Insulation of a wooden floor from below in a private house. How to insulate a wooden floor from below

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If during the operation of a residential wooden house Residents feel that the floor remains cold at any time of the year and no heating can save them from this phenomenon, then there are errors in the design or a construction defect. A poorly insulated floor creates problems for residents, as energy consumption for heating increases significantly. Floor insulation in wooden house from below should be carried out immediately after these unpleasant symptoms are detected.

Insulation works

Materials for thermal insulation

Thermal insulation is achieved when a layer of dry air is formed between the cold zone and the warm one. IN building structures this effect can be achieved using porous materials. They can be bulk, slab, rolled, or produced in the form of foam, which polymerizes in air. For insulation after completion construction work Any of them will do.

Mineral wool

Mineral wools include following materials, which differ somewhat in terms of installation technology, scope and physical properties very similar:

glass wool
mineral wool (basalt or made from other volcanic rocks);
slag wool.

All these materials have an important quality - they are not flammable, destructive changes begin only when exposed to temperatures of 700 degrees and above, while the insulation does not ignite at all. It is available in hard slabs or soft rolls that are easy to cut and install. When working with this, a respirator is required to prevent particles from entering the lungs. For private houses, mineral wools are also good because they do not harbor rodents and harmful insects.

Styrofoam

Insulating the floor in a wooden house with foam plastic from below is considered one of the simplest ways to provide additional thermal insulation. Polystyrene foam boards are very cheap, and they thermal insulation properties an order of magnitude higher than that of mineral wool and expanded clay. However, such insulation is not safe for wooden houses - when exposed to an open flame, it instantly ignites, emitting acrid smoke. In addition, rodents often make nests in its thickness, which will be impossible to get rid of.

Ecowool

Ecowool is a cellulose-based material. It is made from waste paper by adding borax and boric acid. When in contact with wood, such insulation will act as an antiseptic; in addition, a mixture of 80% cellulose, 12% boric acid and 8% borax is non-flammable, which is important for wooden buildings. Use ecowool in the form of bulk material, having previously loosened it in an auxiliary container. Waterproofing is only needed from below, and vapors coming from the room can be contained by a thin top layer of insulation without losing its insulating properties.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a mineral thermal insulation material that, in addition to construction, is used in the agricultural sector. It is produced without any chemical additives, is a completely natural material, does not burn or melt. Its only drawback is the ability to actively absorb moisture and lose its insulating properties, so its use requires high-quality waterproofing.

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Principles of installation work

Insulation of floors in wooden houses from below implies complete dismantling of the existing floor. The finishing coating is carefully dismantled, the flooring boards and other layers are removed. The preparation process also involves a thorough inspection and identification of the cause of heat loss. They can be caused not only by the lack of insulation, but also by the ineffective operation of the existing insulating layer. Most likely, this is caused by poor-quality waterproofing or insufficient insulation thickness.

After dismantling the boards, you need to completely remove the thermal insulation and, if necessary, dry it thoroughly for reuse. The waterproofing layer is also removed, and its condition is analyzed. Installation of a new insulating layer can begin only when only the logs of the entire structure remain in place, and the remaining elements have been removed.

Insulation of a wooden floor from below in a private house is carried out in the following order:

Rotten logs are checked and, if necessary, replaced;
Plywood or any board is attached to the joists from below, that is, a false floor is formed, the only purpose of which is to serve as the basis for the insulation;
Waterproofing is installed - thick polyethylene film;
The selected thermal insulation is installed;
The boards are laid and the finishing coating is restored.

Which material to choose?

In terms of efficiency, the main types of insulation do not differ significantly from each other. For use in wooden houses, insulation materials that primarily meet safety requirements are best suited, that is, they do not burn and do not emit harmful substances. In second place in importance is hygiene, that is, the ability to resist the occurrence of mold, insect colonies or rodent families, since in a private home you can get a lot of trouble from such uninvited guests. The third selection criterion is ease of installation and cost.

It is important to properly insulate the floor, as this will prevent heat losses from the building and will provide maximum comfortable temperature. There are two ways of insulation: from above and from below. Each case must be considered separately, since when thermal protection of different elements of a building is carried out, only one of them will be competent from the point of view of thermal engineering. When is it better to use floor insulation in a wooden house or in a country house from below?

Basic structures for insulation

Thermal protection vertical elements in a private house it is required in three cases:

insulation of the floor above a cold basement;
interfloor ceilings;
attic floor in the presence of a cold attic.

In the second case, work is carried out to improve sound insulation characteristics.

Insulation in a wooden house helps prevent the following problems:

overconsumption in the heating system;
violation of the temperature and humidity conditions of the room;
rotting of floor structures;
the appearance of mold and mildew.

In a private house or country house, it is worth thinking about carrying out thermal insulation measures at the design stage.

In what cases and why is insulation from below correct?

It is better to insulate the floor above a cold attic from above, but the thermal protection of the floor above the basement is technically more competent to perform from below. This has its reasons:

there is no reduction in the height of the room on the ground floor;
there is no need to choose dense rigid insulation that will withstand the loads from residents, furniture and equipment;
protection from freezing not only of the floor, but of everything wooden floor;
displacement of the dew point (the line on which condensation falls) to the surface of the ceiling from the thickness of the structure, which prevents rotting.

But when carrying out work in a private house or dacha, some difficulties may arise specifically related to work from below:

the need for more reliable fastening of the insulation;
the difficulty of working in low subfloor conditions;
the need to work on the ceiling leads to rapid fatigue of workers;
restrictions on types of insulation.

Therefore, if you are looking for simpler methods of insulation, we recommend that you read the following articles:

Material requirements

The peculiarities of the method of carrying out work force the use of only certain thermal insulation materials. The basic requirements when carrying out heat-protection measures in a private wooden house or in a country house from below include:

small mass of insulation, since the place of attachment to the ceiling experiences increased loads;
Ease of use;
high efficiency;
structure coherence (bulk materials are not suitable);
if possible, fire resistance, since when carrying out work in a wooden house it is necessary to ensure maximum fire safety.

There are many options for materials that satisfy all these requirements.

Materials for bottom insulation

mineral wool produced in the form of rolls;

Mineral wool in the form of rigid slabs can also be used; it is installed between the beams of a wooden floor in a country house or in an individual building from below so that the width of the slab is slightly greater than the clear distance between the beams. In this case, the rigid insulation will be held in place due to friction. The same applies when installing thermal protection on an attic roof.

Mineral wool insulation has the following advantages:

high efficiency;
non-flammability;

The main disadvantage of the material is that workers need reliable protection from contact of fibers with the skin and lungs: gloves, overalls, masks.

You can also use inexpensive polystyrene foam in your country house and home. Its main advantage, of course, is cost, but there are others:

good thermal insulation;
low degree of water absorption;
ease of installation;
there is no need for complex tools or special clothing.

The fact that the material has low strength is not important when insulating from below, but flammability and instability to the simultaneous effects of negative temperatures and a humid environment are obvious disadvantages. The solution to the second question could be reliable waterproofing and steam protection. Due to its low cost, this type of material has become quite widespread.

The third insulation option was polyurethane foam. This type thermal protection has the following positive characteristics:

ease of installation;
reliability of fastening due to penetration into cracks, irregularities and inaccessible places;
effectiveness as thermal protection;
resistance to biological influences.

Installation technology

Insulation with mineral wool from below

The fastening methods for each material are different, but when installing reliable thermal protection, it is necessary to follow the order of layers, which is the same for all. When insulating from a cold basement or underground, materials for insulation and protection of the insulation are arranged in the following order:

waterproofing;
thermal insulation layer;
vapor barrier;
floor design;
floor construction.

Compliance with just this order will ensure normal temperature and humidity conditions in the house. Next, it is necessary to consider in more detail the arrangement of protective materials.

In a house with an existing wooden floor on the 1st floor, insulation from below can be done by attaching bars with a cross-section from 50x50 to 50x100 to the beams below and placing insulating material between them. After waterproofing, the resulting pie can be hemmed with boards.

Waterproofing

Cold air from the basement can fall out in the form of condensation onto the warm surface of the ceiling. The constant presence of moisture on the structure will lead to the formation of mold or mildew, and subsequently to rotting, even if the wood is treated with special compounds. In addition, condensation is very harmful to the thermal insulation layer. It can lead to increased thermal conductivity. To avoid this, a layer of waterproofing is laid on the cold air side.

Vapor barrier

On the warm side, the situation changes. Here the problem is not liquid water, but warm steam. Penetrating into the thickness of the material, as it approaches the outer surface, the steam cools and turns into water. This process is especially dangerous because, unlike the previous case, moisture does not form on the surface, but in the thickness of the structure. This increases the risk of wetting and destruction of the insulation and rotting of wood elements.

Vapor barrier – polyethylene film

A vapor barrier layer prevents steam from penetrating from the room.

When insulating the ceiling of the upper floor, the arrangement of layers changes. Based on physics, it is necessary to place protection against steam on the warm air side, and against moisture on the cold air side.

In the simplest case, polyethylene film can be used as both types of protection. When insulating a basement floor, moisture and windproof membranes are sometimes used as waterproofing. They do not prevent air movement, but reliably retain moisture.

In order to reliably protect the house from the penetration of cold, it is necessary to think about this at the design stage, but measures to protect the basement floor from below allow work to be carried out during operation.

This method installation does not require dismantling the floor covering and does not create uncomfortable conditions for residents.

Video about floor insulation from the basement side with polyurethane foam:

It is important to carefully choose the material for insulation and follow all the manufacturer’s recommendations. This will ensure reliable and long-term operation. The thickness of the layer is selected depending on the climatic region and the selected insulation. Knowing the thermal conductivity and thickness of the layer, even a non-professional can perform competent calculations. This is possible thanks to the convenient Teremok program, which is freely available.

One of the common and important problems of a private house made of wood is a cold floor. This is due to the outflow of cold air currents from the ground that penetrate through the cracks. To make the room warm and comfortable, it is necessary to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below. How to do this, what materials are used for this and the main points installation work are described in this article.

Helpful advice! Working with cotton wool requires special protective clothing for the body, gloves and glasses. This is due to the fact that during installation work, small fibers are separated from the slabs. They can cause irritation and itching of the skin.

Floor insulation with expanded clay

Expanded clay is small round porous balls of shale or clay. They are obtained by firing materials in a furnace at high temperature. Expanded clay is considered a safe and environmentally friendly material. Among its advantages are:

high sound insulation;
resistance to low temperatures;
environmental safety for humans.

A noticeable disadvantage of this material is compaction under its own weight. Expanded clay balls are pressed together. This leads to an increase in the weight of the substance and a decrease in thermal insulation properties.

Helpful advice! You should not choose this material for floor insulation in a wooden house on screw piles. An increase in the weight of the floor covering can lead to subsidence of the foundation of the building.

Using sawdust for floor insulation

Sawdust is a waste product from the wood processing industry. They have good vapor and sound insulation characteristics, retain heat, and are environmentally friendly for humans. Sawdust is inexpensive. The resulting thermal effect is no worse than that of expensive materials. Thanks to the cement component, they are also well suited for insulating the floor in a ground floor apartment. Subsequently, laminate, linoleum, tiles, etc. can be laid on such a screed.

Before use, sawdust is subjected to special treatment. This helps prevent rodents and bugs from infesting them. Afterwards, they are mixed with cement and water and applied evenly over the entire flooring area.

Helpful advice!Instead of mortar, you can use clay. This material is environmentally friendly and has better thermal insulation characteristics than cement.

Sawdust is ideal for insulating floors on the ground, especially if the structure does not have a strong and solid foundation.

Floor insulation with foam plastic

Floor insulation with polystyrene foam is popular. Most often this material is called polystyrene foam. Advantages of this insulation:

low vapor and sound permeability;
low thermal conductivity;
resistant to external factors and chemicals;
does not lose its properties for a long time;
easy to install.

A significant disadvantage of polystyrene foam is its susceptibility to moisture. He can absorb it into himself. This has a negative impact on the main operational characteristics. He is also afraid of exposure to fire and high temperatures. But the simple and inexpensive technology of floor insulation with polystyrene is its significant advantage. This is what, in most cases, the home owner focuses on.

Helpful advice! If your dacha or a private house located on land with close groundwater or a high risk of flooding, you should not choose polystyrene foam as insulation. If the choice has already been made, you should take care of good waterproofing.

Ecowool

Polyurethane foam (ecowool) is an excellent way to solve the issue of floor insulation in an apartment on the ground floor and a private house (dacha). This material is blown into the free space using a compressor. This way it evenly fills all the voids. The small particles that make up ecowool provide excellent vapor barrier. The material is not exposed to moisture, so no additional waterproofing is needed during its installation. This allows you to reduce insulation costs.

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How to lay it correctly. Features of different types of insulation. Tips for caring for your floor. Popular manufacturers and cost of materials.

After hardening, a solid, even layer is obtained. It can withstand the load perfectly. Low weight does not increase the weight of the structure. The service life of this insulation is more than 20 years.

A significant disadvantage of ecowool is the need to use special industrial equipment.

Helpful advice! Professionals say that when insulating with this material, waterproofing is not needed. However, when insulating the floor in a country house without a foundation, it is better to lay an additional waterproofing layer.

Penofol: floor insulation

Combination of polyethylene foam and thin layer aluminum foil called penofol. It is sold as a rolled roll. The thickness of the seal is from 3 to 10 mm. Penofol retains heat well, is environmentally friendly, and has high sound insulation.

Retains heat well

The big disadvantage of this material is its susceptibility to moisture due to the presence of aluminum foil in the composition. Another disadvantage is that penofol does not have long-term use. After five years, it is necessary to re-insulate.

Key points of installation work

All materials used for floor insulation have their own methods of fastening. However, there are the main points of the thermal protection device. They are recommended to be followed when installing any material.

The order of arrangement of the main layers when installing floor insulation in a wooden house with your own hands:

waterproofing layer;
thermal insulation layer;
vapor barrier material;
immediate structural elements floors;
flooring.

Experts say that this arrangement of the main layers will allow for optimal thermal conditions inside the room. This technology maintains the necessary circulation of moisture in the house.

Helpful advice! When insulating the floor ground floor in a wooden house you can choose beams with a cross section from 50 to 100 mm. They are fixed from below, and a layer of insulation is laid between them. Additionally, the resulting “pie” should be covered with boards.

Waterproofing

When insulating the floor in a private house, you cannot do without waterproofing. Due to the ability of cold air to condense on a warm surface, the wooden floor is exposed to moisture. Its constant presence in the room leads to the active development of fungus, mold and causes rotting of the structure itself. Especially if no special means were used during the construction of the house.

When laying thermal insulation without a waterproofing layer, exposure to moisture negatively affects the thermal conductivity properties of the material. The result is an increase in indoor humidity and a decrease in temperature. Waterproofing helps to avoid these unpleasant moments.

A waterproofing layer is laid on the side exposed to cold air currents.

Vapor barrier laying

Human heat and equipment operating in the home release warm air. It passes through the ceilings and condenses when it encounters cold air. The problem with this phenomenon is that moisture settles inside the structure. As a result, the tree swells and begins to rot from the inside. Prevent this process processing with special means will not work. Therefore, when insulating the floor in a wooden house from below with penoplex or other material, the presence of a vapor barrier is mandatory.

When carrying out installation work from below, the vapor barrier layer is laid first. The simplest and most affordable material for this is polyethylene film. It is excellent for both vapor and waterproofing.

The presence of such layers in the floor covering must be designed in advance. If this was not done on time, then it is necessary to lay the film immediately after putting the house into operation.

Helpful advice! Moisture-windproof membranes are an excellent material for hydro- and vapor barrier. This material allows air to circulate and retains moisture from it. It can be used when insulating the floor with penofol or other insulation.

The main stages of laying insulation

The best installation option is to lay the floor insulation along the joists. These cross boards are used for subsequent flooring.

Main stages of work:

The logs are installed on the finished foundation. The recommended distance between the bars is no more than 1-1.2 m;
after this, thick plywood or chipboard sheets are installed. They are secured with self-tapping screws. This is how the base is prepared for laying the heat-insulating layer;
Insulation is laid between the wooden joists. Depending on the material used, the thickness of this layer may vary. In any case, it should not exceed the size of the logs themselves;
Next, a layer of waterproofing is laid. Although this step is recommended by experts for maximum results, it can be skipped. This is due to the resistance of some materials to moisture;
Now you can lay the flooring. It may be old. Or it can be replaced with a new one.

Compliance with the specified sequence will allow you to insulate a wooden floor with penoplex or other insulation.

Features of sawdust insulation

Insulating the floor with sawdust is an environmentally friendly and affordable way to keep the house warm. When choosing this insulation, you must adhere to a number of recommendations:

you need to add sawdust to the prepared mixture of sawdust and cement or clay broken glass. This will prevent rodents from appearing. Do not forget about the use of special solutions;
the mixture consists of five parts sawdust, one part cement (clay) and half water. This proportion must be observed. When mixing a steeper solution, you will get durable insulation, but with a low thermal conductivity coefficient;
carefully fill the voids between the joists. This will allow you to get an even layer of insulation. If you do not maintain this technology, the thermal insulation will be “leaky” and the floor will remain cold.

Helpful advice! Due to the availability of a large number of insulation materials on the market and the time required to prepare the mixture, sawdust is rarely used for insulation. However, they will help solve the issue of insulation with a limited financial budget.

Features of penoplex insulation

Due to its high strength and affordable cost, floor insulation with penoplex in a wooden house is more common than other materials.

Among the installation features of this insulation, we note the following points:

penoplex is laid between the joists and attached to the floor from below with assembly glue;
It is necessary to accurately and tightly fit the edges of the slabs. This will prevent cold air from entering;
the joints are additionally glued for maximum adhesion;

laying a waterproofing layer is required. This is especially important for a private house or cottage in a swampy area;
before laying penoplex wooden beams and crossbars are treated with a special solution. This will avoid rotting and the appearance of bugs.

Helpful advice! If you live in apartment building, then the choice of penoplex as insulation for the floor is The best decision. This material is laid thin layer and does not affect the height of the room.

Due to its light weight, penoplex is excellent for floor insulation in frame house. The load on the foundation of the building will be minimal. This will prevent the house from shrinking over time.

The main points of insulation with expanded clay

This insulation is installed according to the technology described above. However, there are a number of features that you need to know. To insulate the floor in a wooden house with expanded clay, you must:

be sure to lay a cushion of sand. It is poured in an even layer and compacted thoroughly;
A layer of liquid mastic is applied on top of this pillow. It plays the role of waterproofing;

Now expanded clay is poured. To ensure that the layer is as even as possible and without voids, it is recommended to use a material of different fractions. This will allow the granules to fit more tightly to each other;
a vapor barrier is required. Only after this can the main floor covering be laid.

Due to the noticeable weight of this material, insulating a wooden floor with expanded clay is best done with a solid foundation.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a wooden floor in a house: video

Today there are a great many educational videos on the Internet. self-installation insulation. Viewing them will allow you to understand the technology of performing the work, the principles of selection and the main stages of laying materials. In addition, such videos contain a large number of useful points. This way you can find out, for example, about correct filling floor screeds with polystyrene foam insulation.

To make the floor in the house warm, you need to take into account many nuances. Right choice insulation plays an important role in this. When choosing a material for yourself, you should not be based on price or installation technology. Consider the type of structure, the nuances of the landscape and the features of the house’s operation (permanent or seasonal). Based on this, you can choose the ideal insulation for the floor.

Floors in a wooden house must be reliably insulated. This will not only provide coziness and comfort in living rooms, but will also significantly reduce heating costs.

How to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below without opening the floor? Insulation of the floor surface without disassembling the floor is carried out if the heat escapes through the floors, bypassing the gaps between the floorboards. Another option, when insulation work should be carried out from below, is the reluctance of the owners to open the finishing floor covering, do insulation and make cosmetic repairs again.

Insulating the floor from below is not such a complicated process and it can be done on our own, without resorting to the help of professional finishing teams. An important point Before insulation - choose the right insulation material and carefully prepare for work.

Step 1 - material selection

Insulating a floor with your own hands in a wooden house is difficult, but it can be done. First you need to choose the insulation material. How to insulate?

Among the materials used to insulate wooden floors from below, there are several types:

Option 1: Mineral wool

This material is used most often due to its inexpensive cost, lightness, which makes it easy to mount it on a surface, and also for its good performance.

Mineral wool can be slag, stone or glass; all of them are quite suitable for insulating the floor in a private wooden house. A special feature of this material is its non-flammability, which is extremely important when used in wooden houses.

Among other things, mineral wool has high heat and sound insulation characteristics, is environmentally friendly and is not susceptible to various types of damage (fungus, mold).

The only significant disadvantage of this material is its fear of moisture. When exposed high humidity mineral wool can significantly lose its thermal insulation properties and over time become completely unsuitable for use.

It is convenient to attach mineral wool to the floor surface from below, since it is produced in the form of a bendable mat or dense slab, which can be easily cut to the required dimensions and mounted in a pre-prepared frame. As a rule, one layer in a wooden house is enough to avoid heat loss through the floor surface.

A mesh of logs, in the case of using mineral wool, is attached to the bottom of the floor surface and sheets of mineral wool are fixed between them, gluing the resulting joints and gaps with sealants or special tape.

Option 2: Extruded polystyrene foam

Another excellent type of insulation, which is widely used for insulating floors in wooden houses. This modern material is reliable and durable, environmentally friendly, has excellent heat and sound insulation properties, is resistant to moisture, is resistant to the growth of various biological environments, and is also absolutely static and strong when installed correctly.

A significant disadvantage of the material, in comparison with mineral wool, is its high cost. However, this disadvantage is fully compensated for by further operation and reduction of heating costs at home.

Expanded polystyrene is extremely easy to install. The fragments are cut to the required size of the room and placed between the erected joists from the bottom of the floor. The joints between the slabs are sealed using regular polyurethane foam.

The insulation can be installed without additional vapor barrier film, since it is not afraid of moisture. In addition, it can be laid in several layers, with overlaps, fastened with screws directly to the surface of the finished floor.

Option 3: Polyurethane foam

A good way to insulate the floor of a wooden house from below is to use polyurethane foam. Spreading over the entire surface of the floor, the foam fills the smallest cracks and gaps, even invisible to the human eye.

Distinctive Features This type of finishing is characterized by good fastening reliability, effective thermal protection, resistance to biological influences, and ease of installation.

Option 4: Expanded clay

Thermal insulation of the floor below in a wooden house can easily be done using expanded clay. It is a dry porous material consisting of small round balls based on slate or clay, baked in a special oven. It belongs to strong and durable materials that reliably protect the room from heat loss.

However, such an insulator is susceptible to increased humidity in the room, and over time it becomes denser and loses its insulating qualities.

There are still quite a lot of materials for insulating the floor below. In this article we try to consider the most popular of them, which are widely used in interior decoration.

Step 2 - surface preparation

Preparation of the surface of a wooden floor when insulating from below differs little from preparation when insulating wooden floors is carried out standard method, on top of the covering.

First, the quality and reliability of the existing subfloor boards and the joists on which they are supported are checked. If there are rotten boards or logs damaged by fungus and mold, they should be replaced with new ones or thoroughly cleaned.

Only after this they begin direct insulation with various materials, following a certain technology and without violating the layering order.

To attach most insulation to the floor surface below, install a sheathing with a section of 50x50. After installation, you should end up with a kind of mesh with cells into which the insulation material is then attached.

Step 3 - choosing a technology for insulating floors from below

So, the material is selected taking into account all the characteristics, purchased and delivered to the repair site. The time has come to begin the main stage of work - the immediate proper insulation.

It must be said that the technology varies slightly depending on the chosen insulation, since the fastening of the materials is different. But a single technology can still be identified, especially since the order of the layers does not change depending on the chosen insulation. And all layers are mandatory, since if you miss even one of them, the insulation cake can be considered incomplete and unreliable.

So, when insulating the floor in a wooden house from below, the following procedure for installing materials is used:

waterproofing;
thermal insulation;
vapor barrier;
floor covering;
finishing coating.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing is a necessary layer when insulating a floor, since cold air, rising, can accumulate on a warm surface in the form of condensation. Constant humidity will contribute to the growth of dangerous phenomena such as fungus and mold.

If waterproofing is abandoned, even special antiseptic compounds will not help over time. To avoid unpleasant consequences from the entry of cold air, a layer of waterproofing is laid.

Vapor barrier

The vapor barrier layer is an equally important layer when arranging an insulation cake. Warm steam from the side warm room, entering the thickness of the insulation cake, settles on the surfaces of wood and insulation material, contributing to their destruction and the formation of fungus and mold. Steam layer insulating material will avoid these unpleasant processes.

As a vapor barrier layer, you can use ordinary polyethylene film. Besides, in damp basements or utility rooms, moisture-proof membranes are often used, which prevent moisture from entering the insulation cake, and at the same time provide a vapor barrier.

Floor covering

It is worth thinking about insulating floors at the design stage of a wooden house. But when installing insulation from below, this work can be carried out during the operation of a wooden house.

Thermal insulation and finishing coating

High-quality thermal insulation made from below will not spoil finishing and will not disrupt the style of the room, will not bring additional costs for renovation of the room, and will also retain heat and create comfort in the room, reducing heat loss and heating costs.

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Insulating floors in a wooden house: features of various materials and methods

During construction country houses and cottages, special preference is given to wooden floors. Natural material retains heat well and resists temperature changes, but without additional insulation walking on such a floor will be uncomfortable.

Dense boards dry out over time, and drafts begin to blow from the crevices, which threatens heat loss and increased heating costs. Due to the properties of wood, the cracks between the boards will widen, the temperature difference will lead to condensation, and mold will grow on the beams of the first floor. Timely insulation of the floor in a wooden house will help get rid of these problems and make the home truly cozy.

Selection of material and preparation for installation

The correct choice of insulation directly affects the outcome of work carried out on the floor. In modern construction, the following is used for this:

pressed mineral wool (a refractory material with high thermal insulation properties);
penoplex boards (have a large margin of strength and are resistant to moisture);
sawdust granules (a practical option for insulation, additionally treated with an antiseptic);
expanded clay (natural porous aggregate used to create a thick insulating layer);
foam panels (despite the ease of installation, they require protection from rodents and exposure to flame).

During the insulation process, the floor covering is dismantled, and the space between the elements bearing the main load is independently filled with insulation from the list presented.

Choosing the right technological algorithm allows you to carry out construction work quickly and with the proper degree of efficiency.

Thermal insulation of low underground

The scheme of such insulation is quite labor-intensive and requires a special technological solution.

The small size of the subfloor will not allow you to go in from below and attach the insulation to the joists, and therefore for successful repairs it is necessary to remove the baseboards and floorboards of the first floor, having previously signed them for ease of reinstallation.

Preliminary work

When starting work, you need to check the wooden elements of the covering by cutting out damaged sections of the joists and replacing them with fragments of a similar size. If the size of the bars is insufficient, they must be increased using boards and screws. Deck support is created by attaching timber to the bottom edges of the joists.

The distance between them is measured, and pre-prepared lumber is used for further work. For ease of installation, each section of the board should be a couple of centimeters smaller than the installation pitch of the logs. By laying the prepared sections, a subfloor is constructed. To avoid movement of the wood, the joining of elements must be free.

Insulation and insulation

The further sequence depends on the nature of the rocks under the foundation and the amount of groundwater at the construction site. If groundwater are close to the surface, the optimal solution would be waterproofing with roofing felt or glassine.

The wooden base is covered with insulating material covering 10-15 centimeters of wall space. Rolls of material are overlapped and connected with tape, and, if necessary, secured to the walls with a construction stapler.

After this, the voids between the joists are filled with the selected insulation, and a gap of a couple of centimeters is made between the edge of the joist and its surface for ventilation. Another layer of insulating material is applied on top, protecting the coating from liquid flowing down.

When the insulation is securely fastened, it is necessary to install the floorboards in the reverse order according to the numbers indicated on them at the beginning of work, correctly attach the baseboards and cut the insulation along their edges.

Insulation of high basements

The guide below will help you understand how to insulate the floor in a wooden house with minimal labor and time. Mineral wool is a good choice for insulation; it is an inexpensive and common material for home construction.

The operating algorithm is the opposite of insulating low subfloors and does not require dismantling the floorboards. When starting the arrangement, you need to go down into the cellar and check the beams of the first floor for strength, replacing old parts if necessary.

Basement preparation

The thermal properties of mineral wool are reduced under the influence of moisture, therefore, for high-quality installation, a waterproofing layer will be required. It is attached from the underground side using a stapler, and does not allow liquid to be absorbed into the insulation.

During the work, you need to prepare the support bars and nail them from below to the side edges of each beam. If the basement is damp, the best solution would be to use galvanized profiles.

Laying mineral wool

Mineral wool is cut into large pieces. The width of each fragment should be several centimeters larger than the pitch between the joists. Properly cut material will fit tightly into the hole and will not interfere with the fastening of subfloors.

On ready material it is necessary to apply a second layer of insulation, securing it with a stapler from below. After this, you need to lay the wooden base boards, attaching them across the direction of the supporting beams. To protect against rodents, a fine-mesh metal mesh is placed between the wooden base and the insulation layer.

Double floor

This method of floor modernization is correctly used in wooden houses with high ceilings.

Standard scheme insulation of the first or second floor reduces the usable space by 15-20 centimeters.

For minimal size reduction you can purchase ready-made kits false floor.

Pre-installation

When arranging it yourself, you will need to remove the baseboards and dismantle the floorboards. All cracks are filled with polyurethane foam or specially prepared sawdust with glue.

After this, logs are installed with a half-meter step between them. The maximum distance should not exceed 90 centimeters. Next, you need to measure the height of the upper plane of each log, cutting off the excess with a plane. If the height is not enough, pre-prepared roofing material is placed under the beams.

Installation of insulation

After completing the preliminary installation, you need to lay a layer of insulation, applying it as a continuous sheet and covering the wall space from below. Pre-prepared insulation fills the gaps between the joists. In this case, it is necessary to remember about ventilation, leaving two-centimeter gaps above the surface of the material.

The insulated surface is covered with another layer of insulating material. Above the insulation it is necessary to mount and secure upper layer floor, which may consist of boards, plywood or moisture-resistant gypsum fiber sheets. After laying the flooring, fixing the baseboards and trimming the remaining insulation, the installation of double floors is considered complete.

Warm floor

Technologies modern construction involve the use of alternative insulation methods that can be used even in old houses.

One of these schemes is heating a wooden floor by circulating water through pipes. The tube system is installed on joists or attached to subfloor, and its safety for wood makes accidental fire impossible.

Preparation for installation

When installing a heated floor with your own hands, you need to dismantle the old covering and remove the subfloors. After this, thick beams need to be nailed around the perimeter of the room. This will serve as a support for further installation. After installing the logs with a half-meter step width, you can proceed to the direct installation of the heated floor system.

System installation

The wooden base, which holds water pipes and plates, is used as a subfloor, reducing the cost of purchasing boards. To protect against steam and liquid, this base is covered with a layer of polyethylene. After laying polyethylene, it is necessary to lay boards or install parquet or laminate flooring.

Additionally you can cover wooden base ceramic or stone tiles, lay linoleum or carpet. When performing this work on the first or second floor, you can use gypsum fiber boards. Such an overlap will protect the heated floor from deformation and heating, evenly distribute the resulting load, and also effectively conduct heat from the heater to the floor covering.

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How to insulate a floor in a wooden house

Polymer insulation
Conclusion

Needless to say, how important it is to insulate a wooden floor in a private house to achieve proper comfort for the people living in it. When heat is lost through the floor covering, residents constantly feel cold feet, which affects their overall well-being. It is equally important to save energy resources, up to 20% of which can be spent on heating the ground under the building. Therefore, this article is devoted to the issues of proper performance of work on insulating wooden floors and selection suitable materials for this purpose.

Wood floor insulation technology

We decided to start with this question because this technology is performed the same way, regardless of what type of insulation you decide to choose. The simplicity is explained by the presence of logs, thanks to which an empty space is formed between the base and the floor covering. It remains to figure out how to properly fill it with thermal insulation material and thereby insulate the floors in a village or country house.

First, a little about the design of the wooden floor on the first floor in order to better understand the physics of the insulation process. Logs are load-bearing wooden beams of large cross-section, resting on various types of foundations:

strip foundation;
frame pile-screw foundation;
brick pillars;
solid concrete slab.

In the first three cases, the beams are above the ground, so to create a rough filing, cranial bars are nailed to their sides on the sides. Boards impregnated with an antiseptic are placed and fastened on them, and they serve as the basis for laying the insulation. The floor insulation scheme on the first floor of a private house is shown in the figure:

In order for do-it-yourself floor insulation in a wooden house to comply with generally accepted technology, it is correct to proceed in the following sequence:
The bottom lining of the joists (subfloor) is covered with thick polyethylene film for waterproofing. The canvases are laid with an overlap of at least 10 cm.
Insulation is placed tightly and without gaps between the joists.
A vapor barrier film is again laid on top.
A clean floor covering with a ventilation gap is installed. When the thickness of the insulation is equal to the height of the beam, it will not be possible to create a gap and you will need to additionally install special strips - counter-battens.

For reference. Sometimes in old houses you can see how the floors are insulated from below. This method can be used when there is sufficient clearance between the first floor and the ground. Then in an old house you can not remove the floor covering, but insulate it from below and immediately attach boards directly to the beams, which is very inconvenient.

The bottom layer of waterproofing is needed to prevent water from getting inside and wind from blowing in. The upper vapor barrier will not allow moisture released inside the premises to penetrate into the thickness of the insulation, and ventilation will allow the surface of the film to be ventilated and dried. In principle, the same technology is used to insulate floors on joists lying on a concrete base. Only the waterproofing film is laid directly on top concrete surface with overlap on the joists.

Which insulation is better to choose for a wooden floor?

It must be said that the choice of thermal insulation materials is modern market so wide that it is sometimes very difficult for a simple homeowner to understand which insulation for a wooden floor is better. Let's give general list the most popular insulation materials and we will analyze the properties of each of them separately:

sawdust;
expanded clay;
basalt wool;
polystyrene foam and extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex);
foamed polyethylene (isolon, penofol);
polyurethane foam.

Before we begin to consider all the insulation materials used for floors on joists, it is worth touching on the topic of the thickness of the thermal insulation layer. In order not to go into complex calculations, the following method for determining it is proposed: for the middle zone with a temperate climate, the thickness of the foam layer (density 25 kg/m3) should be at least 100 mm. Accordingly, in the north this figure increases to 150-200 mm, and in the south it decreases to 80 mm.

Note. Polystyrene foam is one of the most common materials, so the calculations were made based on it. Other insulation materials will differ in thickness, but it still cannot be greater than the height of the beam and this must be taken into account.

Insulation with sawdust and expanded clay

These materials are still used to this day for insulating wooden floors on joists because they are the cheapest. Another thing is that their thermal insulation properties leave much to be desired compared to modern insulation materials very low. Therefore, they should be used when the requirements for insulation are low at home or at a dacha, where people visit periodically.

For reference. For example, the thermal conductivity of penoplex with a density of 33 kg/m3 is 0.031 W/m °C, while the best indicator of expanded clay with a density of 200 kg/m3 is 0.1 W/m °C. That is, 3 times worse.

Given the high thermal conductivity, when insulating with expanded clay or sawdust, there is no point in determining the thickness of the layer; each opening between the joists is filled to the top. In this case, the sawdust should be dry and, if possible, compacted. To prevent mice from eating them, an old folk method is proposed - sprinkle milk of lime on top.

Although sawdust decays over time, they can easily be replaced with new ones, and this is a plus. It will take more time to dismantle and reassemble the floor covering. At the same time, expanded clay is a very durable insulation material and will happily serve for as many years as the house itself lasts. By the way, expanded clay insulation is used as a combination with other materials. In this case, it is poured into the cavity between the subfloor and the ground, as shown in the diagram:

Use of mineral wool

The main advantage of mineral wool in slabs or rolls over other insulation materials is its resistance to high temperatures and non-flammability, which is very important for wooden structures. In addition, rodents do not like it very much. On the other hand, the material is able to absorb moisture and at the same time sharply increase thermal conductivity. Therefore, when insulating basalt wool it must be carefully protected from water vapor using different membranes (films).

Important. Cannot be used inside the house different kinds glass wool. This applies to ISOVER products intended for roof insulation.

Now let’s talk about how to correctly determine the thickness of the insulation layer for the floor. Since the thermal conductivity of mineral wool is only slightly higher than that of polystyrene foam, it can be taken with a thickness of 100-120 mm for the middle zone. If you take rolled material of a lower density, then it should be laid in 2 layers.

Polymer insulation

With polystyrene foam the situation is completely opposite: it is flammable, does not absorb moisture and is loved by rodents. The last drawback can create a lot of problems in the southern regions, since mice love to make nests out of foam plastic. Therefore, it would be better to insulate the floors of a wooden house with polystyrene foam or high-density penoplex. Rodents avoid these polymers, and their thermal conductivity is even better.

In addition, foam insulation will last longer, since foam plastic simply crumbles after 15-20 years. Another thing is that these materials will cost significantly more. There is one point regarding the process of laying polymer sheets itself. They must be clearly cut to size between the beams so that the insulation is inserted there tightly, no gaps are allowed. This can result in a lot of useless waste material.

As for products made of foamed polyethylene such as isolon or penofol, they are too thin and will not provide the necessary degree of insulation for wooden floors. The same penofol can be used to lay the subfloor before laying mineral wool, that is, to use the materials together. Both isolon and penofol are vapor-tight products, which means they can be used as an additional barrier against moisture penetration.

Polyurethane foam has virtually no disadvantages. It is durable, does not absorb moisture, is not damaged by rodents, and can withstand fire for some time. The thermal conductivity of insulation is almost the lowest among polymers. One problem is that applying it requires compressor equipment, which will cost you a pretty penny; you won’t be able to insulate the floor yourself.

Conclusion

As you can see, mastering the technology of insulating a wooden floor on joists is much easier than choosing insulation for this purpose. Which of the following is better - you need to be guided by local conditions and the size of your budget. In practice, most often homeowners implement inexpensive options– cotton wool and polystyrene foam. If you have financial capabilities, then The best way- application of polyurethane foam.

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How to insulate a floor in a wooden house with your own hands

The floor in a wooden house or country house is the coldest part of the structure. There is no secret in this, ordinary physics. Warm air is lighter and goes up, while cold air, on the contrary, goes down. Therefore, to create a comfortable microclimate, eliminate future drafts blowing from the cracks between the boards, and excessive energy consumption for heating, you need to take care of the thermal insulation of the floor.

Modern materials and technologies make it possible to insulate the floor in a private house with your own hands, without the involvement of expensive specialists. The main thing is to carefully study the types of insulation available on the market, choose the one that best suits your price and quality requirements, and install the thermal insulation correctly.

Insulation of the floor before laying the finishing coating

The best option Insulating the floor in a private wooden house is considered to create a so-called double floor. When a thermal insulation cake is created between the boards of the rough and finished floor, consisting of several layers of different materials.

Such a pie can be installed both at the construction stage and during a major renovation, when the current floor is dismantled to its foundation.

The double floor design is shown in the diagram below:

Joists or cross beams.
Skull beam.
Subfloor boards.
Waterproofing layer.
Insulation.
Vapor barrier layer.
Finished floor boards.

The following insulation materials are used: expanded clay, expanded polystyrene (also known as polystyrene foam), extruded polystyrene foam Penoplex or mineral wool.

Let's look at each of the materials in more detail.

Expanded clay

Expanded clay is widely used as insulation in construction. multi-storey buildings. They are used to insulate basements and attics. But expanded clay is also suitable for insulating floors in a private house.

Expanded clay granules are made from clay, have high strength and resistance to mechanical stress and demonstrate high heat-insulating properties.

On a note. To create a dense layer of insulation, it is better to use several different fractions of expanded clay.

Laying features

Before laying expanded clay, a layer of waterproofing is created on the surface of the subfloor. For example, it can be liquid mastic. After this, a layer of expanded clay with a thickness of at least 10 cm is poured between the joists. The pouring should be done carefully, avoiding damage to the granules. The surface of the expanded clay is leveled.

A layer of vapor barrier, for example Izospan, is laid on top. After this, you can lay the finished floor boards.

Expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene (also known as polystyrene foam), along with expanded clay, is the most affordable option for floor insulation in a private home or country house.

This material consists of 98% air and has high thermal insulation properties. For comparison, 2 cm of polystyrene foam retains heat as well as 40 cm brickwork.

When used in a country house as floor insulation, it should be remembered that polystyrene foam receives increased attention from rodents.

On a note. For insulation, choose expanded polystyrene with a density of at least 35 kg per sq.m.

Features of floor insulation with polystyrene foam

The installation sequence of the polystyrene foam insulation layer includes next steps:

laying waterproofing on the subfloor, for example sheets of roofing felt;
laying sheets of expanded polystyrene (minimum recommended thickness 50 mm);
laying vapor barrier.

Then this entire pie is covered with finished floor boards. It is recommended to leave 2-3 cm of empty space between the thermal insulation cake and the finishing boards for better ventilation.

Extruded polystyrene foam

Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) is a thermal insulation board made from polystyrene by extrusion. Thanks to this production technology, extruded polystyrene foam acquires a structure of small granules. The size of granules in extruded polystyrene foam does not exceed 0.2 mm.

Features of laying extruded polystyrene foam

Floor insulation extruded polystyrene foam completely repeats the technology of working with expanded polystyrene. These are: laying waterproofing on the subfloor, for example sheets of roofing felt; laying sheets of extruded polystyrene (minimum recommended thickness 50 mm); laying vapor barrier; installation of finished floor.

Mineral wool

Another option for insulation for a wooden house is mineral wool. Of all the varieties, fiberglass or basalt wool is best suited. In addition to high thermal insulation properties, mineral wool perfectly insulates sound. It also does not support combustion and can withstand large temperature changes, which compares favorably with Penoplex and expanded polystyrene.

However, due to the peculiarities of the fibrous structure, wool is capable of accumulating moisture and gradually losing its insulating properties. Therefore, like expanded clay, when using cotton wool you should Special attention pay attention to waterproofing the base of the subfloor.

Laying features

Mineral wool mats are laid on a layer of waterproofing in the spacer between the joists. A layer of vapor barrier material must be installed on top. It is recommended to leave a gap of 2-3 cm between the thermal insulation layer and the finished floor boards for natural ventilation underground space.

How to insulate the floor from below without removing the covering

But circumstances do not always allow you to start insulating the floor before laying the finishing coating - linoleum, laminate or parquet. For example, when a house or cottage is purchased ready-made. In such cases, it is often necessary to quickly prepare for the cold season without major reconstruction in the form of dismantling the floor.

Penofol

If the wooden floor is in perfect condition, does not creak, and no draft penetrates through the boards, then such a floor can be insulated directly on top of the boards.

To do this, you can use Penofol - foamed polyethylene with a foil layer. Penofol is laid directly on top of the finished floor boards with the foil facing out. Then the finishing coating is installed on Penofol - laminate or parquet board.

Polyurethane foam

Another option for insulating the floor without disassembling it is to foam the internal cavities with polyurethane foam.

This option is only suitable if you have a subfloor underneath the finished floor.

Insulation with polyurethane foam is carried out through holes drilled in the finished floor boards. It is advisable to drill with a fixed step in inconspicuous places on the floor - at the joints of boards, along the walls.

The main disadvantage of this method is that it is impossible to control the uniform distribution of foam in the cavities between the floor boards.

Insulating the floor from the basement side

For wooden houses with a spacious subfloor or basement, where there is good access to the inner surface of the floor, the same sheet insulating materials can be used.

Sheets of Penoplex or expanded polystyrene are attached to the floor boards from the bottom side, using glue or plastic dowels with a mushroom cap. And then they are sewn up with a layer of vapor barrier. You will get the same thermal insulation cake, only turned outward. Of course, the above methods of insulating the floor indiscriminately or from below cannot be called 100% high quality. They will provide a certain positive effect. But in order to properly solve the problem of saving heat in a wooden house, you should still use technologies that involve dismantling the floor to the base and sequential installation of multilayer insulation.

conclusions

1. If you need to quickly prepare a wooden house for cold weather, you can insulate the floor without dismantling the structural elements. Penofol or polyurethane foam are suitable for this.2. To thoroughly insulate a wooden floor, the technology of creating a double floor is used.3. The main options for floor insulation are expanded clay, expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene foam and mineral wool.4. Installation of any of these insulation materials does not require special skills. The main thing is to follow all the stages of creating a thermal insulation cake.5. Most in an economical way insulation is the use of expanded clay or expanded polystyrene.6. Insulation of a wooden floor with extruded polystyrene foam, despite the highest price, is the best in terms of future results.

The floor is one of the coldest parts of the house. First of all, this is due to the fact that cold air sinks downward and blows from under the floor. Therefore, to reduce heat loss in the house and obtain warmer floors, they are insulated. This is especially necessary in rooms with wooden floors. Even if the boards are laid close enough to each other, after a while they dry out and begin to seep through the cracks, which leads to heat loss of up to 30%.

We suggest considering options for how and how to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below.

Technology

Insulating the floor in a private house is quite simple. For thermal insulation you can use the most different types insulation.

Before insulating the floor in a wooden house from below, you should consider the following parameters:

conditions under which the floor will be used (temperature and humidity inside the house, purpose of the room, load);
required height of the thermal insulation layer.

Insulating the floor with your own hands is not difficult at all. Thermal insulation has three layers:

thermal insulation;
vapor barrier;
floor covering.

How to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below: sequence of work

Stacked wooden joists.
Fixed on bottom joists wooden boards or boards. This coating will serve as an auxiliary base on which the insulation is laid.
Insulation is installed between the joists. The material should be laid fairly tightly, and the gaps formed between the joists and sheets should be filled with a special sealant or polyurethane foam.
Vapor barrier material is laid on the insulation. The vapor barrier is fixed to the joists, and all joints and gaps are sealed with metallized tape.
Further finishing is carried out and laid.

The thickness of the thermal insulation layer is selected individually for each private house. It depends on the following indicators:

what type of insulation;
what are the climatic conditions?

Floor insulation using joists

Let's look at how to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below along the joists. This method is quite simple, but at the same time very effective, allowing you to eliminate significant heat loss.

You can insulate the floor in a private house using joists as follows.

Initially, you need to install wooden logs. Then secure the boards or boards on which the insulation will then be laid. They are hemmed from below or secured to special bars. Next, lay insulation, a hydro- and vapor barrier layer between the joists on the flooring. At the final stage, floorboards are installed and the floor covering is finished.

The main advantage of thermal insulation of floors using joists is the ease of operation, which almost everyone can cope with, while the efficiency is at the highest level.

Materials for floor insulation

Today, the building materials market offers a wide variety of thermal insulation materials, which differ in their properties, sizes, method of application and cost.

What is the best way to insulate a wooden floor? Insulation can be carried out using thermal insulation materials, which are also used for insulating roofs and walls:

mineral slag, glass);
ecowool;
polyurethane foam;
polystyrene;
isolon;
penofol.

Materials such as expanded clay, sawdust, and foam are also used. The choice of a suitable seal depends on various parameters, preferences and capabilities of the owners of a given home.

How to insulate an old floor with sawdust?

Sawdust is one of the most simple types insulation. Their main advantage is their fairly low cost (compared to other thermal insulation materials), lightness and simplicity of backfilling, which allows you to insulate even hard-to-reach and very narrow places. In addition, sawdust is environmentally friendly clean materials. They can be used not only in their pure form, but also be included in various building mixtures.

Insulation of floors with mineral wool

You can insulate the floor in an old house, which is one of the most common insulation materials. Its main advantage is its absolute non-flammability. She also has:

chemical and biological resistance;
high thermal insulation qualities.

Before insulating a wooden floor underneath with mineral wool, you should familiarize yourself with its disadvantages. These include:

low mechanical strength;
low vapor permeability;
the ability to absorb moisture well, while losing its thermal insulation qualities (for this reason, when performing installation, it is necessary to pay attention to vapor barrier).

In addition, this material is not considered safe for the human body.

Mineral wool is produced in the form of solid slabs or flexible mats. The harder side of the slabs is indicated by a blue stripe. Laying must be done so that the marking (strip) is at the top. The boards are usually used for thermal insulation of wooden floors. Lay them in one layer.

Floor insulation with penofol

Penofol is one of the new multilayer roll insulation materials, which appeared on the construction market quite recently and has not yet become widespread. It consists of insulation and a special reflective layer (thin polished aluminum foil). Almost any insulation material can serve as the basis (insulating material). The most in demand is translucent material, which includes

The classic version of penofol is polyethylene foam thermally bonded to foil. But this option cannot satisfy all the existing needs of modern construction, so this moment There are many types of penofol.

Classic penofol has a high density, due to which it is able to withstand heavy mechanical loads.

The material can be used both for basic heat, steam and waterproofing, and as auxiliary insulation, in combination with other insulation.

Due to the small thickness and the presence of foil, installation is simple, easy and quick. The insulation can be laid on the floor surface end-to-end or overlapping. The resulting joints are sealed with metallized tape. The use of penofol eliminates the need to install vapor and waterproofing. This function performed by aluminum foil.

Floor insulation with polystyrene (foam)

It also occupies a leading position among thermal insulation materials. This is explained by the presence of a number of advantages and a minimum of disadvantages of the material. The insulation has low thermal conductivity and vapor permeability, high strength, fire resistance, biological and chemical resistance. Thanks to its cellular structure, the insulation is durable and particularly effective as thermal insulation.

The disadvantage of expanded polystyrene is its absorption of moisture, which is why certain of its properties are lost.

Ecowool floor insulation

Ecowool is made from natural materials. It consists of 75% paper and 25% natural special additives. This is a mixture of cellulose, and the binding components in it are boric acid and the antiseptic lignin. Due to this composition, ecowool is absolutely safe for humans and is also environmentally friendly.

Its advantages include low thermal conductivity, fire safety (the material does not burn, but only smolders), and the ability to restore thermal insulation properties after getting wet. The disadvantages include a higher cost than other insulation materials.

How to properly insulate a wooden floor with ecowool? It is applied in various ways:

Manual. The material is laid between the lags (bars) on boards or panels hemmed from below. Ecowool should be laid tightly, and the joints should be treated with polyurethane foam.
Mechanical. In this case, mobile blowing machines are used, through which insulation is supplied through a hose under pressure.

Insulation with isolon

Izolon is a heat-insulating material made from polyethylene foam. The insulation was developed taking into account current requirements for thermal insulation. Due to this, its use has a number of advantages.

First of all, it is necessary to note the small thickness of the material, which ranges from 2 to 10 mm. In this case, thermal conductivity does not increase. Izolon with a thickness of 1 centimeter is equal in thermal conductivity to brickwork.

Due to the polyethylene foam, Izolon does not get wet. The material is durable, does not rot, and protects against exposure to steam and moisture. The insulation is environmentally friendly and can be used in any room. This material can be used for both primary and auxiliary thermal insulation. When processing wooden floors, Izolon not only serves as insulation, but also plays the role of sound insulation, as it is able to absorb sounds. Another advantage of this material is its small thickness, which saves free space.

Floor insulation with polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam has a cellular structure in which the pores are filled with insulating gases and air, which allows for low thermal conductivity and, at the same time, low weight of the material. Therefore, polyurethane foam is considered one of the best thermal insulation materials. Its advantages include resistance to alkalis and acids, rotting, and mold damage.

How to insulate a wooden floor underneath with polyurethane foam? The material is applied to the surface by spraying, for which special equipment is used. This insulation adheres quite well to different materials, thanks to which it can be used for thermal insulation of any surfaces. This method allows you to completely insulate the surface. different shapes and complexity, repeating all contours with precision and without forming joints. Due to the low moisture absorption coefficient, there is no need to install a vapor barrier layer.

Floor insulation is important stage in maintaining heat and maintaining a favorable atmosphere in the house.

If you are thinking about how to insulate an old wooden floor and are going to purchase the material, you need to take into account all the factors, determine priorities, and only then make the final choice.