Energy saving issues are equally relevant for residents of private houses and city apartments. Even in the presence of central heating, thermal insulation of the walls can significantly improve the microclimate in the room by reducing the level of humidity and temperature changes. For private apartments, the amount of payment for heating directly depends on the quality of insulation for the house and the correctness of their installation. This procedure can be performed independently or with the assistance of specialists. The choice depends on the complexity of the technology and your own building skills.
Types of materials for wall insulation outside and inside
The construction market offers a wide range of materials that differ in appearance, performance, cost and installation methods. When choosing, you need to take into account all the features of the structure, climate, weather and your own financial capabilities. When purchasing insulation for walls, it is necessary to take into account the aesthetic side, so that the insulated structure fits organically into the surrounding landscape.
To make the right decision, you should familiarize yourself with the products presented, evaluating all its advantages and disadvantages.
Polyurethane foam (PPU)
A modern heat insulator of a new generation is becoming more and more popular in private and industrial construction.
Polyurethane foam is a mixture of two solutions, which are applied under high pressure to the treated surfaces. Thanks to the use of a compressor and a spray bottle, the substance is delivered to flat surfaces and to any hard-to-reach places.
After hardening, it forms a layer of spongy substance with excellent performance characteristics.
Insulation for the walls of the house has the following advantages:
- low thermal conductivity;
- good sound insulation;
- waterproofness
- lack of hygroscopicity;
- long service life (30-50 years);
- immunity to temperature changes;
- resistance to aggressive chemicals;
- small specific gravity;
- excellent adhesion to any surface.
The material also has disadvantages. Polyurethane foam quickly deteriorates when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Immediately after application to the surface, it must be protected from the sun. From a technical point of view, there are also difficulties - special equipment is needed to carry out thermal insulation of PU foam, plus the high price of raw materials. Based on this, the estimate for the arrangement of the facility will be large.
Mineral wool
Mineral wool is a dense slab of thin and long fibers obtained during the processing of rocks and blast furnace slag. Depending on the production technology, the material acquires a corrugated, vertically layered and horizontally layered structure. Finished products vary in shape, size and thickness. Available in slabs and rolls. The most popular product today is basalt wool of the Knauf and Technonikol brands.
The plate material has the following advantages:
- low density;
- fire resistance;
- free passage of air and steam;
- excellent absorption of noise and vibration;
- simplicity and speed of installation;
- mold and mildew resistance
- elasticity, ensuring tight fixation in the grooves;
- unlimited service life.
The disadvantage of a thermal insulator is its tendency to shrink. Over time, its volume decreases, there is a possibility of the formation of cracks. To prevent the cotton wool from getting wet, it is necessary to install vapor barrier membranes.
Glass wool
Insulation is made from broken glass with additions of limestone, soda and dolomite. The products are produced in the form of rolls with a strip width of up to 200 cm. To improve performance, a base is made of foil, cardboard or fiberglass.
Material advantages:
- affordable cost;
- resistance to high temperatures;
- softness and flexibility;
- durability;
- ease of installation;
- biological inertness.
Glass wool has more disadvantages than stone and slag counterparts. It absorbs moisture well, while losing its insulating qualities. During processing, the fibers break, which adversely affects the insulating qualities of the coating.
Plate heaters
When choosing materials for home insulation, it makes sense to think about plates based on polystyrene. Polyfoam is very popular when performing internal and external insulation of country houses and outbuildings. The moisture resistant material has a number of advantages that could not go unnoticed by the builders.
Advantages of foam:
- ease;
- small price;
- ease of installation;
- average service life up to 50 years;
- resistance to chemicals;
- low thermal conductivity.
It should be borne in mind that the plates do not conduct steam and air. Polyfoam is not recommended to insulate the walls of wooden buildings made of timber, logs and shields. At the same time, it is excellent for floor and ceiling installations. Rodents and insects can start in the insulation.
The main criteria for the selection of materials
When choosing thermal insulation materials for walls, it is necessary to take into account the place and technology of their installation. In some cases, you can limit yourself to one type, and sometimes several types of insulation will be required to carry out the work.
The following criteria for choosing wall thermal insulators should be adhered to:
- no shrinkage;
- low thermal conductivity;
- ease of installation;
- resistance to temperature changes;
- immunity to dampness;
- long service life.
When deciding how to insulate a summer cottage, you should dwell on solid materials that are distinguished by their mechanical strength and water resistance. When arranging wooden buildings, it is necessary to use steam-conducting heaters for the outer walls of the house so that excess moisture can freely escape from the room. Penoplex, which have a spongy structure with open cells, is best suited for such purposes. If you need to insulate a steel garage or a concrete cellar, you should choose polystyrene foam with a thickness of 5 cm or 10 cm. This insulation for the outside of the house will perfectly cope with the thermal and waterproofing of the structure.
Pros and cons of outdoor insulation
The external version of insulation has the following advantages:
- The useful volume of the interior is preserved. Considering that most private buildings consist of small rooms, this is essential.
- All work is carried out outdoors. The house is clean and tidy, there is no need to move things and change the way of life in connection with a forced temporary move. There is no risk of dust and mortar contamination.
- The supporting structures are isolated from damaging environmental factors - moisture, ultraviolet radiation, temperature drops, birds and insects. The dew point is offset from the walls by the width of the insulator. This helps to extend the life of the building and create a comfortable microclimate in it.
Disadvantages of this technology:
- Work must be carried out in good weather at a certain time of the year so that the base dries well and is in a stable condition.
- If the building is tall, it is necessary to buy or rent sustainable scaffolding. This entails additional costs and risks of accidents.
- Exterior wall insulation changes the appearance of a building. It hides underneath a beautiful brick, solid wood.
The use of original decorative finishes makes it possible to design the facade of the building in accordance with your priorities, using siding that imitates natural and artificial materials.
Wall insulation technology from the inside
Even if people do not plan to visit the dacha often, the building needs to be insulated. It must be protected from dampness, freezing in winter and excessive heating in summer. Depending on the size of the room, a frame or glue method of arrangement is selected. Each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.
On glue
This technology is good in that it allows the use of thin wall materials, due to which, at maximum efficiency, a lot of the usable area of the room is not taken away.
When choosing wall insulation from the inside, the following materials can be used:
- ceramic plaster;
- sheet penoplex;
- Styrofoam.
In most cases, a panel material is chosen that has good insulating characteristics and is easy to install.
The work is performed in the following sequence:
- Preparation of the base. All objects are removed from the walls, fasteners are unscrewed, switches and sockets are dismantled. Then the old coating is removed.
- Carrying surface treatment. First, it is covered with an antiseptic, then a liquid primer. It is necessary to wait until the walls are completely dry.
- The glue is mixed, after which it is applied to the insulation plates. This should be done with a notched trowel to ensure an even and snug fit.
- Each subsequent row is stacked with an offset of half the sheet. Edges and top are trimmed to fit.
- The remaining slots are blown out with polyurethane foam or sealed with scraps of material.
- A polymer mesh is glued on top of the coating. The stripes overlap each other with an overlap of 15-20 cm.
- A layer of putty is applied over the mesh. After complete drying, the surface is sanded and treated with a primer 2-3 times.
The final step is finishing. Depending on the priorities of the owners, water-based paint, non-woven or liquid wallpaper, cork or ceramic tiles are used.
On the frame
This technology is used when mineral wool or polyurethane foam is used as a heat insulator.
Sequence of work:
- Planks for the frame are being prepared. The elements are well dried, then treated with an antiseptic and impregnation.
- The wall is cleaned of foreign objects and treated with an anti-mildew and mildew agent.
- A membrane sheet is nailed to the surface. The joints of the strips are sealed with aluminum tape.
- Planks in vertical orientation are fixed to the wall. The distance between them should be 3-4 cm less than the width of the mineral wool. For foam, the best option is 100 cm.
- Insulation is applied. The slabs are inserted by the spur, the foam is sprayed from bottom to top, each layer up to 5 cm thick.
- Another sheet of membrane film is attached.
- Drywall is screwed along the frame.The joints are sealed with a mesh, the indentations from the caps of the self-tapping screws are smeared over.
- The surface is primed and plastered. After the putty has dried, it is polished and primed.
The last stage is the finishing of the walls in accordance with the renovation project.
