Wood is a warmer material than brick or concrete. But in most regions, anyway, the thickness of structures made of it, which satisfies heat engineering, is significant. To reduce the required thickness, effective methods of insulation are used. Warming can be carried out both inside and out. This article reviewed how to properly insulate an individual house from a bar with your own hands outside.
Advantages and disadvantages of conducting thermal protection measures outside
Warming a house from a bar is designed to provide a comfortable microclimate in the room and prevent the destruction of load-bearing structures under the influence of cold. Protecting walls and other surfaces from the outside has the following advantages.:
- the dew point (the place of condensation) is located on the surface, which does not allow moisture to get into the thickness of the structure;
- protection from the cold not only of the internal premises, but also of the supporting structures of the building;
- there is no decrease in the useful area of the room.
But this scheme has its drawbacks.:
- the difficulty of doing homework from the side of the street in bad weather conditions and with a significant height of the building;
- the need for additional facade decoration (siding).
Many people choose timber as a wall material precisely because of its appearance. When insulating from the outside, the siding will close the logs and the original surface of the walls will be visible only from the inside. External insulation is correctly applied from the point of view of science, but it will not always suit the owner of a house. If it is necessary to preserve the original facade of the building, it is better to apply the installation scheme of thermal protection from the inside.
Materials for work
Warming of a timber house can be performed using the following types of heat insulator:
- mineral wool (basalt or glass);
- foam insulation;
- insulation with extruded polystyrene foam.
The easiest way to do the work on wall insulation with your own hands withpolystyrene foam(foam or extruded). To work with this material does not require special skills and special protective equipment.
Foam insulation
Do-it-yourself foam insulation has the following advantages:
- low cost;
- ease of installation;
- the possibility of use for siding without an air gap device;
- high thermal insulation characteristics;
- longevity of the heat insulator;
- foam resistance to biological influences.
The disadvantages include:
- flammability;
- low strength;
- instability to get wet at low temperatures (destruction is possible);
- when insulating the walls with foam from the outside, it is necessary to use siding or other durable material as a finish;
- low vapor permeability requires careful attention to ventilation.
Some of the disadvantages of polystyrene insulation can be avoided by using its closest relative. Do-it-yourself insulation with extruded polystyrene foam has higher strength and moisture resistance. Thanks to the addition of special antipyrine substances to the composition of the material, manufacturers have achieved a combustibility class for some G1 products (low combustibility). The last two drawbacks of foam insulation also apply to extruded polystyrene foam.
Mineral wool insulation
The main advantages of thermal insulation of mineral wool walls include:
- high degree of thermal insulation (low thermal conductivity);
- fire resistance;
- resistance to biological effects;
- durability.
For a wooden house, it is best to use mineral wool insulation. Unlike the previous two types of insulation, it does not prevent the movement of air through the wall structure and allows the house to “breathe”.
The disadvantages include the following properties:
- the possibility of scattering of the material into individual fibers and the ingress of these particles on the skin and lungs. The problem is relevant only for the installation period and is solved by the use of personal protective equipment by workers;
- in comparison with polystyrene, insulation has a higher cost;
- thermal insulation of mineral wool walls is able to absorb moisture and sag under its own weight.
It is important to remember that installing this insulation outside for siding requires the mandatory installation of an air-ventilated layer with a thickness of at least 5 cm.
Insulation technology
Wall insulation for siding is carried out in the following order:
- Before warming a house from a bar, it is necessary to clean the surface from dirt and dust;
- vapor barrier device (can be skipped when using extruded polystyrene foam);
- installation of insulation;
- fixing the waterproofing layer (for extruded material is also not necessary);
- exterior decoration of the facade.
As a vapor barrier, you can use polyethylene, but it is better to purchase a special vapor-tight membrane.
The fastening of the material depends on its type. Mineral wool insulation is attached to the wall on the dowels between the bars. Fastening polystyrene is best done with adhesive compositions. This will provide the maximum degree of thermal insulation due to surface integrity.
Proper warming of the house will avoid many problems during operation and significantly save on heating the building.