Are you planning to reduce heating costs due to proper thermal insulation, but do not know yet what is the best way to insulate the house from the outside and how to choose a material that is affordable and with excellent characteristics? Below we will consider the most popular options for insulation for external walls of a house, suitable for thermal insulation of buildings made of wood, brick and even foam blocks. But first, a little about the merits of thermal insulation.

External home insulation - what is it for?

Scientific research regarding the analysis of heat losses during the operation of the house has shown that they amount to about 40%, and in some cases even more. This argument alone can be considered sufficient to think about house insulation. Of course, thermal insulation is the cost of materials and work for its implementation, but already in the very first heating season they will justify themselves.

External insulation is better than internal insulation for several reasons:

  • there will be no need to sacrifice the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, which will significantly decrease with the installation of internal thermal insulation;
  • the insulating layer will not accumulate condensate;
  • heat loss will be minimal;
  • sound insulation performance will improve.

It should be understood that in winter, the house lends itself to frost, therefore, condensation inevitably forms in the insulation. The material becomes damp, causing mold and mildew to form. Moreover, wet heaters are worse at coping with the functions assigned to them. During the summer, insulation dries out, but not completely, which as a result leads to premature wear of the facade walls.

As a result of external insulation, the house is protected from frost, so moisture that enters the thermal insulation layer is quickly removed outside, which allows you to keep the walls dry and extend their service life.

External insulation reduces the level of external noise, contributing to the creation of the most comfortable living environment in the house.

As for the disadvantages, only one can be distinguished from the insulation outside - this is the cost of materials and installation work. Of course, you can save on paying for the services of workers and carry out thermal insulation with your own hands, but only if the installation rules are followed, which will guarantee the durability and functionality of the thermal insulation system.

Types of insulation for the facade of the house

The market of materials for thermal insulation of house walls outside is represented by:

  • ecowool;
  • glass wool;
  • mineral wool;
  • expanded polystyrene;
  • fiberglass.

More often than others, due to convenience and practicality, it is used mineral wool... The material is different high rates of thermal insulation, fireproof... In addition, mineral wool retains its original properties during temperature changes, does not lend itself to moisture and damage caused by insect attacks. Waste from blast furnaces and mineral fibers are used for the manufacture of mineral wool. You can choose a convenient material option for yourself - in rolls or plates.

Glass wool - a kind of mineral wool, practically indistinguishable from it in properties. Just like the previous material, it is made on the basis of waste, only this time, generated in the glass production process.

When using glass wool, it is important to reliably protect hands and eyes with a mask and gloves.

Distinctive feature expanded polystyrene Is a porous structure. It is she who is responsible for the excellent thermal insulation qualities of the material. Expanded polystyrene plates consist of mini cells with air, which prevent material from rotting, do not absorb moisture. You can insulate the house outside with expanded polystyrene with your own hands - the process is simple, quick, and does not require skill and experience.

An interesting option for insulating the walls of a house from the outside is fiberglass, which is produced on the basis of broken glass, as well as sand, limestone and other components.

The material is produced in slabs and rolls. It's quick and easy to mount. Also, environmental friendliness and resistance to moisture can be ranked among the advantages.

Not so long ago, ecowool began to be used for body isolationmade from cellulose fibers. The peculiarities of the material are high rates of thermal protection and resistance to moisture. Ecowool is resistant to fungi and mildew, does not attract insects and mice.

How to choose the right material for thermal insulation?

Most often, the owners decide to insulate the house from the outside with expanded polystyrene, believing that this material will better cope with the role of external insulation. The decision in most cases is dictated by the low cost of the material, which is several times cheaper than mineral wool and its analogues. In addition, as mentioned above, you can insulate the facade of the house with expanded polystyrene with your own hands, saving on payment for the services of the masters.

In order to achieve optimal thermal insulation the facade of the building, you can use sheets with a thickness of 5 to 10 cm.

The finished foam-insulated house is additionally revetted using modern finishing materials, ranging from cement plaster to panels with imitation of stone, brick or wood.

The only type of material for insulation outside of which expanded polystyrene is not suitable is wood.

Firstly, such insulation is not vapor permeable enough for natural wood, and secondly, it is too flammable. Not the most suitable option using expanded polystyrene is also considered in the case of a ventilated facade due to the need for precise adjustment during installation. The average service life of the foam as insulation is 25 years.


Mineral wool in addition to excellent thermal insulation, it is responsible for improved sound insulation, which is why it would be advisable to use it to insulate houses within the city. But basalt wool is considered the most suitable for insulating the outer walls of city houses... It will not be damaged by mice, it copes well with mechanical stress and will last at least 50 years.

Glass wool for insulation today is not the most suitable option, despite the excellent thermal performance and affordable price. The main reason for the low popularity of insulation is the difficult installation and fragility of the material. In addition, the components that are hazardous to health repel people.

The best option for thermal insulation is ecowool material, which is fashionable today... It is better to use it for insulation of private houses and cottages; insulation is also suitable for thermal insulation of industrial buildings, warehouses, factories. The material does an excellent job with house insulation, does not burn, and is resistant to moisture.

Alternative insulation - types of materials

For those who are not used to following the standard path, alternative insulation options have been developed for the house outside. These include:

  • warm plaster;
  • liquid foam.

Liquid foam is prepared before insulating the house on site using special equipment. When applied to the outside of the house, it forms a practical and reliable thermal insulation. If it is not possible to apply penoizol to the base in a uniform layer, then you can try to arrange the voids on the wall, located in a checkerboard pattern, and then fill them liquid material... Such insulation is an expensive pleasure, but, believe me, after a few seasons the savings on heating will justify the costs.

Warm insulation plaster consists of:

  • expanded vermiculite;
  • expanded polystyrene;
  • sawdust.

Using warm plaster as a material for thermal insulation - a profitable and convenient option, given that it will be possible not only to insulate the building, but also to work on creating its exclusive appearance... To insulate materials, you do not need to bring the walls to perfect condition using putty mixtures.

How to properly mount insulation on the facade?

Thermal insulation can be of two types: bonded and hinged. Bonded thermal insulation is very popular, which is cheaper and more economical in comparison with hinged insulation, in addition, it allows you to decently reduce heat consumption during the operation of the house. Materials for bonded thermal insulation are lightweight and easy to install, therefore they are suitable for insulating any type of base.

Before insulation, the house is cleaned, leveled as much as possible using special mixtures. Materials for insulation are coated with glue, after which they are firmly pressed into the wall. For greater effect, the slabs are fixed with facade dowels. In order for the structure to serve as much as possible, a reinforcing mesh is used, which is also attached to the insulation with the help of glue. The finishing layer can be plaster mix or paint. As an option, siding is also suitable - durable, lightweight with imitation of various natural materials.

Heat escapes from a private house not only through cracks in windows and doors - most of the heat energy escapes through the surfaces of the floor, ceiling and walls, even if they are finished with materials that relatively well prevent the entry of cold air. To ensure the effective maintenance of a constant temperature inside the room, it is recommended to insulate its walls outside with your own hands - not only in the area of \u200b\u200bthe basement, but also the surface of the entire facade.

Wall insulation options

You can 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 - first of all, 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 polystyrene foam or the more practical extruded polystyrene foam, mineral wool or polyurethane foam.

Consider the basic insulation technologies

As for insulation technologies, there are three of them:

  • the simplest method is gluing the insulation to the surface of the facade or plinth, after which the thermal insulation material is covered with a layer of plaster for subsequent decorative finishing walls;
  • three-layer walls without ventilation - an adhesive solution is applied to the base, a heater is fixed on it, then a brick face finish is erected, one stone thick, in compliance with the gap;
  • ventilated facade - a frame made of galvanized profiles or wooden lathing, then the surface is covered with a layer of waterproofing, on which the insulation is fixed, after which the entire structure is closed with decorative plates made of various materials.

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

In addition, the method should be selected 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 an insulating material

Each of the heat-insulating materials on the market fully fulfills 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, exterior decoration the walls of the building should be carried out using one of the following materials:

  • slabs of dense foam or extruded polystyrene foam, characterized by a low weight;
  • mineral wool;
  • polyurethane foam;
  • volcanic stone slabs;
  • cellulose wool (ecowool).


To the differences between materials, you can also add such a parameter as vapor permeability, which is very important when finishing external walls and a 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 EPS or foam, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation of the wall, since these materials do not allow steam to pass through well.

Although any of the materials provides a sufficient degree of thermal insulation for the house, they have different thermal conductivity values. 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 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 the selection of the required thickness

The thickness of the plates of heat-insulating material, when the walls of the facade and the basement are finished 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 the calculations by a special design organization, but if the construction of the house is carried out entirely by hand, 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 itself or the 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 will become preferable due to its efficiency and, accordingly, a smaller required amount. So, you should not stop choosing foam, if you have to lay it in several layers in order to provide the necessary thermal insulation indicators - it is better to buy several times less polyurethane foam.

Preparatory work

Before proceeding with the insulation of 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, effective and durable.

If the insulation is not performed during the construction of the house, old finish the outside walls must be cleaned, except when a ventilated facade is being installed. Decorative material that strengthens 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 stages of initial surface preparation are as follows:

  • The surface of the facade or plinth is leveled. If the elevation differences are negligible, you can simply cover the façade with two coats of strong, deep penetrating primer. If the irregularities exceed 20 mm, you will have to level the surface 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 with brackets.
  • A beacon system is being installed. It is needed in order to lay the insulation in an even layer. Thanks to this, the thermal insulation layer will not interfere with the application of plaster and the installation of decorative coatings. 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 from wooden slats or aluminum profile and are fixed to the base using long 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 or another material is standard, but each of the heaters has its own characteristic installation nuances.

Laying mineral wool

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

To keep the mineral wool, a frame made of wooden slats is mounted on the base with your own hands. It is advisable to make the dimensions of the crate sectors so that the cotton wool fits tightly into the space between the slats - that is, the frame elements should be installed in increments of a couple of centimeters less than the width of the insulation roll. Optionally, an anchor can be screwed into the wall to provide more secure material retention.

If the outside wall is uneven, it is best to use a special mineral wool, which consists of two layers of different density. Such cotton wool is placed with your own hands in a less dense layer against the wall, fits all irregularities and ensures the most tight fit of the insulation to the base. Thus, the best insulation is provided.

In most situations, further finishing can be done by any in a convenient way... For example, a layer of mineral wool can be covered with a special membrane that protects the 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 insulating materials - basalt or cellulose wool.

Securing Styrofoam or Extruded Polystyrene Foam

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

  1. Along the lower edge of the facade or base / plinth metallic profile, which is needed to level the first layer of material.
  2. Foam or EPS boards are pressed close to the wall. The benchmark for leveling the upper plane of the insulation is plumb lines lowered from the roof or tied to anchors screwed into the walls at the ceiling level.
  3. The boards are glued using special solutions - you can use both dry adhesive mixtures and polyurethane glue.
  4. Subsequent layers are mounted after the previous one is firmly attached to the base. Each layer should be offset horizontally by a third or half of the slab. In addition, it is advisable to lay the slabs as tightly as possible to each other - for this, a corner can be cut out on the side edges.
  5. In addition to the glue, you need to use plastic dowels, which are fixed at 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.
  6. The joints are covered with putty and glued with mounting reinforcing tape or filled with polystyrene or special foam (but not ordinary mounting foam, its use is not recommended).
  7. Front finishing the layer of insulation is covered with a reinforcing mesh and a layer of plaster.


More often polymer materials they are used for insulation outside 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 and similar materials will lead to rotting wood and the appearance of mold due to low vapor permeability.

Today, the cost of heating fluids is a fairly large share of the income of the average resident. Alas, it is at least unreasonable to ignore heat loss at a high price for gas / electricity.

The only question is, what is the best way to insulate the house from the outside, what materials will be preferred in order to make the most effective investment. Consider the most common materials for insulation.

The most common way to insulate a house is with expanded polystyrene plates. In the CIS countries, it occupies a leading position in sales due to its high technical performance and material availability. Among all the insulation options, foam is considered the cheapest. The thermal insulation characteristics are 0.0033 W / m / K. Due to the simplicity of production, it is made practically throughout the country, which reduces the cost of delivery.

Foam is a material with a foamed structure, where most of it is gas. From this, the material is very light, and also has high thermal and sound insulation characteristics.

To fully understand what is worth considering the features of the material.

Benefits of Styrofoam:

  • Moisture does not have a destructive effect on the material, while it practically does not absorb water.
  • High thermal insulation characteristics.
  • The foam is resistant to the formation of fungi and mold on the surface.
  • Ease of installation, even complex shapes are easy to handle with foam thanks to the construction knife.
  • It is easy to insulate a house with material, since you do not need to calculate the additional weight of insulation, the foam weighs very little.
  • Affordable price.
  • Long service life.
  • Excellent resistance to various atmospheric conditions - heat, frost and strong temperature changes.
  • It has good soundproofing qualities.
  • No additional cost for waterproofing is required.

If the material also has disadvantages that must be taken into account before insulating the walls:

  • The mechanical strength is negligible. It is imperative to apply a protective layer.
  • The walls in the house stop breathing, as there is practically no air penetration.
  • The material is subject to destruction when nitro paints and derivatives come into contact with it.
  • Risk of fire When the foam ignites, toxic substances are released that are hazardous to health.

In general, it can be quite convenient and cheap, but there are few shortcomings, but there are other insulation options, some of them have higher quality indicators of heat saving.

Extruded polystyrene foam

Extrusion is a synthetic insulation material. It is based on a unique technology developed in the USA. The quality of the material is so high that many of the best construction companies prefer it in all areas of construction.

Advantages of extruded polystyrene foam:

  • The thermal conductivity is extremely low.
  • Water vapor permeability is negligible. If you compare, then a 20 mm slab has the same level of vapor permeability as 1 layer of roofing material.
  • Resistant to mechanical deforming effects.
  • It tolerates a wide temperature range from -50 to + 75 ° C.
  • The material is durable, service life is 30 years or more.
  • Completely environmentally friendly, does not emit harmful substances during operation.
  • When wet, it does not lose its quality indicators, which is very important in roof insulation.
  • Installation is as simple as possible.

There are practically no drawbacks with external and internal insulation. The main factor is flammability, but this can be eliminated by adding fire retardants to the composition, although such plates are somewhat more expensive. In this case, the material will only smolder, but the selection harmful substances, is still dangerous to health.

Polyurethane foam

People call it foam insulation. In everyday life, the material is found as furniture upholstery, but it is soft. In construction, polyurethane foam is hard. Walls can be insulated with foam rubber in the standard way - in the form of slabs, but spraying has been gaining popularity lately. Using this option means preparing the material directly on the construction site in the form of foam. It is convenient that a complete coating is created, there are no joints and cold bridges.

Material advantages:

  • Low coefficient of thermal conductivity. When compared with foam, the indicator is 50% better and 100% lower in thermal conductivity than mineral wool.
  • Resistant to moisture penetration. Polyurethane foam is the best outer insulationthan polystyrene, as it has a 10 times lower level of water absorption.
  • High resistance to temperatures. Among the other options considered earlier, it withstands the widest temperature ranges, the lowest up to -70 ° C, and the largest up to + 110 ° C.
  • Long service life. At least there will be no complaints about insulation for 30 years, if it is correctly installed, then even longer.
  • It is not subjected to deformation impact during the entire period of operation.
  • Resistant to rot and fungus, which is important for outdoor insulation.
  • When an additional layer of sound insulation is created, and quite high quality.

At this stage, you can call it the best insulation, but in fact, there are also disadvantages:

  • The high price of the material.
  • Spraying installation is rather complicated and expensive.
  • Polyurethane foam cannot be used to insulate houses without additional protection, as it is susceptible to UV radiation. In addition to a simple failure, it can release harmful substances from the sun.

Polyurethane foam has a higher performance than mineral wool and foam, but requires a lot of investment, which narrows the scope of its use.

Mineral wool

The next option, outside is mineral wool. It has a chaotic structure, where the fibers are of different lengths. It is made from basalt material and glass production waste. There is also slag wool. Although the listed varieties differ insignificantly in terms of thermal insulation.

Compared to other heaters, it is produced in different forms - mats, rolls, plates, cylinders, scattering. So, everyone can choose the right option for themselves. Roll options are most often used, since they exclude the appearance of cold bridges due to the integrity of the structure. Plates are convenient for vertical insulation, since they do not lend themselves to deformation. When using an external insulation system in the form of a frame, you can blow out the cells with mineral wool.

The advantage of the material is its incombustibility, it can withstand up to 1000 ° C, but not every variety. Minvata acts as a fire protection system. When ignited, it does not emit harmful, toxic substances.

External insulation of wooden houses has its own characteristics, so most materials are simply not suitable for this task. Mineral wool is practically the only way to insulate such structures.

Installation is quite simple, even a non-professional can perform it. Due to its softness, it fits into any place and is easily transported without changing its shape when bending. Easy to cut with a construction knife.

The main and perhaps the only drawback is moisture absorption. When performing outdoor work, you need to properly protect the cotton wool from water. Penetration of only 2% of water impairs the thermal insulation properties of the material by 10%.

Another feature is the need for a good installation system. Mineral wool crumbles heavily, therefore it must be laid under a layer of protection. Also, there should be moisture removal in the lower part.

Basalt wool

Insulated walls based on basalt rock have environmental safety, do not emit harmful substances even when heated. The material itself is immune to combustion. Having insulated the wall once with basalt wool, you can forget about the insulation for the whole time, since the service life is unlimited, and if necessary, there is no premature repair.

Basalt is the best means for insulation in the sphere of tolerable temperatures, because it retains heat in the range from -300 to + 900 ° C.

An important advantage of basalt is that the wall continues to breathe, and air conductivity remains. Due to the described characteristics, basalt can be called one of the better means, for insulation. True, the cost of this insulation is much higher than that of foam.

Conclusion

Comparing various popular insulation materials, it turns out that each option has its own disadvantages and advantages. Therefore, in many respects, the choice of insulating material depends on the scope, tasks and surface on which the insulation will be applied. Obviously, the price issue also takes place, so not everyone prefers higher quality, but expensive options.

Themes with the choice and description of the features of one or another type of insulation are deservedly popular on our portal. These questions become more pressing the higher the growth in energy and the desire of homeowners to save on heating. FORUMHOUSE has already talked about and about.

Choosing the best insulation for the walls of the house that is right for you, we suggest looking at the nuances of the insulation of a private house from a slightly different angle. To do this, consider the following questions:

  • Where to start choosing a material.
  • What are the types of insulation.
  • Is it possible to do without using it.
  • Is it worth using eco-heaters?
  • What is lacking in modern means and methods of wall insulation.

Choosing a material

Modern market thermal insulation materials offers a lot of options and types. They can be conditionally divided into artificial (man-made) and natural. Artificial ones include: mineral wool (stone and glass wool) and polystyrene foam insulation (PPS, or polystyrene, EPS - extruded polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam), foam glass, sprayed polyurethane foam, ecowool, expanded clay, etc. Natural materials include sawdust, straw, moss, flax, hemp and other eco-materials.

Materials of the second group are most often used by enthusiasts in the construction of environmentally friendly houses.

To determine the type of material, you need to pay attention to the following parameters: thermal conductivity, hygroscopicity, density, flammability class, efficiency, environmental friendliness, durability. You also need to understand in advance what and how you are going to insulate. Those. - choose the scope of the material. To do this, we ask ourselves the question in which structural unit of the house should work. To the materials that are used for and foundation insulation (), etc. those working in the ground, in an aggressive environment, have certain requirements. This is non-susceptibility to moisture accumulation, decay, high compressive strength, thermal efficiency, durability.

The main (perhaps even the only) disadvantage of foam plastics is their flammability (under certain conditions) and limited thermal stability. In the event of a fire, interior items (furniture, curtains, etc.) are primarily on fire. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures in advance to protect the expanded polystyrene (in case it is used for internal insulation) from an open source of fire. For this, the foam must be covered with a good layer of concrete or plaster. It is better if the PPP is used for external insulation. It must also be covered with a non-combustible material (concrete, plaster), and not used as an element of a ventilated facade!

In civil housing construction, polystyrene foam is widely used for insulation of foundations and flat roofs (EPS). Facades of houses, as a basis for thin-layer plaster, the so-called. " wet facade"(PPP).

  • In a number of situations (especially in the field of low-rise housing construction), frame structures have to be thermally insulated, where, instead of rigidity, elastic options mounted on a spindle are more technologically advanced. Here, the most widespread was received on the basis of stone () or glass fibers - this material combines high manufacturability of installation (no special experience and special professional tool) with incombustibility (including fire resistance) and low production cost.

When using mineral wool materials, it is necessary to take measures to prevent moisture from entering them. If water gets into the insulation, the "pie" frame structure and the vapor transparency of the layers should ensure the release of excess moisture to the outside. Why should steam and waterproofing films and membranes be used correctly?

The above methods are far from the only effective option for warming a room.

Alexey Melnikov

To a lesser extent, such methods of insulation are now common as: jellied (such as a screed made of polystyrene concrete solution) and backfill options (expanded clay gravel, foam glass chips, culling of aerated concrete blocks, etc.). Because they, in my opinion, are more appropriate as additional sound insulation in horizontal structures.

44alex FORUMHOUSE user

I would choose perlite for floors and backfill stone walls, but not under the floor on the ground, because it is an excellent material in terms of price / thermal conductivity / combustibility / environmental friendliness / service life.

Recently, blown insulation options are also gaining popularity. The type of cellulose-fibrous (the so-called ecowool) or its mineral analogue. According to Alexey Melnikov, it is advisable to use these materials for thermal insulation of hard-to-reach places.

Natural materials

It is also worth highlighting materials based on natural fibers (flax, sea grasses), which are now being promoted under the ideology of ECO construction. Due to the limited choice and weighty price tag, these materials have not yet become widespread.

The main disadvantages of natural materials:

  • shrinkage;
  • long-term unpredictability of behavior;
  • Susceptibility to rodents.

Let's see how this corresponds to reality.

Russian FORUMHOUSE user

Unexpectedly, the following experiment came out: in the summer, they put substandard linen insulation in the corner, in a stack 1.5 meters high. In winter, a water pipe leaked, which ran nearby. We noticed this only in the summer, i.e. the bottom layer of flax was kept in water for at least 6 months. And here are the results:

  • In a material 5 cm thick, only 1 cm shrank under the pressure of the upper layers;
  • The material that had collected water darkened and was left to dry until morning. The next morning he regained his form, i.e. became 5 cm thick again;
  • Breaking loads did not change either.

After drying, the linen insulation practically did not change, because the structure of the linen material is fixed by melted mylar fibers. This structure can be changed only when heated to 160-190 ° C or when flax is destroyed. And flax, as you know, is still used in plumbing work when sealing water pipes.

A large experience of using this material has been accumulated abroad. Mice do not eat it, they make passages in it and make their homes. To avoid this, appropriate measures are taken - in the form of installing a fine-mesh steel mesh, etc.

SCM FORUMHOUSE user

I believe that using sawdust is a very eco-friendly way to insulate. The main thing is to observe the technology. It is better to fill the sawdust in layers, with careful tamping of each layer with a shovel handle.

Both industrially manufactured and "folk" materials have pros and cons. "Commercial" materials are a ready-made product with known properties and a certain installation technology, following which, you can be sure of the end result. Eco-heaters are more of an experiment; at a possible lower cost (sawdust), you will have to sweat during installation. The construction site itself can take time. Again, the final result cannot be 100% guaranteed. we still have little experience in using such materials in different climatic zones.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude: any material has the right to life. It all depends on the area of \u200b\u200bits application, the prevalence of a particular type of material in a particular area, its price, heat engineering characteristics, etc. Hence: when choosing a heater, first of all, it is necessary to build on the economic calculation and the feasibility of its use in the long term.

You should also check your tasks with our questionnaire:

  • where the material will be used;
  • what is it for;
  • what structure needs to be insulated.

Puzzled by such questions, you will understand which material is right for your particular case and specifically for your building.

Is there a universal insulation

If you dream and imagine an "ideal" insulation, with a set of universal properties, then it will be a material whose various characteristics will not be stable - they must change flexibly depending on the operating conditions. In one situation, the material needs strength, high density, stiffness, clear geometry, increased moisture resistance. In other conditions, it requires vapor transparency, low density (which means it will not work "in the ground"), workability in hard-to-reach places, flexibility, good environmental friendliness. With all this, the price affordable for the masses remains important. It turns out mutually exclusive requirements. So it's hardly worth chasing after some special and new materials.

From our videos you will learn

Many people face such a problem, the heat is not stored in the heated room, the reason for this may be the dissipation of heat energy through the walls. How to deal with this? How to keep warm inside the house? How to insulate the house? What is the best way to insulate the house outside? For this, the house is insulated. The most correct solution would be to insulate the walls of the room, their outer part, you can use any heat insulator for this.

He will be able to create protection for warm indoor air from outside cold and will effectively maintain the necessary microclimate of the room. Also, the advantages of exterior wall insulation include their protection from water vapor and light emission, which will significantly extend their operational life.

What is the best way to insulate the walls of the house outside? What is the best way to insulate a house? How to insulate stone house, brick or wooden? High-quality thermal insulation is a guarantee of comfort and coziness of a private or country house.

How to insulate a house with your own hands? How to get good thermal insulation and do it in the best way?

In total, there are three main types of thermal insulation work in a private house:

  • The insulation is fixed directly to the wall using special glue or other devices. Then it is covered with construction mesh and plastered under the finishing materials.
  • In this case, the heat insulator is also mounted on the wall of the room, but then an additional brick wall is installed on the foundation. A small air space or gap is left between the insulation and the wall. With this method, the heat insulator is not plastered.
  • This insulation option consists of several stage-by-stage works. First of all, the walls of the house are covered with a special waterproofing film, then the material chosen as insulation is mounted, after which it is necessary to install protection against water vapor and wind. And only after that, using a special frame made of wooden beams or metal guides, is the installation of materials for the external cladding of the room such various siding, lining, ceramic tiles and much more. The use of this option, the so-called ventilated facade, can be done at any time of the year, since there is no need to use any solutions.

The options considered represent a general direction, in each of them there may be certain changes associated with the use of certain materials as insulation. The modern market for thermal insulation materials is quite wide and some of them may require a different installation method.

Also, the choice of a heat insulator, its parameters depend on the material from which the walls of the house are made. As an example, consider the principles of installing insulation for wooden, brick and concrete walls.

Installation of heaters

How to insulate? Any heat insulator has certain properties, but in any case it can keep your home warm. They differ in price, in the material from which they are made and in such parameters as moisture resistance, vapor permeability and thermal conductivity. Heaters that are presented in the construction market: expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, polyurethane foams, basalt plate and cellulose insulation.

The use of one or another insulation material is associated with climatic conditions, the method of installation work and the coefficient of thermal conductivity. The calculation takes into account the width load-bearing wall, thermal conductivity of the insulator, internal room temperature. Then you can start installing the insulation. How to prepare the wall for the installation of insulation?

Consider the instruction:

  • First of all, it is necessary to clear the wall from old plaster and other materials up to the material from which it is made.
  • After that, it is necessary to level the wall surfaces, close up cracks and pits and cut off protrusions, clean up dust and dirt, and carefully apply a primer, not missing a single centimeter of the area.

A primer should be used that has the property of deep penetration into the wall, choosing one type or another depending on the material from which the primed surface is made.

  • Installation of insulation should be done in an even layer without curving the surface, depressions and protrusions, using the tools provided for this: beacons, plumb lines, levels, corners and others. Otherwise, you may encounter problems with further plastering the wall or installing the facing material, that is, applying different thicknesses of the plastering material and installing additional guides. What does a beacon system look like? On the upper edge of the surface, screws are screwed in, several pieces depending on the length of the wall, on which a dense thread is hung with a metal plumb line at the bottom.
  • After that, horizontal threads are installed, which connect all vertical threads. Thus, a network is formed that will determine the level when installing an insulation or frame system. After such preparatory work you can start installing the heat insulator.

Can be performed different materials... How to insulate the walls of the house outside? How do materials differ from each other?

Use of expanded polystyrene

Use of expanded polystyrene as a heater. How to insulate a house from the outside with expanded polystyrene? You need to properly insulate according to the instructions.

Installation instructions for this thermal insulation product:

  • At the beginning, it is necessary to install a corner along the lower edge of the wall, observing the required level - the first layer of the heat insulator will be aligned along it. It is installed using a special glue, and glue for ceramic tiles is also suitable.
  • The sheets are pressed tightly against the wall and leveled using plumb lines and a level. The second layer of material is applied after the first has dried completely, so as not to knock it off the level.

It should be noted that the sheets of each subsequent level are mounted in brick order, that is, the seam of the lower level is located in the middle of the sheet of the next row. This is done so that the sheets of the lower row hold the upper ones.

  • From the second row, polystyrene foam is attached using special anchors, "umbrellas", as they are called in another way. They are driven into each of the four corners and into the center of the sheet.
  • Vertical and horizontal seams are glued with reinforcing tape. In window openings and at the corners of the walls, insulation is additionally attached with corners made of metal.
  • After the wall is completely covered with insulation, a construction mesh is mounted on it, then plaster can be applied.

Expanded polystyrene is best suited for insulating walls made of bricks and concrete. This installation of insulation also has its negative sides. So, for example, this material has a low permeability to water vapor, as a result of which the condensate that will accumulate in the wall, over time, can cause it to get wet.

To avoid this, before installation work to establish the insulation, the walls must be thoroughly dried. It is also important to keep them dry during operation. If all this is impossible to achieve, then in this case it is better to use the method of installing a heater, which provides for its ventilation.

Remember that in the end there should be no place in which there will be access to the expanded polystyrene, otherwise small rodents can damage it, and the environment will also affect it, which will lead to damage and deterioration.

Do-it-yourself thermal insulation of a house can be done using expanded polystyrene.

Mineral wool applications

Many are inclined to believe that it is better to insulate the walls with mineral wool. Mineral wool is another popular insulation material. How to insulate a private house using mineral wool? The installation of this insulation is similar in its technological procedures to thermal insulation made with basalt or cellulose slabs.

Installation instructions for mineral wool:

  • In the beginning, wall preparation is always required. Let's clean the walls of old plaster and try to level the surface.
  • Then you should proceed with the installation of the frame. It is made of wooden beams by creating vertical and horizontal lathing. In this case, the width and length of the empty space should be less than a sheet of insulation by about thirty millimeters - this is the necessary conditions so that the sheet of mineral wool goes into it easily and does not form a large gap.
  • As an attachment to the sheets of mineral wool, anchor bolts are mounted on which the material is hung. Since most often the walls remain uneven, it is better to use mineral wool, consisting of two layers. In this case, the softer layer is installed directly on the wall, due to its structure, the most excellent connection of the sheets with the insulated surface occurs.

On some variants of mineral wool, you can apply plaster after installing the building mesh or install a special vapor-permeable insulating film. Then you need to strengthen it and the heat insulator with additional wooden beams, after that it is set facing material... Lining, various siding, tiles and facing bricks are suitable.

This type of home insulation, three-layer ventilated, has proven itself in all climatic zones. It is especially suitable for walls made of wood, as it allows this product to breathe and not get wet.

Use of polyurethane foam

How to properly insulate a house with polyurethane foam? When installing this insulation, it is necessary to adhere to the same frame structure as when insulating with mineral wool with the installation of a windscreen. At the same time, polyurethane foam is foamed on the wall in a place free from the frame for the film, forming a very strong connection with the wall, thanks to which an excellent result is achieved in retaining heat inside the premises.

But there is one drawback - when using this type of insulation, when installing on vertical walls, it is difficult to form a layer of the same thickness, therefore, it is most often used on horizontal surfaces such as ceilings or roof slopes standing at a slight angle. It is not difficult to insulate the walls with polyurethane. It is necessary to insulate the house (booth) using additional products.

Basalt slabs application

Insulation of the walls of the house from the outside can be carried out using basalt slabs. During the installation of this thermal insulation product, it is necessary to additionally apply a vapor barrier film.

The laying of this protective film is carried out on the bars, which have a horizontal position, and between the rafters. Then it is necessary to seal the formed joints. Sealing is done using a specially designed tape. The layer should be 200 millimeters. Next, a layer of wind protection is laid, and a covering is made of purlins thanks to the beams. This is done to provide ventilation.

Before starting the insulation of external walls with this material, it is necessary to make a covering from the purlins - this is different from thermal insulation interior walls building. Leave a gap for ventilation. Basalt slabs are attached using self-tapping screws. The final stage of installation includes surface finishing with siding or some other coating.

To insulate the walls outside basalt slabs, you must strictly follow the rules. Insulation of a private house is often carried out using basalt slabs.

Use of cellulose

How to insulate walls with cellulose? Cellulose can be assembled in three ways: mechanical, dry, wet.

The first mounting method involves the use of dedicated hardware.Mechanical insulation of walls outside with your own hands is quite expensive. The mechanical method has high productivity. This method allows the walls to "breathe". Therefore, it is not necessary to apply a vapor barrier.

The dry mounting method is used only for thermal insulation of horizontal surfaces. How are the walls insulated from the outside using this method? The insulation product is applied to the walls manually without the use of special equipment. First, the cellulose must be fluffed, this is done with a drill.

Then it must be poured out of the container onto the surface. Further, it is tamped. If, nevertheless, the insulation needs to be applied to a vertical surface, then the work will take place in two stages. First you need to build a wall from a frame, the height of which should be 50 centimeters. Then you need to add a heat-insulating product and tamp it. This is how other parts of the walls are insulated.

Wet method - it is used for thermal insulation of vertical structures. First, the pulp must be moistened with water. Thanks to this procedure, the cellulose will set without problems.

All methods of insulation can be used to insulate a private house from the outside. Or it will be the insulation of a country house.

What is the best way to insulate the house outside? there is various materials for wall insulation outside. Each insulation material has its own advantages and disadvantages. The main thing is to be cheap, inexpensive, but of high quality. Use that material for insulating the house outside, which has high technical characteristics.

We hope that the description of each of them will help you to make right choice... Wall insulation outside is an important element in achieving overall comfort. You can insulate a house outside with your own hands without anyone's help. You will achieve maximum comfort and coziness in your home.


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