Insulate the floor on the ground floor of the apartment with polystyrene foam. How to insulate the floor on the ground floor? Various methods of floor insulation in an apartment. Insulation of floors on a concrete base

Insulation of the floor of the 1st floor in an apartment is similar to work in a private house. After all, the owners do not have a warm room below. This means that the problem must be solved in a radical way.

And each owner is worried about the question of how to properly insulate the floor of the house with his own hands, which is located above the cold basement or underground.

In this article, we will look at how to independently insulate the floor of the first floor with a different base.

Scheme floor insulation of the 1st floor made of wood by laying insulation between the rough and final flooring.


Floor insulation scheme on the first floor of a wooden house

Immediately, we note that for the convenience of installation and reduction of waste, first calculate the distance between the logs (bars that are intended for laying roofing sheets or floorboards on them). It should be a multiple of the width of the insulation.

  1. Install the floor beams.
  1. From below on these beams, nail the bars to fasten the base for laying the thermal insulation material.
  1. Cut strips of the required width from boards, OSB sheets or plywood so that they can enter between the beams.
  1. Lay these sheets and screw them with self-tapping screws to the bars. This will be the first level of the raised floor.

When insulating private houses, mineral wool is often used.
  1. Lay the waterproofing layer made of polyethylene film. If this is not done, then when the insulation gets wet, there will be no sense in it (see article).
  1. Place the insulation itself (main layer) tightly between the bars in a checkerboard pattern, i.e. with moving joints.

Important! For thermal insulation, it is better to use mineral wool in the form of a roll of suitable width or slabs. And also expanded polystyrene or polystyrene.

In addition, there is a whiter economical option - expanded clay or sawdust. Although they are several times inferior to the above in terms of thermal conductivity and are unstable to moisture. You can read more about all types of thermal insulation materials in the article on our website.


Insulation of the floor of the 1st floor with expanded clay is the most affordable and effective option
  1. Lay the waterproofing in a monolithic piece on top of the thermal insulation material on the bars.
  1. Quickly fix the waterproofing layer with a construction stapler.
  1. Lay the vapor barrier sheets one after the other without gaps - 10-20 cm, and glue the joints with tape.
  1. Be sure to leave a space for ventilation before proceeding with the planking. To do this: Screw the bars (40x100 mm) onto the logs over the waterproofing layer.
  1. Now you can sheathe the logs by any method, i.e. even plywood, chipboard, floorboard. And lay the topcoat. Important! Remember to leave an expansion joint - about 1–2 cm against the walls.

If you still have any questions, how to do it correctly (on the first floor) insulation of floors in the house, video

Insulation of the floor of the 1st floor with liquid foam


It looks like Penoizol

The essence of floor insulation with this material is as follows:

  1. Remove one plank or drill small holes.
  1. Fill the space tightly with Penoizol between the logs, which can take any shape.
  1. During the polymerization process, this insulation increases in volume, and its remnants go out through the gaps between the floorboards and around the entire perimeter of the floor covering. So, the entire space under the boards is insulated, even the smallest cracks.

Ground floor - floor insulation with a concrete base

It remains very relevant to this day floor insulation of the 1st floor a panel house or a house with a concrete floor. The thermal insulation scheme in this case will differ significantly relative to the previous options.

Here, instead of logs made of wood, it is necessary to apply, as well as denser thermal insulation materials.


Mineral wool insulation

So let's get started:

  1. Fill the unevenness of the concrete base with fine sand. Otherwise, the thermal insulation material may change shape during loading. In addition, for this you can use expanded clay, which simultaneously performs several functions: levels, raises to the desired height and insulates the base.

Expanded clay not only insulates, but levels and raises the base of the floor
  1. Attach the damper tape around the perimeter of the room to self-tapping screws or to self-adhesive tape. It is necessary to improve sound insulation and maintain the expansion joint.
  1. Lay the waterproofing sheeting on the floor, sprinkling on top of each other and on the walls.
  1. Tightly glue the seams with tape.

Important! To insulate the floor of the first floor with a concrete base, it is better to use penoplex (extruded polystyrene foam), because it is highly durable and has excellent thermal insulation parameters. However, you can also use dense foam and rock wool varieties.


Floor insulation with polystyrene
  1. Place the sheets of insulation tightly together. It is not necessary to attach them to the base of the floor!
  1. Install the beacon profiles to get a flat surface. For this:
  • Mix the leveling solution by adding plasticizer and fiberglass.
  • Spread this solution around the perimeter of the floor with a margin and level it with the help of lighthouse profiles, which are level and fixed on the screws. More about insulation of the floor of the 1st floor, base - concrete can be read in the article on our website.

Warming of a warm floor

If you have, but you want to make the room even warmer, then you can install a "warm floor" from the boiler. This is if you live in a private house.


Underfloor heating construction on the first floor

If you live in a city apartment, then for floor insulation on the first floor install electric underfloor heating. Place the heating under the screed or in the tile adhesive during installation.


Installation of metal-plastic pipes in a screed

Insulation of the frame floor - on the ground

Most people living in private houses, when they are built, make floors on the ground. This option is appropriate for buildings without basements, while it attracts attention due to its simple technology. do-it-yourself floor insulation at home and low building costs.


Floor plan of the first floor on the ground

Important! On the ground floor, floor insulation on the ground must be performed even at the construction stage, and pre-calculate the thickness of the heat-insulating material, the need for heating, etc. By the way, the required thickness of the sealant is determined by calculating according to SNiP 23-02-2003. However, it does not recommend making it less than 5 cm.

Instructions thermal insulation of the frame floor on the ground on the first floor looks like this:

  1. Remove soft and fertile soil layers.
  1. Make a "pillow" of coarse gravel and sand, while carefully pressing it in layers. Important! Do not forget that there should be a layer of sand on top of the crushed stone - about 10 cm.
  1. To prepare the base, you can first fill in a reinforced concrete slab - about 8-12 cm. Although this is not necessary.
  1. Lay the penoplex on the sand, because does not absorb moisture and is always highly effective, even in humid conditions.

Important! The density of the thermal insulation material used must be greater than 35 kg / m 3. And when using heaters that have a high moisture absorption capacity, be sure to protect them on both sides with a waterproofing layer.


Insulation of the frame floor
  1. Lay damping tape around the perimeter of the walls. Important! The base of the floor should not be associated with the structure of the house. That is, it should act as a separate element. This will allow the base of the floor to change its position with the inevitable shrinkage of the building.
  1. With an overlap on the walls and a hermetically sealed vapor barrier or polyethylene foam.

In more detail about how to do in a frame house do-it-yourself floor insulation, video-instructions can be viewed here:

Insulation of the floor of the first floor with an unheated basement

How to insulate the floor on the 1st floor if there is a cold basement under it? In this case, the layers of thermal insulation material must be laid as follows:


Dry screed attached to expanded clay sand in 2 layers
  1. Smooth out any unevenness on the concrete slab with fine sand.
  1. Lay the foam boards.
  1. Cover the insulation with plastic wrap on top.
  1. Make any screed. Concrete, dry or cement-sand (see article).
  1. The screed is ready. Place any topcoat pitchfork.

Finally, we note that there are times when it is impossible to do in an apartment on ground floor e floor insulation... For example, if not so long ago there was a renovation. Then, in order to insulate the floor on the 1st floor, you need access to the ceiling in the basement and, of course, the consent of the neighbors.


Sheathing with thermal insulation material of the ceiling in the basement
  1. First, glue foam, mineral wool or expanded polystyrene onto a special glue.
  1. Fix the insulation with 4 or 5 umbrella plugs. Their top need not be covered with anything. However, if there is high humidity in your basement, then - make a waterproofing.

How to do with different bases insulation of floors in the house video-instructions can be viewed here:

Few people thought about how to insulate the floor in an apartment of a panel house. And why is this necessary? Usually in such buildings there is no problem with the cold. However, the owners of apartments on the ground floor know firsthand what cold floors are. Basements do not always meet the technical requirements and often additional thermal insulation of the floor is required to maintain a positive microclimate.

Technical moments of the first floor floor insulation

You need to start with the fact that it will be better if the thermal insulation of the floor of the first floors is laid outside. That is, from the basement. Remembering the experience of wall insulation in a panel house, laying insulation on the floor in an apartment is fraught with the loss of free space and a displacement of the dew point inside the concrete. Although the second minus is not very relevant in this case. The thermal insulation pad will mostly fight cold air and will not be exposed to any other influences such as snow and rain.

Often it is problematic to make external floor insulation because basements are usually delimited for private use. But if the space is not occupied, then we boldly insulate the floor, having previously coordinated the actions with the management company.

But, nevertheless, such manipulations are often impossible. In this case, you need to know how to properly insulate the floor inside the room. The choice of material plays a fundamental role here. Before laying the insulation on the floor, you need to determine what thickness of the material will least of all affect the loss of space. The insulator must be selected as small as possible, but taking into account the fact that it will cope with the loss of heat.

Basement insulation scheme.

The need for a waterproofing layer

You can insulate the floor in an apartment with your own hands in various ways. There are many options regarding the use of materials. You can pour a concrete screed if the heat loss is low. At lower rates, thermal insulation backfilling with expanded clay can be carried out.

The best way to insulate the floor on the ground floor is up to you. But in any case, you must first apply a waterproofing coating. Why is it needed? Indeed, unlike floor insulation in a private house, insulation in an apartment is carried out in a different way. The concrete slab is already installed and the hot water pipes usually run in the basement.

Here it is necessary to remember the law of physics. If you put insulation on the floor, then you will thus create an insulating layer, no matter how thick it is. And if insulation is required, then there is cold in the basement. Heat and cold will condense moisture on contact with each other. Let it not be as intense as in other cases, but over time, without waterproofing, condensation forms under the insulation, and then mold or fungus.


Floor waterproofing.

Therefore, it is simply necessary to make a waterproofing coating. The thickness of the films or mastics used for this is small, so the process will not affect the loss of space in any way.

On a note. You can do it in another way, using polymer insulators for insulating the floor of the first floor. They are resistant to moisture and replace the waterproofing layer.

Technology

So, before putting the insulation on the floor, you need to cover the surface with waterproofing. At home, ordinary plastic film of 200 microns is suitable. It is rolled out over the entire area. If there is no single segment, then you can put it in strips, connecting the joints with reinforced tape.

Now let's decide on the choice of insulation. Bearing in mind the loss of height, it is necessary to select so that the thickness of the insulating layer has a minimum effect on this. In fact, there shouldn't be any problems. Because it will be possible to properly insulate the floor in the apartment with materials that are not used in the global insulation of the walls of the house from the outside.

There are more rational options on the market. For example, the same foam, the thickness of the sheets of which is 5 mm. This will be enough. In the line of concrete floor insulation (89), there is also foam insulation. It is a porous foil material that performs well. The floors insulated with such material will also “breathe”.

Important! No matter how much you would like to lose useful area, when using other insulators, the thickness of which exceeds 5 mm, narrowing will occur. Therefore, if the heat loss in the house on the first floor is significant, you will have to come to terms with such a loss.

Laying insulators of small thickness, applicable for laying linoleum, or other finishing materials: laminate or parquet. Again, if the heat loss is not very high. With stronger temperature changes, there are other options for insulation.

Insulating screed for heating

This option is not always applicable, and the thickness of the insulating layer does not please ordinary people. But it is used most often. Of course, the screed will dry for a long time, and the work must be planned so that movement in the insulated room is completely limited.

Everyone can handle installation work. The execution process is carried out in the following order:

  • before pouring the screed, the entire floor surface is completely cleaned;
  • then revision work is carried out aimed at eliminating cracks and depressions;
  • after the beacons are installed;
  • the screed is poured at the last stage.

Depending on what thickness of the screed will be poured, manipulations are carried out in several stages. First a rough layer, then a finishing one. For filling the screed, specialized mixtures are used.

When insulating the floor in a bath, slag or sawdust is often added to the solution. Working at home, such impurities cannot be made. The temperature indicators of the ground floor apartment in the house are not so low, so the usual solution of the leveling screed will be enough.

Warming on logs with expanded clay

Warming of the floor in a house of this type can only be done in old Stalinist buildings, where the height of the ceiling allows. Because the thickness of the insulation will be impressive.


Warming with expanded clay.

The process begins with the installation of a vapor barrier. The technology is similar and described above. After that, the lags are mounted. They are attached to the floor with self-tapping screws in plastic plugs. For this, marks are first made and holes are drilled along them. The installation step of the lag must be calculated based on the thickness of the floorboard. Usually, wood is used for this purpose, the thickness of which is at least 40 mm. Therefore, the installation step of the lag should be at least 60 cm.

Thermal insulation is placed between the timber. Polymers can be used in this case. But nevertheless, it will be easier to put insulation by making a backfill with expanded clay. The whole space is covered with gravel. Then the waterproofing layer goes again, and in the last step, the flooring is laid.

Important! Waterproofing on top of the insulation is necessary to protect it from moisture that will penetrate the floorboards during wet cleaning. And although expanded clay can be covered without looking back at its fear of water, the very presence of moisture under the floorboards will be unclaimed.

You can make expanded clay and individual backfill without sex lags. More precisely, the material will not work alone, but in a screed. Warming with expanded clay without lags is carried out as follows:

  • the floor is cleaned;
  • the level of the drop is measured;
  • a mixture of cement is prepared, with expanded clay added to it;
  • filling is carried out in one layer.

This will be a kind of rough finish. Thus, to make the insulation with expanded clay, a fill of 5–10 mm is sufficient. After the screed has hardened, the final filling of the leveling compound is carried out.

Electric underfloor heating

Modern systems help to cope with many problems. Laying underfloor heating systems in the house is the most humane way. In recent years, it has been used more and more often, despite the increase in electricity costs. Warm floor on the balcony and in the room allows you not to think about the loss of height. The modern system will provide warmth in the house throughout the winter months.


Warm floor

You can consider any options, and today production offers infrared, water and electric floors. The second option in this case will be one of the most expensive, not only in terms of arrangement. The lining of the pipe contour still conceals a little height, so if there are restrictions, then it is better to consider insulation with electrical systems.

Arrangement Tips:

  • the surest and easiest option is to install underfloor heating on a screed;
  • plan work in advance, and pre-prepare the room by removing furniture from it;
  • installation of underfloor heating systems in the house is impossible in those places where a heavy chest of drawers or a sofa will be located.

Insulation of the ground floor from the cold is a must. But resorting to drastic measures is necessary only in extreme cases. Weigh the pros and cons and work out humane methods first. Perhaps it will be enough to put linoleum on the floors in the house, insulated with an additional gasket. If superficial intervention does not give results, then it will be possible to make serious changes to the floor structure.

heatheat.ru

The main methods of thermal insulation of the floor in the house

Publication date: 03-12-2015

  • How to insulate the floor on the first floor in a brick or panel house?
    • Some tips for insulating floors

Floor insulation is a procedure that sooner or later most owners of their own apartments, houses or cottages resort to. High quality insulation is required for both warm timber buildings and reinforced concrete or stone structures. It can be provided in several ways. For example, the laborious work of providing insulation with granular slag or more modern materials that include spraying polyurethane foam can be selected.


Floor insulation scheme.

If you have a concrete slab as a foundation, you must first of all insulate the surface from below, inside the foundation. For this, plates of polystyrene or expanded polystyrene glued with special glue (for tiles) are used. The gaps between the layers of heat-insulating material are filled with polyurethane foam. Insulation and warming of a concrete floor in an apartment (in a panel house) is carried out in the following order:

  • lathing of beams or slabs with a thick layer of polystyrene;
  • laying insulation boards on the floor;
  • vapor barrier;
  • Too rough reinforced concrete slabs are finished with chipboard, plywood sheets or boards;
  • The final stage is to cover the floor with laminate, parquet, linoleum, etc.

It is possible to install wide polystyrene foam plates not only on the concrete floor.

So, for example, if the apartment is located on the ground floor, then it is possible to insulate the floor from below - from the basement of the house. In this case, you will have to insulate its ceiling.

Concrete floor insulation scheme.

If you live, for example, on the very first or on some of the lower floors in a panel house, then you probably have problems with heating. This concerns, first of all, the fact that the floor is almost always cold in the room. Accordingly, it is necessary to take some measures to heat it up. First of all, the floor must be leveled. For this, a concrete screed is used. When buying a dry mix, pay attention to whether this mix is ​​suitable for organizing further underfloor heating. In panel houses, the floor can be so rough and sloppy that it takes a lot of material to level it. As a result, the floor can rise by as much as 20 cm.

In such cases, a much more efficient technology would be such an installation in which the floor can be adjusted. This technology is based on the use of lags with bolts or self-tapping screws - floor adjusters (in the right places it either goes down or rises. Between the beams for greater heat and sound insulation, you can place an insulating material.

Wood floor insulation scheme.

There, it is best to attach it with tile adhesive to the entire surface of the ceiling. As for the insulation from the inside of the apartment, it begins with the fact that the floor is cleaned of previous finishing materials. You need to get to the concrete slab itself. A vapor barrier is laid on the opened clean and flat surface, but you can also use ordinary plastic wrap, which should be very tightly stretched. It should be noted that non-aligned joints between the film or foil must be glued with tape or glue and leave a gap around the perimeter of the room at a distance of 1 cm from the wall for ventilation. You can lay on top of this layer a subfloor made of any material intended for this - boards, chipboard, plywood and any other options that can be used to finish the floor. You should not be afraid that something will turn out sloppy for you, since all the irregularities or roughness can be hidden by the finish - a decorative coating.

Back to the table of contents

Underfloor heating installation and subsequent coating.

In addition to the aforementioned general insulation materials (mineral wool, glass wool) and tiles (polystyrene), the most versatile are insulating fabrics, which not only retain heat and do not allow cold to pass through, but are also able to resist the penetration of liquid into the room. It is polyurethane foam, designed for many types of insulation, and also capable of insulating the floor. Its use is possible in almost all types of insulation systems, it does not require additional vapor barrier, but it costs a little more than other means, and special equipment is needed to use it. It should also be noted that if there is a sub-floor in a private house or basement, it is necessary to make insulation from the base.

If there are also reinforced concrete pillars under the floor, on which wooden beams were later placed, then it is necessary to resort to their isolation too. In the space between the beams themselves and between the beams and posts, the foil must be attached with a stapler. It spreads so that materials intended to insulate the floor (for example, mineral wool or foam) do not get wet and do not let the cold inside the room.

After this local vapor barrier, a layer of insulation is again applied (as in the previous version), but already on the entire surface of the floor and insulation. Thus, the floor in a panel house with your own hands can be insulated quickly, reliably and easily.

polexpert.ru

Floor insulation in an apartment on the ground floor: options for making a pie

One of the main sources of heat loss on the ground floors of apartment buildings is the floor. The technical rooms located below are in most cases not heated. Therefore, in order to reduce their influence on the general microclimate, it is necessary to insulate the floor in the apartment on the first floor.

Technology requirements

At first glance, it seems that the insulation technology does not present any particular difficulties. It is enough to choose the optimal heat insulator and the accepted method of its installation. In practice, however, you can face several problems.

The main condition is that the thermal insulation of the floor on the ground floor should not affect the general technical characteristics of the building. To fulfill the condition, the following parameters must be taken into account:

  • The total mass of the floor cake. It should not exceed the critical value, after which there is a possibility of damage to the interfloor overlap. If necessary, this indicator is agreed with the housing office employees, who must have the technical documentation of the building;
  • Calculation of heat losses. They will determine how to insulate the surface, as well as the optimal thickness of the material;
  • Changing the height of the ceilings. The optimal technology should be chosen, in which the thickness of the insulating layer will be minimal;
  • Compliance with safety precautions. First of all, it relates to fire safety requirements;
  • Maintains the original properties of the floor slab. To remove excess moisture, it is necessary to pre-vaporize the floor of the first floor in a wooden house or in a panel building.

Taking these characteristics into account, he selects the optimal insulation material.

If you plan to install a floor heating system, it is necessary to provide for the absence of a negative effect of external elements on the heat insulator.

The above conditions are met by a number of materials that are designed to reduce heat loss. To choose the best option, it is necessary to analyze all the pros and cons of each of them.

One of the conditions is the minimum insulation thickness of the concrete base of the first floor. In a private house, this is important, as changing the height of the ceilings can lead to a loss of comfort. The material must have a low thermal conductivity, i.e. to create a design protection against heat loss, materials with a minimum thickness should be used.

Extruded polystyrene foam

Most often, the choice stops on extruded polystyrene foam or its cheaper analogue - polystyrene. The advantage of the first option is the high density of the coating. If a large load is not planned, then the main decorative coating can be immediately installed on top of the expanded polystyrene.

Features of the use of polymers:

  • Low cost;
  • Low specific gravity;
  • Complete waterproofing;
  • Simple installation;
  • Flammability.

The latter fact does not allow the use of expanded polystyrene and polystyrene when arranging underfloor heating on the ground floor. In this case, alternative options should be considered.

Basalt or mineral wool

They are made from natural ingredients and consist of many hollow fibers that are connected to each other using special compounds.

The disadvantage of basalt wool is its low density. For the arrangement, it will be necessary to install logs, between which a heat insulator is further spread. On top of the structure, a flooring of plywood, OSB or fiberboard is mounted. It should be borne in mind that mineral wool absorbs moisture well. Therefore, it is first necessary to make waterproofing.

However, along with these disadvantages, the basalt compactor has the following positive qualities:

  • The material is completely non-flammable;
  • Coefficient of thermal conductivity;
  • During installation, it fits snugly to the joists, which ensures minimal heat loss at the joints.

When working with mineral wool, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment - a respirator, work clothes with long sleeves. This minimizes the likelihood of individual fibers getting into the respiratory tract.

One of the least effective options is the use of cement mixtures with various additives. However, in some cases, this is the only way to insulate the concrete floor on the ground floor with heating of its surface using a water system.

During the preparation of the cement mixture, a certain amount of expanded clay is added to its composition. It is best to use the fine fraction. The approximate volume of bulk materials should be no more than 15% of the total mass.

An alternative option is to backfill with expanded clay. After that, the concrete screed is poured. The main disadvantage of this method is the low coefficient of insulation, a significant increase in pressure on the floors.

Step-by-step instructions for arranging

First, you should choose the optimal insulation material. The general installation technology will depend on this, as well as the list of additional components for the work. The most challenging is the floor pie over timber beams. It is his arrangement that will be discussed below.

The general technology consists of a preparatory stage, installation of layers of thermal insulation and sheet materials, as well as surface preparation for the installation of decor. For each of them, a scheme of work should be developed in advance so that no difficulties arise in the process of their implementation.

Preparing the subfloor

In most cases, it is a reinforced concrete base. It may have cracks or potholes. They should be removed using the putty method. Further steps are done only after the final drying of the mixtures.

Then you should adhere to this scheme.

  1. Drying the cement screed. Can be done with a heat gun in a few hours.
  2. Installation of waterproofing. It is an indispensable element in the arrangement of the floor of the first floor of a private house.
  3. Installation of lag. They should be height-adjustable to be able to set the optimum level.
  4. Wooden components should not fit snugly against the walls - a thermal gap of 5-6 mm is left. The lathing is fastened to the cement surface using dowels.

Only after that you can proceed to the main stage of work - the installation of the heat insulator.

Installation of insulation

Currently, manufacturers offer several options for basalt wool, which differ not only in the density of the material and its thickness, but also in shape. It is recommended to use roll-up models for insulating the floor on the ground floor.

The material should fit snugly against the beams. Therefore, the distance between them is calculated in advance, based on the actual width of the basalt wool. After installation, it is necessary to install a layer of fibrous film.

A prerequisite is the formation of an air gap. To do this, spacer slats are stuffed onto the upper part of the lag. After laying the sheet material, an air gap with a height of at least 10 mm must be formed.

This completes the insulation of the floor in the apartment on the ground floor. In the future, when using the surface, moisture should be avoided into the floor cake. Or, pre-install an additional layer of waterproofing before installing the decor.

pol-expo.ru

Insulation of the floor of the first floor of the floor slab from the basement

floor insulation with foam under the screed

As you know, the floor is practically the only surface with which people are constantly in contact (walking barefoot or wearing shoes), therefore, the first floor floor insulation will become the number one task for apartment owners located on the first floor of a multi-storey building and private owners. In this regard, certain requirements are imposed on surfaces: for example, the difference in temperature values ​​on the floor surface and in the room should not exceed two degrees. If this value is not maintained, then one has to resort to warming - this difference is especially "acute" felt in the off-season and winter months.

Warming methods

In order to insulate the floors, an additional layer of thermal insulation is usually laid in the ceilings between the first floor and the basement. According to the laws of heat transfer, heat losses flow from top to bottom through the floors in the underground (multi-storey buildings with unheated basements are considered).

In this case, in addition to heat loss, there is also condensation of water vapor released from the warm air in the premises. This has a bad effect on the state of the insulation material, which absorbs all the moisture. To prevent excessive moisture, you can either use a moisture-resistant material as thermal insulation, or (and this is recommended in any case) lay an additional vapor barrier in front of the thermal insulation. As a vapor barrier layer, you can use a conventional polyethylene film with a thickness of 150 microns.

By the way, if different floor coverings have different heat assimilation coefficients: a concrete floor is colder than a parquet floor - and this is logical, since concrete “absorbs” heat more actively than a wooden one. That is why experts advise using as finishing those floor coverings that have a low rate of heat absorption - wood, parquet, chipboard, linoleum, polymer tiles - otherwise the floor will be cold all the time.

Insulation of the concrete floor of the first floor

When your apartment is located on the first floor of a multi-storey residential building, and below there is a technical underground (basement) with the ability to access it.

Mineral wool insulation

In this case, you can insulate your floor from the side of the basement with ordinary foam, gluing it to a special glue mortar or cement mortar with glue (like on a tile). The gaps between the foam sheets can be filled with construction foam.

The disadvantage of this method is the possible rejection by your neighbors of your enthusiasm for floor insulation. And if you insulate the entire floor of your section with polystyrene foam as easy as shelling pears, then it will be much more difficult to calculate the area of ​​your apartment and its location ("basement, bottom view"). In this case, you will have to arm yourself with a house plan and a tape measure, so that you can then mark "your" territory for insulation.

When there is no way to insulate the floor from the technical underground.

Here they usually proceed as follows: they arrange logs, plywood or boards are laid between them, and foam sheets are already laid on them. It is also a fairly simple method of insulation, but it has its drawbacks. One of them is to reduce the height of the ceilings (for panel houses, where insulation of the concrete floor of the first floor is required).

For apartments with wooden floors, the situation is somewhat simpler: the floors are disassembled (if possible, old or rotted log boards are replaced with new ones), foam sheets are laid between the logs. In this case, the room will not "lose" its size.

When there is no way to insulate the floors with foam.

Then it is necessary to use expanded clay insulation - here it is necessary to arrange a cement screed with a layer thickness of at least 9 cm.The disadvantage of this method is a significant decrease in the ceiling height in the room, since the thickness of the floor covering with hydro- and heat-insulating layers will also need to be taken into account. However, there are also advantages here: for example, in a cement screed using expanded clay, you can arrange warm floors - electric or water.

Insulation of the floor along the logs

If you have your own house, consisting of two floors, or even an ordinary one-story house, then floor insulation is still necessary - it does not matter whether there is a basement there or not. And here, since you are the owner in your house, you can arrange underfloor heating (of course, according to your financial capabilities).

In this case, they are insulated even at the stage of setting up the subfloor. And, according to many construction experts, the best modern thermal insulation material is extruded polystyrene foam, which has good thermal insulation characteristics, is moisture resistant, and can withstand mechanical stress. In addition, expanded polystyrene will become the best thermal insulation material in areas where groundwater is located close to the base of the foundation.

Thermal insulation with polystyrene

Insulation of walls and floors

Expanded polystyrene is laid on a fill of sand with crushed stone, a layer thickness of at least 10 cm. The thickness of the insulation is selected, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region. In this case, waterproofing is a polyethylene film, which is laid on the warm side of the insulation material, fixing it with ordinary glue, without the use of plastic substances. The laid waterproofing layer is poured with a screed solution consisting of sand and cement, or two layers of gypsum fiber board. If you plan to arrange underfloor heating at your place, then the heating elements must be laid on the screed.

If it is planned to insulate the floors with the help of "ordinary old-fashioned" materials, then you can use glass wool or mineral wool slabs. However, it should be remembered that such heaters are not sufficiently moisture resistant, so they will have to be carefully waterproofed.

For wooden houses, when the floor is laid over the ground along the logs, insulation materials are laid between the logs, with waterproofing, on boards hemmed from below. And the vapor and waterproofing material itself is laid on top of the insulation along the warm side of the thermal insulation.

And finally: floor insulation will be the more effective, the more heat-insulated surfaces in the apartment (walls, windows and doors).

We are used to thinking that floor insulation issues concern only private houses. Equally acute is the question of how to insulate the floor in an apartment on the 1st floor.

However, such work must be carried out in all premises if you want to save on utility bills.

Insulation materials

Features of work on insulation, depend on the chosen method and on the material used.

Take the vapor-insulating film with a margin, since we will let its edges on the walls. And if you are going to use mineral wool, then remember that it must be covered on both sides.

There must be enough material for all the space between the lags.


How to insulate the floor in an apartment

We insulate the concrete floor


After two weeks, we proceed to the primer, and then we cover it with a decorative coating.

Thermal insulation on logs

This option is very similar to the insulation of wooden floors.

We need a timber, it must be quite even, dry and free of any defects.


Chipboard, plywood and polystyrene as insulation options

This option is not suitable for people whose apartments are located on 1 floors.


We insulate the floor in the apartment with expanded polystyrene

This is the most demanded insulation in the modern world.

It has good water resistance. And it will last as long as a wooden covering, so you will have to replace it only with the next repair in 50 years.

Very compact, so when using it, the floor height will not change much. Can be laid on concrete, soil, even without preliminary isolation from moisture.

Warm floor enters our life at an incredible speed. Now, not only private, but also multi-storey buildings have underfloor heating elements. It can be either water or electric.

They are mounted in a screed or on top of it.

If you want a quality floor that will last a long time, contact a specialist.

Insulation of the floor of the first floor, the choice of heat-insulating material and the technology of laying each type of insulation.

The need for floor insulation on the ground floor


Thermal insulation of floors on the ground floor is necessary both in a private house and in an apartment building. In the first case, insulation will help save a decent amount of money on energy, which is important for the cold season, in the second - to make the apartment cozy and warm.

In multi-storey buildings, especially panel buildings, basements are always cold. As a result, in winter, no matter how hot the radiators are, the floor always remains cool, and the temperature in the apartment often drops below the comfort level.

Thus, there are quite a few reasons to insulate the floors of the first floor in the house:

  • Saving money... Up to 30% of the heat escapes through the floor. By insulating it, you can save a lot. The question is relevant for owners of private residential buildings.
  • Improving tactile sensations... Walking barefoot on a cold floor is unpleasant. You have to wear slippers and socks to boot. The insulated floor is pleasant to the touch, you can walk on it barefoot without fear of getting sick.
  • Elimination of dampness... On the ground floor of a private house, moisture penetrates from the ground, in a high-rise building - from the basement. Most insulation materials require waterproofing of the base. After laying them, the floor will always be dry.

The choice of material for insulating the floor of the first floor


Before thermal insulation of the floor, you need to decide on the material that will be used. The insulation market is diverse. On sale you can find thermal insulation made from natural substances and synthetic. To choose the optimal material in terms of technical characteristics / price ratio, you will have to deal with each type separately, and then draw conclusions.

To insulate the floor of the first floor in a private house or high-rise building, the following materials are used:

  1. Expanded clay... It is made from pure clay that is kilned at high temperatures. There are three fractions - crushed stone, gravel, sand. For the best thermal insulation of the floor, a mixture of two fractions is used (gravel, crushed stone, sand is obtained with partial destruction of the material at the time of installation). The insulation is different in density. For thermal insulation of the floor, you need to choose a sufficiently dense material. Expanded clay absorbs moisture well and gives it away poorly, therefore, waterproofing is required when laying. It can be mastic or a thick plastic wrap. Thermal conductivity of expanded clay - 0.18 W / m * K.
  2. Ecowool... It is made from the remains of the paper industry - waste paper. Borax and boric acid are used as essential additives. Borax is a strong antiseptic that prevents moisture build-up and decay. Boric acid acts as a fire retardant, making ecowool less fire hazardous. The insulation goes on sale in a highly compressed form in plastic bags. Before work, it must be fluffed using a drill with a mixing nozzle and previously dumping the contents of the bag into a large tank. Thermal conductivity of ecowool - 0.032-0.041 W / m * K. The insulation is breathable and breathable. Double-sided waterproofing is not required, since when wet, the ecowool is taken with a thick, rather strong crust and protects the rest of the insulation, while the thermal conductivity remains at the same level. Fire hazard class - G2, non-spontaneous combustion. Ecowool is not interesting for mice.
  3. Mineral wool... There are three types - glass wool, slag wool, basalt wool. The latter is distinguished by the best technical characteristics, it also costs 30 percent more expensive. Available in rolls, mats, plates. Thermal conductivity depends on density: the higher it is, the better the material conducts heat. Technical characteristics of mineral wool: low thermal conductivity (0.032-0.045 W / m * K), good air and vapor permeability. The insulation does not burn, at a temperature of + 1000 ° C it melts. Mineral wool is not interesting for mice.
  4. Expanded polystyrene... This includes ordinary foam and the brand of extruded polystyrene foam, which has become a household name, penoplex. Despite the same basis, heaters differ not only in appearance, but in technical characteristics. Penoplex is better than foam in many of them: thermal conductivity - 0.032 W / m * K, water absorption - 0.4% (for foam 4%), flammability group - G1-G4. The insulation does not allow moisture to pass through, it is convenient for cutting. True, it is expensive. It is cheaper to use simple polystyrene under the usual cement screed, and penoplex under the "warm floor" system.
  5. Polyurethane foam... It has a low thermal conductivity (0.019-0.028 W / m * K), almost zero water absorption and low vapor permeability, fire hazard class - G2-G3 (GOST 12.1.044), is absolutely inert to chemical media and natural solvents, not interesting to rodents. It is applied using a special machine that sprays the material under pressure. If you purchase it (there are disposable ones), then all the work can be done by hand. Polyurethane foam can be of different densities (from 18 to 300 kg / m 3), the lower this figure, the weaker in terms of mechanical strength the layer of thermal insulation will turn out. The material "grows" strongly upon contact with air, closing all cracks and pores, has excellent adhesion to any type of substrate.
  6. Foil insulation... Presented on the construction market by rolls of thin mineral wool or foamed polyethylene. Such insulation has two purposes - insulation and repulsion of heat back into the room. In order for the foil thermal insulation to work correctly, a counter-lattice is installed (the thickness of the timber is 3 cm or more), a tongue-and-groove board is laid on top as a finishing floor covering.

Before working on floor insulation, it is required to correctly calculate the thickness of the thermal insulation material. If you lay a layer that is too thin, the desired effect of protection against the penetration of cold will not be achieved, if you install too thick insulation, extra financial resources will be spent, which is inappropriate.

Ground floor thermal insulation technology

Each of the listed heaters is laid in its own way. It also matters what kind of base is required to be insulated - concrete capital, wooden or floor along the logs. Expanded clay and expanded polystyrene are laid both under a concrete screed and under a fine wooden floor. Expanded clay is also filled up on logs with obligatory double-sided waterproofing. Penoplex (extruded polystyrene foam) is always placed under the "warm floor" system, ecowool is poured into the cavity between the subfloor and the final floor, mineral wool is laid along the logs and is never used in a concrete screed due to insufficient strength characteristics and increased water absorption. Foil heaters are not used on their own, as they have a small thickness.

Insulation of the floor on the first floor with expanded clay


Several types of floors are insulated with this material: on the ground, in houses on screw piles, along logs. The first two options are similar in terms of installation technology.

For work, you will need: expanded clay, cement mixture (concrete screed), a container for mixing, a drill with a mixer nozzle, a trowel, a reinforcing mesh, dense polyethylene (thickness 200 micro and higher), a rake.

The order of work on the insulation of the concrete floor of the first floor:

  • Disassemble the finished floor. Carefully remove the wooden floorboard, inspect each floorboard, clean it of old paint, treat it with antiseptics, set it aside to dry, then lay it horizontally so as not to twist. Other types of flooring, tiles, plywood, chipboard, are dismantled and thrown away.
  • Inspect the rough base, remove debris and dust, check for evenness with a level. This is necessary in order to pour expanded clay as evenly as possible, without differences in height.
  • Treat the subfloor with an antiseptic and let it dry.
  • Lay polyethylene, be sure to put it on the walls, 5-7 centimeters above the level of the intended final floor. Trim after installing the skirting boards. Secure the joints of the film with tape.
  • Pour out expanded clay, level it with a rake, check with a level in places where there were deviations from the horizontal. Add insulation there, if necessary, and level again.
  • Spill the expanded clay with cement milk. This will increase the adhesion between the granules.
  • Install reinforcing mesh. The height of the mounting posts is 3 cm.
  • Seal the cement mixture with water according to the instructions, let it stand for 5 minutes and mix again.
  • Pour the floor in parts, after carefully leveling each of them with a trowel and checking with a level.
  • Let the surface dry and work hard. This will take about a month (28 days).
  • Install the topcoat. Don't forget to put on the skirting boards and cut off any excess plastic wrap.
The procedure for insulating the floor of the first floor with expanded clay on the ground and if the house is on piles is approximately the same. Tools and materials are the same as when working on a concrete base. Additionally, you will need sand and crushed stone for arranging the pillow.

We carry out the work as follows:

  1. Disassemble the floor.
  2. Remove the top layer of the earth and go deep into the ground about half a meter.
  3. Tamp the bottom of the resulting pit. For these purposes, either a small skating rink, or a special machine, or a home-made device consisting of a heavy handle and a dense, durable sole of an arbitrary size are suitable.
  4. Fill the sand with a layer of 10 cm, spill it with water, tamp it.
  5. Lay the crushed stone on top of the sand in a layer of 15 cm, tamp. It is better to use a special rammer here.
  6. Fill the sand again (10 cm), spill it with water, tamp it. Check the resulting surface for evenness with a level.
  7. Lay a plastic wrap, place it on the walls to a height of 5-7 cm above the level of the future finished floor, fix the joints with tape.
  8. Pour out expanded clay, layer thickness of at least 15 cm, level with a rake and spill with cement milk.
  9. Install reinforcing mesh.
  10. Pour the concrete screed and let it dry for a month.
  11. Install the topcoat. Install skirting boards. Cut off any excess waterproofing film.
It is also possible to insulate with expanded clay on the logs. In this case, clean the rough base, lay a plastic wrap and fix it with a construction stapler to the logs. The joints of the film are fixed with construction tape. Expanded clay is poured flush between the logs. Another layer of polyethylene is mounted on top and a grooved board is laid - a finishing floor.

Important! For houses on a pile foundation, no excavation is required. The thickness of the sand and crushed stone cushion, insulation and concrete screed must reach the level of the final floor in the house.

Thermal insulation of the ground floor floor with mineral wool


It is convenient to use rolls for such thermal insulation. They are cut to size before laying. The roll width should exceed the lag step by half a centimeter. You can also use mats. Mineral wool is used to insulate the wooden floor on the first floor along the logs.

Work order:

  • Remove the old wood floor. Inspect the boards, remove old paint, sand, treat with an antiseptic. Leave to dry and then lay horizontally.
  • Remove debris and dust from the subfloor. Carefully inspect the logs, replace the rotten ones.
  • Treat all lags with an antiseptic and let dry.
  • Lay dense polyethylene, insulate the joints with construction tape, fix the waterproofing with a stapler to the logs.
  • Open the mineral wool and place it between the logs. The insulation should be tight!
  • Close the material on top with a vapor barrier membrane, also connect the joints with tape and attach to the logs with a stapler.
  • Lay down the prepared old boards. Install the skirting board.
  • Trim off excess waterproofing.
  • Paint the finished coating.
If the private house has a basement, you can insulate the floor with mineral wool from below. In this case, you will need the help of someone from your family or friends. The ceiling in the basement must be primed with an antiseptic, then install a log system with a thickness of insulation, cut out the mineral wool, fix the waterproofing film, lay the thermal insulation between the logs, close it on top with a vapor barrier membrane and finish it with, for example, moisture-resistant plywood. In this case, the height of the living space will remain the same, and the floor temperature will become much more comfortable.

Insulation of the floor on the first floor with ecowool


This insulation is laid in several ways: blown out, sprayed (water or glue is used for wetting), fall asleep. For independent work, only one option is suitable - backfill.

It is convenient to insulate wooden floors in this way:

  1. Disassemble the finished floor.
  2. Treat the boards in the same way as in the case of mineral wool.
  3. Remove dust and debris from the base.
  4. Open the insulation bag and place it in the large tank.
  5. Fluff the material with a drill with a mixer attachment.
  6. Lay a layer of waterproofing, thick polyethylene will do. Fix the joints with tape. Do not forget to enter the walls.
  7. Pour the ecowool into the first compartment between the joists. Start tamping using a wide trowel, or make some kind of tamping plane with a trowel-style handle.
  8. Ram until you feel significant pressure under your hands.
  9. Add insulation and repeat the steps. The final option is a tightly laid flush insulation at the level of the log.
  10. Repeat all the steps with the rest of the cells between the lags.
  11. Install a fine finish, install skirting boards and trim off any excess waterproofing.

Thermal insulation of the floor on the ground floor with expanded polystyrene


For thermal insulation of the floor on the ground or in a house on a pile foundation, it is recommended to use foam (under a concrete screed). If you need to insulate the concrete base, the foam is also poured into the concrete screed. It is important to consider the height of the room here. In standard apartments with a ceiling height of 2.3-2.4 m, such insulation will "eat" at least 10 cm.

Polystyrene is sensitive to the quality of the substrate on which it is laid. If there are obvious bulges and large horizontal deviations, this insulation can crack under load on it. Therefore, it may additionally require leveling the subfloor, and this will take another 3-5 cm of the height of the room.

If this is the only possible option, proceed according to the following plan:

  • Remove the fine finish - remove the wooden floorboards, knock down the tiles.
  • Inspect the base and check for levelness with a level.
  • If the height differences are more than 1.5 cm per linear meter, there are humps, you need to level the base. Knock down irregularities, dust the floor, fill in a self-leveling cement screed of the required thickness (3-5 cm). Let it dry and work hard.
  • Next, proceed directly to the insulation.
  • Cut the styrofoam with a small hacksaw.
  • Lay dense polyethylene on the rough floor, connect the edges of the panels with construction tape, roll the film onto the walls and secure.
  • Lay the foam in two layers. This way you will avoid cold bridges. Lay the first layer with the bandaging of the vertical seams. The second is similar, but above each seam of the first layer there should be a whole slab from the second. Also observe the dressing.
  • Install reinforcing mesh. The height of the racks should be 3 centimeters.
  • Prepare the screed mixture: cover with water according to the instructions, stir with a drill with a mixing nozzle.
  • Concreting the base. Fill the floor in pieces. Smooth each compartment with a trowel and check for evenness with a level.
  • Wait for it to dry completely and cure (approximately 28 days, depending on conditions).
  • Carry out a fine finish. The best option is tiles, laminate, linoleum, carpet. The wooden floor on the logs will "take away" additional centimeters of height, so this option is unacceptable for standard rooms.
Insulation of the floor of the first floor with expanded polystyrene on the ground or in a house on logs is carried out similarly to thermal insulation with expanded clay.

Brief technology:

  1. Disassemble the floor, remove the top layer of soil, go deep into it half a meter.
  2. Make a crushed sand pillow.
  3. Lay polyethylene on top of the insulation board, observing the dressing.
  4. Install the mesh reinforcement and pour the concrete screed.
Just as in the case of thermal insulation with expanded clay, in houses on a pile foundation, for thermal insulation of the first floor, digging of a pit is not required. Smooth the surface of the soil, compact it. Next, accurately calculate the thickness of the thermal insulation cake: sand-crushed stone pillow + insulation + concrete screed.

Its height should completely cover the distance between the ground and the finished floor in the house. Deepening below the soil level may be required only if there is not enough space from the ground to the floor for arranging a full-fledged insulated concrete screed.

Combined thermal insulation of the ground floor


It is optimal to insulate the floor with penoplex on the ground floor in combination with foil insulation (it is better to take foil insulation, it is thinner than foil mineral wool in rolls). In the case of such thermal insulation, the finishing coating can only be a grooved board laid along the logs, otherwise the foil will not work.

Installation technology of the combined heat-insulating cake:

  • Remove the old topcoat.
  • Clean the rough base from debris, inspect the logs.
  • If necessary, replace the rotten logs, lay new ones, treat all wooden parts with an antiseptic.
  • Lay the foam boards. The thickness of the insulation is flush with the lags. You need to lay the material in the niches as tightly as possible. Plates must not dangle!
  • Cover the insulation with foil insulation on top, make an overlap and secure the joints with metallized tape, fasten to the logs.
  • Install the counter grill. Use a bar that is at least 3 cm thick.
  • Lay the tongue-and-groove plank (finishing floor).

Insulation with polyurethane foam on the ground floor


This material gives you a lot of leeway. They can easily insulate themselves both from the inside (from the side of the dwelling) and from the outside (from the side of the basement, or fill the space between the ground and the floor with material if the house is on stilts).

Usually professionals are hired for such work. This is due to the fact that a special installation is required for spraying polyurethane foam. However, progress does not stand still. Disposable installations have appeared on sale, they are not cheap, however, if you make a full calculation, there will still be some benefit.

Having decided to insulate the floor on the ground floor with polyurethane foam yourself, choose the Foam Kit system. The equipment comes with detailed instructions for the sequence of actions, so no special skills are required. Such installations do not need to be connected to the mains, which is very convenient when insulating the floor in a country house if there is no electricity.

The second task that will have to be solved is polyurethane foam (PPU) itself. It must be of high quality, only in this case the insulation layer will turn out to be durable and will have excellent technical characteristics.

PPU spraying technology:

  1. Prepare the base in the standard way - remove the debris, prime it with an antiseptic.
  2. If the base is concrete, without logs, install a system of wooden beacons (they are similar to logs, their height is equal to the thickness of the thermal insulation layer). If there are lags, the insulation is carried out directly along them.
  3. Spray polyurethane foam in one cell. Apply the composition evenly. It grows in size upon contact with air, so take your time. If in some place the layer is not thick enough, add a little material.
  4. Process the rest of the cells in the same way.
  5. After the polyurethane foam has hardened, cut off the excess flush with the logs and lay the topcoat from the tongue-and-groove board.

Important! Do not work with PU foam at low and negative temperatures. This will adversely affect the quality of the thermal insulation layer. The optimum temperature for working with polyurethane foam is + 10 + 40 ° C.

How to make a warm floor on the first floor


The ideal and most expensive option is to install a "warm floor" system on the ground floor. This work is not labor-consuming, but it is necessary to have knowledge in electrical engineering. If there is no desire to understand this, but at the same time you want to save money, carry out preliminary combined insulation of the floor with penoplex (insulation plus foil insulation), and invite professionals to install the warm floor.

In this case, the styrofoam will be laid not along the logs, but as under a concrete screed:

  • Carry out preparatory work for cleaning and leveling the base.
  • Lay the penoplex in two layers, seal the joints with tape or special sealant.
  • Cover the insulation with thin foil thermal insulation on top, close the joints with metallized tape.
How to insulate the floor on the first floor - watch the video:


In order to properly insulate the floor on the first floor, you need to have an idea of ​​thermal insulation materials, be able to choose them correctly and calculate the required thickness. All types of work are available for doing it yourself, you just need a desire to do everything efficiently and save the family budget.

How to insulate the floor on the ground floor is not an idle question for many owners of private houses who are busy improving the energy efficiency of their home. Reducing heating costs with steadily rising energy prices is an important task that can be accomplished by thoroughly insulating all external surfaces of a building and adjacent structures.

Insulation of the floor of a private house - the way to save energy

Why you need to insulate the floor on the first floor

The floor of the first floor is the boundary that separates the warm interior rooms from the unheated basement or ground. In winter, the cold outside air and frozen soil cool the foundation, plinth, and walls adjacent to the floor.

When cold and heat meet, condensation occurs. This leads to freezing of structures, their constant humidity. Fungi settle on the surface and in the thickness, destroying not only wood, but also brick and concrete with the released substances. Floor covering, wall decoration suffers.

In addition to the discomfort caused by the damp ice surface, heating costs increase. Up to 15% of heat is released through the non-insulated floor into the ground and the atmosphere.


Losses through non-insulated floor reach 15%

We have to maintain a more intense heating mode, which sometimes does not help much. The air in the house warms up enough and the floors stay cool.

Special attention should be paid to the insulation of the floor of the first floor of a private house. This will help maintain a favorable indoor climate, reduce costs during the heating season, and extend the service life of materials and structures.

Types of floor insulation and their characteristics

The construction industry produces a variety of materials for thermal insulation that meet the requirements of GOST and SNiP.

For thermal insulation of the floor, use:

  • granulated - expanded clay, blast-furnace slag, vermiculite, foam glass;
  • roll - stone, glass, slag wool, foamed polyethylene, expanded polystyrene, technical cork;
  • plates with and without foil coating - basalt wool, expanded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, wood concrete, plywood, chipboard or oriented strand boards, chipboard, OSB;
  • concrete-based mixtures - expanded clay concrete, slag concrete, foam concrete, polystyrene concrete, sawdust concrete.
  • foams, liquids - polyurethane foam, ecowool, heat-insulating paints.

Modern thermal insulators increase the energy efficiency of the home

Together with insulation, a system of underfloor heating is often installed - laying a heating cable, infrared emitters, electric mats or thin tubes filled with water. Heating is carried out from the power supply or from the heating boiler.

General characteristics possessed by thermal insulation materials:

  • low thermal conductivity coefficient - 0.03-0.3 W / m ° C, which effectively reduces heat loss even when laying a layer of small thickness;
  • high fire resistance - most heat insulators belong to the class NG, G1 or G2, which means incombustibility or a low degree of flammability;
  • biological inertness - materials do not rot due to the chemical composition or antiseptic impregnation, they are resistant to mold growth;
  • durability - with proper installation and operation, the service life declared by the manufacturer is 20 years or more;
  • low density and low weight - the structure of heat insulators is porous or fibrous, therefore, the coatings made of them are light, not creating a load on the supporting structures;
  • manufacturability - heaters can be easily laid on horizontal surfaces, fixed or applied with special equipment, it does not take much time.

Polymer heaters are several times more effective than natural materials

The advantages of heat insulators include environmental friendliness. They do not emit harmful vapors and radiation into the environment. This is very important for indoor insulation applications.

The choice of insulation option

The method of floor insulation is chosen taking into account:

  • base material and structure;
  • the presence of a basement;
  • characteristics of the heating system;
  • climatic conditions.

In a wooden house related to fire-hazardous structures, it is advisable to arrange thermal insulation from non-combustible materials - expanded clay, perlite, foam glass, mineral wool in rolls or slabs, polyurethane foam.

Concrete floors can be insulated with polymer insulators - penoplex, expanded polystyrene. They do not support combustion, but emit corrosive smoke when heated. According to the standards, such materials must be covered with a protective layer of cement-sand mortar with a thickness of at least 30 mm.

Fibrous and bulk insulation tend to absorb water vapor from the environment. A moisture barrier is created using a variety of films and membranes, which are laid from the side of unheated basements or subfields. Insulators are often covered with aluminum foil, the function of which is to reflect infrared rays into the room, additionally to protect it from heat loss.


Before choosing a heat insulator, you need to consider all the options.

When choosing a heater for the ground floor floor, the important criteria are:

  • price category;
  • labor intensity of work.

The most inexpensive thermal insulation is polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, penoplex. Polymers are offered at a price of 1800 rubles / m³. A layer with a thickness of 50-100 mm is usually laid on the floor, which corresponds to 36-89 rubles / m².

Expanded clay will cost 1200 rubles / m³, in terms of square meter of floor 240 rubles. (layer 20 cm).

Basalt wool in rolls or non-stitched mats costs 170-180 rubles / m² on average.

The cost of laying is calculated based on the established prices for work in the construction market. If we do the repairs ourselves, we can install the insulation without the help of teams.

The smallest labor intensity when installing thermal insulation from foam and related materials or mineral wool. It is more difficult to lay expanded clay or slag, their specific weight is 400-600 kg / m³. To transfer and fill 100 m² of floor with a layer of 20 cm, you will need 20m³, which is 8-12 tons. For such work, you need at least an assistant, and preferably 2 or 3.

Ecowool is an increasingly popular cellulose insulation. It is applied with professional pressure-generating equipment. This type of insulation is not mounted on its own. The price per square meter is announced by specialized firms. It is from 170 rubles / m² and depends on the surface configuration, layer thickness.


The blowing of cotton wool is carried out by professionals

Ecowool can be scattered over the surface by hand, similar to granular materials. The quality of such insulation is significantly lower than that of dry blowing.

Climatic conditions impose certain requirements on the choice of floor insulation. For example, in cold Siberian regions, in order to insulate the surface with expanded clay, a layer of about 40 cm will be required (determined by the heat engineering calculation). Therefore, it is advisable to perform work using lightweight thermal insulators with a lower thermal conductivity coefficient.

Thermal insulation with bulk materials

The oldest bulk insulation is dry earth. Later, people began to use wood shavings or sawdust. They are still used now, impregnated with antiseptics and fire retardants or mixed with lime, cement, clay. But the most popular insulation is obtained by swelling of shale clay.

It is easy to use, inexpensive, and is not loved by rodents. A layer of expanded clay can be spread over the ground, having previously spread the waterproofing. It will protect the material from moisture.


Expanded clay is very easy to use

To insulate the floor of the first floor, use a mixture of granules with a size of 15 mm and smaller fractions so that the gaps between large elements are filled. Layer thickness - not less than 20 cm. Thermal insulation is performed by dry, wet or combined method.

The sequence of "dry" works using bulk insulation:

  1. Fill the space between the logs of the wooden floor with expanded clay, vermiculite or other materials.
  2. They lay subfloors from MDF, plywood, boards, chipboard, OSB.
  3. Lay the topcoat.

"Wet" floor insulation:

  1. Expanded clay is mixed with a cement-sand mortar.
  2. Claydite concrete is laid on the base.
  3. Align, wait for complete drying.
  4. Arrange a finishing coating.

With the combined method, first a layer of dry insulation is poured, then it is poured with a cement-sand mortar. Align and after hardening, lay the finishing materials. It is possible to lay a reinforcing mesh in the screed for strength.


Screed for dry expanded clay

The disadvantages of bulk insulation are the tendency to shrinkage, moisture. In order to level them, during installation, the granules must be compacted, protected with waterproofing from the side of possible wetting.

Insulation with roll materials

Basalt wool is the most common floor insulation in private houses. Produced in rolls, mats or slabs. The first two types - inexpensive and loose, are intended for thermal insulation of wooden floors. Plates are denser, stronger, but more expensive. They are used under a concrete screed.

Algorithm for stacking roll materials:

  1. Waterproofing - films, membranes is spread over the boards or boards of the subfloor.
  2. Insulation with a thickness of 10-20 cm is laid between the lags without gaps and without excessive compaction, the layers should overlap each other.
  3. A vapor barrier is placed on top, which will not prevent moisture from evaporating from the heat insulator if it gets wet.
  4. Counter-rails are mounted on the lags to form a space for ventilation.
  5. The insulation is completed by a topcoat with an additional layer of sound insulation.

Thermal insulation with rolled mineral wool

If foil varieties are used, they turn the metal surface towards the room. Heat rays must be reflected into the room.

Installation of plate heaters

Expanded polystyrene and penoplex are types of polystyrene. Consist of closed balls filled with air. Due to their structure, polymers have the lowest thermal conductivity among building materials - 0.03 W / m ° С and are widely used in private housing construction for thermal insulation of floors on the ground floor.

Expanded polystyrene is very unpretentious - it does not absorb moisture, like mineral wool or expanded clay. It can be laid on the ground, concrete or backfill. During operation, it does not lose its properties for a long time, since it does not thicken over time.

Laying expanded polystyrene is a simple task. The main stages of installation for a floor on the ground:

  1. The base is prepared - the bedding is compacted, the rough screed is poured.
  2. Lay a waterproofing film.
  3. Slabs are mounted by combining the groove and the ridge along the edges of two adjacent elements.
  4. Another layer of waterproofing is spread.
  5. A reinforcing mesh is placed on top, a screed is poured.

In the same sequence, work is carried out when insulating a concrete monolith, with the exception of a bedding device and a rough screed.


Foam boards are easy to lay on your own

If you lay a foil film on top, then the base for the installation of a warm floor system is ready.

Concrete or floors on the ground with mineral wool slabs are insulated according to the scheme:

  1. On a solid base - gravel backfill or concrete - waterproofing is laid in 2 layers with an overlap of 15-20 cm.
  2. Install mineral wool slabs, making sure that no gaps remain.
  3. Another layer of waterproofing is spread on top, which will protect the screed from leaks of cement laitance.
  4. Pour a concrete screed with a thickness of 50 mm.
  5. Arrange a finishing coating.

The greatest efficiency in floor insulation can be achieved if:

  • to carry out thermal insulation of adjacent structures - basement, foundation, blind area;
  • protect the insulation from moisture with waterproofing, and provide a ventilation gap of at least 50 mm for water evaporation;
  • fill the joints and gaps between the plates with scraps of material or polyurethane foam;
  • from the invasion of rodents, use special fine-mesh (up to 8 mm) nets, they are laid in places where animals can access;
  • if a floor covering is laid on a layer of insulation, stepping back from the wall by 10 mm, an additional soundproofing effect will be obtained.

The owner decides how and how to insulate the floor of the first floor. The advantages of thermal insulation are obvious - while reducing heating costs in rooms in winter, comfortable conditions are maintained. Modern materials are available and technologically advanced.