Properly carried out floor insulation work is the key to preservation comfortable temperature in the house and minimal heat loss. Such work can be carried out both during the construction new construction, and in exploited houses, for example, floor insulation in wooden house from below from the basement. Not only will it help to achieve savings in energy costs and reduce heat losses by up to 20% high-quality insulation genders, but also right choice heat-insulating material.
The presence of a basement in the house allows you to insulate the floor below
Advantages of bottom insulation
From the point of view of labor costs, it is more profitable to insulate the floor from above. In this case, the insulating layer is mounted between the frame (joists) and the top finishing layer.
But in some situations, bottom insulation is preferable.
This method of thermal insulation is most often used in private houses with an uninsulated basement, garage, frame buildings on pile and pile-screw foundations.Bottom insulation has a number of advantages:
the insulation layer is not subject to loads from furniture standing on the floor and people moving around the house, so you can use thermal insulation material of any hardness;
the height of the room does not decrease;
Not only the top flooring, but also the entire floor frame is protected from freezing, which reduces the likelihood of freezing and water getting on the wood - this increases the service life wooden structures and ensures their reliability.
It is more expedient to insulate a house on stilts from below
Thermal insulation materials
The choice of insulation for a wooden house is based on two criteria: non-flammability and the ability to resist the formation of mold fungi and other microorganisms. But when choosing a material for lower insulation, take into account specific situation and the intended installation method.
Before purchasing materials, it is better to consult with a contractor than to insulate the floor in a private house from below. Most often used:
-
expanded clay
mineral wool;
Styrofoam;
penoplex;
Minvata considered one of the best insulation materials, so many people prefer it. A plus is good sound insulation performance. Cotton wool is not subject to biological destruction and does not burn.
Cons: low mechanical strength and deterioration of thermal insulation properties when exposed to water or steam. Therefore, when using, you should pay attention Special attention vapor and waterproofing. Cotton wool can be presented in flexible rolls or dense slabs.
Mineral wool in slabs is often used for insulation on the basement side
On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer house insulation services. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
Styrofoam- another popular insulation material. Combines good qualities mineral wool And mechanical strength. But in case of possible fire it releases toxic substances. Thanks to its structure, it retains heat well and ensures minimal heat loss. Long service life eliminates the need for replacement, but the ability to absorb moisture may negatively affect some characteristics.
Penoplex. A recently appeared material is based on polystyrene, into which gas is introduced. The mass is foamed and squeezed into molding containers. The gas evaporates and the output is a sheet of insulation with many pores. This is a material with unique thermal insulation characteristics, very light, easy to install. Durability and immunity to biological organisms provide long term operation. The material is not flammable, does not emit harmful substances and does not absorb water.
Penofol- a material for the production of which foamed polyethylene is used. on his upper layer An aluminum film is applied that reflects heat, giving the room the characteristics of a thermos. The structure of penofol does not contain pores, which prevents it from allowing air to pass through.
Penofol perfectly reflects heat
Expanded clay- bulk material in the form of porous balls, which is formed during the firing of clay or shale. This is completely environmentally friendly material, which has high heat savings, good fire resistance and resistance to freezing. But over time, expanded clay cakes under the influence of gravity and begins to lose quality, so this material must be changed periodically.
To decide how to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below, you need to choose the insulation that will perform the function of a heat insulator better than others in a particular situation.
Principles of installation work
Regardless of the choice of type of thermal insulation, it is necessary to follow the sequence of work performed for proper insulation. If we consider the structure from bottom to top, it will look like this:
waterproofing layer;
thermal insulation layer;
vapor barrier layer;
design for floor installation;
Compliance with this order of work guarantees the maintenance of normal temperature conditions in the room and protection of the structure from freezing and rotting.The easiest way to insulate the bottom is through joists. They are beams measuring 5x10 cm or more, on which the floor is subsequently laid.
Scheme of floor insulation by joists
After their installation (the recommended distance between adjacent logs is 1 m), sheets of plywood are hemmed underneath, particle boards or beams on which a layer of waterproofing is laid. This is a measure to combat condensation, which can reduce the performance of the thermal insulation layer. Approximately the same technology is used when insulating the Stanislav Chalet house.
Next, the insulation is installed. Its thickness should not exceed the thickness of the log, but it is better to be a few centimeters smaller. The next stage is laying a vapor barrier, which will prevent moisture from entering the insulation from inside the room. And finally the floorboards are laid.
If it is necessary to insulate the finished floor in a wooden house from below, problems with attaching the insulation may arise, which can be solved in one of the following ways:
Glue mount. Almost any insulation can be glued to the surface of the floor (and ceiling in the basement) using special adhesives.
Fastening with slats. To support the insulation, beams, slats, etc. are nailed to the joists.
Fit to size. Tight joining of the thermal insulation material to the joists using, if necessary, spacer wedges.
When laying insulation end-to-end with joists, it is necessary to strictly maintain the size
In any case, it is necessary to lay a vapor barrier, and after insulation, hem the basement ceiling with boards. This will prevent the insulation and its particles from falling down.
On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that have full cycle production You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
Technology and features of floor insulation from below in a wooden house
For each type of insulation, there are some specific features of use.
Mineral wool
The sizes of rolls and slabs are usually multiples of 60 cm, which makes this distance the optimal step between the logs. Mineral wool is cut to size with a cutter and placed in the space between the joists. For a tight fit, the size should be 1–2 cm larger than the distance between the joists. Cotton wool should not be pressed down forcefully as this may affect its characteristics.
The best option would be to lay two layers of insulation. The second layer is laid so that the joint of the lower layer falls on the center of the upper piece. This method of installation will prevent cold air from entering the room.
Video description
You can see the stages of floor insulation with mineral wool along joists in the video:
When working with this insulation, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment - gloves, a respirator and goggles, since small particles can get into the mucous membrane and into the respiratory tract, which will cause irritation.
Penoplex and foam plastic
If foam plastic is used when insulating a wooden floor from below in a private house, you must take into account several rules for working with it:
Foam absorbs water, so waterproofing is required. Many experts do not take this property into account during installation, which leads to a decrease in thermal insulation characteristics.
It is recommended to cut the sheets not exactly to the size of the gap between the joists, but 1–2 cm smaller. This will fill the gaps between the sheet and the joist. polyurethane foam, which will increase the thermal insulation properties. The joints between the sheets also need to be foamed.
Sheets can be fastened using slats, spacer wedges or special adhesives.
Floor insulation with foam plastic in a wooden house
The principle of working with penoplex is no different. But due to the smaller thickness of the material, it can be laid with overlapping sheet joints to avoid the formation of cold islands (similar to mineral wool).
But this method significantly increases material consumption, which means additional financial costs.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the popular ones - from construction company“Shelf” – presented at the exhibition of houses “Low-Rise Country”.
Penofol
Due to its property of not allowing moisture to pass through, penofol does not require additional installation of vapor and waterproofing. But to prevent the water vapor that forms in the room from settling on the insulation layer, an air gap is needed between it and the flooring for air circulation.
Laying is done with the foil side up only. This will allow heat to be reflected, which will increase the temperature in the house. Penofol can be used as waterproofing when laying mineral wool or polystyrene foam. This can increase thermal insulation several times, but this method is quite expensive.
Penofol joints are sealed with adhesive tape
The material is sold in rolls and can be easily cut into pieces the right size. Fastening is carried out with a construction stapler on staples or with thin slats that are nailed. To improve the result, it is recommended to lay penofol in several layers.
Conclusion
One of the main problems wooden houses– cold floor that interferes comfortable life and increases heating costs. Proper insulation will solve this problem. Regardless of the material that is chosen for insulating the finished floor in a wooden house from below, you must strictly follow general technology and the order of insulation, as well as take into account the characteristics of a particular insulation. The cost of installing insulation pays off within one season.
The floor in a wooden house or country house is the coldest part of the structure. There is no secret in this, ordinary physics. Warm air is lighter and goes up, while cold air, on the contrary, goes down. Therefore, to create a comfortable microclimate, eliminate future drafts blowing from the cracks between the boards, and excessive energy consumption for heating, you need to take care of the thermal insulation of the floor.
Modern materials and technologies make it possible to insulate the floor in a private house with your own hands, without the involvement of expensive specialists. The main thing is to carefully study the types of insulation available on the market, choose the one that best suits your price and quality requirements, and install the thermal insulation correctly.
Insulation of the floor before laying the finishing coating
The best option for floor insulation in a private wooden house is considered to be the creation of a so-called double floor. When a thermal insulation cake is created between the boards of the rough and finished floor, consisting of several layers of different materials.
Such a pie can be mounted both at the construction stage and during major renovation, when the current floor is dismantled to its foundation.
The double floor design is shown in the diagram below:
- Joists or cross beams.
- Skull beam.
- Subfloor boards.
- Waterproofing layer.
- Insulation.
- Vapor barrier layer.
- Finished floor boards.
The following insulation materials are used: expanded clay, expanded polystyrene (also known as polystyrene foam), extruded polystyrene foam Penoplex or mineral wool.
Let's look at each of the materials in more detail.
Expanded clay
Another option for insulating the floor without disassembling it is to foam the internal cavities with polyurethane foam.
This option only suitable if you have a subfloor underneath the finished floor.
Insulation with polyurethane foam is carried out through holes drilled in the finished floor boards. It is advisable to drill with a fixed step in inconspicuous places on the floor - at the joints of boards, along the walls.
The main disadvantage of this method is that it is impossible to control the uniform distribution of foam in the cavities between the floor boards.
For wooden houses with a spacious subfloor or basement, where there is good access to inner surface floor, you can use the same sheet insulating materials.
Sheets of Penoplex or expanded polystyrene are attached to the floor boards from the bottom side, using glue or plastic dowels with a mushroom cap. And then they are sewn up with a layer of vapor barrier. You will get the same thermal insulation cake, only turned outward. Of course, the above methods of insulating the floor indiscriminately or from below cannot be called 100% high quality. They will provide a certain positive effect. But in order to properly solve the problem of saving heat in a wooden house, you should still use technologies that involve dismantling the floor to the base and sequential installation of multilayer insulation.
conclusions
1. If you need to quickly prepare a wooden house for cold weather, you can insulate the floor without dismantling the structural elements. Penofol or polyurethane foam are suitable for this.
2. To thoroughly insulate a wooden floor, the technology of creating a double floor is used.
3. The main options for floor insulation are expanded clay, expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene foam and mineral wool.
4. Installation of any of the above insulation does not require special skills. The main thing is to follow all the stages of creating a thermal insulation cake.
5. Most in an economical way insulation is the use of expanded clay or expanded polystyrene.
6. Insulation of a wooden floor with extruded polystyrene foam, despite the highest price, is the best in terms of future results.
Natural wood is one of the best building materials. It is environmentally friendly and high performance characteristics, but requires appropriate care. So just won't be enough. It is necessary to carry out a number of mandatory accompanying measures, among which one of the most important is floor insulation. It’s not difficult to figure out how to insulate the floor in a wooden house. You just need to strictly follow the instructions, and you will not only make your home more cozy and comfortable, but you will also be able to reduce heat loss, significantly save on heating and extend the life of the building.
What materials can be used for insulation?
Before insulating the floor in a wooden house, you need to choose suitable material. On modern market presented big choice various solutions with a wide variety of characteristics. Currently, you can insulate a wooden floor using the following materials:
When insulating with mineral wool, it is placed between the load-bearing elements of the frame.
- isolona;
- mineral wool;
- expanded polystyrene and polyurethane foam;
- penofol;
- ecowool.
The simplest and budget material, with which you can insulate the floor, is sawdust. One of the main advantages of sawdust is that it can be poured even into the most inaccessible places where it is impossible to install other existing insulation materials. In addition, sawdust is a wood processing product, so the floor wooden house, protected by this material, will be completely environmentally friendly.
No less popular and accessible material with which you can insulate the floor in a wooden house is mineral wool and its varieties. Such insulation practically does not support combustion, it is resistant to biological and chemical influences, has good sound and heat insulation properties. However, if you decide to insulate the floor in a wooden house with this material, then keep in mind that it absorbs moisture well, while losing its insulating characteristics. Therefore, it is very important to arrange high-quality waterproofing on each side of the insulation. Among other things, mineral wool is characterized by relatively low strength and is not always safe for human health. Mineral wool contains phenol-formaldehyde resins - a very toxic substance. So if you have a more or less decent budget, then it is better to insulate the floor in a wooden house using other materials.
Mineral wool is sold in the form of a flexible mat or slab. The sides of the slab usually have different hardnesses. The one that is harder is marked with a stripe of blue color. If you insulate the floor in a wooden house with this material, remember that it must be laid with the blue marking strip facing up.
Izolon is a non-flammable material resistant to chemical and biological damage. It is made from mineral fibers, but has a much higher hydrophobic ability and low thermal conductivity compared to ordinary mineral wool. The floor in a wooden house, protected with such material, will always remain warm. Rockwool has similar properties, but higher resistance to mechanical damage. This insulation, made on the basis basalt wool, is also a very good sound insulator.
Expanded polystyrene is a very durable and moisture-resistant material. It has a long service life and good thermal insulation properties. The material is not interesting to rodents and insects. It is safe for humans, very easy to install, retains its original volume well and maintains its shape.
Scheme of a floor insulated with ecowool: 1-finish floor; 2.5-kraft paper; 3-lags; 4-ewool; 6-rough floor.
When choosing the material with which you will insulate the floor in your wooden house, pay attention to its service life. Understand which one available materials is the most durable, not so simple. For example, some insulation materials are not able to maintain their original shape and volume for a long time.
During operation, they become deformed and begin to loosely adhere to the floor boards and joists, resulting in the formation of cold bridges and condensation. Therefore, it is better not to insulate the floor in a wooden house with such materials.
Checking the quality of thermal insulation is very simple. In the process of selecting it, you just need to step on a small area of the material with your foot. If it has returned to its original form, you can safely use it to insulate the floor in a wooden house. If the area does not recover after the applied load, it is better not to use such material.
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Preparing for laying insulation
First of all, you need to prepare the tools with which you will insulate the floor in a wooden house. You will need the following:
- hacksaw;
- drill;
- level;
- set of drills;
- plane;
- hammer;
- roulette;
- screwdriver;
- construction knife.
The floor in a wooden house is insulated in the following sequence:
- First, a surface is created from slabs or boards. Vapor barrier and moisture protection are installed along it.
- Wooden logs are installed.
- Insulation is being installed.
- The finished floor is being installed.
The floor in a wooden house is insulated quite easily. You just need to strictly follow the instructions. First of all, delete the old one wood covering and correct existing defects. The next step will be installing the subfloor. Thanks to it, the required frame rigidity will be ensured. It also allows you to prevent the occurrence of distortions during the use of floors in the house for their intended purpose.
In most cases, the subfloor in a wooden house is created from a slab coniferous species. The boards need to be tightly fitted to each other. Before installation, be sure to treat them with an antiseptic. If this is not done, then after 5-6 years the untreated boards and joists will rot. Most often, boards with a width of 12-15 cm and a thickness of about 5 cm are used. Screws or nails are used to fix the boards.
Fine mesh is laid on top of the rough flooring. metal grid, which will protect the insulation from rodents. Sprinkle the mesh with expanded clay or coarse sand. A layer 3-4 cm thick will be enough. The powder will not only press down the protective mesh, but will also create sufficient ventilation of the subfloor. This will protect it from damage by fungus and mold.
Regardless of what kind of insulation you use, you must provide waterproofing.
To do this, you can put PVC membranes, roofing felt or ordinary on a layer of powder. plastic film. All these materials do an excellent job with their assigned functions.
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Step-by-step instructions for insulating joists
The most popular and effective way floor insulation in a wooden house is a method of thermal insulation along joists. It can significantly reduce heat loss through the floor in a wooden house and is easy to do with your own hands. This method is well suited for those floors that are located close to the ground.
First of all, you need to select optimal thickness layer of thermal insulation. This value depends on what kind of insulation will be used, as well as on the climate in the region where the zone is located. For each specific building, the layer width is calculated individually.
Warming is carried out as follows. First, wooden joists are laid on the waterproofing film. They attach to subfloor using screws or nails. The pitch between the fasteners is no more than 80-100 cm. Insulation is installed in the space between the joists.
If thermal insulation is used in the form of slabs, they must be laid close to the joists. There should be no voids left. Insulation can be laid in 1 or 2 layers. You need to cover it on top vapor barrier material. Lay the film overlapping by 10-15 cm. Attach it to the joists with a construction stapler.
To create a finished floor, use special milled wooden boards. They need to be secured to the installed joists. Typically, when producing such boards, the manufacturer provides the possibility of fastening them together with a tongue-and-groove connection. In most cases, boards 4-5 cm thick are used. They must have the same thickness. The width of the boards is about 10-13 cm. As a rule, there is a longitudinal recess on their back side, which greatly facilitates the process of installing the flooring and ensures the necessary air circulation under the boards.
Do not lay the boards close to the walls, leave a gap of 1-1.5 cm - in the future it will be covered with a plinth.
Often a wooden floor is made only from a single board, which is placed along the joists. This design is simply cold. The thickness of one board is 27 - 40 mm, which is clearly not enough to retain heat.
To insulate a wooden floor, you need to lay a layer of heat insulation of the required thickness.
There are other features that need to be taken into account to ensure that thermal insulation is effective and durable. How to properly insulate wooden floors in various cases - this will be discussed further.
Wood floor design options
Consider the following designs:
- The wooden flooring is made along the joists above the ventilated underground. There are vents in the foundation, and there is little humidity under the floor. Due to air exchange, the temperature rises in summer and can be lower in winter.
- Wood flooring on joists above the outside atmosphere with pile foundation with a grillage.
- The flooring is made over a wet basement or cellar.
- The flooring is made above the ground without ventilation or laid directly on the bedding along the ground.
Taking ceiling heights into account
When choosing an option for insulating wooden floors, you need to take into account the height of the room.
The optimal range is considered to be between 2.35 and 2.5 meters. If more, then heat loss increases, more energy is needed for heating due to maintenance warm air under the ceiling.
In such cases, it would be desirable to reduce the height of the room according to the “heat loss” condition. This can be facilitated by insulating the floors with another layer on top of the existing ones. But reducing the height to less than 2.35 m is not recommended - the space will become cramped and uncomfortable. In this case, the insulation layer can only be placed under the floor.
What kind of insulation and how much
The floor will be warm if the thickness of the insulation layer complies with SNiP 02/23/2003, and the heat transfer resistance of the entire structure will be appropriate.
In order not to repeat the calculations, we note that for a temperate climate above the ground (on the ground) you need about 12 cm of expanded polystyrene or 15 cm of mineral wool. 
But polystyrene foam is eaten by rodents, it must be securely fenced. Expanded polystyrene is a vapor barrier in relation to wood, and therefore accelerates its aging.
But this will not be critical if the lining is no more than 60 percent of the surface of the log. Another nuance is that foam plastic is difficult to place tightly between the joists; cracks appear that are sealed with crumbs.
What is chosen more often
Expanded polystyrene is dangerous when burned, so there must be a printed-cement or gypsum floor on top of it, at least 3 cm thick, separating it from the living space.
More often, mineral wool in soft mats is used to insulate wooden floors, especially subfloors. It “gets along” well with the tree, and living creatures avoid it.
Cotton wool does not burn, so the construction of floors is greatly simplified. The material is durable. But you need to create all the conditions so that the cotton wool does not accumulate water.
Laying a heat insulator between the joists
The usual option for placing insulation is between wooden joists, above a ventilated underground. In this case, the logs will become bridges of cold and reduce the effectiveness of insulation by 20 - 25%. But overall the result is satisfactory.
From below, boards made of plywood, or any other panel material, but perforated, with holes for ventilation. You can use the boards staggered.
Mineral wool is placed on this flooring. It will acquire subfloor moisture, therefore, in order not to reduce the effectiveness of insulation, ventilation through vents should always be normal, and this must be monitored.
Mineral wool and logs are covered on top waterproofing membrane. You can also use roofing felt with overlaps of 20 cm. The membrane is rolled onto the wall by 20 cm. Next, the floorboard is laid
If you make a mistake and don’t ventilate
Insulation in wooden floor must be ventilated with air that is vented outside and not into the living space. This is the main condition for successful insulation of a wooden floor with mineral wool. Without ventilation, insulation that does not accumulate moisture can be placed - extruded polystyrene foam, dense polyurethane foam.
The photo shows the result of insulation if waterproofing is not applied correctly (from below, on the ventilation side) and ventilation of the insulation is not ensured.
Draining water from mineral wool after cutting the waterproofing from below.
Double floor
If the height of the room allows, then you can install an additional one on the existing floor. The joists are installed across the joists of the lower floor, if necessary they are leveled in height.
Mineral wool is laid and must be separated from the living space by waterproofing. Covered with a new floorboard from 32 mm thick. The thickness of the insulation is the same.
You can save money by installing thinner sheathing on pads instead of joists in increments of 0.6 meters, but the pads should well redistribute the load on the subfloor.
Above the cellar, along the ground
It is important to prevent the insulation from becoming wet. Therefore, waterproofing is placed over the basement or cellar, and ventilation is provided on top of it for the vents in the basement. Logs with insulation and top waterproofing are located higher.
If it is impossible to provide ventilation, extruded polystyrene foam can be used. When laying, it is important to avoid gaps with joists and between sheets.
The thickness of extruded polystyrene foam can be reduced to 60% of the thickness of mineral wool. But on top the insulation is fenced with fireproof material, possibly between the joists.
Pile foundation with grillage and wooden floors
The fundamental difference is that under the floor outside temperature and the wind is blowing. Then, for soft mineral wool mats with a density below 160 kg/m3, a windproof superdiffusion membrane is additionally introduced. It will allow steam to escape from the cotton wool, but will protect the insulation from being blown by a jet with heat loss.
The thickness of mineral wool insulation must be increased in accordance with SNiP. For temperate climates - about 20 cm. Wooden logs in this case, they become significant cold bridges, so wooden floors should have a counter-lattice and place part of the insulation on top of the joists.
Wooden floor on fill or concrete base
Between the floor and the base, which has a ground temperature, there should be a layer of insulation. A typical solution is to use extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of 10 cm and pour a floating screed on top of it.
So the walls and roof of the wooden house were erected, windows and doors were installed. It's time to move on to the internal finishing works. And they usually start with the installation of floors. This is one of the most important and responsible stages of work, because the overall microclimate in the premises will depend on how correctly and efficiently the flooring is done. wooden structure and the level of heating costs. At the same time, close attention should be paid to the choice of insulation for floors, because up to 20% of the heat in the house is lost through the flooring.
How to choose insulation?
The most important thing on which the choice of insulation for treating the finished floor from below depends is the type of foundation and, accordingly, the floor structure:
- If the foundation is strip, then the floor can be laid directly on the ground or on a ceiling arranged along beams.
- A low grillage foundation assumes the same floor arrangement options as with tape type foundation.
- With a high grillage foundation, the floor is arranged on floors laid on beams.
- If there is a floating slab (this is often done when building wooden houses on wet soils), then the floor can be arranged on joists or on a screed.
So, it becomes clear that there are three options for flooring in a wooden house, on which the choice of material for their insulation directly depends. This is the installation of floors on the ground, on a slab and on wooden floors with joists.
Therefore, when choosing insulation, you should definitely take into account the mutual influence of the floor pie construction materials.
Wooden floors
Since the floors of a wooden house are also made of wood, when using vapor-tight thermal insulation, all the moisture that ends up inside the floor structure will be absorbed into the wood and, due to the tight contact with the insulation, will not be able to escape outside. The result of this will be the appearance in a year and a half of fungus, insects and the spread of rotting processes.
Insulation with hygroscopic property gives a completely different result.(sawdust, ecowool, cork granules, mineral wool, expanded clay) and due to this, they absorb moisture in the same way as wood, but at the same time release it to the outside.
Therefore, with this type of floor installation, it is strictly forbidden to use various insulation materials based on polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam.
Wood and similar materials are incompatible things.
Floors on soil and slab
In this kind of floor structures, the insulation is covered with a screed on top.
Bulk and wadding materials will not be able to provide the required level of strength, although mineral wool with a fairly high density is now also produced.
In addition, these types of thermal insulation are hygroscopic and there is a possibility of them getting wet. And if they get wet, they will not be able to release moisture out through the screed.
Therefore, polystyrene foam insulation is most suitable for this type of floor - it is dense and does not absorb moisture.
In addition, when choosing thermal insulation for floors in a wooden house, you should proceed from the following factors:
- maximum weight of the floor structure;
- required thickness;
- humidity- temperature regime inside the house, the presence of temperature changes;
- design loads on the floor structure and operating conditions.
Separately, you should dwell on the thickness of the thermal insulation layer.
This indicator determines how warm it will be in a wooden house. It is calculated individually and depends on the climatic conditions in which the house is built and the thermal conductivity of the insulation itself. To determine the thickness of the insulation, you need the specified technical description for a specific insulation, multiply the thermal conductivity coefficient by the thermal resistance of the structure (determined according to SNiP " Thermal protection buildings"). This formula helps to accurately calculate what the thermal insulation layer in the floor structure should be in order to ensure optimal temperature conditions in the house.
When choosing thermal insulation for the floor, you should also pay attention to:
- ease of installation of the material;
- environmental friendliness;
- efficiency, that is, maintaining its characteristics throughout the entire service life;
- fire safety;
- density and reliability;
- price.
How to insulate?
You can insulate floors in wooden houses different materials. Today, the building materials market is replete with a wide variety of thermal insulation, from the simplest to the most modern types.
Insulation materials
Sawdust
The simplest and cheapest insulation. It is easy to use - just sprinkle it on the subfloor. This material is environmentally friendly and safe. But he has serious drawback– high degree of fire hazard. And also when using sawdust as insulation, they will have to be laid in a layer as much as 0.3 m. Sawdust, in addition, like any wood product, can rot, and rodents can grow in it. Therefore, simply sawdust is most often used to insulate the floors of unused attic spaces.
However, sawdust has recently increasingly acted as a raw material in the production of other more modern and effective thermal insulation.
Ecowool
Thermal insulation material made from cellulose with the addition of fire retardants and antiseptic compounds. This product has good thermal insulation and vapor permeability. It is environmentally friendly, non-flammable, resistant to rodents and fungi. But ecowool strongly absorbs moisture. This is its main drawback.
Expanded clay
Material with high strength and thermal insulation characteristics. Expanded clay is suitable for installing floors on flat substrates. To ensure optimal thermal insulation performance, expanded clay must be laid in a layer of at least 15 cm. The convenience of this material is also that all necessary communications can be laid in it. Expanded clay is quite hygroscopic, so before using it on the ground, waterproofing measures must be carried out.
Main advantage loose thermal insulation for the floor - this is their waste-free nature and ability to fill all sorts of (even the most inaccessible) voids.
Expanded polystyrene, foam plastic, polyethylene
These materials are vapor-tight thermal insulation that can be used when constructing a floor pie according to flat base. For floors on floors with joists (in wooden houses on stilts, posts, strip and grillage foundations), such material is not suitable due to the laws of building heating engineering.
The thickness of the insulation layer will be 5-10 cm for expanded polystyrene and 5-13 cm for polystyrene foam.
These types thermal insulation materials have the following characteristics:
- low thermal conductivity;
- strength;
- resistance to rodents and rot;
- resistance to temperature changes.
Expanded polystyrene insulation materials in our country are presented under the names “Penoplex”, “Technoplex”, “Knauf”.
Insulation materials based on polyethylene foam are also used for thermal insulation of floors. One of the varieties of such insulation is rolled foil material penofol, which has high performance and thermal insulation properties. Penofol is a polyethylene foam covered on one or both sides with a layer of foil.
The high thermal insulation properties of this material are ensured by retaining heat in air bubbles sealed in polyethylene balls. The foil acts as a barrier that retains heat in winter and reflects solar heat in summer, thereby maintaining optimal thermal conditions in the room.
Penofol is also a waterproofing material.
It is lightweight, non-hygroscopic, safe for health and has a long service life (up to 25 years).
Fibrolite
A not very common type of insulation, which is made from a mixture liquid glass, cement powder and wood wool. This material retains heat well and has high sound insulation characteristics. Due to its hygroscopicity, such insulation is not suitable for laying floors on the ground, but is ideal for floors on beams. To insulate the floor of the first floor, it is laid with a layer of 15 cm, the second - 10 cm.
Foam glass
Foam glass is obtained by foaming quartz sand. This is a durable slab or granular material with high vapor barrier and noise insulation characteristics that can withstand the weight of a truck.
Fiberboard slabs are used for insulating floors on a flat base, and granules are used for backfilling between joists on subfloors. The thickness of the insulation layer is 18 cm for the first floor and 15 cm for the second.
Mineral wool
This type of thermal insulation is by far the most popular. Mineral wool insulation is made from slag fiber, fiberglass or basalt.
The most budget mineral wool insulation- This is glass wool, which is made from broken glass, sand, borax, dolomite, limestone and soda.
The raw material for slag wool is blast furnace slag, which is a waste product from the production of cast iron. Due to its excessive hygroscopicity, slag wool has practically not been used recently.
Stone wool made from basaltic rocks such as gabbro, basalt. Diabase with the addition of carbonate rocks (limestone and dolomite).
The main advantages of such insulation:
- they conduct heat poorly, and therefore retain it well;
- vapor permeability. The insulation ensures good air exchange, the floor design is “breathable”, which allows you to maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions in a wooden house. The likelihood of condensation forming in the insulation is small;
- high density;
- high noise insulation characteristics;
- they are resistant to impact high temperatures and fire, no smoke is emitted upon contact with fire;
- waterproof. Stone wool and glass wool do not absorb moisture, so there is no need to worry about dampness occurring inside the field structure;
- long period of operation - up to 50 years. This type of thermal insulation is not susceptible to rotting and damage by rodents.
The disadvantages of mineral wool thermal insulation are ambiguous. Currently, many large manufacturers have practically reduced them to zero, while others are successfully working to minimize them.
Among the disadvantages, it is noted that when working with mineral wool, especially with glass wool, a lot of dust arises, since the insulation consists of fragile fibers, which, when damaged, form very thin and sharp fragments. When they come into contact with the skin during installation of insulation, they lead to itching. Getting these fibers into the respiratory system is also dangerous. Therefore, such insulation can only be laid using individual funds protection, such as a respirator, overalls, goggles, gloves.
When wet, mineral wool loses its high thermal performance. Therefore, such insulation materials are specially treated with hydrophobes. To reduce the likelihood of mineral wool getting wet, it is recommended to install waterproofing on the room side and vapor barrier on the street side.
Builders still argue that mineral wool releases phenol-formaldehyde resins into the air. But recent research data indicate their very small quantities, which cannot have a detrimental effect on human health.
Mineral wool can be produced in the form of rolls or slabs. Mineral wool material in rolls has a lower density than thermal insulation in slabs. It is used more often as an addition to slab material or where required low level thermal insulation.
Basic trade marks mineral wool - “Izover”, “Rokvol”, “Knauf”, “Ursa”, “TechnoNIKOL”, “Ecover”, “Izovol”, “Parok” and others.
Professionals cannot give a definite answer to the question about floor insulation for a wooden house - which choice is the best.
