According to experts, floor insulation increases the energy efficiency of buildings and reduces family costs for public utilities. Laying insulation is especially important in the bathroom, because residents often enter this room barefoot.
Insulation of the floor structure is necessary to create favorable microclimate in the house. Carrying out such work is especially important in an apartment on the ground floor, because the premises of such a home are not heated from below. Many property owners believe that wood flooring retains heat well, but in fact, even such products need additional insulation.
So why insulate the floor, many people wonder? The answer to this question can be quite simple. The point is that the flooring country house or apartment occupies a significant area. There may be cracks and chips on its surface, which allow heat to escape and cold air to enter the middle of the room.
If we take into account concrete base, then such a material is characterized by high performance indicators (durability and strength). Despite this, reinforced concrete slab ceiling or leveling screed made of mortar has one significant drawback - it is a high thermal conductivity coefficient. Due to this characteristic, concrete is considered cold building material. Insulation of the structure flooring increases efficiency heating system, helps reduce energy costs.
Laying thermal insulation is especially necessary for an apartment that is located on the first floor of the house. Living rooms usually located above the wet and damp basement, which can lead to mold on the walls. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to install insulation and waterproofing. With minimal experience and the necessary construction tools Any property owner can handle this kind of work. Next, we will describe how to make floor insulation with your own hands.
Before the process of thermal insulation of the floor covering in a private house, it is necessary to select insulation. There are a huge number of similar products on the construction market, but the most the best materials For floor insulation the following are considered:
It is not difficult to understand that sawdust is considered the cheapest type of thermal insulation. This material is obtained after processing wood using special equipment. This is a secondary product that is environmentally friendly and has minimal cost. In addition, sawdust can be poured into any cracks. A floor insulated with their help will be absolutely safe for human health.
The second most accessible and popular thermal insulation materials, mineral wool, are distinguished by good heat-insulating and sound-proofing properties. Such products are available in the form of mats or rolls. They do not burn under the influence of high temperatures; in addition, fungus and mold do not appear on their surface. The main disadvantage of the material is the loss of its original properties when water penetrates the structure. In this regard, mats must be protected from moisture with high-quality thermal insulation.
Such thermal insulation material as isolon is made on the basis of mineral fibers. Similar products characterized by low thermal conductivity, resistance to chemicals and biological factors of influence. The insulation has average cost, resistant to mechanical stress.
And the last material, polystyrene foam, has high strength and resistance to moisture. Similar products are available in construction stores in the form of slabs, they have excellent thermal insulation ability. This material is quite durable, rodents and insects do not take it.
For floor insulation wooden house many people choose mineral wool. To carry out insulating work you will need the following tool:
The entire list of works boils down to the following:
On initial stage work, it is necessary to remove the old coating and correct unevenness on the base. After leveling the surface, create a subfloor from waste boards coniferous species wood. The croakers are fitted tightly and then treated with an antiseptic. If you do not use the specified impregnation, then the logs and wooden plank will rot after 5-7 years of use. All elements are fastened together using screws or nails.
At the next stage of work, they lay metal mesh with a small cell size. Next this structural element sprinkle with a thin layer of expanded clay (about 4 centimeters). This material will not only press down the mesh, but will also create the necessary ventilation gap between the insulation and the subfloor. Waterproofing, roofing felt or plastic film is also laid underneath.
Bars or joists are laid on the waterproofing of the rough wooden floor. They are attached to the surface every 80-100 centimeters using nails or self-tapping screws. One or several rows of mineral wool are placed in the space formed between these elements. The insulation is installed with overlapping joints, so that no gaps form between the slab and the joists. Next, the waterproofing is installed, which is attached to the base using staplers.
Milled boards are used as the finishing floor covering, connected to each other using a tongue-and-groove system.
Floor insulation with expanded clay
Preparation for the main work consists of dismantling the old floor covering and clearing the surface of construction debris. Typically, the unnecessary structure is removed to a solid base, concrete or reinforced concrete floor slab. To clean the surface from dirt and debris, metal scrapers and a construction vacuum cleaner are used. After this, the holes and cracks in the base are sealed, using cement-sand mortar or special glue for this purpose. Before insulating the floor with expanded clay, it is necessary to carry out waterproofing works
For application bitumen mastic use a roller or paint brush. Drying of one layer of the solution in question occurs within three hours. For reliable and high-quality waterproofing It is necessary to apply up to three layers of material to the surface. Subsequently, a special damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the room, which will form a gap after the screed has dried and will prevent possible deformations.
The technology for installing expanded clay screed is similar to the process of pouring concrete, so preparatory stage it is necessary to install beacons made of metal pipes. If expanded clay will be used as a backfill material, then T-shaped metal profiles should serve as beacons. The first guide rail is installed near the wall, opposite the door, and the maximum distance between the beacons is set within one meter.
The slats are fixed to the surface using a cement-sand mortar with an increased dosage of binder. The beacons are leveled using hydraulic or conventional building level. To adjust the height of the pipe, use wooden wedges, which need to be tapped in the right direction. The height of the slats is set in such a way that the height of the insulation screed is at least 8 centimeters.
The first layer of expanded clay can be laid as a screed or in a dry way (filling granules of baked clay into the spaces between the beacons). When using a liquid screed, pouring must be carried out in several successive stages. First of all, you need to mix expanded clay with a regular mortar in a ratio of 1 to 5. After this, begin laying the first layer of mortar; it should be 2 centimeters lower from the guide rails.
Expanded clay, which is part of a concrete floor, is considered a fairly light building material, so the granules must be embedded in the solution using a trowel. After some time, the expanded clay will remove moisture and sink into the main mass. When the first layer has hardened, begin laying the leveling concrete screed.
The thickness of the finishing layer of the solution should be at least two centimeters. concrete mixture poured in between installed beacons, and then tighten it with a rule to make it perfect Smooth surface. Depending on the thickness, the setting time of expanded clay screed can range from one to four weeks. During this process, it is necessary to protect the surface from direct sunlight.
In the case where the apartment on the first floor of a residential building is located above the basement, the best option Insulating the floor will involve laying thermal insulation on the cellar side. IN in this case You can achieve one important advantage - the floor in the apartment does not need to be torn down and redone. In this case, the level of the floor covering will remain at the same level as before. Such work can be carried out even by inexperienced builders, since base surface does not require finishing.
Many people choose affordable mineral wool as insulation, but laying such material requires specialized knowledge and availability of construction tools. That is why most property owners use foam floor insulation.
The entire work process consists of several stages:
Installation of foam sheets is carried out somewhat differently. The fact is that the insulation in question does not allow moisture to pass through, so it can be fixed to the surface of the basement walls using a special adhesive solution. For final fastening of products, plastic dowels are used.
The second option, insulating the floor covering in an apartment, is characterized by increased labor intensity. Before repair work it is necessary to calculate the possibilities for maximum floor lifting. The higher this indicator, the thicker the insulation layer can be laid. In the case where insulation work will take place after the renovation of the premises, the first step will be to remove the floor covering.
After dismantling the floor structure to the base, the master checks the surface for unevenness, cracks and chips. All defective areas are sealed using cement-sand mortar. Subsequently, the dried and hardened base is treated with a fixing impregnation, a substance called silling. At the next stage, a waterproofing polyethylene film is fixed to the surface, the panels of which are secured with tape.
Next, a layer of roofing felt is laid on the base, and wooden beam, fix the logs. These elements must be securely fixed in concrete. Next, expanded clay granules are poured to the thickness of the lag. Upper part insulation is leveled using cement screed. The joists are not filled to the top, but so that insulation can be laid between the rough and finished floors.
As an additional thermal insulation material Mineral wool slabs of the required thickness, penoplex or polystyrene foam can be used. In addition, in the formed gap they often place liquid insulation- penoizol. Next, fix the plastic film along the joists using a stapler. At the final stage of the work, a subfloor is constructed from sheets of plywood or boards. Insulation involves laying the selected floor covering.
Many people do not know why a vapor barrier is needed when installing floor coverings with insulation. The fact is that the water vapor that is released during wet cleaning or cooking tries to seep through the walls and floors of rooms, while it negatively affects various wooden structures, for example lags. Due to temperature differences in adjacent rooms or inside and outside the building, steam turns into condensation. Subsequently, water seeps into the wood structure and causes its destruction.
Walls wooden house, as well as the roof are protected from moisture by antiseptic or waterproofing impregnation, which cannot be said about the floor elements. To protect the logs, a vapor barrier film is used, which protects not only the wood, but also the insulation, for example, mineral wool, from destruction. In this case, the vapor barrier allows the building to breathe. That is, air saturated with water will freely pass through thermal insulation and wood products.
Currently, not a single type of building construction can be completed without the use of insulating materials. Their task is to reduce heat loss in the cold season and create a favorable indoor climate in hot weather.
In addition, a layer of thermal insulation allows for high-quality protection of structures from various types of atmospheric influences. Simply put, by using insulation, the lifespan of your home will be much longer.
It is customary to classify insulation based on the type of raw material. This:
The most popular and widespread are materials of organic and inorganic origin; their prices are approximately equal. The list of inorganic products includes such as mineral wool and slabs made on its basis. In addition to it, the same list includes expanded perlite, vermiculite, glass wool and material such as aerated concrete.
This type of insulation is one of the most popular in modern market. This is due to their resistance to fire and the possibility of vapor permeation. In addition to these qualities, they also have a number of others that contribute to their spread and popularity.
Now let's take a closer look at the use various types insulation for walls, ceilings and floors.
If we talk about the classification of materials suitable for wall insulation, then they can be divided into those that are suitable for interior work and for outdoor work. What is their difference? There is no secret here. The difference lies in the possibility of vapor permeability.
So, if you have chosen polystyrene foam or polystyrene, then your thermal insulation will be complete, high-quality, meeting almost all the requirements technological rules insulation. The price will also most likely please you, especially if foam is used.
Fastening foam or polystyrene is carried out using adhesive composition. In addition, special fasteners called “umbrellas” are used as additional fixation.
At the next stage, reinforcement and plastering work is carried out. In this case, you can choose decorative plaster.
As for basalt slabs for wall insulation, its use is quite possible for both external and internal work. This material belongs to the category of elements with low thermal conductivity and high density. Its installation can be carried out using glue (according to the method described above), or by placing it in the space under a ventilated facade, made, for example, of siding. For internal insulation, it is placed under plasterboard sheathing.
Now a few words about the work on insulating internal walls. Please note that only materials with qualities such as vapor permeability are suitable for this purpose. This list includes insulation materials of mineral origin and some others.
Most often for internal insulation Mineral wool is used on the walls. But this material has one significant drawback: its installation cannot be done without plasterboard sheathing, which in turn significantly reduces the area of the room.
The most appropriate is the use of mineral wool as insulation in the technology frame construction. This material is produced in the form of plates. Another option for its production is roll material.
The latter option is more suitable for insulating walls in large rooms. But slabs are more often used for insulation small rooms. There are no other differences between these two types.
For insulation ceiling surfaces use various materials. Which one to choose, everyone decides for themselves. After familiarizing yourself with the characteristics and some styling features, this procedure will not be difficult for you.
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Ceiling insulation can be done in several ways, for example, from the attic side. For these purposes, any type of insulation can be used, but the most common options are mineral wool or expanded clay.
Another insulation option involves working from the bottom side. For this you will need to make a special frame structure hanging type.
As for floor insulation work, here, as in the first two cases, various types of materials can be used. These include:
If you choose mineral wool as floor insulation, then your choice will provide you with good heat and sound insulation. In addition to these properties, the insulation has good resistance to fire and exposure to a humid environment. Mechanical damage is also irrelevant for him. The service life is quite long.
When purchasing mineral wool for floor insulation, you can choose either slabs or material in the form of mats that are quite flexible. If single-layer thermal insulation is planned, then the most appropriate would be to use slabs.
But the option with flexible mats will be more durable and resilient. Usually one of the sides of such mats is equipped with perforation. If your floor is wooden, then this method ideal for insulation. However, it's up to you to decide. Good luck!
Insulation of the walls of a house is carried out when the house is intended for living and the walls do not retain heat sufficiently.
All devices for heating a house (steam, stove, gas heating) consume maximum energy, but the heat is not retained.
By carrying out thermal insulation, you can ensure a comfortable environment in the house by insulating the walls, because a wall is a vulnerable place in a house that experiences high wind loads.
If the walls are not insulated sufficiently, the cold easily penetrates into the house.
Insulating walls from the inside or outside is an individual decision. A less popular method of insulation is from the inside. With this method, the area of the room is significantly reduced.
This disadvantage of the method plays an important role in deciding the method of thermal insulation in favor of external works on insulation. In addition, there is a high probability of moisture occurring inside the wall, this is especially true in regions with high humidity.
Insulation of walls from the outside is carried out significantlymore often. This method requires more costs, but internal area for living in the house is preserved, which is important especially in houses whose area is already small.
Methods of wall insulation
Among the many insulation materials, those that are most suitable in terms of their physical characteristics and heat-insulating properties predominate.
What is the best way to perform external insulation? The main types of wall insulation intended for external thermal insulation are:
Choice of insulation
The method of insulation depends on what material the walls of the house are made of. If we compare houses made of wood, brick and aerated concrete, we can highlight following points worthy of attention:
In addition, you should keep in mind all the indicators of the materials from which the walls are built, such as moisture resistance, thermal conductivity and heat resistance.
Before purchasing insulation, you must correctly calculate 
thickness of the purchased material.
An indicator of the thickness of a material is the result of thermal resistance. The value for each region is different and is determined in accordance with the readings of SNiP.
For the region of the central part of the Eurasian continent it is approximately equal to three.
The thickness of the insulation layer is equal to the difference between this indicator according to SNiP and the total amount of thermal conductivity of each material that is present in the wall.
To determine the thermal conductivity coefficient for each material, use the formula:
P=R/K ,
where R is the thickness of the material, K is an indicator of its thermal conductivity (the manufacturer indicates on the packaging).
After adding all the coefficients, the value is subtracted from three. This results in the thickness of the material required for insulation.
A wall pie is a collection of layers of materials that are laid vertically in a certain order.
Each layer of the wall pie has its own laying characteristics. If the sequence of layers is disrupted, there is a risk of destruction of the entire structure.
The construction of a wall pie for external insulation must correspond to the order of laying materials, starting from the inside of the walls:
Wooden Wall Pie
This scheme for laying materials should be followed if the house is timber, frame or log.
If the wall is brick or aerated concrete, then the wall pie is slightly different:
"Wet" wall cake
Particular attention should be paid to waterproofing and vapor barrier.
Lathing for external insulation is necessary when attaching siding as exterior finishing walls. At vertical siding the sheathing is fastened horizontally, and vice versa: with horizontal - vertically.
The sheathing can be made from wooden beams or their metal profile.
Before you start lathing, you need to prepare the beams: treat them with an antifungal agent.
Perform lathing along the entire wall; if necessary, level the surface, use special mounting wedges.
Lathing made of beams
The metal profile should be secured using hangers and brackets.
Installation of metal sheathing:
NOTE!
It is better to choose metal profiles for siding with curved edges.
Best to use aluminum profile good quality.
Profile lathing
Lathing and counter-lattice are concepts that are often confused. The lathing is necessary for attaching covering elements to it.
The counter-lattice is attached perpendicular to the sheathing and performs the function of ventilation and at the same time secures the water barrier.
Counter battens must be installed in the walls on the sheathing or on the rafters.
The walls of houses equipped with counter-lattice are called ventilated.
With a ventilated facade, the properties of the cake materials are preserved and the formation of moisture and mold is prevented.
When installing waterproofing outside the wall of a wooden house, it can be done:
If the wall is brick, then you can use special solutions or resort to an adhesive form of waterproofing: roofing felt. Glue it vertically, overlapping, removing the formed air bubbles and gluing the joints with mastic.
When using decorative facing materials use special plaster waterproofing.
Waterproofing mineral wool
When installing a vapor barrier from the outside, films should be used that protect the wall surface from outside and allow moisture to pass through from the walls.
Installation of vapor barrier films comes down to the following rules:
If the vapor barrier is installed on round beam, then there is no need to install a ventilation gap. In case of square boards- such a necessity is mandatory.
For effective wall insulation with mineral wool the surface should be prepared for subsequent installation work : clear debris, seal cracks, remove gutters and other decorative elements, apply markings, attach hangers.
Metal sheathing
This method is suitable for metal profiles.
If wooden beams are used, then insulation with mineral wool is somewhat different:
Wall cake for siding
Fastening mineral wool to the wall with dowels
To insulate the walls of a private house from the outside, you can use polystyrene foam. The procedure for foam insulation involves the sequence of work performed:
Laying sheets in a checkerboard pattern
Fastening sheets
CAREFULLY!
It is better not to insulate wooden houses with polystyrene foam., since with breathable wood it is better to use porous insulation that can allow moisture and air vapor to pass through.
In this case, mineral wool is ideal.
External insulation of the walls of a country house must be carried out in accordance with the requirements and rules for installing materials. Errors that most often occur during insulation contribute to improper circulation of air flow and the formation of moisture inside the cake, which leads to a weakening of the thermal insulation qualities:
In addition, you should not skimp on materials, since in addition to their correct installation, the low quality of the material should not cause poor-quality insulation.
Thus, when insulating walls, the living space is preserved; careful consideration of details is required to calculate the amount of materials and determine the order of installation work.
Mineral wool insulation technology in video instructions:
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Heat loss through the walls of a house can reach 30% of total heat loss Therefore, one of the main stages of thermal insulation of a building is wall insulation. Mineral wool is often chosen as insulation for walls. Mineral wool is made from glass melts, rocks or slag, resins are used as a binding element. The material has a fibrous structure, and, depending on the purpose, the direction of the fibers may be different.
Insulating walls from the outside with mineral wool has a number of advantages:
Mineral wool does not rot and is not susceptible to fungus, microorganisms and rodents.
The disadvantages of mineral wool include its deterioration thermal insulation characteristics when wetted, therefore it must be protected from atmospheric moisture and condensation. In terms of environmental friendliness, mineral insulation, when used under normal conditions, does not pose any danger, since the release of harmful components occurs only when mineral wool is heated to 300 degrees or more.
The choice of insulation thickness is made using thermotechnical calculations, taking into account the thermal conductivity of the wall material, their thickness, as well as the standard thermal resistance of the walls for a particular region. For a simplified calculation, you can use the table.
Insulating walls outside with mineral wool is one of the most popular methods of thermal insulation of buildings. Its popularity is due to the low thermal conductivity of mineral wool, due to which most of the heat remains inside the building, as well as the environmental friendliness of the material and its ability to remove moisture from inside the house. In addition, mineral wool is an excellent sound insulator.
To reduce the costs associated with heating your home, it is definitely worth investing in wall insulation. Before delving into the search for a team of façade designers, it is advisable to prepare properly. Here is a list of the most common mistakes that can be made when insulating a house.
Absence or poorly executed wall insulation project
The main task of the project is to determine the optimal thermal insulation material (mineral wool or polystyrene foam) and its thickness in accordance with building codes. Also, a pre-prepared house insulation project gives the customer the opportunity to clearly control the work performed by contractors, for example, the layout of insulation sheets and the number of fasteners on square meter, and workarounds window openings, as well as much more.
The consequence of this is that the glue between the insulation and the base dries too quickly, as a result of which the adhesion between the layers of the wall insulation system is not reliable.
The contractor must protect all windows from dirt by covering them with film. In addition, (especially when insulating large buildings) it is good if the scaffolding is covered with a mesh, which will protect the insulated facade from excessive sunlight and wind, allowing finishing materials dry more evenly.
Surface insulated wall must have sufficient bearing capacity and be smooth, level and free of dust to ensure good adhesion for the adhesive. Uneven plaster and any other defects must be corrected. It is unacceptable to leave mold, efflorescence, etc. residues on insulated walls. Of course, it is necessary to first eliminate the cause of their occurrence and remove them from the wall.
Using installationbase profile The level of the bottom layer of insulation is set. Also, this bar takes on part of the load from the weight of the heat-insulating material. And, in addition, such a strip helps protect the lower end of the insulation from the penetration of rodents
There should be a gap of about 2-3 mm between the slats.
A common problem is the appearance of gaps between slabs.
The insulation slabs must be installed carefully and tightly in a checkerboard pattern, that is, offset by half the length of the slab from bottom to top, starting from the corner wall.
It is incorrect when gluing is carried out only by applying “bloopers” and does not apply a layer of glue along the perimeter of the sheet. The consequence of such gluing may be the bending of the insulation boards or the marking of their outline on the final finishing of the insulated facade.
Options for correctly applying glue to foam:
Note: the adhesive solution is applied only to the surface of the thermal insulation, never to the base.
Bonding mineral cotton wool requires preliminary puttying of the slab surface Thin layer cement mortar rubbed into the surface of the mineral wool.
This may be the result of careless application of adhesive, the use of materials with inappropriate parameters, or too weak mechanical fastening. Mechanical connections are all kinds dowels and anchors . Do not skimp on the mechanical fastening of insulation, be it heavy mineral wool or lightweight foam.
The place where the dowel is attached must coincide with the place where the glue (bucket) is applied to the inside insulation
The dowels must be properly embedded in the insulation. Pressing too deeply leads to damage to the insulation boards and the formation of a cold bridge. Too small and it will cause a bulge that will be visible on the façade.
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Exposed mineral wool easily absorbs water, and polystyrene foam in the sun is subject to surface erosion, which can impair the adhesion of wall insulation layers. Thermal insulation materials must be protected from weather influences, such as when they are stored in construction site, and when they are used for wall insulation. Walls insulated with mineral wool must be protected by a roof to prevent them from getting wet by rain - because if this happens they will dry very slowly and wet insulation is not effective. Walls insulated with foam plastic cannot be exposed to prolonged exposure to direct sun rays. By long-term we mean more than 2-3 months.
To insulate walls in the corners of window or door openings, the insulation must be cut appropriately so that the intersection of the slabs does not occur at the corners of the openings. This, of course, significantly increases the amount of waste thermal insulation material, but can significantly reduce the risk of cracks in the plaster in these places.
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This operation takes a long time and is quite labor intensive. For this reason, it is not popular among contractors. As a result, curvature may form on the facade.
The reinforcing layer of wall insulation provides protection from mechanical damage. It is made from fiberglass mesh and reduces thermal deformation, increases strength and prevents the formation of cracks.
The mesh must be completely immersed in the adhesive layer. It is important that the mesh is glued without folds. We also do not recommend using cheap Chinese meshes. They are not alkali-resistant, which will lead, over time, to corrosion by the solution, which means the plaster layer will not be sufficiently protected from temperature and mechanical deformation.
In places vulnerable to loads, an additional layer of reinforcement is performed - in all corners of window and door openings, mesh strips measuring at least 35x25 are glued at an angle of 45°. This prevents cracks from forming in the corners of openings.
To strengthen the corners of the house - usedcorner profiles with mesh .
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The result is the formation of cold bridges. To fill gaps up to 4 mm wide, usepolyurethane foam for facades .
Some people mistakenly apply finishing decorative plaster directly to the mesh layer, refusingspecial primer . This results in improper bondingdecorative plaster , the appearance of gray gaps from the glue, and a rough surface insulated facade. In addition, after a few years, such plaster cracks and falls off in pieces.
Thin-film plasters can be performed after 3 days from the date of completion of the reinforcing layer.
The work must be organized so that the team works without interruption on at least 2 or 3 levels of scaffolding. This prevents the appearance of uneven color on the facade due to its drying at different times.
