The living conditions in the house are determined by the reliability, quality of the foundation, timely insulation. One of the most effective ways to eliminate cold bridges and prevent freezing of the base is the installation of foam plastic - a polymeric material. For its production, a liquid polymer mass is foamed using carbon dioxide and freon. This article will tell you how to insulate the foundation of a house from the outside with your own hands with foam plastic for a long time.
Penoplex is a set of closed cells, inside of which there is air, which increases the thermal insulation qualities of the material. An additional advantage of such a structure is the minimum moisture absorption, not more than 0.5% of the total volume of insulation. The diameter of each granule is 0.2 mm or less. The overall structure is dense, resistant to external influences.
On sale there are options with grooves and ridges that facilitate installation. In the finished coating, there are practically no gaps that reduce the strength of the structure.
Buyers are offered plates of 600x1200 mm, the thickness varies between 20-100 mm.
If we compare the heat-conducting qualities of foam plastic and other materials, then a layer 20 mm thick is comparable to:
- sheets of mineral wool from 38 mm;
- wood from 250 mm and more;
- cellular concrete from 270 mm.
Foundation insulation options
Among the main ways to insulate the foundation, it is necessary to highlight:
- insulation of the outer side surfaces and the plinth. The option is relevant for structures with significant depth. The main advantage is that the supporting structures of the building do not freeze through. As a result, the house is warmer in winter, heating costs are reduced. For fixing, a special glue is used. Dowels are recommended to be used only on the plinth, so that cold bridges do not form in the base.
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Sergey Yurievich
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Warming is carried out both at the stage of laying the building, and after the completion of construction;
- installation of insulation boards under the base of the foundation. The main task to be solved is the consequences of heaving of the soil in winter. Additionally, a warm blind area is equipped around the entire perimeter using foam boards. A relative disadvantage is that the insulation is laid before the concrete is poured and the reinforcement is installed.
For a blind area around the building, a pillow of sand and gravel is being constructed. Insulation is placed on top and concreting is performed;
- insulation of the internal walls of the foundation. As an independent species, it is practically not used. Significant effect will be only in combination with other types of work. The entire structure of the building will not be protected from the winter cold.
Expert opinion
Sergey Yurievich
Construction of houses, outbuildings, terraces and verandas.
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To avoid the difficult and lengthy digging of a trench after putting the house into operation, it is better to carry out insulation work at the stage of pouring the foundation. Otherwise, a large amount of earthwork cannot be avoided.
The advantages of penoplex as a heater
For the consumer, the following advantages are most important:
- mechanical influences will not lead to a violation of the waterproofing layer when using plates. Groundwater will not penetrate into the basement and will not be able to destroy the structure of the walls;
- the house becomes drier, the microclimate becomes comfortable. The dew point moves closer to the outer surface;
- heat-insulating material does not collapse under the influence of high and low temperatures, including seasonal ones ranging from -500C to +750C. Numerous freeze/thaw cycles do not break the cellular structure. The service life of the entire building is significantly increased;
- thermal conductivity is in the range of 0.03-0.032 W/(m*°K). For high-quality insulation, plates of minimum thickness are sufficient, which significantly reduces the cost of the total cost of work;
- without changes and deformations withstands a compression load of up to 27 t/sq. m., which is enough even for a multi-storey building;
- the small weight of the plates themselves does not lead to a heavier structure and the need to strengthen the foundation;
- resistance to chemicals, aggressive liquids. Mold and fungal spores do not form on the surface. Penoplex is not attractive as food for mice and rats. The total service life without replacement is at least 50 years;
- the absence of volatile substances harmful to humans. The material is safe, can be used in the construction of children's and medical institutions;
- easy and quick installation due to the tongue-and-groove system with minimal glue consumption. You can cut the slab to the desired size using a regular knife.
Disadvantages of using foam
Each technology and material has its drawbacks. And in this case, they do. It's about resistance to fire. Like any "representative" of the foam family, this one quickly melts and burns out. The problem is leveled only by the fact that there will be soil on top - a natural obstacle in the path of the flame.
Warming technology
If the house has already been built, put into operation, then the owner, who wants to live in warmth and comfort, will face a significant amount of work on digging, cleaning the walls from dirt and earth, installing slabs and backfilling.
For work you will need:
- heater directly. To determine the amount, you will have to remember the school mathematics course, measure the length and width of the foundation and calculate its area. Then it remains only to divide the resulting number by 0.72 (the area of \u200b\u200bone sheet) and get the desired value.
The maximum effect is achieved by blocking all cold bridges. To do this, plates of smaller thickness are placed in 2 layers. In one package, 8 plates are standard.
- dowels for mounting on a plinth with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 120 mm;
- primer;
- reinforcing mesh. Choose from stainless steel or polymer options;
- adhesive composition for mounting plates on the foundation part based on acrylic;
- joint sealant.
The top edge is masked with special galvanized steel profiles. If the insulation does not come to the surface of the earth, skip this step.
Required tools:
- capacity for adhesive solution;
- construction mixer and level;
- perforator. Without it, it will not be possible to drill concrete for dowels;
- spatula for cleaning from the ground and applying glue;
Important points when choosing insulation boards
Russia is a very, very large country with many climatic zones. What is good for Krasnodar is unacceptable in Krasnoyarsk. Manufacturers take this into account and offer insulation boards designed for a specific region.
But you can also independently carry out calculations so that it would not be a shame later for wasted money. Start with the following formula:
R = H1: K1 + H2: K2, where
R is the heat transfer resistance calculated for a particular region and climate;
H1 and H2 - the thickness of the base wall and the insulation sheet, respectively;
and K1 and K2 are the thermal conductivity coefficients calculated for the base and foam.
To carry out full-fledged insulation, it is important to calculate H2 - the thickness of the insulation sheets. If the number is a fraction, rounding up is performed. As mentioned earlier, for greater effect, use two layers of plates of a thinner thickness than one thick one.
We release from the ground
The homeowner has a lot of work to do. Initially, it is necessary to completely dig out the underground part of the foundation. Important: some experts in construction do not recommend carrying out the procedure immediately around the entire perimeter, as this will significantly weaken the structure. It is enough to dig up to 10 meters at a time.
How to perform the work, simultaneously or in parts, is up to the owner. But in the second case, the process of warming runs the risk of becoming endless. An additional problem is that the optimal width of the trench should be at least 1 meter. Otherwise, it will be difficult to work.
The excavation of the base is used for another purpose - the installation of a drainage system. This is true for coastal settlements, areas with a high level of groundwater. The drainage pipe is laid at a distance of up to half a meter from the house at the level of a sand and gravel cushion. A slope is required (2 cm per 1 meter of pipe) and outlet to a storm sewer or well.
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Sergey Yurievich
Construction of houses, outbuildings, terraces and verandas.
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The liberated foundation is carefully cleaned of earth and debris using an iron brush with stiff bristles. The surface must be absolutely clean. Otherwise, good adhesion cannot be expected.
If there are irregularities, cracks, chips, they must be carefully repaired and leveled with plaster. Reinforcing mesh that can break the waterproofing membrane should not come to the surface.
To prepare a plaster mortar, one part of cement is mixed with four parts of sand. Important: the composition should not be liquid, but plastic. This will help to avoid spreading the composition over the surface. Yes, and the setting period will decrease. The work is done from top to bottom. The composition is "thrown" on the wall with the help of a construction trowel. Alignment is carried out using the rule. Excess solution is removed.
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Sergey Yurievich
Construction of houses, outbuildings, terraces and verandas.
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The pressure on the rule should be the same along the entire length. The drying process takes at least a week. It is better to wait two and then proceed to the next stage of work.
Arrangement of waterproofing
Penoplex - material steady against water. But, if waterproofing is not carried out, moisture coming from below will accumulate in the cracks, destroying the structure of the base. You can avoid this in one of two ways:
- using bituminous mastic;
- pasting the foundation with rolled insulating material.
Mastic is used, both homemade and purchased. For the first option, machine oil is added to the melted bitumen to give better plasticity to the mass. For every 150 kg of dry bitumen, 50 liters of oil are added. If this is not done, the mastic will crack in winter, unable to withstand temperature changes.
Liquid waterproofing is applied to pre-dried and leveled walls. Layer thickness - 2-4 mm. There should be no untreated areas, unfilled pores on the surface. For greater reliability, rolled waterproofing is laid on top. On stacks - an overlap of at least 10 cm. Laying is carried out from the bottom up.
A gas burner is required for installation. The back of each sheet is heated and quickly applied to the wall. Air bubbles are removed by smoothing. During heating, there must be at least 25 cm between the burner and the waterproofing. Otherwise, the material may ignite. Joints are additionally coated with bitumen.
Penoplex installation
Only after laying the waterproofing proceed to laying the sheets of insulation directly. The work is done from the bottom up. The adhesive mass is not applied to the entire surface of the plate, but in dots - 5-6 on each.
A sheet with applied glue is applied to the wall of the house and pressed tightly for a minute or two. Further, by analogy, the rest are stacked, taking into account the grooves and ridges. For strength, the seams are treated with glue or sealant (mounting foam). The next layer of foam is laid in the same way, but with an offset relative to the seams of the first.
On the basement of the house, the sheets are additionally fastened with dowels (5-6 pcs) per sheet. The attachment points are treated with acrylic-based glue so that there are no dents. The surface must be smooth. Proceed to the next step as soon as the glue is completely dry.
Dowels are not used on the foundation for two reasons:
- not to create bridges of cold;
- so that the waterproofing sheets remain intact, without damage.
Finishing
Contact of insulation with open ground can lead to loss of consumer qualities. To prevent this from happening, all surfaces are treated with plaster. As an alternative - several layers of acrylic-based adhesive.
Preliminary, both on the foundation and on the basement, a fiberglass mesh for reinforcement is attached using a construction stapler. At the joints of the sheets - an overlap of at least 10-15 cm.
Once the plaster or adhesive is completely dry, backfill the trench. For additional thermal insulation, replace part of the soil with expanded clay. Important: leave at least 30 cm to the surface for arranging the blind area.
Installation of a blind area around the house
All work and labor will be nullified if the underground part of the building freezes. It is equally important to minimize the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the foundation. This can be done using insulated blind areas. An additional advantage is that there will be no condensation that is detrimental to concrete. The building will have a comfortable microclimate, and the useful life will increase significantly.
For the blind area around the perimeter of the house, soil 1.5-2 meters wide is removed to a depth of 0.3 meters. The entire space is covered with sand and compacted. A roofing material is placed on top with the obligatory sizing of the seams with bitumen.
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Sergey Yurievich
Construction of houses, outbuildings, terraces and verandas.
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Along the edge of the future blind area, formwork is made of boards or other improvised material. On top of the roofing material, foam plastic and a layer of polyethylene film are laid with entry to the base.
From above, everything is poured with concrete with a slight slope away from the house. Otherwise, water will seep under the foundation and erode the foundation. The formwork is removed after the concrete has completely cured (28 days). It is important to prevent premature drying of the mixture. For better adhesion at all times, the concrete is covered with a black dense film.
How to insulate the sole of the foundation
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Sergey Yurievich
Construction of houses, outbuildings, terraces and verandas.
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Carrying out insulation in this way is possible only at the construction stage and is applicable to tape or slab bases.
As soon as the sand cushion is filled and compacted, a thin layer of concrete mixture is poured. Reinforcement is done later. After the concrete has set, a 50-10 mm thick insulation is laid on it. No gaps are allowed. A layer of polyethylene film is placed on top. The joints are sealed with tape. Polyethylene will prevent contact between concrete and insulation.
- formwork is mounted;
- fittings are installed;
- concrete is poured.
Timely insulation, made in accordance with the standards, guarantees both the absence of freezing and long service life of the building. The advantage of penoplex is that it does not require any special skills in work, nor careful care afterwards.
Video about the insulation of the foundation of the house with penoplex
Basement insulation- an important process, the implementation of which allows you to cope with a number of tasks.
External insulation allows significantly reduce heat loss building, and also increases the service life of the plinth, which is affected by atmospheric phenomena that destroy it.
Extruded polystyrene foam (foam) - the most popular basement insulation material both from the inside and outside. This material is in high demand because:
- its cost is low;
- it has excellent thermal insulation properties;
- differs in high durability;
- easy to install;
- does not burn;
- waterproof.
The most effective is the insulation of the blind area and the foundation in the complex. The work must be carried out according to a certain algorithm, and the first step is to prepare the surface:
Before proceeding with the installation of insulation after the initial plinth preparation, waterproofing material should be applied.
Most commonly used bituminous mastic, characterized by low cost and ease of use.
The mastic is applied to the absolutely entire area of the base with a brush and left to dry completely. Not recommended preheat the material and glue foam directly onto it - this design will not last long.
Do not dilute the mask acetone or gasoline, since these solvents will destroy the penoplex by reacting with it. Mastic can be purchased in a ready-to-use form or made independently by melting the bitumen in a container and mixing it with used engine oil in a ratio of 1: 3, which will give the material greater elasticity and the mastic will not crack even in severe frosts.
It should be applied in a layer 3-5 mm thick. After application, it is necessary to wait for complete drying. The next stage is the gluing of waterproofing sheets, for example TechnoNIKOL, carried out using gas burners, which should be kept at a distance of at least 20 cm from the surface to be treated so as not to damage the material.
Penoplex sheets are stacked with an overlap of 8-10 cm on each other, and the joints themselves should be smeared with mastic. Thus the foundation will completely protected from moisture.
Waterproofing TechnoNIKOL characterized by increased flexibility and plasticity, which are preserved even at sub-zero temperatures. The company managed to achieve the plasticity of the material by impregnating waterproofing sheets with polymers.
In the line of bitumen-polymer sheets you can choose the most suitable material in terms of price and quality, for example:
- Bikrost- the most inexpensive option, but the service life of this material does not exceed 10 years.
- Linokrom, Bikroelast- materials belong to the middle price category, with proper operation they will last about 15 years.
- Uniflex- this material refers to goods with a price above the average. It consists of five layers made of different materials, so the range of its application is quite wide, and the service life reaches 25 years.
- Technoelast- the most expensive material, which differs from those listed above by a longer service life (up to 30 years) and excellent quality characteristics.
Now you should glue the foam boards, for which glue is used, most often acrylic. When gluing plates, the following requirements are met:
- glue is applied pointwise to the plates, after gluing it must cover at least 40% of the entire area of the material;
- plates are installed vertically, from the bottom up;
- the penoplex must be pressed against the wall for at least 1 minute so that the glue grabs properly;
- the first row of slabs is the lowest, it is laid around the entire perimeter of the foundation;
- the second row and subsequent rows of plates are mounted above the first;
- when laying the material, it is important to ensure that the grooves on the tiles match, which will avoid large gaps between them;
- for additional fastening, you can use dowels-umbrellas, it is enough to use 4-6 pieces for each tile.
Important! When insulating the basement, all the gaps between the plates should be filled with acrylic adhesive or mounting foam.
A layer is placed on top of the foam fiberglass mesh protecting the material from damage. Facing is carried out using plaster, which enhances the waterproofing and thermal insulation properties of previously installed materials.
Advantages and disadvantages of heaters
For external insulation of the basement, you can use several types of heaters, which differ in cost and characteristics. These include:
- Styrofoam is the cheapest material, but it is categorically not recommended to use it for warming wooden houses, since it is not only combustible, but also actively supports combustion. For fire safety purposes, other materials should be used.
- Styrofoam. At a cost, this material is higher than polystyrene, but this is offset by its high thermal insulation properties. In addition, it is non-flammable, impervious to moisture, durable and has a porous structure with microcells.
- Polyurethane foam. The material has a minimum coefficient of thermal conductivity, it easily adheres to any surface when sprayed, forming an even monolithic layer. Polyurethane foam is applied using a special sprayer, in several layers, the thickness of each of which should be at least 15 mm. The only downside this heater - its high cost.
When choosing the most suitable insulation, be guided by its heat-insulating and waterproofing properties, flammability and price.
Nuances to consider when insulating the basement
If the foundation of the house is deepened, then before carrying out work on insulation, it is necessary to dig a trench along the entire basement, depth to its base, and a width of half a meter to one and a half meters.
Upon completion of the work, the trench is buried with the same soil or it will be replaced with expanded clay and sand, improving thermal insulation.
and a depth of about 30 cm a ten-meter layer of sand is poured from the top of the trench and compacted tightly. After that, roofing material is laid, a width slightly exceeding the width of the dug trench, its joints are smeared with bitumen.
When the bitumen hardens, on top of the roofing material at the bottom of the trench, foam is glued with acrylic glue, its joints are coated with mounting foam or the same glue. After the glue has dried, a concrete screed should be made with a slope from the base - which will allow excess moisture to be removed from the house.
final finishing plinths can be made of clinker tiles, stone or other materials. Insulation of the basement of the foundation helps to reduce heat loss by more than 20%. Carrying out work also protects the base from mechanical damage, protects against the formation of cracks and the appearance of mold, the development of fungus.
If you do not make external thermal insulation, then foundation service life significantly reduced due to the fact that it is exposed to harmful factors - frost, moisture. You can do the external insulation of the basement of the foundation with your own hands; for this, you should purchase materials and carefully study the technology of work.
A master class on warming the basement of the foundation from the outside, step by step, look at the video:
Insulation of the foundation of a wooden house
Many owners of wooden houses are faced with the fact that in winter the floor freezes on the 1st floor. There is only one way to eliminate this phenomenon - to insulate the foundation of a wooden house from the outside. The foundation in a wooden house is erected from different materials. The way how to insulate the foundation of a wooden house depends on the type of supporting structure of the building. To insulate the base of the house, modern heat-insulating materials are used. This article presents options for warming foundations of various designs.
Why you need to insulate the foundation from the outside
The foundation of a wooden house is a supporting structure that is in direct contact with the natural foundation and the building itself. In addition to its supporting function, the foundation protects housing from the negative effects of the soil. It is important that the base of the wooden house does not cause heat leakage from the dwelling.
The base of the house is constantly exposed to the penetration of moisture from the soil and changes in ambient temperature. In winter, the moisture that has entered the body of the base of the structure freezes and destroys the support array. Through the cracks, the cold begins to penetrate into the dwelling. As a result, the floors in the house will always be cold in winter. That is why it is necessary to arrange thermal insulation of the base of a wooden house.
It is impossible to insulate the old foundation from below, but its walls are quite accessible for thermal insulation. Since the supporting structures can be of various types, the thermal insulation of the foundation from the outside is carried out in different ways.
Foundation insulation materials
Insulation of the foundation must be done at the stage of its construction. Although there are circumstances when negligent builders did not take care of this at the time. And now the owners of the house have to re-insulate the base of the wooden house.
The time comes, and homeowners think about what kind of insulation to choose. Among the wide variety of heat-insulating means, it is necessary to single out materials suitable for warming foundations:
- expanded polystyrene;
- polyurethane foam;
- expanded clay;
- Styrofoam.
All these materials have low thermal conductivity and high resistance to temperature changes.
Styrofoam
Penoplex plates (expanded polystyrene)
This material has high thermal insulation properties, moisture resistance and resistance to low temperatures. Thanks to these qualities, extruded polystyrene foam has gained great popularity as an external insulation for the foundations of wooden houses. Expanded polystyrene is convenient for insulating strip foundations and plinths.
The material has a fine-mesh structure. It is produced by exposure to high temperature and pressure on polymer granules in carbon dioxide. Insulation goes on sale in the form of a plate material called penoplex. The service life of polystyrene is about 40 years.
Manufacturers often refer to expanded polystyrene boards as foam boards. Penoplex with a thickness of 50 mm in terms of heat-shielding properties corresponds to 75 mm of foam plastic and 95 mm of mineral wool.
Video on the insulation of the foundation with foam:
polyurethane foam
The polymer is sprayed onto the walls of the foundation using special equipment. Getting on the treated surface, polyurethane foam greatly increases in volume. In terms of its thermal insulation properties, a 50 mm polymer layer is similar to a 120 mm thick expanded polystyrene sheet.
Insulation of the foundation with polyurethane foam
The hardened foam on the walls of the base of the building forms a seamless dense coating. Unlike sheet insulation, the sprayed outer coating does not need additional sealing of the joints. In addition, the polymer has high adhesion and "sticks" to almost any surface.
Expanded clay
Expanded clay granules are obtained by firing a foamed clay solution. Expanded clay has high thermal insulation qualities. This is one of the cheapest heat-insulating building materials.
Facing the outer walls of the foundation with expanded clay does not allow the base of a wooden house to freeze even in the conditions of the Far North. The only drawback of the material is its low availability on the market.
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is essentially the same polystyrene foam, only not subjected to extrusion (pressure treatment at high temperature). Foam boards are used to insulate the foundation and basement of the house. To prevent heat leakage from a wooden house from below, foam plastic with a thickness of 40 to 120 mm is used.
Polymer boards are easy to process. Most often they are attached to the walls of the foundation on bituminous mastic. Styrofoam is also fixed on the wall with dowels - fungi.
Styrofoam, along with its high thermal insulation qualities, is a very fragile material, therefore, the foundation walls lined with foam plastic from the outside necessarily need a finishing protective coating.
Ways to insulate the foundation of a wooden house
Basically, wooden houses are built on tape, columnar and pile foundations. In each case, it is necessary to cover the base and basement of the house with insulation.
Strip foundation
The foundation of this type can be made monolithic or erected from precast concrete blocks. Also, a support tape under a wooden house is laid from rubble stone or flagstone.
The technology of how to insulate the foundation of a wooden house from the outside with your own hands is as follows:
- A trench is dug along the perimeter of a wooden house to the depth of soil freezing.
- The walls of the foundation are cleaned of soil residues and covered with bituminous mastic.
- Insulation plates are installed on a vertical surface, heating the bituminous waterproofing layer with a burner.
- A reinforcing metal or polymer mesh is fixed on the insulation.
- All surfaces are primed, puttied and plastered.
- A heater is laid on the sandy pillow of the blind area.
- The blind area is concreted, asphalted, lined with ceramics or stone.
The scheme of insulation of the strip foundation of a wooden house
The concrete monolith of the support tape of the house with a thickness of 40 - 50 cm does not need to be insulated. The physical characteristic of such an array of reinforced concrete has a sufficient heat-insulating property.
Column Foundation
As a matter of fact, it makes no sense to insulate the columnar foundation itself. The main heat leakage occurs through the space between the bottom of the wooden house and the ground. The constant movement of air masses in the underground creates an outflow of heat from the lower floor of the building.
To prevent this negative phenomenon, the outer perimeter of the underground is closed with vertical fences. Fences can be made from a variety of materials, from wooden shields to reinforced concrete slabs. Enclose the basement with siding (thin-sheet metal or polymer panels). Siding performs a purely enclosing function.
Due to the closed space, drafts stop, and the underground air temperature stabilizes in the positive range, and this ultimately leads to effective insulation of a wooden house.
The basement fence is built of brick, wild stone or other masonry material. It is important that the masonry of the fence is not rigidly connected to the columnar supports. Due to various geological movements, the pillars can move the fence masonry. The wall of the base in this case may crack and collapse.
The hermetically sealed space inside the plinth can lead to increased air humidity. This, in turn, will create a favorable environment for the occurrence of fungi and mold. So that the air in the underground does not stagnate, it is imperative that vents are made in the basement fencing - small openings that provide natural ventilation of the underground.
For greater reliability of the thermal insulation of the base of the house, polyurethane foam is sprayed onto the inner surfaces of the fence.
pile foundation
The principle of warming the pile foundation of a wooden house is the same as in the previous case. The house, located on stilts, also has an open underground, which must be closed from the outside.
Wooden houses rest on both wooden and reinforced concrete and screw piles. To insulate the basement of a house on a pile foundation, wooden shields, polymer or metal siding are most often used.
Features of insulation of the foundation with expanded clay
The method of warming the foundation with expanded clay has its own characteristics. Since, unlike slab insulation, expanded clay is a bulk material, it is done in this way:
- a trench around a wooden house is made 20–30 cm wide; the depth of the ditch is made just below the soil freezing mark;
- sand 10 cm thick is poured at the bottom of the trench; then make a layer of crushed stone or gravel of the same thickness;
- sheets of roofing material are attached to the walls along the outer perimeter of the trench;
- the ditch is filled with expanded clay; the granules are poured in layers of 30-40 cm; each layer is compacted;
- the top of the insulation is covered with a cement screed;
- a wall half a brick thick is laid along the screed; masonry is carried out to the height of the basement of the building;
- a metal mesh is laid through three rows of bricks, linking the masonry and the basement of the house;
- the space between the masonry and the plinth is filled with expanded clay;
- on the top of the masonry, a blind area is made of cement mortar; the screed is covered with a galvanized sheet.
Basement insulation with expanded clay
If, simultaneously with the thermal insulation of the supporting structures of the building, the roof is not insulated, then the thermal insulation of the foundation will not bring the desired result. The heat will go up, the floors and walls in the dwelling will remain cold.
The base of a wooden house must be insulated, since the owners try to eliminate the cold in the living quarters by increasing the load on the heating system of the house, and this results in exorbitant financial costs for heating the home. In this regard, it is better to insulate the foundation once with high quality and live in a warm house for many winters without incurring unnecessary expenses for heating the house.
Not so long ago, when energy resources were mere pennies, the issue of high-quality thermal insulation of a residential building was simply irrelevant, since any design inaccuracies were more than covered by powerful heating. Then it was not applied in principle.
Now, due to the rapid rise in the price of heating gas, the issue of thermal insulation and energy saving is becoming increasingly important.
One of the most effective methods to achieve the above goal is the insulation of the foundation, which, in addition to reducing the heat loss of housing, will significantly extend the life of the foundation itself, as it will provide it with the necessary protection from the external environment.
As an insulating material, the use of slab foam is most justified - this is a heater, the technical characteristics of which are an order of magnitude superior to the thermal insulation properties of any similar material.
Insulation of the foundation with foam plastic, in comparison with foam plastic, looks like a real archaism, both in terms of efficiency and in terms of the effective operation of such a heater. By the way, we recommend.
1 Penoplex - general information
Penoplex, the common name of which is extruded polystyrene foam, is a type of classic polystyrene foam, which is produced by foaming it under the influence of high temperatures.
The technology for the production of extruded polystyrene foam involves the use of special foaming additives, which are used as a mixture of freon and carbon dioxide, which makes it possible to obtain a uniform density and high technical characteristics of the foam.
The manufacturing technology of foam plastic belongs to one of the leading domestic companies in the production of insulating materials for walls and roofs of buildings, pipelines and roadways.
The best option for warming the foundation are Penoplex Foundation slabs. Such plates have dimensions of 60 * 120 cm, and the thickness, depending on the model, can be from 20 to 100 mm.
2 Advantages and disadvantages
In comparison with other options for insulating materials, penoplex has the following advantages:
- Compression resistance
This characteristic is extremely important when facing foundations, which, under the influence of soil masses, experience huge external loads. The foam compressive strength index is 27 t/m2.
- Thermal insulation properties
Penoplex has the highest coefficient of thermal insulation among all insulating materials, which allows the use of plates with a thickness of 2 to 15 centimeters. The most popular version of this insulation is Penoplex 100, which is ideal in most situations, has a thickness of 10 centimeters.
- Waterproofing
Independent studies have shown that in 30 days, during which the insulation was completely immersed in water, the foam 10 centimeters thick was filled with liquid only by 0.6 percent. Such technical characteristics indicate that the lining of the foundation with foam plastic will help not only reduce the heat loss of the building, but also protect the foundation from the negative impact of groundwater, which has an extremely negative effect on the condition of the foundation.
- Temperature regime
This material can easily withstand temperature differences from -50 to + 75 degrees, while there is no question of any loss of operational properties.
- Dimensions and weight are smaller than
Since penoplex is produced in the form of compact plates, which, moreover, have a minimum weight (the mass of the Penoplex Foundation 100 mm thick plate is only 2.5 kg), its transportation does not cause any difficulties, and installation can be done by one person, without involving additional forces and special equipment.
Printed foam packagingResistant to external influences;
Penoplex is not subject to decay, mold does not form on it, it does not decompose even after 50 years of operation. In addition, penoplex is not afraid of the effects of chemicals that can be saturated with groundwater in environmentally unfavorable areas.
The only drawback of the general disadvantage of extruded polystyrene foam, which also applies to foam under the foundation, is flammability. However, due to the fact that this insulation will be located in the ground, this minus loses any importance.
3 Where to insulate: outside or inside?
This is perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions regarding the insulation of the foundation with foam plastic. It is worth clarifying right away that it is the side of the cladding that most affects what function the insulation will perform, and how effectively it will do it.
Those who want to insulate the foundation with foam plastic from the inside of the basement or basement should understand that in this case they will only perform the usual thermal insulation of the room, but not the foundation at all - the base itself will not receive any insulation, as well as protection from external influences .
The correct use of penoplex under the foundation is its installation outside the base. In this case, the insulation will fully reveal its full potential: direct insulation of the foundation will be provided, in addition, the foundation will receive protection from external influences.
Of course, the insulation of the foundation with foam plastic from the outside is a much more time-consuming process, which, ideally, should be carried out even at the stage of construction of a residential building, however, having done all the work with your own hands according to the correct technology, you will get a decent return.
The benefits that you get by insulating the foundation from the outside:
- Protection of the foundation from freezing during the cold season;
- Concrete is not subject to destruction under the influence of groundwater;
- The consequences of seasonal temperature fluctuations are reduced to zero, as a result of which the life of the foundation is significantly increased;
- Foam cladding outside also increases the average air temperature inside the basement;
4 Material calculation
It is required to make simple calculations in order to determine what thickness of the penoplex is needed in a particular situation.
Calculations are performed according to the following formula: T = (s1/y1) + (s2/y2).
The designations are as follows:
- T - heat transfer resistance (varies depending on the region, for example, in Moscow it is 3.2 m² / W);
- s1 is the base thickness;
- y1 – coefficient. thermal conductivity of the base material;
- s2 is the thickness of the insulation;
- y2 – coefficient. thermal conductivity of the heater.
For example, let's perform a calculation for a reinforced concrete foundation (y1 = 1.69) with a thickness of 0.4 meters.
3.2 = 0.4/1.69 + H2/0.032;
3.2 = 0.24 + S2/0.032;
2.96= S2/$0.032;
S2 = 0.0947 m, or 95 mm.
The calculation showed that in order to carry out work on the insulation of a strip foundation with a thickness of 0.4 meters with our own hands, we need a Penoplex Foundation insulation with a thickness of 100 mm.
By the way, you need to round the thickness up, since additional density and thermal insulation characteristics are never superfluous. This formula is also applicable in the case when the foundation is insulated with ordinary foam.
Next, we calculate the amount of required foam 100 mm. This indicator is calculated based on the area of \u200b\u200bthe foundation. For example, we need to insulate a foundation with a height of 2 meters with our own hands, with a wall length of 8,10,8 and 10 meters.
The total length is 36 meters, multiplied by 2 meters in height, and we get an area equal to 72 m2. Based on the fact that one Penoplex 100 slab has an area of 0.72 m2, it determines the amount of material needed: 72 / 0.72 = 100. In total, we need 100 foam 100 slabs in total.
Also, for insulation using additional waterproofing materials, dowels with a wide cap, cement, and bituminous mastic will be needed.
5 Stages and features of the work
- First of all, you need to dig the foundation. Outside, along the perimeter of the base, we make a trench one and a half meters wide to the entire depth of the foundation.
- We clean the walls of the basement and foundation from the earth, damaged elements, and other mechanical impurities. If necessary, level them with cement mortar or plaster mixture, and let dry.
- We make the main waterproofing: outside the foundation we apply a thin layer of bituminous mastic, on top of which we glue sheets of roofing material or technicol, with an overlap of at least 10 centimeters. We cover the joints with mastic.
We continue the process:
- Installing foam panels. Installation must be done from the bottom up.
- Fastening foam to the foundation is carried out using building glue. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the elements of the "thorn-groove" system, which are equipped with the ends of the insulation, are connected.
- We close the connecting slots with liquid foam.
- The technology of insulation of the foundation with foam plastic provides for the possibility of using dowels only on the basement of the foundation, where you need 5 dowels per 1 panel.
- We plaster the mounted foam panels from the outside using a reinforcing mesh.
- We fill the trench with earth. At the same time, at a depth of 30 cm from the soil surface, it is recommended to lay a layer of roofing material 1 meter thick around the perimeter of the foundation, which will contribute to additional protection of the foundation from surface water.
6 Features of the technology of insulation of the foundation with foam (video)
The foundation of the house is the structure on which the house itself stands: walls, roof. The service life of the entire housing construction, as well as the comfort of living in it, depends on the durability of this construct.
Warming the foundation of the house from the outside allows you to protect the walls of the foundation from freezing, and also protect it from the effects of groundwater, which can destroy even concrete.
There are many types of insulation. A separate place in this list is occupied by penoplex and expanded polystyrene.
Actually, these are the names of the same material. Expanded polystyrene, and to be precise - extruded polystyrene foam - the general name for a polymer insulation made on the basis of styrene. Penoplex is the brand name of expanded polystyrene.
Penoplex is produced in the form of plates with a thickness of 2 to 15 cm. Size 60x120 cm with a mounting groove along the long side.
The advantages of the material are:
- Low thermal conductivity;
- High strength (compression index - 27t / m2);
- Low coefficient of water absorption;
- Durability (does not rot and decay up to 50 years);
- Resistant to temperature extremes.
The disadvantage of penoplex is one - low resistance to fire.
But since the entire volume of material will be hidden underground, this indicator will not have a negative impact on the design of the foundation. However, this should be taken into account if you want to insulate the entire house from the outside.
Do not use this material indoors. Styrene emissions can adversely affect health.
Do-it-yourself insulation of the foundation with penoplex.
Preparation of the work front.
To perform the work, you will need the following tools: tape measure, construction knife, puncher, concrete drill 200 mm long (according to the diameter of the dowel), mixer for mixing glue, wide brush, shovels, rammer.
It is ideal to engage in insulation during the construction phase. But this can be done in a house that has already been built and no matter how long the building costs.
To insulate the foundation from the outside, it is necessary to dig it around the perimeter to the depth of soil freezing. For each region, this is its own indicator, but usually it ranges from 0.6 to 1.2 m, if we are not talking about the permafrost zone.
The width of the trench should allow work on fixing the slabs and applying waterproofing without much cramping.
Opened walls must be cleaned of the remnants of the earth, roots. If the foundation wall is uneven, it is necessary to level it with cement mortar. After the leveling layer has dried, you can start warming.
The thickness of the walls of the foundation in private housing construction is usually equal to 0.4, less often than 0.6 m. To insulate such walls, foam plastic 10 cm thick is used.
Installation of expanded polystyrene plates.
Before installing foam boards, a layer of waterproofing must be applied to the walls. This work is done with a wide brush and bituminous mastic. To facilitate the work, you can use a ready-made bituminous primer, which has the consistency of slightly thickened paint.
The primer has high adhesion to concrete surfaces and adheres well to the wall. The drying time of the primer is a day. The next day, you can start fixing the insulation.
Foam boards are attached to the wall using cement adhesives for fixing polystyrene foam. Dilute the glue in accordance with the instructions on the package and let it stand for a while.
Boards can be glued in both vertical and horizontal orientations. It all depends on the depth of the foundation. At a depth of 1.0 m, it is possible to dig out below the level of the foundation in order to mount the insulation vertically without cutting off the remainder. If the depth is not more than 90 cm, then you can turn the slab in a horizontal plane, and cut the slab installed in the second row in half along the long side.
Glue on the plates must be applied pointwise. It is possible to apply glue in a continuous layer in the case of a perfectly even foundation wall.
After applying the adhesive, the insulation is pressed against the wall and held for a short time. The next plate is combined with the groove of the previous one and so they move along the perimeter of the house. Mounting plates start from the bottom. The groove in the plate gives a snug fit to each other and eliminates the appearance of gaps, cracks and cold bridges.
Then, perform additional fixation with dowel nails. This is especially important when the insulation of the foundation is combined with the formation of the basement of the house and part of the insulation goes above ground level. Five dowels must be installed on each plate with an “envelope” pattern - one in the center and two in the corners.
Having finished fixing the slabs with dowels, part of the slabs that emerge above ground level and form the base are plastered over the plaster mesh.
Finishing work on the insulation of the foundation of the house.
After installing and fixing the insulation, backfill the soil. It is better to do this with layered tamping. Every 20 cm of thickness, pass along the perimeter with a mobile vibrating plate.
This will exclude further subsidence of soil under the blind area, which must be done around the house after the foundation has been insulated.
Having completed the work on the insulation of the foundation, you can get:
- Frost-protected foundation;
- Non-destructive concrete foundation walls;
- Increased service life of the foundation, due to the exclusion of seasonal temperature fluctuations.
Do-it-yourself insulation of the foundation (basement). Video lesson.
We continue our series of articles on the thermal insulation of the base of the house. Today we’ll talk about the insulation of the foundation with Penoplex with our own hands. Why Penoplex? How much will such thermal insulation work cost, and finally, how to carry out the entire installation yourself?
The material that is designed to insulate the base of the house has to perform functions in conditions that, as they say: "You won't wish it on your enemy." It will be surrounded by:
- Soil that may contain construction waste;
- groundwater;
- And also, it will experience the physical and mechanical load of the weight of the soil.
Already at this stage, it is clear that the material must not only be heat-insulating, but also have sufficient density and hydrophobicity.
Why Penoplex?
Penoplex or, to be more correct - Penoplex is a Russian brand for the production of polystyrene foam insulation (high-density foam). For the sake of justice, it is worth mentioning other brands, for example:
- Technoplex;
- URSA;
- Primaplex.
However, in the domestic space, the word "Penoplex" has become an eponym - the case when a proper name becomes a household name. And, in fact, now the name of this brand is applied to many types of polystyrene. However, for the sake of justice, in this article we will focus on Penoplex insulation in the classical sense of the word. Why is this material so good?
By the way, in one of the articles we compared two grades of polystyrene:
Material characteristics
Under this brand, several types of polystyrene are produced, we are interested in Penoplex Foundation insulation. These are plates measuring 1200 by 600 mm. They have different thicknesses from 20 to 100 mm. We highlight 3 features of this material in particular:
- - 0.030 W/(m×°K);
- Compressive strength (density) - 0.27 (2.7; 27) MPa (kgf/cm2; t/m2);
- Water absorption for 28 days - 0.5% by volume.
The table below shows more complete characteristics of Penoplex.
Simply put, the material has sufficient density to withstand the mechanical load of the soil, practically does not absorb moisture and retains heat well. However, various characteristics of the thickness of the insulation make you think, what exactly should the insulation be for my situation?
Minuses
Unfortunately, it didn't work without them.
Penoplex is more expensive compared to analogues. But, the high popularity of this material, despite the price, is a clear proof of its good performance. For the foundation, this is especially important. If, after backfilling, the insulation is damaged, the savings on the material will come out “sideways”.
Rodents spoil Penoplex, however, in the foundation it will be protected by soil.
It is destroyed upon contact with alcohol-containing solutions, so you need to take this moment into account when choosing waterproofing.
Required thickness
The thickness of the insulation depends on two factors:
- The region in which the insulation of the foundation of the house is carried out;
- The thickness of the concrete layer of the foundation walls.
For each region, building codes establish minimum indicators of thermal resistance - the ability of the building envelope to prevent heat leakage from the premises. This indicator can be viewed in the SNIP dated February 23, 2003 "Thermal protection of buildings". The diagram below shows the indicators for the main regions.
In addition, we will need indicators of the thermal conductivity of the material from which the foundation is made and the same indicator of Penoplex. That is, in fact, you first need to figure out what the thermal resistance should be, and then how to get it.
Let's take for an approximate calculation the insulation of the foundation with Penoplex in Surgut. The required indicator for walls is 4.03.
We take for example a wall thickness of 550 mm. The thermal conductivity of concrete is 1.69.
0.550 m / 1.69 \u003d 0.2958 - as you can see, out of the required 4.03, only a minuscule amount of concrete is given.
Now, this amount must be subtracted from the total thermal resistance.
4.03-0.2958 \u003d 3.7342 this is the minimum indicator you need to achieve with the help of a heater. How thick should it be? The ability of Penoplex to conduct heat is 0.032.
We multiply 3.7342 by 0.032 and we get the thickness figure we need in meters, namely: 0.119 mm, we round it up and we need a Penoplepex Foundation with a thickness of 120 mm.
The cost of insulation
How much will it cost to insulate walls with this material?
If the house has a perimeter of 42 meters, and the depth of the foundation is 1 meter, then 42 squares need to be insulated.
Sheets with a thickness of 120 mm do not exist. But, there is Penoplex Foundation 100 mm and 20. You will have to insulate in 2 layers. A sheet 100 mm thick costs approximately 375 rubles and has an area of 0.72 m3. A sheet 20 mm thick costs about 70 rubles. In total, we need 59 sheets of each type. Weaving will cost us 22,000 rubles and the second layer 4,200, a total of 26,000 rubles for insulation.
If you add a few cylinders of glue-foam, then you can definitely meet 30,000.
Technology
How to carry out the insulation of the foundation with Penoplex? You need to start with the situation in which the installation is carried out:
- If you are just building a house, most likely its foundation is free from soil and nothing needs to be done first;
- If we are talking about an already arranged foundation, you must first free it from the ground. To clear a surface and only after that to carry out warming.
Also, it is worth noting that when insulating the foundation of a house, three components are insulated from the outside:
- blind area;
- Horizontal insulation on the pillow of the future foundation (carried out only during construction);
- Vertical installation of plates on the plinth.
We talked about how to make an insulated blind area cake separately, so here we will write in more detail only the last of these three points.
Preparing the workplace
If you need to insulate the foundation outside the already built house, you will have to dig it out. To do this with:
- own shovel,
- special equipment,
A trench is being dug around the entire perimeter of the building. The depth of the trench should be equal to the depth of the foundation. The width should be such that you can work comfortably. Please note that when you fix the foam to the foundation, the width of the trench will narrow, in our example by as much as 120 mm.
After that, you need to let the foundation dry, then the insulation will be valid. This takes at least 2 weeks. By the way, this nuance imposes some restrictions on the time of year in which work can be carried out. In the fall, the dug trench can fill with sedimentary water. Inspect the foundation and evaluate its condition. Plaster large irregularities, if any.
Waterproofing
We talked about this important step for the foundation separately, it’s only worth repeating here that waterproofing is mandatory for the foundation of a house with a basement. If there is no basement, perhaps Penoplex itself can handle it, because it repels moisture. If you use waterproofing, choose a composition that does not contain alcohol so that it does not corrode the insulation.
Mounting plates
Although you can find examples of penoplex being attached to dowels, this approach is considered unacceptable. Nails break the waterproofing layer, and even the insulation itself, which, unlike the “wet” facade, will not be particularly protected. You need to fasten the material to the glue-foam or other adhesive for fastening.
The fixing of the plates starts from the bottom row. With the help of the level, you need to mark the strip of the upper edge of the plate. The lower part of the plates is cut so that the upper edge always goes along the level.
If, as in our example, the installation from the outside with foam plastic occurs in 2 layers, the second layer must be fixed only after the first is completely fixed (solidified), usually not less than 2 hours later. That is, at first the entire foundation tape is covered with the first layer, then the second. Sheets are stacked in a checkerboard pattern, without joining seams.
After the insulation is covered with a membrane for additional protection against moisture and mechanical damage.
By the way, external insulation is considered the most effective.
Finally, a video: how to insulate the foundation of a house with Penoplex.
Insulation of the foundation with foam plastic, what criteria are important? The main thing is, of course, the thermal insulation properties of the insulation. But not only this should be paid attention to, because no matter how good thermal qualities the insulation for the foundation has, without its strength and ability to repel moisture, it is absolutely useless. The palm of the foam was intercepted by a new modern insulation - extruded polystyrene foam. It costs almost twice as much as its white predecessor, despite this, more and more people are choosing Penoplex due to its high quality and durability.
Why Penoplex
Few people thought, but the insulated foundation will help to avoid heat loss in the house by almost 20%. In addition, its service life increases, which is also important in private housing construction.
After all, the foundation throughout its life, in addition to experiencing enormous loads of the weight of the house, also has to deal with external natural factors, such as groundwater raised to the surface and sudden changes in air temperature.
Inside the insulation there are thousands of tiny cells (bubbles) filled with air, which are separated from each other by a thin partition, this structure gives Penoplex special strength, lightness and water resistance.
The plate installation technology is quite simple. The plates are joined together thanks to special grooves, which eliminates the formation of seams and cold bridges between them. A detailed description of the characteristics of Penoplex, you can read here.
Insulation of the foundation with foam plastic - advantages
- Very low thermal conductivity - 0.03 W/m ºK. This is one of the lowest rates among the insulation materials on the market;
- High compressive strength - 0.20 MPa, which is important, since the foundation is subject to huge loads;
- Does not absorb moisture, which is a guarantee of protection of the foundation from groundwater;
- Withstands large fluctuations in air temperature from - 55 ° to + 65 ° Celsius;
- Lightweight insulation. This allows you not to subject the foundation to additional load and simplifies working with it.
- Does not decompose and does not rot underground.
- It does not react with practically any chemicals, which allows the material to avoid destruction.
- Ease of installation work, thanks to the tongue and groove system;
- Insulation durability. According to the conclusions of experts, the service life of the material exceeds 50 years.
- A significant drawback of the insulation is that the material burns (group G4), however, a properly insulated foundation according to the technology implies its plastering after the installation of the plates, which thereby eliminates the possibility of open fire entering the Penoplex sections.
Ways to insulate the foundation with foam
Do-it-yourself insulation of the foundation with foam plastic is carried out by installing plates on the outside of the foundation. This method will give maximum protection of the foundation from frost, moisture and swelling of the upper layers of the soil. However, this method is easier to apply even at the stage of building a house, when the soil has not yet been filled up to the foundation walls.
If you have a finished house, where the exposure of the outer walls of the foundation for their insulation is problematic, and you decide to insulate it from the inside, it is important to remember that this will be the usual insulation of the basement of the house, rather than a full-fledged set of works on insulation of the foundation. Since the foundation of your house will not receive protection from the main threats (moisture, soil, frost).
Benefits of outdoor insulation
- Protection of the foundation from freezing;
- Moisture does not penetrate into the concrete, thereby eliminating the frequency of its seasonal freezing and thawing, which significantly extends its service life;
- Creates an additional barrier to groundwater;
- It is a protective shield for the waterproofing layer, reducing the risk of its mechanical damage;
- In the underground floors of the house, a favorable microclimate is created;
It should be remembered that only the external insulation of the foundation will give you a full guarantee of its protection, while insulating it from the inside, you will resort only to half measures, which, apart from the insulation of the basement, does not carry any function.
- There is another way which is horizontal insulation slab foundation when the cake goes from bottom to top. This type of insulation is an excellent foundation protection against freezing, besides, the place where the slabs are laid under the base of the foundation will not be subject to heaving of the soil in severe frosts. This method is used exclusively for warming the slab foundation.
Scheme of horizontal insulation of the slab foundation
Penoplex thickness calculation
Each region of Russia has its own specific indicator of heat transfer resistance, which, if necessary, can be found on the Internet. Let's give an example of calculating the required thickness of plates for the Moscow region, for this we use the following formula:
Rounding the resulting number, we get that to insulate the foundation with a thickness of 0.4 m, a layer of insulation equal to 100 mm is required. Now we calculate how many plates are required. For example, the height of the foundation for an 8×10 house is 2 m, its perimeter is P=8+8+10+10=36 m. Multiplying the perimeter by the height, we get the surface area S=72 m².
Knowing the area of one plate, and for a standard Penoplex it is 0.72 m², we find that exactly 100 plates of 100 mm each will be required for insulation. At the same time, do not forget that experts recommend laying the plates in two layers, so you need to purchase 200 plates of 50 mm each.
Important! In order for the joints of the slabs to be blocked, thereby avoiding the appearance of cold bridges, experts recommend using the material in two layers when insulating the foundation, displacing the slabs during installation.
Insulation of the foundation from the outside
The whole complex of works on the insulation of the foundation can be done by hand, while saving no small amount of money. As mentioned above, the best option would be to insulate the foundation at the construction stage, when the walls are not yet covered with soil.
If for some reason you did not do this, you will have to use another option, which is much more difficult, but there are no impossible tasks. And so let's consider a more laborious option.
Foundation excavation
A trench is dug around the perimeter of the house to the depth of the foundation. For the convenience of further ongoing work on insulation, the width of the trench should be at least 1 meter. When using heavy equipment, special care is required so as not to damage the foundation walls.
If the area where the house is located has a sufficiently high level of ground, then it makes sense to equip a drainage system around the house. After the excavation is completed, the foundation is inspected for signs of damage and, if any, a set of measures is taken to eliminate them.
Foundation surface preparation
The foundation walls are cleaned of soil residues and exfoliated concrete; a Karcher high-pressure apparatus can be used for these purposes. In its absence, the wall is cleaned using a brush with stiff bristles and a jet of water. After cleaning the surface, it must be leveled, since it is undesirable to apply a waterproofing layer on an uneven surface.
Leveling foundation walls
Important! Work on applying the waterproofing layer can be started only after the leveling layer of plaster has completely dried. If the waterproofing is applied to freshly poured concrete, then it is required to wait at least 1 month for the moisture to completely evaporate from the concrete.
If you want to perform high-quality waterproofing, then you need to do it in two layers:
- The first layer is covering the walls with bituminous mastic;
- The second is pasting with TechnoNIKOL.
You can buy ready-made bitumen mastic at any hardware store, everything is simple with it, open it and smear it, but you can buy mastic hardened in the form of briquettes, it is much cheaper. Solid mastic before application must be melted on fire or in a steam bath.
To give the melted mastic plasticity, it can be diluted with used engine oil. Next, using a roller or brush, liquid mastic is applied to the walls of the foundation. This work is quite painstaking, requiring care and patience, since you need to smear the entire surface with a good 2-3 mm. layer, without missing small cracks and depressions.
When the first layer of waterproofing dries, starting from the bottom up, glue the sheets of TechnoNIKOL, melting the desired side with a gas burner. Next, the sheet is smoothed out, expelling all air bubbles. The top sheet is glued to the bottom overlap of 10 cm, the joint between them can additionally be smeared with mastic.
Double waterproofing of the foundation is a long and laborious process, but necessary. Using only TechnoNIKOL, it is impossible to fill all the small depressions and cracks, moreover, if moisture gets under the sheets, they will peel off, which will lead to the formation of an unprotected place in the foundation.
Installation of Penoplex plates
There is an opinion that in order to glue the Penoplex plates, it is necessary to heat up the bituminous waterproofing with a gas burner and attach the insulation to it, like glue. However, in no case should this be done, since there is a high risk of damaging the integrity of the waterproofing.
For fixing the plates, there is a special acrylic adhesive, in which there are no organic solvents. Glue is applied to the plate, then by pressing firmly, it is fixed on the foundation wall.
In this way, the rest of the sheets are fastened from the bottom up, joining them together with the “thorn groove” system. The resulting voids and cracks will be filled with mounting foam. The second joint of the plates is fastened in a similar way, only the first sheet must be shifted to the sides, thereby blocking the connecting seam of the first layer.
The adhesive must cover at least 40% of the board surface after being pressed to the substrate
The basement part of the foundation can be fixed with a special dowel (fungus), using 5 dowels for each slab, in the corners and in the center. You can use the same acrylic glue to cover up the holes from the dowels.
Important! It is impossible to fasten the Penoplex plates to the part of the foundation that will be underground with the help of fixing dowels, since when filling the soil, the waterproofing layer can be damaged.
Surface leveling
It remains to protect the insulation from the effects of soil and dirt. To do this, moisture-resistant plaster is applied to the surface using a reinforcing mesh.
To avoid the appearance of cracks, the mesh is fastened with an overlap of 10-15 cm. After the plaster has dried, the pit can be filled back up. The upper part of the foundation can be decorated with any tile you like or in another way.
Conclusion from reading
Remember - a properly insulated foundation is not only warm and comfortable in your home, but also a great energy saving, which cannot but please your pocket. Such a foundation will not require any major repairs for many, many years to come.
Using Penoplex plates, you will reliably protect the foundation of your home from cold, mold and fungus. The simplicity of their installation will allow you to cope with them without having any construction specialty behind you.
