Description
Specify 160 mm insulation and you have crossed into deep-renovation and near-Passive House territory — the band where every detail of the build-up earns scrutiny because the U-value targets it serves are uncompromising. The LTX 200 mm is the plug that closes that build-up: at 200 mm overall length, a 10 mm sleeve and 60 mm flange, it is the longest 200-piece variant in the LTX-10 series and the anchor for the deepest insulation thicknesses encountered on UK domestic projects.
What the LTX 200 mm Plug Does in a UK EWI System
On a deep retrofit or near-Passive House build specifying 160 mm insulation, fixing those boards requires reaching through the full thickness and still embedding 30 mm into the structural masonry — and the Klimas LTX 200 mm polystyrene plug is the anchor length built to do that. With a 10 mm sleeve, 60 mm flange and ETA-16/0509 certification under ETAG 014, supplied in boxes of 200 from the insulation fixing accessories range, it is the longest 200-piece variant in the LTX-10 series and the standard specification for 160 mm board installations on new-build masonry.
The plug body is polyethylene and the expansion pin is glass-fibre-reinforced polyamide. No metal pathway runs from substrate to render, which means every fixing point delivers 0.001 W/K at surface mount and a true 0.000 W/K when recessed and capped.
At this insulation thickness, the thermal investment per square metre of wall is at its highest across the domestic specification range. Preserving every fraction of that investment through fixings that do not bridge the insulation layer is no longer optional detailing — it is how a near-Passive House build-up holds its calculated performance from drawing to handover.
What Makes the LTX 200 mm Plug Worth Specifying
- Built for 160 mm Deep-Renovation and Near-Passive House Boards: The 200 mm length pairs with 160 mm graphite EPS boards on new-build masonry — the thickness associated with whole-house deep retrofit programmes, near-Passive House builds, and projects targeting the lowest achievable domestic U-values.
- Protects the Largest Per-m² Thermal Investment: At 160 mm board thickness, each fixing point represents a proportionally larger area of the thermal plane than on a 100 mm build. All-plastic construction at 0.000 W/K immersed preserves the U-value calculation that the specification was designed to achieve.
- Retrofit Reach to 160 mm Over Plaster: On retrofit walls carrying 20 mm of existing plaster, the 200 mm plug accommodates 140 mm boards at surface mount and 160 mm boards when immersed — covering the deepest retrofit thicknesses on UK energy-efficiency programmes including PAS 2035 whole-house upgrades.
- Pin Stiffness Verified at Maximum 200-Piece Range Length: Glass-fibre reinforcement in the polyamide pin maintains rigidity through full-depth hammer drives, preventing the mid-shaft flex that can occur in less robust plug designs at 200 mm overall length.
- Flush 60 mm Flange Across Thick Builds: The oversized pressure plate with moulded adhesive pockets keys mechanically into basecoat mortar — particularly important on deep insulation builds where any fixing-point irregularity becomes more visible through the thin-coat render under low-angle natural light.
- ETA-16/0509 Across the Full UK Substrate Range: European Technical Assessment under ETAG 014 covers concrete from C12/15, solid clay and calcium silicate brick, perforated brick including Porotherm 25, lightweight aggregate block, and autoclaved aerated concrete.
Technical Specifications — LTX 200 mm Data Sheet Highlights
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Product Code | LTX-10200 |
| Plug Diameter (dk) | 10 mm |
| Overall Length (Lk) | 200 mm |
| Flange Diameter (Dk) | 60 mm |
| Anchorage Depth (heff) | 30 mm · 50 mm for aerated concrete |
| Drill Hole Depth (h0) | 40 mm · 60 mm for aerated concrete |
| Body Material | Polyethylene (PE) |
| Pin Material | Polyamide reinforced with glass fibre (PA + GF) |
| Washer Stiffness | 0.50 kN/mm |
| Thermal Transmittance (χ) — surface mount | 0.001 W/K |
| Thermal Transmittance (χ) — immersed mount | 0.000 W/K |
| Characteristic Pull-Out — Concrete C20/25 | 0.75 kN |
| Characteristic Pull-Out — Solid Brick | 0.75 kN |
| Characteristic Pull-Out — Perforated Brick | 0.60 kN |
| Characteristic Pull-Out — Porotherm 25 | 0.60 kN |
| Characteristic Pull-Out — Lightweight Aggregate Block | 0.40 kN |
| Certification | ETA-16/0509 (ETAG 014) |
| Pack Quantity | 200 pcs |
How the LTX 200 mm Plug Installs in a Render or EWI System
The LTX 200 mm enters the ETICS build-up after the adhesive bonding the insulation board to the substrate has fully cured — typically 24 hours on EPS at +20 °C. A 10 mm hole is drilled through the board and 40 mm into the masonry (60 mm into aerated concrete), the plug body is inserted until the flange sits flush against the board face, and the glass-fibre-reinforced pin is driven home until the head seals against the sleeve collar. Basecoat with embedded fibreglass mesh then covers the flange and prepares the surface for the render finish that closes the system.
Fixing density follows the project wind-load calculation, typically 6 plugs per square metre in central zones, rising to 8 at corners and edges and 10 on exposed elevations above 15 metres. The fixing pattern and spacing calculation guide sets out the layout method aligned with ETAG 014 wind-load categories, and the step-by-step installation guide for insulation fixings covers substrate assessment, drill-mode selection, and pin-drive technique in detail.
Installation Notes — Dust Clearance, Bit Reach, Depth Discipline
Dust clearance is the variable that separates reliable anchorage from intermittent pin-drive failures at this plug length. Drilling through 160 mm of EPS and into masonry generates a long debris column inside the hole, and at 200 mm of depth that debris compacts against the hole base unless it is actively removed. The reliable method is three to four back-and-forth passes at reduced drill speed followed by a single compressed-air burst — the air burst is what evacuates the fine dust that mechanical passes leave behind.
Drill bit reach is the second variable. A standard 210 mm SDS masonry bit cannot reach the required total depth (160 mm board + 10 mm adhesive + 40 mm anchorage = 210 mm) once chuck depth and operator clearance are factored in. A 300 mm bit is the practical minimum at this plug length and restores normal drilling rhythm across the elevation.
Depth discipline closes the install. Use a depth stop set to the correct combined depth and verify perpendicularity every third hole — at 200 mm length, a 2° drift at the surface translates to roughly 7 mm of lateral offset at the expansion zone, enough to land the anchorage in a mortar joint instead of the brick face. Immersed mounting with an EPS countersinking cutter and grey EPS finishing caps achieves 0.000 W/K per fixing and is standard practice on deep-renovation specifications.
What UK Installers Do Differently With the LTX 200 mm Plug
- Budget 20 per cent more time per fixing: Compared with a 140 mm plug install, the 200 mm length adds measurable time to every hole through dust clearance, bit retraction, and pin-drive depth. Programming this into the project schedule prevents the end-of-day rush that produces inconsistent pin-drive on the last 30 fixings of an elevation.
- Verify three fixings per elevation with a torque check: On deep-renovation builds where the thermal investment is at its highest, a brief torque-resistance check on three plugs per elevation before basecoat goes on provides a useful confidence signal that anchorage quality is consistent across the wall.
- Replace masonry bits every 350–400 holes: Bit wear accelerates at this depth because the bit spends longer in the substrate per hole. A slightly used bit produces a slightly oversized hole, which reduces grip. Fresh bits every 350–400 holes hold hole diameter within the certified tolerance.
- Default to immersed mounting on every plug: At 160 mm insulation, the U-value cost of a surface-mounted fixing is no longer negligible. Recessing each plug and capping with grey EPS finishing caps takes a few extra seconds per fixing and preserves the full calculated thermal performance.
- Compressed air, not just brush clearance: Mechanical hole brushing at 200 mm depth removes the loose dust but leaves compacted fines at the hole base. A short compressed-air burst per hole clears those fines and produces reliably flush plug-body seating across the elevation.
Is the LTX 200 mm Plug Right for Your Project?
- Choose the LTX 200 mm if you are fixing 160 mm EPS or XPS boards on new-build masonry, or 140–160 mm boards on retrofit walls with up to 20 mm of existing plaster — the deep-renovation and near-Passive House thickness band.
- Stepping down to Part L compliance thicknesses? The LTX 180 mm plug at 200 pcs per box is the precise length for 140–150 mm boards on standard Part L specifications and is the higher-volume option on most current new-build projects.
- Stepping up to the maximum board thicknesses? The LTX 220 mm plug at 100 pcs per box extends the range to boards above 180 mm on the thickest Passive House and certified low-energy specifications.
- Specifying mineral wool for fire-rated or high-rise façades? Higher-density mineral wool and fire-strategy requirements typically call for metal-pin fixings with greater pull-out capacity; the broader mechanical fixings range includes heavy-duty variants for those specifications.
FAQ — LTX 200 mm Coverage, Substrates, Ordering
Can the 200 mm plug accommodate 180 mm boards?
Yes — with immersed mounting using an EPS hole cutter, the 200 mm plug extends its effective insulation range to 180 mm on new-build substrates and 160 mm on retrofit walls with existing plaster. This makes it suitable for the thickest board specifications in the Renders World EPS range. Surface mounting without a cutter accommodates boards up to 160 mm on new-build and 140 mm on retrofit substrates.
Why does this plug come in 200-piece boxes while the 220 mm comes in 100-piece boxes?
The 200 mm plug is the longest variant packaged in the standard 200-piece box format. The 220 mm plug ships in 100-piece boxes because the increased material volume per plug and the packaging dimensions required for the longer sleeve make 200-piece boxes impractical to handle on site. Projects specifying the 220 mm length should factor the smaller box count into order quantity calculations — for the same wall area, twice as many boxes are needed compared with the 200 mm.
What drill bit length is required for the 200 mm plug?
Standard 210 mm SDS masonry bits are at their absolute limit at this plug length and cannot reliably achieve the required combined depth once operator clearance and chuck depth are subtracted. A 300 mm bit is the practical minimum, and carrying a spare on every elevation is standard practice. Bit wear accelerates at this drilling depth, so budget for one replacement bit per 350–400 holes to maintain hole diameter within the certified tolerance.
How does the 200 mm plug perform on lightweight aggregate substrates?
Characteristic pull-out on lightweight aggregate (LAC) blocks is 0.40 kN, compared with 0.75 kN on concrete C20/25 and solid brick. The 0.40 kN value satisfies the design requirements for standard domestic EPS insulation under typical UK wind-load conditions. Projects on LAC substrates in exposed coastal or upland zones should confirm pull-out against the project-specific wind-load calculation, and rotation-only drilling is essential to preserve the block's aggregate structure.
How many boxes are needed for a deep-retrofit semi-detached house at 160 mm insulation?
A typical semi-detached house at 160 mm insulation presents around 120–160 m² of external wall area depending on storey height and gable configuration. At 6 fixings per square metre in central zones rising to 8 at corners and edges, total requirement falls between 750 and 1,200 plugs — four to six boxes of 200. Ordering one additional box as reserve is sensible at this scale, since deep-renovation programmes typically run on tighter completion windows where a mid-project reorder pause carries proportionally larger schedule cost.
Does the all-plastic construction support whole-life carbon reporting on Passive House projects?
The polyethylene body and polyamide pin are recyclable thermoplastics, and the cardboard outer packaging enters standard paper and card recycling streams. All-plastic construction carries lower embodied carbon per fixing than steel-pin alternatives, which contributes positively to whole-life carbon assessments — a consideration that carries particular weight on near-Passive House and certified low-energy projects where the full material specification is scrutinised across the building envelope.
What ambient conditions does the plug install in?
The polyamide pin retains its drive characteristics across UK site temperatures, from cool winter mornings down to around +5 °C through to summer heat above 25 °C. As with all ETICS fixings, the underlying adhesive must have reached the manufacturer-specified cure time before mechanical fixing begins — typically 24 hours on EPS at +20 °C, extended in colder conditions. Avoid driving plugs into substrates that are visibly frosted or saturated.
Technical Documentation — LTX-10 TDS and Anchorage Reference
- Klimas LTX-10 Product Data Sheet (PDF) — covers all LTX-10 length variants including the 200 mm anchor.