Insulation for brick walls from the inside. Insulation of a brick house from the inside

In modern construction, brick houses remain the most popular. However, a brick wall needs an additional one to maintain the optimum temperature in the house, and so that heating bills do not terrify its residents.

Brick wall insulation photo

Before starting work on insulation, you need to decide what material will be used for this. The choice of insulation depends on the method of insulation (internal, external or internal), as well as on the characteristics of the material, such as:

  • Thermal conductivity;
  • The ability to "breathe" (pass moist air);
  • Water absorption;
  • Density, mass;
  • The degree of flammability;
  • Soundproof characteristics;
  • Environmental friendliness;
  • Difficulty of application.

Now more specifically about the materials.


Insulation of a brick house from the outside with polyurethane foam is carried out after the preliminary installation of a wooden or metal frame. Also, the material can be used to insulate walls and indoors.

How to properly insulate a brick wall?

Three methods of thermal insulation were mentioned above, we will consider each of them in more detail..

  1. Internal wall insulation of brick walls. This type of work is possible only at the stage of building a house.

Scheme of insulation of brick and foam concrete walls

First, the outer wall is laid out to a height of up to one and a half meters, metal rods are inserted into the seams of every 5-6 rows. After that, a tiled or sheet heat-insulating material (mineral wool, expanded polystyrene) is installed and the inner wall is laid out. Thus, insulation is carried out to the top simultaneously with the construction of the wall.

If expanded clay is used for thermal insulation, then both walls are laid out at a height of up to 1.5 m, the distance between which should be about 15 cm, after which this gap is filled with expanded clay. So continue to the very top.

  1. Insulation of the house from the outside.

When insulating the house from the outside, it is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the basement with the foundation. To begin with, the outer part of the building needs a thorough cleaning, after which you can proceed to the decoration.

  • Thermal insulation with extruded polystyrene foam or polystyrene begins with leveling the walls with plaster and subsequent priming. Then the insulation is attached to the wall with dowels or glue. It is necessary to arrange the sheets from the bottom up, while placing them in a checkerboard pattern, so the design will be more stable. After that, the wall must be reinforced with fiberglass mesh and plastered on it. After drying, the wall is ready for decorative finishing.
  • Mounting ventilated facade. A layer of vapor barrier material is attached to the wall, then the frame is mounted. Further, mineral wool is laid in the frame, and waterproofing is placed on top. All insulating materials are attached to the wall with dowels. Outside, such a facade is usually sheathed with siding.
  • Application "warm" plaster is considered the simplest and cheapest way to insulate. First, the cleaned wall must be primed and a reinforcing mesh attached to it. Then hot plaster is applied. After its complete drying, decorative finishing is carried out: painting, laying tiles, applying decorative plaster.

The basement and foundation are insulated similarly to walls.

  1. How to insulate a brick wall from the inside?

How to insulate a brick wall from the inside. Example and scheme

Typically, such work is carried out using "warm" plaster, cork, mineral wool, extruded polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam.

First of all, the work surface must be cleaned and primed. If there are noticeable irregularities, they must first be treated with plaster. After complete drying, a frame is attached to the wall, into which it will be laid, and in the case of polyurethane foam, heat-insulating material is applied. From above, the structure can be covered with drywall and plastered. After drying, carry out a decorative finish.

"Warm" plaster inside the house is applied in the same way as with external insulation.

Insulation of brick walls from the inside with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam is not recommended due to their toxicity and high degree of flammability.


To avoid saturation of the insulation with moisture, it must be laid with a compacted (expanded polystyrene) or foil (penofol) side from the wall, i.e. towards the room.

  • Materials with high vapor permeability after laying are covered with a vapor barrier film or thin foam.

Summary

In addition to the fact that in the cold season, due to thermal insulation, there is no heat loss, in hot weather, hot air does not penetrate into the room, which means that it helps to maintain a comfortable temperature in the house all year round.

Warming your own home is not a very difficult task, and almost everyone can do it. Only some theoretical knowledge and skillful hands are needed.

Details about insulation and heat-insulating materials, as well as a lot of other useful information about construction can be found in subsequent publications.

The main function of the house is to protect the owners from all sorts of dangers. And the cold, I'll tell you, is just one of them. Having started repairs in a brick house, it is better at the same time to insulate its walls. This will keep your family warm even on the coldest days of winter. I will talk about how to insulate a brick wall from the inside in my article.

What should be the brick insulation?

I won’t surprise anyone if I say that a brick house is the most reliable house, but it has one drawback: brick does not hold heat well. To avoid this, it is necessary to insulate your brick dwelling. Many experts will answer you that it is more expedient to insulate the facade of a brick house, since from the inside the insulation "eats" part of the room.

However, many believe that such insulation inside is a rather laborious process and resort to internal insulation of their apartments. But here there are several nuances. Simply put, the insulation of brick walls from the inside of the house can be carried out in the case of:

  • the presence of the conclusion of the expert commission that the facade of the building cannot be changed;
  • behind the wall there is an unheated room (for example, an elevator shaft), in which it is impossible to equip insulation;
  • if behind the "cold wall" there is an expansion joint between the houses.

It must be remembered that for the insulation of brick walls from the inside there are no heaters that cannot cope with their functions. The fact is that each individual insulating material has its own characteristics. In addition to this, they also differ in cost. When choosing a heater, you need to compare all the options available and suitable for you from the following:

  • basalt slabs;
  • cellulose insulation;
  • mineral wool;
  • polyurethane foam;
  • Styrofoam;
  • plaster.

The differences between these materials is their vapor permeability, thermal conductivity and moisture resistance - these are the main criteria for choosing a heater. Moisture resistance and vapor permeability are selected for the required type of installation, while climatic conditions are necessarily taken into account. And the required thickness of the layer of the laid coating depends on the third parameter - thermal conductivity. Only with him does the choice of insulating material begin.

Installation of material for insulation

Before starting the insulation of the house, it is necessary to calculate the required width of the insulating layer for various materials and the number of layers of these materials.

  • “Bare”: remove old insulation or plaster from it;
  • inspect for bumps, protrusions or height differences;
  • get rid of the above defects with a solution;
  • clean after drying from dirt and dust;
  • apply a primer;
  • dry again;

After that, it is necessary to build a system of plumb lines and beacons - a grid should be obtained, we will focus on it during installation work.

Today, the building materials market provides everyone with the necessary insulation. I will talk about some of them next.

Mineral wool

Mineral wool is often used as a brick insulation for many of its advantages: it retains heat well, and is quite financially profitable. But when installing it inside, you definitely need to know some of the nuances.

  1. you can lay the plaster, or you can not lay it, but go the other way: fill the walls with vertical slats, the space between which will be narrower than the width of the insulation material. Why is this being done, if it was possible to resort to the first method? Since the mineral wool is afraid of moisture and in order to prevent condensate vapor from settling in the thickness of the insulation (and at the same time the mineral wool will lose its insulating properties), the above work must be carried out. Therefore, as for me, it is better to choose the second option.

  1. next, waterproofing material should be placed;
  2. and in conclusion - vapor barrier;
  3. finish of installation - finishing of insulated bricks. It can be plywood, lining or any other material.

Styrofoam

At its low cost, foam plastic is an effective and reliable insulating material. Excellent noise canceller.

The installation process of foam plastic is simple.

  1. plaster the wall;
  2. put waterproofing material on it; polystyrene, like mineral wool, is afraid of moisture, and the consequences of water entering this insulating material are exactly the same as those of the above material.

  1. only after these procedures can foam be glued. The adhesive composition for this must be applied precisely to the wall. Styrofoam sheets are laid close to each other, avoiding gaps. In the case of the formation of such, they must be puttied.
  2. now you can install waterproofing.
  3. end of installation - wall decoration. It is carried out using the same materials as the walls, insulated with mineral wool.

Plaster

Wall insulation with plaster is the most time-consuming and polluting method. But at the same time, it is also the cheapest.

You should know that in the insulation of brick walls from the inside of the house, it is necessary to apply several layers of plaster. They are applied directly to the wall itself.

The first layer of applied plaster is called spray. By consistency, this is the most liquid solution and, following from its name, it should be applied simply by spraying the wall with a certain amount of effort, since it is necessary that the solution gets into all the cracks and gaps in the wall. First, the wall must be moistened with water.

The second layer is priming, it is the most important in the work, because. determines the quality of thermal insulation. Should have a pasty consistency. The second layer should be applied in several layers (stages), drying each previous one well before applying the next one. This is done so that the soil does not crumble under its own weight. The thickness of the soil at the end of the work should be 50-60 cm.

The third layer - coating - a liquid solution based on fine sifted sand. This is the final layer in the process of wall insulation inside the house, the thickness of which is approximately 4-5 cm. It is necessary to obtain a perfectly flat surface.

So, today I introduced you to the procedure for the internal insulation of a brick house. As you can see, the work is not difficult, but it has many subtleties: from the appropriateness of insulation inside to the number of layers when covering a brick wall with plaster. But it is enough to make a little effort and the creation of warmth and comfort in your home will be ensured. For my part, I guarantee accessible and useful information in this article. Equip your home according to your desires and needs, make your home a fortress!

The video shows in practice how you can insulate the wall from the inside of the house, while using the minimum allowable set of tools.

Insulation of brick walls from the inside of the house, which means warmth in the house, is the main condition for comfort and coziness. However, it often happens that the walls of the house are not insulated well enough, or even there is no insulation on them at all, and the precious warm air leaves the premises outside without warming up the house. Therefore, the work of insulating the walls of the house should not be put on hold, because throwing out huge amounts of money for heating, you want it to heat the house, and not the air outside. This work requires certain skills in construction and the availability of a tool at home, however, despite the complexity of the process, you can do it yourself. We hope that this article will help you understand all the subtleties and nuances of such an important and necessary issue.

Types of thermal insulation materials

Works are carried out using several types of materials:

When choosing a material, it is required to correlate the operating conditions and product characteristics.

Mineral wool

Insulation of brick walls from the inside

The advantage of mineral wool is:

  • High density 20 - 200 kg/m3 and good thermal conductivity - 0.044 W/(mxK).
  • The product has a high water absorption, which is why it is recommended to use the product only inside the house.
  • Increased vapor permeability ensures free penetration of water vapor through the fibers, thereby preventing condensation from settling.
  • The product is immune to the effects of fungus and mold.

The product is produced in the form of elastic and rigid plates. The first type has a density of 35 - 120 kg / m3, and the second type 80 - 120 kg / m3. Rigid boards have ventilation grooves in their structure that improve thermal insulation properties.

You can use this type of insulation, both from the inside and

Expanded polystyrene practically does not absorb water, but has a low vapor permeability, and emits harmful substances during combustion. The insulation is resistant to biologically active microorganisms and is not destroyed by contact with fungus and mold.

The material has a long service life, providing its use for 60 years. The product will protect the house not only from low, but also from high temperatures in the summer.

Insulation of brick walls from the inside with polystyrene foam

Warm plaster

To increase the soundproofing characteristics of the wall of the house, it is possible to use warm plaster, which has the following advantages:

  • Reduced level of water permeability;
  • High degree of vapor permeability;
  • Low ability to spread combustion.

Insulation of brick walls from the inside with warm plaster

The product is absolutely environmentally friendly, it contains wood with clay and water, sometimes cement is added. The insulation is able to withstand elevated temperatures and has good adhesion to the surface, thanks to the clay penetrating deeply into the structure of the brick.

DIY thermal insulation process

The technology depends on the type of material chosen. Regardless of this, a unified methodology is used, including the preliminary preparation of bricks that are cleaned of dirt and dust.

Applying plaster

Like on your own It all starts with preparatory measures. It is required to remove the old, cracking and peeling coating, cleaning the masonry from dust. It is necessary to fix thin slats (5 mm) on the partition, forming a gap between the surface and the reinforcement mesh (cells 5 cm). Reinforcement is carried out over the entire area, followed by the application of the solution. It is required to prevent the formation of cracks.

We form a multilayer coating:

  • Initial coating - has a liquid consistency, formed on the basis of a sand-cement mortar. The thickness does not exceed 1 cm. The main task of the application is to eliminate the smallest defects present on the masonry from the inside;
  • Primer - has a pasty consistency, and is applied in 3 layers with a total thickness of up to 6 cm. It is necessary to dry each of the layers;
  • The final coating is characterized by a liquid consistency and is applied in a layer 5 centimeters thick. The basis of the coating will be carefully sifted fine sand. The main purpose of the application is the formation of a perfectly smooth surface.

"Thermofix" - the best choice of plaster

The best option for warm plaster will be "Thermofix", which has excellent performance characteristics due to the porous structure created from expanded polystyrene.

The product does not need additional application of a primer, but is applied to a surface previously moistened with water. By correctly applying the mortar to the brick, you will get the following characteristics

  • High level of thermal conductivity;
  • Good diffusion resistance;
  • Low water absorption;
  • Excellent adhesive strength;
  • Increased density of the hardening solution.

Styrofoam laying

Do-it-yourself insulation of brick walls from the inside, using expanded polystyrene plates, is carried out according to a unified technology. The initial processing of the walls, which are previously cleaned of the old coating, is carried out. It is required to apply a primer and treat the material with antiseptics.

After preparing the surface, a leveling putty layer is applied. It is necessary to prepare an adhesive solution that has a thick sour cream consistency.

The adhesive is applied to the surface with a smooth spatula, and then worked through with a comb tool, which allows creating a rough structure that improves the adhesion of thermal insulation.

Foam boards are glued to the prepared surface horizontally, forming perfectly even and well-pressed rows.

Important! It is necessary to avoid the occurrence of planar deviations by additionally fixing the product with dowels.

  • Gypsum boards;
  • putty;
  • Plaster.

If in the future it is planned to use drywall, then it is necessary to provide for the installation of mounting brackets in increments of 40 - 60 cm. Anchors will ensure reliable fixation of the frame, on which drywall sheets are hung, fixed with self-tapping screws.

When putty is to be used, the surface is carefully primed and sealed. The coating is applied evenly with a spatula. Initially, a thin layer is applied, which has a fine grain size and allows you to securely fix the reinforcing fiberglass mesh.

Insulation of brick walls from the inside with mineral wool

Insulation of brick walls from the inside of the house using mineral wool is characterized by the formation of a core of vertically arranged rails.

Thus, an air gap is created and the “dew point” is shifted, ensuring that condensate settles in the direction of the cold surface. It is required to apply a vapor barrier layer over the entire area upholstered with slats and mount a frame on top of it.


Between its sections, mineral wool is laid, again covered with a vapor barrier material. This structure allows you to achieve the effect of a thermos and avoid the appearance of cold bridges. On top of the formed layer cake, MDF finishing panels are fixed, pasted over with wallpaper or covered with paint.

Vapor barrier film

Using mineral wool from the inside, you need to take care of the vapor barrier coating. The best choice would be Izospan RS, used to protect walls and ceilings from the inside of the room.

The use of the product will prevent the formation and accumulation of condensate that has a destructive effect on the insulation.

The product is produced in the form of a waterproofing film, which ensures the preservation of thermal insulation characteristics and the extension of the operational life of the structure as a whole. The masonry is not exposed to corrosion and is not infected with a fungus.

The quality of central heating leaves much to be desired, besides, time and external factors negatively affect the condition of the supporting structures. Heating bills are rising, but it is not getting warmer. It is reasonable to solve such problems by insulating the walls of housing. This is especially true for brick and panel houses.

Insulation efficiency

The choice of an external or internal method of insulation is fundamental and requires a responsible approach. When installing an insulating barrier from the inside, brick walls do not come into contact with the heat of the room and therefore can freeze up to the boundaries of contact with the insulation.

Such a development of events negates the effect of thermal insulation, or even does not give it at all. External insulation has the opposite effect and is therefore several times superior to the opponent. But there are circumstances in which the installation of insulation on the surface of the wall is not possible.

Grounds for work from the inside

The only argument in favor of internal insulation can be:


  • prohibition of local authorities on works related to changing the facade of buildings (architectural monuments, buildings of central streets, etc.);
  • outside there is a deformation seam;
  • the wall separates the room from the elevator shaft or other technical room where there is no access for insulation installation;
  • internal insulation is provided by the house construction project.

If there are no options to avoid indoor insulation, then it is necessary to take seriously the organization of work, from the selection of thermal insulation composites to the installation technology.

Features of internal insulation

Insulation of internal surfaces affects the position of the dew point, shifting it to the inner boundary of the supporting structure. This term denotes a conditional place on the plane where the release (condensation) of moisture from the heated air in the room occurs. It should be located no deeper than the middle of the section of the brick wall, and preferably as close as possible to the outer edge.


Constant dampness leads to the appearance of harmful microorganisms (mold), cracks and breaks in the walls, and the loss of the thermal insulation qualities of the barrier. Brickwork is most susceptible to the negative influence of moisture.


The thermal insulation of the internal walls that meets the above requirements will be made in the form of a new wall mounted flush or with an air gap. But you should be prepared for the fact that the usable area of ​​\u200b\u200bhousing will decrease. This is especially noticeable in small apartments.

Composite selection

When choosing a material for thermal insulation from inside the room, one must first of all proceed from the indicators of vapor permeability and moisture absorption. Further, it is worth considering that the seams and docking gaps are the place where moisture enters the room and air penetrates to the cold surface.

What won't fit


Styrofoam forms many seams that require additional sealing, and also has a high moisture absorption rate. From the point of view of fire safety of a residential building, it is better not to use it, since it burns with the release of toxic substances.

polyurethane foam

It has excellent moisture protection and thermal insulation performance, as well as good adhesion on a brick surface. Masonry does not require special processing and alignment. The only significant disadvantage is the complexity of installation.


Cured polyurethane foam is unstable to mechanical stress and requires additional protection. The boundary of moisture formation will be either on the inner surface of the wall, or in the thickness of the insulation. But due to the good hermetic properties of polyurethane, condensation is not observed.

Of the available materials, polystyrene foam obtained by high pressure extrusion is also suitable. Although it is mounted with the formation of a large number of joints, it has good moisture resistance and vapor permeability, and smolders when ignited.


It is quite possible to mount it with your own hands, without involving professional builders. But you should strictly adhere to the assembly technology and process stages.

The sequence of thermal insulation work

Having decided on the insulation material and installation method, you can go shopping. It is important to remember that saving on composites or changing the installation technology for this purpose can lead to big troubles.

Preparatory stage

It is necessary to insulate a brick house at a temperature not lower than 20 0С and low air humidity in order to achieve maximum dryness of the walls. It is advisable to additionally dry the surfaces with a heat gun before starting work in order to achieve drying of the partition from the inside.

All debris and dust must be removed. A properly prepared surface should not contain anything other than load-bearing structural elements.

Places affected by fungal spores and subjected to prolonged exposure to moisture require increased attention. The fight against mold ends with the application of antiseptics and a deep penetration primer to the wall. Each applied layer must dry well.


Before using expanded polystyrene, the surface is leveled with special water-repellent mixtures. The putty must dry and reach the required strength from the inside. This is a matter of several days, and the use of heat-generating devices is not recommended.


The finished wall is covered with two layers of soil and allowed to dry. Such careful preparation is required for brick constructions. Concrete panels are quite even and only need to be treated with sealants. Next comes the layout of the thermal insulation material.

Working with polyurethane foam

When applied, polyurethane has a liquid consistency, so a layer with a thickness of more than 2 cm must be sprayed in several stages.


Formwork and division of the plane into segments are used to evenly distribute the material over the layer. The frame structure is unacceptable, as it violates the integrity of the coating.

Work with polystyrene foam should begin after the brickwork has been leveled and primed. And as fasteners, use mixtures with moisture-proof properties, applying them evenly on the sheet so that air “pillows” do not appear.



The resulting seams, as well as the joints of the plates, must be carefully treated with sealants. And for the construction of a protective layer, use a special profile, previously inserted into the seam and fixed to the ceiling and floor.

protective layer

The installed insulation must dry before laying the waterproofing barrier. After that, you can proceed to the construction of a protective layer to be decorated (wallpaper, tiles, painting).
The most practical option is to assemble a frame for attaching drywall, only fixing should be carried out to adjacent walls, ceiling and floor, so as not to violate the integrity of the layer. Or masonry is done in half a brick.

Extruded polystyrene foam can be completely puttied, covered with a reinforcing mesh, but if there were flaws in the installation, they will soon appear, besides, the mechanical strength and practicality are inferior to drywall.

Properly selected heat-insulating composite and strict adherence to installation rules will add internal warmth and comfort to the external fortress of a brick house.

In private construction, brick is still very popular for building walls at home. Houses built of brick can be found almost everywhere. But, despite its excellent performance, such a house requires insulation. The issue of warming a brick house is especially acute today, when the cost of energy is quite high and you have to save every kilowatt of energy. The way out in this situation is to create a reliable thermal insulation of the house, which can reduce heat loss to a minimum. All work on the arrangement of thermal insulation can be done on your own, especially since there is nothing complicated in how to insulate a brick house.

The specifics of the insulation of a brick house

When planning to insulate a brick house, it must be remembered that house insulation is a whole range of works aimed at reducing heat loss through the roof, walls, floor and foundation. And in order to answer the question of how to properly insulate a brick house, you will first have to find out what kind of brick and what masonry the house is built from, consider the types of insulation of a brick house and decide on the materials for its insulation.

Features of brick walls

Unlike concrete or wooden walls, brick walls have a number of characteristic features. Firstly, the walls can be made of solid or hollow bricks. The thermal conductivity of a brick wall depends on this, the indicator of which is in the middle between wood 0.2 W / (m K) and concrete 1.5 W / (m K) and is 0.4 W / (m K). Secondly, masonry can be solid and with an air pocket (well masonry). Depending on what type of brick is used and what kind of masonry is made, the thickness of the walls changes, and at the same time the performance characteristics and the required thickness of the heat-insulating layer.

Important! Above are the average thermal conductivity values. Depending on the type of wood and the materials used for the production of bricks and concrete, the thermal conductivity may fluctuate in one direction or another. So concrete with the addition of expanded clay has a thermal conductivity of 0.66 W / (m K), solid silicate brick 0.7 W / (m K), and pine 0.09 W / (m K). Therefore, before proceeding with the insulation of the walls of the house, it is important to know what they are made of and how thick they are.

Regarding the masonry method, it should be noted that with continuous masonry, the insulation is placed over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe wall on one or two sides. In this case, the thickness of the layer directly depends on the thickness of the wall: the thicker the wall, the smaller the layer will be required. In the case of well masonry, the insulation is placed inside the wall, between the bricks. This approach is also called intra-wall insulation. It can provide additional thermal insulation due to the air gap between the outer and inner walls, and when using a thermal insulation material, it can reduce heat loss by half.

Types of insulation

In total there are three types of insulation: external, internal, intra-wall. External insulation is the most popular and involves the placement of insulation outside the building. This approach will provide additional protection of the walls from various kinds of natural phenomena. Unfortunately, the external insulation of a brick house has its drawbacks - this is the seasonality of work and the rather high cost of materials. Internal insulation of the house, in addition to wall insulation, provides for insulation of interfloor ceilings, floors, attics and roofs. You can perform internal insulation at almost any time of the year. The third type is intra-wall insulation, it can be performed only at the stage of wall construction. Therefore, those who have purchased an already built house will not be able to perform this type of insulation.

Characteristics of thermal insulation materials

It is necessary to choose materials for warming a brick house with special care, paying attention to their characteristics. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, some thermal insulation materials can only be used for interior decoration, some - only for exterior. Secondly, the total weight and thickness of the insulating layer will depend on the density of the material and its thermal conductivity. Thirdly, its durability and ability to maintain its operational qualities depend on the resistance of the material to various kinds of negative influences. Fourth, the more natural the material, the better. Below are the main characteristics with a brief description of which you should pay special attention.

  • Coefficient of thermal conductivity. The lower this indicator, the less the thickness of the thermal insulation layer will be.
  • Water absorption coefficient. As in the case of thermal conductivity, the smaller this figure, the better. The water absorption of a material indicates its resistance to moisture absorption.
  • Density. In fact, this indicator displays the mass of thermal insulation. The higher it is, the heavier the material.
  • Flammability class. In total there are four classes of flammability. Class G1 materials stop burning without a source of fire, so their use is more preferable in construction.
  • Material durability. With this indicator, everything is simple. It indicates how long a given material will last without losing its performance characteristics.
  • Steam capacity. The ability of the material to “breathe”, passing moist air through itself, will be most welcome for internal insulation of rooms, which will only increase comfortable living in the house.
  • Soundproofing ability. Some heat-insulating materials also have excellent sound-proofing properties, which can significantly save on special sound-proofing materials.
  • Environmental friendliness. This indicator indicates only the naturalness of the materials and will be useful for those who seek to make their home as safe as possible for living in it.
  • Difficulty of installation. This indicator only affects the speed and ease of installation, which will be especially useful for beginners in the construction business.

In modern construction, do-it-yourself insulation of a brick house is carried out with various materials. Below are the usual artificial materials and natural ones that are gaining popularity again:

  • Mineral wool. Perhaps the most commonly used thermal insulation. Its thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.041-0.044 W/(m.K) and its density is from 20 kg/m3 to 200 kg/m3. Of the shortcomings, high moisture absorption should be noted. More suitable for internal insulation.
  • Expanded polystyrene (styrofoam). The second most popular material for insulation. Thermal conductivity coefficient 0.033 - 0.037 W/(m.K), density 11 to 35 kg/m3. This material practically does not absorb moisture, but at the same time its vapor permeability is almost zero. In addition, it is brittle, flammable, and releases toxic substances when burned. Can be used both inside and outside the building.
  • Extruded polystyrene foam. Thermal conductivity coefficient 0.028 - 0.032 W / (m.K), density from 25 to 38 kg / m3. Unlike regular styrofoam, extruded styrofoam is more durable, but otherwise they are almost identical. Suitable for external and internal work.
  • Expanded clay. The thermal conductivity coefficient is from 0.10 to 0.18 W/(m.K), density 200 - 800 kg/m3. Pretty narrow range of applications. It is mainly added to concrete for the foundation or construction of a monolithic frame of the house. It can also be used for interior wall insulation.
  • "Warm" plaster. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.065 W/(m.K), density 200 - 340 kg/m3. This material has quite a few advantages - sound insulation, vapor permeability, low water permeability, non-combustibility, and so on. But there are two significant drawbacks. The first - the maximum layer of such plaster should not exceed 50 mm, the second - a lot of weight, which entails the need for a reinforced foundation. But in general, it is an excellent insulation for both external and internal work.
  • Cork heaters. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.045 - 0.06 W/(m.K), density 240 - 250 kg/m3. This natural material is perfect for internal insulation due to its performance. The only serious disadvantage is the high degree of flammability. Best used for internal insulation.
  • Ecowool or cellulose wadding. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.032 - 0.038 W/(m.K), density 30 - 75 kg/m3. The ecowool obtained as a result of cellulose processing perfectly absorbs moisture and does not tolerate mechanical loads well. Used only for internal insulation. It is usually used to insulate attics.

When starting to insulate an already built brick house, first of all, it is necessary to make a small project, indicating in it all the areas that require insulation with the materials used and their quantity. It should be remembered that different materials are used for internal and external work. If the house is under construction, then all the necessary calculations are indicated in the project documentation and it remains only to purchase everything you need and start work.

As noted earlier, this type of insulation can be carried out only at the stage of wall construction. To do this, do the following:

  1. first, we lay the outer wall, where every 5 rows of bricks we insert a metal pin made of wire with a diameter of 5 mm into the seam. We select the length of the pin in such a way as to drown it by 2 - 3 cm and the remaining part of the wire should be 2 - 3 cm more than the thickness of the heat-insulating material used;
  2. as soon as an external wall with a height of 1 - 1.5 m has been erected, we begin installing the thermal insulation in place, resting the materials on the pins;
  3. at the end, we lay the inner wall, after which we again raise the outer one. And so to the very top.

The method described above is suitable for materials produced in mats or plates, such as foam, mineral wool or extruded polystyrene foam. You can also use expanded clay. To do this, you will have to erect both walls at once to a height of 1 - 1.5 m, leaving a gap of 10 - 15 cm between them and tying them together with metal pins in the seams of the masonry. Then we fall asleep inside expanded clay and continue the construction of walls. For this method of insulation, coarse expanded clay should be chosen. Since it has a lower density and, therefore, its total weight will be less.

Important! You can not be limited only to the intra-wall insulation of a brick house. The walls of such a house can be additionally insulated from the outside.

Insulation of a brick house from the outside

The external insulation of a brick house consists in the insulation of the walls, the basement and the outer walls of the foundation. The technology of warming a brick house from the outside consists in cleaning the walls of the building from construction debris and dirt for further fixing a multi-layer heat-insulating cake on them or arranging a hinged structure over the bare walls with thermal insulation placed inside. From materials, you can use foam, extruded polystyrene foam, "warm" plaster. In this case, one simple rule must be observed - the sequence of arrangement of materials for insulating the walls of a brick house from the outside should be such that the vapor permeability of each next layer increases towards the outer edge.

To insulate the walls of a brick house from the outside with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam, you must do the following. Perform basic plastering of the walls to even out the main irregularities, then clean the surface of dirt and treat it with a primer. Then, in one of two ways, either with glue or with the help of “umbrella” facade dowels, we fix the sheets of thermal insulation to the wall.

If you chose the first method, then you need to apply glue to the surface of the sheet and press it firmly against the wall. We carry out work from the bottom up, placing the sheets gradually row by row. In this case, each next row is shifted relative to the previous one, placing the sheets in a checkerboard pattern. In this simple way, the stability of the entire structure is achieved. When fastening with facade dowels, we perform the same operations, with the difference that glue is applied pointwise in small portions to the surface of the sheet. Then, after gluing, we drill a hole in the wall through the sheet, into which we insert the dowel. The resulting surface is reinforced with a special mesh, plastered and finished with paint or decorative plaster.

Video: insulation of a brick house outside with foam

Another popular way of external wall insulation is to create ventilated facade. Creation works are as follows. The first thing to do is to place a layer of vapor barrier on the wall surface, then create and fix a metal or wooden frame to the wall with anchors. After that, we place a heat-insulating material between the frame rails, on top of which we lay a layer of waterproofing. For a ventilated facade, basalt or mineral wool is most often used. We fix heat and waterproofing materials to the wall with the help of facade dowels with a wide hat already familiar to us. At the end, we install the outer skin of siding, porcelain stoneware or other material.

The simplest and most widely available option for external insulation is the use of "warm" plasters. The work consists in cleaning the walls of dirt, after which their surface is impregnated with a primer. Next, a plaster mesh and beacons are fixed on the wall, along which “warm” plaster will be applied. After the plastered walls have dried, they can be finished with bark beetle decorative plaster, clinker tiles, decorative facade bricks, or simply painted.

The insulation of the foundation and basement of a brick house is carried out by analogy with the walls, with the only difference being that it is not customary to create a ventilated facade for the foundation or basement. Most often, insulation is performed with polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, clinker tiles or “warm” plaster.

Insulation of a brick house from the inside

Heat loss through external walls is only a fraction of the total heat loss. Most of the heat escapes through the roof and floor of a brick house. Of course, for more reliable heat retention, you can insulate the walls from the inside, and this will require very little effort. Consider the internal insulation of a brick house as it is being built, starting from the floor and ending with the roof.

Floor insulation in a brick house

The floors in a brick house are best insulated even at the stage of its construction. It is also possible to make insulation in an already built house, but this is associated with increased labor costs. This is due to the need to dismantle and repair an existing wooden or concrete floor. Floor insulation is carried out using polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral and basalt wool or expanded clay. Separately, it is necessary to highlight the "warm floor" system, which, in combination with conventional heaters, will allow you to save heat and provide additional heating at home.

During the construction of a new house, the insulation of wooden floors is carried out as follows:

  • having created a structure from a log and a draft floor from waterproof plywood, we lay a layer of waterproofing on top of them. Between ourselves, the edges of the waterproofing material are overlapped, and the edges along the perimeter are brought up with an overlap of 10 - 15 cm;
  • then we put a heater in the space between the lags. On top of the insulation, if desired, you can lay a layer of vapor barrier;
  • the next will be a rough floor made of boards, on top of which the finishing floor and flooring are laid.

If the house has two or more floors, then the insulation of the floors of the upper floors will also be the insulation of the ceiling in a brick house. In fact, you will have to create a wooden floor on the logs with insulation inside on the second floor.

The creation of thermal insulation in an already built brick house begins with the disassembly and repair of a wooden floor. After that, if necessary, excavation of excess soil is carried out, backfilling of a new substrate of sand, crushed stone and their compaction. Finally, a lag structure and insulation are assembled according to the scheme described above.

If the wooden floor can still be dismantled with minimal labor, then the concrete floor will require a lot of effort and a lot of time to remove the old screed. Therefore, it is extremely important to carry out the insulation of concrete floors at the stage of building a house. The work itself is as follows:

  • after creating and compacting a pillow of sand and gravel on the ground, we perform a rough screed, lay a layer of waterproofing on top;

Important! To reduce the thermal conductivity of concrete, expanded clay should be added to it. Such concrete will have a thermal conductivity of 0.66 W/(m·K) rather than the usual 1.5 W/(m·K).

  • Next, lay the insulation. For concrete floors, foam and extruded polystyrene foam are used. In addition to these materials, others can be laid. The main thing is to choose a material with the highest strength and density of more than 160 kg / m3;
  • a layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of this multilayer cake and a finishing screed is poured, after which the finishing floor covering is laid.

Wall insulation from the inside of a brick house

In most cases, wall insulation inside a brick house is not performed, due to the presence of external thermal insulation. But sometimes internal insulation is still necessary. Especially when the insufficient thickness of the walls or the maximum layer of thermal insulation on the outside is not enough to keep the heat. To insulate brick walls from the inside, mineral and stone wool, polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, cork or “warm” plaster are used.

The internal insulation of the walls of a brick house is as follows:

  • clean the walls of dirt and impregnate them with a primer;
  • using wooden bars or a metal profile, equip the frame and fix it to the wall. Frame racks are placed in increments of 40 cm or 60 cm;
  • if necessary, cutting the thermal insulation to the width of the opening between the posts, we put it inside the resulting structure;
  • from above we sheathe with drywall, plaster and apply the finish.

Important! Internal insulation of a brick house with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam is highly undesirable due to the toxicity and flammability of these materials.

Insulation of the attic and roof of a brick house

In the question of how best to insulate a brick house, it is impossible to ignore such parts of the house as the roof and attic. After all, it is through them that up to 40% of the total heat loss can escape. This is due to the simple laws of physics, according to which warm air is lighter than cold air and therefore all the heat goes up. Therefore, in order to keep warm in a brick house, it is so important to insulate the roof and attic.

To insulate the attic, you must do the following:

  • if you use floor beams as logs, you can build an already familiar wooden floor construction with insulation, but with minor changes;
  • we cover the beams themselves and the space between them with a vapor barrier;
  • then we fill the space between the beams with ecowool, mineral wool or basalt wool;
  • from above, for ease of movement in the attic, we lay a draft floor of rough boards.

Important! To maintain the performance properties of the thermal insulation of the attic and roof, it is necessary to equip high-quality ventilation of the under-roof space.

Insulation of the roof of the house is carried out as follows:

  • over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe structure we lay between the rafters and fix the vapor barrier. We overlap the edges of the material with each other and glue it with adhesive tape;
  • in the space between the rafters we lay heat-insulating material. It can be polystyrene, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral or basalt wool, as well as any other insulation with low thermal conductivity and low density;
  • on top we lay another layer of vapor barrier and, to maintain the insulation in place, we fix the crate in increments of 0.4 - 0.5 m.

Despite the large amount of work to create thermal insulation of a brick house, everything is quite simple. Anyone who knows how to use a tool and has minimal experience in construction work can perform insulation. In order for everything to be done correctly, it is necessary to adhere to SNiPs and the recommendations of specialists.

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