How to insulate a house from the outside. How to insulate walls in a private house from the outside: a description of technologies and installation methods. The best grades of cardboard

The problem of heat loss in private residential buildings has always existed. Somewhere heat is uselessly lost through the roof, in other houses it is wasted through the foundation. However, the main part is spent through the wall structures.

To this day, the topical issue for homeowners is how to avoid unnecessary waste of thermal energy? Therefore, we will try to figure out how to insulate the house, what material will better cope with the tasks.

Choosing thermal insulation

After the construction of the frame of the building and the laying of the walls, an extremely important stage begins - the insulation of housing. Thanks to the selection of the most effective heat-insulating material, it is possible to create the maximum barrier to useless heat transfer.

Currently, the most common heaters on the Russian market are: mineral wool, polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, glass wool, expanded clay, ecowool. Consider the features of each heat insulator in more detail.

An extremely popular material that has been successfully used as a heater for many decades.

The advantages of mineral wool are:

low coefficient of thermal conductivity in the range - from 0.041 to 0.044 W/m3;
good compressive density - up to 200 kg / m3;
high fire safety - withstands exposure to elevated temperatures up to 1000 ° C;
excellent soundproofing.

Despite the obvious advantages, the material has a significant drawback - the ability to absorb moisture. Therefore, it is impossible to do without laying an external waterproofing layer during its installation.

In addition, mineral wool is unlikely to be the best option for insulating walls from the inside, since it takes up too much usable volume.

The material is in great demand in the domestic market on a par with the previous insulation, mainly due to increased resistance to moisture. The thermal conductivity coefficient of polystyrene is an order of magnitude lower compared to mineral wool. However, the compression density suffers somewhat. The material is not very effective in resisting mechanical stress. Therefore, styrofoam boards are easily damaged.

The density index of the foam is in the range from 11 to 35 kg / m3, depending on the brand. The compressive strength of the plates is 0.05-0.16 MPa. The same bending quality of the material is 0.07-0.25 MPa. Thermal conductivity coefficient - 0.033-0.037 W / m3.

Advantages:

does not need protection with moisture-repellent coatings;
has a small weight;
acts as an effective heat and sound insulator;
is one of the most affordable, relatively inexpensive solutions.

Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the presence of a risk of ignition of the material with the release of caustic, toxic smoke, harm to health during operation at elevated temperatures.

In the past, the material was the most common basis for home insulation. However, the reason for the popularization of the insulation was not so much in its characteristics, but in the absence of more efficient heaters.

Manufactured from molten fiberglass. Hence the name of the material. It has decent thermal insulation qualities, which are only slightly inferior to mineral wool. Thermal conductivity is in the range from 0.03 to 0.052 W/m3. Resistance to high temperatures reaches 450 °C.

The advantage of this solution is the absence of toxic fumes during fires. The disadvantages include the inconvenience of installation, significant shrinkage and increased hygroscopicity.

Belongs to the category of innovative cellulose-based insulation. Suitable for and outside. However, laying the material requires a special unit that combines the substance with water, forming an insulating mass of the desired consistency. The dry method of insulation does not allow to insulate the coating hermetically.

Material qualities:

specific gravity - 25-75 kg / m3;
thermal conductivity - 0.037-0.042 W / m3;
the ability to accumulate moisture and its rapid evaporation without loss of insulating properties;
effective absorption of sound waves;
fire and environmental safety.

It consists of the smallest wood fibers, therefore it does not hide the potential harm to health. As practice shows, the heat insulator does not emit toxic substances, prevents the development of mold and does not exude unpleasant odors.

The only drawback of the insulation can be considered the need for the use of specialized equipment.

In fact, the material is an insulating board, the structure of which is formed by small plastic granules. To obtain an extruded insulation sheet, a foaming agent is mixed with granular particles under high pressure and temperatures. The result of manufacturing are colored or transparent plates.

Properties:

practical complete absence of moisture absorption;
the lowest coefficient of thermal conductivity in comparison with any other common heat insulators;
ability to transmit light;
frost resistance;
no tendency to rot, mold development;
the highest compressive strength;
It is considered an ideal option both for thermal insulation of buildings both from the inside and for outdoor work.

If we talk about the shortcomings of the heat insulator, then, like ordinary foam, the material suffers somewhat from fragility. Therefore, its installation and operation requires careful attitude.

It is a loose insulation. Possesses worthy indicators of thermal conductivity and vapor barrier. It is most often used for floor insulation. Although it is ideal for wall insulation using the ring masonry method.

Expanded clay is characterized by moisture absorption at the level of about 8-20%. Due to the presence of a solid proportion of clay in the composition, it is distinguished by increased sound insulation. It has high frost resistance. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.10-0.18 W / m3, which indicates decent thermal insulation qualities of the material.

The disadvantages of expanded clay include a tendency to dust formation, which complicates installation work, and a significant weight of the heat-insulating layer.

How slowly the insulation absorbs moisture, so long it will be released from it later. Therefore, when laying expanded clay, it is necessary to foresee options for its vapor and moisture protection in advance.

The choice of insulation directly depends on the method of work. There are several ways of external thermal insulation of housing:

ventilated facade systems;
laying insulation under plaster.

The technology of creating ventilated facades involves the installation of insulation directly on the outer surface of the walls with its insulation with an airtight membrane. At a distance of 2-4 cm from the outer membrane, cladding is attached in the form of siding, drywall, etc.

Material

The use of polystyrene in this case becomes unacceptable, since in the presence of a ventilated space, the likelihood of material ignition increases. The advantage of the insulation method is the possibility of laying inexpensive insulators in the form of mineral wool or glass wool, since here the heat insulator does not bear the load of the outer layer.

As for the insulation under the plaster, for this, a heater is laid on the surface of the wall. The insulator is fixed with dowels or glued to a special mixture. A decorative plaster or primer is applied on top.

The method of insulation involves the creation of a three-layer structure, when the selected heat insulator is placed between the wall from the inside and the outer cladding. The inner wall is connected to the outer wall with anchors. The most common heaters here are foam and mineral wool.

This method of thermal insulation of the house is one of the most effective. However, its main disadvantage is the possibility of performing work only in the process of housing construction.

Thermal insulation from the inside of the building is a less preferred option. Since in this case the “dew point” shifts towards the insulation, which leads to its wetting. In addition, with this method of isolation, the area of \u200b\u200brooms is noticeably reduced.

However, there are cases when the creation of an external thermal insulation coating of the walls is impossible. For example, when the wall of a neighboring house is adjacent, or the facade of the building is of cultural value. Therefore, insulation from the inside also has the right to exist.

What to choose?

If the inner plane of the walls will be plastered, mineral wool, ecowool or low flammability foam can act as a heater. Before warming, it is worth once again calculating the likelihood of an abundance of moisture affecting the insulator. With this method of insulation, condensate quickly destroys the insulation, its effectiveness decreases and the likelihood of fungus is high.

Eventually

What is the best way to insulate a house? The widest choice of heat-insulating materials for home insulation often leads to complete bewilderment of homeowners who dream of living in the most comfortable conditions. Some prefer glass wool with proven practice and time. Others rely exclusively on cutting-edge technology.

Based on the useful properties of common materials, it is rational to use them in competent combinations. So, the most economical and at the same time quite effective solution for insulating the walls of a house will be a combination of the qualities of mineral wool, expanded clay, glass wool and polystyrene. It is better to isolate hard-to-reach places with ecowool, densely filling any irregularities with the composition.

Styrofoam boards are recommended for use in the most humid climates. The material retains its properties for decades under conditions of intense exposure to environmental factors. The components of the heat insulator do not react with chemical atmospheric reagents, which becomes an indispensable quality when insulating houses located in industrial regions.

September 7, 2016
Specialization: facade finishing, interior finishing, construction of dachas, garages. The experience of an amateur gardener and horticulturist. He also has experience repairing cars and motorcycles. Hobbies: playing the guitar and much more, for which there is not enough time :)

Warming the house from the outside is, on the one hand, a fairly simple procedure that you can handle on your own, even without any experience. But, on the other hand, this operation raises a lot of questions, moreover, it requires strict adherence to technology, otherwise the result will not meet your expectations. Therefore, below I will describe to you several ways to perform external insulation as efficiently as possible and without damage to the structure.

External insulation methods

Many people who encounter insulation for the first time do not know how best to place the insulation inside or outside. According to SNiP 3.03.01-87, in private houses, for a number of reasons, external thermal insulation should be performed:

if you place the heat insulator from the inside, the walls will freeze even more than before the insulation. Moreover, a heat insulator will form in the space between the wall and the insulation;
from the inside it is impossible to provide thermal insulation of the ceiling, as a result of which the insulation is defective;
internal thermal insulation reduces living space.

Thus, the answer to the question posed above is unequivocal - internal insulation is performed only in cases of emergency.

So, if you decide to insulate the house from the outside with your own hands, you will need dry heat-insulating material in the form of plates or mats for this purpose. As a rule, mineral wool or polystyrene foam is used as a heater. With their help, you can insulate the facade in several ways:

wet facade- the technology consists in gluing insulation and applying plaster over it. This method is widely used due to its relative cheapness. Its disadvantage is the low strength of the facade and fragility, compared with other finishing methods;

hinged facade- is a frame to which facade materials are attached (siding, lining, facade, etc.). The insulation is located in the space between the finishing material and the wall. This finish is more durable, but at the same time more expensive;
cladding with thermal insulation blocks, which can be made of wood concrete, foam concrete, gas silicate, etc. I must say that the thermal insulation properties of these materials are worse than polystyrene foam or, for example, mineral wool. However, they are more durable.

If, for example, you need to insulate an old wooden or country frame house, then this method of insulation is the best solution. Moreover, block insulation can be combined with other heat insulators.

Everyone should decide how and with what to insulate the house from the outside, depending on the situation, financial capabilities and wishes regarding the design of the facade. As you can see, each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Below we will consider in more detail all the insulation options described above.

Wet facade

First of all, I will tell you how to properly perform a wet facade. For this you will need the following materials:

insulation in the form of mats or plates (mineral wool, polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam);
special dowels for insulation ("fungi");
glue for insulation;
perforated aluminum corners
fiberglass mesh;
primer;
decorative plaster;
dye.

Before buying a heat insulator, people are always interested in - what is the best way to insulate a house from the outside? If the house is brick or made of other non-combustible materials, you can save money and use foam. If the structure is wooden, it is necessary to use mineral wool, which will serve as protection against fire.

The process of installing a heater with your own hands looks like this:

first of all, you need to prepare the facade for work - dismantle all the elements that will interfere with the installation of insulation;
then you need to dilute the glue with water according to the instructions on the package;
then the glue is applied to the surface of the insulation using a notched trowel. If the walls are uneven, you can apply glue with "blunders" in the corners and in the center, which will give more opportunity to align the plates with respect to each other.

It should be noted that at this stage it is necessary to ensure a smooth vertical surface of the walls, therefore, in the process of gluing the insulation, you need to use a level and beacons (a horizontally stretched thread along the wall, along which each row of the heat insulator is aligned);

further, the insulation is additionally fixed with dowels. To do this, holes are drilled in the wall directly through the slabs or mats. It is necessary to hammer in the dowels so that they are recessed and do not protrude above the wall surface;

according to the same scheme, slopes are pasted over, the only thing is that they are not fixed with dowels;
after that, the evenness of the walls should be checked by the rule, if necessary, individual sections can be rubbed with a grater;
after that, perforated aluminum corners are glued to all external corners;
then the hats of the self-tapping screws are smeared with glue;
The next step is to glue the mesh. To do this, use the same glue that is applied with a spatula to the surface of the insulation. A mesh is immediately applied to the treated surface and a spatula is drawn along it, as a result of which it is embedded in the adhesive composition.

I note that the mesh must first be cut into canvases of the required length, taking into account the fact that it should overlap and turn into corners;

after drying, the glue is re-applied to the surface of the walls with a thin layer. In order for the composition to lay down evenly, the solution must be made more liquid than for gluing;
when the glue dries, the surface is treated with a primer using a paint roller. The composition is applied in two passes;

after the soil dries, decorative plaster is applied to the surface and leveled with a small one. When the composition begins to set, the plaster is rubbed with small circular or reciprocating movements;
the final step is painting. There is nothing complicated in this procedure - the roller must be dipped in a bath of paint and then treated with a wall. The paint is applied in two layers.

This completes the work. It should be noted that this technology can be used to insulate not only a private house, but also an apartment.

hinged facade

To make a hinged facade on your own is no more difficult than a wet one. To do this, prepare the following materials:

insulation in the form of mats or plates;
metal profile or wooden beam for mounting the frame;
adjustable brackets;
vapor barrier film;
dowels for insulation;
finishing material for the facade.

Many people are sure that the cheaper the heat insulator, the better. However, the same mineral wool or polystyrene can be of different quality. For example, cheap mineral wool can be exposed to moisture, and foam can easily ignite and support combustion, so it is better to use materials from well-known brands, even if they are not the cheapest.

The instructions for warming look like this:

after preparing the facade, you must first perform installation. There are quite a few options for its design and location of the insulation in it. Most often, racks are mounted on brackets, between which mats or plates are placed.
I must say that the installation of the frame is the most critical stage, since the evenness of the walls depends on it. Therefore, all racks must be placed in the same vertical plane;

then a heater is laid between the racks and fixed with dowels;
then a vapor barrier film is attached over the insulation. As a rule, it is fixed on the frame. To do this, you can use rails that are mounted horizontally, while the film is located between them and the racks;
at the end of the work, the frame is sheathed with facade material, after which additional elements are installed - ebbs, corners, etc.

This completes the installation of the hinged facade with your own hands.

Facing with heat-insulating blocks

If you need to insulate an old, for example, log house, then it is better to build additional walls for it, which will also serve as a heater. Of course, this will have to spend more time and effort, but the result fully justifies these costs.

There are quite a few options for cladding walls. The most common materials are:

blocks of Sibit (it is more correct to say aerated concrete, since Sibit is the name of the enterprise, which the people began to call the material it produces);
wood concrete blocks - made from wood chips mixed with cement;
gas silicate blocks - resemble aerated concrete, however, lime is used as the basis for their composition. In addition, this material is obtained by autoclave;
from polystyrene concrete - contain foam granules in their structure;
from expanded clay concrete - contain expanded clay granules in their structure.

So that you can decide on the materials yourself and understand, for example, the better a block of gas silicate is in comparison, for example, with aerated concrete, below I will give a table with the main characteristics of these materials:

As we can see, some materials win in strength, others in thermal conductivity. For example, a gas silicate block is more durable than an arbolite block, but at the same time it is more heat-conducting.

Of course, the price of the material is also an important factor in the choice. Arbolite blocks cost about 4,000 rubles per cube, and polystyrene concrete material costs about the same. The price of gas silicate is a little cheaper - about 3,000 rubles per cubic meter.

The house cladding technology is as follows:

around the perimeter of the house is a shallow foundation. On our portal you can find detailed information about the arrangement of such a foundation;
then the foundation is waterproofed with several layers of roofing material;
further along the perimeter of the house a wall is being erected. Since the blocks are large, laying is much easier than brick. However, in any case, it is necessary to ensure that they lie flat and in the same plane, therefore, in the process of work, it is necessary to use the level, plumb lines and beacons;

if a wooden country house is faced, after several rows, pins are laid in the facing wall, which are pre-hammered into the wooden wall. The pitch of the pins should be about a meter and a half.

Walls built from heat-insulating blocks need further finishing, for example, plastering. Therefore, this technology of insulation is rarely used. Most often it is used in cases where it is necessary to strengthen and insulate a garden house.

If the same procedure is required for a residential building, you can brick it and place mineral mats between the walls. Of course, the costs in this case will be much higher, but additional finishing will not be needed, and the building will acquire a solid and presentable appearance.

Here, in fact, are all the options for external insulation of houses that I wanted to acquaint you with.

Conclusion

As we found out, there are several ways of effective external insulation of houses, which have their own advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of the technology that will be optimal for you, you can cope with this task yourself. The main thing is not to violate the sequence of actions described above and do the work carefully.

For more information, see the video in this article. If during the process of warming you encounter any difficulties or some points are not completely clear to you, ask questions in the comments, and I will be happy to answer you.

As soon as we decide to insulate the house, a huge pile of questions appears in our head:

How to insulate walls?
How to insulate walls?
What is the best way to insulate, outside or inside?
But will the house become warmer, and will I not throw money away?

In this article I will try to answer all these questions in as much detail as possible, as well as talk about the currently popular materials for insulation.

How to properly insulate the walls of the house, outside or inside

Try to ask any builder how best to insulate the walls of the house, outside or inside? The answer will be obvious. Everyone knows that it is necessary to insulate walls from the outside, and to resort to thermal insulation of walls from the inside only in extreme cases. But at the same time, not everyone knows why the thermal insulation of the walls from the inside of the house is so undesirable.

Let's try to figure it out. The diagram shows three states of the wall of the house, with insulation from the outside, from the inside and no insulation at all:

Speaking in ordinary human language, the dew point is the place where water vapor turns into water, thereby creating condensate.

If you look at the diagram, you can see that to the left of the dew point is a positive temperature, and to the right - negative.

When insulating from the inside:

The wall remains unprotected by domestic heat, since the heat barrier from the insulation will not let it into the wall. Thus, in winter it will be largely subject to frost, constant moisture, and will not have time to dry out, since we blocked the way from the inside with a heater to the heat that protected the wall earlier.
In the place of the dew point, condensate collects (air water vapor is converted into water droplets), this point will be as close as possible to the room, which means that the formation of moisture in this place will be maximum. As already mentioned, the insulation from the inside will interfere with the natural drying of the wall.
The constant formation of condensate, without natural drying, can lead to the appearance of various kinds of fungi and mold on the wall. Do not console yourself with the fact that the fungus is behind the insulation and nothing terrible will happen. Mold and various kinds of green-black formations on the wall adversely affect not only the appearance, but also the health of the residents of such a house.
If you look at the diagram, it shows that even without insulation, there will be less moisture on the wall from the inside than with insulation from the inside.

When insulating from the outside:

From the side of the street, the wall is protected by insulation from the cold, and given the technology of insulation, and from moisture, and from the side of the room - by home heat, which warms up the wall sufficiently and even in cases of various kinds of condensate and moisture absorption by the wall, will contribute to its rapid drying.
We take the dew point away from the room towards the street, which means that we also take the condensate away from the room.
Insulation from the outside will greatly preserve the warmth and comfort in your home.

I think now it has become clear to everyone why everyone refuses to warm the walls of the house from the inside, and more and more often resort to warming from the outside. And it is necessary to insulate the walls from the side of the room only if there is no other way out.

How to properly insulate walls with expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) from the outside

I described in detail about the insulation of walls with polystyrene foam in one of my previous articles. Here I will mention some of the main points.

Preparing the wall for the installation of insulation

The first thing to do before insulating the walls with polystyrene foam or EPS is to clean the walls of the house from the outside of dirt, dust and, which is not unimportant, trim them. After that, they must be primed if you use glue to install the insulation.

If there are significant holes on the wall that you cannot level with glue, then after installing the insulation, a void may remain between the expanded polystyrene plate and the wall. And this is highly undesirable, because even a light blow or push on the insulation to the place where the hole is, can deform or break it.
If a small tubercle comes across during the insulation process, it will be difficult for you to glue the expanded polystyrene sheet in that place tightly to the wall.

Installation of expanded polystyrene and EPS on the wall

Styrofoam, as a rule, is glued to the wall with a special glue for polystyrene foam boards, and sometimes with special "fungi".

In the case of insulation of extruded polystyrene foam (EPS), it is necessary to make the surface on which the adhesive will be applied rough. There are no such problems with foam, the glue sticks it well without additional processing, and XPS has a smoother surface, so it needs to be processed.

Very often, for reinforcement, polystyrene foam is attached simultaneously to both glue and “fungi”, which is the most reliable and correct solution.

After installing the insulation, as a rule, the walls are plastered from the outside, or lined with facing bricks.

Styrofoam insulation with wooden slats

There is another type of installation of polystyrene foam boards - using a frame made of rails or other suitable material.

Rails are mounted to the wall, the thickness of which should not be less than the thickness of the insulation, and even better, that it be larger to create a ventilated space between the polystyrene foam and the cladding. The distance between the slats is chosen so that the polystyrene boards are tightly inserted between them without falling out.

This type of installation is acceptable if you do not plaster or brick the walls, but sheathe them with siding, for example. In this case, the slats will also become the basis for fixing facing materials.

How to properly insulate walls from the outside with mineral wool

Another popular insulation for the walls of the house are mineral wool insulation.

Wall insulation with mineral wool differs from wall insulation with polystyrene foam boards, primarily because of the characteristics of the heaters themselves.

Mineral wool, unlike expanded polystyrene, is not a sufficiently rigid insulation, therefore, the installation of mineral wool is carried out, as a rule, by the frame method. But if the cotton insulation is of sufficient density, then the builders also do not disdain mounting on glue.

A frame is constructed from slats or small bars, and mineral wool is laid or rolled between them.

If the wall is concrete or brick, the bars are attached to the wall with dowel-nails. Well, if the wall of the house is wooden, then with self-tapping screws.
Additionally, you can fix the mineral wool with “fungi” so that it does not roll down.

Since wool insulation absorbs moisture very well, it will be necessary to provide waterproofing on top of the insulation. Without this, mineral wool will absorb moisture from the street and you can forget about the effect of warming.

It is also desirable to build a more or less reliable protection against various rodents by installing metal strips along the edges of the wall.

When facing the walls from the outside with brick, the insulation is laid between the main wall and the facing, while these two walls are connected with special bundles that pierce the mineral wool and at the same time hold it inside the wall, preventing it from rolling down in the future.

Wall insulation from the outside with polyurethane foam (PPU)

This is the most modern type of insulation, but also one of the most expensive. The advantages of wall insulation with polyurethane foam are many:

after application, it expands, filling all the depressions, cracks, etc.
at a certain density, the vapor permeability is very low, which excludes additional vapor barrier
has good adhesion, i.e. sticks well to the wall
after hardening has good mechanical strength
good heat and sound insulating properties

Of course, any coin has two sides, so here, too, there are enough shortcomings:

polyurethane foam with low density, has good vapor permeability, which must be taken into account when insulating.
low fire resistance
expensive material
spraying is recommended to be applied by professionals, which practically excludes do-it-yourself warming
aging of polyurethane foam over time, with deterioration of heat-insulating properties

It is better to entrust the insulation of the walls of the house from the outside with polyurethane foam to professional workers using personal protective equipment, since dangerous toxic substances are released during the spraying process.

Heat leaves a private house not only through cracks in windows and doors - most of the heat energy flows through the surfaces of the floor, ceiling and walls, even if they are finished with materials that prevent the flow of cold air relatively well. To ensure the effective preservation of a constant temperature inside the room, it is recommended to insulate its walls from the outside with your own hands - and not only in the basement area, but also the surface of the entire facade.

Wall insulation options

It is possible to insulate a house not only outside, but also inside, but external insulation has a number of advantages. So, when choosing this method, insulation will not only protect the house from the cold, but the walls will also become less susceptible to aggressive environmental factors - primarily humidity and fluctuations in air temperature.
There is a wide range of materials for insulating the walls of a private house with your own hands, each of which is better suited for a particular situation and for certain operating conditions. You can use foam or more practical extruded polystyrene foam, mineral wool or polyurethane foam.

Consider the basic technologies of insulation

As for insulation technologies, there are three of them:

the simplest method is to glue the insulation to the surface of the facade or plinth, after which the heat-insulating material is covered with a layer of plaster for subsequent decorative wall decoration;
three-layer walls without ventilation - an adhesive solution is applied to the base, insulation is fixed on it, then, observing the gap, a brick front finish one stone thick is erected;
ventilated facade - a frame made of a galvanized profile or a wooden crate is installed on the wall, then the surface is covered with a layer of waterproofing, on which the insulation is fixed, after which the whole structure is covered with decorative plates of various materials.

The methods differ in their reliability, total cost and complexity of doing it yourself. In order for any of them to be carried out with high quality, you need to carefully study the nuances of insulation - in any case, the procedure for thermal insulation of a basement or facade is more complicated than finishing a floor or ceiling.

In addition, the method should be chosen based on the conditions in which the work is carried out. In winter, the only option is to design a ventilated wall, since this does not use adhesive solutions that cannot be diluted in the cold.

The nuances of choosing a warming material

Each of the thermal insulation materials on the market fully performs its functions, differing only in price and additional parameters, such as resistance to moisture and ignition. Unlike the floor or ceiling, which can be insulated with your own hands with almost anything, the exterior decoration of the walls of the building should be carried out using one of the following materials:

plates of dense foam or extruded polystyrene foam, characterized by a small mass;
mineral wool;
polyurethane foam;
slabs of volcanic stone;
cellulose wadding (ecowool).

To the differences in materials, you can also add such a parameter as vapor permeability, which is very important when finishing the exterior walls and basement. Steam should penetrate as freely as possible through the insulation so that the main wall does not begin to collapse ahead of time, and moisture does not condense inside the room. Because of this, when using XPS or foam, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation of the wall, since these materials do not pass steam well.

Although any of the materials provides a sufficient degree of thermal insulation of the house, their thermal conductivity indicators are different. This is due to the physical characteristics of the substances that make up the insulation. Depending on the value of these indicators, the thickness of the heat-insulating layer is selected: the lower the thermal conductivity, the better the material retains heat and the thinner the insulation layer can be.

The nuances of selecting the required thickness

The thickness of the plates of heat-insulating material, when finishing the walls of the facade and the basement outside the house, should be selected not only based on the parameters of the material, but also based on the relevant building codes and regulations. It is best to carry out calculations with a special design organization, but if the construction of the house is carried out completely with your own hands, it is quite possible to choose the thickness of the insulation yourself.

When calculating the amount of material in order to insulate the walls from the outside, it is necessary to take into account not only the heat loss of the facade or basement itself, but also heat leakage through windows, doors, floor and ceiling surfaces, especially if there is an unheated basement. Based on all the data, a decision is made on the thickness of the layer of a particular material.

It may turn out that a more expensive material becomes preferable due to its efficiency and, accordingly, a smaller amount required. So, you should not opt for polystyrene foam, if you have to lay it in several layers in order to provide the necessary thermal insulation performance - it is better to buy several times less polyurethane foam.

Preparatory work

Before you start insulating the walls outside the house with your own hands, the base on which the heat-insulating material will be applied must be prepared so that the whole structure is reliable, efficient and durable.

If the insulation is not done during the construction of the house, the old wall finish on the outside must be cleaned, except when a ventilated facade is being installed. The decorative material that reinforces the layer of plaster and everything else is completely removed down to the base - as a result, a clean brick, wooden or foam concrete wall of the house should remain.

The following steps in the initial surface preparation are:

The surface of the facade or plinth is leveled. If the height differences are insignificant, you can simply cover the facade with two layers of a strong primer with deep penetration. If the irregularities exceed 20 mm, the surface will have to be leveled with cement mortar, which then also needs to be primed to protect it from destruction. When constructing a ventilated facade, the wall can be leveled using brackets.
The beacon system is being installed. It is needed in order to lay the insulation in an even layer. Due to this, the heat-insulating layer will not interfere with the application of plaster and the installation of a decorative coating. Lighthouses are installed on plumb lines and checked by level. Their upper plane will become the boundary of the insulation layer outside the walls. Beacons are made of wooden battens or aluminum profiles and fixed to the base with long self-tapping screws or anchors.

After the preparation is completed, it will be possible to start laying the insulation with your own hands.

Installation of thermal insulation material

In general terms, finishing with one material or another is standard, but each of the heaters has its own characteristic installation nuances.

Mineral wool installation

When finishing the ceiling or floor inside the room, special fastening of rolls of cotton wool is not required - often it is simply glued to double-sided tape, and it holds perfectly. However, when insulating walls - a facade or a basement - outside the house, a more reliable installation method is needed. In addition, the wool must be weatherproof.

In order for the mineral wool to hold, a frame of wooden slats is mounted on the base with their own hands. It is desirable to make the dimensions of the crate sectors such that the wool fits snugly into the space between the slats - that is, the frame elements should be installed in increments of a couple of centimeters smaller than the width of the insulation roll. Optionally, anchors can be screwed into the wall to provide a more secure hold of the material.

If the wall is uneven on the outside, it is best to use special mineral wool, which consists of two layers of different densities. Such cotton wool is laid with your own hands in a less dense layer against the wall, fits all the irregularities and provides the tightest fit of the insulation to the base. Thus, better insulation is provided.

In most situations, further finishing can be done in any convenient way. For example, a layer of mineral wool can be covered with a special membrane that will protect the thermal insulation from moisture, then covered with a reinforcing mesh made of metal or fiberglass. After that, the wall is plastered and covered with a finishing finishing material - siding, stone tiles or facing bricks.

This method of insulation can be used not only with mineral wool, but also with some other heat-insulating materials - basalt or cellulose wool.

Anchoring Styrofoam or Extruded Styrofoam

The sequence of actions when installing polymer insulation boards with your own hands is as follows:

A metal profile is installed along the lower edge of the facade or plinth, which is needed to level the first layer of material.
Styrofoam or EPS boards are applied closely to the wall. A guideline for leveling the upper plane of the insulation are plumb lines lowered from the roof or tied to anchors screwed into the walls at ceiling level.
The gluing of the plates is carried out using special solutions - both dry adhesive mixtures and polyurethane adhesive can be used.
Subsequent layers are mounted after the previous one is firmly attached to the base. Each layer should move horizontally by a third or half of the slab. In addition, it is desirable to stack the plates as closely as possible to each other - for this, an angle can be cut on the side faces.
In addition to the glue, you need to use plastic dowels, which are fixed in the corners and in the center of each element of the heat-insulating layer. To save fasteners, you can fix two corners of adjacent foam plates with one dowel at once.
The joints are covered with putty and glued with mounting reinforcing tape or filled with polystyrene foam or special foam (but not ordinary mounting foam, its use is not recommended).
Before finishing, the insulation layer is covered with a reinforcing mesh and a layer of plaster.

Most often, polymeric materials are used to insulate the outside of a concrete or brick wall, basement, since such a finish adheres best to these surfaces. It is better to insulate wooden houses with cotton wool, since polystyrene foam and similar materials will lead to wood decay and mold due to low vapor permeability.

Is it possible to live in a country house that is not sufficiently or not insulated at all? A dozen of the most powerful heaters will not help here, since the heat created will quickly evaporate through the cracks in the walls, flooring, roof, foundation.

There is only one way to significantly reduce the loss of heated air, while saving on energy - thermal insulation of the house. Thanks to it, comfortable living conditions are provided, the service life of the building is extended and money is saved that could be spent on electricity. About how to properly perform the insulation of a country house - further.

Comfortable conditions - what does it mean?

Each person has their own opinion about the convenience and comfort of a living space. In accordance with the regulatory requirements (GOST 20494-96 "Residential and public buildings. Indoor microclimate parameters"), the following characteristics are understood as comfortable conditions:

air temperature inside - from 20 to 22, wall surfaces - from 16 to 18, floors - from 22 to 24 degrees;
thermal inertia of the room (the ability to accumulate and retain heat);
relative humidity inside the rooms is about 55%;
absence of through wind movements (the speed of the latter is not more than 0.2 m/s).

The minimum deviation from the requirements listed above indicates that it is necessary to perform thorough thermal insulation of the house.

Basic principles of insulation work

If a beginner in the construction business is wondering how to insulate a private house, he needs to learn a few fundamental rules that guarantee the expected result. Violation of even one of the work requirements listed below contributes to the violation of the requirements of GOST and, as a result, a decrease in the effectiveness of previously performed actions.

The presence of a vapor barrier layer as a protection for the insulation (for example, when mineral wool gets wet, the binder is washed out of the composition; this entails a deterioration in properties - if 2% of the surface of the mineral wool plate gets wet, its effectiveness is reduced by 50%).
Removal of the freezing point from the inside out (the process has two goals - protecting the walls and foundation of the building from premature destruction, as well as warming up not only the interior of the house, but also the walls).
Tight sealing of joints of steam, heat and waterproofing materials (to prevent frosty air from entering the cracks, the appearance of drafts or "cold bridges").
Laying layers of steam, hydro and, in some cases, thermal insulation with an overlap.
Mandatory protection of the building from the outside from moisture (roofing material or material with similar properties is used for this).
Sealing gaps, insulating seams (sealants, polyurethane foam, fiberglass strips treated with silicone will help with this).
When finishing, it is desirable to provide a ventilation gap (counteraction to excessive wetting of the structure).

The fundamental rules apply to both ways of sheathing a country house - external and internal. However, they are not always used together. How to insulate a house made of cinder block, wood or brick? When is it right to insulate the room outside and inside, and in which case can only the inner lining be dispensed with? This issue also needs to be dealt with.

The need for insulation outside and inside

a thinner insulation is required than for interior decoration (the purchase will be cheap);
the volume of premises of a country house does not suffer at all;
the likelihood of condensation inside the walls is reduced to zero;
double protection of the house from the cold is preferable, especially in frosty winters.

the imposition of an administrative ban on insulation from the outside;
the location of communications (gas pipeline, electricity) near or on the walls;
the desire of the residents to keep the facade of the building unchanged.

In most cases, it is enough to get by with internal insulation, however, for houses located in the northern regions, it is still necessary to carry out both external and internal thermal insulation.

Choosing the Right Materials

Having decided on the methods of warming a country house, the next question that pops up before the consumer is the choice of a suitable heat insulator. Ideal materials do not exist, however, the options under consideration must be analyzed according to a number of criteria, including:

thermal conductivity coefficient (indicates the ability of the insulation to hold or pass air; the lower the value, the better);
liquid absorption coefficient (shows the amount of water absorbed by the material as a percentage of the mass; the lower the better);
insulation density (allows you to calculate the weight of the required amount and estimate how much it will make the structure heavier);
flammability class (there are four in total; class G1 is preferred - heaters that stop burning without a source of fire, also hardly flammable);
insulation components (there are natural and synthetic; the former are more beneficial to health; the latter, when heated, can release harmful synthetic mixtures into the atmosphere and housing);
durability of the material (usually set by the manufacturer and indicated on the packaging);
ease of transportation and installation (it is desirable that the material be supplied in rolls, plates or blocks - this way it is easier to handle and easier to prepare the surface);
soundproofing properties (not mandatory for country houses, but welcome);
cost (there are materials available even to a person with an average income; others are much more expensive, and also require expensive equipment and a team of qualified craftsmen during installation, whose wages are unlikely to be cheap).

The most popular heaters for exterior and interior wall cladding are:

mineral wool (basalt/glass/slag);
polystyrene (extruded polystyrene foam);
polyurethane foam.

The thermal conductivity coefficient of materials varies from 0.03 to 0.065, and most of the previously listed properties are inherent in them to a sufficient extent.

Proper thermal insulation outside

If possible, the insulation is initially installed on the foundation of the room. Through it, the house loses about 20-25% of heat. The ideal insulation for the foundation is polystyrene foam or foamed polyurethane foam (which, as you already know, is not so cheap). Plates of material are fastened with adhesive mastic to the depth of freezing of the soil.

After the foundation is insulated, it is logical to move on to the thermal insulation of the walls. And here preference should be given to foam. Walls sheathed with mineral wool are more susceptible to getting wet than inside the house, so you should forget about it at this stage.

Styrofoam insulation can be performed in three ways:

ventilated facade;
"well" masonry;
plaster laying.

The first method is the most effective and common, but not the easiest.

Proper insulation from the inside

All sections of the house are insulated from top to bottom, that is, in the following order:

attic ceiling;
attic floor (floor of the second floor);
the ceiling of the lower floor;
walls;
floor of the lower floor.

Preference should be given to mineral wool, polystyrene, ecowool. If you need to make the thermal insulation of the walls as cheap as possible, you can get by with pressed straw, and in the case of the floor - expanded clay or clay, after excavating the soil to the required depth.

When insulating the attic, external or internal walls, a crate is required. It is a cell into which sheets / plates of heat-insulating material are inserted. In the case of foam plastic, their length and width should be 1-2 cm larger than the size of the plate, and with mineral wool, they should be the same amount less.

Almost any work on the insulation of a private country house is easily performed by one person without any experience. Using the recommendations listed above, a novice builder with his own hands will be able to create an architectural masterpiece that will protect his family from frost for many decades.

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