Concrete floors are associated with solidity, strength and durability. But there are a drawback - they are cold. The high thermal conductivity of the concrete takes heat from residential and residential use. Therefore, for concrete floors require high-quality insulation. To do this, use different materials - fiber, foamed plastics, bulk and others. With civil skills, the homeowner can cope with warming themselves.
Why should insulate the floors
Among the common heat loss floor prominently - up to 15%. Cold floor is not only "steals" kilocalories of heat - it significantly reduces the comfort of living in the house. If feet are cold - general sensation of cold increases. Particularly cold floor is dangerous for small children, often playing sitting and lying, and the elderly.
Cold, going from the floor, hurting pets and houseplants. Large heat losses have a number of unpleasant consequences: on cold surfaces, moisture may condense, increase the relative humidity. This will lead to the appearance of mold and mildew, it is extremely harmful to human health. Therefore, in addition to thermal insulation will need to take care parogidroizolyatsii overlap.
Heat leaves the room in two ways - heat transfer through the concrete and with drafts through the joints of the walls. Accordingly, at warming the floor is necessary to cut both ways, selecting and mounting a suitable insulating materials.
The choice of material for insulating floors.
The material for the insulation should have a low ability to conduct heat. It is characterized by thermal conductivity. The lower it is, the better the material insulates.
In addition, the material must:
- be durable;
- save properties when wetted;
- just installed;
- have a reasonable price.
Today, the most popular thermal insulation following:
- Fiber. Basalt, glass and slag wool.
- Monolithic. Foamed plastics in the panels, plywood, OSB, etc.
- Evaporation. Polyurethane foam and ecowool applied wet-glue method.
- Bulk. Ecowool dry method and traditional - expanded clay, sawdust, shavings.
How to choose the most suitable material for thermal insulation?
Mineral wool
Basalt wool is made from volcanic rock. Its fibers are short and stiff, high density. Rm = 0.034... 0.039 W / (m * K).
Advantages:
- Strength. It can withstand heavy loads, used for flat roofs and floor decks under the screed.
- Low water absorption. If moisture does not lose properties.
Disadvantages:
- Low elasticity. It is difficult to mount vraspor.
- The large mass of insulation. Necessary to calculate the bearing capacity of overlapping, and possibly its reinforcement.
Supplied as a mat 1200 * 600 mm.
Glass wool made from waste glass, fiber of her long and elastic. The density lower than that of basalt wool, Km = 0.032... 0.041 W / (m * K)
Advantages:
- High elasticity facilitates cutting and installation.
- Low density allows not to increase the carrying capacity of overlap.
The disadvantage of glass - its high absorbability. When wet material loses its insulating properties. Produced in mats or rolls, more convenient when laying on a large area
Expanded polystyrene
Domestic name -penoplast material. Is a polystyrene foam, is supplied in the form of sheets of different thicknesses. Rm 0,038-0,052 W / (m * K)
Pros:
- very easy;
- well is cut.
Minuses:
- Fragile.
- Crumble.
- The joints need to further condense, e.g., with foam.
The foamed polystyrene with the use of extrusion has better thermal conductivity indicators Rm = 0,029-0,032 W / (m * K). It is more durable, available in grooved sheets, which facilitates the installation of joints. It does not absorb moisture, does not require additional parovlagoizolyatsii.
Extruded polystyrene, often referred to as "Penoplex", after one of the most popular brands.
polyethylene foam
This heater is very popular with insulation and waterproofing of concrete floors, it is placed under the laminate flooring, linoleum flooring. Rm = 0,035-0,037 W / (m * K).
The material has indisputable advantages:
- Light.
- Elastic.
- Easy to install.
- Insensitive to moisture.
- Perfectly insulates sound and vibration.
The disadvantage is the high price of insulation. It is produced in the form of mats (thick) and rolls, sometimes foil. Canvas glued double-sided adhesive tape.
sprayed polyurethane foam
Polyurethane is deposited on the surface of thermally insulated s liquid form on it foams and hardens, forming a continuous layer. The texture resembles a construction assembly foam. It has excellent insulating properties - its Km = 0.023 W / (m * K).
Advantages:
- Low thermal conductivity.
- The lack of joints and seams.
Limit widespread insulation following disadvantages:
- The high price of equipment. Very high.
- High demands on the skill of the operator sputtering installation.
- The requirements for an air temperature during application.
Plywood, fiberboard, particleboard and other
Such materials are used as insulation for thermal insulation only of the second floor above the heated rooms. Rm = 0.12... 0.15 W / (m * K), which is three-four times higher than other popular materials. When used as an insulation material chipboard need to very carefully perform parogidroizolyatsiyu. Particleboard swells when wet and can warp topcoat.
Ecowool
It is gaining popularity for the sub-floor insulation on concrete made from fibers of the secondary, or recycled pulp. Rm = 0,032-0,041 W / (m * K)
The composition ekovaty added bioprotectors suppressing the development of mold, fungi and bacteria, and a substance that prevents combustion.
Benefits:
- does not burn;
- easy;
- It does not release harmful substances in case of fire;
- is blown into the narrowest gaps, openings and cavities are insulated structures.
The disadvantages ecowool include:
- the high cost of equipment for spraying;
- the need for highly skilled workers.
For thermal insulation of concrete floors can be used and a manual method of applying the material - grinding his building with a mixer in the tank and a mound on the surface to warm. Consumption during manual method is 20-30% higher, but does not require expensive equipment.
traditional materials
Insulating properties of natural materials, such as:
- shavings;
- sawdust;
- mats of reeds;
- slabs of peat;
- pressed flax and hemp fiber.
They can not compete with insulated industrial production. Although they saved our ancestors from the cold for thousands of years.
The advantage of them is environmentally friendly and low cost.
Disadvantages are:
- poor insulation;
- hygroscopic;
- rotting, mold and mildew;
- Flammable.
During the construction of log logs brought on site a large amount of sawdust and shavings. These wastes are used wisely to insulate the floor. It is only necessary to take care of them and with refractory impregnation bioprotective solution, as well as parogidroizolyatsii.
Loose materials for insulation
It is also a cheap way of warming. The most popular of this type of material - expanded clay obtained by firing clay mixture. Its porous granules are inexpensive and provide Kt = 0.1 W / (m * K).
The advantage of the expanded clay is its environmental friendliness, non-combustibility and ease of use. The disadvantage is the high thermal conductivity, and the need to perform time-consuming screed, which significantly increases the cost of the solution.
Less commonly used other bulk materials - cellular glass, vermiculite, expanded polystyrene or foam chips. Insulate them better on a limited budget.
How to insulate a concrete floor
floor insulation technology is simple, but all the requirements of the process to be performed without fail. Trying to save time lead to inefficiencies in all insulation. When choosing a method of warming should be considered the way and the degree of insulation of the basement, ground floor and the blind area. How to properly insulate and seal the concrete floor? The technology depends on the material chosen.
fibrous materials
The main thing when working with mineral wool - do not forget about parogidroizolyatsiyu, joints and fit. The layer thickness is selected depending on the climatic zone, in areas with mild climates and lacking 50 mm, better lay frosty places 150.
The sequence of actions is recommended as follows:
- Prepare the surface of the concrete. Seal cracks, cracks and dents, protrusions equalize.
- Clean from fat and oil stains and other contaminants.
- Place the vapor barrier membrane joints webs connect the metallized tape.
- Set logs. Their height should match the selected insulation thickness step- dimensioned mineral wool plates or rolls. Plates or rolls must enter between the rails without any clearance.
- Place the heater. Special attention to joints and wall connection.
- Spread over the vapor barrier membrane plates smooth side up. The membrane will remove moisture.
- Lay the tongue or thick plywood. Fasten the screws to the joists.
- Further it is possible to lay a final finish: laminate floorboard, cork or linoleum.
Expanded polystyrene
Foamed polystyrene is often used under a cement screed. The material is not hygroscopic, it can be used in wet rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bathrooms, saunas.
The sequence of actions is recommended as follows:
- Prepare the surface of the concrete. Seal cracks, cracks and dents, protrusions equalize.
- Clean from fat and oil stains and other contaminants.
Important! Alignment requires more thorough than in the previous case. It should be set in concrete or to insulate the floor leveling mortar, or fill the surface of fine sand and carefully razravnyat.
- Place the heater plate butt across the floor area.
- Grooved plate is laid using projections. The joints of panels of foam seal with foam.
- All along the walls lay line and sticking tape damper, allowing the screed to expand and not break under temperature fluctuations. The tape can also be attached with nails to the wall blocks of aerated concrete in the house.
- By roll polyethylene insulation layer is not thinner than 0.5 micron, with overlap of 10-20 cm, glue fabric two-sided adhesive tape. This layer will not leak from moisture screed.
- Add rebar. If the room is a water Heated floor mount pipes on top of the reinforcement system, fittings, etc.
- Pour the screed.
Further it is possible to set the final coating - ceramic tiles, waterproof laminate and others.
Evaporation materials
For this method will need to purchase or rent expensive equipment. Most owners rent setting for rent only together with qualified operators. Manufacturers produce non-rechargeable and disposable sets for independent use.
The sequence of actions is recommended as follows:
- Prepare the surface of the concrete. Seal cracks, cracks and gouges, equalizing large protrusions.
- Clean from fat and oil stains and other contaminants.
- Careful alignment can not do.
- Mount lag system, which will build the floor. Secure the screws with dowels or nails from the building gun.
- Moisten the concrete to foam adheres better.
- Sprayed insulation for concrete floor. The foam volume during solidification is increased by 5-10%. This should be taken into account.
- Wait for complete drying of the foam.
- If the floor plank will not immediately close the foam material layer of sunscreen.
Other methods apply a floor insulation, such as expanded clay, followed by backfilling device screed. This method also requires careful floor leveling. If we add into the slurry a sufficient amount of special polymeric additives, and then tie itself acquires insulating properties.
Before you start
To work on thermal insulation in most cases (except for the spray coating) requires only an ordinary set of construction tools, in particular:
- a circular saw or a jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- roulette;
- Area;
- level;
- Construction knife.
Almost all work on the floor warming actually accomplish alone. But with the assistant time significantly reduced, especially if it is done screed.