Insulation of the ground floor floor. How to properly insulate the floor in an apartment on the ground floor Insulating the floor in a 1st floor apartment

On the ground floor you almost always feel discomfort from the cold floor - no matter whether it is a high-rise building or a private building. Is it worth fighting this? Definitely. After all proper insulation Flooring will not only make your home more comfortable, but also significantly save money on electricity and gas bills. It is no secret that with poor heat conservation of “resources” to maintain optimal temperatures Much more will be spent. In addition, a weakly or not at all insulated floor of the first floor can become a source of many diseases - this is perhaps the main reason why you should definitely work competently on the thermal insulation of this surface. Contact with a cold floor is especially dangerous for young children who tend to run around barefoot.

Video instructions for floor insulation

How we will insulate: a review of materials

The modern construction industry offers a variety of materials that can be used to insulate the floor of the first floor efficiently and effectively:

Styrofoam
The main advantages of polystyrene foam are good thermal insulation, affordable price and durability. The material is suitable for installation on any type of surface - concrete, wood, ceramic tiles, etc.
Penoplex
This is foamed polystyrene with low thermal conductivity, excellent sound insulation, and a long service life.
Expanded clay
Floor insulation using expanded clay is one of the most affordable and reliable technologies. The material can be added either directly to the concrete screed or used as bedding.

high temperatures

Gypsum fiber sheets
The material is easy to use and non-flammable.

Today, manufacturers offer many options for floor insulation.

Preparation for thermal insulation measures

Insulating the floor of the first floor is an incredibly responsible job, so it must be approached with the utmost seriousness. Redoing “blunders” is difficult not only financially, but also physically. If you live in apartment building with a cold basement, it is necessary to determine which method of floor insulation will be the most appropriate - only internal, from the housing side, or also external, from the basement.

Take the time to go down to the basement and inspect the basement and concrete floor under your apartment for cracks, potholes, crumbling elements. All defects found should be eliminated using cement-sand mortar, polyurethane foam, brickwork. You can stick foam plastic or polystyrene foam boards(a special adhesive composition is used for these purposes), and fill the gaps between them with polyurethane foam. Please pay attention to the fact that such “amateur activity” is not always welcomed by service organizations, so before starting insulation work in the basement, be sure to consult the appropriate authority.

First of all, the old floor covering is dismantled and the surface is thoroughly cleaned.

Concrete floor insulation technology

Insulation of concrete floors inside an apartment (house) with a sufficient “margin” of room height is recommended to be carried out according to the following algorithm:

laying a waterproofing membrane on a cleaned base;
installation of lathing on the floor made of bars as thick as a layer of the selected insulation (expanded polystyrene is preferable);
laying thermal insulation slabs in the sheathing cells;
laying a vapor barrier layer;
installation of a subfloor made of plywood, boards, fiberboard or chipboard sheets;
installation of the finishing coating.

This is how GVL is installed when insulating the floor.

It is better to choose foil vapor barrier, but dense polyethylene is also acceptable.

It is possible to insulate the concrete floor of the first floor or more in a simple way, resorting to gypsum fiber sheets. The technology for carrying out work in this case will be as follows:

removal of old flooring (if any);
elimination of all surface irregularities and cracks;
waterproofing membrane decking;
laying gypsum fiber boards(to strengthen them better, adhesive mastic is used) in two or three layers so that the joints in the layers do not coincide;
GVL putty and primer;
installation of finishing floor covering.

One of the most modern methods of insulating concrete floors is undoubtedly the installation of an “electric heated floor” system, consisting of the following stages:

laying insulation on the prepared base;
layer flooring aluminum foil;
laying electrical cables;
pouring screed;
surface finishing.

Installation of heated floors on the first floor

For many owners who do not want to sacrifice the height of the room, the most acceptable way of thermal insulation is square meters underfoot is laying isolon, a modern material with a spongy structure. Insulating a floor with isolon is quite simple: to do this, it is enough to correct defects in the concrete floor, lay out the panels, and tape their joints with tape. And then proceed either immediately to the installation of the finishing coating, or to start arranging the subfloor.

How to properly insulate a wooden floor

For insulation wooden floor in an apartment located on the ground floor, it is necessary, first of all, to remove the existing flooring (number the boards if you do not plan to replace them) and inspect the open space. If there is a waterproofing membrane, its integrity should be checked. Fill the defects found, lay mineral wool slabs between the joists, and install the boards in place.

Mineral wool is often used for insulation wooden floors

In old private houses, it is quite common to see wooden floors on joists laid on top of compacted soil. How to insulate it?

Remove the flooring.
Place waterproofing in between the joists.
Make a backfill with expanded clay.
Install a vapor barrier.
Lay insulation - mineral wool or polystyrene foam.
Place bars on the joists and then use them to build a wooden floor.

If you decide to abandon lag altogether, you will be faced with the following tasks:

Completely clear the soil surface.
If necessary, compact the soil.
To arrange a waterproofing layer - glassine and roofing felt are suitable.
Form a layer of sand and gravel mixture.
Add a layer of expanded clay.
Lay the reinforcing mesh.
Spray the expanded clay with cement laitance.
After it hardens, fill the screed completely.
Install a vapor barrier.
Set up the draft.
Mount any wood covering to your taste.

Insulation of the ground floor floor with expanded clay is one of the most affordable and effective ways

How much will it cost to insulate the floor on the first floor?

The cost of work on insulating the floor of the first floor directly depends on the selected material. Expanded clay and polystyrene can be considered the most affordable option.

Modern method of thermal insulation - the use of polyurethane foam

Do the above methods of thermal insulation of the floor on the first floor seem extremely difficult and not entirely reliable to you? Then your choice is insulation with sprayed polyurethane foam.

A layer of polyurethane foam as insulation has many advantages:

low heat conductivity coefficient. Thanks to this, its height does not exceed 10 centimeters;
High resistance to steam and moisture. This eliminates the need to install vapor barriers and waterproofing;
durability. PPU can effectively perform its functions for up to 60 years;
excellent sound insulation properties;
safety for human health.

Polyurethane foam is not subject to rotting, mold and other microorganisms never appear on it, and small rodents are indifferent to the material. And, perhaps, the most important thing is that polyurethane foam spraying is carried out in the shortest possible time - you do not have to stretch out the thermal insulation measures for a week. The final screed can be built directly along it.

The thermal insulation polyurethane foam layer is completely seamless - the appearance of cracks and cold bridges in it is excluded.

The importance of making the right choice

As you can see, there are many ways to insulate the floor of the first floor, but the optimal choice should be made based on an analysis of many factors (apartment or a private house this, the state of the structures, the estimated budget, etc.). Only an experienced specialist should help the owners in this matter. By entrusting the floor insulation procedure to a professional, you can be sure that warmth and comfort will live in your home forever, and your feet will never freeze again. Agree, understand that cash were spent on a truly tangible result - priceless!

The floor surface is one of the coldest in the apartment, especially on the first floor of the house. This is due to the characteristics of concrete, the severity of cold air and the fact that there are cracks in the floor through which cold from the basement penetrates into the apartment.

Heat loss through the surface of floors can account for up to a third of all thermal energy. To avoid this, it is necessary high-quality thermal insulation. It is quite possible to do it with your own hands.

Materials suitable for floor insulation must have sufficiently low thermal conductivity. Most of Such materials can at the same time insulate the room from noise.

The most popular options are:

Mineral wool – inexpensive material, effective both as insulation and sound insulation. Cotton wool is very easy to install, fireproof, and resistant to biological contamination. However, it absorbs water very easily, which is why good waterproofing is required. In addition, this material can release glass particles into the air, which can cause allergies.
Expanded polystyrene and other types of foam - polymer materials, resistant to moisture and fire. They do not deform, do not allow heat to pass through, and absorb noise.
Bulk materials– expanded clay or wood shavings. They have excellent thermal insulation properties and can form a leveling layer when constructing a dry screed.

All these materials are good in their own way; the choice is based on operating conditions. Whichever material is more convenient is the one worth using, there is not much difference between them.

When insulating floors in an apartment on the ground floor of a wooden house, the thermal insulation material is usually placed in the spaces between the joists on which the decorative coating.

Insulation of wooden floors in an apartment occurs as follows:

The old covering material is dismantled.
Vapor barrier is installed - usually this is simple polyethylene film. The film strips are laid overlapping and secured with tape. The film must be applied to the walls so that the edges eventually protrude above the surface of the finished floor. They can be trimmed later.
Insulation is being installed. If bulk material is used, it is poured between the joists, using them as beacons for leveling the insulation using the rule. Other types of thermal insulation are rolled out close to the joists, avoiding even the slightest cracks.
If absorbent cotton wool is used, it is additionally covered with another layer of film to protect it from moisture on all sides.
Leveling slabs of plywood or gypsum fiber sheet are attached to the joists on top of the insulation. You can skip this step and lay it straight away floorboard.
Any type of decorative covering can be installed.

Most often, the floors of the first floor are panel apartment building They are structures made of reinforced concrete slabs. Concrete itself is a porous material that conducts heat well, which is why it remains cold in almost any conditions.

In addition, floor slabs are almost never joined tightly enough to prevent air from passing through the cracks. As a result, a lot of heat flows into the basement from the first floor.

One of the most common methods of thermal insulation is laying insulation under a cement screed with your own hands. The insulation of the screed is carried out in this way:

The old coating is removed down to the base. The old screed is also removed.
Floor slabs are repaired if necessary, and joints are sealed. Then the surface is thoroughly cleaned of debris and residues. old screed, vacuumed with a construction vacuum cleaner.
Waterproofing is being carried out. A thick film is laid over the base. The edges of the material need to be placed on the walls. The edges, overlapping each other by 10 cm, are secured with adhesive tape.
The selected insulation is laid on top of the waterproofing layer. Sheets of expanded polystyrene and unwound rolls of glass wool should lie close to each other.
The insulation is covered with an additional layer of film.
A reinforcing mesh is placed on the insulation. It is needed in order to increase the strength of the screed.
The cement-sand mixture is poured. The thickness of the screed must be at least 50 mm at its highest point, otherwise during operation it may become covered with cracks and begin to crumble.
The surface of the dried screed is covered with two layers of primer to final leveling, strengthening and clogging pores in concrete.
On ready-made screed The finishing coating is laid.

The process is similar to insulating floors in an apartment on the first floor of a wooden house, with the only difference being that in this option the logs will have to be installed on a reinforced concrete base with your own hands.

Insulation along the joists is carried out as follows:

The concrete base is cleaned of old coating, screed and debris.
The floor is waterproofed. To do this, you can use bitumen or polymer mixtures, applied with a brush or roller, like paint. Less efficient, but cheaper and quick way– lay plastic film.
Wooden logs are installed a meter apart from each other, no more, so that the floors do not sag. These logs can also be used as beacons for filling expanded clay. It is important to ensure that the upper edges of the joists are in the same plane.
The chosen one fits heat insulating material. The insulation should be installed close to the joists, avoiding any gaps.
Formed flooring from plywood, gypsum fiber sheets or fiberboard. The thickness of this layer should be about one and a half centimeters. To do this, the material can be laid in two layers, so that the slabs lie crosswise and the joints do not coincide. The sheets are fastened with glue and self-tapping screws.
Any type of finishing coating can be installed.

Spray insulation

Another way to ensure thermal insulation on the ground floor is professional insulation thin layer polyurethane foam. It forms a seamless polymer surface about 7 cm thick on the floor.

The polymer is applied using special equipment that delivers the material in the form of an aerosol under high pressure. In just a few seconds the substance hardens and turns into durable foam. In terms of its effectiveness, such insulation is superior to all other methods.

In addition, polyurethane foam does not need waterproofing. The service life of the material is estimated at tens of years.

Alternatives

If the heat loss in the apartment is insignificant, you can not lay an additional layer of insulation, but simply use a finishing coating with a fairly low thermal conductivity index. For example, carpet insulates the floor of the first floor quite well. Carpets with long pile have even better insulating properties.

Another option is to use linoleum on a thick base of jute or felt. In the same way, you can insulate the floor by laying parquet with your own hands. You just need to use a backing made of warm material– cork, polyethylene foam or polystyrene foam.

As is known, warm air tends to rise upward, as a result the floor remains the coldest place in the apartment or house. This especially applies to the first floor, under which there is often a basement or subfloor. In our article we will talk about how to insulate the floor on the first floor and more.

The most reliable way to protect against the cold is to use insulation, which can be in the form of blocks, rolls or bulk materials. When deciding on the best way to insulate a floor, you must choose between cost, thermal insulation properties and durability of the material.

Insulation of the basement space

Builders don't really care about airtightness when laying floors. Gaps most often remain in the basement space. You can even see them from the basement. The first thing to do is to seal the cracks in the ceiling. Small holes can be filled with putty from below. In a private house, insulation boards can be glued to the floor from the bottom side.

Polystyrene foam assembly adhesive is suitable here. How to make an insulated floor from below so that the slabs do not lag behind? To do this, they are additionally secured with parachute dowels, and the joints are foamed.

The obvious advantage of this method is that there is no need to break anything. Everything will remain as it was, and the house will become warm.

Insulation of a wooden floor

The old floorboard can be replaced with a new one. If she's in good condition, then the floor is carefully disassembled. In this case, you need to mark the boards so that you don’t waste time and effort on adjustment later. This is especially true for half-floors. Disassembly is done in order, so that you can put it back together in the same way. The nails are removed carefully so as not to damage the boards. When assembling the floor, it is advisable to use self-tapping screws, which create stronger connections and are easy to remove.

Before insulating the floor on the first floor, the cracks on top must be carefully sealed using polyurethane foam, putty and cement-sand mortar. The joists should be checked with a level and further strengthened. Otherwise, the floorboards will continue to creak as before. Construction stores sell racks that are screwed into joists and rest against the ceiling. They can also be made from steel studs.

The floor slabs are tightly laid with mineral wool, which should extend onto the walls. A budget solution is to use mats made of straw or sawdust, but they decompose over time. You can also use expanded clay, foam chips or slag. In principle, any insulation is suitable if it fulfills its functions. A layer of vapor barrier is laid underneath the ceiling to prevent moisture from accumulating, which will significantly deteriorate the properties of the insulation.

How to insulate a floor with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam

If the floor is covered with ceramic tiles or cement screed, it can be insulated using thin sheets of polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam.

Fiberboard and GVL plasterboard are also used. But their thermal insulation properties are much lower.

A layer of vapor barrier is placed on the concrete floor, and a layer of insulation and polyethylene film are placed on it. Then a screed made of cement or a special mixture is laid on top. It must be reinforced with mesh. To compensate for temperature fluctuations, it is laid around the perimeter of the wall. edge tape. A new floor covering is installed on top: tiles, parquet, laminate or linoleum.

Insulating underlay for linoleum

The problem of how to insulate the floor on the first floor can be solved in the simplest way using linoleum with a backing. It is the most common, cheap, easy-to-install and maintain coating. It is enough to cut it correctly and insert it under the baseboards.

The material consists of layers of PVC with a pattern, fiberglass and a substrate, which is often used as the same material on both sides, which prevents the coating from deforming when the temperature changes.

There is also insulation for linoleum floors. It represents the bottom layer, which can be made of jute or fabric.

Additional backing for linoleum

If the coating does not have necessary protection from the cold from below, then additional substrates are used under the main coating: cork, linen and polystyrene foam. The cork is good insulation, but it can also be used as an independent coating. Ordinary plywood or fiberboard also have heat-insulating properties, but the effect will be much greater if an additional layer of expanded polystyrene is placed underneath them. Insulation for floors under linoleum is best laid under plywood or fiberboard.

This is done as follows:

an insulating underlay is laid on a dry and level floor;
plywood is laid and secured to the floor with self-tapping screws;
Linoleum is covered on top and the edges are hidden under a plinth, which protects the substrate from water penetration.

This method is used in rooms with high ceilings.

How to connect a heated floor

Makes it possible to create uniform heat in the room. It is a heating system located under the covering, which gives the most favorable temperature distribution in the room along the height.

The problem of how to insulate the floor on the first floor using electric heating can be solved by one of following methods:

with applied polymer it fits under any floor covering. It does not require pouring screed.
the power of which varies depending on the temperature. It heats cold areas more, and warm areas less. It requires pouring a screed.
Carbon fiber rods mounted on a fiberglass mesh can be filled with ordinary tile adhesive.

After installation, you need to know how to connect the heated floor. This requires a thermostat to which a heating cable is connected. All connections should be made according to the instructions, carefully following all steps.

Water heating is carried out using pipes with circulating hot water. They are laid under the floor or filled with screed. Heating is carried out through copper, polypropylene or metal-plastic pipes, which are connected to the space heating system.

Floor heating can be distributed in such a way that individual areas are connected. To do this, a manifold with control valves is placed at the top.

Conclusion

You can insulate floors by installing thermal insulation materials, used separately or as a backing for floor coverings. Thermal insulation panels at the bottom of the floors are especially effective. When installing them, there is no need to disassemble the floor above. In addition, you can install a heated floor system, which can be autonomous or part of the home heating system.

The most common option for constructing a foundation for small private houses, when a non-buried strip foundation(there is no basement), and the base of the floor is created directly on the existing soil. This is done where there is no threat of high standing groundwater, and the relief of the area is homogeneous, lying at approximately the same horizon level. If the soil is located at a large slope and the soil moisture is excessive throughout the year, it makes sense to make the base of the floor of the first floor of the house at a distance from the ground, leaving a ventilated space between them. We will look at the features of both flooring options in private homes in this article.

Features of the foundation structure

The advantage of floors that rest directly on the underlying soil layers is that they do not carry additional load on the foundation of a private house. The floors of the first floor, which are not in contact with the soil, provide for the construction of a kind of floor slab that rests on the foundation. Therefore, the second option requires taking these features into account when designing and calculating the required width of the base.

If the base of the ground floor floor is reinforced concrete slab, you should definitely take care of waterproofing the foundation itself and the place of its contact with the overlapping structure, especially if this option is chosen due to high soil moisture. A slab that is not insulated with a water barrier will draw moisture from the foundation, which will lead to its premature destruction and loss of strength, as well as the penetration of dampness into the house. In addition, care should be taken to ventilate the space between the ceiling and the soil, thereby reducing the level of humidity here.

Construction of the first floor floor on the ground

This method of arranging floors in a private house where there is no basement is considered the simplest in terms of execution and inexpensive in terms of materials costs. There are two main options that apply in this case:

device concrete base floor (screed);
installation of wooden floors on joists.

Each of the presented options has its own characteristics, both in the sense of a complex necessary work, and in terms of the final result. The choice often depends on which building material is the main one when constructing the house itself. If the walls are made of logs or timber, a wooden floor will be more organic. In a stone or brick building, a screed is better suited. But this is not an absolute pattern, so there may be other combinations.

Insulated concrete screed

A concrete base that is poured over the ground has long been used in all kinds of utility and technical buildings, such as garages, sheds, and warehouses. On the first floors of private houses without a basement, concrete screeds began to be used as a basis for the finishing floor covering relatively recently. Several factors influenced the popularization of this method, such as:

the need to create smooth horizontal surfaces, which is required by some types of modern floor coverings;
the emergence of accessible materials for effective thermal insulation;
installation of water heated floor systems for heating.

Now we will step by step consider how to properly create a concrete screed on the ground on the first floor of private houses.

Preparation and rough filling

Preparatory work begin with compacting the soil and adding a cushion for the rough screed. You can compact the soil either manually, using a simple device in the form of a piece of log with an attached double-sided handle, or mechanical devices that exist for these purposes. In order for the compaction process to be most effective, the soil surface is abundantly moistened with water.

The initial layer of bedding is selected based on its total thickness. If the distance from the soil to the level of the intended floor is significant (more than 25-30 cm), the most accessible material is used first. It could be construction garbage or clay.

Next, the cushion is formed by a layer of coarse crushed stone, the thickness of which should be about 10 cm. The gravel creates a rigid base, roughly levels the surface and prevents possible capillary rise of moisture from the underlying layers. A sand (or small crushed stone) cushion about 5-7 cm thick is formed on top of the gravel. The quality of the sand does not play a role here, so a clay-rich quarry option is quite suitable. The sand cushion is leveled as much as possible, after which a durable polyethylene film is laid. The latter performs two functions:

first layer of waterproofing;
an obstacle to water contained in concrete.

The film is laid completely, extending up to 15 cm onto the walls. Now you can pour the rough layer of concrete. For these purposes, a lean solution is usually prepared, where the ratio of fillers (sand and crushed stone) and cement is approximately 9:1. Here, instead of crushed stone, if possible, you can use expanded clay. A cushion made of expanded clay concrete will provide additional insulation for the base of the floor. Rough screed is formed in a layer of about 10 cm. Despite the fact that the initial filling should not have an ideal surface, it is advisable to level it more carefully. This will facilitate further waterproofing and installation of insulation.

Important! Sand of any kind is not suitable for preparing concrete. There is a lot of clay in the quarry material, which will sharply reduce the strength concrete slab and will lead to cracking. For these purposes you need river sand or washed, including for the preparation of expanded clay concrete composition.

The rough layer is usually not reinforced, since the load on it is small. After pouring, a break in work is necessary to allow the concrete to gain strength. Although the material completely crystallizes within 26-28 days, it is enough to wait a week. During this time, concrete with sufficient moisture gains about 70% strength. During this period, you need to ensure proper hydration. concrete surface, especially if the work is carried out during the hot season. To do this, you should generously wet the maturing concrete 1-2 times a day.

How to waterproof and insulate a floor?

For the main waterproofing layer, it is better to use not a polyethylene fabric, but a full-fledged one, reliable material. Here it will be sufficient to treat the rough concrete base with bitumen followed by laying the rolled material. Roofing felt or hydroglass insulation will do. The rolls are rolled out with an overlap of adjacent strips by 10-15 cm. In this case, hot gluing can be omitted, but the joints can be processed bituminous material Necessarily. The rolled material is laid to the surface of the wall above the level of the intended finishing screed.

You can insulate the floor with dense polystyrene foam (it is cheaper) or extruded polystyrene foam. The second is preferable for these purposes, since it is much stronger, absolutely hydrophobic, and its slabs usually have tongue/groove joining elements at the edges, which greatly simplifies its installation. The seams between the insulation sheets can be filled with polyurethane foam or treated special glue. Foam also needs to go through the gaps around the perimeter of the room between the wall and polystyrene foam.

Finishing fill

For these purposes, a solution is prepared with a normal ratio of 4:2:1, or 3:3:1, where crushed stone, sand, and cement are respectively. Before final pouring of concrete, it is necessary to lay a mesh for reinforcement and install beacons, thanks to which it will be possible to achieve a strictly horizontal surface.

Reinforcing mesh can be used metal with a cell of 100 mm, or rigid plastic. The reinforcing elements are laid with an overlap (1-2 cells), not reaching the wall by about 1.5 cm. Here, a damper tape is glued around the perimeter, which is designed to compensate for temperature changes linear dimensions screeds. The mesh should not lie on the insulation, but should be located approximately in the center of the concrete layer. To do this, use special stands or improvised means (bottle caps, brick fragments, etc.).

After installing the final subfloor and carefully leveling it (grinding or self-leveling solutions), all that remains is to wait for it to fully mature and begin laying the final floor covering.

Installation of wooden floors

Despite the wide variety of modern floor coverings, wooden floors have a lot of adherents among consumers. This can be understood considering that wood is the most environmentally friendly material, which is capable of creating a favorable microclimate in a residential area. Moreover, modern boards, which are used for flooring, make it possible to create an ideal surface without cracks, which appearance is in no way inferior to parquet.

The classic method of laying floor boards involves the presence of lags - wooden beams, which are located parallel with a certain step, which depends on the thickness of the floor wooden layer. On the ground floor of a private house, when the installation of floors is carried out on the underlying soil, the preparatory and intermediate work before creating a rough foundation and its waterproofing is no different from that described above. That is, to install a high-quality wooden floor, you also need a reliable, leveled concrete base.

After installing the load-bearing beams, the floor should be insulated. The use of expanded polystyrene here is undesirable, since these materials do not allow steam to pass through, which can cause water condensation to form, which will adversely affect the wood. In addition, foam plastic, for example, can be favored by rodents, which will lead to some discomfort.

For a wooden floor on the joists of the first floor of a private house, it is better to use mineral wool, or rather one of its varieties. However, when laying mineral wool, you should take care of the moisture insulation of the insulation. If a hydraulic barrier has already been created from below (on top of the rough screed), then all that remains is to arrange upper layer hydrobarrier film.