Part 1
Is foam insulation the best solution?
I will not consider here the question of whether it is good to insulate buildings with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam or, more precisely, expanded polystyrene foam? People write about this often. And both for and against. Manufacturers and dealers sing with one voice about benefits. Those who have taken advantage of these benefits timidly share their impressions. Often also contradictory. Find out why it works different results– this is a separate topic.
My attitude towards insulating buildings with foam plastic is negative. I will focus on just one question. Before insulation, at the usual temperature of the coolant supplied to the building (which depends on the outside temperature and is specified in the instructions), the dew point was outside the wall. When insulating with polystyrene foam, the dew point moves by outer surface walls. Which leads to getting wet. This is not entirely good, especially in cold weather. If you add to this plastic windows, poor ventilation, and high humidity(kitchen or bathroom unit), then moisture may appear on inner surface walls
So let's stop this discussion. We will assume that buildings are insulated with expanded polystyrene foam. Attach it to the wall using glue + plastic dowels (parachutes). Then apply fiberglass + glue and perform exterior finishing. Most often this structural plaster, but maybe ceramic tiles.
Foamed polystyrene foam does not cause any particular problems in further operation.
The only condition is that it must have maximum density. Polystyrene granules – foam balls should fit tightly and not crumble at the slightest touch.
There are examples when ordinary C/P plaster was applied to dense foam plastic along the beacons and then ceramic tiles were glued. And all this on the plinth. Moreover, in the most disadvantaged, lower part.
Positive aspects of using expanded polystyrene foam on the facade of a building:
This is where the advantages end, and the problems begin:
Part 2
Use of extruded polystyrene foam for other purposes.
Based on the weak strength of expanded polystyrene foam and unclear durability, they began to use extruded polystyrene foam on the facade. Although its direct purpose is to lay it under heated floors and to cover part of the base going under the backfill. It is much stronger and does not crumble. But here, as always, there are pitfalls. Fiberglass does not stick to extruded polystyrene foam!!! Whether it has pimples or notches. It just doesn't hold up. Pull the fiberglass by the corner - you don’t need to apply much force, the mesh will come off.
Therefore, if we develop a technology for durable fastening of fiberglass, then the issue of insulating walls with extruded polystyrene foam will be resolved.
Last time we talked about the technique . Today we will talk about extruded polystyrene foam: specifications, dimensions, advantages and disadvantages of this material. This can be used almost anywhere where there are no high temperatures and the need for thermal insulation to allow steam to pass through. Because of high cost Whenever possible, everyone tries to use cheaper foam plastic for insulation, and extruded foam only when technically necessary. For example, when internal insulation, when every centimeter is valuable or for laying thermal insulation in the ground.
Penoplex – carrot color.
Extruded polystyrene foam and its technical characteristics differ slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. On domestic market There are three brands that sell the most:
They are all similar, except for some nuances. For example, graphite is added to Technoplex, which makes the material more durable. Due to graphite, the insulation becomes gray, unlike Penoplex, which is carrot-colored, or Ursa, a pale beige shade. Let's look at each brand separately.
Direct contact should not be allowed sun rays and solvent onto extruded polystyrene foam.
Penoplex is a domestic product that is used for civil and industrial construction. The insulation line is represented by ten positions. Main characteristics:
There is also a wedge-shaped insulation that is used for pitched roofs. The slope can be 1.7%, 3.4% and 8.3%. Technoplex is available in thicknesses of 3, 4, 5 and 10 cm, standard sizes sheets 60x120 cm and 58x118 cm. The difference from Penoplex is a higher thermal conductivity coefficient; it transmits heat by 0.002 W/m*S better. It absorbs moisture 0.2% worse and, due to the graphite in its composition, is more durable in compression. Accordingly, the material performs better when or basement walls.
Ursa is an international company that also has representative offices in Russia. This is one of the leading manufacturers of building materials. Extruded polystyrene foam comes in three types. General characteristics:
Ursa extruded polystyrene foam sizes: thickness 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 cm, length and width for all are standard 60x125 cm.
Technoplex has a gray color due to the graphite in its composition.
Extruded polystyrene foam, according to reviews, can be used for any insulation work; restrictions are associated only with temperature conditions operation. It cannot be used where the temperature exceeds 75 degrees. This universal material, which is not afraid of either moisture or loads, it can be placed directly in the ground. Extruded polystyrene foam, density 25 kg/m. the cube can withstand much greater loads than conventional foam with a higher density.
Often, the scope of application of this insulation is limited only by financial capabilities, that is, by the estimate. The fact is that it is expensive and where there is no real need for increased technical characteristics, ordinary foam is used. Eps insulation is suitable for insulation:
There are also restrictions where extruded polystyrene foam cannot be used. The material cannot be used in the sun, since it is destroyed when IR rays hit it. Even a thin layer of paint protects against ultraviolet radiation.
Ursa is a European brand in Russia.
Despite all beneficial features extruded polystyrene foam, this material is not without its drawbacks. The first stumbling block is the price, which hits your pocket hard. In addition to the financial component, there are also specific technical shortcomings:
In addition, like any polymer, extruded polystyrene foam (all types and brands) is destroyed when interacting with solvents. Sometimes this problem occurs when , which must be accompanied by the application of waterproofing. This quality is usually provided by bitumen rolls, which are attached to the prepared wall. Preparatory work imply application bitumen mastic, some types of which have a high solvent content.
The ability to retain water and steam can be considered both disadvantages and advantages of extruded polystyrene foam, it all depends on the scope of application. For example, for wooden houses this quality can cause mold and wood rot. As a result, the house will have a musty smell, fungal spores in the air and it will quickly collapse. The concept of an environmentally friendly, breathing home is fundamentally violated.
As you can already see, the characteristics of extruded polystyrene foam are approximately the same. It is difficult to clearly determine among the manufacturers of extruded polystyrene foam which is better, they are all equal. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry too much about this; it’s better to pay more attention to density. Those in the know recommend taking insulation with a density of 35 kg/m2. cube, but the rest all comes down to finances.
Expanded polystyrene is a polymer gas-filled material that can be obtained by foaming polystyrene and other components. The structure of the presented material is closed. It consists of 98% gas, so it can provide good heat and sound insulation properties.
So, expanded polystyrene is construction material, which can be classified as follows:
In addition, there is also autoclave and autoclave extruded polystyrene foam.
So, polystyrene foam is a very common material that has the following advantages:
Despite all positive sides, expanded polystyrene, the materials for the production of which are not natural, also has some negative qualities:
If there is a need to use polystyrene foam, the dimensions and other characteristics of this product must be known in advance. So, the presented material has the following technical characteristics:
If it is necessary to insulate a house and polystyrene foam is used for this, its dimensions can be as follows: width - 1-1.2 m, length - 0.8-1.4 m, thickness - 1-2 cm. To insulate a private house, you don’t need too much large slabs, as there will be a lot of small scraps left. The most popular is polystyrene foam 100 mm long.
The presented material, due to its properties, is used quite well. and whose other parameters are already known, can be used in the following areas of life:
Most often it is used as a thermal insulator. There are many reasons for this:
The production of expanded polystyrene consists of several stages, the sequence and technology of which cannot be disturbed. Otherwise, the quality of the product and its ability to perform its functions effectively will suffer.
In order for polystyrene molecules to increase in size, they must be filled with a special gas. This happens by dissolving them in the melt of raw materials. During heating and boiling of the granular mixture, it swells. This process takes place in a special closed hopper with holes in the bottom. Through them, water vapor enters the bunker. To make the process faster, the granules can be mixed using a mechanical activator.
Next, through the unloading hole, the enlarged granules fall into an intermediate container, from which they are moved to a special hopper for aging and drying. These processes are necessary to eliminate excess moisture from molecules, strengthen the outer walls of the raw material, and restore normal internal pressure. It is at this stage that the material already acquires the necessary compression resistance parameters.
Drying the granules does not take long - only 5 minutes. The maturing time can vary from 6 hours to a day. In this case, you need to maintain the required temperature - 22-28 degrees. Otherwise, the material may lose its properties.
Finished blocks are obtained using special block molds into which prepared raw materials are poured. Naturally, the mold must be preheated to required temperature. Next, it closes hermetically. The baking process must be stopped on time, otherwise ready material it will turn out defective. Lastly, the plates are cooled. It lasts 12-72 hours. Next, in production, the slabs are cut and trimmed.
If you need to purchase expanded polystyrene, Leroy is a chain of stores that have a wide selection of products. However, you need to decide on the manufacturer. The most popular brands are:
So, for many years now, buyers have been arguing whether it is possible to use polystyrene foam to insulate residential premises. The fact is that the presented product is synthetic and is made from styrene. It, in turn, is not considered completely safe for human life and health.
But... Expanded polystyrene (" Leroy Merlin" - this is the store where you can choose the desired option), does not cause irritation to the skin or mucous membranes. Therefore, you can work with it without special protective equipment, which makes it very convenient to use.
Unlike other materials, polystyrene foam is produced without the use of astringents, which can be released into the air over time, poisoning it. All granules in the product are glued together using ordinary water vapor. The material does not contain any fibers, so it does not absorb dust.
Another advantage of the presented product is that it does not interact with living organisms. That is, mold and fungi that release dangerous spores do not multiply on it. That is, air quality does not deteriorate.
The product does not dissolve in water and does not pollute it with synthetic additives that are used in the manufacture of other materials. Naturally, even when burning best polystyrene foam capable of releasing gases. However, their toxicity is an order of magnitude less than that of PVC, wool and even wood.
As for the combustion itself, when heated, the material turns into a liquid mass that simply flows down the wall. However, even when heated, it will not even set fire to paper.
So, insulating a house with polystyrene foam has some features. For example, when insulating walls indoors, you need to pay attention to the places behind the heating radiators. Here the partition may be somewhat thinner.
To fasten the material, special glue or mastic, cement solution, and special devices are used. The fixation method can be combined. If the material is used for external insulation, it will have to be protected with non-combustible cladding.
If you need to insulate a balcony or loggia with polystyrene foam, then you will have to build a special frame in which the sheets will be placed. After fixing the material, it is sheathed with plywood. Only after this can the surface be finished.
You can also insulate with such a product window slopes. However, it is better to do this if the walls of the room are made of wood inside and brick outside. WITH outside slopes are insulated only if no external brick intrusion was provided during the construction of the building.
The entire insulation process involves several stages:
Very often the presented material is used to insulate the base before installation flooring. can be of two types:
If the floor is insulated with polystyrene foam, then it is better to take into account some nuances:
Expanded polystyrene is a modern insulation that consists of many bubbles placed in thin polystyrene shells in a ratio of 2% polystyrene to 98% air.
The result is material like foam, due to which it was called expanded polystyrene.
The air is hermetically sealed inside the bubbles, so the material retains heat well and is one of the most popular insulation materials. It is used for thermal insulation of roofs, floors, ceilings and walls of buildings and various structures.
Depending on the production technology of EPS (expanded polystyrene) divided into 4 types:
Options 3 and 4 are not widely used.
Due to its durability and practical zero water absorption EPPS is best used for insulating the basement of buildings, as well as roofs, walls, facades and floors of the first floors.
He has better thermal insulation properties compared to conventional PPS due to its higher density.
Regular teaching staff used for insulating the foundations of buildings, apartments, balconies, carriages, as well as for heat and waterproofing of underground communication lines.
Indicator values thermal conductivity, vapor permeability, deformation under compressive load and others for extruded and conventional polypropylene foam are specified in GOST 56148-2014 and GOST 32310-2012.
As for PPS manufacturers, then most popular European companies "Polimeri Europa", "Nova Chemicals", "Styrochem", "BASF", as well as Russian companies"Penoplex" and "TechnoNIKOL".
Sheet sizes pressless expanded polystyrene - BSP with a density of 15, 25, 35 kg/m³ are prescribed in GOST 15588-86. The sheet length varies in the range from 900 to 5000 mm, width - 500-1300 mm with an interval of 50 mm. Thickness – from 20 to 500 mm in increments of 10 units.
Most often companies offer sheets standard sizes:
Sheet thickness can be: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mm.
Dew point is an indicator of the temperature at which condensation begins to form on the surface. This point can be located in different places - inside, outside or closer to some surface.
When installing expanded polystyrene slabs outside the house with the correct thickness, the dew point will be in the insulation. In this case, the wall will always remain dry. And if the PPS was taken in a smaller thickness than required thermal engineering calculation, Then the dew point may be:
It is not always possible to insulate PPS walls from the inside, but this is how it works requires compliance with many conditions:
Expanded polystyrene has several advantages such as low thermal conductivity and vapor permeability, does not absorb moisture, durable, lightweight, easy to process and install, inexpensive.
Let's consider the main indicators that make the material very popular and in demand for insulation of houses and cottages.
Low thermal conductivity- this is the most important indicator when choosing insulation. Regular polystyrene foam has a value of 0.032 to 0.044 watts per meter per Kelvin, and the higher the density of the material, the lower the thermal conductivity. The extruded version has a density of 45 kg/m³ and has the lowest thermal conductivity of all PPS (according to GOST 31924-2011).
Does not absorb moisture. Extruded EPS absorbs only 0.4% upon contact with moisture, as it is produced by extrusion. Regular polystyrene foam has a rate of 4%.
Low vapor permeability. For ordinary EPP, the vapor permeability is zero, and for extruded polypropylene it is 0.01 kg per meter-hour-Pascal. This can be explained by the fact that EPS is molded by cutting, and steam penetrates into the cells through these cuts. But ordinary polystyrene foam is most often not cut.
Strength. EPS can withstand significant loads, and extruded EPS is stronger due to stronger bonds between the molecules. The static bending strength of EPPS is 0.4-1 kg per cm², while that of conventional foam is 0.02-0.2 kg per cm².
Expanded polystyrene withstands strong compression and significant breaking force.
Ease of processing and installation. Expanded polystyrene can be cut perfectly with a paint knife, so installing the boards is not difficult.
The material has few disadvantages, but still they exist:
Cut PPP into apartment conditions is not difficult. Using a regular knife for these purposes is ineffective, since the material crumbles easily.
It's better to apply painting knife. You need to use a ruler to draw a line on both sides of the sheet and make a cut with a knife. Next, all that remains is to take the sheet and break it along the cut.
Can use a string– warmed up nichrome wire. It cuts material perfectly. But you will need to assemble a small machine with a transformer, a tensioned thread and a spring.
Advice: to cut polystyrene foam at home, you can use a grinder with a thin metal disk. And for polystyrene foam more than 80 cm wide, you can use a wood saw with fine teeth.
Many people collect houses homemade machine for cutting PPS, which allows you to make figures of various shapes.
Today, the market for adhesive compositions is represented by such manufacturers as Ceresit, Knauf, Technonikol and others. Glue must have such properties How:
A distinctive feature of teaching staff is weak resistance to some chemicals, therefore the adhesive should not include:
Fastening slabs to walls can be done using:
Polyurethane adhesive has high level of grip insulation with base and easy to use.
Adhesive made from dry polymer-cement mixture differs in plasticity and hardens quickly. It has a high level of adhesion to the surface. The mixture is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 kg of mixture per 0.24 liters of water.
Attach polystyrene foam sheets only to dowels less effective than first fastening with glue, and then fixing already glued sheets of polystyrene foam with dowels.
By using glue for PPS, when insulating you can achieve greater efficiency than with mechanically fixing the plates.
Advice: the base for pasting under polystyrene foam must be cleaned of contamination using a solvent or water under pressure. For highly absorbent surfaces, priming is recommended.
Insulation technology « wet facade» expanded polystyrene is identical to insulation using the “wet facade” method with foam plastic. You can read more about this in the article “Insulation of facades with polystyrene foam technology.”
In conclusion, we can say that expanded polystyrene is best option material for insulation of buildings. It is not susceptible to precipitation and aging and lasts up to 50 years.
For instructions on using TechnoNIKOL adhesive foam for polystyrene foam boards, watch the video:
What is the difference between polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam? Many people ask. I want to answer this question as clearly and comprehensively as possible, so that you once and for all understand the features and differences of these materials.
As the name suggests, polystyrene foam is foamed plastic. There are many plastics, so foam can be understood as polyurethane foam, polyvinyl chloride foam, corbamido-formaldehyde, polystyrene foam, etc.
But it just so happens that when we hear the word “foam plastic,” we imagine a white cellular structure, which is often used not only in construction, but also in packaging, medical containers, and other industries. This substance is polystyrene foam.
Foam plastic is any foamed plastic. This is not the name of any specific material, but a general collective definition. Expanded polystyrene is private view polystyrene foam But among builders, these materials are often considered two different substances.
As we remember, polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam are essentially the same thing, but let’s not forget about the power of habit and tradition. Pressless polystyrene foam is the same foam that is white and has pimples.
The raw material for producing BSP is the same as for any other expanded polystyrene - polystyrene. Due to such a different approach to the production of EPS, the result is a very different product. These differences are clearly visible thanks to the well-known operational characteristics these materials.
BSP is produced by adding granules with pentane or other low-boiling liquid to styrene, then the mixture is heated, the granules expand and the foam fills the mold. The granules are then sintered in a special autoclave until the styrene polymerizes.
As a result, the material is obtained white, consisting of small bubbles glued together. 98% of the volume of the heat insulator is air.
This is a fairly fragile material that crumbles and breaks.
Here are its technical characteristics:
As you can see, we have a fairly brittle and weak compressive material, which has a very low thermal conductivity coefficient. If we talk about the flammability of polystyrene foam, we must remember that according to GOST 15588-2014 construction work material with flammability class G1 is approved, that is, it burns worse than wood.
For use in ventilated facades, any foam plastics are undesirable. It is better to choose mineral wool.
Low compressive strength makes even dense foam not best choice for facades. It does not withstand impact loads well, and as a result of unexpected damage, the finish of the external wall will have to be changed.
Let me remind you once again: is polystyrene foam plastic or not? Yes, this is polystyrene foam, but a specific type of it. Among builders, extruded polystyrene foam is considered to be extruded polystyrene foam. It is also often called extrusion (EPS, XPS).
The whole difference lies in the method of production of the material. It is made by extrusion: polystyrene granules under pressure and high temperature mixed with a foaming agent and squeezed through an extruder, which gives the mass the desired shape. In addition, the material is obtained with cells, which is much more durable.
Let's look at the technical characteristics of EPS:
Production technologies can change many parameters. We see that the extrusion method produces a more advanced insulation, while using completely identical raw materials. Now it’s much easier to answer, which is better, PSB or EPPS?
Extrusion polypropylene also has its disadvantages. Its price is noticeably higher than that of polystyrene foam, it weighs more and has lower vapor permeability. And this negatively affects the microclimate in the room (or requires good ventilation).
I talked about the most relevant properties and characteristics of two types of insulation: BSP and EPS. Now you need to decide what to choose - foam or modern XPS?
The consumer is primarily interested in what is warmer, and here extruded polystyrene foam wins. On the other side, important parameter is cost, and in this category the clear winner is foam.
An important parameter is the ability to install the material yourself, without hiring craftsmen. The instructions for installing both insulation are quite simple and do not require any special skills, so this is a draw.
Let's add the following nuances to our comparison:
This set of arguments and facts gives me the right to make a choice in the direction of EPPS. This is my personal opinion, which can be discussed in the comments to the article.
After a detailed examination of insulation based on polystyrene foam, you no longer have the question “What is the difference between extruded polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam?” You can easily choose the option that suits you.
And after watching the video in this article you will be able to give good advice neighbors. I welcome questions and comments in the comments.
