There are so many good things to talk about regarding Thermocromex! Where does one begin?

By James Reed, National Sales Manager

Gailliard (2)

People say to me, “What is this Thermocromex, Jim? And, why are you so excited about it?” There are so many incredibly good items I can bring up to immediately respond to those questions, sometimes the feeling I get is not unlike going to the amazing buffet at The Bellagio. Where does one begin? So, here’s one way I handle this:

To begin with, I always state that Thermocromex is a state-of-the-art, unique limestone plaster, ultra-high-performance cladding that can be applied to virtually any substrate, indoors or outdoors. When it comes to exterior cladding, I emphasize the fact that Thermocromex not only enhances a building’s image, once applied, the structure actually appreciates due to the value of that investment. And, when compared with maintenance and replacement costs over time for alternative systems such as stucco or EIFS, without question Thermocromex more than pays for itself!

Now granted, the product is somewhat new here in America. But for over 25 years throughout Europe, it has become an insisted-upon building material. In just the last few years, those forays it has made within the stateside architectural & design community have been received with outstanding response. Without question, I see Thermocromex as an investment-quality building product. It’s fun watching customers and prospects who take a few minutes to find out more about it, getting totally excited! And it always seems to happen!

Unlike with the highest-quality painting materials, Thermocromex’s integral color NEVER requires a topcoat or re-coloring… and, this eliminates future maintenance costing. Structures with stucco always will need to be repainted, which can ultimately double the cost of initial installation within as little as four painting cycles. On top of that, cracked stucco will always ultimately require repair and repainting, and is difficult to color match, as well.

Because architects today are looking for LEED points, Thermocromex applications make it possible for them to easily attain them. While Thermocromex has the potential of 45 points in 8 categories, stucco has the potential of 3 points in 2 categories. Quite a difference!

And, Thermocromex offers a thermal resistance factor (R-value) that is FIVE TIMES (5X!) greater than that of stucco! This not only provides insulation for the building envelope, but also offers a significant percentage improvement over baseline energy performance ratings.

Let’s talk about aesthetics. When you look closely, you’ll see that Thermocromex can duplicate the look of natural/precast stone and precast concrete with multiple colors and tones. This includes a myriad of textures (actually, unlimited!) from very smooth to rough split face. On the other hand, stucco is limited only to single colors and medium-to-rough textures. As a designer, which material gives you the most options? (Hint: I know!)

Most importantly, I always convey to EVERYONE that Thermocromex is definitely NOT Portland cement plaster or gypsum plaster, … it’s a unique limestone cladding material which will outlast the overall life of any building.

Best regards,
Jim