Insulation for external walls of timber houses. Technology for insulating a timber house from the outside. Features of preparing house walls for insulation
Content
The construction of private houses from profiled timber, regular or glued, is popular due to the affordable cost of the material and the ability to install a log frame on our own. But the question of thermal insulation of the building arises if you are going to live in the house all year round. If the thickness of the timber is less than 200 mm, heating a house without insulation will require increased costs in regions with cold winters, since the walls will freeze. Let's figure out how to insulate a house made of timber from the outside by choosing a heat insulator with suitable properties.
Internal or external insulation?
Home for winter accommodation, assembled from timber, it is recommended to insulate it regardless of the thickness of the walls. This is due to the installation technology - the corners are mounted “without residue”, and this design is prone to increased heat loss. The freezing corners of the house become damp, the wood begins to rot and over time wooden frame is destroyed.
You can separately decide how to insulate the corners of the building from the outside, using a heat insulator and installing sheathing from wide boards. But such partial insulation is not effective enough and does not decorate the house.
Thermal insulation of a house made of timber from the outside
When figuring out how to insulate a house made of timber, you should pay attention to the key advantages of external insulation over internal insulation:
- Installation of internal insulation leads to a shift in the dew point inside the wall structures. This means that condensation occurs at the border between heat and cold and this occurs in a wooden wall. The result is gradual destruction of wood due to constant high humidity.
- Thermal insulator, fixed to the walls indoors, is either vapor-tight (slab or roll material from foamed polymer, including foil), or absorbs moisture, losing thermal insulation properties, and therefore needs high-quality vapor barrier (basalt wool, glass wool). In both cases, the internal insulation system completely deprives the home of all the advantages of building from natural wood and requires arrangement high-quality ventilation for steam removal.
So, to the question of which side is it better to insulate walls, the answer is simple. Wooden beam is a breathable material for which constant humidity is harmful, so installing a heat insulator from the inside is impractical, not to mention the fact that this will noticeably reduce the area of the premises.
The advantages of installing a thermal insulation layer on the facade wooden house made from timber:
- formation of a dew point outside the walls made of timber - they will be protected from freezing and dampness during the cold season;
- carrying out work without interference interior decoration(you can leave the walls in the rooms wooden, without attaching additional cladding);
- opportunity to provide natural circulation air through the walls, which contributes to favorable microclimate in a wooden house (but provided that you have chosen suitable way installation of a heat insulator);
- reliable protection of walls from atmospheric influences.
Insulating a log house from the outside is not without some disadvantages, which include::
- linking the work to the season and weather conditions (preparing walls and installing thermal insulation in warm, dry weather);
- the difficulty of carrying out work at height outside with your own hands, the need to erect reliable scaffolding;
- the need to equip the external cladding of the house (cladding with siding, block house, etc.).
Thermal insulation of external walls of a house with mineral wool Preparing the walls
Before you insulate timber house, it is necessary to properly prepare wooden structures. To do this, carefully inspect the walls of the building from the outside to identify possible areas of rot, gaps between the beams, and deep cracks in the cracked timber.
Note! Insulation of a house made of timber from the outside must be done only a year and a half after the construction of the log house solid timber, since this design is prone to shrinkage. At the same time, insulation of a house made of laminated veneer lumber can be done immediately after construction, since the material, consisting of lamellas made of dried wood glued together, practically does not change its geometric dimensions.
At the stage of preparing the walls, it is necessary to carefully treat the wooden structures - impregnate them with antiseptic agents. This will help protect the wood from rotting, damage by insects and microorganisms, and will extend the life of the house. It is recommended to carry out treatment with impregnating compounds in two passes, with intermediate drying.
If, upon inspection of the facade, serious cracks and gaps between the crowns are revealed, they must be caulked. You can use the same type of insulation as when assembling the log house, or another natural material - jute, tow, flax wool.
Installation features
The insulation technology primarily depends on the selected heat insulator. If a rolled or slab material is chosen, then the ventilated facade for a house made of timber in the form of a multilayer system is equipped with ventilation gaps. In the case of using sprayed materials, the technology is simplified.
Spray insulation
Sprayed polyurethane foam and ecowool are applied directly to the walls, which does not allow ventilation gap between the wooden structure and the heat insulator. In the case of ecowool, this is not important - such insulation is vapor permeable. But if the outside of the house is covered with a layer of polyurethane foam under the siding, the walls stop “breathing”, and you need to be very careful about arranging ventilation in order to avoid dampness in the rooms and the appearance of mold.
Thermal insulation of external walls with sprayed polyurethane foam Before spraying the material, the walls are cleaned and vertical lathing is stuffed onto them, forming cells for filling with heat insulator. The size of the slats is selected in accordance with the calculated thickness of the thermal insulation layer.
Using special equipment, polyurethane foam is sprayed into open cells, and in the case of using ecowool, the technology depends on the thickness of the layer. If the size exceeds 70 mm, a vapor-permeable windproof membrane. Holes are made in it (one per cell), through which the gaps between the slats are filled. The holes are sealed hermetically.
On top of a layer of polyurethane foam, like ecowool, applied open method, install a windproof film, fill the counter-lattice and fasten external finishing. If it is made of wood, the counter-lattice will provide a ventilation gap to prevent rotting of the material.
Arrangement of a traditional ventilated façade
If there is a task to preserve a unique microclimate wooden building, it is important to figure out how to properly insulate a house made of timber from the outside. When thermally insulating external walls, they often neglect to arrange a ventilation gap between the wooden wall structure and insulation. This leads to wooden house it does not remove excess moisture through the walls and the wood accumulates moisture. The result is the development of mold, rotting of the walls of the house.
To avoid negative consequences, you cannot install polymer insulation materials or a vapor barrier membrane for a mineral wool heat insulator directly on the wall.
Thermal insulation diagram of a timber house from the outside First stage. To properly insulate a house made of timber, first of all, a vertical sheathing of edged boards 40–50 mm thick is placed on the walls. A vapor barrier is attached to it. The resulting gap allows air to circulate, removing excess moisture. It is necessary to leave a ventilation gap at the top, covering it with a visor made of wooden slats to prevent the penetration of precipitation.
It is recommended to level the sheathing until it is strictly vertical plane to make it easier to insulate a timber house from the outside. All lumber used in the “pie” is pre-treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant.
Second phase. During the insulation of a log house, sheathing slats are attached to the boards of the installed sheathing. slab insulation. The width of the slats must correspond to the thickness of the heat insulator. The end posts should be at the corner of the wall. The installation step depends on what material it was decided to insulate the house with:
- if it is polystyrene foam or sheet extruded polystyrene foam, then the gap between the slats should be equal to the width of the sheet;
- if the building is thermally insulated from the outside with mineral wool, then the gap should be 10–15 mm less than the width of the slab material.
Third stage. Thermal insulation of external walls requires correct installation insulation:
- polymer boards are inserted into the cells, all joints are filled with polyurethane foam;
- Stone wool slabs are installed by surprise.
Additional insulation of corners is usually not done, but when installing heat insulation along the edges of the walls, it is necessary to ensure that cold bridges do not arise.
Fourth stage. A windproof film is attached over the sheathing. If the heat insulator is polymer material, you can use regular film, but it is better if it is a material that protects from UV rays. When insulating the walls of a log house with a fibrous heat insulator (mineral wool), it is recommended to use membranes that allow steam to escape but do not allow moisture to enter.
Fifth stage. The façade can be finished using siding, lining, block house and other materials that are relatively light in weight. The walls should be sheathed using 40mm thick counter battens on top of the wind barrier. This will provide ventilation to the system.
Choosing a heat insulator
To know how to insulate a house made of timber from the outside, you need to decide on the type of insulation. The functional properties of heat insulators, their cost and installation complexity are assessed.
Mineral wool
Insulating a house with mineral wool from the outside has a number of advantages: high thermal insulation and sound insulation properties, non-flammability, environmental Safety, easy installation. The material is gas-permeable if used to insulate a house made of timber, complete with membranes - vapor barrier and windproof. This allows the walls to “breathe”.
The disadvantage of mineral wool is its hygroscopicity. When moisture accumulates, the thermal insulation properties decrease sharply. It should be noted that the cost of the material and membranes is quite high. An attempt to reduce the cost of insulating a facade with mineral wool by using conventional film will reduce the service life of the house and worsen the indoor microclimate.
Thermal insulation of the house facade with mineral wool Styrofoam
The advantages include affordable cost and high thermal insulation qualities (with a density of at least 35 kg/m3), simple installation, low weight, and hydrophobicity.
Disadvantages: flammability, destruction by ultraviolet radiation and damage by rodents. The material is gas-tight and if the cheapest material is installed incorrectly, the walls of a wooden building will not “breathe”.
Thermal insulation of a log house with foam plastic Extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex)
Insulating the walls from the outside with polystyrene foam will reliably protect structures from freezing. At the same time, the material has a low tendency to fire and is not damaged by rodents.
Thermal insulation from the outside with penoplex will cost more than when using polystyrene foam, but the problems remain the same - impaired air exchange in insulated structures if the material is glued directly to the walls.
Thermal insulation of the facade with penoplex Foamed polyethylene
Polyethylene, foamed under high or low pressure, may have a foil surface on one or both sides. Thin rolled material is characterized by high thermal insulation properties.
Using it for external insulation, you can save on vapor barrier and wind protection - foamed polyethylene does not need them. The rolled material is mounted as a continuous sheet on top of the sheathing, stuffed to create a ventilation gap. The joints of the strips are taped with aluminum tape. Then a counter-lattice is attached to cover the walls with siding or decorative panels.
Thermal insulation of the external walls of the house with polyethylene Sprayed polyurethane foam
The main advantage of sprayed polyurethane foam is the ability to create a seamless thermal insulation layer on surfaces of any configuration. The material is durable and environmentally friendly.
But with this external thermal insulation wooden structures are susceptible to rotting, since the insulation does not allow steam to pass through, and it is impossible to create a ventilation gap.
Thermal insulation of the house facade with polyurethane foam Ecowool
A good option for insulating the facade. The material is fire resistant, environmentally friendly, and vapor permeable. Such thermal insulation does not disturb the microclimate in a wooden house.
Only two disadvantages can be noted: high cost and the need to use professional equipment for proper installation.
Thermal insulation of the walls of a log house with ecowool Conclusion
In order for the building to last for a long time, it is important to choose the right way to insulate the house and follow the installation technology. Without insulation, a timber building has high heat loss and is difficult to heat well. When considering the best way to insulate a house made of timber from the outside, opt for an insulation scheme that will allow the wooden house to “breathe.”
How warm can a log house be? The tree is quite rightly considered warm material, providing good protection from the cold. In fact, wood is about five times warmer than brick, and foam concrete is 2-3 times warmer. But what happens in practice and how to make a house really warm?
Heat engineering issues
In order for the house to be warm, its walls and other enclosing structures must have a certain resistance to heat transfer. In accordance with SNiP 23-02-2003 heat transfer resistance external walls residential premises is determined depending on the area.
For example, in the Moscow region, according to new standards, this indicator should not be less than 3.13 K m 2 /W. A 150 mm thick wall made of pine timber has a thermal resistance of about 1.25. With a thickness of 200 mm - approximately 1.6 K m 2 / W. In any case, before modern requirements The thermal insulation properties of timber walls are not up to the mark, although they are quite within the standards in force for buildings built before 2000.
From this we can conclude that in order for a log house to comply with modern ideas about minimum energy efficiency, it is necessary to insulate it, and for this there are various materials.
How to insulate a timber house?
Before you begin work on insulating walls made of timber, you need to understand what is happening in the thickness of the wall, how it works to save heat.
In addition to the temperature difference on the inner and outer surfaces of the wall, we must not forget about the difference in humidity. The air humidity inside is always higher than outside. Steam penetrates the pores of the wood and moves towards lower partial pressure - towards the outer surface.
Most effective method insulation – external thermal insulation. With this method, the wall always remains warm and is not affected by frost damage. But it is very important that the insulation is sufficiently permeable to steam. High humidity in the walls can quickly render a wooden house unusable, and create a very unpleasant, pathogenic microclimate inside.
Among modern heat-insulating materials Mineral wool allows steam to pass through best. For comparison, we can cite the vapor permeability of wood and various insulation materials.
- Pine across the grain – 0.06 mg/(m h Pa).
- Polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene) – 0.05 mg/(m h Pa).
- EPPS – 0.013 mg/(m h Pa).
- Mineral wool – 0.5 mg/(m h Pa).
From the given data it is clear that the best material To insulate a house made of timber from the outside, mineral wool is used. The advantage of vapor permeability is so great that it outweighs the not-so-low cost of mineral wool.
The best conditions for moisture removal are created by a ventilated façade, in which an air gap of 20–50 mm thick remains between the insulation and the outer cladding. There should be air access from below and exit from the top. In this case, a constant air flow is created in the gap, which prevents moisture from accumulating.
To prevent transverse diffusion of air into the insulation, it is covered with a windproof membrane, which does not prevent steam from escaping, but increases the efficiency of thermal insulation. For outer skin can be used vinyl siding, blockhouse or other suitable material.
Warming step by step
How to insulate a house made of timber: you can cover a new timber house with thermal insulation only after it has completely shrunk. In any case, insulation of timber walls must begin with surface preparation. It is necessary to remove moss, clean areas damaged by rot or mold, treat the walls with an antiseptic and caulk the cracks.
The next stage is installation of the sheathing. It can be made from wooden blocks of a suitable cross-section, or from metal wall profiles for drywall. The profiles are installed vertically, every 40 - 50 cm.
First, you should fix the base profile that limits curtain façade below. Then brackets are attached to the wall with a step along the sheathing profiles of no more than 80 cm.
After this, thermal insulation slabs are laid on the wall, starting from the base. The bracket plates pass through the slabs through the slots made in them. Then a windproof membrane is laid on the slabs in the same way. On top of the membrane you need to install umbrella fasteners that will secure the insulation. It is important that the length of the brackets allows you to install the sheathing with the necessary gap between the insulation and the cladding.
The sheathing is mounted on the insulated wall. The profiles are placed on the base profile, aligned vertically and attached to the brackets with self-tapping screws or tear-off rivets. In this case, not only the vertical of each profile is controlled, but also their alignment in a common plane. Only galvanized fasteners should be used everywhere.
After installing the sheathing, the cladding is installed. It is important that the ventilation gap remains open at the bottom and top, and also that it does not create stagnant zones under the window sills. In addition, it is very important that any folds or irregularities in the insulation do not block the vertical air flow.
Calculation of insulation thickness
When calculating the thickness of the insulation, it is necessary to take into account the thermal resistance of the wall made of timber, in order to bring the total resistance of the wall to the required value. It is better to take the thickness with a margin in order to compensate for the influence of cold bridges and the possible deterioration of thermal insulation qualities at high humidity.
Hotrock mineral wool
So how to insulate a timber house from the outside. Hotrock mineral wool is European class basalt thermal insulation. The assortment includes slabs of different densities designed to insulate the most different designs, including ventilated facades. Depending on the characteristics of a particular object, you can choose slabs with a density from 35 to 90 kg/m 3. The thermal conductivity of all slabs in a dry state ranges from 0.035 to 0.038 W/m K. A 50 mm thick slab is equivalent in thermal resistance to a 150 mm thick pine beam.
Basalt wool is completely non-flammable, does not retain moisture, is not damaged by rodents and insects, and fungi and mold do not develop in it. Based on the sum of its qualities, it is recognized as the best material for wall insulation.
Individual construction is expanding every year. All more people they want to live on earth, alone with themselves and nature. The share of environmentally friendly construction is gradually growing. Every eighth private house is built entirely from wood. 33% of them are made of timber. Insulating a house made of timber is becoming increasingly important. It allows not only to provide thermal comfort, but also to protect structures from destructive influences. environment.
Is it necessary to insulate a house made of timber? Two positive points thermal insulation has already been mentioned. They apply to both external and internal insulation. So why is it still recommended to insulate a log house from the outside?
Let's answer this question in 3 points:
- Insulation log house outside moves the dew point outside interior spaces and enclosing structures, thereby extending the life of the structure.
- Insulating a log house from the outside allows you to radically change the facade of the house, giving it any desired look.
- The process of insulating a house made of timber from the outside allows you to save the much-needed internal usable space.
Choosing material
Rising energy prices have prompted many homeowners to consider the need to reduce heating and cooling costs. internal space Houses. Demand determines supply. Manufacturers of construction and finishing materials have developed and launched production of a wide range of thermal insulation compounds.
Before insulating a house made of timber, you need to select a heat insulator.
Their main types are:
- fibrous;
- expanded polystyrene;
- polyurethane foam.
Each of them has its own installation features, advantages and disadvantages when insulating a wooden house made of timber. All of them have a low coefficient specific heat capacity, long service life.
Fiber thermal insulator
To insulate timber walls, roll and slab materials are produced from artificial, natural, and stone fibers. The latter are made from basalt (volcanic stone) by melting and passing the melt through a centrifuge. The resulting fibers are treated with an adhesive composition and compressed. The resulting sheets are cut to size.
It has the following advantages when you need to insulate a house made of laminated veneer lumber:
- high vapor permeability;
- low biological and chemical activity;
- ecologically pure;
- non-flammable, does not spread flame over its surface.
The disadvantages include high water absorption capacity and destruction under constant exposure to wind loads. When insulating profiled timber, it is necessary to provide steam, hydro, and wind protection.
Expanded polystyrene thermal insulators
It is best to insulate a log house from the outside with the installation of a “wet” facade using polystyrene foam thermal insulation. Insulation materials of this type are obtained by increasing the volume of gas by heating granules in a confined space and then connecting them using adhesives or temperature.
There are two main types of polystyrene foam:
- foamed (foam plastic);
- extruded (penoplex).
They are characterized by:
- low degree of water absorption and vapor permeability;
- high stability to compression;
- necessary biological and insufficient chemical passivity;
- high fire hazard.
Destroyed by exposure sunlight. Before insulating a timber house from the outside, it is necessary to provide a ventilation gap.
Spray polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam is obtained by mixing two components in certain proportions. Application of the composition is impossible without the use of special equipment and trained personnel.
The resulting layer has extremely high adhesion to any building material, fills all the cracks in the structure, represents a continuous coating without the formation of cold bridges. Has similar physical and chemical properties. Before insulating a house made of timber from the outside, it is necessary to provide additional ventilation for the interior.
Have you heard the expression: “A tree breathes.” This applies to products made from wood. Cells absorb moisture when there is excess moisture and release it when the humidity level decreases. This allows you to maintain the maximum level of comfort in your winter home. relative humidity in 55-56%
Basalt slab is the best choice
How to properly insulate a log house from the outside using mineral insulation?
Because of "breathing" wooden structures Mineral (basalt) insulation for a log house is considered the most optimal.
It allows air to pass through it well. It is installed close to the wall, thereby reducing material consumption and the thickness of the “pie”.
Let's consider how to properly insulate a house made of timber from the outside under siding step by step, as the most suitable and most technically complex technology.
We insulate the log house with 2 layers of thermal insulation. We lay them perpendicular to each other.
- When insulating a house made of logs, we cover the resulting layer of thermal insulation with a waterproofing membrane, which at the same time plays the role of wind protection.
- We place a vertical counter-batten on the beam, 50 mm wide and high enough for the siding.
After installing the siding, it needs to be sheathed with additional elements.
Expanded polystyrene and “wet” facade
Before insulating a log house from the outside with penoplex, you need to take care of creating a ventilation gap between the outer wall and the insulating layer. This must be done due to the low vapor permeability of this insulating material. The gap allows for better removal of penetrating moisture without the formation of condensation on the wall surface, protecting it from rotting.
Since penoplex has almost zero vapor permeability and water saturation, protective membranes are not used when insulating the walls of a house with polystyrene foam.
Before insulating a log house, it is necessary to thoroughly treat the entire surface with septic tanks to protect against insects and wood destruction processes.
We secure the slabs using fasteners with a wide head. Layers of thermal insulation are laid in such a way that upper layer overlapped the joints of the lower one.
After treating the polystyrene foam insulation with a primer, a reinforcing mesh is fixed to it using an adhesive composition. It is applied decorative plaster followed by painting.
With this technology of insulating the house from the outside, the appearance of a house made of timber changes dramatically. It takes on the appearance of stone, while at the same time acquiring additional protection, which can significantly increase its service life.
Polyurethane foam - reliable
Before insulating a log house by applying polyurethane foam, it is necessary to provide additional (possibly even forced) ventilation of the interior.
How to properly insulate the outside of a house with polyurethane foam? This requires special equipment that allows the production of a two-component mixture in certain proportions under air pressure.
Failure to comply with the proportionality of the content of the compositions leads to a change in the properties of the final product. Work must be carried out wearing skin, respiratory and vision protection.
Before coating with the composition, guides are installed on the wall surface, onto which the finishing will subsequently be attached. Additional protection, sealing of cracks, leveling of the surface in this case is not carried out for a house made of timber.
The composition obtained as a result of a chemical reaction covers the surface with a durable carpet of insulation, which is perfectly retained on the wall surface during the entire period of operation, which can be more than 50 years. It is necessary to insulate the corners of the house with a thicker layer so that you do not have to re-apply when they freeze. Such a thermal insulator is not afraid of either extreme cold or sudden heating.
Installation of finishing is carried out without the use of protective membranes and films.
Before you insulate your log house from the outside with your own hands, decide on the choice of materials and technologies. The resulting result will please you with energy savings, increased service life and a new façade.
The thermal insulation characteristics of timber with a cross section of 150x150 are insufficient to ensure comfortable accommodation in the house in the cold winter period. In this regard, the owners of such a building inevitably ask the question: how and with what to insulate the house? According to the rules of heating engineering, external insulation is much more effective than internal insulation. Therefore, first of all, you need to worry about choosing the optimal thermal insulation material for specific conditions, suitable for use outside the house, and find out all the nuances of installation.
At the stage of preparation for external insulation of a wooden building, it is necessary to resolve several issues:
- which insulation is better;
- how to lay it correctly;
- how to prepare the walls of a house.
Regardless of which thermal insulation material is chosen, walls made of 150x150 timber need to be prepared. First of all, it is necessary to conduct a visual inspection and make sure that there are no signs of wood rotting, insects harmful to wood, or the need for additional fastening of timber and finishing elements of window and door openings.
At the same time they decide whether the walls need caulking. If empty cracks are noticed, then they need to be filled with appropriate material before laying the insulation. Caulking walls is a simple, but labor-intensive process. Knowing the rules and tricks of this matter will greatly simplify its implementation.
To eliminate gaps between beams, three materials are traditionally used:
- tow;
- jute;
- flax wool, etc.
In the process of work, craftsmen use special wooden devices in the form of spatulas with a thin blade. But to perform the task yourself, an ordinary narrow spatula will do.
- laying stretched insulation;
- laying insulation into the set.
The first is optimal if the gaps are not wide, the second is suitable for deep and long gaps. When caulking, the stretched tow fibers are distributed along the crack in an even thin layer, while driving it into the gap with a spatula. The work must be done slowly and carefully, trying to seal the insulation as efficiently as possible. The tow is driven in layer by layer until the gap is filled.
Laying in a set is done as follows: bunches or balls of tow are formed from the tow, corresponding to the size of the gap, and driven into it using a spatula and a hammer. Regardless of the chosen caulking method, work begins from the bottom of the wall.
Video - How to caulk a house made of timber
Video - Caulking a house made of timber
The choice of material for external insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber
The modern market offers many solutions for insulating a wooden house. The choice largely depends on climatic conditions region of residence. For southern latitudes, one insulation will be optimal, for northern latitudes, another. Therefore, when choosing a material, they are guided by its main characteristics:
- coefficient of thermal conductivity;
- compressive strength indicator;
- frost resistance;
- service life guaranteed by the manufacturer.
For external insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber, the following are suitable: thermal insulation materials:
- fibrous (glass wool, mineral wool, stone wool, basalt wool);
- sheet foam;
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- foamed polyethylene;
- sprayed polyurethane foam;
- windproof boards Izoplat.
Mineral wool and its analogues
Mineral wool has excellent thermal insulation characteristics, but has one significant drawback: hygroscopicity. Since wet insulation is not capable of retaining heat efficiently, the use of mineral wool in rolls or slabs requires steam and waterproofing of the walls and foundation of the house. This significantly increases the cost of its external insulation.
When choosing fibrous materials the following points must be taken into account:
- air humidity level in the region of residence;
- option for cladding the external walls of a building.
The second requirement is due to the fact that laying mineral wool and its analogues requires wall cladding using ventilated facade technology. Therefore, save on finishing works will not work. If there is any doubt that the mineral wool under the cladding will remain dry, it is better not to use this material.
Prices for mineral wool
Mineral wool
There are many myths regarding this insulation. One of them convinces us that polystyrene foam releases styrene, which is harmful to humans, into the environment. All these claims have long been debunked by laboratory studies. The safety of polystyrene is confirmed by sanitary and epidemiological conclusion 63.01.06.224.p.001216.03.03 dated April 7, 2003, conclusion 01-188 dated 25.04.00 of the Research Institute of Hygiene and the health of children and adolescents of the RAMS, conclusion No. 03/PM8 of the Moscow Research Institute of Hygiene by them . F.F. Erisman. Therefore, this insulation can be safely used not only for external, but also for internal insulation.
When choosing polystyrene foam, it is important to pay attention to its density. The higher it is, the lower its thermal conductivity. There is an opinion that the density of polystyrene foam corresponds to the digital indicator of its brand. But this is only partly correct. For example, the density of C-25 foam varies between 15.1-25 kg/m3. The table of its characteristics will provide significant assistance in choosing a material.
For external insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber, you can use polystyrene foam of any brand. Manufacturers offer sheets of different thicknesses: 5 cm and 10 cm. When choosing a material, you need to take into account that for facade insulation it is better to buy PSB-S-35 foam plastic 5 cm thick than PSB-S-25 foam plastic 10 cm thick. The cost of these materials almost the same, but the thermal insulation effect will be more significant.
Extruded polystyrene foam (EPS)
EPS has almost the same chemical composition as polystyrene foam, but has lower thermal conductivity, higher flexural strength, and lower water absorption. The significant difference in characteristics is due to the production methods of these materials.
EPPS is ideal for external insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber. The only disadvantage of this material is its relatively high price. A 2 cm thick extruded polystyrene board is comparable in thermal conductivity to a 3 cm thick sheet of foam plastic and a 4 cm thick layer of mineral wool.
Eps can be glued to the walls of a building, but you need to choose the right adhesive. For styrene-based materials (EPS and foam), the following compounds cannot be used:
- based on acetone and any solvents;
- petroleum toluene;
- water based;
- ethyl acetate.
Prices for foam insulation
Foam insulation
This material has long proven in practice its suitability for thermal insulation.
Foamed polyethylene has many advantages. Among them:
- low coefficient thermal conductivity;
- elasticity;
- a light weight;
- low cost.
When choosing this material, you should know that it comes in two types: LDPE ( high pressure) and HDPE ( low pressure). Products made of foamed polyethylene come with one-sided and double-sided foil.
The most popular are the following:
Materials made from foamed polyethylene are advantageous in that they do not require a vapor and waterproofing layer. This is due to their absolute non-hygroscopicity. Therefore, when covering the external walls of a building with foamed polyethylene, you can save a lot.
Spray polyurethane foam
Sprayed polyurethane foam differs from the above materials not only in the installation method.
It has many other advantages:
- extremely low thermal conductivity: 0.023 - 0.03 W/m*K (this is significantly lower than that of mineral wool and foam);
- environmentally friendly;
- does not require vapor and waterproofing;
- there is no need for additional fastening of the heat insulator, as the foam, when applied, firmly adheres to the wall;
- when applied, it forms a continuous layer, eliminating the possibility of the appearance of cold bridges.
All this makes sprayed polyurethane foam the best material for external insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber. The only drawback of this method is its high cost. Spraying polyurethane foam requires not only special equipment and skills to work with it. Therefore, you will have to pay not only for the material, but also for the services of specialists.
Windproof boards Isoplat based on wood fiber
Scandinavian windproof boards are made from softwood fiber and are 100% natural thermal insulation material. No chemical binders, glue or resins are used in their production. In this case, a slab with a thickness of 12 mm is equal in thermal insulation to 44 mm of wood.
The main advantages of Izoplat windproof boards:
- Tightness. Due to their elasticity, the slabs fit tightly to the walls, and breaks in the windproof layer are excluded.
- Thermal insulation. It will not shrink during its entire service life and guarantees reliable insulation of the house throughout its service life. Coefficient. thermal conductivity of the material λ10 ≤ 0.045 W/mK
- Vapor permeability. The slab is a “breathable” material, due to which excess moisture leaves the house and mold and mildew do not form in the walls.
- Resistance to atmospheric moisture. The stove is impregnated with paraffin, due to which it is not afraid of any precipitation, dampness or temperature changes.
- Soundproofing. Windproof plate even minimum thickness will provide sound insulation of about -23 dB.
- Simple and quick installation. The size of the slabs is 2700x1200x12 mm, weight is only 9 kg.
- Guaranteed service life of more than 50 years. Actual use over 70 years.
- Eco-friendly and natural, 100% like wood itself.
Prices for isoplast
Isoplast
Rules for external insulation of a wooden house
The walls of a wooden house are built from a very hygroscopic material. Wood can absorb moisture and at the same time become deformed. Although construction timber has a low humidity coefficient, environmental influences inevitably change this indicator. Therefore, in wooden houses you can observe deformation of the walls. It is insignificant, but inevitably affects the geometric shape of window and door openings.
When externally insulating a house made of 150x150 timber, it is necessary to take into account that a ventilation gap is required through which moisture will escape from the wood. Thus, no harm will be caused to the walls. It is necessary to build a facing layer over the insulation laid on the outside of the building. That's why best technology insulation of a house made of timber - installation of a ventilated facade.
His circuit diagram includes installation of several layers of materials (direction from wall to street):
- wall;
- lathing (frame);
- heat insulator;
- vapor barrier membrane;
- ventilation gap;
- facing material.
Regardless of what kind of insulation is used, it is necessary to follow the order of laying the materials and do not forget that there must be a gap of at least 1 cm wide between the heat insulator and the cladding.
Installation of a ventilated facade, installation of lathing and insulation
Step 1: installation of spacers
To install spacer strips, use bars with a cross section of 20/20 mm or edged board 20-25 mm thick. To fasten wood, nails or wood screws are used. The optimal step is 60-80 cm.
Step 2: installation of vapor barrier membrane
Vapor barrier film is sold in rolls. Laying the canvases begins from the bottom of the wall and gradually moves upward. The vapor barrier is secured with a construction stapler with an overlap of 10-15 cm.
Prices for vapor barrier materials
Vapor barrier material
Step 3: installation of the sheathing
The same material is used as for the installation of the 1st tier: bars or boards, but the thickness of the lumber should be different: 5-10 cm and correspond to the thickness of the selected insulation. Boards (bars) are attached not horizontally, but vertically. It is important to take into account that the distance between the sheathing posts must correspond to the width of the insulation.
Step 4: laying insulation
Mineral wool sheets or foam sheets are placed in the space between the posts of the 2nd tier of the sheathing. They are attached to the wall of the house using plastic dowels with a wide dish-shaped cap.
Step 5: installation of windproof membrane
The windproof film is laid in the same way as the vapor barrier film. It is attached to the sheathing using counter-battens.
Step 6: installation of facing material
As finishing material can be used:
- metal or vinyl siding;
- facade cement-bonded panels;
- lining.
Prices for facade panels
Facade panels
High-quality external insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber will provide a comfortable microclimate in residential premises and will reduce the cost of heating the building.
Video - How to insulate a house made of timber from the outside
Video - Insulating a house with mineral wool
Buying Vacation home from timber, some people believe that wood is a warm material, therefore additional insulation a wooden house does not need. But it is not always the case. In order for the microclimate in the room to be normal for living during winter frosts, and not have to shell out huge sums for heating, it is necessary that the walls be built from timber at least 40 cm thick. But the construction of such a building will be very expensive.
House made of timber
Most houses outside the city have walls that are not thick enough to withstand severe frosts. Even if you properly seal all the cracks of the log house, this will not make the house much warmer. To ensure that the log house does not freeze, and there is normal temperature even in the harshest winters it is necessary high-quality insulation timber house outside. Do good system thermal insulation is not difficult now. Manufacturers offer customers wide choose a wide variety of thermal insulation materials, the installation technologies of which are so simple that they can be performed even by inexperienced and unskilled craftsmen. And to make your task easier when installing thermal insulation materials, you can watch the video of insulating a house made of timber from the outside on the Internet with detailed explanations of all stages.
thermal insulation works
External thermal insulation of a timber house: main advantages and useful recommendations External insulation of a timber house is carried out using different materials
- , but they all must meet this requirement.
- Do not support combustion.
- Have low thermal conductivity. Don't highlight harmful substances
- , do not have toxicity.
- Made from environmentally friendly materials.
- Good heat retention.
- Allow fumes to escape from the home.
- Do not let atmospheric moisture in.
- Have soundproofing properties.
Among the advantages of external insulation we can especially note:
- Possibility of changing, transforming or updating the facade of the house.
- Reducing heat loss through building envelopes, reducing fuel costs.
- Protection of load-bearing walls of the house from adverse natural factors.
- Saving interior space at home.
- By doing installation work Thermal insulation material should not be left under open air. If the insulation gets wet, it sharply loses its heat-protective properties.
- When laying horizontal sheathing beams in increments smaller than the width of the insulation by 15 mm, they can be laid sideways, without fastening materials.
- When working with insulation, it is necessary to use products personal protection(respirator, gloves, glasses).
External insulation technologies
External wall insulation is most often performed in three ways:
- Hinged ventilated facade.
- Polyurethane spraying method (the material is sprayed onto the wall of the house using a special installation)
- Insulation of walls with foam plastic.
Many experts consider the hinged ventilated facade to be the most effective and convenient type of insulation. This method is also supported by many of its advantages, such as:
- Quick installation.
- Large selection of facing materials (siding, lining, porcelain stoneware, wooden facade board, slatted profile, composite, brick).
- High thermal protection and sound insulation.
- Durability (service life up to 50 years).
- Reducing heating costs.
- Protection of the facade from atmospheric influences.
- The “dew point” is located outside the load-bearing walls.
Materials for insulating the walls of a timber house
To insulate the walls of a log house, you can use various modern thermal insulation materials. A house made of timber is insulated:
- fiberglass
- Mineral wool slabs
- Basalt mats
- Expanded polystyrene and other materials
Each of these insulation materials has its own distinctive properties. But when choosing a material for a thermal insulation system for a wooden house, you need to pay attention to whether it matches this type heat insulator basic requirements.
Insulation materials for external insulation of timber houses must have:
- High heat-shielding properties.
- Non-flammability.
- Moisture resistant.
- Non-hygroscopic.
- The ability to prevent heat exchange between the room and the external environment.
- Environmental safety.
Excellent conditions for insulation and will not allow condensation to accumulate
How and how to insulate a house made of timber
The most popular insulation material timber houses is mineral wool. This material is light enough so as not to create additional stress on structural elements building. The cost of mineral wool is not high, it keeps the house warm well, but, what is especially important, mineral wool is not a flammable insulation. Due to its softness and elasticity, mineral wool is easy to install and does not form cold bridges. In addition, it is resistant to thermal deformations of walls.
Insulation can be done for a block house, or the outside of the house can be covered with plastic siding. Installation of a thermal insulation system using mineral wool consists of several stages:
Vapor barrier
Installation of a thermal insulation system for a wooden house begins with a vapor barrier. For this you can use aluminum foil, plastic film, a special vapor barrier film and roofing felt. Vapor barrier provides ventilation of the facade under the film.
Vertical slats 2.5 cm thick are placed on the walls, at a distance of 1 meter from one another. Next, a vapor barrier layer is applied to the placed slats over the entire surface of the wall. Between the base slats at the top and bottom, holes are made (20 mm in diameter) for ventilation. The presence of a ventilated layer between the vapor barrier and the wall will prevent moisture from accumulating under the film, which could lead to rotting of the wooden wall. The vapor barrier is secured with nails or staples, and the fastening points are sealed with tape to protect them from water ingress.
Installation of frame for thermal insulation
For the frame, take boards 100 mm wide and 40-50 mm thick. The boards are placed vertically on the edge on the wall. The distance between the boards should be one or two centimeters less than the width of the insulation.
The beam is attached to the facade of the house with self-tapping screws. When installing the beam, you need to control its position with a level or plumb line. If the sheathing is installed unevenly, installation of the facing material on final stage thermal insulation work will be of poor quality.
To install the thermal insulation system of a timber house, it is necessary to install a frame
Laying thermal insulation
Between the boards of the frame, mineral wool slabs are installed as closely as possible to each other so that there are no gaps. Mineral wool 50 mm thick is laid in two layers. Semi-rigid, elastic slabs with a density of 80–120 kg/m3 are used; they are easily held between the frame boards without slipping without additional fastening.
Laying insulation between frame bars
Waterproofing
Having finished laying the thermal insulation, you need to lay a waterproofing film, which should allow steam to pass through, but at the same time retain water. The film is laid on the thermal insulation, nailed with staples or frame nails. When joining the film, an overlap of 5-10 cm is left, and the joints are sealed with self-adhesive tape.
Second layer of frame
On the thermal insulation frame, slats (50 mm wide and 2.5 - 3 cm thick) are stuffed over the waterproofing. This is necessary in order to ensure free circulation of air between the sheathing and the vapor barrier, which will dry out the condensation that appears on the waterproofing layer. The resulting space from below is covered with a thick metal mesh to prevent insects and rodents from entering it.
External cladding
The outer cladding serves mainly a decorative function. Therefore, what will be the facing material, of great importance does not have. It could be wooden lining, and plastic siding or any other material.
Insulation materials for thermal insulation of timber walls
Recently there have been many effective insulation materials, which are produced on the basis of advanced technologies. One of these modern materials is "Penoplex", produced Russian company in the form of thermal insulation boards.
"Penoplex" is a type of foamed extruded polystyrene foam prepared using special technologies.
The panels are durable and highly resistant to moisture. This material does not have the ability to absorb moisture, is not afraid of dampness, and is not a medium for the development of bacteria, mold and other microorganisms.
Penoplex boards
Penoplex slabs, due to their high strength, can be laid both vertically and horizontally. The structure of their surface allows the application of plaster.
Penoplex insulation is a material that has a uniform structure, which consists of small, closed cells (0.1-0.2 mm in size).
- The main properties of PENOPLEX boards are:
- low thermal conductivity
- low vapor permeability
- no water absorption
- high compressive strength
- Resistant to fire and biodegradation
- ecological cleanliness
- simplicity and convenient installation
durability
- When using Penoplex boards, you should know that this material, like other types of extruded polystyrene foam, has low chemical resistance to substances such as:
- Aldehydes (formaldehyde, formaldehyde)
- Aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene)
- Esters (diethyl ether), do not use solvents with ethyl acetate, methyl acetate,
- Gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel
- Polyester resins (hardeners cannot be used epoxy resins, as well as coal tar),
- Oil paints.
Penoplex is resistant to the following chemicals:
- Acids.
- Salt solutions.
- Caustic alkalis.
- Bleach.
- To alcohol and alcohol dyes.
- For water-based paints.
- ammonia, carbon dioxide, oxygen, acetylene, propane, butane.
- Fluorinated hydrocarbons (freons)
- For cement and concrete mortars.
- Animal and vegetable oils, paraffin.
Important! PENOPLEX boards should be used only in the temperature conditions recommended by the manufacturer. If the range of recommended operating temperatures is exceeded for a long time, the slabs may lose their mechanical and thermal insulation properties and change their dimensions. With Penoplex insulation, only those approved by the manufacturer should be used. adhesive solutions. Products containing acetone, ethyl acetate, etc. lead to softening and shrinkage of extruded polystyrene foams.
Another modern insulation— Polyurethane foam is used to insulate the walls of a log house using the spraying method.
The main advantages of this method:
- The thermal insulation system based on polyurethane foam is not susceptible to rotting and bacteria.
- The material has long term operation, during which it retains its thermal insulation qualities.
- Does not support combustion.
- Has noise-insulating properties.
- A simple way to apply heat-insulating material.
- Does not require additional fasteners.
- Environmental friendliness.
This insulation method can be used for thermal insulation of walls, plinths, and foundations.
The easiest way to insulate a log house is with polystyrene foam, but this material has low fire-fighting properties. And since wood itself is a flammable material, it can be used to insulate wooden walls. foam boards Many experts do not recommend it.
