Material options and how to properly insulate floors in stilt houses

Insulation of the floor in a frame house on screw piles must be carried out with the obligatory consideration of design features. In this case, the floor should be light, so as not to load the base of the house, and at the same time strong. The thermal insulation of this part of the structure is extremely important, therefore it is recommended to use high-quality wood for repair work. This is due to the lightness, warmth and purity of the material. To increase thermal insulation, floor insulation is additionally carried out using various building materials.

Floor insulation options

There are two ways to insulate the floor in a frame house on piles: external insulation along the entire perimeter of the house only from the floor side and complete.

The essence of the first boils down to the construction of the basement frame from the soil to the beginning of the walls of the house, along its entire perimeter. Based on financial capabilities and climate conditions in the region of residence, insulation and cladding are carried out from the outside. This method is preferable for buildings with a low location from the soil surface.

If this method is not possible to use due to the fact that the floor is too high from the soil level, insulation is carried out only from the outside.

Full (complex) floor insulation is considered the most optimal. For its implementation, the surface is insulated inside and outside. The process is divided into the following stages:

• works with waterproofing grillage and metal piles;
• erection of the base of the base;
• insulation of the inside of the basement;
• installation of decoration panels on the plinth;
  
• expanded clay and / or ground insulation inside the basement;
• installation of floor insulation from the side of the basement room;
• insulation and waterproofing of the strip foundation.

The above set of measures will prevent moisture from entering building materials and will not allow heat loss from the room.

Examples of materials used

When choosing materials for insulation, you need to carefully familiarize yourself with their characteristics, especially indicators of wind protection, waterproofing and vapor barrier.

Mineral wool insulation

Minvata has a large number of advantages, the main ones being excellent thermal insulation characteristics, incombustibility. The material is not subject to biological influences. However, if even a small amount of moisture gets on the substance, it will sag and partially lose its properties. Compared to other types of building material, mineral wool insulation has a high cost.

Raw materials are produced in the form of plates and rolls. It is better to insulate the floor on piles with slabs, since they are characterized by greater rigidity. Depending on the raw material, slag, glass and stone wool are distinguished.

When working with mineral wool, you must use personal protective equipment: mask, gloves and overalls.

Styrofoam

Polyfoam is the most common insulation. This is due to the excellent performance of thermal protection and acceptable cost. When buying, it is important to consider that when exposed to high humidity in combination with low temperatures, the foam can crumble into small balls.Structural changes will inevitably lead to violations of the thermal protection of the building.

If the owners of the house decide to use polystyrene for floor insulation, you should additionally take care of protecting it from moisture penetration.

Extruded polystyrene foam

Insulation of the floor in a wooden house on screw piles is often carried out using extruded polystyrene foam - "Penoplex". Visually, it resembles foam, but has better characteristics.

The raw material has a lower water absorption combined with high strength. Thanks to these features, you can not worry about the destruction of the structure of the material with prolonged exposure to low temperatures. The composition of extruded polystyrene foam is enriched with special additives that allow it to belong to the group of non-combustible materials.

The heat-shielding characteristics of the listed heaters are almost identical.

There is one more material - expanded clay. In terms of thermal insulation indicators, it is inferior to the rest of mineral wool, polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, but at the same time it has a low price, is easy to install and non-combustible.

Basement insulation options

There are several ways to insulate the foundation of wooden houses built on screw piles.

Building waterproofing

At the initial stage of the work, the grillage and foundation piles must be carefully treated with bituminous mastic in order to exclude the negative impact on building materials of moisture from the soil. All elements made of wood are treated with an antiseptic, which creates a protective film against insects and mold. If mineral wool is additionally used, a vapor barrier film is provided in the thermal insulation layer to protect the raw material from moisture absorption.

Construction of the frame of the basement of the house

To install the insulation outside the screw-type foundation, it is necessary to first build a frame from vertical and horizontal guides. The interval between the bars should be equal to the width of the insulation plates, otherwise there will be many cracks and cold bridges in the house. For additional protection, the entire frame is treated with coating waterproofing, and roll waterproofing is laid on top.

Fastening the insulation to the plinth

When insulating the basement with extruded polystyrene foam or foam, it is important to treat the seams formed between the plates of the material with polyurethane foam. If the insulation is carried out with mineral wool, the plates should be tightly pressed against the bars, if there are air vents, the heat from the room will “leave”.

It is important to protect any used thermal insulation material outside the house from attacks by rodents and possible mechanical damage.

Installation of decorative panels

With self-warming of the basement with penoplex, the decorative cladding is made of metal or vinyl siding, basement panels. To do this, a starting profile is installed on the plinth around the entire perimeter, as when insulating the facade of a mineral wool insulation, on which the finishing cladding is attached outside on the street. Finishing the basement of the house will protect the insulation layer from mechanical damage and precipitation.

Insulation of structures should always be carried out from the street. This approach in work will protect the insulation layer from freezing and increase the operational life.

Insulation of the floor of the first floor

The soil under the house can be covered with a thick layer of expanded clay. This will protect the house from the cold that will come from the ground in cold seasons, and will also reduce the floor ventilation. It is additionally recommended to insulate the ground floor with mineral wool. Holes are made on the walls of the basement on opposite sides for ventilation of the basement. With the onset of winter, all ventilation openings are closed, otherwise the invasion of rodents cannot be avoided.