedded within the thin coat render system it is no longer visible.
Our stop bead is used at the edges of our thin-coat render systems to produce a clean, sharp finish. It comes with a 100mm wing of mesh embedded into the basecoat layer. The stop bead can be used in several situations, including stopping the render at window and door frames and making changes to the facade to produce a straight finish. It also helps provide some protection against impact.
10 thoughts on “Different Types of Beading for Render/EWI systems”
That is a useful way of detailing all the different types of beading available for the render and insulation systems. Very helpful!
Do you do a starter track that goes around bay windows? We have seen these things on other websites and we need it for our next job.
I really like the look of the window reveal bead, but I am wondering whether cutting the mesh really makes any difference. We are only adding 20mm insulation to the external walls, therefore the bead would be too long. I just want to make sure that if we were to cut the bead and use on our window reveals, there would be no issues. I.e. the bead would still be strongly binded within the system.
A great guide to get you started. The window reveal bead is often referred to as APU bead though 🙂
Haha – thanks for your comment Chris. We have tried to cover most of the beading here, but I am sure there are a couple of others we have missed to be honest! Do any stand out to you?
This is a great reference guide for renders and EWI installers. I always feel installers don’t use the correct beading in the correct place as one some of the more ‘exotic beading’ like reveal beads and windows header beads aren’t readily available and two that they haven’t been taught exactly where to use it. Render beading is an incredibly important component of render systems and solid wall insulation systems and it is great now that people can come to EWI Store and get what they need (and also in small quantities rather than having to buy boxes of the stuff). Well done and keep up the good work.
I need to do something at the bottom of 20mm eps board? What would you recommend as I can’t seem to get 20mm starter track from anywhere, but I think I need to somehow add a bit of extra protection to this area as it will likely get bashed a bit as it is on a main road. Basically I am imagining a bellcast bead (so there is a drip) but the bead also needs to protect the underneath of the insulation?
Hi Chris, Try window header bead, but cut the mesh off the bead where it goes back towards the wall. By cutting off the mesh, you will essentially have a reinforced angle on the bottom of the insulation with the drip you are looking for, but the lack of mesh means on the bottom part of the bead will allow it to sit easily in place. Just basecoat the whole of the render bead in and you will be good to go!
In your opinion what is best render board? We have a 150m2 job, and have been asked to spec a render board and we don’t know which to go for. I have used Aquapanel (knauf) in the past, but I know they are expensive, is there a cheaper board that has the same characteristics?
Hi
I have job that involves rendering and curved wall and unsure on what bead will be best for the curve