Heat loss, especially in winter time, adversely affects the health of the residents of the apartment. 30% of the heat escapes through cracks in the window and doorways, and 20% is lost through the floors mainly on the ground floor, where the heated room is in contact with the ground, if there is no heat-insulating layer. Floor insulation makes your life more comfortable: you can walk barefoot on the floor at any time without fear of catching a cold. The heat in the apartment is maintained thanks to the thermal insulation of the floor. The question arises: "Which floor insulation should you choose?"
Today we will tell you about what types of floor heaters exist, what are their advantages and disadvantages. We will acquaint you with the criteria for choosing a heat-insulating layer, tell you which of the heaters is best for keeping the heat in the house, and how to lay it correctly in a particular room.
Criteria for choosing floor heaters
To choose the right material for floor insulation, you should pay attention to the following criteria.
The heater must be:
Types of floor heaters
To choose the right heat-insulating material, you need to know what types the industry offers, and what are their advantages and disadvantages.
There are several types of heaters:
- mineral;
- polymeric;
- wood chip.
Expanded clay
Expanded clay - burnt clay in granules.
Despite its merits, there are some minor drawbacks.
Expanded clay dries for a long time, slowly parting with absorbed moisture. Expanded clay forms dust, so when working with it, you need to wear a respirator.
Otherwise, expanded clay is a convenient and high-quality insulation. Claydite insulate walls, floors, roofs of houses.
Polymer insulation for houses
These include:
- polystyrene foam - polystyrene;
- polyurethane foam;
- foamed polyethylene on a foil basis;
- penoizol-liquid foam.
Styrofoam
One of polymer insulation The floor is Styrofoam. It's foamed plastic. Consists of separate cells - granules.
- This durable material, which, despite its light weight, can withstand high loads.
- Due to its low weight, the foam itself creates a minimum load on the walls and foundation.
- It is moisture resistant, so it can be used in places with high humidity on the balcony.
- Styrofoam retains heat for a long time, almost without absorbing it. It surpasses many heaters in terms of thermal insulation.
- When insulating floors, you can get by with a small thickness of foam.
- The price of expanded polystyrene is low, which is an important advantage this material and grabs the attention of buyers.
An important disadvantage of polystyrene is that when burned, it releases harmful substances which are poisonous and dangerous.
Extruded polystyrene foam
Extruded polystyrene foam differs from polystyrene foam in the manufacturing method and characteristics. Styrofoam is obtained by exposing the granules to water vapor. At high temperature cells increase in size and fill the entire form. A foam element is added to extruded polystyrene foam at high blood pressure and temperature, which is extruded through the extruder.
The thermal insulation properties of extruded polystyrene are much better than conventional foam. But extruded polystyrene foam has lower vapor permeability. Another disadvantage is high flammability.
Foamed polyethylene on a foil basis
Foamed polyethylene on a foil basis is one of the best floor insulation. It is obtained by melting polyethylene in a special container with the addition of liquefied gas, which acts as a foamed reagent. A foil film is applied to one side of the polyethylene foam, which reflects heat. Foil polyethylene is supplied in rolls, sheets, plates.
- Closed cells contribute to high hygroscopicity. The water resistance of the material allows you to insulate floors and walls in baths, saunas.
- The material is resilient and elastic, durable: it can withstand a significant load, does not deform.
- Corrosive acids, alkalis, gasoline and other petroleum products do not affect polyethylene.
- Laying foil polyethylene is easy and simple by hand, because it weighs little and is thin enough. Foil insulation is designed in such a way that it reflects heat back into the room. In external environment does not transfer heat. Therefore, it should be laid with the reflective side up.
Penoizol
Penoizol-liquid foam.
It is good because it is poured into all the cracks and hard-to-reach places.
Insulation is especially necessary when building a house, because it fills all the air voids and thereby retains heat.
polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam is one of the best floor insulators of our time.
Wood chip heaters include:
- plywood;
- cellulose wadding;
- sawdust.
Ecowool
Ecowool is a loose cellulose material. It is poured automatically or manually, closing the most inaccessible places. Cotton wool is poured into special pumps, and it passes through thick pipes into the room. Ecowool is not liquid.
The disadvantage of ecowool is its fear of moisture, so it is not recommended to use this material in rooms with excessive humidity.
sawdust materials
By themselves, sawdust for insulation is not used, because it does not meet fire safety requirements. Basically for insulation use:
- sawdust pellets;
- wood concrete;
- wood blocks.
Wood blocks are sawdust with the addition of blue vitriol and cement.
Sawdust pellets are obtained by adding antiseptics to them, due to which they are resistant to the appearance of microorganisms. Sawdust granules have low thermal conductivity, high soundproofing properties.
Arbolit-wood concrete. It is fire resistant. It has increased strength, can quickly restore its shape after excessive loads. Excellent absorbency sound waves, keeps warm.
Its disadvantage is low moisture resistance. If you want to make a heater from wood concrete, then the humidity in the apartment should not exceed 75%. A finishing protective layer should be laid on top of the wood concrete.
One of popular heaters is cork. This the best insulation under linoleum, but also the most expensive. Cork fiber is obtained by processing oak wood. The wood is crushed, the particles are glued together with suberin, which is part of the oak. They are steamed and pressed to form cork fibre. The material is completely natural, it does not include any polymer additives. The material is durable, moisture resistant, lightweight. Due to its structure (it consists of cells, each of which is filled with a gaseous substance), it is considered the best heat insulator.
Cork fiber can be used as an underlay and as an independent floor covering.
How to lay insulation on the floor
Different heaters need to be laid in different ways.
Mineral wool is laid between the lags. But glass wool should be well insulated so that when it wears out, dust does not get into the apartment. It is very important to leave a ventilation gap.
Ecowool laying
Laying with ecowool occurs mechanically or manually. Small particles of ecowool pass through the hose, and the operator directs the material with glue added to it to the wall or floor with air. Sticking. particles of ecowool and create a heat-insulating layer. Wool is applied to the floors manually, both in liquid and dry ways. She just falls asleep between the lags. Placed on top vapor barrier membrane and then wooden floors. The price of ecowool insulation together with work is 2200 per cubic meter in a dry way and 2800 in a wet way.
Expanded clay laying
There are 3 options for laying such a heater as expanded clay:
First you need to sweep the floor, clean construction garbage. Need to lay pvc film or special vapor barrier layer. Mark the level of the screed. Then glue edging tape 10 cm wide in order to leave a gap from the walls. Fill the floor with expanded clay, level it with a rule, fill it with a screed on top. It is possible to separate the screed with a waterproofing layer;
Styrofoam laying
Expanded polystyrene is laid, and then poured with cement or concrete. This is a floating screed.
Logs are placed under the wooden floors, and foam is placed between them.
The third way to lay the foam is to lay it on a concrete floor, and on top of them, sheets of plywood.
Polyurethane foam application technology
First you need to prepare the base: remove the debris. Irregularities of the base when laying polyurethane foam do not matter. The main thing is that there are no oil stains on the surface, otherwise there will be no reliable adhesion of the insulation to the base in this place. You should pay attention to the humidity of the floor, it should not exceed 5%. The air temperature must be maintained at least +10 degrees. Polyurethane foam is applied through a special nozzle. Components A and B are mixed and sprayed. The material must be evenly distributed using special equipment over the surface of the base. The specialist himself regulates the thickness of the polyurethane foam layer. The insulation dries within 24-48 hours. If the insulation is placed between wooden lags, then after the material has dried, you can do the installation finish coat. If polyurethane foam is placed on concrete base, then on top of it you need to fill cement-sand screed which will protect the insulating layer.
Today we told you about floor heaters. We revealed the advantages of each of them, reported on the features of their styling. And which one is better, you choose. We hope you make the right choice.
From year to year, prices for energy resources are inexorably growing, and the level of income of the population remains practically the same. Looking at the unbearable bills for heating a house or apartment, it comes to understanding that the problem needs to be solved on its own - by warming the living quarters.
For this purpose, they can be used different kinds insulation for the walls of the house from the inside and outside.
Let's take a closer look possible options materials for insulation, their advantages and disadvantages.
Insulation work is best done in summer period when the air humidity is at its lowest.
Walls for insulation in the room must be perfectly dry. Dry them after additional plastering, finishing work surface leveling can be done using building hair dryers and heat guns.
Stages of surface insulation:
- Surface cleaning decorative elements- wallpaper, paint.
- Treatment of walls with antiseptic solutions, priming the surface with deep penetration into layers of plaster.
- In some cases, when installing polystyrene foam and electric heating elements, the walls are pre-leveled with waterproof plaster for bathrooms.
- should be carried out according to the instructions prescribed by the manufacturer for this type of material.
- Mounting the protective partition for application final finishing, or surface coverage construction mesh, her plastering.
- Creation of a single composition with overall design premises.
Wall insulation inside the house is one of the most effective ways to protect your home from the penetration of cold and the negative effects of condensate, the main thing is to observe technological sequence stages. You can read more about the technology of home insulation from the inside in
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Modern types of insulation for walls, properties and characteristics:
Tips for insulating walls in an apartment - an analysis of common mistakes:
Warming a house, made with the help of even not the most expensive materials, is not a cheap pleasure. Many types of heaters are now available for internal works, which are presented in an extensive price range. Therefore, choose an inexpensive and quality material won't be difficult.
Warm house in winter period and comfortable coolness during the hot season, as well as reduced bills for public utilities will show that the thermal insulation of the room is done well and with high quality.
What material did you use to insulate the walls of the house? What guided the choice and are you satisfied with the result? Please tell us about it in the comment block. There you can also ask a question on the topic of the article, and we will try to answer it promptly.
The problem of insulation outside and inside the dwelling is acute in any climate zone. The main task is to choose the right thermal insulation material. And it's not as easy as it seems. It is necessary to know such properties of insulation as thermal conductivity, water absorption, strength, service life, as well as the subtleties of installation.
The process of insulation usually affects all the structures of a dwelling - walls, floors, ceilings. External insulation or combined insulation (inside + from the street side) is preferable. Thermal insulation only from inside the dwelling is undesirable, since the dew point will move even deeper into the wall or move to the border of the wall and insulation.
Thus, it is not enough to optimally select a heat-insulating material; it is necessary to properly install it.
Important. The stove (inside) and chimney (outside) also need to be insulated. If this is not done, the walls close to the furnace will crack. An uninsulated chimney is covered inside with condensate, which, mixing with exhaust gases, turns into acid. It quickly corrodes the walls of the chimney, rendering it unusable.
What are heaters
Modern thermal insulation materials are diverse. In private housing construction, along with high-tech insulation (polyurethane foam, penoizol), natural insulation is still used. This is due to their availability and low cost.
The following thermal insulation materials are used inside and outside to insulate walls, ceilings and floors:
- expanded clay (concrete attic and interfloor ceilings they are insulated with this material from the inside, expanded clay is also poured into the cavity between the walls);
- cork (wall and floor insulation from the inside);
- ecowool (walls, floors, attic - it is preferable to insulate from the inside due to such material properties as hygroscopicity);
- mineral wool(walls, floors, attic floor- suitable for insulation both inside and outside);
- polystyrene (walls outside, concrete screed);
- penoplex (due to such a property as low water absorption, it is possible to insulate walls from the inside and outside, concrete screed, roofing, interfloor and attic floors);
- penoizol (walls and floors - it is preferable to insulate from the inside, the property of penoizol to absorb water well requires accuracy with external insulation);
- polyurethane foam (any surface, including metal and plastic pipes hot and cold water supply - insulation inside and from the street).
Mineral wool refers to non-combustible insulation, so it is used for thermal insulation of stoves and chimneys.
Thermal insulation materials for walls
Wall insulation is best done outside during the construction phase. Wall thermal insulation materials are divided into natural and artificial. There is also a division into bulk, plate / mat, roll and foil roll.
Natural heaters include:
- mats and roll insulation from hemp and algae (rare and expensive insulation, suitable for thermal insulation of walls);
- clay plaster (adobe);
Artificial thermal insulation materials for walls are:
- expanded polystyrene (regular and extruded);
- polyurethane foam (sprayed thermal insulation);
- penoizol (poured into the cavity);
- ecowool (cellulose loose insulation);
- mineral wool (stone/basalt) in rolls, slabs, mats;
- thin roll insulation with or without foil.
Characteristics of warmth insulating materials(comparative) can be seen below.
This parameter is measured in W / m * K. The lower the thermal conductivity, the better material keeps heat in the living room.
This parameter is directly related to the density of the insulation. Loose thermal insulation has a much lower thermal conductivity than solid insulation:
Styrofoam 0.045
Penoplex 0.032
Polyurethane foam 0.019 - 0.035
Penoizol 0.028 - 0.038
Ecowool 0.038 – 0.045
Mineral wool 0.045 - 0.07
Measured in %/day. An important technical characteristic showing how quickly thermal insulation materials absorb water. A high score is not a reason to stop using it. Insulation with high water absorption capacity requires careful double-sided waterproofing.
Comparative characteristics of materials:
Mineral wool 2
It is measured in mg/(m.h.Pa). The characteristic shows how much the material breathes. All breathable insulation can be used for thermal insulation wooden walls. According to experts, the vapor permeability of the insulation is not always useful. Often the complete clogging of pores and the organization of micro-ventilation are much more effective.
Comparative characteristics of vapor permeability:
Styrofoam 0.018
Polyurethane foam 0.04 - 0.05
Penoizol 0.21 - 0.24
Mineral wool and ecowool 0.3
Durability
This parameter is very important for thermal insulation. If the other characteristics of several heaters are the same, then it is this parameter that tips the scales in favor of choosing the most durable insulation.
Styrofoam ≤ 13
Penoplex up to 40
Polyurethane foam up to 50
Penoizol up to 75
Ecowool at least 50
Mineral wool at least 70 years old
By analyzing these data, one can own opinion about different heaters and choose the ones that are best suited for your purposes.
Important. natural thermal insulation materials from hemp and algae have low thermal conductivity, but they absorb water well, which, coupled with high cost, makes them unpopular for insulating walls from the outside and from the inside.
The exception is expanded clay and cork. The first is poured between the walls in the well masonry and spilled with cement milk. This prevents the material from settling and increases its strength. This wall insulation is cheap, buying it is also not a problem. To reduce the thermal conductivity of insulated walls, it is necessary to mix expanded clay of various fractions.
Cork is an excellent thermal insulator. Its properties are such that cold cannot penetrate into an insulated room, and heat cannot leave it. In addition, it does not absorb water and has an attractive appearance. True, the cost of such a heater is significant, so it is more often used for finishing walls with additional thermal insulation properties.
Floor heaters
Of the many heaters for thermal insulation of the floor, expanded clay and foam plastic are often used (less often foam plastic, since it is much more expensive than foam plastic). Cork can also be used to insulate the floor (as a substrate for linoleum or carpet covering, as well as finishing). The properties of this material are unique. It does not absorb water spilled on the floor, perfectly dampens noise, has a velvety texture to the touch. Its surface is never cold.
Expanded clay is used to insulate the floor in the attic. It strongly absorbs moisture, so it is necessary to make double-sided waterproofing. Because of this characteristic, it is not recommended to insulate a wooden hemmed attic floor with expanded clay (material that accidentally picks up moisture increases significantly in weight).
Styrofoam high density ideal for underfloor heating cement screed. The same can be said about penoplex, although it is more expensive, so it is used much less frequently for floor insulation.
Mineral wool is another insulation that can be used to insulate both the floors between floors and the attic. Due to hygroscopicity, mineral wool requires double-sided waterproofing.
The technology of floor insulation with foam plastic includes several stages:
- Preparation of the base (cleaning from debris and dust).
- Floor treatment with deep penetration primers.
- Laying a waterproofing film (necessarily with a call to the walls, the joints are glued with construction tape).
- The foam is fixed to the floor with glue, the joints are coated with sealant.
- Be sure to leave a gap between the walls and the insulation.
- A special reinforcing mesh is installed on the insulated floor (it is mounted on racks and is located at a distance of 2.5 - 3 cm above the level of insulation).
- It remains to fill the floor with a self-leveling mixture.
Ceiling heaters
It is possible to insulate the ceiling from the inside only if the height of the room allows it. For these purposes, aerated concrete slabs are well suited. They weigh very little and are easily attached with foam board adhesive. The joints are covered with sealant. Additionally, foil insulation can be laid.
Styrofoam and foam plastic, as well as mineral wool, are used only from the side of the attic (as described above).
Heat insulating roll materials
Thin rolled polyethylene foam insulation is a weak obstacle to cold air entering the room through micropores and cracks. However, foil roll materials- a great addition to the warming cake.
Foil thermal insulation (penofol, foil isolon) laid on top of any insulation will play a dual role - repulsive thermal insulation and waterproofing. In this case, there is no need to purchase separately waterproofing materials.
Advice. Rolled foil heaters are demanding for installation. They will not work if, for example, lining is laid directly on them. A working gap between the foil and finishing. Therefore, on top of rolled foil insulation, a crate is always made with a thickness of bars of at least 3 cm.
Various types of heat-insulating materials (bulk, roll, slab) allow for insulation various surfaces- Walls, ceilings, floors. Refractory thermal insulation (non-combustible) is suitable for insulating furnaces (not the furnace itself, but nearby walls are insulated).
In electrical engineering, there is a certain type of coating that serves insulating purposes. Insulating materials are used for various purposes: for pipelines, walls and floors, roofs, they are often used in construction, electrical installation and production work.
Types and purpose
Insulating protective materials are used to protect residential and production premises from negative impact environment. Their application depends on the type of coatings. There are the following types of insulation:
- Heat, wind, sound insulation;
- Hydro and vapor barrier;
- Electrical and vibration insulating materials.
In addition to such a classification, there is also a division of coatings depending on their shape. There are liquid, solid and powder options. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Photo - pipeline insulatorsThermal, wind and soundproof
Heat-insulating or heat-insulating Construction Materials GOST R 52953-2008 are used to reduce the heat loss of the ceiling, floor and walls. They can be used for both outdoor and interior decoration in order to reduce the thermal conductivity of the building. This property is inherent in them due to the special design, which implies high porosity and density.
Photo - mineral wool There are the following main types of thermal insulation:
Photo - Arbolit Despite the fact that organic finishes have many advantages, they are now rarely used for facade insulation, because they have low fire resistance. They are mainly used as insulating materials for gas pipelines, water supply systems and individual water pipes.
Photo - combined membrane film Windshield films are often equated with heat insulators, but they serve a slightly different purpose. These panels are represented by film membranes, the main purpose of which is to stop the air flow and prevent it from entering the room. Coatings of this type are often used for wooden houses(which high level porosity), protection of the floor and roof from blowing.
Photo - Windproof films Windproof materials are very similar to vapor barrier materials, and they are represented by polyethylene foam, membrane, diffusion films, for the winding of which it is necessary to use special soft discs. By the way, insulation, depending on the material from which it is made, can act as a wind insulator.
Let's consider what are the prices for VPE Comfort 3 mm insulation material Lavsan (roll products):
| City | The cost of m 2, c. e. |
| Ekaterinburg | 0,5 |
| Irkutsk | 0,5 |
| Moscow | 0,7 |
| St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) | 0,7 |
| Samara | 0,5 |
| Ufa | 0,5 |
In addition to Lavsan, you can also buy insulating protective materials produced by TPK Baikal, Yekaterinburg Plant (EZIM) and Global Thermal.
Soundproofing
Sound-proof and noise-proof protect the premises from noise penetrating into the residential building from the outside. They are necessary both for the construction of a private house, and for independent overhaul apartments. Modern films are divided into:
- Acoustic;
- Sound pads.
The key difference between them is their purpose. Acoustic help improve audibility inside specific premises, and gaskets eliminate the problem of street noise from cars, etc. Such properties are provided by a certain texture and design of the plates. They can be presented in the form of mineral wool or foam, where, on the one hand, a soft structure, and on the other, a rigid reflective sheet (for example, aluminum or asbestos cement). Now polymer films are also being produced that have a membrane structure. They are known for their combined properties due to the soft inner layer and the porous outer layer, which absorb sound from the room and reflect frequencies from the street.
Steam and waterproofing coatings
These materials are necessary to protect the structure from the effects of water, condensate or chemical substances. They are most often used as roof coverings, since it is this section of the building that is most affected by precipitation. Basically, they are bituminous (i.e., plastic, soft) and are made on the basis of metal shavings, minerals, and various plastics. They can be produced in the following forms:
In addition to roofing, they are also often used for flooring, especially if the building is built on a pillar or pile foundation.
Photo - Vapor barrier film Video: the use of insulating materials in electrical engineering
electrical insulating materials
High-temperature electrical insulating films and mastics are designed to protect current-carrying conductors electrical wires. They are necessary for short circuit protection or conductor connection. Heat resistance characteristics:
- Y - these are materials from combustible fibrous substances of cotton coating, cellulose, paper, etc. They are not dipped in special protective lubricants, therefore their maximum heating temperature before ignition is 90 degrees;
- Class A is type Y insulation, but pre-impregnated with protective liquids. They are used to work with transformer substations, etc. They are used when heated up to 105 °;
- E - these are insulators for most known wires, devices, etc. Basically, these are films, resins of synthetic origin. Necessary for the insulation of refrigerators, power cables, power lines, etc., depending on temperature, they can heat up to 120 ° C.
- Category B is hard coatings of mica, glass fiber and other organic and combined materials. They can withstand heat up to 130 degrees. Class F is the same organics, but treated with protective compounds;
- Class C is the newest insulating coatings. They are used by electrical equipment, where the heating of the conductors can reach 180 degrees and above. Represented by mica, ceramics, and other solid compounds of organic origin.
Photo - insulation for wires The production of cables with insulation is carried out in almost every major city of the Russian Federation and CIS countries.
Solving the problem of home insulation great importance has floor insulation. This is most relevant for the first floors of apartments and houses in which there is earth, a basement or a garage under the floor, and thermal insulation on the floor is simply necessary. Nowadays, the market offers various thermal insulation materials that differ in price, properties and installation method.
All thermal insulation materials for the floor can be divided into two categories - resistant to dynamic loads and unstable to them.
Such materials are laid in a continuous layer on a concrete base, and then the main floor is mounted directly on this material, i.e. the floor will rest with all its weight on the heat-insulating material.
The cheapest option is to use polystyrene foam boards, which are essentially foam. In addition to being cheap, they also insulate well from the cold, create good sound insulation and are easy to install. But expanded polystyrene has one big disadvantage- over time, it accumulates moisture and, as a result, its heat-insulating and waterproofing properties are declining. This is due to the fact that the thermal conductivity of water is about 25 times higher than that of air. In addition, this material is combustible, which further reduces its consumer value.
Gypsum fiber sheet (GVL) is a fairly common floor insulation, which is made from gypsum using various additives. But it's not drywall. This material does not have a cardboard cover. There is also a moisture resistant variety gypsum fiber sheets, which is designated as GVLV. This material does not burn and in most cases is quite environmentally friendly, because. made from natural materials. In addition, GVL has good thermal insulation properties, which makes it quite attractive for laying on a concrete floor.
Polyurethane foam belongs to the group of gas-filled plastics. It has a low water absorption coefficient and good thermal insulation properties. But the complexity of installation and the cost of the material itself makes it less attractive compared to other types of thermal insulation materials.
It will not work to mount the floor on such materials. They are usually used to fill voids of any kind, such as voids between floor joists, while the main floor will rest on the joists.
One of the most effective is mineral wool (glass wool, mineral wool), which has excellent heat-insulating, sound-proofing, frost-resistant and fire-resistant qualities. In addition, glass wool is inexpensive, extremely durable and resistant to rodents.
Excellent thermal insulation for the floor - expanded clay. He creates good thermal insulation, sound insulation, does not burn and, in addition, does not absorb moisture, which makes this material very effective when used in floors with logs.
There is another classification of heaters - by structure. This classification includes fibrous materials(mineral wool), cellular (polystyrene boards) and porous (expanded clay).
There is also a classification according to the form, which includes: plates (polystyrene foam plates, GVL), rolls (mineral wool) and bulk materials (expanded clay).
It should not be forgotten that most thermal insulation materials are not completely environmentally friendly, i. prolonged contact with a person, they can be harmful to health. Therefore, the laid insulation must be well insulated from the premises in which people are located.
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