Insulation for exterior walls of a house: types of thermal insulation and features of materials. External insulation for walls External thermal insulation materials for walls

– this is the placement of a thermal layer inside the wall frame. In some situations, it is necessary to reduce heat loss as much as possible by adding internal thermal insulation external. Let's figure out how and what to insulate wooden house from the outside, we will evaluate the characteristics, features of operation and installation of different materials.

Specifics of insulating frame houses from the outside

In quickly erected buildings using Scandinavian or American technology, the role of heat insulator is assigned directly wall panels. The insulation is mounted between the frame posts and covered with rough sheathing - wood-fiber panels, OSB boards etc.

However, if the work is performed poorly or the thickness or density of the insulation is incorrectly selected, the house may not retain heat well. To reduce energy costs and improve the indoor microclimate in winter, additional insulation is required.

A set of requirements is put forward for a heat insulator for external walls:

1. Low thermal conductivity. Among the insulation materials that can boast of this property are: polystyrene foam and mineral wool.
2. Minimal water absorption. Despite the additional protection of the thermal insulation layer from water, the insulation, one way or another, will come into contact with water vapor. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a material with low hygroscopicity.
3. Fire safety. It is optimal if the insulation has the ability to self-extinguish, does not contribute to the spread of fire and produces little smoke when burning.
4. Light weight. Frames are erected on a lightweight foundation and are not designed for significant loads.

Besides, facade insulation For exterior finishing should be well kept at home linear dimensions and do not shrink. Additional requirements: environmental friendliness and affordable cost.

Choosing thermal insulation: characteristics and features of materials

The optimal insulation option for outdoor use in frame construction – basalt wool. The material is thermally efficient and fireproof, but quite expensive. If you are on a limited budget, polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam with fire retardants is suitable.

Video: insulating the facade using the “wet” method

How to choose best insulation for the walls of the house outside. The most comfortable temperatures for residential premises are temperatures in the range of 20-25ºС and humidity from 50 to 60%. To ensure such a microclimate in the house, it is necessary to take care of the thermal insulation of the walls. The optimal exterior is selected taking into account the material of construction and must meet a number of requirements. The main criterion for any thermal insulation material is its thermal conductivity coefficient. The smaller this value, the better material prevents heat loss into the environment.

Fact! A home loses up to 30% of its heat through the walls.

How best to insulate the walls of a house

There are two ways to insulate a building - apply internal insulation premises or make insulation for the walls of the house outside. Which insulation is better to use? The answer is hidden in in short terms- "Dew point".

Thermal insulation of the room from the outside will ensure the correct location of the dew point

Dew point is the temperature value at which condensation occurs. The point with this temperature can be located in the thickness of the wall, inside it or outside. Its coordinates depend on physical properties wall materials, the thickness of their layers, as well as external and internal temperature and humidity.

Important! The dew point position will be more optimal even in a completely uninsulated wall than in one that is only insulated from the inside.

The correct location of the dew point (outside the wall) can only be obtained by installing the insulation of the walls of the house outside, selected taking into account the properties of the material and thermal calculations for thickness.

What is the best way to insulate walls outside?

Each type modern insulation materials for the outside walls of a house has its own characteristics and price range. But their main differences are:

• low thermal conductivity coefficient;
• minimum values ​​of water absorption and vapor permeability;
• the ability to regulate the indoor microclimate;
• high sound absorption rates;
• environmental cleanliness;
• fire resistance and fire safety;
• resistance to chemical attack;

Comparative table of thermal conductivity of building materials

• resistance to biological and mechanical influences (molds, insects, rodents);
• strength and durability;
• elasticity and lack of shrinkage;
• low weight;
• possibility of installation without seams, joints, voids;
• ability to fill complex and hard-to-reach areas;
• ease of installation.

It is also important to take into account how the consumer prefers to install insulation for the walls of the house outside. Videos showing the possibility self-execution Nowadays you can find enough works (as well as other manuals).

The optimal insulation for walls is selected taking into account the material of construction

Water absorption and vapor permeability are taken into account to ensure maximum protection of the room from moisture and are selected taking into account the climate and depending on the installation method. Thermal conductivity is used to calculate required thickness thermal insulation material. Most often used the following types insulation:

• expanded polystyrene (foam);
• extruded polystyrene foam (eps, penoplex);
• polyurethane foam;
• mineral wool;
• basalt insulation;
• liquid thermal insulation.

Polystyrene foam is a popular material for insulating exterior walls of a house.

Expanded polystyrene (foam)

Polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene) is one of the modern polymer insulation materials for house walls and is used in this capacity in almost all areas of the construction industry: civil and industrial. First of all, this material is characterized by low thermal conductivity (from 0.037 to 0.052 W/m*K, depending on density) and water absorption, resistance to biological and chemical influences, and high sound insulation and windproof properties. It belongs to the group of environmentally pure substances and is quite durable: its service life exceeds 50 years.

Fact! A layer of foam plastic 50 mm thick is equivalent to a wall of one and a half bricks in terms of heat retention.

Expanded polystyrene - easy to install and light weight

Among its other advantages are flexibility and light weight. This helps reduce the cost of delivery and installation, ease of work, and reduces the load on the walls, which, in turn, eliminates the need for additional strengthening of the foundation. The disadvantage of polystyrene foam is its flammability, however, the low price makes it possible to insulate all the outside walls of the house with foam plastic.

Extruded polystyrene foam (eps, penoplex)

Extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex) is one of the latest generation of thermal insulation materials. In its production, graphite is used in the form of nanoparticles, which increases the strength and energy saving of the product.

Insulation of walls with penoplex followed by cladding with siding

The thermal conductivity coefficient of penoplex insulation ranges from 0.029 – 0.031 W/m*K. It is resistant to mold, chemicals, insects and rodents, and is an excellent sound insulator. Thanks to this, it is possible to use penoplex as insulation outside: for walls wooden houses and other buildings, and inside: thermal insulation of ceilings (especially when installing “warm” floors), basements, balconies and loggias.

Polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam is a type of plastic with a cellular foam structure. The mass of cells filled with air is 90% of total weight product. Due to this, the thermal conductivity coefficient of polyurethane foam is one of the lowest - from 0.023 to 0.041 W/m*K.

Liquid polyurethane foam creates an airtight coating with excellent vapor and waterproofing

Polyurethane foam is different high level adhesion to all types of surfaces: concrete, brick, wood, metal - due to which an airtight coating is created with a guarantee of excellent vapor and waterproofing. A seamless method of application (using a compressor and a hose) and high elasticity makes polyurethane foam an indispensable material for blown-in thermal insulation when insulating walls outside buildings of complex shapes and frame houses. Insulation for external walls using the blow-in method can be applied at temperatures up to 100ºС, the service life is up to 30 years.

Liquid polyurethane foam can be used as blow-in insulation between the building wall and the cladding

The only disadvantage of the material is its high cost and the need to use expensive equipment for installation.

Mineral wool (basalt insulation, stone wool, glass wool)

Mineral wool is a product of processing slag (waste metallurgical industry) or rocks: basalt and dolomite. It is characterized by strength, non-flammability, durability, environmental friendliness, elasticity, high degree sound absorption, ease of installation and low cost. The thermal conductivity of this material is in the range of 0.034 – 0.037 W/m*K.

Mineral wool is fire resistant, environmentally friendly, has a high degree of sound absorption and is low cost.

For insulation work, mineral wool is used in the form basalt slabs or in rolls in a wide range of sizes. Mineral wool is used as insulation for the outside walls of a house. The dimensions of the produced slabs can be as follows:

• 1000 x 600 x 50 mm;
• 7000 x 1200 x 50 mm;
• 9000 x 1200 x 50 mm;
• 10000 x 1200 x 50 mm;
• 10000 x 1200 x 100 mm.

Expanded polystyrene boards may have joint grooves for ease of installation

Basalt insulation is used in buildings for any purpose, especially for insulation in dachas, wooden houses and buildings made of timber, brick or foam blocks. It is possible to work with this material at temperatures ranging from -60ºС to +220ºС, which is definitely convenient when installing on walls outside. Insulation in dachas, houses made of wood, brick or foam blocks, garages, warehouses and other buildings - this is an incomplete list of possibilities for using mineral thermal insulation.

It is most preferable to use mineral wool to insulate the outside of the house followed by siding.

Most preferred use mineral wool or basalt slabs when installing insulation for the walls of a house outside under siding. The use of mineral wool (along with polyurethane foam) to create blow-in insulation is also popular. With this method, using a compressor unit, the material is blown between the wall of the house and the finishing facade, which also serves as formwork.

Liquid thermal insulation

Liquid thermal insulation materials can be called insulation materials of a new generation. They can also be used for thermal insulation. metal parts(pipes or frames), and as insulation for houses made of foam blocks. Outside, on the walls, these ceramic multi-component substances look like acrylic paint. However, they differ from paint in the content of vacuumized voids (up to 80%), due to which they acquire the properties of a heat insulator.

Liquid insulation is similar to acrylic paint

Interesting! U liquid insulation materials record low thermal conductivity coefficient (from 0.0011 to 0.0015 W/m*K). For comparison, the thermal conductivity coefficient of vacuum is 0.

With a liquid consistency, these materials do not require professional skills and complex equipment for application to any surface: concrete, brick, metal, wood. They are applied using painting tools: brushes, rollers, airless spray guns- and fill all the voids and cracks. After 6 hours of drying, a solid, highly mechanically resistant coating is formed.

Fixing sheets of polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene is carried out with special fastenings of the “mushroom” type.

Due to their low thermal conductivity, liquid insulation for house walls helps reduce heat loss, even if applied outside thin layer. They protect the surface from weather influences (operating temperature range - from -60 to +260°C), solar radiation and precipitation, and metal parts from corrosion.

Interesting! Water absorption of most liquid insulation materials within 24 hours does not exceed 0.4% by weight.

Liquid insulation coating is one of the effective ways prevent the formation of condensation and protect industrial or residential premises from freezing and the development of all types of mold fungi.

Ways to insulate the walls of a house from the outside

Most modern insulation systems are universal and can be mounted outside the house on any walls: wood, timber, foam blocks, red or white brick; and also under various types exterior finishing: plaster, vinyl siding, decorative brick, stone facade slabs. After reviewing all the characteristics, you can choose suitable look wall insulation. The outside of houses made of timber is insulated in the same way as buildings made of other materials. Based on the variety of existing thermal insulation materials, for each type of wall in combination with its finishing, the most suitable the best option installation:

1. Installation of insulation under plaster.
2. Three-layer non-ventilated wall.
3. Ventilated facade.

Examples of wall insulation followed by brick cladding

Installation of insulation under plaster

When installing insulation under plaster, for exterior walls of houses, polystyrene foam, basalt insulation boards, sheets of mineral wool or penoplex insulation are most often used as a heat insulator. The insulation is fixed to the outside walls of the house using an adhesive solution and reinforced with fiberglass reinforcing mesh. Special “mushroom” type fasteners provide additional fixation of foam sheets or basalt insulation slabs. For the outside walls of the house, plaster is used as a finishing finish (method “ wet facade") or facing materials.

“Wet façade” insulation system

Three-layer non-ventilated wall

A three-layer non-ventilated wall is formed by the outside walls of the house, insulation and facade finishing, laid out taking into account the air gap. This method is used for installation with exterior brick finishing for the walls of a house. Insulation materials various types are used with this option, including thermal insulation materials for blow-in installation. This method is used for insulating various buildings, both brick or foam concrete, and wooden or timber.

Non-ventilated façade with blow-in insulation

Facade finishing is carried out with facing slabs, decorative or building bricks.

Ventilated facade

Insulation insulation for a ventilated facade is assembled from the following layers:

• waterproofing;
• insulation;
• wind protection;
• finishing facade cladding (lining, siding, panels).

The principle of arranging a ventilated facade

Installation of insulation as part of a ventilated facade is the most preferable option, since heat losses minimized due to wind protection. Waterproofing also provides additional protection of the wall surface from moisture. The use of a ventilated facade is possible with most types of buildings, materials and configurations of external walls and varieties facade finishing. This option is most common when installing insulation for the walls of a house outside under siding. Also this method installation is the best for insulating the outside walls of wooden houses: made of logs or timber.

Insulated walls can be lined with material to suit every taste

Regardless of the variety and type of material used as a heat insulator, any of the installation options mentioned must cope with the main tasks - insulation of the room, waterproofing of walls, protection from wind and drafts, as well as heat retention. An undoubted advantage of most of the materials mentioned in the article is the ability to independently install them as insulation for the walls of a house outside. Photos and videos, as well as other instructions, will be very useful.

To ensure a comfortable stay in your home in winter, many people insulate it externally. In addition, this improves the thermal insulation of the room in summer and prevents the walls from overheating. What is the best insulation to use for the outside walls of a house? The article will tell you their features.

Before insulating external walls, it is worth getting acquainted with its characteristics and main advantages.

Insulating the walls of a private house from the outside allows you to:

• Save useful space indoors.
• Protect the house from freezing.
• Increase the overall operational life of the building, without additional load on its structure and foundation.
• Improve the degree of frost protection. This is explained by the fact that insulating the outer wall of the house allows you to shift the point of condensation formation towards the thermal insulation layer. There is no risk of mold and mildew formation.
• Keep externally insulated walls from cooling down, and long time retain heat inside the building without losing it.
• Insulation for the external walls of a house from the outside quickly loses moisture, without changing its basic characteristics.
• Ensure high sound insulation of the room.

Before insulating the walls of a house from the outside, you need to pay attention to such material characteristics as:

• Vapor and moisture permeability.
• Degree of air and moisture absorption.
• Thermal conductivity.
• Resistant to temperature changes.
• Biological stability.
• Resistance to chemicals.
• Temperature retention coefficient.
• No shrinkage and aesthetics.
• Light weight.
• Easy to install with your own hands, so there are no butt seams.

Some characteristics of the most popular materials for thermal insulation of external walls are presented in the table:

Advice: In any case, the external thermal insulation of the walls of the house should create a rational warm design. In this case, everything should be taken into account external factors: rain, snow, strong temperature changes that the insulation must withstand.

Types of materials

At choosing insulation for the wall of the house First of all, the material of the structure must be taken into account.

Most popular types insulation materials and their characteristics are presented in the table:

Calculation of the thickness of the insulation layer

Of great importance for high-quality insulation of a building is the correct thermal calculation of the outer wall of a residential building.

This should take into account:

• Insulation thickness. Too small can cause the walls to freeze, and the “dew point” can be moved indoors. This will lead to an excess of moisture in the house and the formation of condensation on the walls. Increasing the thickness of the thermal insulation layer more than necessary will not bring significant improvements, but will only add additional financial costs.

Advice: Only a correctly calculated thickness of thermal insulation for a house will save money and maintain normal thermal conditions in the house.

• Thermal resistance of insulation material – R. This is a coefficient representing: the temperature difference at the edges of the insulation / by the amount of heat flow passing through it. This value reflects the properties of the insulation and is determined by: material density / thermal conductivity.

As R increases, they improve thermal insulation properties material. Formula for calculation: R = wall thickness in meters / coefficient inherent in thermal insulation of a particular material.

• Meaning R can be selected for different climatic zones according to the corresponding tables.

For example, the calculation chosen insulating a house with polystyrene foam 100 millimeters thick, with walls made of sand-lime brick, the thickness of which is 51 centimeters.

For this:

• Thermal resistance coefficients R for the wall and foam are calculated.
• The two obtained values ​​are added together.
• Wall thickness 0.51 meters/thermal conductivity coefficient of the wall material 0.87 W/(m °C) = 0.58 (m 2 °C)/W.
• The resistance to heat transfer of the wall was obtained from brickwork R=0.58 (m 2 °C)/W.
• The value of R is calculated for foam plastic 0.1 meters thick.
• Divided by the thermal conductivity coefficient corresponding to the foam, equal to 0.043 W/(m °C).
• The result was R = 0.1/0.043 = 2.32 (m 2 °C)/W.
• The resulting R coefficients for sand-lime brick and polystyrene are added up: R = 0.58 + 2.32 = 2.9 (m 2 °C)/W.
• The value is compared with the required coefficient values ​​for external walls in different climatic zones.

Analyzing the result, we can conclude that the building needs to be insulated with insulation at least 10 centimeters thick.

External wall insulation

After choosing the material, before insulating outer wall at home, you need to prepare the surfaces for further work.

For this:

• If necessary, remove the remaining layer of plaster down to the very base. The result is a smooth surface.
• In the presence of significant differences levels on the wall, recesses or protrusions of more than one centimeter, they are sealed with mortar or combed off.
• The surface is cleaned of dirt and dust.
• The wall is primed. It is better to use a primer with deep penetration.
• To obtain an even layer of insulation, a system of beacons and plumb lines is pre-installed. These elements determine the plane of the outer edge of the insulation, facilitating installation.
• High-strength threads are tied onto anchors or screws installed along the upper edge of the wall and dropped plumb to the bottom.
• Horizontal threads are tied.
• Using the resulting control grid, you can navigate when installing a heat insulator or frame.
• Further technology for insulating the external walls of a house is somewhat different for each material.

To ensure that all processes are completed correctly, it is better to first familiarize yourself with the video in this article.

Foam insulation

The instructions for carrying out the work are as follows:

• After preparing the surface, window sills are installed outside and the slopes are insulated.
• The ebbs are attached to the window itself or to an additional profile.
• The window sill is removed taking into account the insulation of the wall - one centimeter is added to the thickness of the insulation. In this case, the window sill will protrude beyond the finished wall by 4 centimeters.

• A starting profile is mounted below, which will ensure reliable fixation of the insulation from below.
• The mixture is applied to the wall.

Tip: Do not apply the solution to foam plastic. Otherwise, when gluing parts to the wall, voids may form between the flat plane of the foam and the uneven wall.

• The solution is distributed in an intermittent strip along the perimeter of the sheet. This strip, when the foam sheets and the wall come into contact, will spread under the edges of the adjacent sheets, which will increase the strength of the joints.
• A sheet is glued to the mixture, carefully positioned and pressed with force.

Tip: Laying foam on the wall should be done in a checkerboard pattern.

• Three days after gluing the sheets, they are nailed to the wall with special mushrooms or caps with a plastic sleeve.

• After attaching the fungus, a plastic or metal nail is driven into its sleeve.
• Approximately 5 mushrooms should be placed on the sheet, approximately 10 centimeters away from the corner of the wall.
• Carefully inspect the joints between the foam sheets for any gaps. If they are more than 5 millimeters, they should be filled with foam.
• In gaps larger than 1.5 centimeters, additional strips of insulation are inserted and blown in with foam.

• After 5 hours, the protruding parts are cut off with a knife.
• The joints are corrected using a foam float.
• All butt seams and fungal caps are puttied with an adhesive mixture.
• A mesh is glued to the corners and walls.

• The mixture is rubbed with sandpaper.
• The facade is primed.
• Finishing in progress façade wall decoration.

Insulation with mineral wool

Before, how to insulate the outside wall of a house with mineral wool, you need to properly prepare the walls.

For this:

• Wooden structures are impregnated with an antiseptic to prevent damage to the log house by microorganisms.
• Areas of walls damaged by rot, fungus or mold are thoroughly cleaned and impregnated with appropriate solutions.
• Walls made of brick and foam concrete are freed from peeling paint and plaster.

• Wet walls are thoroughly dried.
• Slopes and window casings are dismantled.
• All decorative and fastening elements that could harm the vapor barrier and insulation are removed from the walls.

• A layer of vapor-permeable membrane is placed under the insulation. In this case, the film is placed with the vapor-permeable side towards the wall of the house, and the smooth side towards the insulation. The role of the membrane is to ensure the removal of water vapor from the surfaces of the building walls through the insulation.

• Guides are fastened with self-tapping screws or dowels wooden slats, or metallic profile for fixing drywall. The pitch between the slats is taken to be 2 centimeters less than the width of the insulation elements used, and the thickness of the slats is equal to the thickness of the insulation.
• The slats are fixed from the corner of the house.

Tip: When using insulation in the form of mats, you should additionally secure it at the bottom of the wall horizontal rail, for installing the lower insulating mat.

• Mats or rolls of mineral wool are laid between the guide slats: the mats are laid from below, and the rolls from above, fixing the materials on the wall between the slats by surprise, or using dowels with a wide head.
• The slab material is attached to brick or block surfaces without a gap using special glue to ensure a tight fit of the insulation.
• First stacked whole pieces insulation, then the remaining areas around the door and window openings are filled.

• Another layer of film is laid for wind protection and waterproofing.
• The material must be vapor-permeable to allow moisture to drain freely from the insulation to the outside.
• The film is attached to the slats with clamps without tension.
• The entire layer of insulation and vapor barrier is additionally secured to the wall with wide-headed dowels.
• For better waterproofing The fastening points are taped with metallized tape.

• An important stage of wall insulation is the installation of a ventilated facade. In this case, the ventilation gap should be more than 5 centimeters. To do this, additional counter-battens are placed on the guides, and a ventilated façade is mounted on them. This could be: siding, block house or other materials.

• When externally insulating walls, their thickness increases, which will require the installation of new window slopes, window sills, trim and finishing elements.

External insulation of building walls with mineral wool is one of the most popular methods used for thermal insulation of buildings.

These are just some recommendations on how to properly insulate the walls outside the house, using the most commonly used types of material. When performing work, you need to be guided by your desires and capabilities, and most importantly, strictly follow the rules for installing a specific insulation.

The market for thermal insulation materials offers us a huge selection of options for external wall insulation, especially popular. These are products based on mineral wool, liquid insulation, classic polystyrene foam, and a variety of products made from polystyrene foam.

In this article we will figure out which insulation is better, study reviews, and find out what should be followed when choosing a thermal insulation material in each specific case.

1 Why do you need external insulation of the walls of a house?

External thermal insulation of walls greatly increases the comfort of living in the house, both in winter and in cold seasons. By insulating the walls of the house high-quality insulation, your house will receive full protection at any time not only from freezing, but also from overheating of brick, expanded clay concrete or gas silicate blocks in the summer.

Moreover, good thermal insulation materials, as a rule, are completely hydrophobic (for example) - they do not absorb water, so the walls of the house will be reliably protected from moisture.

Executed according to the right technology external thermal insulation increases the average temperature inside the house by 4-5 degrees, since the walls do not freeze in winter and do not transfer cold to the air inside the house, which, as reviews indicate, can significantly reduce the financial costs of heating the room.

High-quality calculated and executed thermal insulation even at the stage of building a house makes it possible to optimally select elements heating system, and save on both the boiler and radiators.

Similar savings apply to equipment for maintaining a comfortable temperature for humans during the hot season. Thermal insulation materials work not only for insulation.

Since their thermal conductivity is minimal, they do not allow the walls of a house made of brick, expanded clay concrete or gas silicate blocks to warm up under scorching heat. sun rays, as a result of which in summer the inside of such a house is much cooler than in non-insulated buildings.

The right approach to sandwich wall insulation

2 Types of insulation

As a material for external thermal insulation walls, depending on financial capabilities, foam plastic, mineral (basalt wool), liquid penoizol, or extruded polystyrene foam can be used. It is not recommended to skimp on thermal insulation materials.

Of course, there are ways to insulate walls made of brick, expanded clay concrete, or gas silicate blocks with polystyrene foam on a budget; such insulation will provide a certain improvement, however, you should not expect from it the same effectiveness as from insulating a house with basalt wool or foam insulation.

When choosing insulation, the key factor is its thermal conductivity coefficient, which will determine the thickness of the material layer required for wall cladding.

Almost all materials in demand today have an average price category this indicator ranges from 0.025 to 0.045 W/μ (Watt per meter per Kelvin). The extreme place is occupied by polystyrene foam, for which this indicator is equal to 0.043 W/μ like that of.

When choosing materials for external wall insulation, it is also important to take into account such qualities as hydrophobicity (resistance to water), chemical inertness and mechanical strength, since these factors directly affect the durability of the insulation.

It is best that the heat insulator also has noise-reducing properties, which will allow you to kill two birds with one stone: external insulation of the house will also solve the issue of sound insulation of the home.

According to statistics, at least 85% of private residential buildings built over 20 years ago do not meet thermal insulation standards. As a result, people are forced to spend a large number of funds for heating the premises in order to maintain a comfortable temperature for housing during the winter period.

As the graph below shows, even insulating the external walls of a house with a ten-centimeter layer of ordinary inexpensive insulation(the same polystyrene foam, or extruded polystyrene foam with), reduces heat loss through the walls by at least 3 times.

2.1 Mineral wool

The most popular insulation for the outer part of walls is mineral wool. Insulating walls outside with mineral wool is very popular due to the excellent thermal insulation characteristics and the moderate price of this material.

The concept of mineral wool can mean three types of insulation: wool based on basalt rocks, slag wool (made from slag left in blast furnaces of the metallurgical industry) and glass wool made from cullet and similar waste.

The most quality option mineral wool is considered basalt wool. The production methods of this insulation are based on the melting of basalt rocks.

Rock smelting can be carried out either in blast furnaces or by induction heating under the influence of electromagnetic radiation.

Molten basalt rock is fed into a centrifuge, inside of which there is a cooled forming drum. Due to the pressure drop and centrifugal force of the drum, individual basalt fibers are formed from the melt on its surface, which are fed to the former.

The forming unit turns individual mineral wool fibers into a continuous carpet like that, which is impregnated with additives that improve operational properties mineral wool.

Mineral wool itself is susceptible to moisture absorption in order to eliminate this disadvantage Manufacturers impregnate it with a polymer mixture, which, after hardening, gives the mineral wool the required hydrophobicity.

Comparison technical characteristics different types mineral wool

1. Temperature conditions: slag wool (SHW) – up to 250, glass wool (SV) – up to 450, basalt wool (BV) – up to 1000 degrees;
2. Thermal conductivity coefficient: ШВ – from 0.46 to 0.48; SV – from 0.038 to 0.046; BV – 0.035 to 0.042 W/m-k;
3. Flammability class: all types correspond to class NG (non-flammable);
4. Absorption coefficient for 24 hours of immersion in water: SW – 1.9%, SW – 1.7%, BW -0.095%;
5. Causticity: SHV – yes, SV – yes, BV – absent;
6. Concentration of binding impurities: for all types of mineral wool from 2.5 to 10%;
7. Nominal heat capacity: ШВ – 1000, СВ – 1050, БВ – 1050 J/kg;
8. Mineral wool sintering temperature: ШВ – 250, СВ – 450, БВ – 600 degrees;
9. Length of individual fibers: SHV – 16, SV – 15-50, BV – 16 millimeters;
10. The noise reduction coefficient is the same as: ШВ – 0.75-0.82; NE – 0.8-0.92; BV – 0.75-0.95.

Mineral wool is produced in the form of rolls and slabs, suitable for insulating walls made of brick, expanded clay concrete, or gas silicate blocks. This insulation, as evidenced by reviews, is the best option for thermal insulation attic floors, floor, and any flat surfaces.

2.2 Liquid penoizol

Of the liquid insulation materials, the most popular option is penoizol.

This is not an option that is suitable for arranging thermal insulation with your own hands, since you will need to rent special equipment that produces foam insulation directly on the job site, and pay the labor of the workers managing it, however, if you are not afraid of these difficulties and the accompanying financial costs, then penoizol is the best option for insulating the external walls of a house.

In general, the cost of insulating a house with foam insulation is comparable to the final price of insulating a house with mineral wool.

However, there is one important difference: penoizol is also successfully used for insulating internal voids of already used hollow walls made of brick, expanded clay concrete, or gas silicate blocks, without the need to dismantle them, which cannot be done with other insulation materials.

Among the advantages of insulating a house with foam insulation, one can highlight the maximum protection of walls from any external influence, since after hardening penoizol turns into a monolithic surface through which neither wind nor moisture passes.

Solidity guarantees and high-quality insulation, since the possibility of the formation of cold bridges, which reduces the effectiveness of the entire thermal insulation, is eliminated.

To insulate a house with penoizol, a plant is delivered to the work site that produces foam from a special resin and chemical reagents.

Penoizol is applied to the wall using a hose; the surface of the walls is first coated with special compounds to improve adhesion. A facing layer of siding or any decorative material is installed on top of the penoizol.

2.3 Extruded polystyrene foam

This material is used not only for insulating the external walls of a house. Due to its mechanical strength and durability, expanded polystyrene is also used for thermal insulation of the external contour of a foundation located in the ground.

Using extruded polystyrene foam to insulate a house stand is justified if your house itself has good thermal insulation and you are looking for an inexpensive and durable material.

Among all budget options insulation, polystyrene foam is the best option, superior regular foam in all respects. Among strengths The following advantages can be identified from this material:

• Maximum hydrophobicity (expanded polystyrene, like polystyrene foam, is completely waterproof);
• Low thermal conductivity coefficient, from 0.029 to 0.034 W/m-k;
• High density, and, as a result, resistance to deformation;
• Chemical resistance;
• Wide range permissible temperatures, from -500 to +700 degrees;
• Self-extinguishing property;
• Minimum panel weight and thickness.

It is also worth highlighting the ease of installation of extruded polystyrene foam on all types of walls. In order to fix this insulation on a surface made of brick, expanded clay concrete or gas silicate blocks, no additional installation is required load-bearing frame, which is necessary when installing mineral wool.

Extruded polystyrene foam panels are mounted on walls using liquid nails, and are secured around the perimeter with umbrella-shaped anchors.