How to insulate the floor in a private house

Insulation of houses is almost the most important point in construction and renovation work. And you need to insulate not separately, for example, those walls or corners where the cold comes from, but the whole house. The process of this work depends on many factors, such as the material from which the house is built, its height, foundation, whether there is a basement under the house.

General points

The floor is insulated mainly to reduce heat loss, and therefore to save on heating bills. In addition, a comfortable atmosphere is created for living in such houses. This process is of two types - insulation with the help of special heat-insulating means or a warm floor system is installed (sometimes on a water and electrical basis).

Basically, floor insulation is done during the construction of a house. If this was not done on time, you will have to remove the existing floor and install heat-insulating materials, and then lay the floor covering.

There is also an option to lay an additional layer of insulation and flooring on top of the existing floor. But this is a very expensive method and it is not always possible to implement it.

Warming process

First, you need to insulate the foundation outside the building. This is done with polystyrene reinforced with foam, it is laid down to the base. Then the top is covered with earth again, and part of the foundation, which is outside, is covered with facing materials. Or just plastering, ideally on a mesh. After you have chosen what method you will use to insulate the house, you need to choose a heat-insulating material.

The most popular thermal insulation materials

These are mineral wool, expanded clay and polystyrene. Very high-quality material expanded clay, has a low fire hazard, no additional waterproofing is needed. But it needs to be laid in a layer of more than half a meter, at least 11 cm, expanded clay does not have a negative effect on the finish coating, even extends its service life.

Styrofoam is easy to fit, has high insulating properties and protects the house from noise. But this material is highly flammable. Mineral wool is easy to install, has high thermal insulation properties and absorbs extraneous sounds. But it must be carefully re-covered with a waterproofing film, otherwise, if water gets into it, it will lose all its useful properties. With proper insulation with this material, it will last at least 31 years.

Penoplex is ideal in all respects, but its disadvantage is susceptibility to rodent attack. It has a high cost and melts when exposed to high temperatures.

Types of insulation in a private house

There are two types - on the concrete surface and on the logs. The concrete floor can be insulated using the following method:

1. The entire floor surface is thoroughly cleaned from debris and all kinds of defects.
2. The floor is covered with waterproofing material along the entire perimeter.
3. Special logs 6 cm wide are laid along the entire perimeter of the floor, at a distance of half a meter from each other.
4. All voids between the lags are filled with the selected insulation material.
5. A finishing floor made of waterproof wooden slab is laid on top.
6. The floor is being finished.

Insulation of the floor in a private house along the logs

If the insulation is not carried out during the construction of the house, then you need to remove the upper floor covering and make the space under the floor deeper. Then a wooden covering is laid, a layer of waterproofing is spread on top of it. On top are wooden blocks pretreated with an antiseptic.They are located at a certain distance from each other. And they put insulation, in this case, mineral wool. Since the entire floor is wooden, the cotton wool needs to be fixed with a stapler. A layer of waterproofing is laid on top - an ordinary plastic wrap or a special material intended for this.

A finishing floor is laid on top, be sure to leave a distance between it and the insulation. It is needed for ventilation; it is necessary to lay a metal mesh in this gap, which will not let rodents into the house.

This work is not very difficult, it can be done on your own, the main thing is to comply with all the requirements for the way of insulating materials.

Floor insulation should be carried out after a thorough examination of the entire house, identifying all places where the cold comes from. Then you need to find out what material the house is built from, and in accordance with this, choose a suitable thermal insulation material. It is also necessary to take into account the height of the ceilings in the house, since a certain type of insulation requires different laying heights to achieve maximum effect.

In addition to the described methods of insulation, there is also a warm floor system, which also very effectively creates warmth and comfort in private houses. When choosing the necessary insulation system for your home, you need to take into account the general condition of the house and all the requirements for future insulation.