Foam concrete blocks are special building blocks of white color, consisting of gas silicate and foam concrete. This material is great for low-rise and high-rise buildings. The structure of the raw material has high adhesion to any finish, however, some owners of premises still decide on additional insulation. The process of fixing various types of thermal insulation is simple, it can be done independently.
The relevance of insulation of houses from a foam block outside
Initially, foam concrete blocks were developed specifically for the construction of houses with single walls. Due to its good heat retention properties, a building lined with foam concrete does not require additional thermal insulation. Due to the fact that in the vastness of the country winters are harsh, builders recommend additionally insulating houses with the help of various materials.
House built from foam blocks
On the other hand, foam blocks are considered fragile raw materials, and if exposed to sub-zero temperatures for a long time, they can freeze and absorb moisture. For this, the walls are insulated from the outside, which gives the following advantages:
- significant space savings, which cannot be said when insulating from the inside;
- the integrity of the blocks is not violated, as if internal insulation was used: the insulation layer additionally protects the blocks from freezing;
- condensate does not accumulate inside, but is discharged outside, from where it is removed using air streams.
It is better to use lightweight options as a finishing material on top of the insulation. For example, cladding bricks will be too heavy, which is why most builders use paint.
Insulation types
Foam application
One of the most popular types of insulation for finishing and thermal insulation of a building facade is polystyrene or expanded polystyrene. The material has gained success due to its properties: it does not allow moisture to pass through at all. Polyfoam has good resistance to subzero temperatures, low cost can significantly reduce the cost of insulation.
Insulation of the house outside with foam An important point is that finishing work must be done on top of this type of insulation. Polyfoam is not resistant to ultraviolet radiation, therefore, additional finishing is needed so that the raw materials do not undergo destruction.
The most popular types of polystyrene foam for insulating a house from foam blocks from the outside are the following brands:
- Polyfoam Knauf Term. It has good vapor permeability, it is produced in sheets 1x1 meter. The thickness starts from 50 mm, it is used at temperatures from -140 to + 80 degrees. The cost of one sheet starts from 150 rubles, the cost for a pack of 10 pieces is 1450 rubles.
- Carbon Eco. The size of one sheet is 1180x580x30 mm, the latter indicator indicates the thickness of the material. Operating temperature from -70 to +75 degrees. The cost for a pack of 13 pieces is from 1250 rubles.
- Thermal insulation Ursa XPS. Polyfoam is suitable for insulation of foam block facades. Sheets are sold in sizes 1250x600x50 mm. For a pack of 8 pieces, you will have to pay from 1100 rubles.
Thermal insulation URSA When insulating, you should pay attention to the side of the house: for example, on the south side, you can install insulation of a smaller thickness than on the north side.
Use of mineral wool
An inorganic material consisting of a large number of intertwined fibers is called mineral wool. This insulation is in demand no less than the above polystyrene foam. The material contains rocks and sedimentary rocks, as well as metallurgical slags. The main advantages of mineral wool when insulating foam concrete:
- high thermal insulation properties;
- heat resistance;
- high sound insulation;
- resistance to moisture absorption;
- service life: 30-40 years.
Mineral wool insulation The most common brand of mineral wool for insulation is the Technonikol company. It offers insulating material of the basalt type Technolight Extra. The products are delivered in a pack of 8 plates each 1200x600x50 mm in size, while the range includes options with increased thickness. The cost of such a pack starts at 554 rubles.
Penoplex - analogue of polystyrene
This material looks like polystyrene, however, the technologies of their production differ. In the manufacture of foam, pressure and exposure to high temperatures are used. The output is a very light but durable material, which is also called extruded polystyrene foam. This raw material is resistant to compression, environmental friendliness, and impervious to moisture and mold.
On the market of building materials for insulating facades made of foam concrete, they offer the following options for foam:
- Thermal insulation Penopleks Comfort. Plates are available in dimensions 1185x585x30 mm, while the thickness may vary. The material is produced in 4, 7, 10 and 13 plates per pack. For a pack of 13 plates, you will have to pay from 1400 rubles.
- Penoplex Facade. It is produced specifically for thermal insulation of facades, it is produced in various thicknesses from 30 to 100 mm. The cost for one sheet is from 100 rubles according to the thickness.
Using foam for thermal insulation The thickness of foam insulation must comply with modern standards, it ranges from 30 mm. Slabs of material are attached to a foam concrete wall with glue or on a dowel.
Features of insulation technology with various materials
When the thermal insulation material is selected, you can proceed to preparation. To do this, you need to make the appropriate calculations for the amount of insulation, as well as select tools. In almost every case, it is better to do the work together with a partner, since it is more convenient to fasten the dimensional sheets together.
Of the tools, special dowels with hats will be required; when laying the foam, it is also necessary to mount the profile guides made of metal. You will need a drill, screwdriver, hammer drill. When insulating with the "wet" method, specialized glue is useful. Materials for sealing joints are also required.
How to insulate a house from foam blocks outside with foam?
Before insulating the facade from foam blocks, it is recommended to make careful preparation. Walls should be free of excess sand, dirt and debris. If there are build-up mixtures on the surface, they are removed using a perforator. The process of foam insulation looks like this step by step:
- Application of a primer - it will provide increased adhesion of the adhesive to the surface of the foam concrete.
- Installation of a basement profile at the bottom of the wall - it will serve as a support for the insulation.
- Glue preparation - carried out using a special drill attachment like a mixer.
- Foam preparation - the material must be roughened with a needle roller.
- Applying glue to the foam with a spatula.
- Fastening of foam plates to foam concrete: carried out from the bottom up, umbrella dowels are attached at the corners and edges.
Foam insulation outside When the process of installing the insulation is completed, you need to wait a little time for the material to shrink, and then start finishing work.
Thermal insulation of foam concrete with mineral wool: stages of work
When choosing mineral wool as insulation, you must have certain skills in working with it in order to carry out the process in accordance with all the rules. It is better to carry out the procedure together with a partner, according to the following instructions:
- clean the walls, achieving a flat surface;
- process the area for insulation with an antiseptic;
- install fasteners for the lathing;
- attach thermal insulation pads;
- place a guide base at the bottom of the wall;
- insert the insulation, fixing it on the dowels: they must be screwed into the wall to a depth of 40 mm;
- lay the windproof membrane on top of the mineral wool.
The use of mineral wool for thermal insulation outside For finishing the facade of a house insulated with mineral wool, it is recommended to use plaster and further painting.
Warming with penoplex: rules
To use penoplex for thermal insulation of a foam concrete house outside, it is recommended to follow a number of rules that will help to keep the heat inside the room as much as possible without loss. The step-by-step instruction looks like this:
- Leveling the facade surface, sealing cracks.
- Processing with a soil mixture.
- Making glue.
- Gluing foam boards and their subsequent fastening to dowels.
- Installation of reinforced mesh for finishing.
In this case, the work can be performed by one person, since the foam sheets are lightweight and quickly lend themselves to installation. It is not worth using additional materials for vapor barrier, because penoplex already has good vapor permeability properties.
What material is most preferable: possible harm to health
If you are puzzled by the issue of operational safety, then all of the above materials will not harm a person with proper installation. Each of the presented types of raw materials is manufactured with the use of anti-flammable additives, which prevents ignition in a fire and leads to self-extinguishing.
Comparison of different materials for heat preservation Despite the fact that formaldehyde binders are used in the production of mineral wool, it will not emit harmful substances due to its location outside the building.
Answering the question whether it is necessary to insulate a house built from foam blocks, it should be noted that additional thermal insulation never hurts. The use of foam, mineral wool or foam will only enhance the thermal insulation properties of foam concrete and will maximize the preservation of heat inside the room.
External insulation of a house from foam blocks is an important component of the entire structure. After all, this is the thermal insulation of the room and, accordingly, the price for heating. Today we will look at how to properly insulate a house from foam blocks from the outside.
There are tons of materials on the retail market today; if the work is done incorrectly, the money spent will not give the desired result. In the video in this article, you can watch how this work is done and choose the material you need.
House insulation from foam blocks
Insulation of houses from foam blocks begins with the right choice of the right material. After that, calculations and purchases are made. Let's figure out in order how to insulate a house from foam blocks from the outside and how to do it correctly.
Material
So, the better to insulate a house from foam blocks from the outside, it is not difficult to answer this question. The material must withstand temperature extremes and high humidity.
Attention: It is necessary to combine the insulation and its thickness for each wall separately. For example, a wall on the south side receives more heat. This means that the layer can be made smaller than on the others. To protect the house from various rodents, the lower belt of the facade is insulated with extruded polystyrene foam. The corners of the building are insulated with a thicker layer of material.
Insulation outside the house from foam blocks is most often done with the following materials:
| Mineral wool |
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| Styrofoam | This is the most common material used to insulate the walls of buildings.
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Attention: How to insulate a house from foam blocks, here you need to look at the structure itself. After all, foam attracts rodents and they live well in it. Therefore, for residential premises, this will not be the best option.
Preparing the walls
Now we will consider how to insulate a house from foam blocks from the outside, and here it will already be necessary to perform the correct installation technology. Everything can be done by hand, and therefore the price will be limited to the cost of materials.
High-quality and long-term operation of the insulation is due to the correct preparation of the base and base for subsequent work.
So:
- First of all, all the elements that protrude beyond the plane of the walls are dismantled. These are ventilation grilles, gutters, external segments of fans and air conditioners, lighting fixtures. If communications and engineering networks get to the surface where work will be carried out, then they must be removed. Also, decorative parts of windows and cornices are subject to dismantling. This is very important for old houses.
- Walls under the plaster must be tapped for stability. Deviations from verticality and unevenness can be detected using aluminum rules, plumb lines and cords. If there are problems, they are marked with chalk so as not to miss.
- When there is a large gap in the level of the planes on the building or there are broken and thin parts of the wall, then they urgently need to be corrected or removed. Only after that, start work on the insulation of the facade.
- Parts with oil paint are carefully handled as they impart poor adhesion to the surface and reduce the vapor permeability. Fungus, rust and mold are removed from the walls. Cracks are primed with wide brushes with special compounds with a high degree of permeability, and putty until completely dry. Potholes up to 2 millimeters can not be repaired, and large ones are leveled with pieces of insulation.
- After completing all the activities, the preparatory work stops. Now they start the very insulation with expanded polystyrene.
Fastening the plinth profile
Insulation of a house from a foam block is done at the same level. We must not violate the geometry. Before starting work, you need to find a starting line.
So:
- For this, according to the project, there is an extreme point below the surface for insulation. Then the mark is moved to all corners of the building with a hydraulic level (the principle is based on the theory of communicating vessels). Remarks are connected to each other. Line found.
- The base profile is fixed with dowels strictly according to the marking. It is necessary to give emphasis and prevent movement of the extreme row of insulation (wet glue has great mobility).
- Depending on the width of the insulation, the starting bar is selected. It is secured with hammer nails with washers with an interval of about 300-350 millimeters.
- The starter bar can be connected in various ways. The method of joining the edges with diagonal cuts or using a corner connector (for an overlapping joint) is used. To compensate for expansion under the influence of temperature, plastic elements are installed between the profiles.
Installation of outdoor window sills
A house made of foam blocks must be insulated from the outside, taking into account all openings. It is recommended to install these sections before fixing the insulation to the facade.
Water protection strips are installed to the window:
- The window sill is carried out beyond the wall level by no more than 30-40 millimeters. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the insulation on the wall. When the installation takes place on the starting profile, a cavity is formed under the windowsill, in which water will accumulate. Pieces of insulation will help get rid of this. They are mixed with glue and plastered.
- After mounting the windows, there are small places for their subsequent insulation (about 20-30 millimeters). It uses foam that is less wide than the standard material used. To leave room for other layers, subtract 1 centimeter from the thickness. To insulate the outer slopes, the foam does not need to be cut. It can protrude 1 centimeter beyond the level.
Adhesive solution
The glue is able to quickly harden and harden. To do this, when gluing insulation, you need to prepare the exact amount of solution required for a given period of time.
- A bucket is taken and the dry mixture is poured into it... Filled with water in the right proportion. The whole mixture is mixed with a drill at low speeds until a homogeneous mass is formed (there are no lumps). A delay is required (about 5 minutes), and mixing is repeated for another minute.
- When the glue mass begins to harden, it must be mixed again.... It is strongly not recommended to use plain water to dilute the density. Depending on the thickness, you can combine the methods of applying the solution. This compensates for the differences in planes.
- On the sides of the insulation plate, a strip of glue is smeared (height about 2 centimeters). Beacons are evenly placed in the middle. This will help if the irregularities are large (more than 15 millimeters). Less - stripes are applied both along the perimeter and in the middle. They are 3-4 centimeters wide. The glue should cover half of the sheet or slightly more (50-60%).
Insulation sticker
The slopes are already insulated, the window sills are in their places - the pasting of the walls begins. The facade is insulated using a certain technology. Fixing first with glue, and then with dowels.
Attention: It should be said right away that when fastening, the insulation should not deform, otherwise it will lose its properties.
- The process begins from the bottom, where the installed bar is located. 2 spatulas are used. The first is designed to apply glue to the second. The small one measures about 8 centimeters, and the large one is at least 20.
- The adhesive mixture should be applied only to the wall, not to the area of the sheet. The uneven configuration of the wall allows you to impose more mass. This is necessary when unevenness exists. Once leveled, the grout spreads in a straight line and unevenly. The sheets are fastened in a T-shape.
- When laying the sheets in their place, you need to leave a small gap (2-3 cm). Then it is squeezed with a rule or with a long squeegee to the level of neighboring plates. Excess glue protrudes along the base and inside. They should be removed. The level checks the verticality of the plates, and the flatness is checked with control threads.
- The foam is pressed one to one at a short distance (about 2 millimeters). The adhesive solution must never get into the joints between the boards. If this nevertheless happened, then the distance is filled with separate small pieces or foamed. The threshold between the joints must be no more than 3 millimeters.
- A prerequisite is that the joints and slopes near doors and windows do not fall into one perpendicular line. The combination must be either above or below. The distance is not less than 20 centimeters. If a situation arises when the plates are glued to different materials (the brick turns into wood), then it is necessary to leave a minimum gap of 10 centimeters without joining.
- The corners of the facades have a different connection method (notched). This applies to both outdoor and indoor. To prevent the formation of cracks, it is necessary that the placement of the boards does not result in a long vertical seam. This can be avoided by wedging the outer rows into the area of adjacent walls. It is imperative to keep the release for layering on slopes and corners. When the glue is frozen and the angle is determined, you can slightly trim or sand the foam. It is trimmed with a large knife or saw using a square or metal ruler. This will allow you to cut straight and neatly. Do not touch the already glued board. There will be a violation of the connection of the material to the wall. If it is necessary to correct, then the mixture is reapplied and glued in a new way.
- Now you need to wait a certain period of time. At least 3 days. This will allow the glue to seize with high quality, and the material will return to its normal position. If the insulation is done independently without professionals, as well as other assistance, it is recommended to do it in separate areas. One part is made from below from the ground, the second from above using scaffolding (scaffolding). In order not to drag them back and forth, you need to glue the material first from the lower level.
- When the whole house is insulated in one go, the foam sheets will be outdoors for at least a couple of weeks. The sun will dry it out, and the rain will add moisture. From such influences, the quality of the material will significantly decrease. The areas to be treated should be at least as wide as the scaffold, and as tall as the worker.
Nailing insulation
Nailing plates in fresh mortar is also not advised. This provokes the ingress of the adhesive mass under the sheet, which will inevitably lead to delamination of the edges.
So:
- For fastening the insulation, special dowels are used. They are called fungi. This is a plastic sleeve on which a large diameter cap is located on top. A metal or plastic nail is driven into it. It is not recommended to choose the metal, because it is more expensive (leads to an increase in the cost of repairs) and has good cold air conductivity.
- The distribution density of nails per 1 square meter is 6-8 pieces. They are attached to the center and corners of the insulation sheet. If the size of the house is large and large slabs are used, then additional sheet fasteners are required. This will match the reliability and stability as well as wind loads. Dowels are driven in at the corners of the building and near the slopes at a distance of 20 centimeters from the border of the slab.
- Holes of the required diameter and depth are drilled with a hammer drill. Before attaching the dowels, all dust is removed. The length should be slightly longer (1-1.5 cm) than the rod. This will allow loose debris not to interfere with the installation of the dowel. The length of the fungus is calculated as follows: the thickness of the insulation sheet is taken, 10 millimeters are added to other layers and added to the amount of penetration into the wall (about 40 millimeters).
- The dowel is inserted into the resulting hole and fixed. Take a rubber mallet, and if you don't have one, you can use your own fists.
- Fixing the dowel should be flush with the insulation or slightly higher than it (no more than 1 millimeter).
Attention: There are times when the hat protrudes and does not go further. This means that the cone is deformed or the hole is not drilled deep enough. It was clogged with debris. The plastic fungus is pulled out, the dirt is cleaned out and the hole is made deeper. The dowel is inserted back and locked in place.
Reinforced layer
It is used to protect insulation. For this, an adhesive solution and a fiberglass mesh are used.
- For gluing corners, openings, separate pieces of reinforcing mesh are used. Dimensions: 200 × 300 mm. You can take more. This will eliminate the occurrence of cracks from temperature extremes, mechanical stress inside the corners.
- So that all the corners of the building, decorative ledges and slopes are not knocked off and are strong, they are reinforced with perforated corners. They are made of plastic or aluminum and are supplied with a mesh. A solution is applied, the corner is firmly pressed and leveled in all planes. Before installation, the perforated corner is adjusted to the required size.
- If excess glue comes out, then it must be pulled onto the wall. The corner has holes, thanks to which, with the help of nails, you can level and tighten it on the plate. Wait a while for the initial layer to completely solidify. After that, a reinforcing mesh is installed.
- To strengthen the insulation, a special mesh is used, which is designed for such work. It contains fiberglass impregnated with alkaline substances. Thanks to this, it can withstand the required loads. To protect the mesh from impact, a special solution is used. It differs from the glue mixture, which is used to attach the insulation to the facade.
- Before proceeding with the installation of the mesh, the plates must be prepared. They are sanded by hand with trowels or coarse grit sandpaper. This will remove any irregularities that may have formed at the joints. After processing, all the resulting debris (dust, dirt, abrasive particles) must be removed. The height of the walls is measured and according to this size the mesh is cut into strips. The glue is applied in strips equal to the width of the resulting mesh pieces.
- Application of mortar is best done with a metal float. The layer should be even and not thick. Approx. 2 mm. After application, the mesh is unwound to its full length and applied to the plane. Press it in with a smooth spatula. After that, the edges are aligned. Movements start from the center. Excess glue is smoothed over the surface.
- Until the solution has hardened, an additional layer is applied. After aligning it, the mesh should not be visible. Now it's worth waiting for everything to dry and harden. Everything is finally sanded with sandpaper, and small grooves are putty. After 3 days, the walls are dry and ready for quartz priming. This will facilitate the subsequent decorative plastering process.
Warming a house from foam blocks outside is a rather important question. You shouldn't rush here, but everything should be done carefully and thoroughly. Look at the photo and make a plan for the work, the instructions will not allow you to miss the details.
When constructing a rough version of the floor in the house, we need to proceed from several parameters of the foundation.
It is depending on the type of base that we carry out the installation of the floor.
We lay the floor ourselves
At first glance, this may seem like a difficult moment, but in reality, we have only three options for the basis for a foam block structure:
- On piles.
- Tape.
- Monolithic slab.
Moreover, with all their cardinal differences, in our case they just slightly change the order of work and how to make floors in a house from foam blocks at the time of installation of the lathing. However, let's talk about everything in order.
Selection of base and materials
We will decide on the choice of the base, which we will take as an example, and since it is for the foam block version of the structure that the tape and monolithic base is most often used, we will talk about the crate one by one, taking into account the design features of each foundation.
Important!
Immediately, we note that we will use wood in the flooring device, and the conversation will focus strictly on the rough version.
The first step we will have is the choice of material for the rough version, and since we have agreed on wood, we will need:
- Bar. Beams 150x50. Necessarily dry, otherwise they will lead.
- Waterproofing material, you can use simple polyethylene or roofing felt.
- Vapor barrier film.
- Wood screws.
Depending on the type of base, a screed may be required, but more on that later. Now let's start with the tape.
Belt basis
A foam block structure does not always require a strong foundation, so a strip foundation is ideal for construction technology.
Let's take a step-by-step look at how to make a floor in a house from foam blocks, taking into account the tape basis:
- We remove all the vegetation that we have between the concrete walls.
- We fill up a layer of sand or expanded clay and compact everything well. This will be a kind of pillow for us.
- We put waterproofing on the pillow layer.
- We mount the beams.
Let's make a small digression here.
To attach beams to concrete walls, we need:
- Make a markup, and with a hydro level and accurately.
- You can waterproof the concrete surface with your own hands, you can use mastic.
- The beam is "put on" the anchor, with a step of 50-60 cm.
Now that we have attached the beams around the perimeter, we can start the lathing.
Advice!
Depending on the future flooring, we deduce the level of the first floor covering, that is, if we still have insulation and laminate, we must go to zero level, at which the door will open normally.
We keep a step of 60 centimeters, and fasten the beams with wood screws. Naturally, we put them on the edge.
Advice!
All wood, even though it is dry and we have a waterproofing system, must be treated with an antiseptic several times to prevent the occurrence of mold and mildew and rotting in the future.
You can cover the beams with either a floorboard or plywood. The main thing is that we get a fairly flat surface on which we put a vapor barrier film and then, of choice, a coating. That is, the further instructions refer to another work.
Advice!
If the area of the rooms is large, it will be necessary to arrange additional supports for the timber.
This can be done using a brick or the remains of a foam block.
You just need to make another markup, even at the very beginning of work, dig holes for the supports, and pour concrete into them.
After a few days, with bricks or blocks, bring the support to the desired height, waterproof it and put the timber on the surface.
In this way, deflection can be avoided.
Monolith
With a monolithic foundation, flooring in a foam block house is a much simpler process. Here we need to bring the draft to the desired level, and make it even.
By the way, if the monolith itself is even, then for many specialists, this is the floor. Indeed, it is enough for us to cover it with waterproofing, and we can already arrange the coating, for example, lay tiles, and even laminate.
We will consider the option in which the monolith is even, and we proceed immediately to the crate:
- We make the markings along which we will install the beams, we observe the step between them at 60 cm.
- Preparing the surface. We carry out waterproofing. In our case, we can smear concrete with mastic in several layers, or cover it with dense polyethylene or roofing material. This must be done!
- We treat the bars with an antiseptic.
- We install the beams.
When installing beams, we can use two simple methods:
- We put wood on concrete, that is, we use the principle of a "lighthouse". The beam must be anchored and the concrete fully bonds it to the monolith.
- We put the beams and fasten them with metal corners. One part of the corner is attached to the wood, the second to the floor with bolts.
Not to say that this greatly changes the price, nevertheless, from the point of view of the speed of work, the second option, of course, is more preferable.
There is another interesting version of the screed device in the case of a strip foundation, when instead of a cushion made of sand and expanded clay, we use a floor made of foam blocks. The material has excellent thermal insulation characteristics, so that the draft version of it turns out to be warm and durable.
Output
The choice of wood in our case is due to its characteristics and natural origin. The foam block itself is an environmentally friendly material, so we will continue to follow the chosen course in other works. And in the video presented in this article, you will find additional information on this topic.
August 27, 2016Specialization: Capital construction works (foundation laying, wall erection, roof construction, etc.). Internal construction work (laying of internal communications, rough and final finishing). Hobbies: mobile communications, high technologies, computer technology, programming.
My neighbor in the country recently completed the construction of a not weak foam concrete cottage. And imagine how surprised I was when he recently approached me with a question about how to insulate a house from foam blocks from the outside. After all, as far as I know, this porous building material has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity and rather effectively protects premises from the cold.
As it turned out, when designing the walls, some mistakes were made and their thickness was not enough to maintain a comfortable microclimate inside in winter. As a result, a huge amount of gas was spent on heating the cottage. Having made simple calculations, my neighbor decided that it would be better to insulate the house from foam blocks - from the inside and outside - than to continue buying tens of cubic meters of gas.
Knowing about my considerable experience in this area, he engaged me in carrying out these works, since with his own hands (according to him) he can only press the buttons on the keyboard.
I am always happy to help good people, especially if the service pays well. Moreover, there was an opportunity to tell everyone how to properly insulate a house from foam blocks from the outside and from the inside. And what kind of insulation is it worth doing.
But first things first.
Features of buildings from foam blocks
I want to tell you right away that the cellular blocks were originally invented for this purpose, in order to build buildings and structures with single-layer walls from them, which do not require additional installation of heat-insulating materials. Therefore, the question of whether it is necessary to insulate the house should not initially stand.
Personally, I highlight the following advantages of residential buildings with their foam blocks without wall insulation from the inside and outside:
- Moisture does not condense in the layer of insulating material (due to its complete absence). Consequently, mold, fungus and other harmful microorganisms do not form on the surface of the enclosing walls and inside.
- The walls have a homogeneous structure, which prevents them from freezing. As a result, the building envelope retains its integrity longer, which increases the service life of the building as a whole.
- The cost of laying walls from foam blocks (which includes the price of material) is less than from brick.
I can't help but mention the disadvantage. The main one is the insufficient strength of the resulting structure. To combat this phenomenon, when building a house, I reinforce the walls with metal rods, as well as at the junction of the interfloor overlap.
This allows the applied loads to be more evenly distributed and to maintain the integrity of the building.
The feasibility of warming a foam block house
And yet, I want to return to the question of whether it is necessary to insulate the house from the outside or from the inside, if the foam blocks already have sufficiently high heat-preserving functions?
Personally, my opinion is. If the engineering calculations were performed correctly and the thickness of the foam concrete used is sufficient for operation in the area where the building is being erected, insulation for the outer walls is not needed.
Well, when during your stay you found out that you have to use too many energy sources to maintain a comfortable temperature in the premises, you still have to insulate the facade of the house or install thermal insulation inside the premises.
I recommend combining home insulation from cellular blocks with decorative trim. Moreover, in some cases, the finishing material (for example, ceramic facing brick) has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity. But still, the answer to the question of whether a heater is needed between a brick and a foam block largely depends on the operating conditions.
But I will not theorize a lot, I will move on to the question of the characteristics of insulation: which is better for the walls outside and inside the room? I tell everything in detail and in detail.
Insulation materials
As you can imagine, the outer and inner surfaces of the walls are used in different conditions. Therefore, for insulation, not only must different materials be used (there are, of course, options here), but the instructions for their installation are different.
Regardless of your choice, I want to note that foam concrete itself is not a very durable material, therefore, in any case, I advise you to choose and buy such heat insulators that, after installation, will not exert a significant load on the walls and ceilings.
Well, I will turn to the description of the contour thermal insulation materials. First, let's decide how to insulate a foam concrete cottage outside.
External thermal insulation
I will not list all the possible options, as it will take too long. I will dwell on the options that I had to use most often:
- Mineral wool - n Probably the most versatile insulation that can be used to insulate anything. In addition to its good technical characteristics, it also costs less. Well, and most importantly, in my opinion, the fibers of the insulation (like the foam concrete itself) do not prevent air infiltration through the enclosing structures, which allows you to create a comfortable microclimate in the room.
I can also note the long service life and fire safety, which is also very important.
However, all these advantages are nullified when the insulation gets wet. As soon as moisture gets inside, the coefficient of thermal conductivity of the cotton wool increases and destructive processes begin inside, which, in the end, lead to damage to the heat insulator.
To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to take measures to protect the insulating layer from moisture. For this, steam and waterproofing films are usually used, which are widely represented in specialized construction stores.
- Expanded polystyrene. This material is as popular as the previous one. It also allows you to insulate walls well, tolerates low temperatures well, and also has sound insulation properties.
Well, most importantly, he is not afraid of moisture. That is, when wet, its operational properties do not change in any way, which opens up great opportunities for use.
However, insulation outside the house from foam blocks with expanded polystyrene requires additional decorative finishing, since the material itself does not tolerate external mechanical stress and is destroyed by direct sunlight. Often the material is used to insulate walls outside for siding.
Internal thermal insulation
Now to the question of the technology of thermal insulation with a heater inside. I must say right away that I am not a supporter of this method, since the enclosing walls will freeze from the outside, which is not good from the point of view of their operation.
As for materials, here I can offer the following options to choose from:
- Cork. A material with excellent heat-retaining properties that can play the role of a beautiful and effective interior decoration. It is made from the bark of a balsa tree, therefore it is completely natural and safe for humans.
But its use requires preliminary interior wall decoration. They need to be plastered very evenly and putty smoothly. Cracks or other imperfections on surfaces can damage the cork, which is not cheap.
I will briefly list the additional advantages of cork as an internal insulation:
- it is easily mounted on an adhesive solution, practically without taking away the usable area near the walls of the building;
- in addition to the low coefficient of thermal conductivity, the material acts as an excellent sound insulator, absorbing noise from the street;
- from above, the cork does not need to be painted or varnished, it itself has a unique appearance.
- Penofol. This insulation is a polyethylene foam protected with aluminum foil. It gives the material additional strength and acts as a heat reflective.
Installing penofol on the inner surfaces of the walls of a house made of foam blocks allows you to save up to 97% of the thermal energy generated by heating devices.
Penofol can simply be glued to the walls without additional waterproofing, since it is not susceptible to getting wet. Sometimes I used it as additional insulation paired with mineral wool or foam.
- Polyurethane foam. It can be used to insulate walls made of cellular blocks inside residential and auxiliary premises. The material is a polymer foam, which in a liquid state is applied to surfaces using a spray gun, and after hardening forms a seamless layer that protects rooms from heat loss.
The advantage of this heat insulator is that it is not afraid of moisture and, when applied, fills all cavities, cracks and irregularities of the treated surface. Its service life is at least 50 years without the need for periodic preventive inspection and repair.
As cons, I can name two points:
- Difficulty to use. For spraying polystyrene foam, special equipment is needed, which not every home craftsman has.
- Vapor tightness. After curing, the insulating polymer becomes airtight, that is, it stops air infiltration through the enclosing walls. As a result, high humidity forms in the room, that is, you have to take care of high-quality ventilation.
To make it easier for you to choose the right technology and material, below I will tell you about several ways to insulate dwellings from cellular blocks.
Outdoor insulation technologies
I'll start with it, as I think it is more effective. I will justify my position with several points:
- With external insulation, the usable area of the interior does not decrease (which would otherwise be reduced due to the installed insulation with hydro and vapor barrier plus decorative trim).
- Insulating material installed outside does not prevent the walls from heating up from the inside. If the heat insulator is installed only inside, the foam concrete blocks will undergo cyclic freezing and thawing, which sooner or later will lead to the destruction of their internal structure.
- When installing insulation inside residential premises, the dew point will mix closer to the rooms. Therefore, moisture condenses directly into the thickness of the wall. This becomes the cause of the appearance, which destroys the material.
Outside insulation, on the other hand, shifts the dew point to the outside of the wall. Condensed moisture in this case does not accumulate in the blocks, but evaporates due to air circulation in the ventilation gaps.
Wet facade
This method of insulation is quite common and is used for thermal insulation of buildings made of various materials, including foam concrete. Its advantage is that you do not need to use complex technological equipment for work, and after completing all stages, it is easy to decorate the outer surfaces of the walls.
As a material, I propose to use polystyrene or its more durable analogue - extruded polystyrene foam.
The very scheme of the work is as follows:
- The surface of the facade is cleaned of dust, debris, mortar build-ups, and so on. It is also important to make sure that there are no greasy marks from oil and other similar substances on the walls. If the building envelope has large irregularities, they should be pre-sealed with mortar.
- After finishing preparation, the surface should be primed with a compound with antiseptic properties. The primer increases the adhesion properties of foam blocks, reduces absorption and, as a result, reduces the consumption of adhesive.
- In the lower part of the wall, a galvanized metal profile is fixed, which will serve as a support for the lower (first) row of heat-insulating material. You can fix it with self-tapping screws or screws with dowels.
- Then the insulation plates are installed. Styrofoam or polystyrene foam is fixed with glue, which is applied to the edges and in the middle of each plate.
After spreading the glue, the part must be leaned against the wall and pressed for thirty seconds. To prevent falling off, I advise you to use special plastic dowels with wide heads, which will firmly hold the insulation in place.
It is very easy to fix them. You need to drill a hole in the wall directly through the thermal insulation, then insert the dowel and tighten the screw. Due to the fact that it is in a plastic shell, the occurrence of cold bridges is completely excluded.
- Fiberglass reinforcing mesh is attached. It is simply glued to the insulation layer and strengthens the plaster mortar, which will be applied on top of the expanded polystyrene.
- The insulation is plastered along the reinforcing mesh, after which you can proceed to the finishing of the facade.
However, I like another way of finishing - for siding. In this case, you can equip a ventilated facade. How to do this will be discussed further.
Under siding
In this case, I will tell you how to insulate a house with mineral mats. The specificity here is to protect the heat insulator from moisture.
The work takes place in the following sequence:
- First, the surface of the walls is cleaned of debris, the detected defects are repaired and the most curved sections are leveled (there should not be such, since usually the foam block differs in the accuracy of geometric parameters).
- After that, a vapor barrier is installed on the walls. This is a special film that does not allow moisture to pass through, but does not retain air, which freely circulates through the walls, does not allow a large amount of dissolved water vapor to accumulate inside the room.
- Then the vertical crate is mounted. For this, galvanized metal profiles or wooden blocks can be used. In the latter case, I recommend treating the parts with antiseptics and hydrophobic substances that will extend the life of the tree.
The height of the lathing should be equal to the thickness of the material used (mineral mats), and the distance between adjacent guides should be equal to the width of the insulation minus 2-3 cm. - Then mineral mats are inserted. If you have kept the distance correctly, then they will become between the crate raspor, without requiring additional holding during installation. But so that they do not fall out in the future, I recommend fixing them to the foam block wall with plastic dowels with wide hats.
- Having finished installing the insulation, it is necessary to protect it with a hydro-barrier. This film will prevent mineral mats from getting wet from atmospheric moisture and will protect the material from other destructive external influences.
- After that, additional elements are nailed or screwed onto the lathing guides, the height of which is 3-5 cm.This is necessary so that, after sheathing with decorative material, a ventilation gap forms inside, removing excess moisture from under the facade.
- The last stage of work is wall cladding with siding. Since the crate is already installed vertically, it remains only to fasten the necessary parts with self-tapping screws.
The two insulation methods I have described are quite simple to implement, so I recommend them to you. Well, now let's move on to internal insulation. This is for those who are very afraid of the cold or, for some reason, cannot resort to external insulation.
Internal insulation technologies
In fact, any builder knows that the layers of multi-layer enclosing walls should be positioned so that their vapor barrier properties decrease in the direction from the dwelling to the street. That is, if you place the insulating material inside the room, this rule will be violated.
As a result, a large amount of water vapor generated by human activity will accumulate in the house, which negatively affects the microclimate of the home.
Therefore, if you really have to resort to the technologies of internal insulation of a house made of foam concrete, which I will discuss below, you should definitely take care of a reliable and efficient ventilation system.
Otherwise, insulation can negatively affect the operation of the building. For example, I have encountered such situations when, due to a strong temperature drop, the foam concrete quickly deteriorated, and the corners inside the rooms froze.
But I will not go into theoretical details, I will move on to describing the practical methods of internal insulation of a foam concrete house.
Polyurethane foam
The most effective and convenient way of internal thermal insulation will be the use of polyurethane foam. It will act as a waterproofing agent and will insulate the walls well. Sprayed polyurethane foam will not allow air to enter the walls, so moisture does not form there, which destroys aerated concrete.
On the other hand, all water vapor will accumulate inside the room, so it will have to be removed by ventilation. It is better if it is forced and triggered by a humidity sensor.
Before spraying polyurethane foam, I recommend that you make a crate in advance, on which you can then attach the finishing material. For example, drywall. Just do not use a galvanized profile for this purpose, which will become a cold bridge, impairing the effectiveness of thermal insulation.
If everything is done as I said, the dew point, that is, moisture condensation, will be at the point of contact between the polyurethane foam and the wall or inside the insulating layer. That is, it will not affect the integrity of the enclosing structures.
In general, the material described in this section is an excellent solution for insulating a house from foam blocks. But to apply it, you need special equipment. Therefore, I propose a cheaper and easier to implement method described below.
Styrofoam or penoplex
These two materials are great not only for external (I spoke about it), but also for internal insulation. The latter differs from the former in better performance characteristics, but also in a higher price.
The technology of insulation is not much different from the process that I described above (when I talked about external insulation). There are only a few features here that I want to draw your closest attention to:
- If you only apply glue to the edges and the middle of the foam sheet, voids may form inside where moisture will condense. Therefore, I recommend distributing the adhesive over the entire surface of the insulation, using a spatula with teeth for this (of course, you need to take care that the walls are even).
- The gaps between the foam sheets have a very negative effect on the effectiveness of thermal insulation. Therefore, they need to be sealed with construction foam.
- Whenever possible, I generally recommend installing two layers of foam, staggering the seams of the material so that they overlap.
Output
Now you know how to insulate a house from foam blocks, but I advise you to immediately build a dwelling from this material so that it does not require insulation. As, for example, described in the video in this article. Or do you have your own opinion on this matter? If so, I will be glad to hear your point of view stated in the comments below.
Foam concrete today is considered one of the most common materials that are used in low-rise construction. Therefore, the insulation of walls from foam blocks from the outside is important for the owners of such houses.
The popularity of houses made of foam concrete is due to a set of characteristics that make it convenient and profitable for housing construction:
- low coefficient of thermal conductivity, as a result of which less costs for thermal insulation are required;
- small weight with impressive dimensions, which reduces the cost of transportation and installation of foam blocks;
- environmental friendliness;
- fire safety;
- frost resistance;
- affordable price.
Among connoisseurs, one can hear disputes about whether it is necessary to insulate walls for houses from a foam block. There is reason to be sure that it is still necessary - the cellular structure of the foam block helps it retain heat, however, in our climatic conditions, thermal insulation is still necessary. In addition, if the foam blocks are fastened not with glue, but with concrete, then their thermal insulating properties significantly decrease - concrete seams remain excellent conductors for cold.
Before proceeding with a small overview of the most suitable materials for external insulation, it is useful to recall some of the features of foam blocks
Insulation of the foam block is possible both outside and inside the building. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thermal insulation of the foam block outside does not "steal" the space inside the house and does not create problems with fogging the walls.
Insulation of the walls inside is convenient in terms of implementation, gives more options for choosing a heater, however, this reduces the space inside the house and there are problems with the "dew point", which have to be solved with the help of vapor barrier.
For thermal insulation of the foam block from the outside, choose one of two insulation options - expanded polystyrene or mineral wool. The methods of using each of them are different - below we will look at the features of each of them. Based on this information, it will be easier for you to decide how to insulate the walls from foam blocks from the outside, and you will know how to do this.
Expanded polystyrene and its characteristics
Expanded polystyrene is a white substance that consists of individual elastic granules, firmly soldered into one whole. It is obtained by foaming polystyrene, the structure of the foam block is 90 percent air. In the current construction, this heat insulator claims to be one of the leading places in popularity - it is used to insulate brick, wooden and aerated concrete buildings.
Polyfoam is one of the best options
Expanded polystyrene has the following characteristics:
- a high degree of thermal insulation due to a low coefficient of thermal conductivity;
- small mass with large dimensions - it allows you to transport it without problems and refuse to use special assembly and loading equipment;
- hydrophobic - does not allow water to pass through and does not retain;
- moisture resistance - insulating properties do not disappear even after prolonged stay in a humid environment;
- environmental friendliness - expanded polystyrene is harmless to the environment and human health. This property is taken into account when choosing it for the production of food packaging;
- good workability - polystyrene foam can be cut with a sharp knife, it is easy to make holes in it and it is convenient to glue it;
- frost resistance - does not lose its properties at low temperatures;
- durability;
- non-flammability;
- affordable price is a factor that significantly affects the cost of thermal insulation.
Expanded polystyrene is sold in the form of plates of various thicknesses and sizes. The thickness of the insulating layer depends on the required degree of insulation, climatic conditions in the region and other similar factors. The number of slabs is calculated based on the total area of the walls that need to be insulated.
It is quite easy to work with these plates, since they have a strict geometry, and if necessary, they can be easily cut.