Insulate the floors with your own hands with step-by-step photos. How to insulate a concrete floor in a private house. Heat-insulating materials: advantages and disadvantages

In former times, it was considered normal practice to lay the finishing flooring directly on the concrete base of a private or panel house resulting in cold floors. This is very uncomfortable for the people living there because of the unpleasant sensation of cold in the legs. In numerical terms, heat loss through such a coating is 20% of the total heat loss of the building. That is why it is important to insulate the concrete floor, and how to do it right with your own hands, we will tell in this article.

What is the best way to insulate the floor

The range of materials that can be used to insulate concrete floors in a private house is so wide that it is sometimes very difficult for an ignorant person to choose the right insulation.

To determine how it is possible to insulate a concrete floor and which of the materials is the best, you should find out the following points:

• where is it planned to carry out thermal insulation - in a house, apartment or in the country?
• how is the insulated concrete base located relative to other structures: above the basement of a panel house, on the ground on the ground floor of a private cottage, or is it interfloor overlap apartments?
• the purpose of the event - to produce simple insulation or the installation of a warm water floor (as an option - electric)?
• what type of insulation is chosen?
• the amount of the budget allocated for the event.

Generally speaking, you can take any of the currently existing insulation for a concrete floor. The main thing is that it fits the listed conditions. There is only one limitation: materials containing glass wool cannot be used inside residential premises. This is the answer to the frequently asked question - is it possible to insulate the floor with foam.

What gives us the clarification of the first moment? If we are talking about an apartment in a brick or panel house, then we can be limited by the height of the ceilings, and therefore we need to choose the most effective and thin insulation - foam plastic or extruded polystyrene foam. Otherwise, the floors will rise by at least 150 mm, this must be taken into account, including when insulating the floors on the loggia. Moreover, penofol or isolon will not work, it has insufficient thermal resistance.

For reference. To give you an idea of ​​how thick different materials for floor insulation, it is proposed to study the diagram with thermal conductivity coefficients. How less value coefficient, the better the properties of the insulator, and the layer will be thinner.

It is inexpensive to insulate a concrete floor in a country house by using expanded clay for this purpose, you just need to choose the right layer thickness. It should be noted that expanded clay transmits heat 3-5 times more than polystyrene. If the dacha is constantly heated and the requirements for thermal insulation are high, then the thickness of the layer must be at least 300 mm along the ground. With periodic heating of the dacha, it is enough to make the thickness of expanded clay insulation 100-150 mm so that the event will cost you quite cheaply.

The greatest heat loss through the floors is observed when the concrete screed is laid on the ground. Then there are 2 options: use the best and effective insulation like penoplex or something cheaper, but with a thicker layer. As a rule, in these cases, all types of foamed polymers are used, as well as mineral wool high density. You can also take roll materials, but you can lay them in the insulation in only one way - on the logs.

It makes sense to insulate interfloor ceilings in a panel house only in one case - when installing electric or water warm floors. If this is not done, then your underfloor heating will begin to heat the neighbor's ceiling from below, and there will not be enough heat for your own housing. Since the temperature difference on both sides of the ceiling will be small, foam plastic up to 50 mm thick or polystyrene foam 25-30 mm will fit for insulation. A layer of mineral wool will have to be made larger or laid in conjunction with foil foam, which will simultaneously serve as waterproofing.

Advice. The ceiling on the ground floor of an apartment or private house should always be insulated if the basement is not heated.

Thermal insulation methods

On the this moment there are only 2 methods of warming concrete floors in any residential buildings, the choice of a suitable material largely depends on them:

• the so-called dry method - warming on logs;
• "wet" method - laying insulation under a cement-sand screed.

Note. There is a practice of thermal insulation of the rooms on the first floor from below, from the basement. This is convenient and cheap, but not very effective, as it must be combined with the insulation of the foundation and basement of the building. When there is none, the cold will begin to penetrate from the street through the edge zones of the concrete base.

The technique of warming on the logs is quite accessible and, with the proper approach, is quietly done by hand. It involves the use of both roll and slab insulation for the concrete floor and is designed for the subsequent laying of a fine coating of linoleum or laminate over the flooring of boards or OSB boards (chipboard). The list of used heaters is very wide:

• mineral or ecowool in rolls and slabs: it has high fire resistance, but easily absorbs moisture and at the same time ceases to be an insulator;
• foamed polymers in plates (foam plastic, extruded polystyrene foam, foam plastic), on the contrary, are not afraid of water, but are subject to combustion and thermal insulation characteristics better than cotton wool;
• foamed foil polyethylene (penofol, isolon): the material repels moisture well and has zero vapor permeability, but is flammable. Works great with other heaters;
• sprayed polyurethane foam: the most the best insulation of all, but also the most expensive, resists moisture, flame (for a certain period of time) and has the most high rates thermal insulation;

For reference. There is also cork insulation on sale, but it is usually not chosen for insulation of concrete floors, it is intended for heat and sound insulation of walls.

The essence of the second method of insulation is to monolithic the heat-insulating layer under the cement-sand screed, and on top of it, almost any floor covering is laid. This means that the floors insulated in this way are made not only for laminate or linoleum, but are also suitable for laying. tiles. This is true in the kitchen or in the bathroom, where there is high humidity, where the screed will last much longer.

When installing electric or water heated floors this technique insulation is also the most effective. Of course, it is possible to lay the pipes of the heating circuits between the lags, but this will not achieve a large heat transfer area. And the screed monolith becomes, as it were, solid heating device heating the room with its entire surface. Therefore, usually warm floors are made of the same type (under the screed) throughout the house, and not just in the bathroom or kitchen.

It is logical to assume that for the second method of insulating concrete floors it is impossible to use soft or rolled materials. Foamed polymers or basalt wool in slabs are suitable here, and the density of the latter should not be lower than 115 kg / m3, and the thickness should be 100 mm. Expanded polystyrene can be taken thinner - 50 mm, polystyrene - 80 mm with a density of 35 kg / m3.

Floor insulation with polystyrene foam

If you chose the first method, then on the leveled and cleaned concrete screed should be laid wooden blocks- logs, maintaining an interval between them equal to the width of the selected insulation. The lag is fastened with anchors or self-tapping screws on steel corners, their leveling is done using spacers made of wood. Height calculation upper plane the bar above the floor looks like this: insulation thickness + 50 mm clearance for ventilation.

Advice. When concrete floors are insulated with mineral or basalt materials, it is better to make the distance between the lags less than the width of the insulation by 1 cm, so that the insulation enters there as tightly as possible. For expanded polystyrene plates, the interval must be made smaller by a couple of millimeters for the same purpose.

Now about how to properly lay the insulation. First, waterproofing is laid from a dense polyethylene film with an overlap between the sheets of 100 mm and gluing the joints with adhesive tape. Then the thermal insulation boards are laid. From above, they are again covered with a film for vapor barrier, so that moisture from the premises does not penetrate into the insulation.

Advice. Contrary to popular belief, expanded polystyrene absorbs moisture, albeit in very small proportions. Therefore, protective films on both sides of the insulation are always needed when using any materials, especially cotton wool and polystyrene. This will significantly extend their service life.

Instead of a film, penofol is often used, it allows you to reduce the layer of the main insulator and protect it from moisture. The joints are also glued, only with foil tape. This concludes the insulation of the concrete floor, you can lay the floor and laminate or linoleum.

Under the cement screed, the floors are also insulated using waterproofing laid on a concrete base. If the process starts from the soil itself, then it must be compacted, and then made concrete preparation 5 cm thick. After it has completely solidified, the film of the waterproofing layer is laid out, and then - expanded polystyrene plates. Usually a cement screed is poured directly on top of the insulation, but we recommend laying a second layer of film first. It is inexpensive, but it will help to save the insulating material of the floors longer.

For reference. Thickness cement screed should be between 50 and 80 mm. The best option, taking into account different loads on the floors of the living quarters - 70 mm.

When it comes to a wooden house, it should be noted that such structures can be slightly deformed, because the wood "breathes". This is almost imperceptible in an old house, but in a newly built concrete flooring can crack if damping is not provided. To do this, a thin layer of polystyrene (up to 15 mm) is laid along the entire perimeter along the walls even before the start of work, as shown in the photo:

Similar activities should be done before installing underfloor heating, where a special damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the premises, and only then waterproofing is laid, which is shown in the diagram:

Owners of old houses are often interested in whether it is possible to insulate the floor without opening it. There is no single answer, since everything depends on the condition of the concrete pavement. If the screed has retained its strength, does not crumble or crack, then the option of laying a heater over it is possible. Only then will you have to raise the thresholds of all doors and trim their doors, which will immediately affect the interior. So that best solution nevertheless, it will open the old floors, insulate and pour a new coating.

Floor insulation with expanded clay

This insulation can be used for thermal insulation of floors in any way, at least fill it up between the lag, at least put it under the screed. It simply replaces polystyrene or cotton wool, and the whole technology remains unchanged. It will cost less, but there is a question about the effectiveness of such insulation. In simple words, most the best expanded clay in terms of thermal insulation properties, it is three times worse than the worst foam.

Hence the conclusion: the expanded clay layer should be at least three times larger, otherwise there is little sense from such insulation, concrete floors will remain cold. It turns out that it is necessary to fill up 300 mm of material, and in what rooms is this possible? In the apartment and on the loggia - definitely not, it will not work over the floors either. The floors remain on the ground in buildings with a high base or on logs resting on brick columns.

But in the first case, most often there is a basement and there is nowhere to place such a powerful layer of insulation, and there is no need, it is necessary to insulate the foundation there. Remain floors with lags on brick pillars, such are found in houses old building and on the verandas. By the way, such open veranda you can glaze it, and insulate the floors with expanded clay from below, there is enough space for it.

Conclusion

Each method of insulating concrete floors has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is impossible to say that one of them is better and the other is worse. They just need to be applied in accordance with the circumstances and in accordance with financial capabilities. Of course, a wooden floor is always better than a screed, but it needs repair and does not last so long. But anyway good thermal insulation will not cost you cheap, you need to understand this.

After building a house, in order to preserve heat, thermal insulation of the floor will be required, especially when it comes to wooden building. It is necessary to prevent the penetration of cold emanating from the earth, or from basement. Before choosing technological process do-it-yourself floor insulation, you need to choose the material based on the characteristics of the base to be insulated.

There are a lot of insulated materials for insulation on the market now, and high-tech ways to keep warm are appearing every day. To understand the better to insulate the floor, consider the types of insulators.

The most sought after are:

• Styrofoam;
• expanded polystyrene;
• glass wool;
• expanded clay;
• mineral wool;
• penofol or isolon;
• cork insulation materials;
• ecowool, consisting of cellulose;
• fiberglass or gypsum fiber;
• "Thermo Plast" - bulk material;
• foamed glass;
• stone wool;
• linen in mats;
• slag;
• polyurethane foam.

These insulators are divided into synthetic and natural. Natural - ecowool, cork, sawdust, flax. The rest are synthetic.

Material for floor insulation is divided into types:

• loose- sawdust, expanded clay, slag, foamed glass;
• aspic – polymer compositions applied by pouring;
• sprayed– polyurethane;
• in the form of plates- foam plastic, mineral wool, linen in mats, gypsum fiber layers, glass wool, foam plastic, stone wool;
• rolled- penofol, cork, isolon, linen, linoleum with an insulating layer.

The technology that will be used for thermal insulation directly depends on the type of insulation chosen. If expanded clay or penoplex is chosen as an insulator, then you will have to mount logs, or equip a screed.

Rolled cork insulation, or isolon, can simply be rolled out over the surface and closed from above facing material such as parquet, laminate, or rail car. As for linoleum with an insulating layer, then it is not necessary to lay insulating material under it, it itself is a good insulation.

If the height of the room is small, then it is better to use a bulk heat insulator, which will take a minimum of height. If we consider bulk or plate insulators, then it is worth remembering that they will take about 5-10 cm in height.

For wooden house mono apply thermal insulation using a log, or on the ground, this makes it possible to use a thick slab or roll insulator. As for the apartment, it is better to apply thin materials, since the ceiling height in apartments is usually 2.5 meters.

Before choosing a heat insulator, it is worth assessing the humidity of the room and measuring its height.

The higher the ceiling height, the wider the choice of insulators that can be used to insulate the floor.

You can get 100% insulation by using an electric underfloor heating in a duet with isolon, in this case you can adjust the temperature of the floor covering by switching the heating power.

How to properly insulate the floor, there are several methods of insulation that are used for thermal insulation of the floor, depending on the type of base - it can be wood, soil and concrete.

Ground floor insulation

When building a house, many private developers save on insulation by pouring a concrete screed directly onto the ground, and this is not entirely correct. First, the ground can freeze in winter, and concrete pavement it will be cold, and secondly, the screed will not only come into contact with the ground, but will also be exposed to bottom water, which will quickly disable it. Therefore, it is important to carry out high-quality waterproofing and floor insulation on the ground.

It is advisable to carry out floor insulation on the ground only if the bottom waters are at a sufficient depth from the surface. Otherwise, it is better to install beams and a double floor with insulation.

Floor insulation on the ground is carried out during the construction process, the finished coating will have to be disassembled, which will lead to waste additional funds. The floor pie begins to form after the foundation of the building has completely dried out. It is worth noting that the last structure should rise above the ground by 20 cm.

Several layers should be arranged:

• directly the ground;
• coarse river sand, for leveling the plane;
• waterproofing layer;
• thermal insulation material;
• mesh, chain-link, for reinforcement;
• coupler.

First insulation option

How to properly insulate the floor on the ground, consider in detail:

• The soil under the house needs to be leveled, debris and weeds removed, the recesses filled in and the entire surface well compacted.
• Cover the whole plane river sand, you can mix it with crushed stone, to a height of more than 5 cm. If a decision is made to insulate the floors with expanded clay, then it can be poured directly onto the ground, but such floor insulation will cost much more. Sand needs to be leveled with a rule and compacted well.
• Lay a layer of waterproofing, for this you can apply:
  • polymer-based membrane material;
  • ruberoid;
  • polyethylene film 200 microns, in two additions - the cheapest option for waterproofing.
• After that, you can start laying the slab heat-insulating material - it can be polystyrene foam, or polystyrene.
• Then you can start pouring the finishing screed, just before that, lay the reinforcing mesh.

The second insulation option

Better quality, although it will cost more, for this they equip rough screed, on which the waterproofing agent is laid - in order to save money - a plastic film. It must be pressed with bars to the foundation, while the material should go onto the walls by no less than 15 cm. The insulated floor in this way has very good thermal insulation characteristics.

As soon as the waterproofing is ready, the insulation is laid, for example:

• penoplex;
• expanded clay;
• Styrofoam.

These are cheap types, but at the same time they are good heat insulators.

How to insulate the floor in a wooden building?

At the stage of building a house, the process of floor insulation begins. First of all, the place under the floor is covered with sand by 5-6 cm, then expanded clay is poured on it.

When choosing a heater, you need to take into account many points, for example, if you opt for natural materials, then it is worth remembering that they are prone to burning, while rarely resisting moisture, and various microorganisms and rodents can start in them.

Often sawdust is used to insulate the base, cellulose is processed for fire safety.

As for slab heaters, the following are considered to be in demand and of high quality:

• mineral wool;
• expanded polystyrene;
• glass wool;
• dry screed.

The finished floor is mounted on logs, insulation is arranged at intervals. The finish coat can be installed over the screed. The screed is additionally insulated with expanded clay.

How to insulate the floor along the lags? To do this, the structure is assembled in increments of 40 -60 cm, while the subfloor must be well waterproofed from below. On top of the boards and logs, vapor barrier is laid. After that, insulating is laid in the gaps, board material, the width of the plates is just 60 cm, and close finish coating- plywood, OSB or board.

If during construction it was decided to fill in a rough screed, then it is better to do it using expanded clay. This will give the effect of additional thermal insulation of the floor. Then, logs are arranged on top of the screed, on top of which a finishing floor will be laid, under which there will be a layer of heat-shielding material. Thanks to this cake, as a result, you will get the perfect floor insulation.

If the floor in the house is wooden, then a dry screed on the floor is well suited as insulation. To arrange such insulation, it is necessary to fill in expanded clay along the guides set according to the level. Then, a gypsum fiber insulation is laid on the expanded clay. This method is simple, but not applicable for high humidity.

Not so long ago, a practical, durable and fireproof material appeared on the market - foam glass. The thickness of this material reaches 12 cm. These mono-plates can be laid not only on a wooden floor, but also on a concrete one.

How to insulate a concrete floor

The concrete floor can be insulated with the following materials:

• expanded polystyrene;
• Styrofoam;
• ecowool;
• liquid insulation;
• mineral wool.

But this heat insulator will take away precious centimeters from the height of the room, since logs must be mounted on top of the base, on top of which plywood or OSB will have to be laid, and only then a fine floor covering. At the same time, this is a very labor-intensive and very expensive process.

You can equip the screed by combining it with polystyrene foam. At the same time, pipes for underfloor heating can be mounted in the screed - the thickness of the coating will be more than 10 cm.

It is possible to equip a pie made of expanded clay and GVL, then the thickness of the thermal insulation will be 7 centimeters. If the base is initially even, then only gypsum fiber sheets, while the thickness of the insulation will be only 2 cm. When insulating the floor in the apartment, with not very high ceilings, it is not advisable to choose thick heaters, since the usable space for life will decrease.

If the floor in the apartment requires insulation, then it is better to use isolon with the subsequent arrangement of a warm, infrared, electric floor. This option will not reduce the height, and will make living in an apartment more comfortable, due to the fact that the floor temperature can be adjusted.

by the most effective option at high altitude ceilings - arrangement of a water-heated floor. The height of the coating in this case will be 10-12 cm.

To save space, you can use a screed with a warming effect. This is enough new material, but has already established itself as a high-quality and reliable. In this case, the insulation layer will be only 3 cm.

You can apply the simplest and fairly common method - double flooring. Directly on a concrete base, boards are fixed with tongues, 2.5 cm thick. After that, on wooden base lay the substrate and laminate, or linoleum with an insulating layer.

Linoleum on a substrate is often used directly on a concrete base, while the thermal insulation properties are quite good.

On top of this insulation, you can lay fiberglass, or wood. Some inhabitants directly on polyurethane foam, in order to save money, lay a fine floor covering.

In custody

Insulation of the floor in the room - each master has his own way. Some prefer time-tested materials, equipping them with a heat-insulating "pie". Some prefer innovative heat insulators. But the main factor when choosing a material is the cost and quality of floor insulation.

For comfortable conditions living a person needs the optimal temperature of the living space. Insulation becomes an integral part of construction work in a private house. The problem of a cold floor is less often encountered only by those people who have a high-quality foundation or basement under the house. In other cases, it is necessary to insulate the floor in a private house with your own hands.

Most floor insulation technologies do not take much time, and given the opportunity to do the work yourself, floor insulation in a wooden house allows you to save not only on construction work but also on heating costs.

The easiest way to get a beautiful front lawn

Of course, you have seen the perfect lawn in the movies, on the alley, and perhaps on the neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area in their area will no doubt say that this is a huge job. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think so, professionals have long known about the innovative tool - liquid turf AquaGrazz.

Floor insulation materials

To insulate the floor in a private house, you can use:

• expanded clay;
• Styrofoam;
• mineral wool;
• ecowool;
• penoplex;
• isolon;
• penofol;
• arbolit.

We will talk about the most popular and budget options.

Expanded clay

The most common heater. This substance is sold in the form of granules and has a porous structure. Because of this, it is very light. The main component for the manufacture of expanded clay is clay, while the material does not come into contact with water and does not change its properties. During the manufacturing process, the material becomes resistant to temperature changes. Its significant advantage is fire safety, which greatly expands its range of use.

Expanded clay proved to be in use as a strong and durable element of thermal insulation. In addition, it has no impurities and is considered environmentally pure material. It is easy to install - you only need to apply the material in a layer. This advantage easily develops into a disadvantage: if the layer is less than 10 centimeters, then the insulation will not work.

Styrofoam

This option is considered less expensive. Styrofoam is often used as a heater for both floor and wall surfaces. The material has a high coefficient of heat and sound insulation. Depending on the density, its functional ability varies. With its growth, the impact resistance also increases. Styrofoam as a heater will last for more than a dozen years.

Among the disadvantages of polystyrene is toxicity, when burned, it emits a large number of corrosive gases, instability to the aquatic environment. At high humidity, the material will quickly become saturated with water and lose its heat-saving property.

Mineral wool

Given the shortcomings of the above materials, technologists have invented a material highest quality. It is called mineral wool. It is an excellent insulation and has all the advantages of the previous options. The use of mineral wool is acceptable both on the walls and on the ceiling, floor. On sale cotton wool is found in the form of plates and rolls. According to the manufacturers, the material is able not to lose its properties for 30 years.

The advantages include good thermal conductivity and sound insulation. Cotton wool has good fire resistance, does not allow a fire source to spread quickly, therefore it is often used in wooden houses.

Important: the only drawback of this material appears during the production process. Since mineral wool is made on wooden base, it becomes susceptible to moisture, which entails heat loss.

The process of warming a house with mineral wool requires preparation. Cotton wool must be carefully waterproofed with a Barrier. It can be purchased in rolls. Cotton wool is subject to the influence of rodents, therefore it must be additionally protected.

Ecowool

As the name implies, the material is environmentally friendly. This is next generation mineral wool. It contains up to 75% cellulose fibers, due to which the material has increased heat resistance. Like the previous version, cotton wool can get wet, but its structure allows you to quickly remove water, and after complete drying, all properties are restored, thanks to which ecowool retains precious heat even better.

In stores, such cotton wool can be found in two variations: ready blocks and solution. Physical Properties the second allow better insulation of hard-to-reach places: the material fills the entire space and seeps well into the cracks.

Important: the solution is used less frequently due to its price: it is very high.

Penoplex

Today the most demanded heater. The manufacturing process is similar to the production of foam. At the initial stage, technologists mix the components and beat them. But in the end, the material is squeezed under a heavy load, and its "balls" do not grow. The output is a durable material of a new generation.

He absorbed the advantages of all previous options. A child will also cope with the installation, while the material will not let heat through for several decades. In our strip, penoplex has gained popularity due to its resistance to frost, which makes it possible to use it not only indoors, but also on the street. Penoplex is able to retain heat in the house, even when its thickness does not exceed five centimeters, which cannot be achieved with masonry. At the same time, it does not absorb moisture at all.

However, penoplex has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, it is capable of not only burning, but also melting, which does not allow it to be used, for example, near a village stove. Secondly, it is quite expensive.

Izolon

Its use is very varied. Experienced builders use it as a early stages construction site, and at the moment finishing works. The production process does not use toxic materials, making isolon environmentally friendly. Moisture does not seep into such material, and therefore, the factor of mold appearance is excluded. Izolon has refractory properties. And the main advantage is its small thickness, which allows the use of the material almost under fine finish. Builders compare the thermal conductivity of a 20 mm layer of isolon with a whole brick wall.

Penofol

It serves as a substitute for isolon and is presented in the form of a puff. Each layer performs a specific function, which allows you to make the material warmer with less thickness. Each sheet contains:

1. Foil layer to protect against moisture and steam;
2. Foamed polyethylene as a heater.

The builders really liked the material due to its functionality. There are several types of penofol on the market, which significantly expands the range of use. Depending on the destination, its thickness and price change. There is a special penofol that has an adhesive side. It is very easy to mount a heat-insulating layer from it.

Arbolit

To create a durable and warm floor surface, it is permissible to use wood concrete. This material is made on the basis of concrete and sawdust. It perfectly suppresses noise and is able to qualitatively insulate the room. Although it contains concrete, its weight is small. The material is malleable for processing and subsequent work. It is completely non-combustible, but it is able to saturate with moisture, which significantly worsens the thermal insulation properties.

Important: in order to insulate the ceiling with wood concrete, it is necessary to vaporize all surfaces.

Home insulation work

Consider the simplest insulation using foam. For installation you will need:

• Styrofoam;
• vapor barrier;
• cement;
• sand;
• reinforcing mesh.

In the case when the house does not have a subfloor, you should dig an earthen crust to a depth of 15 centimeters or make an embankment from the drainage to the same height. Then the surface is leveled and a vapor and hydrobarrier is laid. Sometimes you can limit yourself to a simple film.

Next stage - rough finish gender.

Important: the cement layer must be at least four centimeters.

When laying foam boards, they must be carefully pressed: this will avoid cracks. After that, work stops for two days. This will allow the solution to stick.

After drying, make a fine finish of the floor. To make the floor even, install beacons, use a level.

When using expanded clay, the procedure is the same. However, do not forget about the thermal conductivity of expanded clay, so you need to fill it with a high layer - from ten centimeters. After pouring the finishing layer, it is advisable to leave the room for the next week until the solution dries completely.

Expanded clay is successfully used in the insulation of houses on logs. In this case, it is only necessary to fill in the material, and you can proceed to close the floor.

Insulation of the floor installed on the logs includes several stages:

1. Removing the floor (if necessary);
2. Removing the top layer or digging a trench;
3. Laying waterproofing;
4. Laying thermal insulation;
5. Another layer of waterproofing;
6. Floor covering installation.

Actions may vary depending on the selected material. The lag method is a simpler and less time-consuming option. The question is only in the foundation of the house, more precisely, in its presence.

Reinforced concrete slabs are often used as a subfloor. In this case the best option mineral wool or its analogue becomes for insulation. And to give strength to the material, it is desirable to use a concrete screed. Cotton wool will need to be pre-closed with mounting tape or film.

One of the most important tasks of any owner of a private house is floor insulation, and it should not be neglected. Especially if the housing is located in a region with harsh climatic conditions. You need to know that a large amount of heat is blown out through uninsulated floors. It is the poet, the first thing you need to start warming the house with is the floors.

Since they can be arranged from various materials and have a different design, they can also be insulated in several ways.

Today, there are many technologies for floor insulation in a private house, and plus, some owners themselves create their own methods or supplement existing ones with their inventions.

To find out in more detail which of the insulation methods and the type of thermal insulator to choose, you need to consider several common methods.

First you need to figure out what material the floor can be made of, since the method and material of insulation will depend on this. So, the floors can be made of wood, concrete or with a dry screed.

wooden floors

This type of flooring includes floors made of floorboards or plywood.

Also, according to their design, they are divided into two types - these are single-layer and two-layer, i.e. having a draft floor.

All types of wooden floors are arranged on logs raised to a certain height above concrete screed or over compacted soil. And it should be noted that wood itself is a warm material when compared with others used for flooring.

Warming a wooden floor can be done in several ways:

• pour a thick layer of expanded clay on the ground, and above it arrange a wooden flooring from boards on logs;
• if a draft floor is arranged, then the issue is solved more simply - one of the heaters is placed in its cells, or they are filled with a liquid expanding material;
• possibly from above wooden flooring arrange an infrared floor, and then lay a decorative coating;
• if there is no subfloor, then it can be replaced vapor barrierfilm, which is spread and fixed on a crate of bars, and a heater is laid on it, which has a small weight, sold in the form of plates or rolls. On top of such insulation, it is first laid vapor barrierfilm, and then the flooring is also made from the floorboard.

concrete floors

Floors made of such material are very durable, but they have a big drawback - this is that the concrete is very cold and requires mandatory insulation. such a floor is most often used as the basis for insulating material and decorative coating. Concrete floors can also be insulated in different ways:

1. The screed is arranged on expanded clay backfill.
2. The solution is mixed with insulating materials - expanded clay of fine fraction or crushed foam.
3. Bars are fixed on the finished screed, and between them it is laid or filled different kind insulation. This is followed by vapor barrier, and then the crate is closed with plywood or floorboard.
4. The device of the "heat-insulated floor" system - electric, infrared or water.

Dry screed floors

Today, more and more often dry screed is used for flooring. Although this technology has been known for a long time, it has not been as popular as it has recently been.

This floor will require a special backfill mixture, which may consist of fine expanded clay, expanded perlite sand, pumice and slag. Dry backfill, after leveling it, is covered with materials that will serve as the basis for the decorative floor covering, and will also take on the main load - these can be chipboard sheets, OSB, moisture resistant plywood or special composite boards.

A dry screed in itself is a good sound and heat insulator, it is easy to install, and allows you to arrange various communications in it without any problems. But if it is required to strengthen the insulation of such floors, then this can be done using one of the methods of installing a “warm floor” - electric or infrared.

Floor insulation

Floor insulation in a private house, depending on the coating material, is carried out according to various technologies, and in order to achieve positive result, you need to do everything in order.

Wooden floor insulation

Start warming wooden floor possible with soil insulation. To do this, expanded clay is laid on it with a layer of 20 to 40 centimeters thick. This material will not let cold air from the ground to go up but for the floor to be warm, this will not be enough.

Floorboards are laid on a crate of thick bars.

In Russian huts, the draft floor was mandatory, as it served for laying on it insulation materials, which served as dry leaves, slag, chopped straw. Today, numerous mineral or synthetic heaters are used, from which you can choose the right one.

• To start in draft semi close up all holes and crevices - this can be done with ordinary clay, soaking it and diluting it to the consistency of thick sour cream. Clay is a natural, breathable material that adheres well to wood surfaces and will serve as a grouting material between planks for a long time.

• After the clay dries, the cells of the subfloor are filled with insulation - it can be expanded clay, polystyrene, mineral wool, ecowool or liquid insulation - penoizol, which works on the principle of mounting foam.

• Next, the insulation is covered with a vapor barrier film, which must be fixed on the logs of the crate.
• After that, fit batten, and the skirting boards are fixed.

If the subfloor is not made for some reason, it can be replaced with a thin insulation or vapor barrier film. These materials are attached to the logs so that slabs or mineral wool rolls can be laid on them.

• Then the whole structure is covered with a vapor barrier film, which is fixed to the logs with a stapler and staples.
• The final steps are laying the floorboard or thick plywood. Linoleum or laminate can be laid on plywood. Then the floor is made around the entire perimeter with a plinth.

Another way to insulate a wooden floor can be an option when you don’t want to lift an existing flooring from a board. In this case, the logs are fixed perpendicular to the floor boards. If there are gaps between the boards, they must be sealed, for example, with a special sealant

Next, the insulation is laid or filled up, then it is covered vapor barrier membrane, and plywood is laid on top. It can be primed and painted or varnished. You can also lay a decorative floor covering on the plywood floor. To enhance the insulation, an infrared film system is sometimes laid under linoleum or laminate.

Video - How to insulate the floor on the logs

concrete floor insulation

The concrete floor, arranged in a residential area, must be insulated and this process is carried out in several ways.

• To make concrete floors less cold, when installing a screed on the ground, a waterproofing film is first spread, then expanded clay is poured, the thickness of which should be from 10 to 15 centimeters. To remove the evenness of the backfill, beacons are installed, along them the insulation is leveled and covered with a reinforcing metal mesh.
• When such a base is prepared, it is watered with a liquid cement mortar - this process is necessary to create a kind of film on expanded clay, which will retain the moisture content of the solution and help it dry naturally.
• After the initial processing of expanded clay has dried, a screed is laid on top of the reinforcement. cement mortar for it can be made from sand and cement, or you can add to it foam plastic- this will also help to make the floors warmer.
• After the screed has hardened, it must be covered with a coating.
• If the housing is located in a region with a cold climate, then the above described insulation will not be enough. Therefore, in order to finally make the floors warm, several methods are used, and for each of them waterproofing of the junction of walls and floor is necessarily arranged.
• When the waterproofing is arranged, wooden logs from bars are laid and fixed to the floor at a distance from each other by the width of the plates or a roll of insulation. The height of the log should be related to the thickness of the insulation, and the width should be 7-9 centimeters.
• If a wide insulation is purchased, it is cut to the required size.
• It must be remembered that the logs begin to be laid, stepping back from the wall about five centimeters, where pieces of insulation are also laid.
• After laying the material, a vapor barrier film is fixed on top of it.
• Next, a thick plywood or floorboard is laid. On the plywood floor, if desired, you can put a laminate or linoleum. Finishing includes installation of skirting boards.

Floor insulation in a private house wooden, and concrete, is also very successfully implemented according to the "warm floor" system, which will be given special attention a little lower.

Floor insulation on a dry screed

Dry screed is used both for the device of the floor itself, and as a heater for concrete. But if the owner of the house considers this situation insufficient, you can insulate it additionally. This is done using the "warm floor" system.

The dry screed is covered with slabs, which are covered with waterproofing and only an electric warm floor is laid on it. In this case, it is impossible to do without waterproofing, since the underfloor heating system must be covered from above with a thin layer of mortar ( building mix), which, after hardening, is covered with a floor covering.

Decorative coating can be any - ceramic tile, linoleum or laminate.

The water version of this system is not suitable for a dry screed floor, as it has a greater weight, requires deepening into the coating, and in the thermally insulating expanded clay thickness, heating will lose any meaning - heat cannot be achieved.

If you do not want to use self-leveling floors on top of a dry screed, you can use the installation of an infrared floor, which is a thin film and can even be laid under linoleum.

Underfloor heating system

As mentioned above, the "warm floor" can be infrared, electric and water.

electric floor

• The electric floor can be purchased assembled, i.e. laid and fixed on a special grid, in the form of heating mats, which simply need to be laid out on a prepared even base. The mesh is glued to the floor with ceramic tile adhesive.

Such a set of electric floor is available up to 25 meters long and 50 to 150 centimeters wide. Therefore, before purchasing it, you need to carefully measure the room or all the rooms separately, where it will be arranged.

This version of the electric floor is well suited for a dry screed floor.

• Another, more complicated way in the device to make an electric field is when you need to select a certain electrical cable and lay in the holders intended for it, which are fixed to the prepared base. Like option is suitable as a cement floor insulation.

When the floor is laid and fixed, at a height of 50-70 centimeters, a thermostat is installed on the wall, which will control the temperature heating elements. The temperature controller is connected to the floor cable. The sleeve that will connect the cable to the thermostat must be positioned so that it is closed with a tie.

When the entire system is laid, you can proceed to the screed device - it must have a thickness of at least five cm.

It is possible to connect such a floor to the power supply only after the final hardening of the concrete - after 3-4 weeks.

« Warm floor "water

If the electric floor consists of heating cable or mats, then the water floor is a piping system. Metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes, which can be laid on special mats or attached to a metal mesh laid under them.

The pipeline is laid in two ways - with a snake or a snail, in increments of 30-35 centimeters. After laying the pipes and bringing their ends to the collector cabinet, the entire floor system is closed with a concrete screed, its total thickness, including the thickness of the pipeline, should be 10-12 centimeters.

The manifold cabinet is where the connection to common system heating. A mixer and a pump can also be installed there, if necessary.

On top of the screed above the warm floor, you can lay any decorative coating - this is linoleum, carpet, tile or laminate.

It should be noted that the "warm floor" electrical and water system is best laid on a foil insulation - then the heat will not go towards the ground, but will be reflected into the room.

Infrared warm floor

If it fits on concrete surface, it is necessary to arrange waterproofing, and then a thin foil insulation based on polyethylene foam is laid on it, the strips of which are fastened with special adhesive tape.

Then, film heating elements are prepared and laid on the floor with copper elements down according to a pre-compiled drawing. The stripes should usually be five centimeters apart. If you plan to put a laminate or linoleum on top of the infrared floor, then to achieve the maximum heating effect, you can put the film as close as possible.

When the film elements are mounted, contact clamps are installed on them - one side of the contact must be placed in the layers of the film, and the other on the copper side, after which the contacts are crimped.

To control the heating of the film floor, a thermostat is installed on the wall, which is also connected to the cable coming from the floor.

On top of the film, the selected floor decorative coating is laid.

Floor insulation in a private house will depend on various criteria related to its design, as well as the desire and capabilities of the owner of the home. Before dwelling on a particular option, it is necessary to find out the prices for all components and for their installation, in the event that it is decided to invite a master to perform this work.

Cold floors in private houses significantly reduce their traditional advantages compared to apartments. This problem is especially relevant if the house stands directly on the ground, without ground floor. In this case, even with intensive heating, it is very difficult to warm the floors well. But even if there is a cold basement under the flooring, the temperature in which in winter can be kept at + 2-4 degrees, then the living room from above will also constantly give off heat. In addition to the discomfort from the cold floor, a lot of heat escapes through it into the winter time year, which increases heating costs.

Where to begin?

Ideally, insulation is carried out at the construction stage, in this case, thermal insulation is laid after the installation of the floor. The heat-insulating layer is laid between the draft and finishing floors leaving a small gap, or the finished floor is laid directly on the heat-insulating layer.

If you plan to improve the thermal insulation of the floor in an already built and lived-in house, you must either disassemble the existing floor or build it up with a layer of insulation and a finished floor. In many ways, the decision depends on the height of the ceiling and financial capabilities.

Materials for insulation

Several materials are traditionally used for floor insulation in private homes:

• mineral wool. It is inexpensive (from 1,400 rubles per m3), durable material. It is issued in different forms, most often you can find cotton wool in the form of a rigid slab or a flexible mat, each has two sides, it is laid with the hard side up in order to reduce the likelihood of deformation. Among the advantages of this material are:
  • price;
  • incombustibility (can withstand up to 1000 degrees);
  • ease of installation;
  • low thermal conductivity;
  • good soundproof qualities.

  A big minus of this material is vapor permeability, if waterproofing is not installed, the heat-insulating layer becomes impregnated with condensate over time, accumulates moisture (up to 70% of the weight) and quickly loses its insulating properties. Rodents also love mineral wool, so protection from them is required;

• glass wool- a material similar in characteristics to mineral wool. Thermal insulation properties on high level, but glass wool is more difficult to work with, you need to make sure that it does not get on the body and in the eyes. So self-laying glass wool is not recommended;
• Ecowool costs the same as glass wool (about 1,000 rubles per m3), in terms of thermal insulation qualities it is not inferior to the materials already listed. Ecowool is made from cellulose and is an environmentally friendly and absolutely non-toxic material, but, like any cotton wool, it accumulates moisture, attracts rodents and has combustible properties;
• Expanded clay- clay-based material, it does not lose its insulating properties when moisture accumulates. Therefore, serious hydro and vapor barrier is not required. Expanded clay is an environmentally friendly and effective insulation. The only disadvantage of this material is that a layer sufficient for thermal insulation should be at least 10 cm, if the thermal insulation layer is thinner, the floor will be cold;
• Styrofoam very popular for warming concrete floors, its significant minus is flammability, fragility. Due to the high fire hazard, polystyrene foam is more often used to insulate balconies than for residential premises. Cost - from 1,500 rubles per m3;
• Styrofoam- better in terms of thermal insulation properties than polystyrene, practically does not absorb moisture and does not lose its insulating properties over time, resistant to mechanical impact. But it has the same disadvantage as polystyrene - flammability. When burned, it releases toxic substances, for this reason, such materials are not recommended for use in wooden houses. It is one and a half to two times more expensive than polystyrene;
• Chipboard, plywood, sawdust and other organic insulating materials . They are not fireproof and are not ideal as thermal insulation, although they do not emit toxic substances when burned.

When choosing a material, be guided by the basic parameters that are different for different manufacturers, they are always present on the label and in the characteristics:

• combustibility factor- materials G1 do not burn without direct action of the flame;
• water absorption coefficient. Measured as a percentage, the lower it is, the less moisture the material will absorb and the longer it will retain its insulating properties;
• coefficient of thermal conductivity. The lower it is, the better material will isolate the room;
• density - shows how much the material will make the floor structure heavier, the more layers and the greater the density, the more durable the subfloor and floor structures should be.

In most cases, one layer of insulating material is enough, a gap of 2-3 or about 10 cm is left between it and the finished floor for air circulation, and air also provides additional protection by cold.

How to install thermal insulation

To start thermal insulation works the floor covering must already be installed, in modern houses it is most often monolithic reinforced concrete slab installed on the ground or basement.

If the house is installed directly on the ground, then the insulation is carried out in several stages:

• filling is carried out under the floor covering of sand (5-7 cm) and crushed stone (10-12 cm), in the case of old houses, it is necessary to dismantle the floor and go deep into the ground;
• then a draft floor is laid, most often a wooden one;
• a layer of waterproofing is laid (waterproofing mastics or rolled materials), which protects the insulation and wooden logs from exposure to moisture;
• logs are installed on the subfloor - parallel wooden planks or bars;
• heat-insulating material is laid or filled between the lags (in case mineral and glass wool are used);
• a vapor barrier layer is laid on the thermal insulation (usually polyethylene film is used, more efficient, but more expensive - professional membranes);
• a finishing floor is laid on top, a gap is left between it and the thermal insulation for ventilation.

If there is a cold basement under the first residential floor, the insulation procedure is a little simpler, the heat-insulating material is placed under the floor or is laid by building up the floor by several centimeters.

• The rough floor is cleaned;
• Next, a layer of waterproofing is laid;
• Logs are laid on it (this is an opportunity to level the flooring);
• Between them, an insulating material is laid out without seams;
• A substrate under the finishing floor and the finishing floor itself are installed on top.

The entire warming procedure can be carried out by one person in a few days. Most often, mineral wool is used to insulate private houses; it has an extremely low fire hazard. But it requires the installation of hydro and vapor barrier.

If there is a basement, it makes sense to install a heat-insulating layer on its ceiling, this greatly complicates the work on thermal insulation, but allows you not to reduce the height of the ceiling of the living space.

Some subtleties

There are several points to consider when planning and installing thermal insulation:

• if there is a cold basement under the first floor, an important part of the floor insulation work will be the thermal insulation of the basement walls - through them a large amount of heat escapes into the cold ground;
• all wooden elements floors must be treated with an antiseptic;
• required element for thermal insulation materials- ventilation, it prevents the settling and absorption of condensate;
• steam and waterproofing - mandatory for any type of thermal insulation material;
• if a space of several centimeters is left between the layers of the rough and finishing floor, it must be insulated with a fine-mesh metal mesh - this will eliminate the possibility of rodents entering the underground, which are very fond of many insulating materials.

If the insulation work is carried out correctly, the floor will last as long as the basic structural elements of the house. All materials used for thermal insulation right conditions are durable and do not require replacement long years. But if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to postpone the repair and turn to professionals.