Heater on a stone basis. General concepts

Now on the Russian market there are many types of modern thermal insulation materials. One of them is stone wool, which has long been used as a heater and enjoys well-deserved popularity. It is this type that will be discussed in the proposed review.

Stone wool as a wall insulation is used when it is required to create thermal insulation in various building structures. It can effectively insulate the ceiling, wall, roof.

Stone wool as insulation

Features and characteristics of this material

The basis for the manufacture of this insulation is rock. It is exposed to high temperatures, which leads to the formation of fibers. If we talk about the characteristics of this material, then this implies many parameters on which the properties of the insulation depend. Among them are the following indicators:

• The ability to conduct heat. In this regard, the material has a high efficiency. This is ensured by its structure, porosity and airiness. It has been scientifically proven that air is the best barrier to heat loss. The structure of the material is such that a large amount of air is surrounded by its fibers. The purchaser of stone wool as a bonus receives a high fire safety of the material and good environmental performance.
• Hydrophobicity. In the characteristics of any material for thermal insulation, an important indicator is resistance to moisture. If it absorbs moisture, its properties will deteriorate significantly, it simply will not be able to fully fulfill its purpose. Stone wool is characterized by high resistance to moisture. Its fibers are not able to get wet. In order to improve these properties, a "pie" is made, which includes a layer to isolate the steam.

Insulation resistance to moisture

• The density of stone wool for the insulation of facade walls is essential, and affects the properties of thermal insulation.
• It is important to maintain the thickness structure during construction work.

This circumstance is dictated by the following requirements:

• loss of the shape of the insulation leads to a deterioration in its qualities;
• material settling under its own weight is not allowed;
• the material over the entire surface must maintain its uniformity.

How to insulate stone wool fits well into the framework of all these requirements. This is achieved due to the following features:

• Threads are located in different directions. As a result, the material cannot wrinkle and settle.
• The fibrous structure has good rigidity and flexibility. It is characterized by the preservation of the form in "memory".
• The fibers are bound by synthetic components. This prevents tearing and loss of shape. Usually, phenol-formaldehyde resins are used as such components. It contributes to the connection of the fibers, which achieves the achievement of a carpet of the required thickness. To give the material water-repellent properties, it is treated with mineral oil.
• High density does not allow even slight deformation of the material.
• According to the thickness of the thermal insulation layer, stone wool is divided into soft, semi-rigid and hard types. They have a letter designation that can be read on the packaging.
• In addition, stone wool has good sound insulation performance.

The thermal conductivity of stone wool ranges from 0.032-0.048 W / mK. These are the best heat retention characteristics, similar to Styrofoam and Rubber Foam.

Popular brands of stone wool

Currently, a large number of manufacturers are engaged in the production of stone wool. It is impossible to list all of them within the framework of this short review, but it is necessary to dwell on the top three in more detail without fail.

rockwoo. This manufacturer occupies a leading position in the popularity rating. With the help of this insulation, facades are finished to limit heat loss and combat noise. You can also insulate the floor, frame walls, roof. The release form is mats, plates and cylinders. The material is produced in various series. There is cached insulation using aluminum foil and stainless steel wire. There are over 10 episodes in total. The cost of the material is very different and depends on the thickness and on what it is intended for. The price qualification starts from about 1000 rubles.

Stone wool Rockwool

TechnoNIKOL . The basis for its manufacture is basalt rocks. They insulate the roof, facades, exterior and interior elements of the building. In addition, insulation of interfloor ceilings is carried out. The price is determined by the thickness, dimensions and purpose. It costs a little less than the previous version.

Stone wool produced by TechnoNIKOL

Paroc. This type of insulation is made in Finland. It has a very wide area of ​​application. The form of release are plates and mats. The cost of the material is different, depending on the size and purpose, but close to the previous version.

All such products are subject to mandatory certification. Therefore, in order to avoid fakes, it is necessary to purchase material only at trusted outlets, while it is imperative to require the seller to present a certificate for the products.

How to carry out external wall insulation with stone wool on your own?

To independently carry out the insulation of the facade with the help of this heater, you will need to perform a number of specific actions. First you need to prepare the necessary tools:

• Scraper, metal brush, rubber brush. They will be required to prepare the surface of the walls.
• Roulette, level, drill, fastening material for mounting the frame on the facade of the house.

Before insulation, everything superfluous is removed from the wall surface. We are talking about foreign objects, pieces of reinforcement, nails and other elements.

Preparation of walls and frame for insulation on the facade of the house

This is necessary to avoid damage to the insulation. If this happens, condensation will form. As a result, metal structural elements will be subject to corrosion processes. If there is mold on the surface, then it is removed.

Before sticking the insulation, the wall is primed. This will improve the adhesion. Sometimes a crate is made of metal. You can attach it with dowels. Insulation is placed between the crate and the surface. When gluing, use the adhesive that is intended for mineral wool or glass wool. Lubricate both sides of the surface of the insulation with glue. The inner side is glued to the wall, and the building reinforcing mesh is fixed on the outer side.

• It is necessary to provide protection against rodents. For this purpose, a metal cornice is laid down the wall. This achieves another positive point. The insulation will lie more evenly.
• The back side of the insulation is lubricated with polymer glue. With it, the material is fixed to the wall. You can strengthen the fixation with plastic dowels. During installation, it is necessary to ensure that there are no gaps between the plates.
• If there are irregularities on the surface after installation, they are eliminated with a sanding brush.
• Then a windproof film is applied and several layers of primer are applied.

If the insulation is carried out in a similar way, then in addition you can get several nice bonuses:

• The wall is strengthened, protected from excessive wind loads.
• If thermal insulation is carried out from the outside, then you can save internal space.
• Using stone wool for exterior walls, you can change the design of the facade, add some unusual design solutions.

Insulation with stone wool from the inside

In cases where it is impossible to carry out the insulation of the facade, the room is thermally insulated from the inside. In this case, a profile made of wood or metal is necessarily used. The insulation structure will also consist of stone wool, putty and drywall.

All work is carried out in several stages:

• The crate is installed on the wall.
• Insulation is laid in the space formed by the wall and the crate.
• Performing finishing works.

When using wooden slats for stone wool partitions, they are pre-varnished. This will provide protection from adverse environmental factors.

Wooden crate for a partition with insulation

If metal guides are used, then their installation is carried out in such a way that the recesses look to the left. This is necessary for greater reliability of fixing the insulation. To create an air gap between the material and the wall, a gap of 20 mm is left. This can be achieved if the adhesive is applied to the surface in a dotted manner.

Metal crate for insulation

It is easy to see that such work is not associated with any particular complexity. The main thing is that the implementation of all stages be accurate and consistent. In this case, you will not have to regret the expended forces and means. The home will be warm, cozy and comfortable.

After the installation of the insulation structure is completed, vapor barrier is performed. Double sided tape is used to fix it. At the final stage, finishing is performed. Most often, drywall is used for this purpose. Then it should be patched. In this case, a framing mesh is used. After grouting, eliminating irregularities, you can proceed to the decorative finish.

Eventually

The use of stone wool as a heater allows you to solve many problems at once, the main of which is the preservation of heat in the house.

We visited the city of Yurga, Kemerovo region, at factories producing rolled roofing materials, extruded polystyrene foam boards and stone wool.
Today my story and show is about the third plant - a plant for the production of stone (basalt) wool.

"Hurry! Quickly let's go look at the process!" - they called us, who were carried away by cutting out Lego from extruded polystyrene foam (they cut out a heart for me from EPP!).
Intrigued, we thought that now something else would be made out of these gray polystyrene cubes, but they put us in a car and rushed to another plant.

The plant for the production of stone wool has become the third plant of the TechnoNIKOL corporation in Siberia and at the Yurga site in particular. In 2013, almost 900 thousand cubic meters of products left the assembly line of this plant of the network alone.
Stone wool is a highly effective heat-insulating material. In terms of thermal efficiency, it is ready to compete with the standard heat insulator - air in a stationary state. High resistance to heat transfer is achieved by holding a large amount of air in a stationary state inside the insulation with the help of closely intertwined finest fibers of mineral wool.

Natalia 13vredina with the fruits of the labors of XPS.

At the factory, we dressed up in respirators and went to the workshop. We were already wearing helmets and vests.

Of course, I have never seen this. For some, this is everyday work, but for me it was a bewitching sight: men in silver suits and helmets conjured at the cupola (this is such a shaft furnace). For some reason, Chicherina's song revolved in my head: the firemen in silver helmets are kind and classy ...

The production of stone wool is a complex, multi-stage technological process.
Rocks of the gabbro-basalt group (raw materials) are delivered to the warehouse of raw materials.
At the beginning of the production cycle, the raw material is sieved and the coarse fraction is fed to batchers, which carefully weigh the raw materials.
Only after this, the charge (mixture of initial components) is fed into the cupola - a vertical shaft furnace. The hot-blast coke-oven furnaces installed at the plant make it possible to obtain a melt of the required temperature (about 1500 °C) and the required viscosity.

This is the mouth of the same cupola. It's about 1500 degrees Celsius inside!

Schematically, the cupola looks like this:

Almost like a door to Narniru.

and then molten metal poured out of the furnace!

After that, the cart with the bowl is quickly pulled away by a second beautiful man in silver robes.

This is a metal smelted from basalt - production waste. Then, at the same plant, briquettes will be made from it, which will then also be put into consumption.

So, the resulting melt is sent to a multi-roll centrifuge, where, under the action of centrifugal force, the melt drops are drawn into the fiber. The feedstock and the stability of the melt composition make it possible to obtain high-quality mineral wool with high chemical resistance and durability. At the moment of fiber formation, through the nozzles installed on the centrifuge, a binder with additives of a water repellent and a dust remover is supplied according to the latest technology developed in the company's own research center.

We were not able to see this process with our own eyes, but we were told that it is similar to how cotton candy is made.

Multi-roll centrifuge Big cotton candy.
Only from basalt.

The smelting process ended, and we all stood spellbound and continued to click cameras and phones. We were brought out of the trance, and while stone fibers were drawn out in the bowels of the machines, we followed to the workshop where the rest of the action takes place.

Safety at the plant is given a lot of attention. Motivational posters are hung everywhere - in the workshops, on the loading bays and on the territory of the factory complex.

I don’t know how brutal men are, but it made my way and I even tried not to leave the footpaths. These white zebras are the trajectory of walking visitors.

So, from a multi-roll centrifuge, basalt fiber treated with a binder, being cooled by an air stream, falls onto a conveyor. Thus, a primary "carpet" of mineral wool is formed, which enters the pendulum spreader, which ensures a uniform density of the products.

Pendulum spreader.

After the pendulum spreader, the “carpet” enters the corrugator-prepressor, which gives the future product a corrugated structure due to the partial vertical orientation of the fibers, which makes it possible to achieve high mechanical properties of the finished product.

Corrugator-prepressor.

Thus formed "carpet" enters the heat treatment chamber, where at a temperature of 200-250°C the binder is cured and the main physical and mechanical characteristics are set.
The quality of the product as a whole depends on the quality of this process. All technological processes on the line are controlled by automation. In the context of increasing standards governing deviations from the specified geometric dimensions of building materials, much attention is paid to the accuracy of cutting finished products.

Natalia 13vredina enjoys life

By the way, you can cut not only in a straight line. Here is an example of intricate curly cutting. It's a pity they didn't let us cut it out like in a styrofoam lab, otherwise we would have wow!

Ready-to-use products are packed in a special shrink film, which allows you to store pallets with products in the open, without loss of presentation and deterioration of product performance.

By the way, the factories amazed me with the abundance of natural light in the production facilities. I was expecting something else, apparently based on my ideas about half-abandoned workshops in factories where dusty windows had not been washed for decades.

We were taken from the workshop to the testing laboratory, where the mineral wool was torn, drowned, burned, and also showed tricks.

Product quality control laboratory

First they tore. These are the machines.


test result in kPa and other figures

Then they drowned


As you can see, the water rolled on the surface into rounds, it was not absorbed inside.

Then we were taken to a large room and annealed, they began to burn the cotton wool with a gas burner, which caused a brown spot to form on it, but it did not catch fire. Technology.

The thermal imager tells us that it is hot under the jet of the burner.

So that everything was without deception, on the back of the ignited stove, it could be touched with your hands.

By the way, it can be seen here that a through spot from the fire was not formed.

Everything is taken into account and recorded on the thermal imager. The plate on the reverse side heated up only from contact with the hand.

Then there was the most curious test for me. Most - because I am an adept of silence. If it were my will, I would soundproof everything, because the last thing I want to know is what foreign plasterers-painters are talking about behind the wall and what the neighbor's child is crying about. Well, I still don’t like it when they stomp over my head. Therefore, the soundproofing test was more interesting for me than others. I did not even spare the phone for such an event.

Volunteers put their favorite dialers into a drywall box with mineral wool.


The casket is closing

At this moment, the rest, who pressed the cell phone with the camera to call, are dialing us. There is a ringing silence in the room, in which only dialing beeps burst.

The drawer opens and voila! Someone was not lucky and the 5th ayon turned into an alarm clock and a handset of a city phone. Joke. For the purity of the experiment, we put everything noisy that was in the laboratory there.

I could not resist and asked the question in the laboratory: "Is it true that vertically located stone wool settles over time?" (I read this when choosing the front door)
"No, it's not true," they told me. Products are available for horizontal installation and for vertical placement. Properly selected material for its intended purpose is guaranteed to retain its properties for several decades. There was not a shadow of doubt in his eyes. In my mind, I began to calculate the cost of soundproofing walls with neighbors.

Evgeny vovney makes a serious face, as if he invented stone wool)))

By the way, the whole stone wool production cycle looks something like this:

Production and environmental safety

The plant for the production of stone wool (like other plants of this company in Yurga - for the production of rolled waterproofing materials and extruded polystyrene foam) is a non-waste and non-drainage production.
What does it mean?

Drainless technological systems and water circulation cycles - this is when the process waters of the enterprise do not leave the production of mineral wool. All technical water is used in the preparation of a binder solution within the production itself.

For implementation non-waste a system for recycling production waste as a secondary material resource has been introduced. Highly efficient gas and dust trapping equipment is installed in the production workshops. The plant uses in further production screenings of stone, coke, waste and rejects of mineral wool products, captured filtered dust from gas cleaning plants, used filter elements of gas cleaning cassette filters.
To reduce the total mass of generated waste and to save raw materials, a site for the production of briquettes of the workshop for raw materials and processing of production waste is provided. At the briquetting plant, briquettes are obtained from production waste for their use together with the feedstock in cupolas for the production of mineral wool.
Taken together, these measures make it possible to ensure the environmental safety of production.

The article was prepared with the participation of ROCKWOOL specialists

Modern construction cannot be imagined without the use of various heat-insulating materials that allow minimizing heat loss. In an energy-efficient house, there are no crazy energy bills even with a solid area, since only the premises are heated, not the street. One of the most popular thermal insulation materials is stone, used both on an industrial scale and everywhere in the private sector. And although this insulation is perhaps the most common, nevertheless, there are a lot of speculations around it, and manufacturers are constantly faced with the same questions. In this article, with the help of ROCKWOOL specialists, we will consider the main characteristics of stone wool:

• Raw material base, production technology, release form.
• Scope of application.
• Technical and operational characteristics.
• Answers to questions from forum members

Stone wool - from what, how, in what form

A universal heat-insulating material made from rocks of a predominantly gabbro-basalt group (a product of volcanic eruptions), which is why stone wool is often called. This group of rocks is characterized not only by strength, but also by a high melting point, which determines the choice of manufacturers. The rock is melted at a temperature of more than one and a half thousand degrees, the finest fibers are pulled out of the melt.

Stone wool has a layered structure, with a chaotic arrangement of fibers, which contributes to the formation of more air pores.

Phenol-formaldehyde resin derivatives are most often used as a binder that turns individual fibers into a single, elastic and durable web. These substances are considered the most stable and durable. With regard to safety, the additives are contained within the amount allowed by the standards, which makes them absolutely safe for both humans and the environment. This is confirmed by numerous studies and tests.

Andrey Petrov Head of the Rockwool Design Center

This insulation is one of the few building materials with a positive environmental balance. That is, it helps to save energy more than was spent on its production, and theoretically can be subjected to endless processing after the end of its service life.

Stone wool is available in several forms:

• Plates of various thicknesses and hardness.
• Rolls.
• Specific products - insulation in the form of cylinders with a seam or lock connection for pipelines and chimneys, laminated mats.

Characteristics of stone wool

• Thermal conductivity - 0.04-0.05 W / (m * C).
• Vapor permeability - 0.25–0.3 mg / (m h Pa). This means that the house will "breathe", creating a useful microclimate in the premises.
• Water absorption by volume - from 1 to 3%.
• Density - from 25 to 200 kg / m³.
• Compressive strength (depending on the type of material) - from compressible soft products (compressibility up to 50% according to GOST 17177), to rigid plates with compressive strength at a deformation of 10% equal to 0.1 MPa.
• Combustibility group - NG (non-combustible).
• Environmental friendliness - despite the presence of a small amount of synthetic binder, the material is recognized as natural and absolutely safe, it is approved for use even inside residential structures and public buildings.
• Durability - manufacturers promise more than half a century without loss of performance, which is confirmed by world experience in the use of insulation. In addition, if the material gets wet, which is unlikely, because high-quality stone wool materials have water-repellent properties - it's okay, because after drying it will not lose any of its properties. And animals and mold will not touch cotton wool - manufacturers have created a material that is biostable.

When choosing a heater, priorities are usually placed in the order indicated with minor shifts in the criteria, but the combustibility group rarely comes first. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important parameters: when insulating, the house is not only “wrapped” around the entire perimeter, the insulation is also placed in the ceilings and in the truss system. It turns out a closed circuit, which should at least restrain combustion, and ideally prevent it, and certainly not support it in any way. It is enough that the "stuffing" of houses, like the lion's share of the cladding, is combustible. Knowing the combustibility group of the insulation, it is easier to choose the rest of the components of the facade or roofing "pie" in order to minimize the danger, and not sign up for future fire victims. Here are the most popular materials.

If it is clear with non-combustible (NG) materials, then the properties of the remaining groups should be deciphered.

Federal Law "Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements" dated July 22, 2008 No. 123-FZ (current version, 2016).

But the fire safety of a material is not only a combustibility group, there are other properties that can reduce the safety of a building, lead to death of people and cause serious material damage.

Each material used in the construction and decoration of houses is considered from the standpoint of fire safety and is evaluated according to five criteria:

• Flammability.
• Flammability.
• Smoke generation.
• Toxicity of combustion products.
• Flame spread over the surface.

Criteria for fire hazard of building materials	Class of constructive fire hazard of building materials depending on groups
combustibility
Flammability
Smoke generating capacity
Toxicity
Flame spread

Andrey Petrov

High-quality stone wool, being non-combustible, does not ignite; fire cannot spread over its surface either. In terms of smoke generation and toxicity, the binders will start to melt and burn out before the fiber, but the amount of binders in the material is too small to form a smoke screen. They will not be enough to poison the air, even with an internal source of ignition, not to mention the external one. The melting point of stone wool is 1000⁰С, since thin fibers are easier to melt than rock, but this threshold is enough for the flame to die out. Stone wool as a fire protection withstands 240 minutes of direct exposure to a flame.

But regardless of the type of insulation, experts advise being more careful about the choice of material and based not on the lowest cost, but on the reliability of the manufacturer and application experience. You can “get hold of” experience both from neighbors / relatives / acquaintances, and on our portal, there is more than enough of it. As for certificates, unscrupulous manufacturers have forgeries, that is, even their presence is not a panacea, let alone products for which they do not exist at all, although a fire safety certificate is required by law.

Scope of application in questions and answers

Stone wool has a wide range of applications. Due to the naturalness of the raw materials and its durability, stone wool materials are used both in private residential buildings and in high-rise buildings, for public buildings and industrial facilities. In the private sector, soft and hard slabs are most in demand, as well as sandwich chimneys and protection of enclosing structures with stone wool when chimneys are led through walls.

Soft plates are designed for insulation and soundproofing of unloaded flat and inclined surfaces: in frame houses in enclosing structures, in the roofing system between rafters, in interior partitions, in ceilings (between logs under the draft floor), in balconies and loggias. In those areas where minimal thermal conductivity is needed and rigidity is not required, since there is no load. If the task is not only to insulate, but also to isolate the room from noise, choose a material with a specific bias.

There are no particular subtleties in the selection and installation of stone wool materials - usually the manufacturer indicates all the necessary information on the pack and on the website. Yes, and they are designed in such a way that it is as simple and convenient as possible to work with them. For example, you can find material with a springy edge, as well as “double density” boards, which greatly simplify the installation process and also ultimately save money.

But sometimes questions still arise, the answers to which can be easily found on, in particular, on the branches maintained by representatives of manufacturers. Here are the most popular questions that are found on our forum.

Alex_1975 FORUMHOUSE user

Tell me what layer of stone wool is needed on a wooden floor for sound insulation. Is there a big difference between conventional insulation and acoustics.

As a rule, the interfloor overlap is a frame made of wooden beams. According to the expert, with such a design, to ensure sound insulation, it is necessary to use a material certified as soundproof. The plates are mounted in a frame, the optimal layer thickness is 100 mm, but the final choice also depends on the thickness of the beams. The thickness of wooden beams and sound insulation boards must match. This solution allows to significantly reduce the level of airborne noise.

Slabs of medium hardness are more often used for external insulation in systems of ventilated curtain walls and in manhole masonry between walls. To insulate rooms with high humidity, stone wool in slabs is also used; manufacturers have special series designed for a specific operating mode.

Rigid boards are characterized by increased strength, they can withstand heavy loads (300 kg / m²) and are most often used for insulating floors under a "floating" screed. For "wet facade" systems, special rigid boards are produced with a peel strength of at least 10 kPa, which makes it possible to apply a reinforcing and decorative layer directly on the material. It should be borne in mind that rigid boards, due to their higher density, have higher thermal conductivity, so if it is not supposed to load the insulation, you should prefer a soft or semi-rigid variety.

Not all designs are typical, often the distance between the elements of the subsystem does not correspond to the dimensions of the plates.

goodmorning FORUMHOUSE user

How to insulate the attic with inter-rafter spans of more than 580 mm, in my case at 720 mm? I mean how to install cotton wool, can it be inserted not vertically, but horizontally in order to reduce the amount of waste? Such a distance between the rafters is not my whim, this is how the company builds, and 720 mm is an average size, in fact there is not a single identical span, and the rafters are not installed in a vertical plane, i.e. if 680 mm below, then above maybe 740 mm.

In this case, horizontal installation of the plates should be used, but their thickness should be at least 100 mm, since such plates will be less prone to deflection under strong compression.

Sometimes it is difficult for users to determine the density of the insulation.

komodd FORUMHOUSE user

What density should be the material for facade insulation under siding? The walls are brick.

Density is nothing more than specific gravity. The main aspect when choosing a material is the recommendations of the manufacturer. Certain physical and mechanical characteristics are important. For example, the material for the frame must be elastic, and for the floor under the screed - rigid. For materials from different raw materials, stiffness and elasticity occur at different density values. Both the raw material and the size of the fibers, as well as a number of other parameters, also affect. For mounting the heat-insulating layer into the frame without mechanical fastening, a light and elastic material is selected, it is easier to install and closely adheres to the structure. When choosing a denser material, it will be quite difficult to mount it in a frame without mechanical damage. Therefore, in terms of economy, you need to choose not a dense material, but one that is necessary in the design.

dubroff

The most common option. Make an opening in the wall 400 × 400 mm, sheathe the inner walls of the opening with basalt cardboard, mineralite, then mount the passage box. After passing the sandwich pipe through the box, stuff it (the box) with basalt wool.

Also, our craftsmen use stone wool in outdoor oven complexes to maintain the optimal temperature regime of tandoors, Pompeii ovens and various modifications of Russian ovens. Laminated mats with aluminum foil are used to insulate pipelines, and shaped products (cylinders) are used for the same purpose.

By the way, the service life of high-quality stone wool insulation is very long - 100 years, so your home will have a long and safe life!

More information about stone wool and other heaters - in the section. Bulk insulators - in materials on insulation and. In the video - the expert's story

To choose the best insulation - for arranging high-quality and durable insulation in an apartment or house, you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of each material.

What are the features of stone wool?

According to the type of feedstock, heat-insulating materials are divided into two large groups: inorganic (based on basalt rocks, fiberglass, asbestos, etc.) and organic (fibreboard, foam and foam plastics, peat slabs, etc.). We will talk about stone wool insulation, which is made from natural materials and is used without restrictions in the construction of a wide variety of buildings - from high-rise buildings to small private houses.

The stone wool production process begins with the melting of volcanic rocks (basalt, porphyrite, diabase) at a temperature of 1500 °C. Then the plastic mass, practically “lava”, is fed into the centrifuge.

where, under the influence of a powerful air flow, thin fibers are formed from it. A small amount of a binder (2-4% of the total mass) is added to them to preserve the shape of the plates, a water repellent to repel moisture. Then they set a random direction to the fibers, create a structure of the required density and send it to the polymerization chamber. Here, at a temperature of about 200 °C, the binder is cured and plates or mats are finally formed, which are subsequently cut into products of a certain size and packed in polyethylene.

Stone wool insulation is produced by many companies, including the most popular in the domestic market: TekhnoNIKOL, Izoroc, Izover, Izovol. Paroc. rockwool.

Important properties of stone wool

The main characteristic of thermal insulation is the value of the thermal conductivity coefficient. For stone wool materials, this parameter ranges from 0.035 to 0.045 W / (m. K), which makes them very effective.

The key to the durability of stone wool is the natural properties of natural stone and components that ensure the strength of the bonding of the fibers, the uniformity of the structure. And the finest fibers that form the material, arranged randomly, in horizontal and vertical directions, at different angles and tightly woven with each other, give the necessary rigidity and a stable shape. Therefore, cotton wool does not deform and does not shrink for a long time.

Due to the open porous structure (the fibers are intertwined with each other in different directions and form a multitude of interconnecting tiny cavities), stone wool insulation absorbs airborne and impact noise well and reduces vibrations. Therefore, it is used in acoustic ceiling systems, in the arrangement of interior partitions, ceilings and floors.

Stone wool does not burn, because, you see, it is impossible to set fire to a stone. Fibers from this natural material can withstand temperatures up to 1000 ° C, protecting building structures from fire and preventing their destruction. In case of fire, the insulation does not emit heat and smoke, does not turn into burning droplets. In addition, it prevents the spread of fire, so in the event of a fire in the room, there is more time to save people and property.

Products of well-known manufacturers comply with sanitary and epidemiological standards and do not harm human health and the environment. Quality materials have all the necessary certificates confirming their safety.

When choosing insulation from stone wool, one should take into account its properties, scope, type of insulated structure and operating conditions. Any material will be effective only if used correctly, and then the house will be warm in winter and cool in summer. In addition to creating a comfortable indoor climate, insulation will reduce heating costs, reduce operating costs, increase the service life of supporting structures; also thanks to it it will be possible to purchase boilers and air conditioners of lower capacity. Stone wool insulation is used in buildings of all types; on pitched and flat roofs; when insulating attic, interfloor and basement floors; walls of residential buildings, baths and saunas both outside and inside; in the construction of frame structures and interior partitions; arrangement of floors with the implementation of a screed, on floor slabs or logs.

Attic insulation with stone wool

The transformation of a cold attic into a residential attic is impossible without well-chosen and carefully installed thermal insulation. Such a reconstruction makes it possible to increase the living space at minimal cost, and the heat-insulating material becomes

a buffer that levels out temperature fluctuations and maintains a comfortable thermal regime. After all, the roof of the house, especially metal, heats up to 70 ° C in summer, and cools down to -DO ° C in winter. Among the products recommended for attic insulation are Light Butts and Light Butts Scandic (Rockwool). Rocklight (TechnoNIKOL), eXtra (Paroc), Isover Optimal (Saint-Gobain).

The main load-bearing element of the roof are the rafters. Most often, insulation is placed in the space between them. First, sheets of a moisture-windproof membrane with high vapor permeability are laid on the rafters. They prevent moisture from entering the thickness of the insulation, which penetrates into the under-roof space through the cracks and joints of the elements of the roof covering or falls in the form of condensate on its inner side. It is no secret that wet insulation loses its insulating properties and provokes rotting of the wooden parts of the roof structure and corrosion of metal ones.

Lathing bars are installed over the membrane along the rafters, and, if necessary (depending on the type of film), counter-lattices and battens are installed. Then the roofing is installed. Thermal insulation material is laid under the waterproofing, placing it between the rafters along the entire length of the slope to the walls. A vapor barrier is attached to the bottom or ends of the rafters, which protects the stone wool from moist air coming from the living quarters. After that, the bars are attached, which serve as the basis for the finishing cladding. By the way, in dry weather, the roofing cake can be laid in the reverse order (vapor barrier, insulation, waterproofing, roofing), which greatly facilitates and speeds up the work.

Floor insulation with stone wool

In order for the floors in the house to always be warm, it is necessary to provide effective thermal insulation. It can be done in two ways. The first - the insulation is placed between the logs, which are installed on a concrete floor in increments of 60 cm. A layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of the log, a solid flooring is mounted on it under the finish coating.

The second way: the insulation is laid on the floor slabs and a “floating screed” is arranged on top of it. In this case, the strength properties of the insulating material are important, that is, its ability to resist a particular load without deformation. Experts recommend using Floor Butts (Rockwool) for these purposes. "ISOVER Floating Floor" ("Saint-Gobain"), "Iso-flor" (Izoroc). Work on floor insulation begins with the dismantling of structures up to the ceiling. The surface is cleaned and leveled, rigid insulation boards intended for floor insulation are laid, and covered with a plastic film. Then a screed (thickness U cm) is made, reinforced with a wire mesh. At the same time, contact of the screed with the walls should be excluded, for example, using a thin layer of foamed polyethylene or sides around the perimeter of the room, made of

the same material. Then the screed will endure any thermal expansion, it will not crack, and the impact noise will not pass to the walls. After that, in accordance with the accepted rules, the floor covering is laid. Such a design is able to withstand fairly large loads, for example, the installation of a piano, electric stoves, etc.

Insulation of partitions with stone wool

The rooms in the house are separated by partitions, which should prevent the transmission of noise from a working TV, radio, as well as loud conversations from one room to another. Soundproofing ability of structures

characterizes the airborne sound insulation index Rw. The higher its value, the more effectively the partition prevents the penetration of sounds. Most stone wool manufacturers offer special slabs with enhanced soundproofing properties, such as Technoacoustic (TechnoNIKOL). "Acoustic Butts" (Rockwool). "Isover ZeukoProtection" ("Saint-Gobain"). Frame structures filled with these materials often have a sound insulation index Rw that exceeds the requirements of SP 51.13330.2011 "Noise Protection", according to which the Rw of partitions between apartment rooms should be 52 dB.

Facade insulation with stone wool

If, in the construction of a two-story cottage measuring 9 x 12 m, instead of masonry in three bricks (total thickness 770 mm), masonry with stone wool insulation (total thickness 380 mm) is used, more than 14 m 2 of additional area can be obtained only by reducing the thickness of the walls. In addition, the consumption of bricks will be significantly reduced, the amount of work on the construction of walls will decrease, and it will also be possible to significantly lighten the foundation. Experts consider the external to be the most rational home insulation. In this case, the condensation zone of the escaping vapors is carried out beyond the bearing wall - to the outer surface of the insulation. Vapor-permeable thermal insulation materials do not prevent the evaporation of moisture from the wall into the outer space. As a result, the humidity of the wall decreases and the service life of the structure increases. At the same time, the insulating material prevents the passage of heat flow from the load-bearing wall to the outside, increasing the temperature of the structure as a whole. The outer layer of thermal insulation protects the wall from alternating freezing and thawing, evens out the temperature fluctuations of its array, which also makes it possible to increase the durability of the supporting structure. Of course, the heat-insulating layer has to be protected with a durable vapor-permeable coating both from moisture by atmospheric precipitation and from mechanical influences. There are many different products for outdoor wall insulation. When choosing the optimal material, you can also focus on the type of surface finish (plaster, siding, etc.). say "Facade Butts" (Rockwool), Izovol F-100/120/150. Ragos Fas 1.

Qualitatively installed thermal insulation during the construction of baths and saunas allows the premises to warm up quickly and maintain a stable temperature for a long time. When using conventional thermal insulation, first a thermal insulation material is mounted between the frame guides, and then a vapor barrier layer is placed on top. Materials with a foil layer, say the deformation-resistant soft plates "Sauna Butts" (Rockwool), will greatly simplify the work and save time.

In addition, foil insulation is completely vapor-tight, and due to the reflective property of the metal, it reduces heat loss. But this rule only works if the installation is done correctly. Keep in mind: foil material is not laid in several rows so that the stone wool is not trapped between two impermeable layers. The foil should be located only from the side of the room. If it is necessary to arrange a multilayer structure, then materials without foil are laid to the outer wall, and with foil to the inner wall.

Rock wool insulation materials

ADVANTAGES OF STONE WOOL AS INSULATION

Fireproof, non-combustible (fiber melting point above 1000°C).

They have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity (0.035-0.065 W/(m * K). + Excellent isolate impact and airborne noise in the middle frequency range. + Vapor-permeable and hydrophobic. They freely pass water vapor, but do not absorb moisture from the air due to the minimum sorption capacity.

They have good physical and mechanical characteristics. + Comfortable and safe to install. + Chemically and biologically resistant, unaffected by bacteria and microorganisms, not of interest to rodents. + Durable (at least 50 years of service). + Safe for humans.

MINUSES OF INSULATION WITH STONE VAOY

– Slight (maximum 30%) compression of the material in the package, so it needs more space during transport.

- Relatively high cost.

Thermal insulation protection

When arranging an insulated attic, in order to protect the thermal insulation from moisture ingress, two types of rolled roofing films are most often used. Vapor barriers (vapor barrier) are used from the side of the room, and diffusion membranes are used on top of the insulation, on the outside of the rafters. Special mounting tapes are used for gluing canvases. It is even better to use films of the new Ondutis Smart (Ondulin) series with an integrated mounting tape. Working with this material is not difficult at all: it is enough to remove the protective film, combine a with an overlap, and they are easily and reliably connected to each other.

Stone wool: note

The physical and mechanical properties of acoustic stone wool ensure reliable operation of the material in vertical structures for a long time (at least 50 years).

Plates "Techno-acoustic" ("Techno NIKOL") are used in frame partitions, suspended ceilings, on ceilings without load on the material.

Frame partitions are fireproof, easy and quick to install, they are light in weight, and most importantly, they have excellent sound insulation of airborne and impact noise.

External insulation of the house helps to increase the usable area of ​​the building without changing its size, reduce the consumption of building materials and facilitate construction.

The optimal size of the air gap between the foil layer and the lining (for example, from lining) is 1 cm. The gap will create the effect of thermal protection, reflect infrared rays.

Sauna Butts (Rockwool) are insulating boards laminated with aluminum foil on one side.

The vapor barrier foil layer is sealed, for which the joints of the plates are glued with adhesive tape that can withstand elevated temperatures.

Stone wool insulation: schemes

ROOFING PIE OF PITCHED ROOF. LOCATED ABOVE THE ATTIC:
1 - roofing;
2 - crate;
3 - thermal insulation between wooden rafters; A - waterproofing membrane;
5 - vapor barrier film;
6 - internal finishing coating

INSULATION WITH STONE WOOL OF THE FLOOR ON THE LOGS;
1 - rough crate for covering the floor from OSB or GKLV sheets;
2 — superdiffusion membrane;
3 - stone wool slabs between
wooden lags;
d - vapor barrier film;
5 - draft floor;
6 - substrate and top coat

FRAME PARTITION INSULATED WITH STONE WOOL:
1 - sheathing from GKL (GVL) in 1 (2) layers;
2 - stone wool "Technoacoustic";
3 - steel frame;
4 - sheathing from GKL (GVL) in 1 (2) layers;
5 - finishing the room

If the internal distance between the supports is less than the width of the mat by 10-20 mm (a), cut off a piece of the desired length and lay it flat (b). If the dimensions do not match, the slab is cut to a size equal to the pitch of the supports plus 10-20 mm.

First, let's establish that the general term "mineral wool insulation", according to the technical document GOST 52953-2008 “Heat-insulating materials and products. Terms and Definitions", refers to three types of materials used as heaters - stone wool, slag wool and glass wool:
«

3.17 mineral wool: Heat-insulating material having the structure of wool and made from molten rock, slag or glass.

3.17.1 glass wool

3.17.2 rock wool

3.17.3 slag wool

Therefore, when a question arises before the customer: basalt insulation or mineral wool - which is better, clarification is required. Using the terms "mineral wool", as well as "mineral wool for wall insulation", we will mainly talk about stone wool.

For comparison, here are the technical characteristics of three types of mineral wool:

It can be seen that stone wool has the best performance in almost all parameters.

Origin of stone wool

The idea of ​​producing heat-insulating materials from molten rocks arose in the 19th century after observing the processes that occur during volcanic eruptions, when thin threads were formed from hot magma splashes under the influence of wind. Such insulation as stone wool as a building material was first obtained from waste products of metallurgy - blast-furnace slag - at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, first in the USA, and then in Great Britain and Germany. However, these first experiments were not widely used on an industrial scale due to the imperfection of technologies.

In the 30s of the 20th century, specialists from a Danish company managed to achieve the greatest success in developing production methods and high quality materials, which first produced mineral wool boards for insulating building structures and began to be called by the main type of product Rockwool (literally "stone wool"). Since then, Rockwool has been producing basalt slabs for various types of insulation, constantly expanding the range of manufactured materials and today has become one of the leaders among the world's best manufacturers of basalt wool-based thermal insulation.

In Russia, the products of TechnoNIKOL are very popular, a generally recognized domestic manufacturer of various building materials that produces heat-insulating slabs made of mineral wool, which are in no way inferior in quality and range to Rockwool materials, so here we will consider in detail the production technology, varieties, properties and scope of stone wool produced by TechnoNIKOL.

Stone wool production technology TechnoNIKOL

The raw material from which mineral wool insulation is made includes the bulk of inorganic components - gabbro-basalt rocks with the addition of dolomite, as well as organic elements - phenol-formaldehyde resin, water repellent and dust remover.

First, the inorganic components are mixed in the raw material preparation unit, weighed and fed in a precisely defined amount into a vertical coke cupola furnace, where the mixture is melted at a temperature of 1600 °C. The molten mass enters a centrifuge, consisting of several rotating rollers, where drops of molten stone mass are broken under the influence of centrifugal forces, stretching into thin threads, then under the air flow they enter the fiber precipitation department, in which they are treated with an air-drop mixture of organic elements - phenol-formaldehyde resins with water repellent and deduster. The composition of the mixture was developed in our own research center, is the know-how of the company and is not subject to disclosure. The main effect of the development is that in one mixture it was possible to combine binding, water-repellent and dust-removing qualities.

Further, the mass of basalt fibers enters the pendulum spreader and corrugator-prepressor, in which it is formed into a sheet of basalt mineral wool of a certain thickness, density and structure. In the corrugator-prepressor, the fibers are given a different direction, which increases the elasticity of the material and the tensile strength.

At the final stage of the formation of the insulation, the fabric passes through a thermal chamber, where, at a temperature reaching 250°C, the process of hardening of the binder mixture takes place. After that, the finished material is cut at the cutting unit using circular saws into mats, where certain dimensions of the insulation are specified. Then the finished mats are packed in batches in shrink film and sent for sale.

Stone wool properties - pros and cons

Basalt slab as a heater, sound insulator and fire protection has many positive properties:

• low thermal conductivity in the range of 0.035–0.042 W / (m ° C), approximately in the same range as that of expanded polystyrene;
• almost zero hygroscopicity - no more than 0.095% per day, which does not allow moisture to penetrate into the mass of insulation, while maintaining its properties in any adverse conditions. The inaccessibility of the material for moisture penetration excludes the possibility of reproduction of microorganisms that are unfavorable to health, such as mold and fungus, in the body of the insulation;
• high vapor permeability in contrast to closed-cell foam materials like expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam. Basalt thermal insulation as part of the building envelope ensures the evaporation of any amount of moisture that forms on the adjacent surfaces of walls, ceilings or roofs, eliminating the negative effects of moisture. This quality of the material makes it possible to use it for thermal insulation of structures with a high level of humidity in rooms, such as saunas, laundry or baths;
• high fire resistance is one of the unique properties of basalt wool. Mineral stone wool slab, which belongs to the NG category, that is, non-combustible materials that can only melt at high temperatures, is used not only as a non-combustible insulation for walls and ceilings, but also as a fire-retardant material that covers metal and reinforced concrete structures in order to increase fire protection;
• in addition to thermal insulation, wall insulation with mineral wool significantly increases their soundproofing properties due to the structure of stone wool, most of the volume of which is filled with air between randomly located stone fibers that dampen sound vibrations;
• has a high resistance to aggressive substances - oils, alkalis and acids, household chemicals, as well as high biological resistance to the influence of microorganisms - fungus and mold, which suggests a high durability of the material. From the experience of using stone wool in construction, it has been established that the durability of this insulation is guaranteed to reach 50 years or more;
• stone wool minplate is an environmentally friendly material, since it is based on molten basalt fiber, which does not emit any substances harmful to humans. However, a reservation should be made here - polymer resins are used as a binder for stone wool, making up no more than 5% of the total volume and capable of releasing harmful substances when exposed to fire - this happens only during a fire;
• stone wool products are easy to process, slabs and mats are cut with a regular hacksaw to the desired size.

Stone wool has several disadvantages that are easily eliminated if certain methods of working with the material and its operating conditions are observed:

• There is a perception that stone wool is harmful to health. Indeed, during the installation of structural insulation, cutting and other processing of stone wool mats and slabs, the smallest particles of basalt fiber enter the air, which can be harmful to health if they get on the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. In this regard, thermal insulation work must be carried out with the obligatory use of protective overalls, gloves, goggles, masks and respirators. After insulation with stone wool, structures are always closed with cladding or plastering, which is better for operation when the ingress of fiber particles into the air is excluded and access to the premises of harmful phenols from the binder is difficult;
• tendency to caking of the material over time under the influence of its own weight, especially in vertical structures - in multi-layer walls or ventilated facades. This disadvantage is easily overcome by fasteners, evenly distributed over the entire area of ​​the structure;
• obligatory use of vapor barrier from the side of the premises. From the outside, a material should be used that does not prevent the free exit of water vapor through the material, which is used in almost all enclosing structures, except for insulation with polyurethane foam.

Varieties of stone wool and its areas of application

Stone wool products, in accordance with the requirements of two regulatory documents: GOST 21880-2011 "Stitched heat-insulating mineral wool mats" and GOST 9573-2012 "Heat-insulating mineral wool boards with a synthetic binder", are subdivided into mats and slabs of different rigidity, having their own designations and specific areas of application, which can be seen in the following table.

Marking of mineral wool mats and plates and their areas of application

The density of mineral wool for insulation is the main indicator by which the scope is determined.

Basalt wool from leading manufacturers and its characteristics

Here we consider basalt insulation, the characteristics of which give a complete picture of the properties of various varieties of this material and areas of application - Rockwool insulation.

Basalt wool, the technical characteristics of which are given in the table, has recognized the best properties when compared with other well-known manufacturers that began to be used in the construction industry much later, such as Nobasil, Turkart, PAROC, Knauf, Isoroc, etc.

Mineral wool TechnoNIKOL

TechnoNIKOL stone wool, the technical characteristics of which are given in the table below, is in no way inferior both in properties and in the variety of Rockwool products.

Technology of wall insulation with mineral wool

Mineral wool insulation is used for sound and heat insulation of the following enclosing structures:

• exterior walls of buildings for subsequent plastering;
• multilayer walls with insulation inside the masonry;
• ventilated facades;
• frame partitions;

The technology of wall insulation with mineral slabs for plastering consists in sequentially performing the following operations:

• preparatory work - leveling in the presence of significant irregularities, cutting off protruding metal elements, cleaning and dedusting;
• fastening plates of grade not less than P-160 in density using a polymer-mineral adhesive and additional fastening with dowels with a galvanized metal core - at least 8 pcs / 1 m². The lower row of plates is installed on a perforated metal corner with a section of 25x25x0.5 previously fixed on the wall;
• covering the heat-insulating layer with a protective adhesive composition up to 8 mm thick with reinforcement with a plaster polymer mesh;
• applying a white plaster composition up to 4 mm thick;
• painting with facade paints on the basis of architectural design for the design of facades.

The heat-insulating thickness of the insulation is selected on the basis of calculations, taking into account the conditions of the climatic region in which the facility is being built.

The procedure for performing the work of wall insulation for plastering is detailed in the manual P 1-99 to SNiP 3.03.01-87 "Design and installation of thermal insulation of the outer walls of buildings for plaster", published in Belarus and the Russian Federation.

Walls can be insulated mainly from the outside. The option - wall insulation from the inside with mineral wool plus drywall - should be used only in the option when external insulation is not possible for any reason. In this case, the walls are insulated from the inside with mineral wool with an indispensable device for a ventilation gap between the insulation and the sheathing to prevent the deposition of condensate moisture inside the structure.

You can read more about the principles of external and internal insulation in the article "".

Thermal insulation of multilayer walls

Insulation of multilayer walls is carried out in the process of brickwork or the construction of walls from small or large-sized blocks. Insulation in the form of mats or plates of grades P-40 or P-50 is placed in the air gap between the inner wall and the facing layer in terms of rigidity.

The internal masonry and the facing layer are connected by metal or polymer anchor rods, which are installed in a checkerboard pattern with a step of 600x600 mm. When installing anchors, they should be placed, if possible, at the joints between the slabs, otherwise the anchors should be passed through the slabs.

When laying the facing layer, ventilation holes must be provided - inlet in the lower part of the wall, exhaust in the upper part, which are vertical joints not filled with mortar in the amount of at least 150 cm² per 20 m² of wall area.

Installation of ventilated facades/h3>

For the installation of insulation using a system of ventilated facades, a frame of metal thin-walled profiles is pre-mounted on external walls made of concrete, reinforced concrete or brick. Profiles are installed in horizontal and vertical directions with the expectation that insulation boards fit between them.

Insulation boards, the grade of which should be at least P-75 in density for buildings up to 12 m high (1-4 floors), and not less than P-120 for buildings over 12 m high (5 or more floors) are installed between the frame elements and fastened with dowels with wide plastic caps. For buildings up to 12 m high, each insulation plate is fastened with two dowels, for buildings above 12 m, the insulation plate is fastened with four dowels.

The insulation layer is covered with a windproof membrane made of a special film, then the frame with insulation is lined with various facade materials - siding, porcelain tiles, composite panels, etc. An air gap must be left between the surface of the insulation and facing materials for ventilation. For buildings up to 12 m high, the air gap must be at least 15 mm; for buildings over 12 m, the air gap must be at least 40 mm.

The thickness of the insulation is taken according to the calculation. In many cases, a small thickness is sufficient, for which, for example, Rocklite stone wool 50 mm thick can be used.

The device of frame partitions

When filling frame partitions, a frame of steel thin-walled profiles or a wooden beam is first installed, consisting of racks mounted on soundproof pads and horizontal crossbars. The pitch of the posts and the distance between the crossbars are selected in accordance with the dimensions of the mineral wool boards used, with the expectation that the boards fit snugly in the space to be filled. To fill the frame partitions, a mineral plate with the P-50 or P-75 brand in terms of density is used.

After filling the frames of the partitions with mineral wool boards, they are sheathed on both sides with plasterboard sheets or other sheathing materials, followed by finishing.

Expert opinion website

According to portal experts, stone wool is one of the best heaters for many reasons. When a customer, when choosing a heater for his own home, asks himself the question: which insulation is better - polystyrene or mineral wool, you should choose stone wool, because, despite approximately equal thermal conductivity, mineral mats and basalt wool slabs outperform polystyrene and others materials for other qualities - fire resistance, environmental friendliness, vapor permeability and durability.