When equipping floors directly on soil rocks, certain regulations must be observed. Design features such buildings can significantly reduce the load on the foundation. But in this situation, you need to pay Special attention ground water. Only a well-designed project and high-quality thermal and waterproofing will help prevent moisture from penetrating inside the object and keeping it warm.
In the existing normative documentation the heat transfer resistance of floors is not separately regulated and is equated to the values obtained on the walls of buildings, and the method and sequence of laying the insulating layers is chosen depending on the availability basements. If the house has one, a smaller thickness of the heat-insulating layer is allowed (the level of soil freezing remains higher), but it must be laid on waterproofing, since groundwater can appear at any time. Insulation of floors in a private house is performed more thoroughly than in buildings for other purposes.
In rooms without a basement, the installation of thermal insulation is carried out arbitrarily, since the maximum freezing depth can also have a different level in relation to the floor plane. When the water is far away, you can use moisture-proof anti-capillary waterproofing, when it is close, you will need a roofing material or a film membrane, which are best placed at the same levels with. It is also necessary to interconnect the moisture-proof waterproofing of the floor and the horizontal waterproofing of adjacent to the floor foundation walls. This is achieved by overlapping (10 cm for roofing material with mastic, 20 cm for a film membrane).
Recommended sequence of work when insulating floors in a private house
Floor equipment on soil rocks requires a clear sequence of operations:
- Foundation preparation.Deleted vegetative layer and part of the mainland rock.
- Soil compaction.Fractions of crushed stone, crushed brick or gravel are rammed into dry soil, fatty clay or crushed stone spilled with bitumen is introduced into wet soils.
- Surface leveling.Sand is poured and compacted with a layer of 5-10 cm. A concrete screed is poured with a solution of B10-B15.
- Insulation.When the concrete mass is completely hardened, waterproofing is applied to it, which is covered with a heater.
On top of the insulation, it is again made with a thickness of at least 40-50 mm. For additional reinforcement, steel plates can be used or plastic mesh. Laying a compensation tape will help prevent possible cracking and impact noise on adjacent structures. With a large base area (more than 25-30 m2), it is divided into several smaller sections, dividing the surface with equal expansion joints.
Common materials used for floor insulation in a private house
Ordinary ones are used both for floor insulation in a private house (PSB-S-35), and for their arrangement in parking lots or garages (PSB-S-50). When equipping such a floor, gravel (30 cm or more) is poured and a concrete screed (10 cm) is made so that the subsequent waterproofing layer is at the same levels with horizontal waterproofing adjoining walls. Having laid the PSB (at least 10 cm), it is covered with reinforced cement screed over which floor coverings can be laid. It is possible to lay waterproofing on top of the insulation, but its level must also match the location of the wall insulation of the building. The advantages include low water absorption and good availability of the material, the disadvantages are its destruction under the influence of resins and mastics in an organic solvent.
Differ in greater density and hardness. Their structural cells are closed, due to which the material is much stronger than conventional polystyrene.
They are good for insulating floors even at facilities with high traffic and difficult operating conditions (in industrial workshops, in public institutions). Laying of plates directly on gravel is allowed. A layer of 8 cm is enough. Roofing material can serve as waterproofing. Top insulation cover 10 cm concrete screed. It is convenient to use plates at high groundwater, but they are also afraid of resins and mastics on organic solvents.
Polyurethane foam boards for warming floors on the ground are characterized by a solid closed cellular structure of a homogeneous nature. For their production polyurethane PUR or PIR is used. The material can cover aluminium foil or fiberglass. This allows you to increase its vapor permeability and heat saving. The plates have significant water absorption, which leads to the need to lay moisture-proof waterproofing under them. The required thickness of such insulation rarely exceeds 7 cm.
For insulation of floors in buildings on soils, they are practically not used. For such cases, only certain varieties of this material are selected, which have maximum hardness, as well as high density and deformation resistance. To reduce the rate of water absorption of the plates, their pre-treatment with a water repellent helps. Performing floor insulation in a private house, they also carry out complete waterproofing of the slabs from third-party influences. The material is fire-resistant and absorbs noise well, but requires high-quality protection against moisture.
Expanded clay in bulk- a multifunctional material that can replace thermal insulation, concrete screed and gravel in the arrangement. If the layer is thick enough, waterproofing is also not needed. Expanded clay is interesting for its fractions of 8-16 and 10-20 mm. It is poured to the declared thickness, but it is better to take more of it for compaction in separate layers (10-15 mm). To facilitate subsequent actions, it is fixed from above with cement. The material is poured with a liquid cement-sand mixture (3-4 cm), and after hardening it is covered with waterproofing and equipped with a concrete screed (6-10 cm) for laying the floor.
Expanded clay bags- are used for arranging the floor on the ground in rooms without the need for insulation. They lay flat against each other. The same fraction of expanded clay is poured into the remaining voids. The method is used in garages, sheds and utility rooms. By changing the layer thickness, it is possible to change the heat transfer resistance of the material. From above, the insulation is covered with a waterproofing coating (roofing material, roofing felt) and a reinforced concrete screed, made by analogy with the previous options.
Granulates- by-products of smelting metals and other combined products. Grains of granulated slags (5-10 mm) have strength, lightness and good thermal insulation properties. They are laid following the example of expanded clay, but with high groundwater, they need an additional drainage ditch around the perimeter of the building. Slag also replaces several lower layers at once. It is covered according to the example of expanded clay.
Foam glass in blocks- it is good to use for equipping the floor on the ground for ceramic tiles. Gravel is poured (up to 10 cm), a concrete screed is poured. Using a polymer-mineral adhesive or bituminous mastic blocks are placed. You can perform several layers with good drying of each. Further, the material is covered with waterproofing: roofing material, hot bitumen and plastic wrap, and a concrete screed 8-10 cm is made under the tile.
It is necessary to choose the type of material depending on the goal, availability, cost, operating conditions and category of the room.
Wooden floors are more common than others, especially in recent times, arrange during the construction of country private houses, cottages. The floors are constructed as wooden beams as well as reinforced concrete floors.
The thermal conductivity of wood is much lower than that of stone or concrete, making it warmer to the touch. Nevertheless, it is very often necessary to insulate the wooden floor, especially on the first floors of buildings.
Types of wooden floors
The method of insulation largely depends on the design of the wooden floor. Three types can be distinguished:
- boardwalks;
- plywood;
- parquet.
Plank floors are made by laying boards on logs - wooden blocks mounted at a certain distance. Such designs are very often made in wooden houses. Plank floors can immediately form the top finish, or they can be the basis for some other decorative material. In the second case, such floors are called black floors.
In order for the boards in the intervals between the lags not to sag from the weight of people or any objects standing on the floor, they are connected to each other when laying. To do this, the boards are grooved, creating a groove on one edge, and a spike on the other. When installing the floor, the boards are rallied, the spikes enter the grooves, making up a massive wooden shield lying on the joists.
Plywood floors are used mainly as draft floors. Plywood is also laid on the logs and fixed. Any coating can be mounted on top of plywood: linoleum, parquet, laminate.
Parquet floors are a set of dice from hard rock wood, which are stacked in a special order, forming a decorative ornament. Parquet can be laid both on a rough wooden floor and on a concrete floor.
Depending on the type of floor, the methods of insulation will vary. To choose the right one, you need to take into account the purpose of the building - is it a residential house or a cottage. Much also depends on load-bearing structures, methods of insulation in wooden, brick or aerated concrete houses may vary. It is also necessary to take into account the presence or absence of a basement under the floor.
materials
There are many ways to protect inner space houses from the cold, but first of all, you need to insulate the floor and roof, since it is through these structural elements that the main heat loss occurs. Only when these structures are well protected from the cold does it make sense to insulate wooden house from inside or outside.
It is advisable to insulate the floors of the second and subsequent floors if they are arranged on concrete floors.
For insulation, various materials are used that have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity:
- polystyrene or foam plastic;
- polyurethane foam;
- mineral or glass wool;
- penofol;
- sawdust.
Each has its own advantages, and in most cases the choice depends on the availability of a particular material and the personal preferences of the homeowner. The thickness of the heat insulator depends on the climate in which the wooden house is located, on the location in relation to the ground level, as well as on the manufacturer's recommendations.
Thermoplastics
Note! For comparison: in terms of thermal efficiency, foam plastic 5 cm thick is equivalent to brickwork 75 cm thick.
Such materials are convenient to use, as they are produced in the form of sheets of various thicknesses. Transporting them to the construction site is not a hassle. They are very light and durable. You can cut foam or foam plastic with an ordinary clerical knife. When insulating the surface, they can seal the resulting cracks at the joints of the usual mounting foam. Adhesion with insulation is very good.
Polyurethane foam is a material that is more commonly seen in everyday life as foam rubber mats. In construction, such mats are not used, and polyurethane foam is applied to the surface by spraying. Later, in the process of hardening and polymerization, it foams, solidifying. As a result, polyurethane foam forms a durable, waterproof, airtight warm coat for building structures.
Mineral wool
Various building wool has been used as a heater for a very long time. Currently, glass wool, mineral or basalt wool are most often used.
In terms of type and production technology, they are very similar to each other, differing from each other only in the raw materials used. To obtain them, the raw material is heated, melted using special equipment, and then drawn into threads. Later, when these fibers solidify, looms, vaguely reminiscent of weaving machines, knit a bulky mass with a low density from them.
Such heaters are produced in the form of rectangular mats of various thicknesses or in the form of rolls.
Penofol
Penofol are called thin plates or sheets of polyethylene foam. Their thickness can be from 3 mm to 10 mm. In terms of thermal insulation qualities, this material is comparable to polystyrene foam or foam plastic, but it is more convenient for them to work due to the fact that it is flexible. Penofol is produced and supplied for sale and to construction sites in rolls 0.5 meters and 1 meter wide.
Insulation is produced in three versions - foil on one side, on both sides, or foil on one side and with applied adhesive layer with another. The latter option is most preferable, since the installation of such a heater takes very little time. Enough to cut from the sheet necessary workpiece and, having separated the protective film from the adhesive layer, apply to wooden surface and press briefly.
Sawdust
Sawdust has traditionally been used as insulation, as it was a by-product of any sawmill industry, and its origin has always accompanied the manufacture of lumber. For a very long time, it was sawdust that was used for insulation. wooden floors, falling asleep in layers between the lags.
The mass of sawdust, if it is not subject to getting wet, can lie in a closed space for years and not cake. At the same time, the low density of such a heater is maintained, which provides excellent thermal insulation properties. The disadvantage of such insulation is that the sawdust very quickly cakes and even begins to rot, as soon as they are wetted a little. To prevent rotting of sawdust and damage by various woodworms, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or sawdust is mixed with lime.
Plank and plywood floors on logs
The ideal option is one in which floor insulation is carried out at the stage of building construction. In this case, you can foresee all the nuances and avoid mistakes, unnecessary time and material waste. The maximum effect of insulation will be obtained only if the level of the wooden floor of the first floor is located at a distance of at least 25-30 cm from the ground level planned around the building.
The floors in wooden houses are arranged along the beams, which are laid on the same level with the first crown of the log house. Logs are laid on top of the beams, and already along them - a plank or plywood cover. When insulating a wooden floor during construction, you can place thermal insulation material between beams. To do this, cranial bars are nailed along their entire length from below, on which plank or plywood flooring is supported. Between two adjacent beams a space is formed that can be filled with insulation.
Note! Before laying the insulation, you need to lay a layer of vapor barrier.
At the same time, it must be oriented so that water vapor from the insulation comes out into the underground. They are removed from the underground space through special ventilation holes that should be included in the foundation. For the winter, such ventilation openings are usually closed to prevent cold air into the space below the floor.
With a basement
If the basement of the house is provided under the first floor, there may be no ventilation holes in the foundation. In this case, ventilation of the basement must be provided. It is often performed by deriving ventilation pipe up above the roof and installing along any of the walls of the house.
Additional vapor barrier
After laying the insulation, it is necessary to mount another layer of vapor barrier, the vapor permeability coefficient of which will be several times less than that of the lower layer. To do this, you can use the most common polyethylene film or any rolled foil materials. In this case, the foil must be placed towards the internal volume of the room, then it will have a reflective effect for heat. Logs are laid along the top layer of the vapor barrier, and boards or plywood are mounted.
The thickness of the lag will ensure the presence of a mandatory air gap between top layer vapor barrier and floor covering. Ventilation in this gap can be provided by drilling several holes in the floor at the corners of the room or using special slotted skirting boards.
In the case of an old building
If it is necessary to produce insulation in already constructed buildings, the method described above is not suitable, since it is necessary to open existing wooden floors irrationally. In this case, if the height of the floor allows, the old coating can be used as a subfloor. On it you need to lay logs with insulation and on top of them - a new boardwalk. Just as in accordance with the method described above, a layer of vapor barrier must be laid under the insulation and a denser membrane should also be mounted on top of the insulation.
In the same way as floor insulation, you can insulate the ceiling or ceiling with your own hands. wooden house. The difference will be that a vapor barrier layer with a high penetration coefficient will have to be mounted on top so that moisture from the insulation is not removed from the inside of the room, but to a ventilated attic or outside.
Parquet and parquet board
Parquet floors can be either a stacked combination of individual slabs or a parquet flooring. In both cases, the parquet is laid on an even, prepared base. It can be a cement-sand screed or sheet wood material. So that the parquet floor is not cold, it can be insulated in several ways.
A significant insulating effect is provided by the use of a foamed polyethylene substrate, which is laid under the parquet board. This substrate is similar in structure to the insulating material penofol. The only difference is that it does not have a foil layer.
Note! If the type-setting parquet is laid on a plywood or chipboard base, the penofol insulation layer can be placed under the wood base directly on the surface of the concrete slab.
When parquet slabs are glued directly onto a cement-sand screed, it needs to be insulated.
In this case, penofol or penoplex is used. To do this, a layer of insulation is glued to reinforced concrete slab overlap, and then pour the screed. Previously, along the perimeter of the room, a foam foam tape must be glued to the thickness of the screed, or foam foam plates are laid.
They need to be placed along all walls and partitions, including along interior ones, since they perform two functions - they isolate the screed from the cold outer walls of the building and are dampers that compensate for changes in the size of the screed due to heating.
Having monolithic a heating cable with a sensor from the floor heating system into a screed, you can get additional view heating. Usually it is called that - a warm floor. The cable must be mounted using special fasteners before concreting. The wires supplying the cable and connecting wires of the sensor must be brought out in advance to the installation site of the temperature controller - the control panel for the heating system. Periodic activation of the heating will provide comfortable temperature throughout the room.
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 what is blown through uninsulated floors a large number of heat. 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 wood floors are arranged on logs raised to a certain height above a concrete screed or above 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 infrared floor and then lay 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:
- The screed is arranged on expanded clay backfill.
- The solution is mixed with insulating materials - expanded clay of fine fraction or crushed foam.
- 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.
- 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
You can start the insulation of a wooden floor with the insulation of the soil. 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 vapor barrier film, which needs to be fixed on the joists 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, insulation is laid or poured, then it is covered with a vapor barrier membrane, and plywood is laid on top. It can be primed and painted or varnished. On the plywood floor, you can also lay a decorative flooring. 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 which 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, a thermostat is installed on the wall at a height of 50-70 centimeters, which will control the temperature of the 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 electrical water system It is best to lay a “warm floor” 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 different criteria associated with its design, as well as with the desire and capabilities of the owner of the housing. 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.
When choosing how to insulate a wooden floor in a private house, they proceed, first of all, from financial possibilities. So, polystyrene foam is the most economical option, expanded clay is more expensive, but the most environmentally friendly, and mineral wool is easy to install and unattractive to rodents.
Warm basement - a guarantee of a warm floor
Before proceeding with floor insulation, you need to make sure that the basement is thermally and waterproofed. At the same time, one should not forget about ventilation, which will prevent the development of fungi and mold in the underground. Because it destroys wooden base and the floor will last very little.
Basement floor insulation
If the house has a basement or ground floor, you need to take care of their insulation and waterproofing. This will keep the basement from freezing in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. After all, the basement non-residential floor often used specifically for storing food, and if it is above the freezing level of the soil, such measures are mandatory. But underground, an unheated basement does not need to be insulated.
The basement is insulated from the outside with extruded polystyrene foam, as it is not hygroscopic, unlike conventional foam. Insulation must be laid on waterproofing, such as bitumen and roofing material. The base is dug out for a meter and EPPS is attached to a special glue.
After that, the soil is poured back in layers.
On the ground part of the basement floor, the insulation is laid on glue, and fixed on top with dowels and reinforcing mesh. The final stage is the lining of the basement. The material can be anything - from decorative stone to PVC panels. But it is better to choose a damage-resistant and water-repellent material.
If the base is low, about 50 cm, it is better to fill up the space under the subfloor. This option will turn out to be much warmer - there is no cold air under the floor of the house, there is no need to arrange ventilation that will have to be closed for the winter.
Backfilling is done with ordinary soil, and the last 10 cm to the floor are filled with sand. Both soil and sand must be rammed separately when wet.
It is economically unprofitable to fill up a higher base. In this case, it will have to be insulated according to the same principle as the basement, but to organize ventilation vents that remain open in summer time and closed in winter. Special attention should be paid to the insulation of the basement for a house on a columnar or pile foundation.
Freely "walking" cold wind significantly increases the heat loss of the floor.
Common features of wooden floor insulation
When the base is in order, you can proceed directly to the floor. Regardless of the stage of work (during construction or in an already inhabited house), do-it-yourself insulation includes:
- Laying or checking and replacing the lag.
- Laying waterproofing on the logs (or under them if the logs lie on the sand).
- Laying insulation between the lags.
- Layer of vapor barrier on top of the insulation.
- The device of a counter-lattice for the gap between the finishing floor and the vapor barrier.
- Finished flooring.
For waterproofing, you can use any roll material– from thick polyethylene to innovative, but expensive, materials.
For vapor barrier it is best to use polyethylene foam with aluminum coating on one side.
This will provide both additional insulation floor, and prevent condensation from entering the insulation. If the winters are not very cold, sometimes only a layer of polyethylene foam is enough without additional insulation. But it is better to insulate the floor as well as possible, because then you will have to remove the coating again if the insulation is not enough.
The vapor barrier is laid with the “shiny” side to finishing floor. Both hydro and vapor barriers are overlapped with an allowance of at least 10 cm, and the joints are sealed with metallized adhesive tape.
Insulation with roll and tile materials
Even at the lag device stage, you need to decide what material will be used for insulation. Depending on its width and length, a lag step will be selected, between which a heater is laid very tightly and without gaps.
Ideally, the height of the lag should correspond to the thickness of the mineral wool layer, but given the need air gap between the vapor barrier and the finished wooden floor, you can simply not make a counter-lattice. In this case, the vapor barrier is attached with a construction stapler to the sidewalls of the log so that it lies on the mineral wool without air gap between them.
It is important to remember that the sides of the plates have different hardness. Such a heater is laid with the hard side up. For convenience, the right side is already marked with a blue stripe, so it's hard to make a mistake.
It is best to use plates with corrugated edges - this will provide the best grip. Lay the plates as tightly as possible, starting from the corner. The next row starts with an offset of half the plate. The last plates should enter with effort. Possible gaps are sealed with construction foam.
Thermal insulation with bulk and sprayed materials
There are more "exotic" ways to insulate the floors in the house. For example, sawdust is increasingly being used as a natural and environmentally friendly material.
The technology is not very different:
- on the plates fixed under the logs, a vapor-permeable material is laid, and not polyethylene;
- sawdust is poured out between the lags and poured from a watering can with a weak lime mortar;
- as soon as the material dries and sits down, a finishing floor is laid - vapor barrier is not needed.
But here you need to pay special attention to hydro and vapor barrier, as well as the dryness of the expanded clay itself. Because of the pores, it is very hygroscopic, but practically does not release moisture. Therefore, with improper installation, expanded clay accumulated moisture will only aggravate the situation.
Warming the floor of the house with sprayed materials - polyurethane foam, ecowool or penoizol, is practically inaccessible for self-implementation, and in some cases it is dangerous. This will require special equipment, and its purchase for insulation small house extremely disadvantageous.
The process of installing a wooden subfloor, its insulation, hydro and vapor barrier is detailed in the video:
Heat loss, especially in winter time, adversely affects the health of the residents of the apartment. 30% of the heat escapes through cracks in the window and doorways, and 20% is lost through the floors mainly on the ground floor, where the heated room is in contact with the ground, if there is no heat-insulating layer. Floor insulation makes your life more comfortable: you can walk barefoot on the floor at any time without fear of catching a cold. The heat in the apartment is maintained thanks to the thermal insulation of the floor. The question arises: "Which floor insulation should you choose?"
Today we will tell you about what types of floor heaters exist, what are their advantages and disadvantages. We will acquaint you with the criteria for choosing a heat-insulating layer, we will tell you which of the heaters is best for keeping heat in the house, and how to lay it correctly in a particular room.
Criteria for choosing floor heaters
To choose the right material for floor insulation, you should pay attention to the following criteria.
The heater must be:
Types of floor heaters
To choose the right heat-insulating material, you need to know what types the industry offers, and what are their advantages and disadvantages.
There are several types of heaters:
- mineral;
- polymeric;
- wood chip.
Expanded clay
Expanded clay - burnt clay in granules.
Despite its merits, there are some minor drawbacks.
Expanded clay dries for a long time, slowly parting with absorbed moisture. Expanded clay forms dust, so when working with it, you need to wear a respirator.
Otherwise, expanded clay is a convenient and high-quality insulation. Claydite insulate walls, floors, roofs of houses.
Polymer insulation for houses
These include:
- polystyrene foam - polystyrene;
- polyurethane foam;
- foamed polyethylene on a foil basis;
- penoizol-liquid foam.
Styrofoam
One of the polymeric floor insulation is expanded polystyrene. It's foamed plastic. Consists of separate cells - granules.
- This is a durable material that, despite its a light weight can withstand high loads.
- Due to its low weight, the foam itself creates a minimum load on the walls and foundation.
- It is moisture resistant, so it can be used in places with high humidity on the balcony.
- Styrofoam retains heat for a long time, almost without absorbing it. It surpasses many heaters in terms of thermal insulation.
- When insulating floors, you can get by with a small thickness of foam.
- The price of expanded polystyrene is low, which is an important advantage of this material and attracts the attention of buyers.
An important disadvantage of polystyrene is that when burned, it releases harmful substances which are poisonous and dangerous.
Extruded polystyrene foam
Extruded polystyrene foam is different from polystyrene foam manufacturing method and characteristics. Styrofoam is obtained by exposing the granules to water vapor. At high temperature cells increase in size and fill the entire form. A foam element is added to extruded polystyrene foam at high blood pressure and temperature, which is extruded through the extruder.
The thermal insulation properties of extruded polystyrene are much better than conventional foam. But extruded polystyrene foam has lower vapor permeability. Another disadvantage is high flammability.
Foamed polyethylene on a foil base
Foamed polyethylene on a foil basis is one of the best floor insulation. It is obtained by melting polyethylene in a special container with the addition of liquefied gas, which acts as a foamed reagent. A foil film is applied to one side of the polyethylene foam, which reflects heat. Foil polyethylene is supplied in rolls, sheets, plates.
- Closed cells contribute to high hygroscopicity. The water resistance of the material allows you to insulate floors and walls in baths, saunas.
- The material is resilient and elastic, durable: it can withstand a significant load, does not deform.
- Corrosive acids, alkalis, gasoline and other petroleum products do not affect polyethylene.
- Laying foil polyethylene is easy and simple by hand, because it weighs little and is thin enough. Foil insulation is designed in such a way that it reflects heat back into the room. In external environment does not transfer heat. Therefore, it should be laid with the reflective side up.
Penoizol
Penoizol-liquid foam.
It is good because it is poured into all the cracks and hard-to-reach places.
Insulation is especially necessary when building a house, because it fills all the air voids and thereby retains heat.
polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam is one of the best floor insulators of our time.
Wood chip heaters include:
- plywood;
- cellulose wadding;
- sawdust.
Ecowool
Ecowool is a loose cellulose material. It is poured automatically or manually, closing the most inaccessible places. Cotton wool is poured into special pumps, and it passes through thick pipes into the room. Ecowool is not liquid.
The disadvantage of ecowool is its fear of moisture, so it is not recommended to use this material in rooms with excessive humidity.
sawdust materials
By themselves, sawdust for insulation is not used, because it does not meet fire safety requirements. Basically for insulation use:
- sawdust pellets;
- wood concrete;
- wood blocks.
Wood blocks are sawdust with the addition of blue vitriol and cement.
Sawdust pellets are obtained by adding antiseptics to them, due to which they are resistant to the appearance of microorganisms. Sawdust granules have low thermal conductivity, high soundproofing properties.
Arbolit-wood concrete. It is fire resistant. It has increased strength, can quickly restore its shape after excessive loads. Perfectly absorbs sound waves, retains heat.
Its disadvantage is low moisture resistance. If you want to make a heater from wood concrete, then the humidity in the apartment should not exceed 75%. A finishing protective layer should be laid on top of the wood concrete.
One of the popular heaters is cork. it the best insulation under linoleum, but also the most expensive. Cork fiber is obtained by processing oak wood. The wood is crushed, the particles are glued together with suberin, which is part of the oak. They are steamed and pressed to form cork fibre. The material is completely natural, it does not include any polymer additives. The material is durable, moisture resistant, lightweight. Due to its structure (it consists of cells, each of which is filled with a gaseous substance), it is considered the best heat insulator.
Cork fiber can be used as an underlay and as an independent floor covering.
How to lay insulation on the floor
Different heaters need to be laid in different ways.
Mineral wool is laid between the lags. But glass wool should be well insulated so that when it wears out, dust does not get into the apartment. It is very important to leave a ventilation gap.
Ecowool laying
Laying with ecowool occurs mechanically or manually. Small particles of ecowool pass through the hose, and the operator directs the material with glue added to it to the wall or floor with air. Sticking. particles of ecowool and create a heat-insulating layer. Wool is applied to the floors manually, both in liquid and dry ways. She just falls asleep between the lags. Placed on top vapor barrier membrane and then wooden floors. The price of ecowool insulation together with work is 2200 per cubic meter in a dry way and 2800 in a wet way.
Expanded clay laying
There are 3 options for laying such a heater as expanded clay:
First you need to sweep the floor, remove construction debris. Need to lay pvc film or a special vapor barrier. Mark the level of the screed. Then glue a 10 cm wide edge tape to leave a gap from the walls. Fill the floor with expanded clay, level it with a rule, fill it with a screed on top. It is possible to separate the screed with a waterproofing layer;
Styrofoam laying
Expanded polystyrene is laid, and then poured with cement or concrete. This is a floating screed.
Logs are placed under the wooden floors, and foam is placed between them.
The third way to lay the foam is to lay it on a concrete floor, and on top of them, sheets of plywood.
Polyurethane foam application technology
First you need to prepare the base: remove the garbage. Irregularities of the base when laying polyurethane foam do not matter. The main thing is that there are no oil stains on the surface, otherwise there will be no reliable adhesion of the insulation to the base in this place. You should pay attention to the humidity of the floor, it should not exceed 5%. The air temperature must be maintained at least +10 degrees. Polyurethane foam is applied through a special nozzle. Components A and B are mixed and sprayed. The material must be evenly distributed using special equipment over the surface of the base. The specialist himself regulates the thickness of the polyurethane foam layer. The insulation dries within 24-48 hours. If the insulation is placed between wooden lags, then after the material has dried, you can do the installation finish coat. If polyurethane foam is placed on concrete base, then on top of it you need to fill in a cement-sand screed, which will protect the heat-insulating layer.
Today we told you about floor heaters. We revealed the advantages of each of them, reported on the features of their styling. And which one is better, you choose. We hope you make the right choice.
