How to properly insulate a house made of timber from the outside. What is the best way to insulate a log house from the outside? What makes timber the preferred material in private housing construction?

Master of Architecture, graduated from Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. 11 years of experience in design and construction.

Wood is a warmer material compared to brick or concrete. But in most regions, the thickness of structures made from it, which satisfies thermal engineering, is still significant. To decrease required thickness effective methods of insulation are used. Insulation can be carried out both from the inside and from the outside. This article discusses how to insulate correctly individual house made of timber from the outside with your own hands.

Advantages and disadvantages of carrying out thermal protection measures outside

Insulation of a house made of timber is designed to provide a comfortable microclimate in the room and prevent destruction load-bearing structures under the influence of cold. Protecting walls and other outdoor surfaces has the following benefits:

  • the dew point (the place where condensation occurs) is located on the surface, which does not allow moisture to enter the thickness of the structure;
  • protection from the cold not only interior spaces, but also the load-bearing structures of the building;
  • no decrease occurs usable area premises.

But this scheme also has its drawbacks.:

  • the difficulty of doing the work yourself from the street side in bad weather conditions and with a significant building height;
  • the need for additional finishing of the facade (siding).

Many people choose timber as a wall material precisely because of its appearance. When insulating from the outside, the siding will cover the logs and the original surface of the walls will be visible only from the inside. External insulation is correct to use from a scientific point of view, but the home owner is not always satisfied with it. If it is necessary to preserve the original facade of the building, it is better to use a scheme for installing thermal protection from the inside.

Materials for work

Insulation timber house can be done using the following types heat insulator:

  • mineral wool (basalt or glass);
  • foam insulation;
  • insulation with extruded polystyrene foam.


The easiest way to carry out wall insulation work with your own hands is to useexpanded polystyrene(foam or extruded). To work with this material no special skills are required and special means protection.

Foam insulation

Do-it-yourself foam insulation has the following advantages:

  • low cost;
  • ease of installation;
  • Possibility of use under siding without creating an air gap;
  • high thermal insulation characteristics;
  • durability of the heat insulator;
  • foam resistance to biological influences.

The disadvantages include:

  • flammability;
  • low strength;
  • instability to wetness when low temperatures ah (possible destruction);
  • when insulating walls with foam plastic from the outside, it is necessary to use siding or other durable material as finishing;
  • low vapor permeability requires careful attention to room ventilation.

Some of the disadvantages of foam insulation can be avoided by using its closest relative. Do-it-yourself insulation with extruded polystyrene foam has more high strength and moisture resistance. Thanks to the addition of special antipyrine substances to the composition of the material, manufacturers have achieved a flammability class for some products of G1 (low-flammability). The last two disadvantages of thermal insulation with foam plastic also apply to extruded polystyrene foam.

Insulation with mineral wool


The main advantages of thermal insulation of mineral wool walls include:

  • high degree of thermal insulation (low thermal conductivity);
  • fire resistance;
  • resistance to biological effects;
  • durability.

For wooden house It is best to use mineral wool insulation. Unlike the previous two types of insulation, it does not prevent air movement through the wall structure and allows the house to “breathe”.

The disadvantages include the following properties:

  • the possibility of the material scattering into individual fibers and getting these particles onto the skin and into the lungs. The problem is relevant only for the installation period and can be solved by using personal protective equipment by workers;
  • compared to polystyrene foam, insulation has a higher cost;
  • thermal insulation of mineral wool walls can absorb moisture and sag under its own weight.

It is important to remember that installing this insulation outside under the siding requires the installation of an air-ventilated layer at least 5 cm thick.

Insulation technology

Work on thermal insulation of walls under siding is carried out in the following order:

  • before insulating a house made of timber, it is necessary to clean the surface from dirt and dust;
  • vapor barrier device (can be skipped when using extruded polystyrene foam);
  • installation of insulation;
  • securing the waterproofing layer (also not necessary for extruded material);
  • external finishing of the facade.

Polyethylene can be used as a vapor barrier, but it is better to purchase a special vapor-proof membrane.

The fastening of the material depends on its type. Mineral wool insulation is attached to the wall with dowels between the bars. Fastening polystyrene foam is best done adhesives. This will ensure the maximum degree of thermal insulation due to the integrity of the surface.

Proper insulation of the house will allow you to avoid many problems during operation and significantly save on heating the building.

Owners of private houses made of timber do not think about comfort during the cold season so often, because wooden premises are quite warm, although they lose heat over time.

However, sooner or later, carrying out insulation work will become a necessity, and we advise you to prepare thoroughly in order to easily insulate a house made of timber with your own hands.

Timely thermal insulation will reduce electricity and gas costs, so let's understand the main stages of this process and watch a video on how to insulate timber house outside.

Advantages and possibilities of facade thermal insulation

Insulating a wooden house made of timber is a simple process that does not require specific skills. Moreover, it has several advantages:

  • at the same time, you can transform the facade of your house;
  • reducing the thermal conductivity of the room will reduce your heating costs;
  • the walls will be protected not only from the cold, but also from other seasonal factors;
  • no need to carry out additional interior decoration to keep warm.

There are several options for insulating a log house from the outside. They can help you with this foam boards or polyurethane foam spraying.

But the most common is a hinged ventilated facade, which involves the use of a heat insulator and external cladding. Proper insulation A house made of timber will protect you from the cold for a long time and will even help mask external noise.

Let's discuss its technology and find out what materials are needed to insulate a log house from the outside with your own hands.

External insulation of wooden houses

When fixing the insulation between the facade of the building and facing material there remains free space that performs a ventilation function. Thanks to air gap the beams do not rot, do not freeze and do not accumulate moisture even in adverse weather conditions.

Attention! Most often, a log house is insulated from the outside under siding: in this case, a wooden sheathing is installed to secure the finishing. You can also use porcelain stoneware, brick, wood or lining for cladding.

It is important to decide how best to insulate a house made of timber from the outside. Many people prefer to use foam, but we do not recommend choosing this material. If it copes with the thermal insulation of premises made of brick or stone with a bang, then in the case of wooden surfaces additional obstacles to air circulation are created.

If you are interested in letting the walls “breathe”, then the best option How to insulate a house made of timber from the outside - mineral wool and linen mats. By the way, the second material will have the additional advantage of being completely safe for your health.

Material calculation

We are talking about standard insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber from the outside, so we will calculate the materials for this example. Since mineral wool comes in the form of slabs or rolls, it will not be difficult to calculate the required thickness.

Advice: choose mineral wool in the form of slabs, as they will provide an economical finish and will be more securely attached to the walls. Unlike slabs, rolls mineral wool It is better to use it on surfaces with unevenness and defects.

Before insulating timber walls from the outside, it is necessary to calculate the consumption of insulating material.

In conditions of extremely low temperatures, it will be necessary to create two or three protective layers of medium thickness: this option is more reliable than one layer of material with large parameters. The standard slab thickness will be 5 or 10 cm.

If there are 20-centimeter walls, as well as in conditions where temperatures drop to at least 20 degrees below zero, it will be enough to create one thermal insulation layer.

When temperatures drop below 22-30 degrees below zero, it is necessary to lay out mineral wool in more layers.

In addition to the insulating material, you will have to stock up on slats and beams for lathing. In the case of creating one layer of thermal insulation, slats with parameters of 5 by 5 cm will be needed. For double-layer insulation, slats of 5 by 10 cm are used. Their number will depend on both the width of the mineral wool layer and the distance between the “sections” of the sheathing.

Another material you will need is - wind protective film . This film has diffuse membranes and promotes the passage of steam and moisture from the insulating material, but prevents the penetration of wind and moisture inside.

The diffuse film is fixed using a special stapler. The work also requires anchors, screws, and, if desired, also an anti-fungal agent. We recommend choosing products with additional fire protection.

Worried about heat loss in your home? Find out with your own hands: in detail about the materials, stages of work on thermal insulation of the roof and roofing in a private house.

Read about how to insulate a container for housing: a house made from containers needs more thorough insulation.

Stages of thermal insulation

Now let's figure out how to properly insulate a house made of timber from the outside.

Insulation of a timber house from the outside is carried out in several stages:

  • surface preparation;
  • formation of a waterproofing layer;
  • creating sheathing for insulation on the outside of a wooden house;
  • securing the insulation;
  • installation of the second waterproofing layer.

At the first stage, it is necessary to clean the surface as much as possible and treat it with emulsion agents against fungus, insects, bark beetles and other pests. You should not skimp on medications and leave some areas untreated, because after insulating the walls of a house made of timber from the outside, you will no longer be able to influence their condition.

Advice: Treat the walls of the house in sunny and dry weather so that the walls dry quickly.

Before you insulate a log house from the outside with your own hands, you will have to protect walls from moisture. Special membrane coatings are suitable for this. The stronger the film, the better, since the walls will be protected for long term. A high-quality membrane film will not only keep the walls dry, but also promptly remove accumulated moisture.

Any film of this type has smooth surface on one side and rough on the other. It is on the fleecy side that all excess moisture will pass through, so glue the waterproofing material with this side to the wall. Post protective covering overlap by 10-15 cm, and also tape each joint.

Next stage - creating sheathing. Measure the width of the insulating boards and begin fixing the wooden slats: the step between them should be smaller than these parameters, by a couple of centimeters.

The first wooden beam is fixed in the corner area of ​​the structure. Use self-tapping screws for installation. After installing it, proceed to secure the remaining beams at the calculated distance.

To do this job efficiently, first leave markings on the surface of the walls. It should be level, so use building level and scales. After completing the stage of creating the sheathing, make sure again that it is level both horizontally and vertically.

Next stage - installation of insulation- is the most important in these works. After this, waterproofing is carried out again, and this is done in a similar way to the method already described, so we will not stop at this stage. Let’s take a closer look at how to secure the insulation for a log house correctly.

How to fix a heat insulator

The installation procedure for a heat insulator is not particularly difficult. Firstly, mineral wool can be cut to the required parameters. Secondly, this material is quite light in weight, so fastening it into the sheathing will be quick.

The greatest difficulty will be insulating the corners of a log house. Tighten the corner insulating material– and securely fasten on both sides.

When installing mineral wool slabs, there is no need to use glue or fasteners: protective film and façade cladding will ensure durability of this material. But this is only possible if the recommended ratio between the width of the insulating board and the distance between the slats is strictly observed.

Important! Make sure that the material “lays down” tightly and that there are no gaps or free spaces on the surface.

Here is a simple way to insulate the outside of a house made of 150x150 timber if the specified parameters do not meet the requirements. If you cannot secure the slabs tightly, use anchors that are installed in increments of 0.5 m. Punch through the mineral wool and secure the timber walls to the surface. Hammer the wide-headed core into the anchor to help securely hold the insulating material.

TO next stage You can move only after completely “sheathing” the entire perimeter of the building with thermal insulation material. Waterproofing film, stretched from above, secured with staples.

Don't wait a while before starting facade finishing : Use clapboard, siding or another cladding option to make your home look presentable. appearance. Technology exterior finishing will differ depending on the type and parameters of the selected material, so this issue must be discussed with specialists.

Modern decoration of houses from wooden beams using insulation does not cause difficulties even for those who are not strong in construction and repair work. Just necessary perform each of the described steps sequentially. Such insulation will not take much time, and you control the costs of the thermal insulation process yourself: the market is represented protective materials with different operational properties and service life.

Video

A useful video on how to insulate a house made of timber from the outside will help you understand the features of each stage of this process.

How warm can a log house be? The tree is quite rightly considered warm material giving good protection by cold. In fact, wood is about five times warmer than brick, and foam concrete is 2-3 times warmer. But what happens in practice and how to make a house really warm?

Heat engineering issues

In order for the house to be warm, its walls and other enclosing structures must have a certain resistance to heat transfer. In accordance with SNiP 23-02-2003, the heat transfer resistance of external walls of residential premises is determined depending on the terrain.

For example, in the Moscow region, according to new standards, this indicator should not be less than 3.13 K m 2 /W. A wall 150 mm thick, made of pine timber, has a thermal resistance of about 1.25. With a thickness of 200 mm - approximately 1.6 K m 2 / W. In any case, before modern requirements The thermal insulation properties of timber walls are not up to the mark, although they are quite within the standards in force for buildings built before 2000.

From this we can conclude that in order for a house cut from timber to comply modern ideas about minimal energy efficiency, it is necessary to insulate it, and for this there are various materials.

How to insulate a timber house?

Before you begin work on insulating walls made of timber, you need to understand what is happening in the thickness of the wall, how it works to save heat.

In addition to the temperature difference on the inner and outer surfaces of the wall, we must not forget about the difference in humidity. The air humidity inside is always higher than outside. Steam penetrates the pores of the wood and moves towards lower partial pressure - towards the outer surface.

Most effective method insulation – external thermal insulation. With this method, the wall always remains warm and is not affected by frost damage. But it is very important that the insulation is sufficiently permeable to steam. High humidity walls can quickly lead wooden house into disrepair, and inside to create a very unpleasant, pathogenic microclimate.

Among modern heat-insulating materials Mineral wool allows steam to pass through best. For comparison, we can cite the vapor permeability of wood and various insulation materials.

  • Pine across the grain – 0.06 mg/(m h Pa).
  • Polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene) – 0.05 mg/(m h Pa).
  • EPPS – 0.013 mg/(m h Pa).
  • Mineral wool – 0.5 mg/(m h Pa).

From the given data it is clear that the best material To insulate a house made of timber from the outside, mineral wool is used. The advantage of vapor permeability is so great that it outweighs the not-so-low cost of mineral wool.

The best conditions for moisture removal are created by a ventilated façade, in which there remains between the insulation and the external cladding. air gap thickness 20 – 50 mm. There should be air access from below and exit from the top. In this case, a constant air flow is created in the gap, which prevents moisture from accumulating.

To prevent transverse diffusion of air into the insulation, it is covered with a windproof membrane, which does not prevent steam from escaping, but increases the efficiency of thermal insulation. For outer skin can be used vinyl siding, blockhouse or other suitable material.

Warming step by step

How to insulate a house made of timber: covering a new one timber house thermal insulation is possible only after its complete shrinkage. In any case, insulation of timber walls must begin with surface preparation. It is necessary to remove moss, clean areas damaged by rot or mold, treat the walls with an antiseptic and caulk the cracks.

The next stage is installation of the sheathing. It can be made from wooden blocks of a suitable cross-section, or from metal wall profiles for drywall. The profiles are installed vertically, every 40 - 50 cm.

First, you should fix the base profile that limits curtain façade below. Then brackets are attached to the wall with a pitch along the sheathing profiles of no more than 80 cm.

After this, thermal insulation slabs are laid on the wall, starting from the base. The bracket plates pass through the slabs through the slots made in them. Then, in the same way, it is laid on the slabs windproof membrane. On top of the membrane you need to install umbrella fasteners that will secure the insulation. It is important that the length of the brackets allows you to install the sheathing with the necessary gap between the insulation and the cladding.

The sheathing is mounted on the insulated wall. The profiles are placed on the base profile, aligned vertically and attached to the brackets with self-tapping screws or tear-off rivets. At the same time, not only the vertical of each profile is controlled, but also their alignment in common plane. Only galvanized fasteners should be used everywhere.

After installing the sheathing, the cladding is installed. It is important that the ventilation gap remains open at the bottom and top, and also that it does not create stagnant zones under the window sills. In addition, it is very important that any folds or irregularities in the insulation do not block the vertical air flow.

Calculation of insulation thickness

When calculating the thickness of the insulation, it is necessary to take into account the thermal resistance of the wall made of timber, in order to bring the total resistance of the wall to the required value. It is better to take the thickness with a margin in order to compensate for the influence of cold bridges and the possible deterioration of thermal insulation qualities at high humidity.

Hotrock mineral wool

So how to insulate a timber house from the outside. Hotrock mineral wool is European class basalt thermal insulation. The assortment includes slabs of different densities designed to insulate the most different designs, including ventilated facades. Depending on the characteristics of a particular object, you can choose slabs with a density from 35 to 90 kg/m 3. The thermal conductivity of all slabs in a dry state ranges from 0.035 to 0.038 W/m K. A 50 mm thick slab has thermal resistance equivalent to a 150 mm thick pine beam.

Basalt wool is completely non-flammable, does not retain moisture, is not damaged by rodents and insects, and fungi and mold do not develop in it. Based on the sum of its qualities, it is recognized as the best material for wall insulation.

Reason for high heat loss wooden houses usually lies directly in constructive solution of such a house, as well as in the thickness of its ceilings. The size of the timber used to build a wooden house is usually 150x150 mm. We began to build such houses using imported technologies, and where they came from usually has a milder climate and warm winters.

As a result of this design, we can observe the following:


  • on the one hand, the construction of such a building is extremely cheap;
  • on the other hand, there are huge heat losses, and, as a consequence, huge consumption of electricity and gas.

However, these shortcomings can be removed very easily, the main thing is to have the desire, skillful hands and knowledge. The most optimal solution- insulation of a house made of 150x150 timber from the outside. We will describe in detail how to insulate a house made of timber in this article.

External insulation of a house made of such timber must be carried out in several stages:

  • decide on insulation;
  • calculate the exact amount of materials;
  • install a thermal insulation layer;
  • conduct finishing facade.

Choosing insulation

For external insulation For a wooden house made of 150x150 timber, two materials are perfect:

  • expanded polystyrene (foam plastic) in the form of sheets;
  • mineral wool.

Insulating a log house with polystyrene foam is perhaps the most popular method of external heating. However, its use is not entirely rational, and we will explain why.

Polystyrene foam has a thermal conductivity coefficient of about 0.082 W/m2. At the same time, for mineral wool it is 0.036 W/m2. He spends a lot more heat, therefore significantly inferior to mineral wool. This drawback can be eliminated by using more thick layer polystyrene foam, but that's not all. This material is excellent for thermal insulation of brick or stone houses, but not wooden. main reason lies in ventilation rates. Mineral wool has excellent air permeability and at the same time perfectly insulates the room.

Polystyrene foam cannot boast of such properties. It perfectly protects from the cold, but does not allow air to circulate freely, and main feature wooden houses made of timber is precisely the need to “breathe”. After insulation with polystyrene foam, after some time the wooden walls will begin to become covered with fungus and mold, rot and collapse. After all, the formation of condensation cold winter It's just inevitable.

That's why, best choice For a wooden house, mineral wool remains.

We calculate materials

  • slabs;
  • special rolls.

The most suitable form for insulating a house made of timber is the form of a slab. This is explained by:

  • slabs are more convenient for walls;
  • they are more economical;
  • sticks better on vertical surfaces.

Rolled mineral wool is usually used on uneven surfaces. The thickness of one slab is usually 5cm. To correctly calculate the insulation layer, there are many special formulas, but here is the simplest method:

  • if the walls are thicker than 20 cm and the temperature in winter does not fall below -20°C, then one layer of mineral wool can be used;
  • if it falls below -22-25°C, then you need to use two, in rare cases - three layers.

In addition to mineral wool, additional wooden slats based on:

  • for single-layer insulation - 5×5 cm;
  • for multilayer - 5×10 cm.

You also need to buy waterproofing polyethylene film, anchors, screws and an antifungal agent. You will also need a special stapler with staples to attach the film.

Advice: It is better to choose a complex anti-fungal agent that is fire-bioprotective and also provides protection from fire. For example, SENEZH Firebio, Guardian or others.

We install thermal insulation

Installation of the thermal insulation layer is carried out in the following order:

  • prepare the surface;
  • install the first layer of waterproofing;
  • install the sheathing;
  • install insulation;
  • We install the second layer of waterproofing.

On preparatory stage the wood should be treated with the specified means.

Important! Here you need to approach this issue especially seriously, because then there will be no access to the surface.

After this, you need to wait for it to dry completely, so it is better to carry out this work only in the warm season.

The waterproofing layer is a special polyethylene film or diffuse membrane. When using membranes you need right side install it, because it has the property of allowing air to pass in only one direction. It is attached with construction stapler and must be placed with an overlap of about 10-12 cm. The joints are insulated using special tape.

Advice: it is better to subtract 2 cm from the length of the slab, and then install the sheathing. This will ensure that the slabs are slightly spring-loaded and held more securely.

After this, mineral wool slabs are installed. They are very easy to process - they are cut and can be given any shape. To secure them more securely, special anchors made of metal or plastic are used. It is best to use an anchor with a wide head.

AND final stage– thermal insulation – surface layer of waterproofing film.

Finishing

After the work is completed, it is attached to the wall wooden sheathing, which will serve as the basis for the future facade. You can use a variety of materials to decorate your home:

  • lining;
  • boards;
  • siding;
  • planken and much more.

After external insulation, it is also necessary to take care of internal heating, then your home will become as warm in winter and cool in the hot summer! Now you know how to insulate a house made of timber.

Andrey B.

The year before last I decided to insulate myself. The house was built like summer option. But over the years, we fell in love with our country house and live in it almost all year round. In our village we installed gas supply and installed heating system, overwintered for two winters. The first one was more temporary, and the second one we lived permanently. But I can’t say anything, the bills for the gas consumed were impressive. Therefore, having studied the issue, I began insulation. By advice knowledgeable people, purchased mineral wool Thermo plate from the manufacturer Knauf with a thickness of 100 mm.

Using self-tapping screws, I screwed a 100x50 strip vertically onto the wall of the house, then I made a template to fit the width of the mineral wool slab and screwed the rest of the strips according to this dimension. This is not at all difficult to do. Using a screwdriver, pre-drill holes for the thickness of the self-tapping screw in the 100x50 timber, and then easily fix it on the wall of the house. Next I laid the mineral wool. The thickness of 100 mm made it possible to lay the insulation in one layer, which significantly reduced the work time. Then I attached the diffuse membrane with a construction stapler. From 50x50 timber I made a sheathing for attaching the siding. Attached the siding.

Last year the winter was not the warmest, but the number of cubic meters of gas consumed decreased noticeably. This winter we live in country house. The house fully satisfies our need for warmth.

Vladimir U.

I was planning to insulate the house. I found specialists who advised making insulation from polystyrene foam. I don’t know what motivated them or what I thought, but I agreed. I purchased the material, did not skimp, took a very durable and expensive one. The team got to work, and within a week my house stood like a thermos. This is exactly what happened; at that time I did not understand that in two years the facade would have to be changed. So, after the specified time, out of necessity, I looked under the insulation and saw that the wood of the house was covered with black mold. I invited professionals who told me that due to the fact that polystyrene foam does not absorb moisture that came out of the house, condensation formed, which caused mold. I had to dismantle the polystyrene facade and use mineral wool as insulation. Which definitely cost me a pretty penny.

The godfather was going to insulate the house. We have the same ones, made of 150x150 timber. We bought plots together and built together. So he comes and says that he has found people who will spray us with polyurethane. He says that if there are two houses, they give a good discount.


I myself have been thinking for a long time that it would be nice to insulate it, then I can live in winter too. Without hesitation he agreed. And I don't regret it. Environmentally friendly, does not rot, spider bugs do not grow in it, durable. I covered it with siding and everything is beautiful.

Video on insulating a house made of timber:

https://youtu.be/5eBgKZWcdpc


We also recommend:

Standard timber section for frame house– 150 x 150 mm or 200 x 150 mm, and this is often not enough to support comfortable temperature in the house in winter due to the thickness of the building walls. Therefore, it is necessary to insulate a log house from the outside, and there are quite a lot of such technologies, as well as modern thermal insulation materials. It is considered an axiom that external insulation is much more effective than internal insulation, and this is true - the dew point shifts to safe place, the amount of condensation decreases, the walls continue to “breathe”, but continue to retain and retain heat in the premises of the house.

Preparatory work on external walls

Before you start insulating the house from the outside of timber, you should choose from the range of materials for thermal insulation the one that is optimal for the house specific design, choose the technology for laying it and prepare the wall surfaces.

Preparation of wooden timber walls comes down to visual inspection in order to detect cracks, pockets of mold and rot, peeling of bark islands, defects in the installation and fastening of doors and windows, etc. Then the walls are caulked or cracks are sealed (if they are found) in another way, for example, they are puttied with a special compound, the walls are treated with an antiseptic and fire-retardant substances. Caulk external wall is carried out using one of three well-known special heat insulators that have proven themselves better than others - tow, flax (flax batting) and jute.

Push the insulation into the cracks with a special wooden spatula with a narrow and thin blade. If you don’t have such a spatula, a metal construction spatula with a blade length of 60, 80 or 120 mm will do.

There are two ways to caulk the walls: insulating the walls of a log house from the outside, stretched, and laying it in a set.

Stretched thermal insulation of surfaces is done in the presence of narrow gaps, and in a set - wide ones. In the first case, the ventilation façade insulation is stretched along the gap thin layer and drive it in with caulk and a hammer until the space is completely filled. Laying in a set is carried out by forming balls into the size of the gap, then tow or jute is driven into the gap in the same way. Thermal insulation of a wooden house always starts from the bottom row.

When choosing a thermal insulation material, we take into account its performance characteristics:

  1. Compressive strength coefficient;
  2. Frost resistance;
  3. The service life indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

You can choose from the following list:

  1. Fibrous inorganic insulation materials– glass wool, mineral wool, stone or basalt wool;
  2. Polystyrene foam in slabs and sheets of different densities;
  3. Extruded polystyrene foam (EPP);
  4. Foamed polyethylene (FPE);
  5. Sprayed polyurethane foam (PPU);
  6. Izoplat boards are windproof.

Mineral wool and substitutes

Mineral wool is an excellent thermal insulator, but it is hygroscopic, and this disadvantage makes it a highly specialized material. Or, when insulating a log house with mineral wool, it is necessary to create additional layers of steam and waterproofing materials, so using mineral wool is not a cheap pleasure. When choosing to insulate a log house from the outside with your own hands using mineral wool, you should take into account the average annual air humidity in the region and the building materials with which the house is lined on the outside. Another requirement for mineral wool is that the house must have a ventilated façade.

Choose optimal material The table will help:

StyrofoamPolyurethane foamMineral woolXPS plate
CellularCellular and porousFibrous structureSealed cellular material
High moisture resistanceHigh moisture resistanceHigh moisture resistanceHigh moisture resistance
Light weightLight weightLight weightLight weight
Density – mediumDensity – lowDensity – mediumDensity – high
Compressive strength – lowCompressive strength – mediumCompressive strength – high
Eco-friendly materialEco-friendly material, but at temperatures ≥ 50 0 C it evaporates CO 2 and CO 3Eco-friendly materialEco-friendly material
Limited suitability for mechanical stress
Destroys quickly over timeTakes a long time to break downDurable materialDurable material
Destroyed under the sunDoesn't break down under the sunDoesn't break down under the sunDoesn't break down under the sun

Foam insulation

Foam is chosen based on its density - high density means low thermal conductivity. The table below will help you correctly navigate the characteristics of polystyrene foam when insulating a wooden house:

A log house can be insulated with any polystyrene foam standard thickness sheet or plate 5 or 10 cm.

Insulation with extruded polystyrene foam (EPS)

Before you insulate a house made of timber with EPS, think about exceeding the estimate - this thermal insulation material costs much more than polystyrene foam and mineral wool.

EPS is attached to the walls with glue, which should not contain acetone, toluene, water, ethyl acetate and all derivatives of these substances. Therefore, when using this insulation, it is recommended to buy the following glue:

  1. Adhesive foam brand "TechnoNIKOL";
  2. Glue “Ceresit” CT-85;
  3. Adhesive facade composition “Allfix”;
  4. Glue "Bitumast";
  5. Glue “Illbruck PU-010” based on polyurethane;
  6. Adhesive composition "Insta-Stick Universal-145345".

Foamed polyethylene NPE

Advantages of NPE over others thermal insulation materials the following:

  1. Low thermal conductivity coefficient;
  2. The elasticity and elasticity of the material allows it to be laid on uneven surfaces;
  3. Light weight and low cost.

Foamed polyethylene is produced as insulation high pressure(LDPE) and low (HDPE), the material is foiled with an aluminum layer on one or both sides. In individual construction, the following brands of NPE are most often practiced:

  1. Insulating harness “Vilaterm”;
  2. Rolled heat insulator in the form of “Thermopol” mats. Mat thickness – 1.5-4 cm;
  3. Roll insulation "Penofol". Has a foil layer on one or both sides.

When insulating a house with a layer of foamed polyethylene, there is no need to equip additional layers of vapor and waterproofing, and that too distinctive feature material – NPE is non-hygroscopic. And the low cost of foamed polyethylene rolls gives good opportunity save family budget without loss of quality of work on insulating the house outside.

Izoplat – windproof boards

The manufacturer is Finland, and everyone there knows about frost. Izoplat is made from fibers coniferous trees, without synthetic and harmful additives and additives. Standard sizes products - thickness 12 mm, length - 2700 mm and width - 1200 mm; in terms of heat retention properties, such a 12 mm thick plate is equal to a 44 mm layer of pure wood.

Positive qualities of Izoplat insulation:

  1. Sealed surface and elasticity, due to which windproof boards cover the walls of the house very tightly;
  2. Isoplat coefficient: λ10 ≤ 0.045 W/m K;
  3. Good vapor permeability allows the building wall to breathe, therefore minimizing the possibility of mold and other fungal diseases;
  4. High moisture resistance due to impregnation of the boards with paraffin;
  5. Noise insulation – 23 dB. For comparison: a three-chamber PVC window has a sound insulation of 47 dB;
  6. With dimensions of 2700 x 1200 x 12 mm and a weight of one plate of 9 kg, quick and easy installation on walls is ensured;
  7. Guaranteed service life – ≥ 50-70 years;
  8. Absolutely environmentally friendly, since the material is natural.

Basics of insulating a timber house

Wood is a hygroscopic material, so the surface of the walls can be deformed to a fairly large depth. Although profiled laminated veneer lumber is impregnated with moisture-repellent substances, the material absorbs moisture, although in small quantities, but sufficient to cause wall deformations. First of all, deformations manifest themselves in distortions of windows and doors, which have to be additionally insulated or reinstalled.

When insulating a house with Isoplat, you need to create a ventilation gap so that excess moisture comes out of the wood and does not deform it. Then a thermal insulation layer of slabs with decorative cladding made of siding, lining and other similar materials. Therefore, a ventilated facade for timber construction is mandatory.

  1. Wall surface;
  2. Wooden or metal sheathing;
  3. Insulation layer;
  4. Vapor barrier;
  5. Ventilation gap;
  6. Decorative protective cladding.

Regardless of the insulation material, be sure to observe the correct layer-by-layer fastening of building materials. And lastly: between the layer of any insulation and the layer decorative cladding it is necessary to leave an air gap of ≈ 10 mm.