Is it worth insulating with ecowool? Characteristics, disadvantages, application. Technical characteristics of ecowool Density of ecowool for vertical walls

Cellulose insulation "ECOWATA" is a wood-fiber insulation, first introduced on the Ukrainian market since 2008.

The structure is very loose, light warm insulating material, 81% consists of the finest cellulose fibers, 12% - antipyrine, 7% - antiseptic.

This composition and ratio ensure that the product does not ignite. Thanks to this composition, the material is absolutely safe in production, installation and further operation, it is a practice-tested insulating material with durable thermal insulation properties, a unique characteristic of filling cavities and reliability of safe use.

It perfectly protects against the harmful effects of carcinogenic substances emitted by asbestos boards, glass wool, polystyrene foam, etc.

Taking into account the low costs of installing insulation, good thermal insulation performance and environmental friendliness of the material, we consider the use of this insulation in construction to be optimal today, especially in the context of tightening requirements for the thermal protection of buildings and structures.

What is cellulose?

Cellulose is a long thread containing 300-10,000 glucose units, without side branches. These threads are interconnected by many hydrogen bonds, which gives cellulose greater mechanical strength.

Cellulose - consists of residues of glucose molecules, which are formed during the acid hydrolysis of cellulose:

(C6H10O5)n + nH2O -> nC6H12O6

Cellulose is a stable substance and does not collapse when heated to 200°C. Insoluble in water and weak acids. It is durable but flexible. Registered as a food additive E460.

Cellulose is a polysaccharide; in its pure form, it is used for the production of explosives, medical cotton wool, tampons and bandages, and in many syntheses. organic matter including polymers, adhesives, paints, unrefined or incompletely purified cellulose is used in the production of paper and chipboard.

Where is ECOVATA insulation used?

Ecowool insulation is used:

• for heat and sound insulation of floors between joists, interfloor ceilings and attic spaces dry laying method;
• for insulating the attic, pitched roofs And interior partitions;
• for insulation of the facade with subsequent finishing under siding, clinker, installation of a ventilated facade;
• at interior decoration under gypsum plasterboard, gypsum plasterboard using the dry method or wet application. In this case, the use of ECOWATA insulation allows you to completely fill all the voids, which solves the problem of thermal insulation of the inter-crown space.

Ecowool insulation is also used

• during the construction of new houses, buildings, structures for various purposes;
• when insulating floors, attics, attics;
• when insulating the walls of buildings of any design (external and interior walls- frame, timber, log, brick);
• during refurbishment (repair, reconstruction) of existing buildings, when additional insulation is required without dismantling structures,
• use at the construction stage allows the use of lightweight structures, reducing the thickness of walls, the load on the foundation, etc. All this can reduce capital investments by up to 30% of costs; there is no alternative to ECO-WOOL insulation.

What is the density of ECO WOOL insulation?

Insulation density is 35-60 kg/m3.

Is it possible to insulate with Ecowool over mineral wool? Will Ecowool shrink?

You can insulate it before. If the density is 45 kg/m³, Ecowool insulation does not shrink. However, further shrinkage of the old insulation is possible. A complete absence of shrinkage is guaranteed only when using Ecowool instead of the old insulation.

Is it possible to simply apply Ecowool insulation to the walls? Will the insulation perform the function of sound insulation? The problem is that neighbors can hear conversations through the wall

Ecowool insulation can be applied using a wet-adhesive method to walls and concrete floors, by the way, this is what should be done, because the problem of sound insulation needs to be solved not only on one wall, but in conjunction with adjacent walls and floors. After all, sound waves travel vertically and horizontally, through the floor, wall and ceilings.

You must then close it with gypsum board or gypsum plasterboard. In this case, ECOVATA insulation will remove acoustic bridges.

Is it possible to use Ecowool insulation to insulate a house along the facade under siding and what is the best way to do this?

There are several options for using Ecowool for insulating houses. If we generalize and talk about application options for finishing with siding, then we offer the following option (outside) for the facade: siding (hydroprotection), wind protection, Ecowool insulation, element building structure, finishing material inside the house.

In this case, there are two options for using ECOWAT insulation:

• 1st method is wet-adhesive, carried out along the enclosing structure, the applied layer with a density of 65 kg/m3 and after drying (up to 2 weeks, depending on the outside air temperature) is leveled with a trimming knife along the guides;
• 2nd dry method, a box-shaped structure is built from an element of the enclosing structure and wind protection, and guides. Then Ecowool insulation with a density of 50 kgm3) is blown into the formed box-shaped structure and any siding is installed on top.

Is it possible to fill the space between the roof (andulin) and the sheathing boards nailed to the rafters with Ecowool insulation?

Filling the space between the sheathing boards with Ecowool is possible. The recommended density of the material is not lower than 50 kgm 3.

Why is Ecowool insulation better than glass wool or mineral wool? And why doesn’t Ecowool insulation burn if it contains paper?

Glass wool and mineral wool can be easily mounted on flat surfaces, due to the fact that these materials have strict geometric shape(in the form of rectangular mats or long rolls).

This is where the advantage of such insulation ends. The shape of such insulation becomes a serious drawback when you need to work with complex and uneven surfaces; Ecowool insulation can equally easily insulate a space of any degree of complexity.

Mineral wool and glass wool have a binder containing phenolic compounds, which are toxic when burned. The binder burns out already at a temperature of 250 C.

Long-term operation mineral wool or glass wool causes (with at different speeds occurrence, depending on the manufacturer of the wool) similar problems, that is: the formation of condensation, mold, subsidence, the formation of cold bridges in the seams of the insulation. Moisturizing mineral wool by 1% increases thermal conductivity by 8%.

Mineral wool and glass wool do not “breathe”, so the use of such materials, for example, wooden house, completely eliminates its advantages.

Ecowool insulation is devoid of such disadvantages, it has the ability to “breathe”, retains heat excellently even when over-moistened (water flows in), does not freeze, does not lose its thermal conductivity properties, behaves like wood - it evens out humidity, creates a microclimate in the room, and serves as an excellent sound insulator material.

What layer (thickness) is needed to insulate floors, ceilings and attics? How much will the insulation consumption be for 1m2?

The minimum insulation layer is 150 mm, the material consumption for the dry method will be a density of 35 kg/m3 and approximately 5.5 kg/m2 for all horizontal surfaces.

What is the required thickness of insulation for walls and pitched roofs? What will be the insulation consumption per 1m2?

The thickness of the insulation will depend on the design, all vertical and inclined surfaces minimum thickness insulation 150 mm, material consumption ECOWAT insulation with the dry method, density 50 kg/m 3 and will be 7.5 kg/m 2.

What will be the insulation density when insulating the facade and the material consumption per 1m2?

The density of insulation along the façade using the dry method will be 50 kg/m3 and the consumption for a thickness of 100 mm will be 5 kg/m2. When applied using the wet-adhesive method, the density will be 65-70 kg/m 3 and the consumption at a thickness of 100 mm will be up to 7 kg/m 2.

Cellulose insulation is considered a fairly dense material. Even during the production process, the material acquires a rather complex structure - from 80% to 90% of ecowool consists of air, which is located in the pores of the fiber.

How high density is achieved

The production itself is based on the gradual grinding of waste paper into small fragments, and then into very fine fiber. Small volumes of static air allow achieving excellent thermal insulation properties. A lot depends on the process of laying the material, since if all installation standards are observed, not only the insulation characteristics will be preserved, but the material will not shrink significantly in the future.

Density of ecowool compared to other insulation materials

Good material density not only increases thermal insulation properties, but also prevents drafts, that is, reduces the breathability of thermal insulation. Compared to other insulation materials, ecowool has an average density:

but don't forget that general state ecowool depends on air humidity. The material can both breathe and completely restrict air flow when lignin is activated, forming a film over the entire surface. Such distinctive feature does not allow moisture to accumulate, which means the material does not become damp.

For better transportability, ecowool is compressed several times. Since the finished material is quite light, when packaged the density is 3-5 times higher than the original - up to 150-200 kg/m3. Usually bags or packages weighing 5, 8 or 15 kilograms are used; sometimes, on special orders for large objects, much larger bags are used. The packaging itself should indicate the density of the material, from which it is worth calculating for subsequent application.

Ecowool thermal insulation is fluffed to the desired state (increasing the volume 3-4 times), after which it is compacted onto the surface to be insulated. When using the dry method to insulate floors estimated density of ecowool should be 30-35 kg/m3. This is achieved by maximum loosening, after which the material is poured into the cavity between the logs 3-5 cm above the level, and roofing material(boards, chipboard) press ecowool. Depending on the required level of thermal conductivity, a layer thickness of 10 to 20 cm is used.

For inclined surfaces(for example, in attics) the density should be up to 45 kg/m3, while in the walls when using well masonry - 50-57 kg/m3. A higher layer height promotes better subsidence, so initially the density is increased by gradually compacting the material. Uniform ecowool density This can be achieved using special blowing installations with nozzles. The manual method requires more careful installation.

When using wet-adhesive application, the density is the same, since it depends only on the blowing intensity of the installation.

By simply compacting the material in the cavities, you can vary the saturation of the fibers, thereby obtaining one or another density for a specific insulated element of the object. Correct meaning density will help to calculate experienced craftsmen our company, based on the required value of air, sound and thermal conductivity.

The material began to be produced in Germany in 1928. After the Second World War, active construction began in Europe, new house-building technologies developed, which contributed to an increase in demand for Construction Materials and interest in inexpensive ecowool. Now the material is popular in Japan, Canada, the USA and Europe. In the Russian Federation, people only recently learned about insulation, but it has already gained popularity.

Ecowool – technical characteristics:

• High density;
• The thermal conductivity of ecowool is high;
• Moderately flammable;
• Non-flammable, produces little smoke in case of fire;
• Low breathability;
• Low vapor permeability;
• pH level - 7.8 - 8.3;
• Chemically passive material that does not cause corrosion of adjacent elements;
• Sound absorption 63 decibels with a material thickness of 50 mm;
• The material does not shrink, as it is springy and has adhesion to metal, wood, brick and glass;
• Experts have confirmed the hygiene of cellulose wool, it does not cause allergies, is absolutely clean and harmless;
• Installed by spraying, covers all cracks and hard to reach places, creates ideal insulation;
• Excellent manufacturability: simple installation, immunity to low temperatures– they work with ecowool even in winter.

The main advantages of ecowool

• Excellent thermal insulation - thermal conductivity coefficient at the level of the world's best insulation materials ().
• Low breathability: small-sized wood fibers allow even a thin layer of ecowool to retain heat. Heat transfer is minimal.
• Seams and voids are eliminated: ecowool is laid down as a continuous insulating layer, which is impossible with classic insulation with solid or roll materials. The result is insulation of the highest quality.
• High-level sound insulation: for example, a small layer of ecowool creates a sound absorption coefficient of 63 dB, but a dense layer of drywall with cotton wool retains 37 dB.

• Resistance to moisture: the material can absorb and release accumulated moisture without losing its basic characteristics. The capillary structure of cotton fibers prevents the accumulation of condensation and water droplets. Water flows out through cellulose capillaries. In winter, steam does not turn into condensation - no additional coatings are required to prevent its formation. Eliminating the need for steam insulation saves money and reduces work to a minimum.
• Environmentally friendly material: the insulation is made from natural non-volatile components that do not cause allergies or diseases. In case of fire, toxic gases are not released.
• The fire retardant in the material raised the level to the maximum fire safety. Ecowool does not support ignition and prevents its spread: salts and fibers contain moisture and water, which, when released, extinguishes the fire.
• Long service life and resistance to external influence: borax and salts protect cotton wool from destruction by microorganisms, protect it from rotting and mold. The strength of the materials is maintained, and rodents do not grow inside. The warranty period for ecowool is 50-80 years with proper use.

• The insulating material is very easy to apply, allowing you to work not only during the construction, but also in the reconstruction of buildings.

Read more about sound insulation. Sound is transmitted through gaps and cracks in the floor and walls. Ecowool creates a soundproofing wall, filling all the cracks and gaps. Fibrous structure The material helps to penetrate even the smallest voids.

The main indicator of sound insulation is the external noise absorption index, expressed in decibels. The index is measured by the frequency response of noise absorption by the fence.

Normal noise absorption index for partitions, houses, educational institutions, hospitals, recorded in the Code of the Russian Federation is equal to 60 Decibels.

We draw conclusions: to achieve the optimal noise absorption index, it is enough to lay out a 50 mm layer of ecowool.

About fire properties

Investigating the fire-fighting properties of ecowool, experts conducted an experiment - the roof of one plywood building was insulated with ecowool, and the second building was covered with glass fiber insulation. The fire was located inside near the roof. After 5 minutes, the fire had already broken through the fiberglass to the outside. After 20 minutes, the second building practically burned down, but the one insulated with ecowool itself extinguished the fire.

During a fire, the fire chars outer part ecowool, which, when exposed to heat, begins to release water and extinguishes fire. The low level of breathability and the dense crust of ecowool block the access of oxygen to it. Fire penetrates at a meager speed of 1-2 mm per minute. Plasterboard partitions insulated with ecowool have increased fire resistance. Combustion does not spread deep into the material, but remains at the top. Upper layer Burnt cellulose breaks down into water and carbon monoxide, so the material does not release toxic substances into the atmosphere.

7 disadvantages of ecowool

• Good thermal insulation and thermal conductivity decrease over time under the influence of such factors. During operation, ecowool reduces its weight by 20%. Experts advise laying the material in excess by 20-25% to avoid problems with operation in the future. Ecowool absorbs moisture well - by 9-15%, and over the year its humidity increases by 1%. With every percentage increase in humidity, the level of thermal conductivity increases by 2.5%. Therefore, for thermal insulation it is necessary to provide ventilation - to allow moisture to escape into the atmosphere.
• Installation requires innovative, expensive equipment - pneumatic devices that carry out high-quality installation of ecowool. Only modern equipment creates the necessary injection level and coating layer to further avoid shrinkage.

• For correct installation needed qualified specialists with experience working with ecowool - the material is very finicky and requires handling skills.
• When installed dry, the material can generate dust, and when installed wet, it takes a long time to dry. Ecowool can dry from 2 to 3 days - it all depends on the weather conditions and humidity level of the region where the work is taking place, sometimes drying takes longer. This is the biggest drawback of the material, because often there is not much time for construction. It is wet installation that gives the best result: the material is compacted and dries evenly, which ensures high level sound and heat insulation of the room.
• If we compare ecowool with polystyrene foam boards, it has low level rigidity, which does not make it possible to use the material as an independent insulation when installing floor screeds.
• If you carry out insulation work in a vertical base and do not improve the density of the insulation the required norm– 65 kg/m2, then shrinkage will occur in non-insulated areas.
• Builders do not recommend using ecowool near sources of open fire, pipes, stoves, and fireplaces. Due to constant exposure to heat, the insulating material begins to smolder. To protect ecowool, special coatings made of asbestos and cement, fire-resistant basalt mats, surfaces with foil to reflect heat are used - all this extra expenses and work.

How much does ecowool cost?

The main characteristics of the material for construction are optimal ratio prices with quality + cost of installation work. Cubic meter material today costs up to 4,000 rubles (as of 2014). In one cube. m includes 120 kg of material. During installation, the material increases its volume by 2-3 times.

Ecowool has no competitors in terms of price and quality ratio. The material is not so popular in the Russian Federation for several reasons: untimely appearance in unfavorable period for construction (90s), far-fetched complexity of installation work, high price at the beginning of sales, expensive installation equipment.

From the point of view of Russian users, ecowool is a new product on the market, the technical characteristics of which few people know. According to statistics, 90% of users now wait for a neighbor to supply materials, so that later they can verify its quality using someone else’s example. Let us note: residents of the USA, Europe and Japan have been using insulation for more than a century, and it is unlikely that our capitalist neighbors, accustomed to comfort, would use material with poor technical characteristics. Ecowool, the characteristics of which are almost ideal for economical and high-quality construction, undergoes several strength tests every year.

In terms of its characteristics, ecowool is not inferior to wood and cellulose wool; during installation, a tight-fitting layer of insulation is obtained that perfectly protects from cold and sound.

Ecowool – cellulose insulation, which does not change its basic characteristics even at a dampness level of 20%. (Ecowool packaging contains up to 10% moisture, so the best option its application - wet).

This loose, lightweight ecowool insulating material consists of 81% recycled cellulose and 19% additives - non-volatile flame retardants and antiseptics. This blown insulation, the installation of which is carried out using special equipment, which makes it possible to increase labor productivity to the maximum, and the economic effect can be felt already at the stage of delivery of the insulation.

Specifications :

Manufacturer's certificates can be seen

What are the main advantages of ecowool?

Excellent thermal insulation ability: thermal conductivity coefficient L = 0.032...0.041 W/m*K - at the level the best varieties mineral wool insulation.
- Low breathability: interlayer ecowool effectively slows down air movement due to the small size of wood fibers. Heat transfer through the insulation layer is minimized.
- No seams or voids: ecowool allows you to create a continuous layer of insulation, which is impossible with traditional ways insulation with slab or roll materials. The quality of the resulting insulation is very high.
- High sound insulation qualities: the noise insulation index, for example, on a plasterboard partition with a 50mm thick layer of ecowool is 63dB, while a “sandwich” of plasterboard and 100mm mineral wool is only 37dB.
- Moisture resistance: the material is able to accumulate and release natural moisture without losing its insulating properties. Thanks to the natural capillary structure, moisture does not accumulate in the form of microdrops. Moving through the hollow capillaries of cellulose fibers, it goes outside into the atmosphere. Condensation of water vapor in ceilings winter period does not occur - no vapor barrier layer is required. Eliminating the need to install a vapor barrier saves money, simplifies the design and improves the indoor microclimate.
- Environmental friendliness: Only natural ingredients are used, non-volatile additives. In case of fire, toxic gases are not released.
- Fire safety: and fire-fighting properties are achieved due to the presence of fire retardant in the material. As a result, it does not support the fire and actively prevents its spread: the water contained in the cellulose fibers and boric acid salts, when released, extinguishes the ecowool and the structure surrounding it.
- Biostability and longevity: Due to the content of borax and boric acid salts, the ecowool layer protects materials from destruction by microorganisms, protects against rotting and fungal growth. The structures do not harbor rodents and insects, and the quality of materials in contact with the insulation is maintained. Granted term efficient work ecowool (50-80 years) is almost equal to the service life of the building.
- Easy to apply insulation in hard-to-reach places, as well as structures with complex surface shapes, the ability to perform insulation work not only during new construction, but also during reconstruction of buildings.

Our colleagues, JSC "Ekorema" (Lithuanian Republic), conducted an experiment studying the fire-fighting properties of ecowool - the roof of the plywood building on the left was insulated with ecowool, the right building was insulated with insulation based on glass fibers. The source of fire in both buildings was located the same way: inside, near the roof. As you can see, within 10 minutes open flame broke through glass wool and structures. After 17 minutes, the roof was almost completely burned out, while the fire in the left building simply went out, the barriers from ecowool never got through.

During a fire, the flame front chars the surface layer of ecowool - borates, under the influence of temperature, intensively release water, lowering the temperature at the combustion front. This, combined with the ash-coal crust and low air permeability, limits the access of oxygen to the combustion site. As a result, the rate of fire penetration into ecowool is insignificant - 1-2 mm/min. Fire resistance plasterboard partitions, insulated with ecowool, is 0.65 hours. The combustion process does not spread into the deep layers, but stops on the surface. Surface, burnt layers of cellulose decompose mainly into water and carbon monoxide, so ecowool does not emit environment toxic substances, both in fire and in normal conditions.

Comparative characteristics of thermal insulation building materials.

Pivot table consumer properties the most common thermal insulation materials:

The fundamental factors in construction are the price/quality ratio of materials and the cost of installation work. Prices for ecowool in retail trade fluctuate at the level of 3,000 rubles per m3 (prices at the beginning of 2009). It would seem that the price is quite high! But don’t forget, you will pay this money for the factory one, not fluffy(density about 120 kg/m3) packaging. During installation, the volume of insulation will increase at least twice when laid in walls and more than three times when laid on floors.

Average retail cost of 1 m3 of insulation in Moscow (prices at the beginning of 2009)

Results.

As can be seen from the tables presented above, in terms of price/quality ratio, we have no competitors in our insulation market. Why is it not as popular as many other insulation materials? It is difficult to answer briefly this seemingly simple question. There are many reasons for this: the untimely appearance of this product in an unfavorable period for the construction industry (the distant 90s), and erroneous marketing moves by manufacturers (or more often, their complete absence), and contrived difficulties of installation work, and the high cost of the product at the initial stage. period, and the high cost of installation equipment, and much, much more.

But if you look at the situation from the point of view of our Russian buyer, this is relative New Product, hence the very wary attitude towards him. Most buyers take a wait-and-see attitude towards it: “Well,” they say, “when I see it at my neighbor’s, then I’ll try it myself.” It’s a completely practical position, but why don’t you, specifically you, become a “pioneer”? After all, the experience of using eco-wool goes back more than 100 years - would you agree that the thrifty and prudent Western neighbors in Europe, on the American continent and even on the Japanese Islands would not so widely use a technology that does not justify itself? It’s unlikely, therefore ecowool can be considered a quality-tested material. Unfortunately, society is inert and very reluctant to change its habits and stereotypes. Do not forget that when taking the first step, it is better to look forward than to the sides.

Ecowool, or cellulose insulation, is a modern thermal insulation material, which, thanks to its excellent characteristics is becoming more and more popular. Ecowool for home insulation is a crushed mass made from waste paper or wood cellulose.

The main initial components for the production of ecowool are waste from cardboard and printing production. To increase resistance to fire and decay, the mass is treated with special fire retardants and antiseptics.

Up to 90% of the mass is occupied by ecowool itself, and the rest is borax, which reduces its flammability, and boric acid, preventing the spread of fungus and harmful bacteria.

This insulation is widely used not only in private households, but also for insulation of public and production premises, various warehouses and trade pavilions.

Russian ecowool manufacturers present products that meet the following characteristics:

• Density, depending on the application method, ranges from 30 to 75 kg/m3.
• Fire safety complies with GOST 30244-94, and has group G2 (moderately flammable material).
• The ability to retain up to 20% humidity without losing thermal insulation properties.

Does not shrink.

Ecowool for home insulation - disadvantages and advantages

The main advantages of ecowool include:

• The ability to penetrate hard-to-reach places, avoiding the appearance of “cold bridges”;
• Has good soundproofing properties;
• Fire safety corresponds to group G2, which means that the material does not ignite in an open fire, but only smolders;
• When the humidity in the room increases, a favorable microclimate remains;
• Thanks to its simple production, the material is affordable;
• Since ecowool does not contain toxic or other harmful substances, it is considered one of the most environmentally friendly pure materials applicable for both wall and floor insulation under any finishing material (