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The simplest and most affordable material for floor insulation is polystyrene foam. External insulation of house walls with expanded polystyrene How to insulate a wooden floor inside a house with expanded polystyrene

Given the constant rise in prices for electricity, gas and coal, proper thermal insulation premises becomes in demand, allowing to achieve significant savings when heating and create additional comfort. It is the insulation of the floor with polystyrene foam that is the solution to which they return after a long review of materials that are suitable in price and characteristics.

Insulating the floor in the house has always been a responsible task. He must be comfortable temperature, and the insulating structure must withstand intense loads, even if the insulation is covered with a plank floor, expensive carpet or quality laminate. From modern materials And in various ways When installing them, professional builders give preference to two types of insulation: mineral fibers and foam materials.

Types of polymer materials

Polymer materials include polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, penoplex and others. Let's take a closer look at some of them.

Polystyrene foam as a material for home insulation is becoming more and more popular. This is due to its affordable price and high performance characteristics. Insulation technologies are constantly evolving.

So what is considered to be polystyrene foam? It is a gas-filled polymer white, it contains a huge amount tiny particles foamed polystyrene. Many people mistakenly believe that polystyrene foam and polystyrene are the same material. In fact, expanded polystyrene is a type of polystyrene foam. However, their production processes are fundamentally different.

Polystyrene foam, which is used in construction, is obtained by treating polystyrene granules with steam. As a result, the particles of the raw material swell, increase in size and adhere to each other. The result is a lightweight material with a porous structure.

Main characteristics of polystyrene foam:

• low thermal conductivity;
• ease;
• very low hygroscopicity, it absorbs moisture no more than 3% of its mass;
• resistant to mold, mildew and microorganisms;
• does not support combustion, the material melts when exposed to open fire and quickly dies out;
• easy to install, easy to cut;
• high sound insulation properties;
• floor insulation with polystyrene foam can be carried out without protective clothing, it is non-toxic and does not produce dust when cutting (unlike glass wool);
• environmental safety.

The main disadvantage of the material is its fragility, so transporting and laying foam must be done carefully, especially in windy weather.

Expanded polystyrene also comes in different forms:

• expanded polystyrene - a cheap material, but it has relatively low thermal insulation characteristics, it is capable of accumulating moisture, and the recommended service life is only 10 years;
• extruded polystyrene foam is a type of foam with a cellular structure; it is produced using a non-press method, by foaming using pentane and water vapor.

Typically, extruded polystyrene foam is used for floor insulation. Its structure has good heat and moisture insulation and can withstand long-term mechanical loads.

It has almost all the positive characteristics of polystyrene foam. At the same time, its resistance to temperature changes is a third higher, it is much stronger in compression and bending, and much denser. But the cost of expanded polystyrene is noticeably higher.

IN lately slabs appeared different colors: orange, blue, green. Color does not affect the characteristics and quality; it simply determines whether the material belongs to the brand.

Process technology

The choice of method and material for insulation directly depends on the design and location of the floor. But in general, the algorithm of actions is as follows: preparing the base, laying a vapor barrier, installing insulation, waterproofing, sheathing and flooring (for example, laminate).

Thermal protection on the ground

When insulating a floor that lies on the ground, earth foundation leveled, the loose soil is pre-compacted and allowed to settle for a month. Then a ten-centimeter layer of crushed stone and gravel is poured. It is compacted. Then a layer of sand, also 10 cm thick. Lay on top plastic film, on top of which the floor is insulated with expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam.

The laid insulation sheets cover waterproofing film, on top of which a mesh is laid and a screed is made. The unreliability and fragility of such a floor are deceptive; it can withstand several tons of force per square centimeter. The thickness of the screed must be at least 60 mm. Finally, the floor surface is finished and, if necessary, additional materials are laid.

It is important to remember that a technical gap of 1–2 cm is left along the entire perimeter of the contact between the floor and the wall for thermal expansion and sound insulation. It is sealed with foamed polyethylene.

Concrete base insulation

Floor insulation with extruded polystyrene foam is often used for concrete base. The choice is due to the fact that for laying on concrete you need to use a dense and durable material. During operation, the insulating structure of a concrete floor is subject to quite strong mechanical loads, and when a wooden floor is insulated between the joists, the load is distributed evenly throughout the entire structure.

Before insulation, the floor is cleaned, various defects and cracks are eliminated, and the surface can be treated with mastic or primer. Laying a vapor barrier in this case is optional. Then they proceed to the installation of thermal insulation material.

The insulation can be laid parallel to the walls, diagonally from the corner, or in a running pattern. It is important that the plates fit snugly against each other.

All the resulting cracks are blown out polyurethane foam. To protect the insulating layer from moisture, waterproofing is installed. To do this, use polyethylene film or PVC membrane.

The next stage is pouring cement screed. Its thickness should be about 5 cm.

There is another way to insulate a concrete floor. For this purpose in cement-sand mixture add pieces of foam. Separate laying of slabs is no longer required. The screed is performed directly on top of the concrete base. Waterproofing is installed after the screed has completely hardened, and this is no earlier than after 20–30 days. Flooring is laid on top: linoleum, laminate, tiles, etc.

The method is well suited for insulating residential buildings, garage floors, production premises with low load, slightly susceptible to deformation.

Thermal protection of wooden floors

If there are logs in the design for thermal insulation, you can use any type of polystyrene foam, even regular granular foam will do. The main load in this case is distributed throughout wooden frame and for insulation strong impact No.

Initially, all cracks and cracks are sealed, and the surface is treated with a moisture-proof primer. Then the structure is covered with vapor barrier materials. The vapor barrier does not need to be stretched too much; it should sag slightly.
Next, install the insulation boards so that it fits as tightly as possible to the beams. All formed cracks and gaps are blown out with foam.

Afterwards a waterproofing layer is installed.

The work is completed by covering the insulating structure with boards (chipboard, OSB), which will serve as the basis for the future coating. The floor covering can be anything. Modern manufacturers offer floor coverings for every taste and budget: parquet, laminate, linoleum, tiles, cork, self-leveling flooring, etc.

Interfloor partitions

When there is a temperature difference in a house between rooms located on different floors, it is necessary to insulate the floor between floors. The algorithm of actions is the same. Penoplex is usually used as insulation.

Insulating the floor with expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam can be easily done independently. The main thing is to choose the right material, strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions and follow the technology.

The pleasure of living in wooden house may be darkened by cold penetrating from below, through the cracks flooring. You can eliminate troubles from hypothermia in the lower layers of the room with well-thought-out and carefully executed thermal insulation.

There is a great temptation to insulate a wooden floor with polystyrene foam; You can choose other materials with low thermal conductivity; fortunately, the range allows you to consider a large number of products with different properties and prices.

Peculiarities

Theoretically, cold air currents can be isolated from the foundation and soil by laying heat-insulating material above or below the floor. Practitioners clearly recommend insulating the floor surface from below, justifying this with the following arguments:

• maintaining the height of the interior;
• ensuring the protection of everything wooden floor from freezing;
• the ability to reduce the mechanical load on the insulating layer;
• concentration of condensate outside the house.

To ensure effective insulation need to choose suitable material, taking into account the specifics of the structure, carefully follow the installation technology.

Even if in the future it is planned to equip the house floor system heating, insulation from below, in the underground, must be done to save energy. In harsh climatic zones, in addition, ceilings in wooden houses are often insulated using foam plastic for this purpose. It is laid between the beams and all cracks are carefully foamed. You can lay boards or OSB on top.

Methods

There are two fundamentally different options for carrying out insulation works floor.

In some cases, flooring is made from heat-insulating materials along the beams. The result is a cake consisting of two plank floors, between which a waterproofing film is laid out, and a layer of insulation on top. In such structures, the wood, despite preventive measures, gradually becomes saturated with moisture and begins to rot.

Another type of insulation is performed directly on the ground by casting a reinforced concrete monolith with a lower waterproofing gasket and an upper heat-insulating layer. The resulting slab, in fact, is a cushion floating on the foundation, withstands and transfers to the ground the load from the weight of the inhabitants, furniture and household appliances in the house.

The insulation in such structures must have high densities and low hygroscopicity, because some moisture can seep through the waterproofing and concrete.

Materials

There are several types of substances and composites, both natural and synthetic, that can perform the functions of insulation. The most popular materials are the following:

• mineral (inorganic) wool;
• foam plastics, in particular polystyrene foam;
• ecowool;
• sawdust;
• penoplex.

A big temptation is the option of using foam plastics. Organic polymer foams are lightweight and do a good job of insulating floors. It is easy to work with foam materials because you can simply cut out a piece of the required size and place it in the intended place.

Foam plastics

Foam plastics are a huge group of products made from various raw materials, common feature which is the filling of the frozen polymer mass with air bubbles. In everyday construction practice, foam plastics most often mean ordinary polystyrene, obtained by saturating a mixture of raw material granules with air, followed by heating with steam. As a result heat treatment foaming of the mass occurs, which, increasing in volume, takes on a given shape.

The cheapness and availability of the material does not compensate for its shortcomings, which include flammability, an absolute lack of ability to absorb moisture, and a tendency to age and collapse after just a decade and a half. In addition, ordinary polystyrene foam is very fond of rodents, for example field mice, who tend to create cozy nests in it and breed offspring.

A type of foam plastic that can be used to insulate the floor in a wooden house is penoplex. This is foamed polystyrene obtained using modified technology. During production, raw material granules are mixed with foaming reagents, heated and the resulting mass is squeezed out through extruders.

Pay attention! High-quality penoplex (EPS) has closed cavities evenly distributed throughout the entire thickness, which significantly increase the strength of the slabs.

The material has low thermal conductivity, which makes floor insulation in a wooden house with extruded polystyrene foam very effective. Problems can be caused by its low water absorption, vapor permeability (less than simple foam plastic), high flammability. Considering the considerable cost, the feasibility of using penoplex for floor insulation, as well as expanded polystyrene, may be questionable.

Comparison with cotton wool and expanded clay

Often, some type of insulation is used to insulate floors in wooden houses. mineral wool. Canvases and slabs made from glass fibers, slag, and special rocks are much less flammable than foam plastics, which makes them safe in case of fires.

Inorganic wool is lightweight and has good thermal insulation properties, but absorbs too much moisture, which can cause problems for wood floors.

Wet insulation is a source of vapors that saturate the wood from below, causing its microbiological deterioration and rotting to a much greater extent than can occur when using foam plastics. Exit from difficult situation can be found by protecting wooden flooring vapor barrier layer.

In some regions, a popular method is fired balls of clay or slate raw materials. Near the sources of these minerals, the material is cheaper than polystyrene foam and other thermal insulators, and demonstrates satisfactory performance.

Expanded clay is characterized by absolute environmental safety, non-flammability, and acceptable insulating properties. The problem is the tendency of the material to self-compact, which increases the weight of the layer and reduces the insulating ability. In wooden houses on helical piles, expanded clay insulation can cause significant subsidence of the foundation.

Comparison with ecowool and sawdust

Dear, but in an efficient way Insulating the floor in a wooden house is by spraying a polyurethane foam composition called ecowool. To pump the heat-insulating mass you need industrial compressor, capable of creating enough to hit all corners underground space flow. The hardened polymer is lightweight and differs from polystyrene foam in its high strength characteristics, is not affected by moisture, and therefore does not require waterproofing.

The method of insulating floors with polyurethane foam requires financial costs, application professional equipment, but given the possibility of safe use of the structure for more than two decades, the efforts are justified.

The good old method using sawdust requires less investment; when thoroughly mixed with wood waste and cement, it provides effective thermal insulation, quite comparable to that created, for example, by polystyrene foam. Sawdust is environmentally friendly and has benefits for everyone affordable price, are still popular with builders and homeowners.

To prevent damage by rodents and reduce flammability, wood raw materials undergo special pre-treatment. The easiest way to control rodents is to mix the mixture with broken glass. To increase strength, you should not get carried away with preparing a thick mixture of sawdust with cement or clay because this will significantly reduce the thermal insulation characteristics of the insulation.

The choice of material and installation technology depends on many factors that need to be discussed with competent builders, knowledgeable about the features soil, house design, owners' capabilities. Available materials, for example the now popular polystyrene foam, may not provide the required floor insulation in a wooden house. long time. It is very likely that after a short period of time the thermal insulation work will have to be done again.

Insulation of a concrete floor with polystyrene foam - reliable way not only give your family a feeling of comfort, but also prevent heat loss during the cold season. In order for the floor to be fully insulated, it must be hygroscopic and have low thermal conductivity parameters. At the same time, the requirement to withstand high loads doesn't go anywhere.

Expanded polystyrene is the material with which all this is possible. It sells for budget price and will help keep you warm and in country house, both in a bathhouse and in an apartment on any floor of a city high-rise building. And installation of a floor insulated with extruded polystyrene foam will not be too difficult.

In this article

The use of polystyrene foam as insulation - history and modernity

For the first time, floor insulation with polystyrene foam began to be practiced in Soviet era. The insulation boards were produced by Stroyplastmass, a well-known plant in Mytyschi. After some time, the technology was appreciated and began to be widely used. Modern foam plastic much simpler and more practical to work with than its Soviet “ancestor”.

Well-known manufacturers of extruded polystyrene foam for insulating floors in residential premises are the companies "ECOBORD", Izocam, Styrodur, Fibran, Ursa, etc. With their products, you can make full insulation of the floor of an apartment, house or bathhouse in a short time.

When choosing expanded polystyrene for floor insulation, you need to pay attention to the moisture absorption coefficient was not exceeded(normally it is 0.2-0.4%), and the cell size was not too large. EPS must be characterized by a high threshold of biostability. This is a guarantee that living organisms harmful to humans will not settle in the insulation.

How is polystyrene foam made?

Expanded polystyrene is produced by saturating styrene granules and derivatives of this substance with gas dissolved in the polymer using a special technology.

After the filling stage, the mass is heated by steam. The volume of styrene granules should increase by at least fifty times. After this, the raw material of polystyrene foam for the floor completely fills the block mold, and the individual particles are glued together into a single material.

There are two common technologies for the production of expanded polystyrene, according to which it is classified into two groups:

1. Sintering of polystyrene foam balls in a mold under the influence of high temperatures.
2. Mixing granules with a foaming agent at elevated temperature with further pressing through the extruder.

This is how the balls are used to create layers of material that are comfortable to work with, which will then be used to insulate the floor of any room, even an attic or a bathhouse.

Types of expanded polystyrene

By physical and mechanical properties expanded polystyrene for flooring can be classified into:

According to experts, high-quality extruded polystyrene foam can be used without changing its basic qualities for up to eighty years, while PSB and PSB-S last about forty.

Properties of XPS as an insulating material

As a material for insulating the floor of a house or bathhouse, extruded polystyrene foam is characterized by:

• low coefficient thermal expansion and heat conductivity;
• optimal noise insulation properties;
• durability;
• the ability to effectively insulate the floor of a residential building at low, high temperatures or a sudden change in high conditions;
• hygroscopicity (due to the plastic base). Steam and moisture do not damage EPS-type polystyrene foam. If you place it in water, it will not dissolve or swell, which means it will withstand any water leaks. Moisture will not get into the room insulated with polystyrene foam flooring.
• high resistance to chemical and biological influences;
• high compatibility with electric and hydronic floor heating devices;
• ease of cutting and suitable structure of slabs for floors of any configuration;
• economical cost.

On construction market More and more expanded polystyrene boards of various colors are appearing. It would seem, why delve into the delights of design. The color of polystyrene does not in any way reflect its characteristics or quality, but is a marking of the manufacturer. Many companies offer functional solutions for installation of extruded polystyrene. For example, thanks to the milled edges, it became possible to lay insulation using the tongue-and-groove technology.

Technology for laying insulated EPS flooring

So, extruded polystyrene suitable for laying the floor of an apartment, house, or bathhouse has been selected.

When starting to install it, you should remember that most mechanical load will be on the logs. On the ground floor minimum thickness the insulation layer should be 10 cm, on interfloor ceilings– 5 cm. Gaps must be made between the lags and the polystyrene foam.

Gaps are also needed along the perimeter walls for thermal expansion of the insulating material. Fiberglass or polyurethane foam is used to fill gaps.

Before insulating the floor with polystyrene foam, a screed is performed. A film for waterproofing is placed on top of it, then slabs of extruded foam, a layer of mortar and a reinforcement mesh are placed. On top of them it is done finishing screed(its thickness is from 5 to 8 cm). The next step is to fill the gaps around the perimeter with foam or fiberglass. And only after this can you begin the actual installation of the floor covering.

Features of laying extruded polystyrene foam flooring

For high-quality installation polystyrene insulated floor is desirable pre-laying soil. It is more practical than a simple concrete base for insulation.

Additional soil preparation for EPS floor insulation consists of the following steps:

1. Alignment work surface by compacting the soil by mechanical action.
2. Filling with crushed stone for a layer 10 cm thick. The crushed stone layer must also be compacted until completely level.
3. Filling the voids between crushed stone particles with fine sand. Can be used sea, river or quarry sand– which one is more accessible by location.
4. Direct installation of insulation.

Extruded polystyrene flooring for an attic or attic is slightly different in technology. There, instead of waterproofing, steam is used. After all, the floor of an attic or attic is also the ceiling of the upper floor.

Therefore, the basis for the EPS layer is vapor barrier material. Another layer of vapor barrier is placed on top of the expanded polystyrene slabs. Then - a concrete screed for installing the floor covering or lathing for the subfloor.

Choosing extruded polystyrene foam as floor insulation has additional benefits. For example, it significantly improves the soundproofing properties of the room. The insulation layer reduces the overall load on the building structure. And the ease of installation of EPS allows even a novice craftsman to cope with the task of installing the floor.

A wooden building, like other structures, needs high-quality insulation, which will reduce heating costs and achieve a comfortable temperature in the house both in winter and summer. The choice of insulation materials has recently expanded significantly, but very often traditional ones are used, such as polystyrene foam insulation, which is one of the types of polystyrene foam. What are its main features?

Polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam - which is better?

For thermal insulation work, several various materials, made on the basis of polystyrene and having similar properties and chemical composition, but differing in their performance characteristics. Foam plastic – common name a whole group of materials, and polystyrene foam is one of its varieties. There are several important differences between them:

• Expanded polystyrene has a high density, in addition, it does not allow moisture to pass through at all. Foam is afraid high humidity, as it quickly begins to rot and loses its thermal insulation qualities.
• Expanded polystyrene is made by extrusion: this is the melting of polystyrene granules, as a result of which the material acquires a cellular, uniform structure: it has no granules and will not crumble. This makes it a more profitable option for insulating a house, since it can last for a very long time while maintaining all its properties.
• Its thermal conductivity is lower than that of polystyrene foam, which is very important for an insulating material. However, minimal vapor conductivity is not the best option for wooden house. Condensation will form at the junction of the insulation and the wall, which can lead to rotting of the wood.

Despite all these differences, the materials are direct relatives, and many say that they are one and the same. Extruded polystyrene foam is more expensive, but its durability is higher. Installing such insulation is not difficult; it can be used for both walls and floors. Insulating a wooden house from the outside with polystyrene foam is quite effective and inexpensive, but requires properly organized ventilation due to low vapor conductivity. Let's take a closer look at insulating a wooden house with extruded polystyrene foam.

How to insulate a floor using polystyrene foam?

Floor insulation in a wooden house with extruded polystyrene foam is reliable and convenient solution. 15% of all heat escapes through the lower part of the building, so quality protection should not be neglected. Usually they use the method of insulation along logs, which are cut into the frame or installed on the foundation. A subfloor is constructed from boards, which are laid under the logs, and a layer is laid on top of them waterproofing material. It is designed to protect the insulation from soil moisture.

Insulation boards are laid on the subfloor between the joists; it is important that there are no gaps between them. The thickness of the material should be such that it is about 2 cm from the top edge of the joists. The gap is necessary for ventilation, and if this cannot be done, installation of a counter-lattish is necessary.

On insulation material Another layer of waterproofing is laid, which should protect it from steam coming from the heated room. Then floorboards are mounted on top, on which you can lay fine coating, be it linoleum, parquet or laminate. Expanded polystyrene insulation will provide reliable protection and will make the floor warm to the touch.

Insulation of walls using extruded polystyrene foam

This material is recommended for use only for external wall insulation. Firstly, it allows you to save usable space indoors, secondly, it protects against condensation that will begin to form between cold wall and insulation. Constant humidity will lead to fungus and mold, so it’s better to choose immediately external type. Insulation of a wooden house with polystyrene foam is carried out as follows:

1. On treated with fire retardant and antiseptic wooden wall a sheathing of boards 5 cm thick and 10 cm wide is installed. The distance between them should be slightly less than the width of the insulation boards, since it will have to fit as tightly as possible. Self-tapping screws are used to fasten the sheathing; it is important to ensure that it is installed strictly vertically.
2. The insulation material is installed in the cells between the boards; it must be pressed tightly. It is then secured with umbrella-headed dowels to ensure even pressure to the surface.
3. A waterproof membrane is installed on top - it should protect the insulation from water and wind. The membrane must be diffuse, that is, it must allow vapor coming from the house to pass through.
4. A counter-lattice made of wooden blocks is installed on the insulating material. It is attached to it using the technology selected for exterior finishing material most commonly used vinyl siding, it can also be wooden lining.

If you plan to insulate a wooden house with polystyrene foam, you can consider the option of brick cladding as an external finishing material. Decorative brick It looks good, this finish will be very reliable.

Are there any disadvantages to expanded polystyrene?

The question is often asked: is it possible to insulate a wooden house with polystyrene foam? Despite the fact that this material is widespread, not all builders advise choosing it for wood insulation. Low vapor permeability will not allow the house to “breathe”, and at the same time one of the important advantages of living in wooden buildings is lost. As a result, condensation will accumulate between the wall and the insulation, which can then lead to rotting of the wood.

How to insulate a wooden house with expanded polystyrene as efficiently as possible? The building will need to organize good ventilation and ensure that between the insulation and external finishing there was a gap for free passage of air.

What is expanded polystyrene, or in other words, foam? This is a material that is filled with gases. It consists of polystyrene and its derivatives, as well as styrene. The styrene components are dissolved in polymers using gas. Afterwards, heating is carried out using steam, due to which the elements become larger in volume. Next is baking. Such production has expanded polystyrene. 20 millimeters - this is the average thickness of a foam sheet.

Natural gas is used to create ordinary polystyrene foam. Carbon dioxide used when it is necessary to impart fire resistance to a given material. The main advantages of this material are its low cost on the construction market, and it is also quite easy to install.

To work with it you do not need to have any specific knowledge, skills or experience. Most often, this insulation is used to create high-quality thermal insulation. This material is used to insulate floors, walls, ceilings, balconies, and so on. For many procedures, extruded polystyrene foam is used.

Extruded polystyrene foam is a product that has a uniform structure. Extruded polystyrene foam consists of small closed cells. There are many positive feedback about extruded polystyrene foam.

Not for everyone suitable material given construction product. For example, thermal insulation of a wooden floor with polystyrene foam (foam) is not carried out.

Wooden materials are very rarely insulated with foam plastic.

For floor insulation, different building materials. This article will reveal how to insulate a floor with polystyrene foam and what technologies are used.

You want to provide thermal insulation using this product. How to make a choice in favor of quality material?

Before purchasing the necessary material, you need to pay attention to the following characteristics:

• The first criterion is appearance. The granules should not flake off and the color should be uniform white. There should be no damage to the surface of the material.
• The next criterion is smell. There should be no foreign odor. This smell is, for example, chemical.
• Pay attention to the structure. The components must be perfectly sintered. When you break polystyrene foam, the boundary should pass between the granules, as well as inside them.
• The material must be well packed. Also, the packaging must have labeling and manufacturer's information. The brand and manufacturer's recommendations must be written. All this will be proof that this product is of high quality.
• Information on the properties of the foam should be available. It should also be on the packaging. The packaging indicates the technical, physical, mechanical qualities of this product.
• Please pay attention to where you buy this material. Make sure the store is a legal location and has a warehouse.

Area of ​​use of expanded polystyrene

This material is used in the following areas. Let's look at each one separately:

• In the first area, polystyrene foam is used, which is unloaded. Its density is up to 15 kg/m3. This material is used for floors, internal partitions, pitched roofs, attic floors, loggias.
• Expanded polystyrene with a density of up to 25 kg/m3. used for the manufacture of sandwich panels, floors, and walls, which are three-layer. Perfect for three-layer floors.
• Plates whose density varies from 15 to 20 kg/m3. are used to insulate building envelopes that are vertical.
• Slabs with a density of just over 25 kg/m3 are used for self-leveling floors. They are also used for thermal insulation of the base of the house (foundation) and basement. This polystyrene foam is perfect for flooring.
• For a more loaded surface, slabs with a density of 35 to 50 kg/m3 are suitable. This polystyrene foam is needed for floors located in the basement, garage or parking lot. They are also used in roof and floor structures that have loads from people and cars.

Therefore, anyone who wants to purchase this material must know all the characteristics in order to make the right choice.

Pros and cons of expanded polystyrene

Let's look at the pros first:

• This material is easy to work with. It is easy to process with a household knife. You can also use mounting hardware for fastening. You can glue it using glue or a mixture of mortar.
• The plates have a small mass. Thanks to this factor, they can be raised to absolutely any height, without the need to use any additional mechanisms for this procedure.
• This product is absolutely safe for human health. When the product is processed, no dust is released. The product also does not have any specific odor. It is impossible to get skin irritation during work.
• Expanded polystyrene has a high level of resistance to various substances: biological, chemical. Because this product made of synthetics, various harmful microorganisms cannot grow in it, because they do not like such material. Fungus and bacteria are also not dangerous for this material.

These are the main advantages, however, they can also include excellent sound insulation, high level resistance to moisture, low cost on the construction market, as well as huge service life– it can reach up to 50 years.

Let's discuss now weaknesses expanded polystyrene boards:

• Plates are prone to deformation. This material has a low level of heat resistance. Therefore, when the temperature reaches 80 degrees Celsius, the product begins to break down.
• Pellets may catch fire. Since polystyrene foam is made from a gas filler, it can ignite when exposed to high temperatures.
• The product needs additional protection, since it does not tolerate mechanical stress.

After we have become familiar with the main characteristics, we can begin to use it for floor insulation. Warm floors are an opportunity to save on space heating. The effect of polystyrene foam boards is that they significantly reduce heat loss, and the room will maintain a comfortable temperature for you.

Procedure technology

Using granules to insulate concrete floors

Floor insulation with polystyrene foam, which is made of concrete. The technology of the procedure is that granules are introduced into the concrete solution, thanks to which this material acquires thermal insulation properties. The process begins with preparing the concrete solution. Dry cement must be added to the water. Mix everything using a drill. A specially designed nozzle is used for this. Stir everything until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. Then you need to add insulation granules, but don’t stop stirring. The ratio should be 1:6.

The more granules you add, the higher the thermal insulation properties of the floor will be. However, the more you add, the lower the strength rating becomes.

Also thanks to these particles concrete covering will acquire excellent soundproofing characteristics. This is how a concrete floor is insulated with polystyrene foam.

Using expanded polystyrene sheets for insulation under screed

What does this technology include? First, it is necessary to compact the soil before insulating it. To do this, crushed stone is backfilled and a layer consisting of sand and film is applied to the top. After this procedure, the sheets of this construction product should be tightly laid over the entire floor. The resulting joints must be filled, for this you can use mounting tape. Next, another layer of film is laid.

In order to protect this material from mechanical influences, it is necessary to lay a durable mounting mesh on top of the insulation sheets. Then the screed mixture is poured. Its thickness should be 50 millimeters. After a certain period of time, the coating will become hard, after which it is necessary to lay the floor covering on concrete screed. You need to devote some time to installation.

If you need a layer 50 millimeters thick, then you need to lay three layers of foam at once. The foam sheet is 20 millimeters thick.

Thermal insulation on joists

The floor can be constructed using wooden logs. In this case, the thermal insulation procedure becomes quite easy. At the very beginning, you need to process each wooden log, this can be done thanks to antifungal and moisture-protective agents.

Afterwards, the boards are secured with self-tapping screws from the bottom of the logs. Next, cut sheets of extruded polystyrene foam are installed on the boards. At the end, the film is installed and the floor covering is installed. This is how the floor is insulated with polystyrene foam along the joists (flooring).

As we have seen, each technology has its own installation rules.

Work on mistakes

In order for all the work to be carried out correctly and efficiently, the following mistakes cannot be made:

• Pay special attention to the plinth rail. Defects may appear on the plaster - this means that the plinth was installed incorrectly. In order to eliminate these defects, it is necessary to remove ten centimeters of plaster from the edge that is located below. It is also necessary to cut off some of the heat insulation covering the base rail. After this, you need to secure the rail again, then cover it with reinforcing mesh to the edge, which is located below. At the end, a connection is made between the old and new mesh. The connection is made with an overlap of ten centimeters. The final stage is coating with plaster.
• Avoid contact of polystyrene foam boards with the ground layer. Due to such contact, the product becomes wet and is no longer suitable for use. The protection function in this case is performed by the base rail. In order to eliminate this error, it is necessary to remove the lower part of the heat insulator, and then replace it with polystyrene foam. Namely, the floor is insulated with extruded polystyrene foam.
• During installation, pay attention to weather conditions. The work must take place at room temperature(20-25 degrees Celsius).
• Make the insulating layer as thick as possible. Otherwise, the floor will remain cold if the thickness is small.
• If you have a wooden house, then this building product is generally not recommended for use for thermal insulation. Because polystyrene foam boards delay the release of moisture, which will significantly harm the wood and ruin it. Wooden floors are not insulated. Remember that floor insulation in a wooden house is done using other building materials.

Using expanded polystyrene for floor insulation guarantees you unique comfort and coziness. This material has proven itself in the construction market and has a lot of positive reviews. When insulating, you just need to follow some rules and nuances. Insulation requires only high-quality materials.