What is the name of the heater. Types of heaters and their properties: heat-insulating materials and their main characteristics. Other applications

It is possible to protect housing from freezing during the cold season by insulating the foundation of the house from the outside with polystyrene foam or other types of materials. Without insulation, heat from the room will exit through the cooling walls.

Insulation of the foundation with expanded polystyrene is a common method of thermal insulation of the base of the building. Expanded polystyrene materials have a foamed structure. Foundation walls protected by these heat insulators retain heat well and actually do not allow water to pass through.

Styrofoam is a cheaper type of polystyrene.

The most expensive thing will be the insulation of the foundation with extruded polystyrene foam.

Polystyrenes are produced in the form of plates having different thicknesses. You can choose the appropriate size of the material, taking into account the type of foundation of the house, the presence of a basement or basement. When choosing, you should also take into account the peculiarities of the local climate.

In Russian conditions, it is considered more acceptable to insulate the foundation with polystyrene foam 5 cm thick. If a wine cellar is equipped in the basement of the room, the temperature in which is about 10 ° C, then it will be better if the thickness of the polystyrene foam is 10 cm.

Increased attention is paid to pasting the corners of the foundation, since the freezing of the entire structure begins precisely from them. For this purpose, plates are used that are approximately 3-4 cm thicker than the main heat insulator.

In fact, not too many heat insulators are suitable for insulating the foundation. The choice is made according to the rule that the heat-insulating layer should have a service life approaching the durability of the structure itself. Based on this, we can conclude that it is better not to use polystyrene foam for foundation insulation.

Considering that the service life of reinforced concrete is at least 100 years, and foam plastic is about 20-25 years, it is almost impossible to control the state of EPS buried in the ground.

After applying the foam, there will definitely be a problem associated with the re-insulation of the foundation. Despite the fact that thermal insulation with foam plastic is performed more often than insulation of the foundation with polystyrene foam, this approach is not considered rational among professionals.

Properties of polymer insulation

In modern construction, the most suitable polymeric materials are used to carry out work on the insulation of the foundation:

• penoplex;
• extruded polystyrene foam.

There are no fundamental differences between these thermal insulation materials of the polymer type. This is due to the fact that they are made on the basis of polystyrene. There are minor differences in the production technology of these heat insulators related to foaming. Penoplex and extruded polystyrene foam for the foundation have properties such as low thermal conductivity and high strength. These heat insulators are great for warming the foundation of a cottage or a private house. With their help, it is possible to produce insulation of a columnar foundation, shallow, tape, pile and other types.

According to their composition, the materials are similar, which is expressed in their durability and quality. They do not absorb water, but Styrofoam, which has a lower thermal conductivity than Styrofoam, is more durable.

The cost of expanded polystyrene is higher than polystyrene. Consequently, the prices for insulation with these materials vary. These heat insulators have an attractive appearance. According to some information that exists among builders, polystyrene foam is considered a material that can replace 50 cm of brickwork. No one has done any experiments to compare the density of bricks and polystyrene, but this indicator is lower for PPS, so the insulation has a lower thermal conductivity than a brick.

Insulation of the foundation from the outside with foam

Carrying out installation work on the insulation of the foundation with foam plastic is not difficult. Insulation should be applied to waterproofing. Insulation of the strip foundation with polystyrene foam is carried out as follows:

• the wall is treated with a heat-insulating coating;
• the surface of the wall is covered with a waterproofing layer;
• measurements of the freezing depth are made, to which 5-10 cm is added;
• the container (bucket) is filled with 1/4 part of water and foam glue is added;
• the composition is thoroughly mixed with a mixer until the consistency of thick sour cream;
• glue is applied to the foam sheet in several places and leveled with a notched trowel;
• the sheet of insulation is tightly pressed against the wall of the foundation;
• the next sheet is inserted into the lock of the previous one, if it is provided;
• the sheet is glued to the wall by pressing the material;
• the foam is covered with a PVC membrane;
• dug trench is covered with sand.

All actions for warming the foundation with foam plastic are not complicated. At the same time, experts do not recommend nailing the insulation to the foundation wall with nails, since it is possible to break through the waterproofing.

The foam mounting method is most suitable for beginners. This method cannot be compared in cost with polyurethane foam spraying. It is best to carry out insulation with an assistant so that one person can cut and feed the sheets, and the second one can apply glue and mount the insulation on the wall.

The use of thermal insulation in construction

The best method of thermal insulation of the base of the house is foam insulation of the foundation. This method is mainly used at the stage of building a house. Fastening polystyrene foam to concrete in most cases involves the use of a special bituminous mastic.

The entire surface is pre-leveled with a cement composition, and then the even wall of the foundation is cleaned. After that, the first layer of mastic is applied, that is, a bituminous primer, on which rolled waterproofing is glued, and a heat insulator is attached on top. An additional layer of geotextile is laid on top as a protective coating. Often, penoplex is simply covered with soil.

To create additional protection, significant financial costs will not be required, but geotextiles can significantly extend the useful life of the heat insulator. The technology of insulation of foundations using expanded polystyrene can be studied by watching the video.

Another method of warming the base of the house, where there is no basement, is used for thermal insulation of foundations in the form of a solid concrete slab.

The essence of the method is that polystyrene foam is laid on a pillow of sand, and a concrete base is poured on top. At the same time, it remains possible to immediately lay the heating circuit of the “warm floor” system in a monolithic foundation. The name of this design is the Swedish stove. It refers to shallow foundations, which are insulated not only from below, but also around the entire perimeter.

Based on the beliefs of energy efficiency, this development is one of the best, but it requires meticulous work. Otherwise, non-compliance with the technology can lead to cracks in the slab and subsequent damage to the "warm floor" system.

The main disadvantage of the Swedish plate is the inability to carry out repairs after cracking. A solid slab can be mounted on different soils, so it successfully replaces a strip foundation. Proper laying of the heat insulator should ensure a long service life of the base structure.

Insulation of the Swedish stove design is appropriate if the owner of the plot decided to build his house out of wood, planning to lay underfloor heating in the foundation of the building. This problem requires a serious approach, because after the house has already been built, it is impossible to do without dismantling. In this case, it is necessary to carry out:

• removal of the plinth lining;
• opening the old blind area around the building.

If the foundation of the house is tape shallow, then you will have to dig a trench to its base in order to mount heat-insulating material over the entire surface of the foundation. Another common option is to insulate the basement and lay foam under the blind area. This will protect the underground part of the base from freezing.

Thermal insulation throughout the foundation and the ground under the blind area is the best way to insulate the base of the house. If the decision is made not to dig to the ground, then you can dig a hole that runs along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The width of the pit should be more than 1 m of the entire wall, and its depth should be 200-300 mm. The soil near the base must be properly compacted. Next, you will need to do the following:

• clean the plinth;
• remove all influxes;
• repair cracks;
• dilute the glue in water;
• reinforce the polystyrene boards to the plinth;
• fix the plates with dowels-umbrellas;
• pour a layer of sand more than 10 cm wide into the pit;
• level and compact the sand;
• lay out foam boards (expanded polystyrene);
• strengthen geotextiles;
• fill the blind area again;
• mount the plinth cladding.

The choice of polystyrene foam for insulation of the foundation

Since the technological process for the production of extruded polystyrene foam is carried out under pressure, this makes it possible to produce insulation, the structure of which includes high-strength molecular bonds. XPS is of higher quality than polystyrene foam (PSB). Often, extruded polystyrene foam becomes a material that is almost indispensable in cases where ordinary foam simply cannot withstand the load.

Before choosing an EPS, you need to understand what technical characteristics it has. Expanded polystyrene is made in several modifications, since different types of PPS are required for different parts of the house (roof, walls, foundation). Each modification of PPS has different characteristics, therefore, it can be used for warming only a certain section of the house.

Building materials markets sell expanded polystyrene of 3 main brands:

1. PSB-S-15.
2. PSB-S-35.

For the insulation of the foundation, the last option is considered the most suitable, because this brand of heat insulator has protective hermetic layers, therefore it does not absorb water. When buying polystyrene foam, you should make sure that the material is marked with the mark "Foundation". This will allow you to choose the material that suits all the technical characteristics.

The thickness of the EPS is selected depending on the climatic conditions in the construction region. The width of this material can vary from 1 to 10 cm. For mid-latitudes, a heat insulator 5 cm wide is suitable. Each manufacturer produces similar heat insulator plates of various sizes, so you must first determine how many they will be required.

Polystyrene can be strengthened to the foundation, both with special glue and with bitumen. It is worth considering: after gluing, the expanded polystyrene plates are movable for more than 20 minutes. Therefore, they need to be strengthened not only with glue, but also with plastic dowels, selected with a margin in length.

If polystyrene 5 cm wide is mounted, then the dowels must have a length of more than 10 cm. For fastening the plates, Bitumast, Ceresit ST-84 brand adhesive, cement-polymer, bituminous adhesives that do not contain gasoline, ether and acetone are used.

Properties of extruded polystyrene foam

Many homeowners use styrofoam to insulate the foundation, which is considered a good thermal insulation material. Professionals believe that foam is more appropriate for thermal insulation of walls from the outside than for insulation of the foundation.

Styrofoam can be damaged by rodents, and its shelf life is not too long, since this heat insulator absorbs water, while having low strength and a very high coefficient of deformation. Expanded polystyrene non-pressed (polystyrene) begins to crumble into separate balls after a few seasons. This is due to the hygroscopicity of the material.

Extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) is more durable than styrofoam. The duration of its operation significantly exceeds the shelf life of the foam. Builders often call EPPS Polpan. Its manufacturing technology differs from the foam plastic production process, since XPS is produced under pressure, initially being a semi-liquid viscous foam mixture fed through a nozzle with a certain section.

As a result, plates of various sizes are produced. Modern developers often have to insulate houses from the outside with foam boards, that is, extruded polystyrene foam. The material is orange.

Thermal insulation of the columnar foundation with expanded polystyrene

Before you insulate the columnar foundation with your own hands, you will need to purchase a heat insulator and suitable glue for it. Then you should alternately carry out all the following types of operations:

1. Dig the foundation along its depth, making a trench around it.
2. Cover the foundation with EPPS not less than to the depth of freezing of the soil.
3. Clean the foundation, removing all crumbling or chipping particles of concrete.
4. Cover the surface of the foundation with a penetrating primer (2 layers) and allow it to dry until it is completely absorbed into the concrete.
5. Waterproof the foundation with bituminous mastic.
6. Apply glue to the plate pointwise.

Expanded polystyrene is fastened to the foundation 1 minute after applying the adhesive. If the size of the expanded polystyrene board is 120x60 cm, more than 8 strips of glue 1 cm wide must be applied. For this, a comb trowel is used. You need to start from the bottom, rising in rows.

If the polystyrene foam insulation does not have special locks, then after 3 days assembly foam is introduced into the seams between its plates for sealing. Dowels can be used for fasteners, so holes for them are drilled along the edges of the plates and in the center of each of them.

Coating waterproofing when insulating a columnar foundation with your own hands can be used if protection from capillary water is required. The level of hydrostatic pressure can reach up to 0.1 MPa.

The technique of coating waterproofing is quite simple. It is carried out using bitumen or polymer mastics, covering the surface of the foundation with a film with waterproof properties. The use of coating technologies is typical for vertical waterproofing of foundations.

When performing horizontal coating waterproofing, it must be taken into account that, due to their low strength, they are used only as auxiliary waterproofing layers. After processing each hole with a small amount of mounting foam, dowel-nails are driven into them. Then, waterproofing is applied to the heat insulator with polymer mastic, and after it dries, the trench is covered with earth.

In the process of building a house, it is necessary to take care of the insulation of not only the walls and roof, but also the basement of the foundation, so that future housing is as warm as possible and inexpensive during the heating season. Today we will take a closer look at the course of action to insulate the basement of the building from the outside, and also find out which insulation is best suited for these purposes.

Material selection

Before proceeding with the process of warming the basement of the foundation, it is necessary to select the appropriate material. There are many heaters, but among the most popular are polystyrene, polystyrene foam and polystyrene. Consider how they differ and which is better.

Did you know? Penoplex was invented in the USA in 1941, but in the post-Soviet space they began to use it as a heater only in the late 90s.

This insulation is an effective modern heat insulator. It is also called plastic foam or advanced foam. There are several types of polystyrene - extruded and foamed. Between themselves, they differ in production technology and quality.

Construction professionals tend to use extruded polystyrene.
It costs more than foam, but has many advantages:

• low heat transfer coefficient;
• strength;
• environmental friendliness;
• resistance to moisture;
• durability.

The advantages of polystyrene, compared with other types of insulation, are:

• lower cost;
• a special structure that does not absorb or pass moisture, which preserves the integrity of the plates at low temperatures;
• long service life;
• preservation of thermal insulation properties throughout the entire period of operation;
• "inedible" for rodents;
• ease of installation of insulation structures.

• the ability to release very dangerous toxic substances in case of fire;
• vapor permeability, due to which mold and fungus can develop, destroying structures and adversely affecting the microclimate in the room.

Did you know? Styrofoam was invented by the German pharmacist Eduard Simon in 1839. But it began to be actively used on an industrial scale only in the middle of the 20th century.

Penoplex is a new progressive insulation, which is very effective in terms of heat retention. For the manufacture of foam, high pressure and temperature are used, which affect the granules of the material, they are inflated and filled with air.
The resulting material is characterized by a finely porous structure, which has the same tiny isolated cells, which makes it possible to retain heat well.

The advantages of penoplex include:

• long service life;
• low coefficient of thermal conductivity;
• minimum moisture permeability;
• compressive strength;
• simplicity and convenience of processing and installation;
• environmental friendliness;
• low chemical activity;
• maximum biostability, which means resistance to rotting and decomposition of the material.

Despite the many advantages of penoplex, it has one serious disadvantage - the ability to melt and ignite if the recommended temperatures are not observed.

Styrofoam is a special foam material, the granules of which are 98% air. Styrofoam is characterized by good thermal insulation properties, so it was previously actively used for warming rooms.

The advantages of using foam for insulation include:

• cheapness of the material;
• durability;
• low thermal conductivity;
• ease of processing and installation;
• high speed.

The disadvantages of foam include:

• fragility;
• the need for additional ventilation;
• ability to absorb moisture;
• release of toxic substances during combustion;
• tendency to freezing during severe frosts and the possibility of damage from direct sunlight on the material.

Foundation trench around the perimeter

Before proceeding with the insulation of the basement of the foundation, it is necessary to dig out the foundation to the base. To do this, a trench is dug around the entire perimeter. The optimal width of the trench should be at least 1 meter.

If a new house is being built, then the procedure is facilitated, since it is not necessary to dig in the foundation - its insulation is carried out immediately after construction.

Surface preparation

The section of the foundation that was underground, as well as the part that was above the ground, are cleaned of dirt and pieces of concrete. To do this, you can use a spray gun or high pressure washer. If you do not have such devices, you can use a regular brush and walk it over the entire surface, thoroughly cleaning the foundation.

Important! When using water to clean the foundation, it is necessary to dry the surface; for this, work should be suspended for several days.

Performing drainage

If there is a risk of flooding the foundation and groundwater comes close to the soil surface, drainage must be done. To do this, the bottom of the trench is covered with sand, and geotextiles are laid on top, on top of which a layer of gravel is poured.

A perforated pipe is placed on the gravel, the end of which must be brought to the collector. The pipe is wrapped with geotextile and covered with a mixture of sand and gravel.

The dried walls of the foundation base are covered with a latex-based primer. This tool will fill all the cracks and pores that are on the surface, and provide better adhesion of the waterproofing to the foundation.

Laying self-adhesive waterproofing

A waterproofing layer is necessary in order to prevent moisture from entering the concrete surface. Polyurea can be used as a waterproofing - it is applied in liquid form, as a result of which a thin and strong elastic membrane is formed.

Provided that there are no mechanical impacts on the membrane, such waterproofing protection will last more than 30 years. If the film is damaged, this place is treated with a small amount of polymer - after that, the place of damage will not affect the solidity of the layer.

Also very often liquid rubber is used as waterproofing - it has a shorter service life than polyurea, but it costs much less. Such a tool can be purchased already in finished form. For use, it is simply mixed and applied to the surface with a spatula.

Video: foundation waterproofing

As an alternative to liquid waterproofing substances, bitumen-based roll material is used; it is attached with a burner, heating the material to 50 ° C, and applied to the foundation. It is necessary to glue such material in the direction from the bottom up.

There are also materials (for example, TECHNONICOL) that do not require the use of high temperatures. After applying the bituminous primer to the surface and removing the protective film, the sheets of material are simply pressed against the surface and stick to it. The upper edge of the insulation is fastened with a special rail.

Before starting to insulate the foundation, it is necessary to mark with the level the bottom line to which the plates will be attached. It is necessary to lay insulation materials, starting from the corner of the foundation.

To avoid the formation of long vertical seams, sheets can be glued in a checkerboard pattern. Initially, the insulation is laid on the lower part of the foundation, then the rest of the rows are placed from the bottom up.
For fastening, a special glue is used, which is applied to the edge and in the center of the sheet. After applying the glue, you must wait a minute and start gluing the sheets to the foundation.

Important! The adhesive should not contain traces of an organic solvent, which can have a destructive effect on the insulation.

To do this, they are well pressed against the surface and fixed on it for a few seconds. The glue dries out gradually, so if you find any errors or unevenly placed the insulation, you can fix it by simply turning the sheets at the required angle.

If it is necessary to attach another layer of insulation, it is placed in a checkerboard pattern so that the top layer overlaps the seam of the bottom layer - this will contribute to better thermal insulation. Gluing the top layer does not differ in technology from fixing the bottom layer of insulation.

That part of the foundation, which will be below ground level, does not require additional fastening - after the installation work is completed, it is simply sprinkled with earth. The part that will not be powdered must be attached with special dowels.
They are characterized by a wide plastic perforated hat, thanks to which the insulation is pressed tightly against the wall. To attach the dowels in the insulation, through holes are drilled so that they go into the concrete by 4 cm, after which the dowels are hammered.

Important! The size of the dowel is selected in accordance with the thickness and number of layers of insulation.

When the installation of the insulation is completely completed, the seams should be processed for better tightness of the insulation. To do this, use a bitumen composition or ordinary polyurethane foam.

The process of sealing the seams is quite simple and consists in processing the butt sections of the insulation with the selected agent. If a bituminous composition is used, they fill the gaps flush. When using foam, after it has completely dried, all irregularities are cut flush.

Trench backfill

After closing the gaps, you can start backfilling the trench. To do this, use coarse-grained dry sand, which fills the bottom layer of the trench. After that, gravel mixed with sand is poured over the sand. A pillow of gravel will be a good base for warming the soil layer.

Plastering

To protect the insulation from the chemical attack of moisture, which is constantly in the ground, a reinforcing fiberglass mesh is attached to the walls and plastered with a thin layer of mortar for coating waterproofing.

Video: do-it-yourself insulation of the foundation (basement)

Execution of formwork under the blind area

To complete the formwork, it is necessary to determine the width of the blind area. It can be from 70 cm to 2 m and depends on the characteristics of the soil. If the trench was covered with sand and gravel, it is recommended to make the blind area 1 m wide. The formwork for the concrete blind area will prevent the concrete solution from spreading and determine the geometry.

The mixture of gravel and sand must be leveled as much as possible with a rake, using a level, so that the formwork is even. Further, at the width of your choice, along the entire perimeter of the foundation, pegs are hammered into the ground. In front of them, they are installed on the edge and fastened together with even wooden boards, so that an empty frame is obtained.

After the frame is made, it is necessary to make expansion joints to prevent cracking of the concrete at low temperatures. For this, boards 2 cm thick are suitable - they are installed on the edge perpendicular to the foundation and the formwork frame, the distance between them should be about 2 m.
In the corners, the boards are installed diagonally from the corner of the foundation to the corner of the formwork. Considering that the main purpose of the blind area is to protect the foundation from water during the period of rains and snowfalls, it must be done with a slope, for this the boards are installed at a slight angle from the building to the edge of the formwork.

Important! For fastening, use self-tapping screws so that it is convenient to remove them later.

The slope is recommended to be made from 2% to 10%; the recommended rate is 5%. Thanks to this difference, water will quickly move away from the wall of the building. Before attaching the expansion boards to the formwork frame, check that they have the same angle of inclination using a level.

When the formwork frame is ready, it is necessary to start laying waterproofing materials and insulation, as well as reinforcing mesh, the cell size of which should be 10 by 10 cm.

Video: do-it-yourself blind area around the house

After all the steps for preparing the formwork are completed, you can start pouring concrete. It can be purchased at a concrete plant or any specialty store. Make sure it's of good quality.

If you plan to save money and make concrete yourself, for this you need to use cement (1 part), sand (2 parts) and crushed stone (3 parts):

1. Initially, a little water and cement are added to the concrete mixer to obtain a very liquid mass.
2. Gradually, rubble is poured out.
3. All components are mixed for 3 minutes.
4. At the final stage, sand is added to the concrete mixer.

Important! For the production of concretecan proceed on your own only if you previously had such experience, since there is a clear technology and many nuances, if not observed, the concrete may crack and will not last long.

Often the compensation boards remain in the formwork, but it is worth remembering that the tree is able to quickly absorb moisture and expand, and shrink after drying, which leads to cracking of the blind area.

Therefore, after the concrete is poured and not completely seized, it is necessary to remove the compensation boards and wait for the mortar to dry completely. After the concrete is completely dry, the cavities that remain from the compensation boards are filled with mastic or liquid rubber.

On top of the finished blind area, after the concrete and mastic have completely dried, tiles or other material are laid - depending on personal preferences.

Foundation finishing

After the plaster is completely dry, you can start finishing the foundation. To do this, use decorative materials in the form of artificial stone or tiles. You can limit yourself to painting with bitumen or ordinary paint.

Video: do-it-yourself plinth finishing

Thus, do-it-yourself insulation of the foundation basement is a rather laborious and difficult process. However, if you follow all the recommendations and follow the order of work, you can get a good result that will keep the house warm and cozy for a long time.

In order to start work on the construction and insulation of the foundation, it is best to choose either spring-summer time or autumn, for the reason that the air is warm enough, and the humidity is normal. Together with the portal today we will talk about how to insulate the foundation of the house from the outside. In this article, you will find interesting ideas for yourself and find out what materials are best used for these purposes. Below in this article we will try to describe in more detail with the portal how it is necessary to properly insulate the foundation from the outside.

Why you need to insulate the foundation

The use of insulation for the foundation is the same main point in the work as the insulation of the walls in the house. Mostly where there is very cold weather, and the soil freezes to a sufficiently large depth. The basis of the foundation of the building is capable of releasing 15-20% of heat loss to the environment. The freezing of heaving soils is very dangerous for the foundation. They can freeze in winter and increase their volumes. As a result of this, the soil level rises, due to which the foundation of the structure begins to deform, changing its linear dimensions. In the event that the arrangement of the foundation occurs above the level of freezing, and its base is not insulated, then at the moment of freezing of the soil under it, a frost heaving force will arise. It will have a perpendicular direction with respect to the top of this foundation base. Based on this, in the process of arranging the foundation, thermal insulation of its base is performed. (or plates).

It is worth saying that the subsequent operation of this building and the conditions for comfortable living will depend on the quality of the insulation work performed. A plan for the implementation of these works should be carried out during the construction of the building. Due to the fact that the main part of the cold air enters the building through the base of the foundation, during construction it is necessary to use special floor coverings, which are usually located above ground level. Basically, all the cold will be at the level of the base of the foundation and the floor, and the heat, in turn, will rise up. And in the event that the roof of the building was not properly insulated, warm air will be lost through it and go outside, thereby allowing the cold to penetrate inside the building. And if your basement is intended for functional purposes, then it should be insulated as well as possible. Maybe a gym will be located in this room, or a laundry room, in any case, the room should be cozy and comfortable. But if you do not do proper insulation of the foundation, then you will be provided with increased humidity and dampness.

A basement that is not equipped with a heating system, as a rule, does not require thermal insulation. But here it will be necessary to deal with the insulation of the basement of the foundation, in order to be able to reduce heat loss at the floor level on the 1st floor of the heated room. Carrying out work on the thermal insulation of the basement of the foundation will help you save heat in the building as much as possible, and close the path of cold. You must always remember that with excellent insulation of the house, as well as its foundation, you can save about 35-45% of your money intended for heating. In addition to thermal insulation, the main insulation layer of the foundation will play one of the important roles in waterproofing. Now we will try to find out what the main role is played by the insulation of the foundation.

• Reduces heat loss;
• It makes it possible to reduce heating costs;
• Almost completely reduces the impact of the forces of frost heaving of the soil on the base of the foundation;
• Balances the temperature inside the building;
• Does not allow condensation to form on the inside of the walls;
• Performs the function of waterproofing protection;
• Serves as a factor in the longevity of the entire base of the foundation of the building and waterproofing.

What insulation should be chosen for the foundation

In this article we are talking about how to insulate the foundation of the house from the outside. Here we will provide our readers with useful tips and suggest watching an interesting video. Carrying out thermal insulation work in the first place includes the correct choice of insulation.

What material is needed to insulate the foundation of the building

First of all, it must have the following characteristics:

1. do not absorb moisture into its base;
2. not change their linear dimensions and not deform under the influence of soil pressure.

Currently, in the construction markets you can see a huge number of different thermal insulation materials. It is clear that mineral wool in this case is not suitable for insulation due to its very soft and water-absorbing properties, since this reduces the thermal insulation qualities. In order to insulate the foundation, many experts advise remembering 2 main ways:

1. Insulation with extursion polystyrene foam;
2. Carrying out work on spraying polyurethane foam.

These materials differ from each other in different values ​​in terms of their thermal insulation parameters and price. For a more competent choice of this product, you should first study in detail all its advantages and disadvantages. Polyurethane foam is one of the popular heaters, which carries several basic functions at once - it provides maximum hydro -, - heat and sound insulation. In order to use it in work, you will need certain equipment, with the help of which layer-by-layer spraying of polyurethane foam will take place on the insulated surface. The thickness of its layer should be 50 mm, with a material density of 36 kg / m3. The same effect can be achieved by using polystyrene foam with a thickness of at least 120 mm.

polyurethane foam

In a coating such as polyurethane foam, all seams and gaps are usually absent. When carrying out work on insulation with foam, all existing joints should be hermetically sealed with it. Also, this will require special mounting fasteners, which, in turn, will increase the cost of the work performed and increase the time. The main advantages of using polyurethane foam:

• High adhesion of this material;
• Seamless coating;
• Strength;
• Small steam and heat permeability;
• Longevity of the material.
• There is no need to carry out additional work on steam and waterproofing.

The main disadvantages of this material include the mandatory presence of certain equipment and the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation on it.

Insulation of the foundation with polyurethane foam

The only advantage of extruded polystyrene foam is its low price. But this fact does not make it more significant, for the simple reason that installation work is quite difficult and this material, in addition, has very low thermal insulation functions. Plates consisting of extruded polystyrene foam do not absorb moisture, as they have a cellular-closed structure. This suggests that this material does not undergo destruction over time and freezing will not occur. For this reason, extruded polystyrene foam has a maximum service life, while maintaining its thermal insulation properties.

It should be noted! What is the answer to the question “How is it necessary to insulate the foundation? we offer such ... The use of standard foam for thermal insulation of the foundation, as a rule, can lead to the fact that after passing through a large number of seasonal cycles of freezing and warming up the base of the foundation, the layers of this material are subjected to crumbling. This factor will occur due to the fact that polystyrene foam absorbs all moisture very well. And for carrying out vertical insulation of the base of the foundation of various industrial or civil facilities, it is made using extruded polystyrene foam plates having a compressive strength of 250 kPa or more. When insulating private buildings, expanded polystyrene with a compressive strength of 200 kPa is used. For insulation of floor slabs, plates with a strength of 500 kPa should be used. These strength features of this material are very well able to maintain the integrity of the waterproofing part of the foundation. Also, thanks to extruded polystyrene, a long life of the very foundation of the foundation is ensured. Among the wide variety of heaters, as well as extruded polystyrene foam, there are plates with special milled grooves. Together with the geotextile fabric, this type of insulation perfectly performs the role of drainage, protects the waterproofing layer of the foundation as much as possible and removes the moisture accumulating in it into the drainage system.

Pay attention to the publication of the portal: Tips on how to choose mounting foam

Thermal insulation polystyrene boards with milled grooves

The main advantages of extruded polystyrene foam:

• Long service life (more than 35 years).
• Increased compressive strength.
• In the process of use, the constancy of hydro and thermal insulation characteristics is achieved.
• This material is not edible for rodents.

Insulation of the foundation with expanded clay

More recently, such material as expanded clay was considered the most popular for the ability to insulate the foundation from its outer part. But it was supplanted by those methods of foundation insulation described in our article above, which, in turn, are both cheaper and better in their properties.

How to insulate the foundation of a house with polystyrene foam from the outside

There is a basic rule for warming the outer part of the foundation. It occurs, as a rule, in areas of soil freezing by installing special heat-insulating plates at the desired freezing depth. And the corner sections of the foundation, in turn, should be maximally insulated. To do this, one and a half times the layer of polyurethane foam or slab in the corners of the foundation increases. You should also insulate the soil itself around the entire perimeter of the house. A layer of insulation consisting of extruded polystyrene foam should be under the blind area. It is used mainly to be able to reduce the depth of soil freezing around the walls, as well as to keep the freezing boundaries in the layer of non-heaving soil that runs along the walls of the building.

When laying extruded polystyrene foam boards, the angle must be at least 2%. The width of the blind area itself should be equal to the depth of soil freezing in a given climatic zone. The most ideal thickness of the slabs should correspond to the thickness of the vertical insulation layer of the foundation.

How to insulate the foundation with foam

In this article, we not only talk about those materials that are suitable for insulating the foundation, but also tell you how to insulate the foundation from the outside with various materials that are suitable for such a thing.

Before you begin to insulate the outer part of the foundation of the building, you should prepare the surface of the walls by leveling them and waterproofing them.

Foundation waterproofing

When installed, the slabs of extruded polystyrene foam act as a strong and airtight shell of the outer part of the foundation. For this reason, the use of special fasteners to be able to fix this material cannot take place in this case, since depressurization of the insulation layer may occur. Work on fixing these plates is carried out by applying glue to their outer part or by melting a layer of special bituminous waterproofing at 4 or 6 points. Further, polystyrene foam is tightly pressed against them.

How to insulate a strip foundation

The installation of heat-insulating plates should be carried out from below, and the rows, in turn, are connected to each other butt-to-butt. The thickness of these plates should be the same. The seams located next to each other must be combined with each other in a checkerboard pattern. All the formed seams between the insulation plates, as a rule, are filled with mounting foam.

It is quite convenient to insulate with plates having a stepped edge. If it is completely glued, then a dense and hermetic layer will be created, as well as additional insulation of the foundation itself. Depending on the waterproofing material used, the adhesive is selected. When using mastic or bitumen-based roll materials for waterproofing, bituminous mastic is used as an adhesive solution, which, in turn, does not contain aggressive components for expanded polystyrene.

Before insulating the outer part of the foundation, you should wait for the bituminous mixture to solidify completely (around 6-7 days). In no case should you install polystyrene foam boards on a raw bituminous mixture, as they will disperse and all waterproofing will be broken. On the same plates that will be mounted below ground level, the adhesive is applied in the form of several small dots. This method will allow the accumulated moisture in the space between the wall and the insulation to flow down. The use of special fasteners together with an adhesive solution consisting of polymer cement adhesives is necessary for the installation of slabs that are located above ground level in quantity - at least 4 pieces per 1 slab. Those plates that are in the ground itself are mounted using an adhesive composition and pressed against the ground layer.

How to insulate the base plate

From this article, we learned about how to insulate the foundation of a house from the outside with our own hands. When drawing up a plan, how can the foundation be insulated from the facade for effective insulation of the basement and floor, it is necessary to think about the possibility of insulating the base of the foundation (slab) itself. In this case, the insulation boards are mounted on the waterproofing layer. If knitted steel reinforcement is used to fill the reinforced floor, then the upper heat-insulating layer can simply be covered with a PVC film with a slight overlap of 100 or 140 mm and glued with adhesive tape. If welded reinforcement is used in this work, then a concrete screed will need to be made on top of the film, and only then welding work will begin.