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Construction material insulation. Materials for insulating walls outside. But this material has disadvantages

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Home insulation is one of the the most important factors, affecting savings family budget. After all, if the house is ventilated from all sides, heating costs increase many times over. Experienced craftsmen It is not recommended to insulate rooms from the inside - this not only leads to a decrease in usable area, but also to the destruction of walls due to the formation of condensation between the walls and thermal insulation, which means that such work should be carried out outside the buildings. Types of insulation for external walls, price and materials for making thermal insulation - this is the topic of our conversation today.

Extruded polystyrene foam - what is it?

This material has a higher cost, but at the same time specifications its much better. The most famous of such insulation for external walls can be safely called penoplex. It is quite durable, although it has a porous structure. It is also very convenient for plastering. Installation is carried out using special mastics, adhesive bases without the use of acetone, but the best option for exterior decoration can be called special plastic anchors.

For rodents and various pests, such insulation is of no interest. In addition, in its manufacture, substances are used that are not susceptible to the formation of fungus. In fact, there is only one minus - high flammability. The weight of the slabs is small, which, coupled with its strength, allows one person to carry out work on insulating the outside of the house with penoplex foam without any help.

Polyurethane foam - what are its disadvantages and advantages

This material has been known for a long time and has found application not only as a thermal insulator. It is used as a filler in armchairs and sofas, car and bus seats. To put it simply, this is foam rubber, which is probably known to every person.

It can only be used as insulation under panels. Its soft structure does not allow plastering. Although some home craftsmen, using foam rubber as a heat insulator, then close it or, which allows subsequent plastering of the wall.

It is important to know! Its huge disadvantage is its instability to high temperatures. Moreover, “thanks” to his chemical composition This thermal insulator, when ignited, releases very toxic substances that are quite easy to poison, unlike extruded polystyrene foam, which is not subject to combustion.

Many people are now talking about the harm caused by the phenol allegedly released by this material. However, the opinions of scientists here are divided. Some say that it is absolutely neutral, while others, on the contrary, claim that it causes colossal harm to the body. We will not take sides, limiting ourselves to stating the facts - this material is now used in almost all furniture, in cars, and even as a filling for pillows. And if its harm had been proven, it is unlikely that a self-respecting manufacturer would dare to poison people.

Mineral wool, its varieties and the possibility of using it for thermal insulation

This heat insulator can be used inside or in external thermal insulation of walls with subsequent finishing with siding or wall panels. It is most widely used in the construction of ventilated facades and insulation. Most often, a variety of it is used for these purposes - slabs of a certain size. basalt insulation, the price of which is relatively low.

Mineral wool has higher thermal conductivity and vapor permeability than previous options. It is due to this that it is the cheapest insulation. However, when using it, the heat in the house becomes quite sufficient. A rather unpleasant moment is that when working with it, the body begins to itch. Of course, not as strong as it was with its predecessor - glass wool, but still sensitive. In addition, it is a rather brittle and fragile material. But still, for this type of insulation, such as a ventilated facade, such a thermal insulator is practically irreplaceable.

Liquid insulation for walls - how to use it and how well it performs its functions

In appearance, such a heat insulator resembles thick paint. There is no doubt about the quality of its performance of its functions. However, its popularity is reduced by its high cost - not everyone can afford it. It is for this reason that professionals advise applying it only in the corners of the house and at the joints of the foundation and walls. It is better to cover the remaining area with more affordable insulation. Choosing it to insulate all wall surfaces will be very wasteful.

This material can be divided into 2 groups - heat paint and liquid foam. Both of them do an excellent job not only with insulation, but also with. It fits well on them, which means they are compatible with any material. High adhesion allows the use of this heat insulator on any surface, be it stone, concrete, brick or wood.

Main manufacturers of thermal insulation materials - a brief overview

There are quite a lot of thermal insulation manufacturers in Russia. And each of them is good in its own way, and therefore there is no point in compiling any kind of rating. So today we’ll just say a few words about each of them.

• "Ecover"– manufacturer of basalt slabs is very good quality. In addition to wall materials, it produces roofing heat-insulating materials and sandwich panels.

• "Knauf"- the same mineral wool, but the manufacturer’s peculiarity is that he produces it not in slabs, but in rolls. The thickness of the layer may vary.
• "Isover"– glass wool and its varieties. Such a thermal insulator has a very big drawback - it requires organization of moisture removal
• "Penofol"– basalt slabs are of quite high quality, but this brand brought great popularity heat insulating material from extruded polystyrene foam.
• "TechnoNIKOL" is a brand known throughout Russia and with factories in many regions. In addition to roofing felt and other roofing materials, it produces EPS boards and basalt insulation.
• "URSA"– mainly basalt and fiberglass slabs of excellent quality
• "Penoplex"– the name has become a household name. “Penoplex” is now the name given to all EPS boards, regardless of the manufacturer.
• "Ecoteplin"– unique and completely natural tile materials, which contain flax fibers, borax and starch.

• "Astratek"– liquid insulation materials that have no analogues in Russia. High-quality thermal insulation is achieved by applying a layer of only 3 mm.

Related article:

By selecting slabs of suitable thickness, you can ensure a sufficient level of thermal insulation of walls, floors, and ceilings. Let's talk about this insulation in more detail in our review.

The list of manufacturers can be endless; we have named only a few of the most famous.

Features of wall insulation outside the house - ventilated facade

Mineral wool is used for the ventilated façade. Speaking in simple words without using construction terms, a frame is assembled on the wall from metal profile with cells the size of mineral, fiberglass or basalt slabs, or the same profiles are attached in a line from the bottom to the top of the building, between which insulation is laid. Afterwards it is closed with a special hydro-and. The cladding is made with ceramic-granite tiles (usually 50x50 cm), which are fixed to the same guides using special metal clamps called “crabs”.

In this way, the developer achieves a solution to several problems at once - insulation, vapor barrier and finishing.

Three-layer wall construction - installation features

In this way, the walls of low-rise buildings are often insulated from or. The technology is quite simple. A building made of rough brick is insulated from the outside using any polymer thermal insulator, and then covered with facing bricks. But although the quality of such thermal insulation is not bad, this method also has its drawbacks. The main one can be called the low durability of insulation compared to construction and facing material. Despite this, the popularity of such insulation is quite high.

Calculation of insulation for house walls: convenient online calculators

Calculate required dimensions Placing slabs along the length and width of the wall is easy. Much big problem here is a calculation of the required thickness, which depends on many different parameters, including the region in which the residential building is located. That is why we suggest you use our online calculators, which will perform all the calculations themselves.

Online calculator for calculating the thickness of insulation of the walls of a wooden house

It is quite difficult to achieve optimal efficiency in energy saving at home, even with an ultra-modern heating system, but without resorting to insulation of external walls. It has been established experimentally that about 30% heat escapes through uninsulated walls. The best way out One of such situations is insulating the outside walls of the house. Thus, using special materials with a minimum thermal conductivity coefficient, the protection of walls from external influences is enhanced. Insulation from the outside creates a kind of barrier between the damp and cold atmosphere of the street and the microclimate inside the home. However, the success of this process will directly depend on the correctly selected insulation.

What materials for internal insulation walls can be used in an apartment or private house. In I shared own experience internal thermal insulation, now it’s worth understanding the variety of insulation materials.

1. POLYSTYRENE FOAM(PS, PSB, PSB-S-20). Polystyrene foam can be used to insulate walls, ceilings, and even floors, as it is available in different densities. For floors we recommend PSB-S-50, which has high density, resistant to loads and all weather conditions.

PSB-S-15 is the least dense of the polystyrene foams. They are recommended to insulate external loggias, balconies, attic spaces. The choice of density is yours, since the difference in price is not significant.

Pros:

• Excellent heat and sound insulator
• long service life
• DIY installation possible
• inexpensive price.

It is glued with special glue onto previously prepared surfaces, secured with “umbrellas” - special plastic dowels, and puttied.

Minuses:

• Low strength
• impossibility of use without decorative finishing
• a noticeable reduction in the dimensions of your room (this depends on the thickness of the material). This is a fly in the ointment, without which it is difficult to find any insulation.

2. PENOFOL, UTAFOL (AND OTHER FOIL THERMAL INSULATION). Foil insulation with high heat and sound insulation properties and good waterproofing due to aluminum foil.

Its disadvantage is that penofol is attached to the wall by lathing it, on which drywall is then installed, and this significantly affects the dimensions of the room.

Foiled penofol is well suited for:

• country houses
• unheated rooms
• balconies
• loggias
• in places with a risk of dampness and moisture.

3. THERMAL INSULATING PLASTER. Sold packaged in bags of various weights. It is not inferior in its characteristics to expanded polystyrene. Fire properties at its best, environmentally friendly, requiring no additional materials(diluted with water). I won’t write recommendations for use; each manufacturer makes its own adjustments. Thermal insulating plasters There are mineral and organic.

• MINERAL PLASTER consists of mineral porous materials, swollen at high temperatures(such as vermiculite and perlite). Such mixtures are treated with water repellents, as they are too hygroscopic. Mineral fillers use a hollow foam glass ball that does not absorb moisture and has high mechanical strength.
• ORGANIC PLASTER. Foamed polystyrene is used in organic fillers; these plasters are softer, unlike mineral mixtures. Also waterproof like foam glass beads. Carrying out work on applying plaster does not require special skills - it is applied directly to the wall, without using plaster mesh. After drying, it is monolithically connected not only to brick and concrete, but also to glass and metal. There is a huge selection of such mixtures on the market.

4. LIQUID THERMAL INSULATION. The Internet is replete with advertisements for various types of this material. BUT! Nowhere can they reasonably explain the process itself, how this type of thermal insulation works. In reviews and on forums, basically the same questions are asked - how effective and advisable is it to use liquid thermal insulation for walls, ceilings and floors in residential premises.

Although there are positive reviews on the use of such materials for pipelines and in places hard to reach common species insulation materials. Available on the market big choice liquid insulation in the form of paints, so if you want to take a risk, go ahead. But in the reviews of those who have already used liquid insulation for residential premises, the advantage is towards the negative. I didn’t have a chance to use liquid heat insulator, so I won’t scold or praise it, and I also wouldn’t want to duplicate advertising information here.

5. ROLL INSULATIONS for walls for wallpaper and painting are presented on the market in several versions. These are CORK insulation and FOAM POLYSTYRENE roll insulation. A few words about these thin, but based on experience and reviews, quite effective heat insulators.

• SUBERIC roll insulation, as well as decorative wall coverings (wallpaper or plates) are made from cork chips by pressing with the application of cork veneer and wax. Wax-coated cork is used for finishing and insulating walls, even wet areas. The thickness of cork insulation is from 2mm to 30mm, so its scope is varied - from wallpaper to insulating walls, ceilings or floors with plates or slabs. Cork insulation doesn't highlight harmful substances when burning, is not afraid of mold and mildew, is breathable, has low thermal conductivity, and is environmentally friendly. It's easy to stick it on yourself. One of the disadvantages is the high price of this material, but after gluing you don’t have to do any finishing work, since the cork itself has a natural decorative effect and fits well into most interior styles. I give my subjective plus to the cork because it can be safely used in a nursery.
• FOAM POLYSTYRENE roll insulation is produced in rolls with a width of 50 to 100 cm, a length of up to 10 m and a thickness of up to 10 mm. It is made from a thin layer of polystyrene. On one side the insulation is covered with cardboard or a thin layer of paper. It is glued like cork - with special glue. Expanded polystyrene insulation is environmentally friendly pure material, since freon is not used for its production, and even when burning it does not emit toxic substances and gases. Low thermal conductivity and vapor permeability, ease of use, environmental friendliness, fairly low price have not won bad reputation this insulation.

These are not all materials for internal insulation, but I tried to briefly describe the most used ones that give results. Wrote an article

Thermal insulation of house structures in different quantities needed in front of everyone temperature conditions from the equator to northern latitudes. Today there are so many materials that retain heat in rooms that when choosing among them you can get confused and choose the wrong thing. Next we will look at the most popular and effective types insulation materials, compare their characteristics and determine the scope of application of each of them.

Classifications

Thermal insulating materials can be divided into groups according to different characteristics. For example, according to the composition:

• Organic insulation materials made on the basis of natural components (fiberboard, cork);
• Synthetic materials created by chemical reactions (all polyethylene, polyurethane materials);
• Mineral wool.

Types of home insulation can also be divided according to their resistance to external precipitation and other influences. This will determine the scope of use of the material:

• For internal use;
• For external thermal insulation.

It should be noted that only those materials that do not absorb water in any way are suitable for external use. Their fibers must repel moisture, and the pores in the insulation must be closed. These include all types of polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, polystyrene foam.

Types of insulation for walls inside must, first of all, allow steam to pass through so that it does not linger in the room. Otherwise, moisture accumulates in the rooms, condensation forms, and pockets of mold colonies spread. The material must be safe for others (odorless, toxic fumes, and, if possible, with a high ignition threshold). We include in the group:

• Mineral wool;
• Insulation materials based on cement and organic components;
• Ecowool;
• Cork.

There are much more types of insulation for internal walls than for external walls, because some slabs that can be used to cover a facade are also suitable for internal insulation.

There are other, narrower classifications, for example, division by type of pores:

• WITH closed pores(PPU, polystyrene foam);
• With open pores (cork, foam block).

Now we will consider each type of thermal insulation material and determine its main parameters for ease of selection.

Polymer thermal insulation materials

Synthetic thermal insulators are a large family of components for maintaining heat in the home.

Polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam has not yet received widespread use, since finishing surfaces with this material is a relatively expensive process. And yet, polyurethane foam is considered one of the most effective heat insulators for several reasons:

• Light weight, only 40…60 kg/m3;
• Low degree of thermal conductivity no more than 0.025 W/m*C;
• Easy installation - spraying;
• Absence of cold bridges when correct coverage surfaces;
• Low vapor permeability;
• Cheap raw materials.

The disadvantages include:

• The need for special spray equipment;
• High cost of the work itself.

To reduce the cost of finishing, you can rent installation installation and do thermal insulation coating independently, but if handled improperly, the quality of work cannot be guaranteed.

When sprayed, polyurethane foam is applied in a certain layer (depending on the calculated thickness), and after polymerization and hardening it turns into a porous coating that is not afraid of moisture and rodents.

You can use polyurethane foam to insulate walls, ceilings of rooms and attics.

Extruded polystyrene foam

This is a material similar in properties to ordinary polyurethane foam in the form of shaped slabs. It’s easier to work with - you just need to lay the blocks over the area of ​​the insulated coating and you don’t need to dry anything. Extruded polystyrene foam is sometimes called foam rubber.

PPU slabs are almost identical in characteristics to their “relative”:

• Thermal conductivity is only 0.3 W/(m*C);
• Density up to 45 kg/m3;
• Vapor permeability is even lower - only 0.015 mg/(m*h*Pa).

Advantages of the material:

• Low price compared to the total cost of polyurethane foam;
• Simple installation that you can do yourself;
• Lightness of the material.

Flaws:

• There are bridges of cold;
• Sealing of joints between slabs is required;
• Insufficient data on material safety. Like polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam is tested for safety only in factory conditions.

This type of insulation for walls outside and inside is equally suitable.

Styrofoam

A relative of the group of foamed thermal insulation materials made from synthetic polyester. One of the most available materials, helping to maintain heat in the house. It consists of balls pressed together with voids, thanks to which heated air does not penetrate outside the room.

Advantages of polystyrene foam:

• Sufficient efficiency - thermal conductivity is only 0.05 W/m*C;
• Weight can vary between 40-125 kg depending on the composition and density of the material;
• Low price for slabs;
• Easy installation.

Flaws:

• According to many sellers, polystyrene foam is a completely safe insulation material that is not afraid of fire and does not flare up when sparks occur. This is a deep misconception: if you try to set fire to the stove in the middle, holding it strictly along the horizon, then only the light from the candle will remain on the surface. If you start ignition from the edge, the material will instantly begin to melt and smoke heavily. The gas released is very dangerous to human life.
• Insufficient environmental friendliness: polystyrene foam does not breathe, it does not contain natural ingredients;
• Low vapor permeability promotes accumulation in the room humid air. To solve the situation, it is necessary to install a ventilation system.
• A considerable degree of absorption can fail in a frosty winter: water accumulates in channels, where it can expand when it hardens and turns into ice.

Styrofoam should be used for outdoor use, but it can work well indoors if needed.

Penoizol

Another name is urea foam. This is the same sprayable polymer material, like polyurethane foam, but less expensive.

• Penoizol is capable of absorbing water up to 1/5 of its volume, but then easily releases the liquid, while maintaining its shape. This allows the heat insulator to be used even in damp rooms.
• Penoizol lasts up to 60 years without changing its initial characteristics.
• Low shrinkage amount up to 5% of the total volume.

Flaws:

• When using low-quality raw materials, you can get a result that is far from expected. For example, when drying, the foam will smell unpleasant or shrink significantly;
• Like polyurethane foam, penoizol requires special equipment for spraying.

The material is suitable for indoor use.

Mineral wool

Mineral wool is natural insulation materials, which are obtained by processing natural raw materials.

Glass wool

It is based on recycled glass fibers, stretched to the state of thin threads. You can find glass wool on sale in slabs or rolls; their characteristics are the same.

Glass fiber is a safe material, and also effective:

• The thermal conductivity of the slab is only 0.056 W/m*C;
• Density up to 100 kg/m3;
• But the vapor permeability failed - only 0.53 mg/(m*h*Pa). In other words, glass fiber easily absorbs moisture and then difficultly releases it.

What you should prepare for in advance:

• Glass threads are fragile, so it is necessary to take the slab correctly and move it from place to place at least once;
• Shrinkage of the material occurs relatively quickly; after 10 years, the insulation becomes unusable and requires replacement.

Glass wool is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, but subject to mandatory hydro- and vapor barrier.

Mineral wool

Mineral wool comes in two types:

• 1) Slag;
• 2) Stone.

Both types are produced from the remains of the stone industry. To bind the components, urea or phenol is used, which gives the slab a waterproof effect.

Average technical characteristics of mineral wool:

• Thermal conductivity - 0.047…0.12 W/m*S;
• Density depending on origin 35...150kg/m3;
• The ability to transmit steam is high - 0.51 mg/(m*h*Pa).

Like glass stone wool can be used both indoors and outdoors. However, it is not recommended to cover living rooms with this material: the blocks can emit phenol vapors.

Ecowool

This is a special type of insulation material based on cellulose and additives. Ecowool is sprayed like polyurethane foam. It lies evenly on the surface of the wall or ceiling, after which it is necessary to allow the material to dry completely. Unfortunately, when drying, cellulose can settle significantly, as a result of which you have to carefully work out each joint and seam, correctly distribute the solution and apply it.

Advantages of ecowool:

• Low thermal conductivity up to 0.041 W/m*C;
• Excellent sound insulation: a layer up to 1.5 cm thick can absorb sounds up to 9 dB;
• There are no cold bridges at the joints of the supporting frame and the main parts of the building.

Flaws:

• The thermal efficiency parameter is constantly decreasing due to rapid shrinkage;
• Due to the above reason, after a few years the upper section of the wall becomes exposed.

Ecowool is not suitable for insulating facades from the outside.

Izolon

Combined material based on foamed polyethylene, closed on both sides aluminum foil. As you know, metal is an excellent conductor of heat, but not in our case: the shiny layer reflects heat in the opposite direction. It turns out that the insulation will be effective only if correct installation a shiny layer to the room.

Izolon is a completely safe material. They do not burn and do not support combustion when minimum thickness The sheet achieves the heat transfer effect as in the case of conventional insulation, does not require special installation skills.

As a rule, Izolon is used indoors, including cast floors.

Fibrolite

Fibrolite is combined material, which includes:

• Wood shavings;
• A solution of cement and water;
• Liquid glass.

Insulation is produced in the form of slabs, which are laid in the usual way.

The material absorbs little water and has a low thermal conductivity coefficient.

Despite the fact that fiberboard almost does not absorb water, the liquid that does get on the fibers evaporates for a long time, and mold grows in the coating.

Fiberboard is used for assembling internal and external walls and partitions, for covering the roof, attic, floor, etc.

Cork

Cork tree is a unique representative of the flora, which supplies humans with thermal insulation material of natural origin. The removed bark is prepared carefully:

• 1) Grind in a special machine;
• 2) Add natural glue suberin;
• 3) Plates and rolls of different thicknesses and densities are formed.

The result is an excellent thermal insulation material for covering floors and walls indoors. Cork is an extremely safe and environmentally friendly product that can be used to decorate children's rooms.

The appearance of the coating allows it to be used as a floor covering and insulation at the same time.

Systematizing information

The types of insulation and their characteristics that we examined are presented in the table, where you can compare them and choose the option that suits you:

The modern market offers a huge variety of insulation materials of organic, mineral and synthetic origin. We looked at the basic products that are most often used to preserve heat in residential and office spaces.