Insulation of a house made of aerated concrete, choice of facade material and insulation method. How to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks in two accessible ways. The better way to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks.

How to insulate a house made of aerated concrete, how warm it is insulating material choose? These questions concern many who decide to build a house from cellular materials. Since the distinctive property of aerated concrete is vapor permeability, this property must be preserved.

For thermal insulation materials, this coefficient should be slightly lower than that of the material from which the walls are built. If this parameter is higher, there is a possibility of moisture accumulation.

Is it possible to use foam plastic, a material that is very popular, for insulation? How to properly insulate gas silicate walls of a house?

Properties of foam plastic

Like aerated concrete, polystyrene foam has positive and negative qualities

Advantages of the material
  • Polyfoam is environmentally friendly and does not emit toxic substances.
  • Durable, does not decompose.
  • Low thermal conductivity.
  • High vapor barrier properties.
  • Fireproof, fire-resistant, self-extinguishing.
  • Short specific gravity, does not weigh down the structure.
  • Relatively inexpensive material.

Properties of foam plastic - thermal conductivity, long service life and relatively good vapor permeability

Disadvantages of the material
  • Fragility, foam crumbles easily.
  • Destroys upon contact with nitro paints, enamels, varnishes.
  • Does not allow air to pass through.
  • The material can be damaged by rodents and therefore needs protection.

When choosing foam plastic as aerated concrete insulation on the outside, you need to take into account all its qualities. The vapor permeability coefficient of the material is lower than that of aerated concrete blocks. This problem can be solved by providing additional ventilation.

Insulating walls made of aerated concrete with polystyrene foam will increase the degree of sound insulation, eliminate temperature changes in the house, and reduce heating costs

Sequence of work on installing foam plastic from the outside

To insulate the facade of a building, you must adhere to the following sequence

  1. Surface preparation. The aerated concrete surface must be cleaned of dirt, glue, and dents and other irregularities must be leveled;
  2. External application of primer for porous materials;
  3. It is recommended to reinforce the perimeter of the windows with fiberglass mesh. Its size should be such that 10 cm extends under the insulation;
  4. Gluing foam boards. A special one is used for this. Using a notched trowel, the adhesive is evenly distributed over small area walls outside the house or on a sheet of insulation. The foam is pressed against the wall with light movements. All joints are treated with glue;
  5. For additional external fastening, long plastic dowels with a cap are used - an umbrella in the middle of the sheet and at its corners;
  6. The sheets will be glued correctly with an offset, just like when laying blocks;
  7. Applying the first layer of plaster on the foam plastic, followed by gluing the reinforcing mesh. The joints of the mesh must be overlapped, so cracks will not form subsequently;
  8. Applying a second layer of plaster;
  9. Painting the facade.

Key points when working

In construction there is such a concept as “dew point”. The formation of condensate will depend on its location. When constructing walls, the point is located in the blocks themselves, but when they begin to insulate, a gradual shift occurs, moreover, towards the heat-insulating material.

High-quality insulation is the key comfortable conditions in room

We take into account the following points

  • The house must have proper ventilation.
  • It is necessary to select the correct thickness of the foam, taking into account the heat engineering indicators. It is possible to insulate the walls from the outside with thin sheets of 2 - 4 cm, but this would be a big mistake. The temperature in aerated concrete should always be positive. Central regions Russia has low winter temperatures, sheets 10 cm thick – The best decision, that’s when the house will be warmer.

Let us emphasize once again that polystyrene foam is less permeable to vapor, so moisture aerated concrete walls increases by an average of 6 - 7%. Humidity can be reduced with a good ventilation system. , lightweight waterproof material. It has poor vapor permeability. Other materials for façade insulation, such as expanded polystyrene foam and foam glass, are not so popular in use.

How important it is for the house to “breathe” depends only on you. You can make a house “breathable” if you provide good hood, and air flow.

Today, facade insulation with foam plastic is one of the most inexpensive methods, and is very popular, since the main purpose of insulation is to preserve heat. A material such as polystyrene copes well with this problem.

In two programs from the Stroy!ka (Construction) series, expert Andrey Kuryshev shared information about the construction of houses from gas silicate blocks. This material will be very useful, especially if you plan to build walls from gas silicate with your own hands. Andrey Kuryshev talks about the following:


  • Layout of a house made of gas silicate blocks. Is it necessary to insulate a house using gas silicate?

  • Construction of a house from gas silicate. Laying gas silicate. Adhesive for gas silicate.

  • Insulation of a house made of gas silicate

  • Interior partitions in a house made of gas silicate blocks

  • Roof of a house made of gas silicate blocks

  • Plastering walls made of gas silicate blocks. Ventilated facade.

  • Using floor slabs in a house made of gas silicate blocks

  • Gas silicate and moisture

  • Characteristics of gas silicate

Build!ka: Construction before winter

Construction: House made of gas silicate. We competently build and insulate a house from gas silicate blocks.
House made of gas silicate laid with glue. Internal walls are made of brick. House with shifted levels. Insulation of the foundation, foundation slab, blind area with extruded polystyrene foam slabs. How and why to separate the wood in the roof from the stone.

Stroy!ka: The truth about gas silicate

What is gas silicate? What are its properties? How to cover a gas silicate wall outside and inside to avoid moisture and related problems. Is it worth using gas silicate together with insulation?


Layout of a house made of gas silicate blocks. Is it necessary to insulate a house using gas silicate?
Large multi-level house. The enclosing structures are made of YTONG gas silicate blocks, and the internal walls are made of ordinary sand-lime brick. At first glance the building does not seem large. It's hard to believe there are 4 levels here. This type of architecture allows for the most ergonomic use of living space.

Four levels is very good. One flight of stairs passed and there was already a room. And in an ordinary house you need to go through two flights of stairs or crooked stairs.

In the basement ground floor residential. It is insulated with extruded polystyrene foam around the perimeter. The foundation walls are made of blocks. Heating is installed here. Small windows have been cut. All works on this area are carried out by only three builders.

Construction of a house from gas silicate. Laying gas silicate. Adhesive for gas silicate.
How the work was carried out: We marked the site, tied a pit to the site, dug a pit, poured a slab, laid the foundation with FBS blocks, lined the walls with gas silicate (YTONG technology - seamless joint on an adhesive basis), laid floor slabs and a roof.

Building such a house was not difficult. These builders worked with gas silicate blocks and gas silicate in general for the first time. Layed down gas silicate blocks on glue. I have a positive attitude towards this technology. Previously, the dimensions were not maintained so accurately, they varied up to 5-10 mm, so it was not possible to lay them evenly on the glue. And now laying gas silicate blocks with glue is economical and quick. The house needed 80 bags of glue. Taking into account sand and cement, concrete would be more expensive (Note: The question remains about the environmental friendliness of the glue!) In addition, I think that cold bridges are excluded (unlike concrete mortar).

Gas silicate blocks are used in two sizes. Regular blocks 25 cm high, and above the window opening 10 cm high.

Insulation of a house made of gas silicate
Gas silicate wall 50 cm, additional insulation will not be. Gas silicate here performs a load-bearing and thermal insulation function. If this is translated into brick, then in terms of thermal insulation properties it will probably be even more than a meter. The foundation and slab below were insulated extruded polystyrene foam. The 120 mm blind area will also be polystyrene foam. The blind area serves as insulation and also allows the house to look more harmonious (a house without a blind area looks awkward). Theoretically, thermal blind areas should be done everywhere so that the cold does not reach the foundation. This is definitely necessary on heaving soils. But on sand bars it’s probably not necessary.

Walls made of gas silicate, in addition to non-vapor-transparent plasters, are afraid of non-vapor-transparent insulation, such as, in particular. When you wrap a house with it, it’s as if you’re wrapping it in plastic film. If plasters have at least some vapor transparency, then EPS is completely devoid of these properties.
If you insulate a gas silicate wall with extruded polystyrene foam, an even more catastrophic situation will begin to occur. If plaster and paint still have at least some vapor transparency, although insufficient, then extruded polystyrene (EPS) has no vapor transparency at all. At certain times in winter, moisture and condensation will certainly form at the junction of polystyrene foam and gas silicate.

They wrote on my forum that they insulate houses in Siberia with polystyrene foam, after 5 years they remove it, and the whole wall is black with mold and black sludge. They are treated with chlorine and other expensive anti-mold agents, and then plastered again.

Houses made from gas silicate blocks should only be built from them! No insulation. You can budget a little on the thickness of the block. If the manufacturer recommends a 40 cm block for our climate, build from 50 cm. Then you will count on additional moisture that may occur during operation.

A vapor barrier is also used for the roof. The vapor barrier does not allow steam to pass through. Then there is insulation between the rafters, and waterproofing on top. The latter allows steam to escape from itself, but does not allow moisture from the roof to pass through. This allows moisture to roll off the roof. Mineral basalt wool is used as insulation (Note: The roof may leak, so using mineral wool in the under-roof space does not make sense. After all, mineral wool When exposed to moisture, it significantly loses its properties).

Interior partitions in a house made of gas silicate blocks
The interior partitions are made of white sand-lime brick. Sound insulation between rooms is much better than, say, from the same polystyrene foam or foam block. When you knock on a brick like this, the sound is dull. And when you knock on it, the whole house can hear it. The walls are mostly load-bearing, but few are non-load-bearing. In addition, the exhaust shafts are made of the same brick (Note: Plus, the high heat capacity of such walls allows you to store heat in winter and cold in summer).

Roof of a house made of gas silicate blocks
Ridge seal (shows foam-like tape). The roof will be ventilated to the ridge. To prevent midges from flying, it is used this material. It will fit well and act as a filter. There will also be a mesh near the rafters (for a ventilated gap).

Ordinary roofing felt was used as waterproofing. Metal parts waterproofed to the tree. Previously, our grandfathers made from oak wooden nails. They drilled and hammered them.

Wooden beams for the roof. Lathing boards, rafter system. Regular wood is used (pine, spruce). The wood is impregnated with a fire-bioprotective composition. The powder dissolves in water. Wood can be soaked, can be well treated with a brush or spray.

The roof in this house is made using classical roofing technology. The tree here is separated from the stone base by roofing felt. In the program "" Andrey Kuryshev explained why and how to properly separate wood from stone.

Plastering walls made of gas silicate blocks. Ventilated facade.
Construction plaster ST 29 to go through the seams (caulk). This repair composition is used after installation.

A mesh is used to putty the facade. There will be decorative tiles up to the window.

As befits gas silicate, it is laid on a thin glue joint and plastered from the inside. The thermal properties of gas silicate are not bad, but they are very dependent on humidity. We have a wall made of gas silicate blocks. The main danger in a house made of such blocks is a change in the humidity conditions in the house in winter. At home during this period it is warm, say +20 degrees. In the warm air of a house, 1 m3 of air at a humidity of 50-60% contains approximately 20 grams of steam. Outdoors at -20 degrees and humidity 50-60%, water vapor in 1 m3 of air contains about 2 grams. At the same time, steam tries to move from where there is a lot of it to where there is little of it. This is called vapor permeation pressure. The task is to create a barrier inside the room so that this steam enters the wall as little as possible. To do this, the inside of the room is plastered. We see damp spots on the walls. The walls have just been primed. The soil binds the dust on the wall. Without primer, the wall is very dusty, so the putty may fall off. The soil also improves vapor permeability properties. Primer is an adhesive solution that prevents the penetration of moisture. Then this wall will be plastered, painted or wallpapered. It's better to do interior wall as less vapor permeable as possible. To do this you can glue vinyl wallpapers, paint with paint that does not conduct moisture well. Bathrooms and toilets are tiled. Those. We create as many obstacles as possible for moisture. A normal house must have ventilation to allow moisture to escape.

If steam has entered the wall, but it will still enter, then the possibility of unhindered exit to the outside must be provided from the outside. If outer layer will be less vapor-tight than the internal one, then steam will enter inside and reach outer wall. The latter is cold in winter, there is a point in this wall called the dew point. It depends on the temperature inside the wall and the air humidity in it. A big mistake is to plaster a gas silicate house on the outside with cement hard plaster and paint it with some kind of vapor-proof paint. Then we will seal the wall from moisture.

I saw a sauna that was not vapor-insulated from the inside, but was simply insulated. The house was plastered with hard plaster and painted with a good paint that was clearly bonded to the surface. Over the course of several years, under a layer of plaster, the gas silicate cracked. Moisture accumulated near the outside of the wall. It froze and expanded the gas silicate. By knocking on the plaster, one could determine that it would collapse.

In general, houses made of gas silicate require a ventilated facade.

A ventilated facade is a system of steel or aluminum frame mounted directly on the facade of the building and lined with decorative panels on the outside.

The gas silicate remains uncovered from the outside. Some kind of slats are placed along the outer walls, on which the facade is hung (boards, siding, ceramic plates, plastic,...). Air should flow freely under the façade. Moisture should come out freely and unhindered from the unclosed wall and come out and erode.

Using floor slabs in a house made of gas silicate blocks
Many people are afraid that gas silicate is fragile. They have been building from gas silicate for a long time. But earlier the floor was made of wood, and in this case the floor was made of floor slabs. I stood on a cube with a side of 10x10x10 mm myself, there were no dents. It’s also scary that the nail is hammered in freely. But calculations show that everything is fine.

Gas silicate and moisture
They are afraid that gas silicate or aerated concrete will become saturated with moisture from inside. The surface itself does not absorb moisture. Just as she came in, she came out. If you cut the block, then the inner side already takes in moisture well. But there will be plaster on the inside. It will be outside too light plaster, so if it rains, the moisture will come out.

Characteristics of gas silicate
Gas silicate with a low volumetric mass of 500 kg/m3 has a compressive strength of 20 to 40 kg/cm2 due to autoclave processing, grinding of components and mechanical hardening. Shrinkage of gas silicate is up to 0.47 mm per meter, foam concrete - up to 5 mm. Gas silicate is used for masonry load-bearing walls cottages up to 4 floors, frame wall filling high-rise buildings. Permissible load per 1 meter of wall 40 cm thick is 112 tons.
Air enclosed in uniformly formed voids in cells with a diameter of 1-3 mm provides exceptional thermal insulation and heat-accumulating effect, superior to brick by 3-5 times. The high thermophysical properties of gas silicate allow houses to retain heat well, make the surface of the walls warm to the touch, and do not require additional thermal insulation material. Due to the large number of separated voids, very good heat storage capacity cool down slowly at home.

Another company that produces blocks High Quality in Lipetsk, is the Lipetsk Plant of House Construction Products (LZID). LZID has organized the production of aerated concrete blocks of the world famous Hebel brand. The company has been producing small wall aerated blocks since 1995. In 2004, the production line was equipped with equipment for hermetically sealed packaging of blocks - finished products packaged in a special shrink film, which allows you to store aerated concrete blocks on outdoors much longer than unpackaged ones.

Text notes on program materials "

Insulating the walls of a house solves a lot of problems, possible or already existing. The most serious of them is preventing the wall material from getting wet from the gradual accumulation of water vapor, squeezed out from inside the house. There is no way to stop this process; it goes on continuously as long as people live in the house.

Uninsulated walls accumulate moisture, which either freezes on the outside of the wall and destroys its material, or condenses on the inside surface, causing the wall to become wet and overgrown with mold or mildew.

Insulation - the only procedure that can stop moisture condensation and ensure steam escapes from the walls without loss of material quality.

Effective materials for insulation can include:

From a physics point of view, effective insulation transfers the dew point from the wall to the outside, best of all - into the insulation material. In other words, the presence of properly installed insulation redistributes temperature regime in the thickness of the walls, making them warmer and shifting the cold layers outward, causing the area of ​​possible steam condensation to be outside the wall material.

At the same time, the formation of condensation on the warm inner surface of the walls becomes simply impossible.

This process works most efficiently only when the insulating material is located externally.

There are internal and external insulation. With internal insulation, the insulation is located on the inner surface of the wall, with external insulation - on the outside. The effectiveness of internal insulation largely depends on the ratio of the vapor permeability of the walls and insulation, which should create a greater barrier to vapor than the wall.

Otherwise, steam will accumulate and materials will become wet at the insulation-wall interface (which is often observed). Usually, to protect against this, a continuous cutoff is installed, which makes steam removal possible only with the help of enhanced ventilation of the room.

Methods of wall insulation

In addition, the wall material ceases to receive heat from the inside, remaining only a mechanical barrier to external manifestations.

much more effective and preferable. It is this technology that brings the dew point outside, protects the heat of the walls from dissipating into the outside space and helps to increase comfort inside the house. The steam exit through the walls is not obstructed; it does not accumulate in the thickness of the wall or insulation.

In addition, there are many other advantages:

  • The volume of premises is not reduced.
  • The walls from the inside remain intact, no registration is required window units re-sloping and window sills.
  • The composition of indoor air does not contain excess moisture.
  • Additional sound insulation from external noise is created.

Therefore, internal insulation is performed only in addition to external insulation or when it is physically impossible to work outside. Insulation from the outside starts the right processes, and the likelihood of errors with this technology is much less, which allows you to do the work yourself.

Main types of insulation

Quite a lot of materials for wall insulation are produced, all of them have their own characteristics, their pros and cons. Today, the most suitable materials are those made from synthetics or natural minerals, because they have the most valuable qualities:

  • They don't rot.
  • They do not dissolve in water.
  • Do not change their shape during long-term use.
  • They have low thermal conductivity.
  • Available in a form convenient for installation work.

These properties are more likely to be found in:

  • Mineral wool (especially basalt wool),
  • Styrofoam.
  • Extruded polystyrene foam.
  • Polyurethane foam.
  • Foam concrete.

Most of the most suitable materials have a slab form of release, most suitable for installation on walls. Mineral wool is also available in rolls, but the slabs are more convenient, stiffer, and have clearer dimensions.

Which insulation is best suited for insulating a wall made of gas silicate blocks?

Gas silicate is a porous material. It consists of almost 90% gas bubbles, which determines its properties - high heat retention, lightness. At the same time, it can absorb water, so in order to maintain its working qualities, it requires the constant ability to easily remove moisture from the thickness of the blocks.

NOTE!

Of all the insulation materials used, the most suitable for gas silicate blocks is basalt (stone) wool.

The reasons for this lie in its properties: if foam or polyurethane foam has extremely low vapor permeability, then basalt wool allows steam to pass through well, helping to remove it from the thickness of the gas silicate and the insulation itself.

In this combination, the wall cake works in an efficient manner, allowing the steam to flow smoothly in the desired direction.

Basalt (stone) wool

Insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside - installation of a wall pie

Composition of the wall pie for gas silicate blocks:

  • Wall surface.
  • The insulation layer is optimally mineral wool (basalt).
  • Layer of vapor-hydroprotective membrane.
  • A counter-grid that provides a ventilation gap to ventilate the surface of the membrane and allows moisture to evaporate.
  • Exterior cladding - siding or similar, a layer of fireproof or decorative brick, etc.

As an option, they put it on the insulation adhesive layer, fiberglass mesh, leveling layer of primer and plastered.

wall pie

In some cases (for example, if the assembly was done using cement mortar and not special glue) A layer of vapor-conducting plaster can be applied directly to the gas silicate, to level the surface and create additional protection for gas silicate blocks from getting wet.

Hydro- and vapor barrier

A vapor barrier is not used to separate the insulation from the wall, as it will cause the accumulation of vapors escaping from the solid walls and wetting of the gas silicate.

On the contrary, free passage of steam through the mineral wool is required.

At the same time, atmospheric humidity can negatively affect the properties of the insulation, and mineral wool is prone to getting wet from the action of humidity.

The solution is the outer layer of a vapor-waterproofing membrane, which releases vapor from the inside, but does not allow moisture to pass through from the outside.

Installation of the membrane is done in as continuous a layer as possible, in horizontal stripes (starting from the bottom), with an overlap of layers of at least 15 cm and mandatory gluing of connections with special adhesive tape.

CAREFULLY!

No holes or violations of the integrity of the vapor-hydroprotective layer are allowed!

At finishing layer A membrane is not installed from plaster; instead, layers of external finishing (Glue-fiberglass mesh-primer-plaster) are applied one by one, which together act as a waterproofing barrier.

Sealing cracks and preparing sheathing

Preparatory work before installing insulation is the application of a protective primer layer, leveling the surface and softening the conductivity of adhesive transitions between blocks.

After this, onto the surface of the wall several horizontal rows of wooden blocks are installed the cross-section of which is equal to the thickness of the insulation.

After installing the mineral wool, they will serve as support for the counter-lattice strips, which are necessary to provide a ventilation gap and for installation external cladding. The bars are pre-coated with a layer of antiseptic(twice) to prevent rotting of the material.

Installation of sheathing

As an option, instead of bars, you can use a metal profile for drywall. The guides are installed in the same order, attached to the wall with dowels and screws (necessarily galvanized).

The counter-lattice can also consist of drywall guides. The connection of vertical strips with horizontal ones is made using standard screws for a drill.

Insulation of walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside with mineral wool

Let's consider the sequence of actions when insulating an external wall with slab basalt wool.

  1. Preparing the wall surface, if necessary, apply a leveling layer of vapor-permeable plaster. Dismantling of external window slopes and other elements that interfere with the installation of insulation.
  2. Installing horizontal bars (or drywall guides). The bottom row is located along the border of the plinth (base insulation), the subsequent ones are located with the calculation of dense laying of mineral wool slabs between them.
  3. The installation of mineral wool is done using glue; dowels with wide heads serve as additional fastenings. A dry mixture is used as glue; it is sold in paper bags (as for ceramic tiles). The choice of glue is made taking into account local climatic conditions.
  4. It is recommended to apply the adhesive both to mineral wool and to the wall., since mineral wool is a heterogeneous fibrous material with a loose surface that requires increased glue consumption.
  5. To avoid the formation of cold bridges, the joints of mineral wool slabs should be sealed with special tape or polyurethane foam.
  6. Installation of a vapor-waterproofing membrane. The work is carried out from the bottom up, rows of film are laid with an overlap of 15 cm and taped. The film is attached with a stapler and additionally secured with tape, nails or screws.
  7. After installing the membrane, a vertical counter-lattice is installed. The row spacing is 0.6-1 m (depending on the facing material). The thickness of the planks should provide sufficient ventilation gap - at least 3 cm.
  8. Installation of external cladding.

Sectional view of the device

Installation of mineral slabs

Laying insulation

Alternative insulation method

Insulation gas silicate walls outside should be done taking into account the properties of the material, which is prone to getting wet and accumulating moisture in its thickness. Therefore, the main condition for ensuring the proper operation of the wall cake will be the unhindered release of steam from the inside and reliable cutoff from moisture from the outside.

Then insulation can ensure heat savings, preservation of wall material and indoor comfort.

Useful video

Insulation of aerated concrete walls in a video tutorial:

In contact with

The popularity of houses made of gas silicate blocks is explained by their high performance characteristics: low price, large volume of blocks and speed of construction. To increase the protective properties of gas silicate buildings, insulation and waterproofing from the outside are required. When finishing blocks with brick, insulating materials are laid between the gas silicate and brick layers. Let's consider how best to insulate a house from gas silicate from the outside, what thermal insulation materials and how.

External thermal insulation of the house

Gas silicate – porous construction material, obtained from quartz sand, white lime, aluminum powder and water. The porous structure is formed due to the technology of foaming the material. Porosity is a parameter that makes it inert to external temperatures. Air layers trapped in the pores prevent cold air from entering the room.

A properly insulated house retains more than 50% of the heat lost if it is not insulated or the thermal insulation is laid in violation of the technology

In what cases is insulation necessary?

Gas silicate materials themselves have good thermal insulation properties. Considering this circumstance, the question arises: is it necessary to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks? According to current standards, under certain conditions, this is urgent need. Insulation will be needed when the walls are made of blocks no more than 300 mm thick. When the masonry thickness is 400 - 500 mm or more, thermal insulation is not required.

For blocks with a thickness of 300 mm or less, a thermal insulation layer will be required

One more circumstance should be taken into account. If installation is carried out using special glue, a tight fit of the blocks is ensured, in which the total area of ​​cold bridges is significantly reduced. Using cement mortar Instead of glue, the seams will be loose, letting heat out and cold into the middle of the building. Such buildings will require insulation. The need for thermal insulation also depends on climate zone.

Specifics of insulating walls made of gas silicate

Insulation of a house made of gas silicate blocks is carried out from the outside. The blocks retain heat, are not afraid of temperature changes, but are characterized by high hygroscopicity. Therefore, the insulation must be protected from negative impact external environment. External insulation saves indoor space.

Due to the shift of the dew point into the depth of the material, porous blocks do not freeze. If work is carried out in violation of technology, moisture that destroys the structure will settle on the walls. With proper installation of thermal insulation, you can significantly save on heating costs.

When choosing insulation technology, the following factors are taken into account:

An insufficiently or incorrectly insulated house made of gas silicate loses more than half of the heat.

What materials are used for thermal insulation

To insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks from the outside, they use different materials. Most often, slabs made of mineral wool, extruded polystyrene foam and plaster are used for these purposes. facade systems. Polystyrene foam and rolled mineral wool are used less frequently. In the past few years, aesthetically pleasing ones with excellent thermal insulation characteristics, thermal panels.

Thermal insulation with mineral wool

Vapor-permeable gas silicate is recommended to be insulated with materials that allow steam to pass through. Mineral wool meets this requirement; it will protect the walls, extend their service life and eliminate problems during construction. internal thermal insulation. When using vapor-proof material, ventilation will be required. Insulation with mineral wool will also provide additional sound insulation and protect the walls from fire.

Basalt wool– high-quality and reliable insulation obtained from rock

Thermal insulation work with mineral wool is carried out in several stages:

  • installation of vertical sheathing on the facade;
  • laying water vapor barrier;
  • installation of mineral wool, after which the material needs some time to stand;
  • laying the second layer of water vapor barrier;
  • installation of reinforcing mesh;
  • applying primer and plaster or other finishing materials;
  • painting after the plaster layer has completely dried.

The gap between the insulation boards should not exceed 5 mm to prevent cracks from forming.

Mineral wool between layers of water vapor barrier

A level is used to level the slabs when laying the first row. The slabs are laid in the form brickwork so that the seams do not overlap. To fix it to the wall, use the adhesive indicated on the package. Additionally, at the joints and in the middle of the slab, the insulation is fixed with dowels. Mineral wool absorbs moisture; installing a double-sided vapor barrier will protect against its penetration. The walls can be sheathed with siding on top of the insulation.

For external insulation of gas silicate houses with mineral wool, high-quality dense basalt wool is chosen, since the low density of the insulation will eventually lead to caking and sliding down. The guides should be located from each other at a distance that will be 1-1.5 cm less than the thickness of the slab. This is necessary so that the heat insulator tightly fills the frame. The vapor barrier film is laid with an overlap of 15-20 cm.

Basalt wool is a moisture-resistant insulation that can be used under siding

Expanded polystyrene - insulating material white, 98% consisting of air filling the cells of foamed polystyrene. This is a good heat insulator at a minimal price. It is characterized by durability, fire safety, environmental friendliness and high energy saving rates. A polystyrene sheet 3 cm thick is equivalent to 5.5 cm of mineral wool.

This is what insulation with polystyrene foam boards looks like in cross-section

When using polystyrene foam as insulation, additional vapor barrier is not required. Expanded polystyrene boards They are not afraid of moisture and are attached using special glue. For additional fastening of the insulation, disc dowels are used. Plaster is applied over the foam or the façade is covered with siding.

Important! Using construction foam one should take into account its low mechanical strength. Foam boards cannot withstand heavy loads.

The seams between the plates are sealed with polyurethane foam. Siding or plastering façade putty protects not only polystyrene foam from damage, but also polyurethane foam from direct impact sun rays.

Extruded polystyrene foam has advantages over conventional polystyrene foam, as it is of higher quality and more reliable.

Thermal insulation work is carried out in the following sequence:

  • Using glue, the slabs are mounted on blocks and left for a day;
  • dowels are driven into the corners and middle of the sheets;
  • a reinforcing mesh is attached over the sheets;
  • the surface is plastered and then painted or covered with siding.

To ensure that the masonry is level, use a level. For better fit Using glue, the slabs are lightly pressed against the wall. There is no need for gaps between the slabs; matching seams of each row is not necessary. High-quality reinforcement begins with strengthening the corners of the building, then the entire surface is strengthened from top to bottom.

Note! The thickness of expanded polystyrene for insulating gas silicate blocks is calculated taking into account the climate zone.

Insulation using thermal panels

Thermal panels are a system consisting of insulation, facing tiles and moisture-resistant boards. The insulation can be polystyrene foam or mineral wool, moisture resistant board is a structural layer, and facing tiles replaces putty and painting at the final stage. The use of thermal panels simplifies the process.

A house insulated with thermal panels does not require additional cladding

How to insulate a gas silicate house from the outside with thermal panels?

  • Installation is carried out on a pre-prepared sheathing made of profiles or timber, thanks to which a ventilation gap is formed. Metal sheathing made of galvanized steel. The design consists of U-shaped profiles, hangers and L-shaped strips. To attach the sheathing to the wall you will need a hammer drill, a screwdriver, an angle grinder, a level, self-tapping screws and dowels.
  • Upon completion of installation, insulation is laid, then thermal panels are screwed to the profiles.

This method of insulation is simple and does not take much time. Thermal panels reliably protect gas silicate walls from mechanical damage, cold and moisture. Manufactured with decorative finishing under brick, porcelain stoneware or a natural stone.

Video: proper insulation of a house made of gas silicate

If you are planning to build a house from gas silicate blocks, remember that if the material thickness is 300 mm or less, thermal insulation will be required. Insulation work, subject to the recommendations of specialists, can be done independently. This will take more time and effort, but you will gain invaluable experience. If you don’t have the time and desire to master the basics of a new profession, turn to professionals.

External building envelopes made of gas silicate blocks, which, due to their porous structure, have effective heat-protective qualities, in some cases require additional thermal insulation. Insulation of walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside is the most effective way thermal protection.

Why insulate

Sometimes insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside is required if the reason for additional thermal insulation is that the thickness of the external walls was incorrectly chosen during the construction of the building and freezing occurs, leading to inefficient consumption of thermal energy and associated economic losses.

Another reason may be that during renovations, the owner of the building decides not to move too much. effective thermal insulation premises from the inside façade walls on their outer surface. The installation of external thermal insulation is not allowed without external finishing, which, in addition to its decorative properties, serves as its protection from mechanical damage and aggressive atmospheric influences. Therefore, thermal insulation is usually installed in parallel with the exterior finishing of the building. An additional advantage is the increase in the internal volume of the premises adjacent to the external walls.

Processes affecting thermal insulation

Why is it better to insulate walls from the outside rather than from the inside? This is due to a process called vapor permeability. While a person is in a room, steam is released mainly from his breath. If the building envelope is vapor-tight, steam, instead of passing through the walls, condenses on them, creating a humid environment that adversely affects the walls and their interior decoration or cladding. However, the most active exchange of steam-air gases through external walls occurs in winter time of the year.


Migration of vapor occurs in the direction from heat to cold. If the insulation is located inside, when the walls freeze at the border of the insulation and aerated concrete block Condensation also accumulates. It is absorbed by the insulating material, which also usually has a porous structure and sharply reduces its protective properties.

The location of thermal insulation on the outside and the use of special film vapor-permeable, but at the same time waterproofing membranes, allows for the most effective use required properties aerated concrete blocks and the material selected for additional insulation.

What materials are used for thermal insulation

What is the best way to insulate a house? The most common materials used as insulation for gas silicate blocks
are foam boards and mineral wool mats.

Foam insulation consists of using flat slabs, consisting of polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam produced in the form of plates various thicknesses and sizes. Foam plastic is easy to cut, saw, and drill. When using correctly selected glue, it adheres well to a wall made of gas silicate blocks.

Mineral wool is produced under different trademarks, such as ISOVER, KNAUF, URSA in rolls or slabs with a thickness of 45 to 200 mm, sizes: width - from 60 to 1200 mm, length - from 1170 to 10000 mm. Insulation with mineral wool and its fastening to the facade is usually carried out using special dowels for gas silicate blocks.

Sometimes cement-sand or cement-lime plaster with a porous filler - perlite or vermiculite sand, having a bulk volumetric weight of up to 50 kg/m3, can be used. Foamed foam is used as a porous component. foam granules. When using such plaster, before painting the facade, it must be treated with deep penetration impregnation.

Another way to properly insulate gas silicate is to arrange a so-called ventilated façade. This is a type of decoration of the external walls of a house when cladding panels are assigned to the established metal carcass, the profiles of which can be made of galvanized sheet, of stainless steel, aluminum. A gap of at least 5 cm is left between the finishing sheets and the wall. Ambient air moves freely through it, which removes and dries condensation and moisture formed as a result of temperature changes from the wall of the building.


When using ventilated façade systems or fiber cement panels of the KMEW type, it should be taken into account that they can create additional load on the foundations and soil base. Therefore, before starting work, it is better to consult with specialists and perform a verification calculation of the load-bearing capacity taking into account changing forces.

Specifics of the work

Most materials used for exterior finishing of facades require preliminary installation of frames or lathing. Frames are needed to level the surface of the walls and to securely fasten the cladding, which can be used as façade products such as, from fairly expensive fiber cement panels to cheap pressed plastic siding, produced both in the form of so-called eurolining and in form sheet materials laminated with a film with a pattern in the form of stone, wood, and other facing materials.

Frames are made from wooden slats with a cross section of 50 x 50 mm or stamped metal strips made of galvanized sheet. The insulation is laid and secured to the wall of gas silicate blocks using glue in the spaces formed by the horizontal and vertical elements of the sheathing.


There should be no gaps or cracks between the frame and the insulation that form cold bridges and reduce the effectiveness of thermal protection.

For waterproofing external insulation it is better to use membranes or films that can combine vapor-permeable, hydrophobic and windproof properties. These materials are divided into types, such as:

  • perforated; they can have internal reinforcement made of glass-polymer fine mesh and be made of one or several layers;
  • porous; formed by compressed fibers, between which channels and pores are formed; due to light contamination, they are not recommended for use in highly dusty and gas-polluted outdoor air;
  • woven; made of polyethylene or polypropylene threads (similar fabric is used as modern burlap), are used in exceptional cases, do not cope well with waterproofing and are not good choice as a vapor-permeable membrane;
  • multilayer, consisting of 3 layers or cheaper - 2-layer ones have good wind protection and practically do not get dirty.


Is it necessary to insulate a house made of 400 mm gas silicate blocks?

Most regions of our country are located in difficult climatic conditions, characterized by winters with severe frosts, as well as very hot summer periods. If the home owner wants to save money, he can accept any thickness of external walls in his home. Including 400 mm, that is, 1 block. If we compare this with most brick houses, their walls are 500mm thick (2 bricks). If the walls of the house freeze in the winter, and those living in it will suffer from the heat in the summer - the choice was made incorrectly. The thickness of the walls of buildings also depends on the number of floors, the wind rose and their intensity. Studying your mistakes from your own experience is a thankless task. Therefore, before carrying out work, it is better to contact a construction organization that employs specialists in the field of construction physics. They will perform thermal engineering calculations and give recommendations on wall thickness based on the specified parameters.

A bathhouse with a steam room on the site is a structure that provides its owner and healthy image life, and entertainment - where else can you happily spend time with your family, relatives and colleagues.

Like the main house, the bathhouse can be built from gas silicate blocks. Insulation of this building will, first of all, be required in order to save cash on combustible materials required for kindling. How to insulate it? Internal insulation Bath walls are inappropriate for the same reasons stated above:

  • useful internal volume will be lost;
  • condensation will accumulate at the border between the internal thermal insulation and the wall, saturating the porous thermal insulation with water, depriving it of a significant share of its effectiveness and creating conditions for the appearance of fungus and mold;
  • temperature and humidity conditions in the bathhouse and its impact on building construction much more aggressive than a similar regime in the main house.

As in all other cases, it is better to thermally insulate a gas silicate bath with outside baths To do this, you can fully use the same methods that were used to insulate the main house on the site. However, as practice shows, best results in terms of the ratio - fuel economy / insulation efficiency is obtained when used for free-standing baths, saunas, insulation of steam rooms - ventilated facades.


Like many others construction works– the technology for thermal insulation of external walls of houses made of gas silicate blocks is quite accessible for DIY implementation. However, experience is required. Any mistake, even one that may seem insignificant at first glance, can lead to defects and damage expensive materials, and the work will require significant rework. Therefore, if you are unsure of your abilities, it is better to invite specialists who will carry out external thermal insulation within a reasonable time and with good quality.