How to insulate a house made of sand-lime brick? Insulating a brick house from the outside: modern methods and materials How to insulate a white brick house from the outside

Is one of the most popular building materials. Its advantages include high strength, excellent sound insulation characteristics and affordable cost.

However, it also has negative features that should be taken into account, especially when constructing residential buildings.

1. This building material perfectly absorbs water, which increases the humidity of the premises.
2. A not very pleasant factor is its low frost resistance. At low temperatures, the structure of the product is destroyed, especially if the material is saturated with water
3. Another negative characteristic is high thermal conductivity. This means that in winter the walls freely allow heat to escape outside, and in summer, on the contrary, they help heat the air in the rooms.

However, all three problems can be solved in one fell swoop - just properly insulate the walls of the house from sand-lime brick.

A pre-thought-out construction plan will help you save money when constructing a private residential building. The structure will be much warmer if, during the construction of the walls, two layers are created - internal and external. A small gap is left between them, the width of one or half a brick, which is filled with expanded clay or foam concrete. This helps make the building warmer, and a thick layer of decorative plaster, the so-called fur coat, will help protect the material from moisture and frostbite.

Insulation of the walls of a silicate brick house

The technology described above allows for significant savings during construction and provides comfortable living conditions for future residents. But what should those who bought an already rebuilt house or apartment in a high-rise building made of sand-lime brick do? There is only one answer - to create an outer thermal insulation layer as quickly as possible, otherwise it will be cold inside, and the walls will soon become covered with mold due to high humidity. But how to insulate walls made of sand-lime bricks is something that every owner must decide for himself.

Each material has its own disadvantages and advantages. In addition, the cost of creating a thermal insulation layer can vary significantly depending on the technology. For example, special thermal plaster is practically not popular in our country. The reason is trivial - its application requires special equipment, which only some companies have. They demand a lot of money for its use, which turns the installation of fairly cheap material into an expensive pleasure.

How to insulate a house made of sand-lime brick from the outside

Putting aside exotic solutions and inaccessible technologies, it is worth considering the two simplest insulation materials:

• Foam sheets are a cheap option for tall buildings with several floors;
• Mineral wool is an ideal way to create optimal living conditions in a private home.

Both materials are very popular among citizens of Ukraine, as they are affordable and their effectiveness has been confirmed practical use. What is their difference?

Insulating a house made of sand-lime brick from the outside with sheets of foam plastic is especially common in high-rise buildings. Quite simple and affordable way allows you to quickly produce necessary work. Usually it takes no more than two days to fasten, reinforce, plaster and paint the outside walls of a three-room apartment. As a result, the dew point is transferred outside and the moisture in the rooms is significantly reduced. Also, the economic effect in the form of heat conservation is observed the very next day after the creation of the thermal insulation layer.

Private house made of sand-lime brick with insulation - from mineral wool will have its own microclimate. It will be comfortable to be in the room at any time, thanks to microcirculation of air and excellent thermal insulation qualities of the insulation. The technology for attaching mineral wool is somewhat labor-intensive and requires the creation of a special frame that will hold the lightweight material in place. In addition to the practical effect, this method also gives the opportunity original design the outside of the building on top of the protective layer.

In private construction, brick is still particularly popular for building the walls of a house. Houses built of brick can be found almost everywhere. But, despite its excellent performance qualities, such a house requires insulation. The issue of insulation brick house This is especially acute today, when the cost of energy is quite high and every kilowatt of energy has to be saved. The solution in this situation is to create reliable thermal insulation of the house, which can reduce heat loss to a minimum. All work on arranging thermal insulation can be done on your own, especially since there is nothing complicated in how to insulate a brick house.

Specifics of insulation of a brick house

When planning to insulate a brick house, you must remember that insulating a house is a whole range of work aimed at reducing heat loss through the roof, walls, floor and foundation. And in order to answer the question of how to properly insulate a brick house, you will first have to find out what kind of brick and what kind of masonry the house is built from, consider the types of insulation of a brick house and decide on the materials for its insulation.

Features of brick walls

Unlike concrete or wooden walls, the brick walls have a row characteristic features. Firstly, the walls can be made of solid or hollow brick. Thermal conductivity depends on this brick wall, the indicator of which is in the middle between wood 0.2 W/(m K) and concrete 1.5 W/(m K) and is 0.4 W/(m K). Secondly, the masonry can be continuous and with an air pocket (well masonry). Depending on what type of brick is used and what kind of masonry is made, the thickness of the walls changes, and at the same time the operational characteristics and the required thickness of the thermal insulation layer.

Important! The average thermal conductivity values ​​are shown above. Depending on the type of wood and the materials used for the production of brick and concrete, thermal conductivity indicators may fluctuate in one direction or another. Thus, concrete with the addition of expanded clay has a thermal conductivity of 0.66 W/(m K), solid sand-lime brick 0.7 W/(m K), and pine 0.09 W/(m K). Therefore, before you start insulating the walls of your house, it is important to know what they are made of and how thick they are.

Regarding the masonry method, it should be noted that with continuous masonry, insulation is placed over the entire area of ​​the wall on one or both sides. In this case, the thickness of the layer directly depends on the thickness of the wall: the thicker the wall, the smaller the layer will be required. In the case of well masonry, the insulation is placed inside the wall, between the bricks. This approach is also called in-wall insulation. It can provide additional thermal insulation by air gap between the outer and inner walls, and when using heat-insulating material it can reduce heat loss by half.

Types of insulation

There are three types of insulation: external, internal, and internal. External insulation is the most popular and involves placing the insulation on the outside of the building. This approach will provide additional protection for the walls from various types of natural phenomena. Unfortunately, external insulation of a brick house has its drawbacks - the seasonality of the work and the fairly high cost of materials. Internal insulation of a house, in addition to insulation of walls, includes insulation of interfloor ceilings, floors, attics and roofs. Fulfill internal insulation possible at almost any time of the year. The third type is intra-wall insulation; it can only be performed at the stage of wall construction. Therefore, those who purchased an already built house will not be able to perform this type of insulation.

Characteristics of thermal insulation materials

It is necessary to select materials for insulating a brick house with special care, paying attention to their characteristics. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, some thermal insulation materials can only be used for interior decoration, some are for outdoor use only. Secondly, the total weight and thickness of the insulating layer will depend on the density of the material and its thermal conductivity coefficient. Thirdly, its durability and ability to maintain its performance characteristics depend on the resistance of the material to various kinds of negative influences. Fourthly, the more natural the material, the better. Below are the main characteristics with their brief description, to which special attention should be paid.

• Coefficient of thermal conductivity. The lower this indicator, the smaller the thickness of the thermal insulation layer will be.
• Water absorption coefficient. Just as in the case of thermal conductivity, the lower this indicator, the better. The water absorption of a material indicates its resistance to moisture absorption.
• Density. Essentially, this indicator reflects the mass of thermal insulation. The higher it is, the heavier the material.
• Flammability class. There are four flammability classes in total. Materials of class G1 stop burning without a fire source, so their use is more preferable in construction.
• Durability of the material. With this indicator everything is simple. It indicates how long a given material will last without losing its performance characteristics.
• Vapor capacity. The ability of the material to “breathe”, passing moist air through itself, will be very useful for internal insulation of premises, which will only increase comfortable accommodation in the house.
• Soundproofing abilities. Some heat-insulating materials also have excellent sound-proofing properties, which allows you to significantly save on special sound-proofing materials.
• Environmental friendliness. This indicator only indicates the naturalness of the materials and will be useful for those who strive to make their home as safe as possible for living in it.
• Difficulty of installation. This indicator only affects the speed and ease of installation, which will be especially useful for beginners in the construction business.

In modern construction, do-it-yourself insulation of a brick house is carried out using various materials. Below are the usual artificial materials and natural ones that are gaining popularity again:

• Mineral wool. Perhaps the most commonly used thermal insulation. Its thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.041-0.044 W/(m.K) and its density is from 20 kg/m3 to 200 kg/m3. Among the disadvantages, high moisture absorption should be noted. More suitable for internal insulation.
• Expanded polystyrene (foam). The second most popular insulation material. Thermal conductivity coefficient 0.033 - 0.037 W/(m.K), density 11 to 35 kg/m3. This material practically does not absorb moisture, but at the same time its vapor permeability is practically zero. In addition, it is fragile, flammable and releases toxic substances when burned. Can be used both inside and outside the building.
• Extruded polystyrene foam. Thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.028 - 0.032 W/(m.K), density is from 25 to 38 kg/m3. Unlike regular foam, extruded polystyrene foam is stronger, but otherwise they are almost identical. Suitable for external and internal work.
• Expanded clay. The thermal conductivity coefficient ranges from 0.10 to 0.18 W/(m.K), density 200 - 800 kg/m3. Quite a narrow range of applications. It is mainly added to concrete for the foundation or construction of a monolithic frame of a house. It can also be used for in-wall insulation.
• "Warm" plaster. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.065 W/(m.K), density 200 - 340 kg/m3. This material has quite a lot of advantages - sound insulation, vapor permeability, low water permeability, non-flammability, etc. But there are two significant drawbacks. The first is that the maximum layer of such plaster should not exceed 50 mm, the second is that it is heavy, which entails the need for a reinforced foundation. But in general, this is an excellent insulation material for both external and internal work.
• Cork insulation. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.045 - 0.06 W/(m.K), density 240 - 250 kg/m3. This natural material is perfect for internal insulation due to its performance properties. The only serious disadvantage is the high degree of flammability. Best used for internal insulation.
• Ecowool or cellulose wool. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.032 - 0.038 W/(m.K), density 30 - 75 kg/m3. Ecowool obtained as a result of processing cellulose perfectly absorbs moisture and does not tolerate mechanical loads. Used only for internal insulation. It is usually used to insulate attics.

When starting to insulate an already built brick house, first of all you need to do small project, indicating in it all areas that require insulation with the materials used and their quantity. It should be remembered that for internal and external work they use various materials. If the house is at the construction stage, then all the necessary calculations are indicated in the project documentation and all that remains is to purchase everything you need and begin work.

As noted earlier, this type of insulation can only be carried out at the stage of wall construction. To do this you need to do the following:

1. First, we lay the outer wall, where every 5 rows of brick we insert a metal pin made of wire with a diameter of 5 mm into the seam. We select the length of the pin in such a way as to recess it by 2 - 3 cm and the remaining part of the wire should be 2 - 3 cm greater than the thickness of the heat-insulating material used;
2. as soon as an external wall 1 - 1.5 m high has been erected, we begin installing the thermal insulation in place, resting the materials on the pins;
3. at the end we carry out the masonry interior wall, after which we raise the outer one again. And so on to the very top.

The method described above is suitable for materials produced in mats or slabs, such as polystyrene foam, mineral wool or extruded polystyrene foam. You can also use expanded clay. To do this, you will have to erect both walls at once to a height of 1 - 1.5 m, leaving a gap of 10 - 15 cm between them and tying them together with metal pins at the masonry seams. Then we pour expanded clay inside and continue building the walls. For this method of insulation, you should choose expanded clay of a large fraction. Since it has less density and hence its overall weight will be less.

Important! You don’t have to limit yourself to just in-wall insulation of a brick house. The walls of such a house can be additionally insulated from the outside.

Insulation of a brick house from the outside

External insulation of a brick house consists of insulating the walls, basement and outer walls of the foundation. The technology for insulating a brick house from the outside consists in cleaning the walls of the building from construction debris and dirt for further fixing the multilayer thermal insulation cake or arrangement on top of bare walls hanging structure with thermal insulation placed inside. Materials you can use include polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, and “warm” plaster. In this case, one simple rule must be observed - the sequence of arrangement of materials for insulating the walls of a brick house from the outside should be such that the vapor permeability of each subsequent layer increases towards the outer edge.

To insulate the walls of a brick house from the outside with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam, you need to do the following. Perform basic plastering of the walls to smooth out the main unevenness, then clean the surface of dirt and treat it with a primer. Then, in one of two ways, either with glue or with the help of facade dowels “umbrellas”, we fix the sheets of thermal insulation to the wall.

If you chose the first method, then you need to apply glue to the surface of the sheet and press it tightly against the wall. We carry out the work from the bottom up, placing the sheets gradually row by row. In this case, we shift each next row relative to the previous one, arranging the sheets in a checkerboard pattern. In this simple way, the stability of the entire structure is achieved. When fastening with façade dowels, we perform the same operations, with the difference that the glue is applied pointwise in small portions to the surface of the sheet. Then, after gluing, we drill a hole in the wall through the sheet into which we insert the dowel. We reinforce the resulting surface with a special mesh, plaster it and perform finishing paint or decorative plaster.

Video: insulating a brick house from the outside with polystyrene foam

Another popular way of external wall insulation is to create ventilated facade. The creation work is as follows. The first thing you need to do is place a layer of vapor barrier on the surface of the wall, then create and anchor a metal or wooden frame. After this, we place a thermal insulation material between the frame slats, on top of which we lay a layer of waterproofing. For a ventilated façade, basalt or mineral wool is most often used. We fix the heat- and waterproofing materials to the wall using the already familiar façade dowels with a wide head. Finally, we install the outer skin made of siding, porcelain stoneware or other material.

The simplest and most accessible option for external insulation is to use "warm" plasters. The work consists of cleaning the walls from dirt, after which their surface is impregnated with a primer. Next, a plaster mesh and beacons are attached to the wall, along which “warm” plaster will be applied. After the plastered walls have dried, they can be finished with decorative bark beetle plaster, clinker tiles, decorative facade bricks, or simply painted.

Insulation of the foundation and basement of a brick house is carried out by analogy with walls, with the only difference that it is not customary to create a ventilated façade for the foundation or basement. Most often, insulation is performed with polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, clinker tiles or “warm” plaster.

Insulation of a brick house from the inside

Heat loss through external walls is only a portion of the total heat loss. Most of the heat is lost through the roof and floor of a brick house. Of course, to more reliably retain heat, you can insulate the walls from the inside, and this will require very little effort. Let's consider the internal insulation of a brick house as it is being built, starting from the floor and ending with the roof.

Floor insulation in a brick house

It is best to insulate floors in a brick house during its construction. It is also possible to insulate an already built house, but this is associated with increased labor costs. This is due to the need to dismantle and repair an existing wooden or concrete floor. Floor insulation is carried out using polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral and basalt wool or expanded clay. Separately, we should highlight the “warm floor” system, which, in combination with conventional insulation, will retain heat and provide additional heating to the house.

During the construction of a new house, insulation of wooden floors is carried out as follows:

• Having created a structure of joists and a subfloor made of waterproof plywood, we lay a layer of waterproofing on top of them. Edges between each other waterproofing material let it overlap, and bring the edges along the perimeter up with an overlap of 10 - 15 cm;
• Next, we place insulation in the space between the joists. If desired, a layer of vapor barrier can be laid on top of the insulation;
• the next will be a rough floor made of boards, on top of which the finishing floor and floor covering will be laid.

If the house has two or more floors, then the insulation of the floors of the upper floors will also be insulation of the ceiling in a brick house. In fact, you will have to create a wooden floor on joists with insulation inside on the second floor.

Creating thermal insulation in an already built brick house begins with dismantling and repairing the wooden floor. After which, if necessary, excess soil is excavated, a new substrate of sand and crushed stone is backfilled and compacted. Finally, the structure is assembled from logs and insulation according to the scheme described above.

While a wooden floor can still be dismantled with minimal labor, a concrete floor will require enormous effort and a lot of time to remove the old screed. Therefore, it is extremely important to insulate concrete floors during the construction stage of a house. The work itself is as follows:

• after creating and compacting a cushion of sand and crushed stone on the ground, we perform a rough screed and lay a layer of waterproofing on top;

Important! To reduce the thermal conductivity of concrete, expanded clay should be added to it. Such concrete will have a thermal conductivity of 0.66 W/(m K), and not the usual 1.5 W/(m K).

• Next we lay the thermal insulation. For concrete floors, polystyrene foam and extruded polystyrene foam are used. In addition to these materials, others can be laid. The main thing is to choose a material with the greatest strength and density of more than 160 kg/m3;
• A layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of this multi-layer cake and a finishing screed is poured, after which the finishing floor covering is laid.

Insulation of walls from inside a brick house

In most cases, insulation of walls inside a brick house is not carried out due to the presence of external thermal insulation. But sometimes internal insulation is still necessary. Especially when the thickness of the walls or the maximum layer of thermal insulation on the outside is not enough to retain heat. To insulate brick walls from the inside, mineral and stone wool, polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, cork or “warm” plaster.

Internal insulation of the walls of a brick house is as follows:

• clean the walls from dirt and saturate them with primer;
• using wooden beams or metallic profile, arrange the frame and secure it to the wall. The frame posts are placed in increments of 40 cm or 60 cm;
• if necessary, having trimmed the thermal insulation to fit the width of the opening between the posts, we lay it inside the resulting structure;
• We cover the top with plasterboard, plaster and apply the final finish.

Important! Internal insulation of a brick house with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam is extremely undesirable due to the toxicity and flammability of these materials.

Insulation of the attic and roof of a brick house

When it comes to the question of how best to insulate a brick house, it is impossible to ignore such parts of the house as the roof and attic. After all, it is through them that up to 40% of the total heat loss can evaporate. This is due to the simple laws of physics, according to which warm air is lighter than cold air and therefore all the heat goes up. Therefore, in order to maintain heat in a brick house, it is so important to insulate the roof and attic.

To insulate the attic you need to do the following:

• if you use floor beams as joists, you can build the already familiar structure of a wooden floor with insulation, but with minor changes;
• We cover the beams themselves and the space between them with a vapor barrier;
• then fill the space between the beams with ecowool, mineral wool or basalt wool;
• On top, for ease of movement around the attic, we lay a subfloor made of rough boards.

Important! To maintain the performance properties of the thermal insulation of the attic and roof, it is necessary to equip high-quality ventilation of the under-roof space.

Insulation of the roof of a house is carried out as follows:

• We lay it across the entire area of ​​the structure between the rafters and secure a vapor barrier. We let the edges of the material overlap each other and glue them with tape;
• We place thermal insulation material in the space between the rafters. This can be polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral or basalt wool, as well as any other insulation with low thermal conductivity and low density;
• We lay another layer of vapor barrier on top and, to maintain the insulation in place, we attach the sheathing in increments of 0.4 - 0.5 m.

Despite the large amount of work involved in creating thermal insulation for a brick house, everything is quite simple. Anyone who knows how to use a tool and has minimal experience can carry out insulation. construction work. In order for everything to be done correctly, it is necessary to adhere to SNiPs and recommendations of specialists.

We will look at some of them in this article.

The wall that , will cool several times slower. The undoubted advantages are:

• Heat losses are minimal;
• The dew point is located either in the insulation itself or at the edge of the outer wall(it all depends on the parameters);
• Condensation will never form on the wall;
• The wall warms up completely, There are no significant temperature jumps.

Differences in insulation

walls are not considered so popular, all due to a number of significant disadvantages:

• Heat is lost by 10%.
• Dew point location. It is located in the space between the inside of the wall and the insulation or in the insulation itself. This causes condensation to accumulate, and after a while dampness appears in the room.
• The wall does not retain or accumulate heat.

Despite a number of disadvantages, internal insulation is characterized by positive qualities:

• Work can be carried out at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions.
• It is easy to carry out insulation yourself; for this you only need basic knowledge and the necessary materials.

Main types of insulation and their brief description

Organic heat insulators on the market are represented by a wide range range of goods.

They are based on materials of natural origin:

1. Arbolite insulation counts the latest material, which is based on sawdust, shavings, uncut straw and reeds. Also, the insulation is made of cement and organic additives. These are CaCl2, H2SO4, as well as the product obtained after processing ordinary clay, kaolin or nepheline, and Na2O.
2. Foam-polyvinyl chloride insulation. It consists of polyvinyl chloride resin, which, after exposure to light or electromagnetic vibrations, acquires a characteristic foam structure. At the same time, it is considered a universal heat insulator.
3. Chipboard insulation. Components - chips, resin obtained as a result of controlled chemical processes, antiseptics, fire retardant.
4. Insulation with a fiberboard base. It resembles chipboard in its own way. The base is wood waste, or trimmed corn and straw stalks. The material may well also consist of compressed old paper.
5. Polyurethane foam is based on polyester, this includes H2O, emulsifier and isocyanates. When catalysts begin to act, all elements interact through a chemical reaction that produces the new kind insulation.

Inorganic heat insulators

There are two types of mineral wool: slag and stone. To produce the first, companies use slag. Stone wool is distinguished by: CaCO3, rocks that are used for paving streets, minerals containing calcium and magnesia, volcanic rocks and others.

External insulation of brick walls - how to choose optimal thermal insulation?

Minvata

This concept includes the following varieties:

• glass wool, as well as stone wool;

• slag wool

All these materials are characterized by corresponding fibers, which are based on glass, rocks, and slag.

Averages:

• thermal conductivity – 0.041-0.044 W/(mK);
• impermeability – 20-200 kg/m3.

Before deciding whether to insulate a brick facade with this material, it is necessary to take into account that it is prone to excessive absorption of moisture. Therefore, it is additionally treated with special chemical materials.

Mineral wool

Styrofoam

Oversized material, which due to its characteristics and affordable price has become the most popular material for thermal insulation. In the construction market you can always find a copy whose average indicators are:

• thermal conductivity – 0.033-0.037 W/(mK);
• impermeability – 11-35 kg/m3.

Foam plastic is practically free from moisture, plus it is vapor-proof. In addition, the material is quite fragile, easily flammable, and during smoldering it releases many dangerous chemical elements. This material has many disadvantages, but it is ideal as an economical option.

Styrofoam

Extruded polystyrene foam

In terms of its characteristics, the material resembles the foam plastic described above, only there is one difference - exclusively the latest developments are used in its production.

Averages:

• thermal conductivity – 0.028-0.032 W/(mK);
• impermeability – 25-38 kg/m3.

It is often used for external insulation; it is quite strong and retains heat well. Naturally, its cost is several times higher than that of the two options discussed above.

Warm plaster

It is distinguished by sound insulation and vapor permeability.

Characteristics:

• thermal conductivity – 0.065 W/(mK);
• impermeability – 200-340 kg/m3.

This is an ideal insulation material for cladding the external wall of a brick house, but requires special conditions due to its characteristics:

• layer of plaster no more than 50 mm;
• the foundation must be further strengthened.

Plaster

Thermal panels

This material is distinguished by both thermal insulation and the ability to cover the surface of walls..

Characteristics:

• thermal conductivity – 0.025 W/(mK);
• impermeability – 45-55 kg/m3.

NOTE!

Today on the market you can find panels that are produced as imitation siding or lining. They are covered with a special quartz coating.

Thermal panels

Pie wall - what elements does a brick wall consist of?

1. Plaster - from 10 to 35 mm depending on the chosen option for the brick wall;
2. Hollow or solid brick;
3. Foam plastic PSB 25 (from 70 to 120 mm);
4. Steel lathing;
5. Vapor barrier and wind barrier multifunctional membrane.
6. Plaster or mortar known;
7. External finishing - facing brick or decorative plaster.

wall pie

A few words about waterproofing and vapor barrier

At the stage of thermal insulation of the wall, it is necessary to pay special attention to the vapor barrier, otherwise the insulating material will become unusable after some time. The classic material for vapor barrier is polyethylene.

When installing, you must handle it extremely carefully, do not pull too hard, otherwise the film may become deformed, especially during seasonal changes. climatic conditions.

Waterproofing

A frequently used vapor barrier material is considered to be mastics specially created for this purpose. If they are applied to the wall, they will allow air to pass through while retaining moisture. Waterproofing protects various building structures from moisture penetration. It is easy to apply, does not require special qualifications from workers, and does not form seams.

For brick walls, plaster is often used instead of vapor barrier, which is not very true in the case of mineral wool, because the insulation will begin to dampen.

Vapor barrier and waterproofing

Sealing cracks and preparing sheathing

It is better to replace damaged walls or major renovation. Gaps in joints are sealed with natural materials or synthetic stone sealants.

Before insulating the wall, you need to take care of preparing the sheathing. The distance between its bars should be determined based on the width of the insulation board. It is important to use a building level to check the vertical and horizontal surface for finishing. The sheathing bars should be directed perpendicular to the direction of the facing panel.

Brick wall sheathing

Do not forget about installing transverse sheathing to ensure high-quality ventilation.

For the convenience of installing intermediate elements of the sheathing, a rope is pulled from the corner beam from below and above the facade. Some people mark future elements with chalk.

Insulation of a brick wall from the outside using mineral wool as an example

1. On the outside, the brick base must be sheathed with OSB boards, between them you need to maintain the gaps, the size of which is indicated by the manufacturer. After installation, the gaps are filled with foam.
2. Then, on the outside, a membrane with waterproofing is stretched, which protects the mineral wool from moisture., on top of which all exterior finishing will be carried out. Many companies produce waterproofing materials with strips on which connecting elements are applied for a tighter joint. If such strips are missing, the joints should be glued with double-sided tape.
3. Then the mineral wool sheets are tightly installed. Often a material is used whose density starts at 35-50 kg/m3. A material with a lower density will certainly settle or roll off, which will cause cold to pass through the formed voids.
4. Mineral wool slabs are installed so that the previous mine connections are covered. by 150-200 mm. The overall insulation thickness is based on climate and temperature indicators, but the average is 150 mm.
5. After laying the sealant into the walls, all voids that appear are filled with film for installation.

Insulation with mineral wool

Insulation under siding

Thermal insulation with polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam - basic principles

Today, many builders insulate their facades with extruded polystyrene foam. The slabs are laid taking into account the degree of horizontality. Sags will ideally cope with the task. When installing the slab, it is extremely necessary to pay attention to maintaining the uniformity of the profile strip; for this, a building level is used.

The joining of slabs is carried out according to the principle brickwork, in other words, you need to install half the slab every row. The cracks are sealed with liquid polystyrene and pieces of polystyrene foam, but it is better not to use polyurethane foam. If the slabs are poorly joined, this can be easily corrected with a float.

Foam boards are attached with glue, but do not forget about special dowels with caps. Otherwise, due to strong gusts of wind, the slabs will fall off.

As for polyurethane foam, this is a new generation material that:

• Is non-toxic and environmentally friendly;
• Does not lose its characteristics for a long time and lasts for more than half a century;
• It hardens in a short period of time, thanks to which installation time is significantly reduced;
• Insulation materials based on Polyurethane are completely safe for health. After hardening, this material becomes environmentally friendly;
• Thermal insulation with polyurethane foam is characterized by the lowest possible flammability when compared with other types of insulation;
• Polyurethane foam is not capable of transmitting or absorbing moisture. Thanks to excellent thermal insulation, home owners are free from problems associated with the formation of condensation, mold and mildew.

Thermal insulation with polystyrene foam

Thermal insulation PPU

Insulating a brick house from the outside has a number of advantages. The main thing is to choose the right material and use it rationally, taking into account all the subtleties.

Useful video

How to insulate a brick wall with your own hands:

In contact with

Reliable thermal insulation helps reduce heat loss and create comfortable conditions in a brick building. Insulation of a house made of sand-lime brick is necessary and is due to the instability of the material to moisture. Additional thermal insulation corrects this drawback. Insulation is selected depending on the type of brick and type of masonry.

How are they insulated?

Moisture absorption and moisture permeability of structures in buildings made of sand-lime brick is eliminated by insulating them. In addition, thermal insulation keeps your home warm in winter and cool in summer. The insulation of walls depends on them. There are two types of insulation:

• from the inside;
• outside.

Internal insulation of structures in houses made of sand-lime brick is rarely done, since the dew point moves inward, which contributes to the formation of condensation on the walls and requires installation effective system ventilation. In addition, the slopes, floor and ceiling will need to be insulated. The insulation can be basalt slabs made of fiber and foam glass.

To insulate walls from the inside, only environmentally friendly materials with low flammability are used to avoid the release of harmful substances into the room.

Otherwise, the house can be insulated with polystyrene foam.

The outside of sand-lime brick is insulated using the following materials:

• mineral wool;
• Styrofoam;
• polyurethane;
• expanded polystyrene.

Material calculation

To effectively insulate a house and avoid moving the dew point inward, you need to correctly calculate the thickness of the insulation. The thickness of the material depends on its thermal resistance. The average indicator of this value for walls in private and multi-storey buildings should be at least 3.5. The lower the thermal resistance of the wall, the thicker the layer of insulation material will be. The calculation is performed using the formula: R=d/k, where d is the thickness of the material, k is the thermal conductivity coefficient. Indicators k are a constant value and are given in the table.

For polyurethane foam, you need to calculate the thickness of the insulation.

For example, calculate the thickness of a layer of polyurethane foam to insulate a structure made of sand-lime brick with a thickness of 0.5 m. First, determine the thermal resistance of the wall: R = 0.5/0.7 = 0.71. This indicator is calculated for polyurethane foam: R (p) = 3.5-0.71 = 2.79. The insulation layer is found using the formula: d = R (p) x k = 2.79 × 0.02 = 0.0558 m. Thus, the polyurethane foam layer must be at least 55 mm.

Brick is a durable and non-flammable material; it can withstand high loads and is used in the construction of buildings of various heights. The main disadvantage of such a house is the high thermal conductivity of the walls. The problem can be solved by increasing the thickness of the brickwork or insulating the building from the outside.

Insulation of brick walls is divided into three types: external, internal and intra-wall. The last option involves constructing a building using well masonry and placing a heat insulator during the construction stage.

Internal insulation takes away the usable area of ​​the premises, it provokes dampness in the walls and is not effective enough. Its advantage is the ability to complete the work at any convenient time and the low cost of materials. If you have a choice, you should give preference to external thermal insulation.

Among its advantages:

• The walls are protected from external influences, so they will last a long time.
• Significant reduction in heating costs.
• The opportunity to create the architectural design of the house to your liking.
• Absence of moisture, mold and mildew on the surface of the walls.

Main characteristics of thermal insulation materials

In order for the protection of brick walls to be reliable and durable, the materials used must have characteristics that can withstand precipitation, wind, frost and heat.

• Water absorption coefficient is a characteristic of a product that shows how much moisture it can absorb. It is better to choose a material with a low index.
• The thermal conductivity coefficient is the main criterion when studying insulation. It shows the amount of heated air lost per 1 hour per square meter. m of material having a thickness of 1 m. This indicator is used as a guide when choosing the thickness of the insulation layer. The best products according to this criterion are polystyrene foam and mineral wool.
• Flammability - determines how dangerous a material is in a fire. The products are divided into four cash registers according to this characteristic; preference is best given to G1, which go out without an open flame. Expanded polystyrene boards are subject to fire, when using them for cladding, choose those marked “C”, meaning self-extinguishing.
• Density determines the amount of additional weight on the structure - the lower the indicator, the lighter the material.
• The sound insulation level indicates the possibilities for reducing penetrating noise. All popular heat insulators have this quality to a sufficient extent.
• Environmental friendliness - the criterion determines the safety of insulation for health. For exterior finishing it is not decisive, but natural materials are preferable to synthetic ones.
• Difficulty of installation - if the work is done with your own hands, you need to choose a simple and understandable technology for laying thermal insulation.

The list of popular materials for exterior cladding of a house includes a few products:

• Styrofoam;
• extruded polystyrene foam;
• mineral wool;
• warm plaster.

They have different composition, cost and installation features. Let's look at each material in detail.

Foam plastic - slabs of foamed polystyrene, which are cells filled with gas. This structure provides low thermal conductivity of 0.032-0.039, good sound insulation and light weight. The density of the foam is 35-50 kg/m3, the recommended layer thickness is 10 cm. The material is capable of absorbing moisture, and therefore requires waterproofing. The disadvantage of insulation is flammability, vapor permeability and sensitivity to light.

Extruded polystyrene foam - the product has the properties of polystyrene foam, but in an improved version. The material does not absorb water, it is more durable and easy to process, its thermal conductivity is 0.028-0.032. The cost of extruded polystyrene foam boards is higher than other materials for thermal insulation.

Mineral wool is one of the the best insulation materials, it does not burn, is safe, has a low density - 35-125 kg/m3. The raw materials for the material are glass, stone and slag. Air voids of 10-15 cm remain between the fibers, thanks to which mineral wool has a thermal conductivity of 0.04-0.045, absorbs noise well and allows steam to pass through. For effective protection you need a layer of 10-15 cm.

The product is available in the form of rolls, mats and slabs. Basalt wool in the slab version is characterized by resistance to deformation and increased density - 75-150 kg/m3. The material fits easily into the frame and does not cause problems during installation. The only drawback of mineral wool is its high water absorption, which requires mandatory waterproofing. The insulation is affordable, which contributes to its popularity.

Warm plaster is a dry mixture of cement, lime, plasticizers and additives from expanded polystyrene granules, expanded clay, perlite. The material is somewhat inferior in terms of thermal insulation - 0.06-0.065, but has many advantages: it does not burn, is vapor permeable, resistant to moisture and microorganisms, and insulates sound well. Plaster has a significant density of 200-350 kg/m3, so it puts additional load on the foundation. The maximum insulation thickness is 5 cm.

When talking about how to insulate a brick house from the outside, you cannot miss the opportunity of finishing with thermal panels. This material is characterized by a low thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.025 with a small thickness of 60-100 mm. The base of the product is polyurethane foam, the decorative part is made of ceramic tiles. The material is resistant to frost and moisture, can be quickly installed and does not require additional finishing.

Mineral wool thermal insulation technology

Insulation of a brick house is carried out in two ways:

• creation of a ventilated facade;
• « wet facade", gluing slabs to walls.

Mineral wool is optimally suited for the first method, which involves creating a sheathing and a multi-layer cake with vapor and waterproofing.

1. The surface of the walls is covered with a sheathing made of timber treated with an antiseptic compound or a metal profile. The guides are placed in increments less than the width of the insulation by 2 cm. This will allow the material to be laid more tightly.
2. Mineral wool is placed between the bars and covered with a waterproofing sheet.
3. The film is attached to the sheathing with a stapler.
4. Thin slats are placed on top of the moisture protection, which will provide an air gap between the insulation and the cladding.
5. The siding is attached to the slats.

Basalt wool slabs are strong enough to be installed without a frame. Correct styling insulation begins with screwing a horizontal metal profile at the bottom, which will keep the material from sliding. The plates are fixed with special glue and dowels with a wide head. Each row begins with an offset. After finishing all surfaces of the facade, a mesh is laid on the mineral wool and a layer of plaster is applied.

Insulating a house with polystyrene foam according to the “wet facade” principle

Panels of polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam are attached to the wall using a simple technology called “wet facade” due to the presence of processes that require drying.

1. The brick wall is being prepared: cleaning from dirt, eliminating defects, priming.
2. A metal profile is attached at the base level, which will become a beacon when laying the first row and a drip for moisture.
   Glue is applied pointwise to the insulation boards and they are pressed against the wall.
3. Additional fastening is carried out with dowels - in the corners and in the center.
4. Work begins from the bottom of the corner, the rows are laid offset for the stability of the structure.
5. A plastic mesh for reinforcement is laid on top of the finished insulation and a thin base layer of plaster is applied.
6. After the solution has dried, priming and final finishing with decorative plaster are performed.

How to apply warm plaster to walls?

Working with insulating plaster will take time, especially if you lack painting skills. To properly prepare the solution, the mixture is diluted according to the instructions.

1. Brick walls are cleaned and protruding parts are removed. The surface is primed with a penetrating compound.
2. A plaster mesh and beacons are attached to create a common plane.
3. The prepared solution is applied to the walls. The thickness of the layer depends on climatic conditions, but it should not exceed 5 cm.
4. You can create various decorative textures on the finished surface.

The insulation materials considered can be used in any region; the thickness of effective thermal insulation is calculated according to local climatic characteristics.