Let's consider in detail which insulation is better for walls

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

The best insulation for walls

Which insulation for walls is better, we will consider in detail. After all, there are different rooms and, accordingly, the materials are quite different. Today we will conduct a comparison of insulation for walls and you can make your choice. Also on the video in this article and photo you can get additional information that will help to do everything right.

What manufacturers of insulation offer us

The modern market for building materials is replete with insulation of all kinds, differing in composition, technical characteristics and cost. And before you start work on insulation, you should correctly select the necessary material; means for warming a non-residential premises may not be suitable for work in an apartment or a country house, and a floor heater used to warm wall surfaces will lose some of its properties.

Attention: The right choice of insulation is the key to preserving heat in winter frosts and coolness on hot summer days; it allows you to maintain a healthy microclimate in the room, prevents the appearance of dampness, mold and fungus, which negatively affects not only the interior, but also the health of family members.

When choosing a wall insulation, pay attention to some important features:

• High coefficient of sound insulation;
• Immunity of the material to high temperatures (fire resistance);
• The use of environmentally friendly materials in production;
• High service life;
• The ability to retain heat (low thermal conductivity);
• Moisture resistance;
• The ability of a heater to pass air.

The choice of insulation for walls should be based on several rules:

• Firstly, it is worthwhile to understand that the material for the insulation of internal walls may not be suitable for the characteristics of work outside.
• Secondly, it is necessary to consider the climatic zone in which you live.
• Thirdly, the number of storeys of the house and the material from which it is built plays an important role.

To warm the frame house and the house erected from a wooden beam, you need a heater of a different brand with its own technical characteristics. Log cabin can be insulated with tow, jute, linen felt, frame house - polystyrene, mineral wool boards.

Thermal insulation is divided into two main categories:

• The first includes moss, wood, felt, tow - these are organic heaters. Expanded polystyrene, mineral wool (see. How is insulation of walls outside with mineral wool), liquid ceramics, etc.
• Organic heaters have one advantage - They are environmentally friendly and suitable for those people who suffer from allergies or just care about their health, giving preference to natural products. But unlike chemical analogues, they are less durable, since they are subject to rot; they are less protected from the appearance of fatal fungus and mold.

Constant scientific work in this area leads to the appearance of new heaters. Now the demand for liquid insulation, used for internal and exterior wall decoration.

In this article we will try to consider the most common types of insulation; identify their advantages and disadvantages. What is the best insulation for walls in your case, it's up to you personally. Their price is different, but the ability to do the work yourself can significantly reduce costs.

Insulation options

Mineral wool: its positive and negative properties

Mineral wool is the most common and affordable material for thermal insulation of premises.

Carrying out insulation with mineral wool

So:

• For the production of mineral wool, slag and basalt are used, which are the refining of metallurgical production. The material is heat treated and pressed. The fibrous structure obtained during production becomes an obstacle to the penetration of air, which allows you to retain heat and prevent cold air from entering. Mineral wool is produced in two versions: in plates and rolls. It is used to warm the external and internal walls of the house (see How is insulation of walls outside with mineral wool).
• Good thermal insulation properties of mineral wool are a consequence of its low thermal conductivity. The advantages of this material can be called its fire resistance, good sound insulation coefficient, durability and breathability. In addition, mineral wool is environmentally friendly.
• Work on warming the room with mineral wool often causes a lot of trouble associated with the need to use additional protective equipment (glasses, a respirator, etc.) so that the smallest pieces of insulation do not get into the eyes, nasal and oral cavities.
• A major disadvantage of mineral wool is its susceptibility to moisture, which can be expressed in condensate formed between the wall surfaces. This leads to the appearance of fungus and mold, and a decrease in thermal insulation properties. To prevent the harmful effects of moisture, additional waterproofing should be carried out.
• The disadvantage is the reduction in the living area of ​​the room when using mineral wool boards or rolls.

Glass wool properties

A few years ago, glass wool was the main material for the insulation of rooms, but now this, already obsolete, type of insulation is practically not used.

Glass wool insulation

So:

• Glass wool, or fiberglass, is a heat-insulating material with a fibrous structure. Glass wool production is carried out by heat treatment of sand, soda, dolomites, waste from glass production and limestone. Like minvata, it is available in two forms: in plates and rolls. For more convenient transportation, glass wool is pressed.
• The smallest pieces of glass wool are very dangerous to health, not only through direct contact, but also by inhalation, and also in contact with eyes. Therefore, to carry out work on the insulation of the premises without the necessary protective equipment is prohibited. Now, according to manufacturing companies, glass wool produced using new, innovative technologies is perfectly safe for humans.
• Glass wool - fireproof insulation. She has a good soundproofing coefficient. It perfectly retains heat and does not allow cold air to enter the room. Throughout the entire existence of glass wool perfectly suited for insulation of roofs and attics; rarely, but it is used when warming wall surfaces.

Attention: Its cost is much lower than other types of insulation and in the price range it is the best thermal insulation of walls, but it is easily prone to deformation and constantly crumbles.

Cellulose insulation: its properties

This type of insulation is used when warming a house, both from the inside and from the outside:

• Cellulose insulation is a very effective means of thermal insulation of a room.He appeared on the building materials market recently. It perfectly retains heat and is completely safe for human health. Pulp and paper production is used for its production.
• In addition to its good thermal insulation properties, cellulose insulation perfectly passes air.
• Its disadvantage is exposure to moisture, and fire safety. To get rid of the shortcomings, special chemical additives are added to the insulation, which prevent the appearance of fungus and mold, and also increase the resistance of the material to thermal effects.

Advantages of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene, popularly called polystyrene foam, appears during the foaming process of polystyrene, which takes place at high temperatures. Expanded polystyrene has good heat and sound insulation properties; It does not allow air, moisture.

It is easy to install due to its light weight. The material is not exposed to the negative effects of mold and fungus; its properties are not affected by precipitation and climatic conditions.

Polystyrene foam insulation scheme

So:

• Polystyrene foam insulation can significantly reduce the cost of buying building material and paying for work, which will save part of your family budget. Due to the insulation of the outer walls, you will not only get the desired result by reducing heat loss through the wall surfaces, but also reduce the cost of paying for utilities.
• Expanded polystyrene allows you to create a favorable microclimate in the room. The material is safe for others and does not cause allergic reactions. In cold weather, the foam will allow you to keep warm inside the apartment or country house, and during the hot summer days it will save a pleasant cool.
• Since polystyrene foam is waterproof and is not affected by mold and mildew, it is perfect for warming homes in places with high humidity. Due to its water-repellent properties, the walls of the room will always be protected from moisture.
• The use of expanded polystyrene does not harm a person, it is environmentally friendly and safe for health.
• The heater has a unique property - self-extinguishing. The period of extinction of the source of ignition is 4 seconds.
• The excellent soundproofing properties of expanded polystyrene have made it a demanded material for warming industrial premises, with a high noise level due to working machines and other mechanical units. In the living room, the soundproofing properties of the foam allow you to create a comfortable atmosphere.
• Expanded polystyrene is easy to install. It is easily machined (cut), lightweight, which makes it possible to carry out insulation work in person, without the involvement of third-party specialists.

Extruded Styrofoam

The production of this type of insulation is a complex technological process. Polystyrene is subjected to heat treatment at high temperature, which is why it melts, after which it is extruded from the extruder.

At the final stage, foaming of the resulting chemical composition occurs. Such a long production process allows you to get a material that surpasses foam in all its properties. The characteristics of its air tightness, sound insulation, fire resistance are much higher than that of expanded polystyrene.

Its structure is in excellent contact with any kind of wall surface: from concrete to brick:

• Extruded polystyrene foam is most often used during construction work to insulate the building from the outside. This approach allows not only to increase the thermal insulation properties of the premises, but also to preserve its living space, which is very important for small-sized apartments and country houses.
• Installation of expanded polystyrene sheets occurs with the help of special glue; sheets are attached directly to an untreated wall surface. In some cases, for greater reliability, plastic dowels are used.
• It has enhanced sound insulation and air conduction properties. Not susceptible to moisture. As the foam has the property of self-extinguishing.
• Insulation is incompatible with wood resins and various organic compounds.

Fibrolit - a strong thermal insulation material

Fibrolite is an organic insulation obtained by mixing wood chips, pre-dried to a certain extent, with a binder. Portland cement is used to bind chips in production.

Sometimes it is replaced with magnesia salts. The insulation obtained in this way is completely safe for health.

• Fiberboard has high thermal insulation and waterproof properties. Despite its high degree of resistance to moisture, when using fiberboard it is better to carry out additional waterproofing, as over time the material begins to lose its original characteristics, and moisture begins to destroy its structure.
• To increase the service life, a layer of plaster is applied on top.
• The material is easy to install, easy to process using construction tools.

Safe cork insulation

If we say which insulation for walls is better, then you can not miss cork material. Cork insulation is an expensive material that has a high durability without losing its original characteristics. The panels in which cork insulation is produced are environmentally friendly material that is completely harmless even to the health of a small child.

The use of cork insulation

Attention: The structure of the insulation, consisting of tiny cells, allows the cork insulation to have the necessary degree of air permeability and strength, as well as a high coefficient of heat conservation.

During the production process, the raw materials for the manufacture of cork insulation are granulated and subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 400C, after which coagulation takes place in blocks. The thickness of the block can range from 10 to 120 mm.

• Cork panels do not shrink and have a high margin of safety against mechanical pressure.
• They are lightweight and easy to install. Good heat and sound insulation properties make it possible to create a favorable atmosphere in the visit.
• The outwardly pleasant texture of the insulation allows you to use the insulation as a decoration material indoors, replacing the drywall and frame panels.
• Not subject to the negative effects of biological substances in the form of insects, fungi, mold, bacteria.
• When ignited, does not emit harmful and fatal substances to humans.

Liquid ceramics

More recently, the assortment of insulation materials has replenished with a new type of insulation - liquid ceramics, it is used for wall decoration. The new innovative material, manufactured using the most advanced technologies, allows you to insulate wall surfaces inside the building and outside.

The material easily penetrates the most inaccessible places, which makes insulation even more effective:

• Liquid ceramic insulation is harmless to the body.
• Using this material allows you to save the dimensions of the living room.
• It does not burn, does not emit harmful substances into the air.
• Reliably protects from moisture and air.
• Application of liquid ceramics forms an aesthetic coating on the wall surface.
• Easy to use, does not require special building skills.

Filling penoizode - liquid foam

This type of material is a type of liquid insulation.

• It is used during construction work.It is poured with a hose into the inter-wall space and formwork, processed cracks, etc. A very effective way of insulation at a low price.
• Its thermal insulation properties do not differ from other types of insulation. It has a high degree of moisture resistance, is not exposed to biological effects, does not burn, is durable (its service life can exceed 50 years, which does not boast of any of the known heat-insulating materials).

Which insulation is best for walls in your case, you now decide without problems. The instruction will help you make the right choice and avoid mistakes.