Insulation of the house from the outside. The better to insulate the house from the outside

Is it possible to live in a country house that is not sufficiently or not insulated at all? A dozen of the most powerful heaters will not help here, since the heat created will quickly evaporate through the cracks in the walls, flooring, roof, foundation.

There is only one way to significantly reduce the loss of heated air, while saving on energy - thermal insulation of the house. Thanks to it, comfortable living conditions are provided, the service life of the building is extended and money is saved that could be spent on electricity. About how to properly perform the insulation of a country house - further.

Comfortable conditions - what does it mean?

Each person has their own opinion about the convenience and comfort of a living space. In accordance with the regulatory requirements (GOST 20494-96 "Residential and public buildings. Indoor microclimate parameters"), the following characteristics are understood as comfortable conditions:

• air temperature inside - from 20 to 22, wall surfaces - from 16 to 18, floors - from 22 to 24 degrees;
• thermal inertia of the room (the ability to accumulate and retain heat);
• relative humidity inside the rooms is about 55%;
• absence of through wind movements (the speed of the latter is not more than 0.2 m/s).

The minimum deviation from the requirements listed above indicates that it is necessary to perform thorough thermal insulation of the house.

Basic principles of insulation work

If a beginner in the construction business is wondering how to insulate a private house, he needs to learn a few fundamental rules that guarantee the expected result. Violation of even one of the requirements for work listed below contributes to the violation of the requirements of GOST and, as a result, a decrease in the effectiveness of previously performed actions.

1. The presence of a vapor barrier layer as a protection for the insulation (for example, when mineral wool gets wet, the binder is washed out of the composition; this entails a deterioration in properties - if 2% of the surface of the mineral wool plate gets wet, its effectiveness is reduced by 50%).
2. Removal of the freezing point from the inside out (the process has two goals - protecting the walls and foundation of the building from premature destruction, as well as warming up not only the interior of the house, but also the walls).
3. Tight sealing of the joints of steam, heat and waterproofing materials (to prevent frosty air from entering the cracks, the appearance of drafts or "cold bridges").
4. Laying layers of steam, hydro and, in some cases, thermal insulation with an overlap.
5. Mandatory protection of the building from the outside from moisture (roofing material or material with similar properties is used for this).
6. Sealing gaps, insulating seams (sealants, polyurethane foam, fiberglass strips treated with silicone will help with this).
7. When finishing, it is desirable to provide a ventilation gap (counteraction to excessive wetting of the structure).

The fundamental rules apply to both ways of sheathing a country house - external and internal. However, they are not always used together. How to insulate a house made of cinder block, wood or brick? When is it right to insulate the room outside and inside, and in which case can only the inner lining be dispensed with? This issue also needs to be dealt with.

The need for insulation outside and inside

• a thinner insulation is required than for interior decoration (the purchase will be cheap);
• the volume of premises of a country house does not suffer at all;
• the likelihood of condensation inside the walls is reduced to zero;
• double protection of the house from the cold is preferable, especially in frosty winters.

• the imposition of an administrative ban on insulation from the outside;
• the location of communications (gas pipeline, electricity) near or on the walls;
• the desire of the residents to keep the facade of the building unchanged.

In most cases, it is enough to get by with internal insulation, however, for houses located in the northern regions, it is still necessary to carry out both external and internal thermal insulation.

Choosing the Right Materials

Having decided on the methods of warming a country house, the next question that pops up in front of the consumer is the choice of a suitable heat insulator. Ideal materials do not exist, however, the options under consideration must be analyzed according to a number of criteria, including:

• thermal conductivity coefficient (indicates the ability of the insulation to hold or pass air; the lower the value, the better);
• liquid absorption coefficient (shows the amount of water absorbed by the material as a percentage of the mass; the lower the better);
• insulation density (allows you to calculate the weight of the required amount and estimate how much it will make the structure heavier);
• flammability class (there are four in total; class G1 is preferred - heaters that stop burning without a source of fire, also hardly flammable);
• insulation components (there are natural and synthetic; the former are more beneficial to health; the latter, when heated, can release harmful synthetic mixtures into the atmosphere and housing);
• durability of the material (usually set by the manufacturer and indicated on the packaging);
• ease of transportation and installation (it is desirable that the material be supplied in rolls, plates or blocks - this way it is easier to handle and easier to prepare the surface);
• soundproofing properties (not mandatory for country houses, but welcome);
• cost (there are materials available even to a person with an average income; others are much more expensive, and also require expensive equipment and a team of qualified craftsmen during installation, whose wages are unlikely to be cheap).

The most popular heaters for exterior and interior wall cladding are:

• mineral wool (basalt/glass/slag);
• polystyrene (extruded polystyrene foam);
• polyurethane foam.

The thermal conductivity coefficient of materials varies from 0.03 to 0.065, and most of the previously listed properties are inherent in them to a sufficient extent.

Proper thermal insulation outside

If possible, the insulation is initially installed on the foundation of the room. Through it, the house loses about 20-25% of heat. The ideal insulation for the foundation is polystyrene foam or foamed polyurethane foam (which, as you already know, is not so cheap). Plates of material are fastened with adhesive mastic to the depth of freezing of the soil.

After the foundation is insulated, it is logical to move on to the thermal insulation of the walls. And here preference should be given to foam. Walls sheathed with mineral wool are more susceptible to getting wet than inside the house, so you should forget about it at this stage.

Styrofoam insulation can be performed in three ways:

• ventilated facade;
• "well" masonry;
• plaster laying.

The first method is the most effective and common, but not the easiest.

Proper insulation from the inside

All sections of the house are insulated from top to bottom, that is, in the following order:

• attic ceiling;
• attic floor (floor of the second floor);
• the ceiling of the lower floor;
• walls;
• floor of the lower floor.

Preference should be given to mineral wool, polystyrene, ecowool. If you need to make the thermal insulation of the walls as cheap as possible, you can get by with pressed straw, and in the case of the floor - with expanded clay or clay, after excavating the soil to the required depth.

When insulating the attic, external or internal walls, a crate is required. It is a cell into which sheets / plates of heat-insulating material are inserted. In the case of foam plastic, their length and width should be 1-2 cm larger than the size of the plate, and with mineral wool, they should be the same amount less.

Almost any work on the insulation of a private country house is easily performed by one person without any experience. Using the recommendations listed above, a novice builder with his own hands will be able to create an architectural masterpiece that will protect his family from frost for many decades.

The question of how to insulate a private house can arise in two cases: the first - at the design stage of a new house, the second - when an already built house is bought, which requires significant improvements to be comfortable for living. In the framework of this article, we will tell you which heat-insulating material can be chosen for a particular design, where to start with insulation, how to insulate all the structural parts of the house.

Thermal insulation materials for a private house

The modern market is saturated with various thermal insulation materials. When choosing what material to insulate a private house with your own hands, pay attention to the following characteristics:

• Coefficient of thermal conductivity(hereinafter simply "λ", W/(m K)). The lower it is, the better. More precisely, the smaller the layer of this insulation will have to be used.
• Water absorption coefficient(% by weight). Shows how much the material is able to absorb moisture. Accordingly, the higher this indicator, the more likely it is that in some designs this insulation will lose its properties in a short time. The lower this indicator, the better.
• Density(kg/m3). Shows the mass of the insulation, this allows you to calculate how much it makes the structure heavier and whether it is able to withstand such a weight.
• Flammability class. There are classes from G1 to G4. For insulation of residential premises it is better to use materials of class G1, they cease to burn without an open flame source.
• Environmental friendliness. In fact, this parameter may not be important for some. But if you care about your health and the health of your family, then you can try to choose the most natural material that does not release any substances into the air and does not contain synthetic impurities or binders.
• Durability material.
• Steam capacity.
• Difficulty of installation.
• Soundproofing ability.

Materials from inorganic raw materials

(λ=0.041 - 0.044 W/(m·K)) is a fibrous material similar to cotton wool obtained from various rocks or slags. The form of release is in rolls or plates. There are also products of various densities, from 20 kg/m3 to 200 kg/m3. This allows you to choose exactly the type of cotton wool that is needed in a given situation.

In addition, any cotton wool dampens airborne noise well and has amazing soundproofing characteristics, in addition it is vapor-permeable (“breathes”). Does not burn, but rodents can start in it.

The main and main disadvantage of any wool as a heater is that it is able to absorb up to 70% of moisture. And despite the fact that having already absorbed 2%, it loses 50% of its insulating properties and will never dry out completely, using it to insulate external structures: an unprotected facade or roof is just madness.

Styrofoam or Styrofoam(λ=0.033 - 0.037 W/(m K)) - a lot of plastic balls connected to each other by a press or non-press method, inside of which the air is closed. To obtain such a gas-filled plastic using hot molding. This material is produced only in slabs, but it can be of various densities, from 11 to 35 kg / m3. Styrofoam is a fragile material, does not withstand heavy loads, burns, while releasing toxic gases, and also collapses under the action of sunlight.

Despite the fact that the foam is well insulated, while gaining little moisture, it also has a significant drawback: it does not "breathe", which means that a serious supply and exhaust ventilation system will have to be installed in the house. Also, expanded polystyrene still gains moisture when directly wet. In this case, it becomes absolutely unsuitable for further use.

Or EPPS(λ=0.028 - 0.032 W/(m K)) - closed cells of polystyrene with air. This material practically does not absorb moisture at all and does not allow air to pass through. Available in boards for easy installation. The main advantage of extruded polystyrene foam in relation to polystyrene is greater strength. At the same time, it also “does not breathe”, burns and emits toxic gases.

Important! Manufacturers claim that some brands of foam plastics and extruded polystyrene foam do not emit any substances even when smoldering or burning, in practice this is not entirely true.

Here we have reviewed the most popular materials that are recommended primarily by all specialists in the insulation of private houses. If you are not satisfied with the prospect of living in a modern synthetic thermos, you can consider other materials below.

"Warm" plasters(λ=0.065 W/(m K)) are a mixture that includes small balls (1 - 2 mm) of foamed glass, white cement and various additives that increase adhesion, hydrophobizing, vaporizing and others. Foamed glass balls give the mixture increased thermal insulation properties.

"Warm" plasters "breathe", do not let moisture through (serve as waterproofing), do not burn.

In fact, this material immediately serves as sound insulation, thermal insulation, waterproofing, while it is not afraid of sunlight, fire, moisture (does not pass through), vapor-permeable, and can be repaired.

Materials from organic raw materials - natural

(λ=0.045 - 0.06 W/(m K)) are made from cork oak bark (solid) or recycled cork chips. The manufacturing principle is as follows: the cork, crushed to a state of powder, is processed under high pressure with hot steam, then pressed into molds using a binder - natural resin, after hardening, it remains only to cut into plates.

Cork "breathes", i.e. it passes air, mold and other fungi do not form on it, but it ignites. True, when burned, it does not emit any toxic substances.

Cork insulation can cover roofs, ceilings, exterior and interior walls and floors.

Ecowool or cellulose wadding(λ=0.032 - 0.038 W / (m K)) is made from recycled waste paper without the addition of synthetic binders, the only thing is that it is treated with flame retardants to reduce the fire hazard.

Cellulose insulation "breathe", resistant to the formation of mold or other fungi, but absorb moisture well, which means that they require protection from water. The material in the form of wool does not withstand mechanical stress, so it makes sense to use it for warming attics. Rigid heaters are also made from paper, but with the addition of binders.

(λ=0.04 - 0.05 W/(m·K)) serves as a raw material for the production of many heat-insulating materials based on hemp fibers. The release form is different: mats, plates, rolls, individual fibers that can be used to seal gaps. To reduce the fire hazard, boron salts are added to the material. Despite the fact that the density of the material is 20 - 68 kg / m3, hemp does not withstand pressure loads well.

Hemp "breathes", is not afraid of fungus, is used for insulation of roofs, ceilings, facades and walls.

Straw(λ=0.038 - 0.072 W/(m K)) is an excellent heat insulator that can be used to make light ceilings, walls and roofs. Straw of rye, wheat, barley, oats is used as a material. It is pressed and tied with mesh, wire or cords. The density of straw insulation is 90 - 125 kg / m3, they can be plastered from above.

Straw "breathes", but also burns well. Therefore, sometimes it is treated with flame retardants.

Seaweed(λ=0.045 - 0.046 W/(m·K)) before becoming a heat-insulating material, they are dried, and later they are used to produce plate materials, bulk or seaweed ladders. Thanks to sea salt, algae are not afraid of fungi and other mold. Density 70 - 80 kg/m3.

Seaweed ladders do not burn, do not rot, mold and large living creatures (mice) do not start in them. Wooden beams, rafters or boards located under the algae are always kept dry, so they last a long time. Algae is used to insulate roofs, ceilings and walls.

How best to insulate a private house from the outside

We want to immediately clarify that it is best to do the work on warming a private house from top to bottom, i.e. start with the roof, then the attic, walls, floor and foundation. But for convenience, we will divide all work into external and internal. Insulation of the house from the outside consists in the insulation of the walls of the foundation and basement, as well as the facade walls. Please note that the material and its required thickness should be calculated, for this you can contact the design offices.

How to insulate the foundation of a private house

Significant heat loss occurs through the foundation. This is due to the fact that the foundation walls are in direct contact with the soil and backfill, which freeze to a certain depth.

Due to the fact that the walls of the foundation are constantly in contact with water, it is necessary to select hydrophobic materials for their insulation.

Suitable: extruded polystyrene foam (EPS), foamed glass,adobe(clay with straw), red brick with floor(burnt, with air bubbles inside).

EPPS insulation or foamed glass must be fixed to the foundation wall with adhesive mastic. Necessarily to the depth of freezing of the soil. From above, these materials do not need to be protected from the ground in any way, and in the basement part they can be covered with plaster on a grid or lined.

Natural heaters adobe and others are actually backfilling and do not require fastening.

How to insulate the walls of a private house

If you are interested in the answer to the question of how to properly insulate a private house, outside or inside, then you should know that experts recommend insulating the walls of a private house from the outside, since internal insulation has a number of significant drawbacks. In the wall layer of the cake, the materials should be arranged in such a sequence that the resistance to vapor permeation during the movement of steam outward decreases from layer to layer. Otherwise, water vapor will accumulate in the insulation.

Insulation of the walls of the house from the outside can be done in various ways: ventilated facade, well masonry, plaster on top of the insulation.

It is a structure consisting of a frame, insulation and cladding. The supporting frame is attached to the wall with anchors, a heater (wool or plates) is inserted into it, a lining is attached to the top of the frame, which performs decorative and protective (from weather factors) functions. Between the insulation and the lining there is an air gap of 2-4 cm, it significantly increases the thermal insulation properties of the structure, and also serves to remove steam and excess moisture from the insulation.

For ventilated facades, it makes sense to use cotton wool insulation: stone wool, mineral wool, ecowool.

"Well" masonry is such a cake: brick walls, insulation, facing brick. Due to the fact that it is impossible to protect the insulation from moisture in such a design, one should choose one that does not absorb water: , vermiculite, expanded clay other. This largely depends on the facing material.

"Wet" facade is carried out by fixing the insulation to a wall of brick, concrete or blocks, and on top of applying a primer and decorative layer of plaster over a reinforcing mesh.

For insulation under plaster, you can use materials whose density is higher than 30 kg / m3: any cotton wool(mineral, ecowool), polystyrene foam(Styrofoam), extruded polystyrene foam(EPPS), straw, hemp, cork, seaweed. The thickness is calculated depending on the wall material and thickness, climate zone and other indicators.

Insulation to the wall must either be glued or fixed to the dowels. A reinforcing mesh is attached from above, and plastering work is carried out.

"Warm" plasters can be used as both a heater and a decorative coating. They are applied directly to the wall without additional insulation. This is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of warming - suitable for modern eco-friendly housing with "breathing" walls. It can be used to plaster facades, slopes, curved surfaces, basements and semi-basements, balconies.

How to insulate a private house from the inside

Internal insulation works include insulation of the roof, attic, floor and ceilings. As mentioned above, it is not recommended to insulate the walls from the inside. In exceptional cases, after consulting a specialist, you can sheathe the walls from the inside with cork or other natural material.

How to insulate the roof of a private house

Pitched roof insulation is necessary if the attic insulation is not sufficient, or if the attic is in use. To do this, a crate is stuffed between the rafters, to which heat-insulating material with a density of up to 50 kg / m3 is attached. Outside, from the side of the roof, the material must be protected from water ingress with a waterproofing film. From the inside, from the side of the room, with a vapor barrier membrane.

Important! The truss structure in this type of insulation is a kind of cold bridge, since the thermal conductivity of the tree is still higher than that of the insulation. To eliminate this drawback, it is necessary to lay another layer of insulation from the inside in such a way as to close the rafters.

Wool can be used as insulation for the roof ( mineral wool, ecowool), extruded polystyrene foam, seaweed, reeds, hemp, straw, cork and other materials. When choosing a material, please note that in the event of a leak, the cotton wool will turn into unnecessary trash. Protection of the insulation with films is necessary if the insulation layer is isolated from the room. If there is an attic with windows on the roof, steam protection is not needed.

How to insulate the attic of a private house

Since ancient times, only the attic, not the roof, was insulated in houses. And here's why: the roof was made gable with such an angle that snow lay well on its surface, windows were equipped in the attic that could be opened and closed depending on the need, the attic floor was insulated. With the onset of frost, the roof of the house was covered with a layer of snow - a natural insulation. If the temperature was -25 ° C outside, under the roof slope, i.e. in the attic it fluctuated around 0 °C. Attic insulation served to raise the temperature from 0 to 22 ° C in the living room.

If you bought an old house or are building eco-friendly housing from natural materials, you can perform the following insulation of the attic: coat all the cracks in the ceiling (from the side of the attic) clay sprinkle on top sand. If the clay cracks for any reason, the sand will fill the cracks. Whitewash with lime on top or sprinkle dry slaked lime, add to this mixture spent carbide for protection against mice. On top of this, pour loose heat-insulating material: sex from cereals, straw, sawdust, algae ladders, ecowool.

A modern way to insulate an attic: lay a vapor barrier film on the floor of the attic, pour cotton material on top with a layer of about 200 mm.

How to insulate the ceiling of a private house

It does not make sense to insulate the ceiling; rather, it may be necessary to insulate the floor between floors or the floor and the attic. How to insulate the attic floor (ceiling of the lower floor) has already been described above.

It is necessary to insulate the floor between floors only if the floors have different temperature conditions, i.e. the lower floor is heated, but the upper one is not, or vice versa.

In interfloor wooden floors, insulation is placed between the joists. Can be used cotton wool insulation with density up to 50 kg/m3, hemp, ecowool. In this case, it will also serve as soundproofing.

If the floor is arranged on the floor slab, then it is necessary to use dense heat-insulating materials with a density of more than 160 kg/m3. It can be thick wool insulation,extruded polystyrene foam, cork.

How to insulate the floor in a private house

Insulation of the floor in a private house, made on the ground, must be started even with backfilling. If the house is old, you will have to remove the flooring, logs and excavate to the required depth.

Filling under a wooden floor on the ground should be like this:

• Compacted soil.
• 5 - 7 cm of river sand, carefully compacted.
• 10 - 12 cm gravel.
• Air space.
• Logs laid on house beams or support posts.
• Draft floor or waterproof plywood nailed to the bottom of the lag.
• Polyethylene film for waterproofing.
• Insulation: cotton wool, hemp, seaweed, straw, cork(loose) or others.
• Draft floor.
• Clean floor.

To install a concrete floor on the ground after a layer of crushed stone, it is necessary to perform a rough floor screed, then lay waterproofing, the insulation layer depends on the climatic features of the area, the material must be very dense (more than 160 kg / m3) in order to withstand loads, a finishing screed is laid on top of the insulation and finish coating.

As a heater for concrete floor on the ground can be used extruded polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam(Styrofoam), cork.

In conclusion, I would like to note that before insulating a private house, contact design organizations for recommendations and calculations of insulation for your region, taking into account the material and thickness of the walls of the house. Don't try to do everything on your own. It may turn out that all the work is in vain: the insulation will get wet from condensate, or the dew point will be in the wrong place.

How to insulate a private house: video

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doors

It makes sense to insulate both the outer door and the interior doors, especially those leading to cold utility rooms or a hallway. Our main task is close the gaps, which sooner or later form between the door and the frame. And this can be dealt with in fairly simple ways:

• put seals (this option is suitable if the gaps are small);
• if it blows from under the door - fix a special sealing brush on it from below (buy a finished product or make it yourself from thick rubber or other improvised materials)
• hang a thick curtain.

If you need a fast and efficient way, then the last option is the most successful. The main thing is that the curtain material should be really dense (summer chintz curtains will not save us from the cold). Such an element of insulation can become a bright and original part of the decor of the room. Well, if you care a little, then you can even use old woolen or wadded blankets.

Here, perhaps, someone will contemptuously wrinkle their nose: “Fie, old-fashioned!” - well, sometimes it’s precisely such old-fashioned things that work better than modern “bells and whistles”. I will give an example from practice. In my new home, I have a large (about 1.5m x 2m) opening in the wall that separates the warm living space from the cool hallway. Doors or any other fundamental structures in this opening are not yet included in my plans, but somehow I need to save the heat ... I found an old plush curtain of just the right size. Many people told me: “What is the use of it? All the heat will still go into the gap between the wall and the ceiling, and the curtain will not hold anything. But since none of the advisers offered anything better, this curtain “worked” safely all last winter. The temperature difference in the rooms that she shared could reach 3-4 degrees. And in my rural country house for the winter, the front door to the warm (residential) part was always hung with a wadded blanket - extremely simple, but effective.

Ceiling

I will say a few words about. Today it is considered almost mandatory. Meanwhile, take a look at the old village houses - do you find many insulated roofs there? And in a heated hut and in severe frost it is warm. Why?

Roof insulation makes sense if the second floor (attic) is residential. If it's just an attic, then you should focus on insulation of the ceiling (ceilings). Even those who are not familiar with physics are probably aware that warm air is lighter than cold air, and therefore rises. And leaks into the atmosphere through the cracks in the ceiling, if any. The ceiling, which does not allow heat to "escape" from the house, is one of the most important points of good insulation.

Perhaps the most economical and simple option would be foam. But, from my point of view, its advantages and merits end there. It is suitable if you need to insulate quickly and quite inexpensively (although I would not recommend saving on the quality of the material and choosing foam with a minimum density; optimally - PSB-S 25).

I will not go into details - you can safely devote a separate article to this topic. I can only say: if you want better insulation, buy styrofoam boards with milled edges- they overlap. Attempts to tightly fit the usual smooth edges of the slabs are doomed to failure: there will still be gaps between them, which, when the wooden supporting structures shrink, can also increase. Well, through these cracks, of course, precious heat leaves.

Is there an alternative? Within the limited budget - I'm afraid not (if there are builders-specialists who will correct me, I will be extremely grateful: for me this issue is of great practical value. Earthfill, which was used in old village houses, is now practically not used.

Sometimes you can find recommendations to close the ceiling from the inside penofol(options: isocom, energy flex and the like). It is really fast, simple and relatively inexpensive (depending on the brand of material and its manufacturer). But (the subjective opinion of an amateur - do not judge strictly) I still think that this is not the best option for a living space ... Who tried it - let's discuss it in the comments, share your experience and impressions. I especially want to find out how much such insulation can affect the level of humidity in the room (does condensation form on such a ceiling?).

Floor

Cold floors are a problem for most wooden houses. Today there are many ways to radically solve this problem, but this time, as you remember, we are talking about the most simple and cheap options. Therefore, we will not consider the topic, for example. What then can be done?

The first is to insulate the living quarters around the perimeter: no matter how well the floor is fitted and the plinth is selected, there is a gap between the floor and the wall. If the basement is not insulated, cold air will penetrate through these gaps from below. And this is where penofol helps us: we fix the strips of this material (with a foil layer inside the room) with a furniture stapler (or small nails, if there is no stapler) so that one edge goes to the wall and the other lies on the floor. Quickly, simply - and the room becomes noticeably warmer. Check it out!

Penofol is also used for continuous thermal insulation of the floor (here someone already does it: someone fixes it from the side of the basement, someone uses it instead of a substrate for flooring, but I heard only positive reviews from both).

Walls

As we remember, it is through the walls that the maximum amount of heat leaves the house. And here I have bad news: insulating wooden walls quickly, simply and cheaply will not work. If we want the house to live for a long time, we need to do it. Improvised means and materials are not enough here, alas.

Moreover, a lot depends on material and construction technology. ? What thickness (diameter)? ? Is the log simple or rounded? And so on... Each case has its own nuances. Moreover, there are issues that should be considered at the design stage - then it will be more difficult and expensive to fix problems. But this is a vast topic that requires a separate discussion, so we will not dwell on it now.

In the meantime, I look forward to your comments and questions. How do you insulate your country house or country dwelling? What tricks, subtleties and secrets do you know?

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Comments (98 )

Today, in building stores there is a huge selection of all kinds of materials for insulation, wall decoration of houses and household buildings. In the first place, of course, is the foam, the material is light, retains heat well, is a good sound insulator, but there is also a drawback - its fragility can break the sheet or crumble if it is exposed to excessive force. Polyfoam is widely used in construction, industry, even the food industry, that is, a fairly versatile material. For finishing, it is produced in the form of sheets of various sizes and thicknesses. These boards are easy to install due to their low weight, because 90% of expanded polystyrene consists of gas enclosed in separate foam cells.

And so, let's look at what exactly is needed to insulate the walls of a private house?

materials

1. foam
2. plastic fasteners for foam (fungus)
3. reinforcing fiberglass mesh
4. self-tapping screws
5. timber 50x50
6. glue
7. polyurethane foam
8. perforated corner
9. primer
10. putty
11. facade paint
12. nails

Instruments

1. spatula
2. ax
3. stationery knife
4. hacksaw
5. perforator
6. ruler
7. tape measure
8. brush
9. roller
10. container for glue preparation

Do-it-yourself step-by-step instructions for insulating the walls of a private house

The first step is to prepare the surface of the walls of your house, namely to get rid of the old whitewash, paint and plaster. In the author's case, his house is well over 30 years old, and during this time the walls were overgrown with a decent layer of whitewash and oil paint in the corners. The house is built of cinder block and partially red brick.

Doorways should be increased to the thickness of the insulation used, in this case foam sheets of 5 cm. That is, the author used a bar with a section of 50x50 and sewed them over the door jambs. This is necessary so that in the end the walls are under one with doorways, it is also necessary to take into account a layer of plaster with a reinforcing mesh. But there is a drawback, namely the door will not open at 180 0 only 110-115 0 which, in principle, is quite enough.

Next, you need to remove a layer of whitewash and paint, the author does this with the help of a hatchet, according to him, the paint does not have to be torn off entirely, but it is enough to make notches with an ax so that in the future you can plaster the surface.

The master also advises that before you start removing lime whitewash, you need to moisten it thoroughly with water from a hose and wait a bit, and then calmly remove the layers with a spatula.

After that, the prepared surface is puttied and primed. Next, you need to apply glue to the foam sheet, with a spatula make pads over the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe sheet, and after it is applied to the wall, the composition will spread over the surface. Glue should not be afraid of temperature changes!

The joints must be passed with a thin layer of mounting foam, this will give tightness to the seam and strengthen the structure.

An additional fastener will be a plastic fastener (fungus or umbrella). Holes are drilled with a perforator.

A fungus is inserted into the drilled hole and hammered with a hammer.

There must be at least 5 fasteners per sheet.

After that, the joints of the plates and small irregularities should be plastered.

The box for switches or sockets is mounted directly into the foam using mounting foam.

In the process, a void formed between the insulation and the window frame.

We cut off a piece of foam plastic according to the size of the resulting void, go through the mounting foam and fill the opening.

It is very important to install a metal perforated corner on the corners and slopes.

Glue is applied and a corner is already applied to it.

Glue is applied over the corner and mesh.

Smoothed out with a spatula.

After that, a layer of solution is applied to the entire prepared surface of the reinforcing mesh and stretched over the entire area.

In order to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors even in the most frosty winter, it is necessary to properly insulate the house. If a new building is being erected, then the insulation is carried out after the walls and roof of the building are installed.

If a private house has been around for many years, then it is possible that the wall material has already lost its strength and in some places cracks of various sizes have appeared that contribute to heat loss, in this case it is necessary to first seal all the cracks and irregularities, and only then proceed to work on warming the house.

Materials for insulation

There are a huge number of materials with which you can carry out the insulation of the walls of the house.
Most popular:

Styrofoam

This material is the most inexpensive among heaters for outdoor work. This is not the only merit. Expanded polystyrene has a very low thermal conductivity, which allows the use of a smaller layer of insulation, has a low weight, and is easily cut into pieces of the required size.

The disadvantages of this insulation include low vapor permeability and high flammability. It is not advisable to use expanded polystyrene for warming wooden houses, due to insufficient good air exchange, as a result of which the tree will be subject to decay processes.

This material is most often used for insulation of brick and stone houses. A layer of insulation 100 mm thick will reduce the cost of space heating by 5 times.

Expanded polystyrene has a very low thermal conductivity, which allows the use of a smaller layer of insulation, has a low weight, and is easily cut into pieces of the required size.

glass wool

This material has a large number of advantages, among which we can distinguish a small weight, thanks to which this insulation can be used to insulate old buildings. Glass wool is not subject to rotting, mice are not able to gnaw through this material.

Glass wool bends easily, so the insulation of walls that have various roundings in their design is not a problem. This material is made from quartz sand and cullet, which cannot but positively affect the final cost of this product.

Glass wool is not without drawbacks, among which the most unpleasant is the hygroscopicity of the material. Absorbing moisture, the insulation loses to a large extent its thermal insulation properties, therefore it is undesirable to use this material for external insulation, in places where the groundwater level comes too close to the surface of the earth.

If the climate in this region is too humid, then it is better to abandon the use of this insulation, or to carry out high-quality waterproofing of glass wool. Over time, glass wool fibers can stick together and decrease in volume, which also contributes to a decrease in thermal insulation properties.

When working with this material, you must adhere to strict safety requirements, use rubberized gloves, a respirator and goggles. If the smallest particles of glass enter the lungs and eyes, it can lead to undesirable consequences. If you work with this insulation without gloves, then the glass fibers can penetrate the skin, causing prolonged irritation and tingling.

Glass wool is not subject to decay, mice cannot gnaw through this material

stone wool

This material resembles glass wool in many characteristics, but there are several fundamental differences that make this material more attractive for use in outdoor home insulation. The manufacturing process of this material consists in drawing thin threads from the melt of rocks of the basalt group.

The threads are randomly placed in molds in which the material is pressed under certain temperature conditions. Stone wool is a denser material in comparison with glass wool, but it surpasses this material in terms of its thermal insulation characteristics. Stone wool can be easily cut into blocks of any shape, which makes the process of installing the slabs easy and not time consuming.

This material has a very high vapor permeability with almost no hygroscopicity. If technological errors were not made during the insulation, then the wall will remain “breathing”. Due to the fact that this heat-insulating material has a high density, it can be easily installed on glue, which also speeds up the installation process.

Stone wool has disadvantages, among which the most unpleasant is the high cost.

Stone wool is a denser material compared to glass wool, but surpasses this material in terms of its thermal insulation characteristics.

Foil insulation

It is mainly used for floor insulation, but can also be used for thermal insulation of walls. The insulation consists of a layer of polyethylene foam and thin aluminum foil. Due to its high heat reflecting characteristics, this material is 2 times higher than the insulating properties of stone wool.

Foil insulation is easily mounted on the wall due to its very low weight, which significantly reduces the time of work.

The disadvantage of this material is almost 100% vapor tightness.

Due to its high heat reflecting characteristics, this material is 2 times higher than the insulating properties of stone wool

For proper installation, it is necessary to pre-align the walls so that the cork slabs are installed on the outer wall of the house without gaps. Unlike the materials listed above, synthetic substances are not used for the production of cork insulation, which makes cork slabs one of the most environmentally friendly materials for insulating residential premises.

This material can be used both for interior decoration and for wall insulation. Unlike glass wool, cork does not absorb moisture, which allows it to be used even in conditions of high humidity and high groundwater.

Even after a long period of operation, there is no shrinkage of the material, so the plastered surface does not deform and does not form cracks. The material does not impede the passage of steam, which allows it to be used for insulating the exterior facades of wooden houses. When insulating brick and stone walls, steam exchange also occurs through the pores of the walls and the insulation layer.

Cork insulation is fireproof; when exposed to high temperatures, it does not emit substances hazardous to humans. The disadvantage of cork is its high cost, which significantly exceeds stone and glass wool slabs of similar size.

Unlike glass wool, cork does not absorb moisture, which allows it to be used even in conditions of high humidity and high groundwater.

Making a choice

In order to determine which material to use for external wall insulation, the following questions should be answered:

1. What material are the walls made of?
2. What is the humidity in the area where the house is located.
3. How high is the groundwater.
4. What is the financial possibility of acquiring 1 m2.
5. How many people will be involved in the work.

If the walls of the house are made of wood, then materials such as polystyrene foam, foil insulation and glass wool are not used.

Styrofoam is combustible, which increases the fire hazard of a wooden structure.

Foil insulation almost completely seals the structure resulting in wood decay and mold formation.

With high humidity and close proximity to groundwater, glass wool is not used to insulate wooden houses.

The most suitable material for insulating wooden walls is cork insulation., but its cost is quite high, so before you go to the store to purchase this product, you should make the correct calculations of the total cost.

You can insulate a wooden house with cork slabs yourself. Cork - has a low weight and is attached to a wooden base with nails or self-tapping screws.

If you want to insulate a stone or brick house from the outside, then polystyrene foam is the most suitable material for this purpose.

Even if groundwater is close to the construction site, this fact does not have a negative impact on the quality of the thermal insulation layer.

In terms of financial costs, expanded polystyrene is the most inexpensive of the known materials for thermal insulation of walls.

For insulation of brick and stone walls, basalt slabs are used, which do not absorb moisture and have high thermal insulation properties. The price of this material is quite high, but the cost of heating a house insulated with stone wool will be significantly reduced.

Features of insulation

Foam insulation

Due to the high flammability and low vapor permeability, it is practically not used for thermal insulation works of wooden structures.

Insulation of concrete and brick walls is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The surface of the wall must be perfectly flat. Cracks, sags and other irregularities must be sealed with sand-cement mortar.
2. After the wall is leveled, the surface should be primed to improve adhesion. For this purpose, primers with deep penetration are used. This work can be done with a roller, brush or spray gun.
3. Installation of plates is made after complete drying of the primer layer. Styrofoam is glued to the wall with a special glue for polystyrene foam or with the help of dry mixes. The foam installation starts from the bottom, the rows are set in a checkerboard pattern with a half-sheet step. If dry mixes are used to install polystyrene foam, then immediately before starting work, a working solution is prepared using a construction mixer or a special nozzle that is installed on a drill. The mortar is applied with a comb trowel to the wall, while it is possible to level the wall a little, applying more mortar where the wall has slight inward curvature.
4. After applying the adhesive, the foam sheets are installed manually. When pressing each slab against the wall, it is necessary to ensure that there is no adhesive solution in the joints between the slabs. If a gap has formed between the plates, then it must be repaired with pieces of polystyrene or polyurethane foam.
5. After the installation of the boards on the adhesive base is completed, and the solution is kept for at least 3 days, the expanded polystyrene boards are additionally fixed with plastic dowels. For this purpose, 5 holes are drilled for each sheet with a depth slightly greater than the length of the plastic dowel. One hole is drilled exactly in the middle of the sheet, four others are drilled in the corners. Then a plastic “fungus” is installed in each hole, the cap of which should be in the same plane with the surface of the foam sheet. After installing the “fungus”, a plastic nail is hammered in, which is inserted in such a way that the cap of the “fungus” is immersed 2-3 mm inside the foam. After the foam plastic is fixed, the outer surface is reinforced with plastic dowels using a plastic facade mesh and special adhesive mixtures for reinforcement. The adhesive composition is applied with a spatula on the installed foam plates in an even layer, after which a reinforcing mesh is installed in the adhesive layer, and the solution layer protruding beyond its surface is leveled. Thus, the insulation of the outer walls of the house with foam is carried out.

Wall insulation with mineral wool

Insulation of the outer walls of the building using mineral wool can be done in three different ways:

1. ventilated way- a hinged frame structure is used.
2. The "well" method- when implementing this method of installation, a layer of heat insulator is laid between two layers of brickwork.
3. wet way- a layer of plaster is applied to the insulation.

When using a ventilated laying method, insulation can be carried out as wooden, concrete or brick walls. The installation process is carried out in the following sequence:

1. An adhesive base is applied to the wall.
2. A mineral wool slab is pressed against the wall.
3. After the glue has dried, the plates are additionally fixed with plastic dowels.
4. Then, with a small gap from the insulation layer, facing plates are installed on the frame.

Thus, between the mineral wool layer and the facing slabs, constant air circulation will be carried out, which will prevent the formation of increased air humidity between these layers.

When erecting brick walls, the method of laying mineral wool of the “well” type is the most preferable. In this way, old buildings can also be insulated.

This method of insulation is very simple, and is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Heat insulator plates are fixed to the main layer of the wall.
2. The wall is faced with silicate or ceramic bricks.

Using this method of insulation of the outer walls of the building, it is possible to obtain a high degree of thermal insulation, while the wall will be absolutely vapor-permeable.

The wet method involves applying a plaster layer over the insulation.

First, mineral wool slabs are laid on the wall in the manner described above. Then, a reinforcing plastic mesh is laid on the heat-insulating layer, using an adhesive solution. Thermal insulation work is being completed, applying a plaster layer to the reinforcing mesh.

Insulation with polyurethane foam

The modern method of wall insulation is spraying a layer of polyurethane. In terms of time costs, this method takes less time than the installation of various heat-insulating boards.

Spraying can be done under siding and under plaster:

1. Under the siding, brackets are first installed on the wall, on which the profile will be installed. Then the calculated layer of insulation is sprayed.
2. Under plaster, a layer of polyurethane foam is applied to the wall in an even layer. After the foam has completely dried, the most protruding tubercles of the hardened substance are cut off. After that, a layer of a special primer is applied to increase adhesion between the layer of insulation and plaster. Then a uniform layer of plaster is applied to the insulation, into which a reinforcing plastic mesh is embedded. After the first layer of plaster is completely dry, the final, decorative layer of plaster is applied.

1. Walls insulated on the outside allow not only to keep warm, but also significantly increase the mechanical strength of the walls from the effects of negative environmental factors.
2. When using polyurethane foam for home insulation and glass wool must use personal protective equipment.
3. When carrying out insulation of external walls at a considerable height, it is necessary to equip special scaffolding.
4. To purchase materials for external wall insulation, please contact only in specialized outlets.