How to insulate the floor in the country. How to insulate the floor in the country: the better to insulate, a step-by-step process of insulating the floor with your own hands Insulate the floor in the country from above

If you have a dacha, then you probably faced the issue of its thermal insulation, well, or at least, froze in cloudy weather, thinking about how to insulate the house. We suggest that you study this article, which will describe how to warm the floor in the country with your own hands, because the most important thing is to keep your feet warm.

The most practical and optimal materials for this process will also be considered.

Warmth in the house - coziness and comfort

Insulation of the floor of a country house is, first of all, the creation of a cozy atmosphere in the room, only then, the desire to keep warm and protect interior items and Construction Materials from dampness. After all, you see, it doesn’t matter what is around us, but if we are warm, then this is already half the battle for us to experience pleasure.

It is important to insulate a wooden house, since such buildings usually freeze quickly, and not everyone has the opportunity to heat a summer cottage. That is why we will consider one of the most affordable and practical ways thermal insulation of a residential building - floor insulation in country house.

What is required for work

Consider what we need for the workflow from the tool:

  • Screwdriver or screwdriver set.
  • Hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
  • Stationery knife.
  • Roulette.
  • Brush.
  • Building level.
  • Furniture stapler.

Concerning necessary materials, then we need:

  • Insulation.

Note! We will talk in more detail about the types of thermal insulation materials in the next section.

  • Protective equipment: antiseptic, primer and others.
  • Materials for the crate - wooden blocks and sheets of plywood, chipboard.
  • Decoration Materials.

Types of insulation for floors

Before you insulate the floor in the country, you should decide on the type of heat-insulating material, choose the most suitable for yourself. best option:

  • residential premises. It has low thermal conductivity and high sound insulation, which allows it to be used for floors on the first and second floors. Laying the material will also not be any problem.
  • Styrofoam- a cheaper analogue of expanded polystyrene, on the other hand, for summer cottages, in which people live only in summer, spring and autumn, it is enough. If you compare it with other types, then the price of this material is the lowest.
  • Mineral or basalt wool - are used a little less often for warming summer cottages than polystyrene foam. The main disadvantage of this heat-insulating material is that it settles over time, which causes gaps between the insulation and the base.

For your information! You can list many advantages and disadvantages of the proposed materials, but still the final choice depends only on your capabilities and desires. First of all, choose the most environmentally friendly option.

Do not forget that it is mandatory to use a moisture-proof (polyethylene) film in conjunction with any type of insulation.

We warm the floor in the country

Two sections will be provided below, one of which describes the instructions for warming a wooden floor, and the second describes the process of thermal insulation of a concrete base:

Wooden floor

  • The first step is to dismantle the old flooring down to the subfloor, unless, of course, most of the elements have rotted and been deformed.

Advice! To eliminate all kinds of drafts, the joints of the heat-insulating material and the log should be insulated mounting foam.

  • Now you can start laying plywood or chipboard, use a jigsaw to cut it, and use a screwdriver to fix the boards. In this process, it is very important to leave small gaps between the plates, 3-5 mm is enough to avoid deformation of the coating, which is possible due to the thermal expansion of the material.

It remains for you to finish the flooring in order to put your country house in order and create comfort in it, the presence of heat is already provided.

Concrete floor

Insulation of floors in the country house reinforced concrete slabs can be done in two ways: using a wooden crate or laying a screed (coating) directly on thermal insulation material.

As for the first option:

  • Wooden blocks should be taken a little thicker than the insulation so that there is a ventilation gap.
  • It is important to carefully insulate the joints of the walls and floor, for this you can use cement mortar, or putty.
  • As in the case of a wooden floor, a vapor barrier (moisture-proof) film is initially attached to the base.
  • Adjust the distance between the bars of the crate to the width of the insulation, but this does not mean that if you have a 1 meter wide polystyrene foam board, then the bars should also be fixed. It is optimal to make niches of 50-60 cm.

Note! As for leveling the floor, it is better to do it on a concrete base before the start of thermal insulation.

Now let's look at the second option:

  • Initially, the base is isolated, all cracks and chips on the floor are covered with putty.

    decorative flooring.

As you can see, every man can insulate the floor in the country with his own hands, this process does not use a specialized tool, all work can be done using affordable means.

Output

Finally, I would like to clarify that floor leveling is one of the components of a high-quality and durable coating. The fewer distortions and displacements, the longer the heat-insulating material will keep heat in your house (find out here how to insulate the floor in wooden house). Therefore, take Special attention the process of pouring the leveling screed, if necessary, entrust this work to professionals.

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Competently carried out work on floor insulation is the key to maintaining a comfortable temperature in the house and minimal heat loss. Such work can be carried out both during the construction new building, and in operated houses, for example, floor insulation in a wooden house from below from the basement. Not only high-quality floor insulation, but also right choice heat insulating material.


The presence of a basement in the house allows you to insulate the floor from below Source oig-homes.com

Benefits 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 (logs) and the top finishing layer.

But in some situations, lower insulation is preferable.

This method of thermal insulation is most often used in private houses with an uninsulated basement, garage, in frame buildings on pile and pile-screw foundations.
Bottom insulation has several advantages:

    the insulation layer is not subjected to loads from furniture standing on the floor and the movement of people around the house, therefore, heat-insulating material of any rigidity can be used;

    the height of the room does not decrease;

    not only the top flooring is protected from freezing, but the entire floor frame, which reduces the likelihood of freezing and water ingress on the wood - this increases the service life wooden structures and ensure their reliability.


It is more expedient to insulate a house on stilts from below Source valet.ru

Thermal insulation materials

The choice of insulation for a wooden house is based on two criteria: incombustibility and the ability to resist the formation of mold fungi and other microorganisms. But when choosing a material for lower insulation, the specific situation and the intended installation method are taken into account.

Before purchasing materials, it is better to consult a contractor than to insulate the floor in a private house from below. Most often used:

    mineral wool;

    Styrofoam;

    penoplex;

  • expanded clay.

mineral wool considered one of the best heaters which is why many people prefer it. A plus is good soundproofing performance. Cotton wool is not subject to biological destruction, does not burn.

Cons: low mechanical strength and deterioration of thermal insulation properties when exposed to water or steam. Therefore, when using, special attention should be paid to vapor and waterproofing. Cotton wool can be represented by flexible rolls or dense slabs.


Mineral wool in slabs is often used for insulation from the basement side. Source: silastroy.com

On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer home insulation services. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

Styrofoam- Another popular heater. Combines good qualities mineral wool and mechanical strength. But in case of possible ignition, it releases toxic substances. Due 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 can adversely affect some performance.

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 a long service life. The material is non-flammable, does not emit harmful substances and does not absorb water.

Penofol- material for the production of which polyethylene foam is used. An aluminum film is applied to its top layer, which reflects heat, which gives the room the characteristics of a thermos. The structure of penofol does not contain pores, which does not allow it to pass air.


Penofol perfectly reflects heat Source ultra-term.ru

Expanded clay- loose material, in the form of porous balls, which is formed during the firing of clay or slate. This is a completely environmentally friendly material that has high heat saving rates, good fire resistance and frost resistance. But over time, expanded clay becomes caked under the action 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, it is necessary 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. Considering the structure from the bottom up, it will look like this:

    waterproofing layer;

    thermal insulation layer;

    vapor barrier layer;

    construction for floor installation;

Compliance with this work order ensures that normal temperature conditions indoors and protect the structure from freezing and decay.
The easiest way to lower insulation is along the lags. They are bars measuring 5x10 cm or more, on which the floor is subsequently laid.

The scheme of floor insulation along the lags Source neohomesdeaf.org

After their installation (the recommended distance between adjacent lags is 1 m), plywood sheets, chipboards or beams are hemmed from below, on which a waterproofing layer is laid. This is a measure to combat condensation, which can reduce the performance of the thermal insulation layer. Approximately this technology is used in the insulation of the house "Stanislav Chalet".

Next, the heater is installed. Its thickness should not exceed the thickness of the lag, but it is better to be several centimeters less. The next stage is the laying of a vapor barrier, which will prevent moisture from entering the insulation from inside the room. And at the end floorboards are laid.

If it is necessary to insulate the finished floor in a wooden house from below, there may be problems with fixing the insulation, which can be solved in one of the following ways:

    Adhesive mount. Almost any insulation can be glued to the floor surface (and the ceiling in the basement) using special adhesives.

    Rail mounting. To support the insulation, bars, slats, etc. are nailed to the logs.

    Docking in size. Tight joining of heat-insulating material with lags using, if necessary, spacer wedges.


When laying the insulation end-to-end with the lags, it is necessary to strictly maintain the size Source neohomesdeaf.org

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 a full production cycle. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

Technology and features of floor insulation from below in a wooden house

For each type of insulation, there are some features of use.

Mineral wool

The sizes of rolls and plates are usually a multiple of 60 cm, which makes this distance the optimal step between the lags. Mineral wool is cut to size with a cutter and placed in the space between the joists. For a snug fit, the size should be 1-2 cm larger than the distance between the lags. Vatu should not be crushed forcefully, as this may affect its characteristics.

The best option would be to lay two layers of insulation. The second layer is laid in such a way that the joint of the lower layer falls on the center of the upper piece. This installation method will prevent cold air from entering the room.

Video description

You can get acquainted with the stages of floor insulation with mineral wool along the logs 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 on the mucous membrane and in the respiratory tract, which will cause irritation.

Penoplex and polystyrene

If foam plastic is used when insulating a wooden floor from below in a private house, several rules for working with it must be taken into account:

    Styrofoam 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 according to the size of the gap between the lags, but 1-2 cm less. This will fill the gaps between the sheet and the lag with mounting foam, which will increase the thermal insulation properties. The joints between the sheets also need to be foamed.

Sheets can be fastened using rails, spacer wedges or special adhesives.


Floor insulation with foam plastic in a wooden house Source sk-amigo.ru

The principle of working with penoplex is no different. But due to the smaller thickness of the material, it can be laid with overlapping of the joints of the sheets in order to avoid the occurrence of cold islands (similar to mineral wool).

But with this method, the consumption of material increases significantly, and these are additional financial costs.

We offer you to get acquainted with the popular one - from the construction company "Shelf" - presented at the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

Penofol

Due to the property of not allowing moisture to pass through, penofol does not need additional laying of vapor and waterproofing. But so that the water vapor that forms in the room does not settle on the insulation layer, an air gap is needed between it and the floor covering for air circulation.

Laying is done with the foil side up only. This will provide heat reflection, which will increase the temperature in the house. Penofol can be used as a waterproofing when laying mineral wool or polystyrene. This can increase thermal insulation several times, but this method is quite expensive.


Penofol joints are sealed with adhesive tape Source build.4-u.info

The material is sold in rolls and is easily cut into pieces of the desired size. Fastening is carried out with a construction stapler on staples or thin slats, which are nailed. To improve the result, it is recommended to lay penofol in several layers.

Conclusion

One of the main problems of wooden houses is the cold floor, which interferes with a comfortable life and increases heating costs. Proper insulation will solve this problem. Regardless of the material that is chosen for warming the finished floor in a wooden house from below, it is required to strictly follow the general technology and the procedure for warming, and also take into account the features of a particular heater. The cost of arranging insulation pays off within one season.

A country house is associated among urban residents with a building designed for recreation and pastime outside the city in the summer. Almost every owner of a country house building in cool and rainy weather thought about the issue and expediency of floor insulation in the country house. Consider how this can be done, and what materials are best used for this.

Validity of the work


Some amateur gardeners work on their suburban area not only in summer, but also in autumn. And they usually start work in early spring. However, a country house, as a rule, is not insulated, which can cause discomfort in cool weather.

In the absence of home insulation, it is problematic and expensive to heat the room, especially if many communications in the country house are absent. Attempts to heat the dacha end with the fact that the heat from the heating devices comes out through the floor and ceiling.

You can do the work on warming the floor in the country with your own hands. To reduce the cost of purchasing materials, as well as in order to reduce labor costs, it is possible to insulate only one or two rooms. However, the insulation of the entire room will be much more comfortable for spending time in spring and autumn.

When planning measures for warming, it is necessary to schedule work for the summer period, this will improve their quality.

Selection of materials


by the most inexpensive materials for insulation are sawdust, earth and moss. But such materials are classified as obsolete, they have their own characteristics and disadvantages. Consider the main materials that can be used as a heater:

  • Sawdust. The most rare material, it is cheap, easy to install and light in weight. The disadvantages of sawdust are the formation of decay processes, as well as combustibility;
  • Expanded clay. It has a similar principle of insulation with sawdust. It is resistant to burning and the occurrence of decay processes. The disadvantage is the significant weight of the material;
  • Penoplex or extruded polystyrene foam. This slab insulation is resistant to fire, practical, lightweight, easy to install. He is not afraid of moisture, insects and rodents. Penoplex often insulate the foundation of the house and the facade. An additional plus is the fact that when insulated with foam plastic, condensation does not form;
  • Styrofoam. Somewhat similar to foam, however, these two materials have different characteristics. It burns well, is afraid of rodent attacks, but is most popular due to its attractive cost. Because in garden house rodents are frequent guests, you should use a special fine mesh to protect the thermal insulation from mice;
  • Polyurethane foam. It also has many benefits. Very practical and durable material;
  • Mineral wool. Refers to practical materials for warming not only floors, but also the facade in country house. This material has been used for many years in construction work both quality and affordable.

For your information. If mineral wool is chosen as a heater, it must be laid with a thickness of 10 mm. For porous materials, the thickness should be 10-12 cm.

Also, when using rolled insulation, it is necessary to remember that it is mandatory to cover them with moisture-resistant material on both sides.

An excellent option would be to simultaneously insulate the floors with your own hands using organic and mineral heaters. They should be laid on the principle of a layer cake. It is necessary to dry the material before laying, this will avoid rotting.

Sequence of work


If the country house has one floor, it is enough to insulate the floor of the first floor and the attic. When it comes to a cottage of two floors, the task is somewhat more complicated.

The process of warming floors in the country is largely determined by their design. In most cases, the design consists of one row of boards on logs. A clean floor covering is laid over the boards. As a result, even at high temperatures outside, cold enters the house from the ground.

When the basis of the house is strip foundation, then the design of the base implies the presence of air. They are essential for ventilation. In winter, it is recommended to close these holes with insulation, opening in the summer.

The process of floor insulation will be as follows:

  • It is necessary to dismantle the old flooring and the top layer of boards. Insulating materials are laid in the space between the lags. When insulating the floor with your own hands, you must not forget about laying vapor barrier film above and below the heater. You can fix it with a stapler, it should cover the entire surface of the floor;
  • We close the structure with the help of draft floors. It can be plywood or chipboard. As advice, professionals recommend replacing nails with self-tapping screws, they are more practical and durable;
  • The work is completed by laying the floor covering.

Now in a country country house it is warm, cozy and comfortable. And the video material presented below will allow you to get acquainted with the process of work in a visual way.

Attic floor insulation

If the cottage is planned for winter residence, be sure to take care of the insulation of the attic floor, since a significant amount of heat escapes through the ceiling. These works can be done with your own hands, or you can use the services of qualified specialists.

When choosing materials for attic floor insulation, one cannot but take into account the peculiarities of the region of residence. The insulation itself must be harmless to the body and durable.


The attic floor insulation process includes checking and rejecting all wooden elements and beams. Rotten and damaged elements should be processed and replaced. Next, the warming process begins directly.

It is recommended that the first step is to lay a vapor barrier material, on top of which lay a heater, covering it with a second layer of vapor barrier. Sheet materials require leveling the base. Since irregularities can lead to the formation of cracks in the sheets. When using polyurethane foam, the construction of a structure of several layers is not required.

If the room is not used or it is used to store various things and objects, then the arrangement of the attic floor with your own hands can be completed. When it is planned to use the attic as a room, the ceiling of the room should also be insulated. On the video you can clearly see the procedure for insulating the attic by applying liquid insulation.

Warming in a two-story house

If it is intended to use a country house in winter for recreation, it is necessary to determine what territory of the country house will be needed. For two-story house, it will be enough to work on the insulation of the first floor. Whereas the second tier can be blocked, which will keep the heat only at the level of the first floor. Doing it yourself is quite simple. You can use improvised materials. It can be plywood and a layer of insulation.

The question of how to insulate the floors in the country is faced by those who want to improve their living conditions. In a country house, floors are being built according to two technologies: on the ground and on logs. In addition, the latter are two more varieties in which the methods of insulation vary greatly: thermal insulation is carried out from the basement side or from inside the rooms.

We will analyze two types of flooring, taking into account their thermal insulation.

On the ground

Its outer front side is a concrete screed. Everything underneath is layered cake from several materials that are responsible for strength floor base and its thermal insulation properties. Before talking about such a process as floor insulation in the country, you need to understand its design.

  1. The first layer is the soil itself, which is located between the foundation strips.
  2. If the basement of the foundation is high enough, then in order to reduce the consumption of building materials, another layer of soil is poured, which must be compacted.
  3. Backfilling of crushed stone of a large fraction is carried out (granules larger than 40 mm in size). This layer must also be compacted and leveled.
  4. The next is sand, intended to form a plane on which waterproofing will be laid. It must be well watered and compacted.
  5. Installation of vapor barrier film. It must be laid with a twist on the walls of the basement. The strips of film are overlapped relative to each other with an offset of 30 cm.
  6. Now the heater is installed.
  7. On top is another layer of waterproofing.
  8. Concrete screed on a reinforcing mesh with cells of 50x50 or 70x70 mm.

By lags

We turn to the question of how to insulate wooden floors in the country. It should be noted that plank flooring is most often used in country houses cottage type. And by themselves, they have a large number of disadvantages, in which high heat losses are not in last place. Consider two options for thermal insulation technology, which differ from each other only in the direction from which the insulation is carried out: from the basement or from inside the premises.

Basement floor insulation

This is the easiest option, because the logs are clearly visible from the side of the basement, on which the boardwalk will be formed.

  1. The first thing to do is to lower the required materials for the construction of the subfloor into the basement. For this, boards, slabs or sheets of different materials, even metal, can be used. If the basement is going to be used as an office space (or living space) in the future, then it is better to purchase good lumber for the subfloor assembly, which will remain the ceiling.
  2. The introduced material must be fixed from below along the logs using nails or self-tapping screws. Its elements are laid with a minimum number of slots and gaps. This is especially true for areas where the basement ceiling meets the walls. basement. After that, all work is transferred to the house itself.
  3. From the inside of the premises, the wooden floor will be a cellular structure, the boundaries of which are logs. It is between them that it will be necessary to lay the heat-insulating material. But before that, you will have to lay a waterproofing film. Installation is carried out in such a way that the membrane lies exactly according to the structure, covering the walls of the log and the upper plane of the subfloor. That is, the cellular structure itself should remain unchanged.
  4. After that, it is necessary to cut the insulation to the dimensions of the distances between the elements of the lag structure and lay it in the cells. Please note that trimming should be done taking into account a small allowance so that the heat insulator enters the cells with an interference fit and is pressed tightly against the side surfaces of the log. The goal is to prevent the formation of cracks, which will subsequently become cold bridges. The cells are filled with heat-insulating material to the upper edges of the lag structure.
  5. The next stage is the laying and fastening of the waterproofing along the logs. The film is simply spread out, stretched and punched through with metal staples using a stapler. If laying is carried out in strips, then it is necessary to take into account the overlap of the material with an allowance of 10-15 cm. The joints of the two strips are closed along with adhesive tape.
  6. After that, you can proceed to the installation of the wooden floor. As you can see, insulating the floor in the country is not so difficult.


Step-by-step instructions for warming the floor in the country house from the side of the premises

Before you insulate the floors in the country house with your own hands from inside the house, you need to understand that there is little space between the lag structure and the ground. The soil will emit heat and moisture, which means, as in the previous case, you will have to build a “layer cake”. But there is in the assembly technology one operation, which distinguishes the entire technology from the previous one. With it, the insulation of floors in the country begins.

This operation consists in the fact that it is necessary to create a draft floor, which in this case has nothing to attach to.

Therefore, it is necessary to create supports on which it will be laid and fixed. Wooden cranial bars are used as supports.

Basically, it's rails. rectangular section, more often 40x40 or 50x50 mm. They are stuffed along the lower edges of the log on each side. Installation is carried out along the lag supports. That is, the bars will serve as shelves. You can lay boards across them, not to mention slab or sheet materials. All fasteners are mounted with nails or self-tapping screws.

In the end, the top view should turn out to be the same wooden cellular floor as in the first case with insulation from the basement. All other operations are carried out again in exactly the same way according to the previous technology.

As you can see, two do-it-yourself floor insulation technologies, meaning wooden on logs and ground, are similar.

The main task of the work foreman is to strictly observe the rules and requirements of construction operations. Deviations should not be allowed, especially when it comes to laying insulation and protective films.

After all, it is correct to insulate the floor in the country house - this is the creation of a multilayer structure in which each material is responsible for its functions.

In finished form, the insulated floor will not differ in any way from the usual wooden one. But this is a guarantee of reducing heat losses to almost zero. Given that all stages of construction will be carried out strictly according to technology. At the same time, correctly selected heat-insulating material is the basis for the high quality of the assembled floor structure.

Floor insulation materials

The question of how to insulate the floor is not acute today. A huge variety of heaters makes it possible to choose one that will meet all the requirements for the construction of a wooden or concrete floor, as well as the financial capabilities of the owners of the cottage.

  1. Inexpensive expanded clay. For floor insulation on the ground - the best option. True, taking into account the climatic zone, its laying thickness can be significant, but not less than 10 cm.
  2. Mineral mats are better under concrete screed do not lay, they do not have that strength. And they have a high vapor permeability. Under the influence of moisture, mineral wool quickly loses its thermal insulation qualities. With the advent of waterproofing membranes on the market, problems began to be solved using mineral wool insulation. Therefore, they can be used as floor insulation in lag structures.
  3. Polyurethane foam is the most expensive option, but also the highest quality. It is better not to use it in structures on the ground, its surface is too uneven, about which the waterproofing film will tear. But between the lag beams it can be applied without problems.
  4. The optimal solution is polystyrene foam boards, especially with high density, the varieties of which include the well-known Penoplex. This insulation can be used in the floors and on the ground, and on the logs. In addition, Penoplex is not afraid of moisture and water, so it can be laid without protective membranes, which is economical.


The decision to insulate the floors in the country house is independently justified not only from the standpoint of saving money and comfortable living in winter, but also from the standpoint of proving who is the man in the house.

If thermal insulation is not laid on the wooden floor, the house will naturally lose heat quickly. But, besides this, a constant temperature difference will cause the formation of condensate, which is inevitably accompanied by the appearance of fungus and mold. To avoid these negative phenomena, it is necessary to lay such a heater that would fully meet the conditions of the dacha. Most often, the floor in the dachas is insulated with mineral wool, perlite, foam plastic and expanded clay.


The method of warming country floors is largely determined by their design. Most often, the design of the floor includes the following elements:

  • lags;
  • draft boards laid on them;
  • clean coverage.

If the design of the floor is similar to that described above, then the insulation process should include the following steps:

  • dismantling of the existing floor covering;
  • laying waterproofing material;
  • insulation installation;
  • floor covering installation.

Now, in turn, we characterize each heater that is suitable for the floor in the country.

Did you know that the balcony is able to pump heat out of the apartment? and learn how to avoid it!

Expanded clay

Expanded clay is called porous granules having round shape. Its advantages include the following factors:

  • affordability;
  • resistance to chemicals, frost and decay;
  • light weight;
  • durability.

An expanded clay layer with a thickness of about 30 cm is considered optimal for field insulation.

Mineral wool

This heater is the most popular. Among its main advantages, the following are especially appreciated:

  • mineral wool is not afraid of either temperature changes or high temperatures;
  • it is easy to cut and also easy to lay.

For year-round living in the dacha, the layer of laid mineral wool should have a thickness of about 20 cm. The thickness of the layer can be reduced to 4 cm if the dacha is used only in summer.

Perlite

Perlite is a sandy heat-insulating material expanded using a special technology.

Perlite is scattered on a concrete base or a perlite screed is made from it.

Styrofoam

This material is a reliable barrier to the cold and an excellent home warmth keeper. It is characterized by high durability and wear resistance, it is attractive for its cheapness.

However, having made a choice in favor of this material, it is necessary to take care in advance of protecting the foam from fire and rodents.

Properties that characterize each insulation

When choosing a heater for your home, you should proceed from the fact that it meets the following three requirements:

  1. ensured efficient heat retention;
  2. was harmless;
  3. was durable.

Based on the above requirements, we evaluate each of the above heaters.

Expanded clay and perlite are completely harmless materials due to their natural origin. Mineral wool contains some rather harmful phenol-formaldehyde compounds. In terms of thermal conductivity, mineral wool has the best performance heat saving, which is also typical for polystyrene. Moreover, mineral wool is not afraid of moisture.

The important disadvantages of mineral wool include low vapor permeability, as a result of which it is necessary to think over the issues of floor vapor barrier in advance. The same point applies to expanded clay. Expanded clay, like perlite, is attractive for its strength and durability. However, their ability to save heat is somewhat lower.

When choosing a heater, you should also know and remember that:

  • mineral wool with foam are sheet materials;
  • expanded clay with perlite - to backfill.

So, we told you about the main heat-insulating materials that can be successfully used in the country. The specific insulation must be chosen independently, taking into account the properties described above and your financial capabilities.

R.S.

Among our readers, for sure, there are experts who know more deeply the intricacies of this issue. We will be glad and grateful if you leave any corrections and clarifications in your comments.

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