Warming of the walls of buildings and rooms is a very topical issue in modern conditions. This gives many advantages, such as saving heat in the house, creating a cozy atmosphere and saving on heating. This is especially true for northern latitudes, but it can make sense in a milder climate. It is possible to mount a layer of insulation not only during the construction of a new house, but also to increase the heat-saving characteristics of an already finished building. For these purposes, you can use such time-tested materials as stone or plaster, and you can keep up with the times and install insulation for the walls of the house outside under the siding.
Types of materials and their features
There is an opinion that only brick or panel houses need warming. However, in wooden houses, with all the advantages of the material, the standard thickness of the logs is usually not enough to significantly save on heating. Four main types of materials can be used as insulation for the walls of the house outside under the siding:
- Styrofoam;
- mineral wool;
- ecowool;
- penoplex.
Each of these materials has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as installation features.
If you use foam as insulation for the walls of the house outside, you can significantly save money. This material is both light and tough, so you can simply glue it to the wall with building glue. Another option for fixing foam panels – disc plugs.
Unfortunately, at ease and easy to install, the useful properties of the foam, as a heater, end. Yes, and the issue of saving is sometimes very controversial, because mineral wool is getting cheaper every day. The ventilation characteristics of the material also leave much to be desired. If you use it as a heater for the walls outside, then note that you additionally have to organize mechanical ventilation to remove excess moisture from the house.
You can often hear that the foam as a heater works as an excellent sound insulation. This is also not entirely true. It isolates walls from external noises no better than other heaters, moreover, if it is fixed too tightly, then it will act as a sound reinforcing membrane.
Helpful advice! It is not very rational to use polystyrene foam as a heater for residential premises, but it is excellent for insulation of utilities or the floor. In such cases, the place will have its low thermal conductivity and minimal water absorption.
The service life of foam panels – 10-15 years, as well as all polymers. After the expiration of this period, it can simply collapse, and you have to install a fresh layer of insulation for the walls of the house outside under the siding.
As can be seen from all of the above, the foam has a number of useful properties for insulating various communications, but is poorly suited for the insulation of residential premises.
Mineral wool, like ecowool, is a versatile material for warming homes and is excellent for wooden, block or brick walls. Minvata and ecowool are materials that are very similar in their characteristics and properties, therefore, below we consider the common features for them.
If you are interested in the price of insulation for the walls of the house outside, the mineral wool may be a little more expensive than foam, but this is more than offset by its excellent performance characteristics. It is very well combined with cladding with plastic or metal siding. If you use a wooden crate for siding or an iron frame, then remember that you need not a rolled mineral wool, but semi-rigid plates. The optimal size of cladding plates is one meter per half meter. This is due to the fact that mineral wool or ecowool in rolls is more difficult to fix, and over time it can slide down the wall, revealing its individual sections.
Mineral wool is a material that is quite dusty. In order to avoid this, it is possible to additionally protect the boards with a vapor barrier film. It will perform two functions: not to let small particles of cotton wool into the air and to pass water vapor well, which, in any case, will penetrate from the walls of the house.
If we consider the question of which insulation is the best for the walls of a wooden house outside under the siding in terms of environmental material, then ecowool is in the lead. It is made from cellulose, but with the use of special additives that increase the level of its fire resistance and corrosion resistance.
In ecowool, however, there is one significant drawback – it is available only in a format that requires use for installing it on the walls of special equipment. There are still no panels on sale that could be mounted on the wall with building glue or dowels. But, if you look at the photo of the finishing of houses with siding with the aid of eco wool, it is clear that it fits very closely to the walls, does not float with time and is not deformed.
According to the parameters of sound and thermal insulation mineral wool and ecowool are identical. Due to the loose structure, they are excellent in holding back sound waves and do not release heat from the house. When weathe brick house outside the mineral water under the siding, you get rid of the problem of noise from the street, even if you live near a highway or in a busy place in a big city.
Helpful advice! If you compare the price of such insulation for the walls of the house outside under the siding, as ecowool with foam or mineral wool, then you should also consider the cost of application. In ecowool it is quite high.
If you need to familiarize yourself with the video of wall insulation outside the mineral wool under the siding with your own hands, then it can be easily found on the Internet. Videos with the participation of experts will help to better understand the nuances of the installation of insulation.
Penoplex is a relatively new material, which in its operational characteristics can give odds to all the above materials. It differs not only high rates of thermalization, but also universality in application. If you are interested in the question, what is the thickness of the heater for 30 degrees of frost? will be optimal, the answer will surprise you pleasantly. Due to the high efficiency of extruded polystyrene, which this special type of foam is made of, a very thin layer of material is needed for reliable wall insulation. In addition, it is characterized by low vapor permeability and water absorption, so you can not be afraid of the fact that the walls will sweat.
Wall insulation penopleks. The technology of external and internal plating. Wall covering. Preparatory stage of work, adhesive compositions, installation of plates on glue and nails, reinforcement of insulation.
Another advantage of Penoplex is a high level of corrosion resistance. It is also completely harmless to human health. In addition, it is very easy to mount. The disadvantages of the material include high flammability, therefore, if you are planning to insulate houses from the outside of Penoplex, it is better to take care of increased fire safety measures.
At the moment there are 4 types of penoplex:
- roofing – is used for insulation of various types of roofs;
- comfort is a universal type, which is most often used for warming private houses;
- foundation – used in loadable structures, can be used for insulation of the foundation base from the outside;
- wall – can be used for external or internal wall insulation.
There are also special superdense types of penoplex, which are used in industry.
When insulating penoplex, video helps a lot: how to insulate a house outside with penoplex with your own hands under siding.
Regardless of whether you need to engage in insulation outside the siding of a timber house, brick or block house, you must adhere to certain installation rules.
- Step 1. The heat-insulated surface must be prepared. From the walls should be removed all the old cladding, as well as dismantled shutters, drain pipes and other structures that may interfere with the installation of insulation. If you use a frame for sadding from a profile, then the covering will in any case be smooth, so there is no need to level the walls;
Helpful advice! If the walls of your house are old and have a lot of cracks and defects, then installing insulation for the walls of the house outside under the siding, you simultaneously increase the insulating properties of the building and improve its appearance.
- Step 2. Installing the lathing for siding with insulation is a very important stage of installation. It can be made of metal frames or wooden bars. The first option will cost more, however, and will last longer. The thickness of the batten and the distance between its elements depends on the size of the insulation. The wooden crate is recommended to be additionally covered with flame retardant to increase the level of fire safety of the building. Horizontal siding should be mounted in a vertical position, and vertical – in a horizontal position. The accuracy of the design is regulated by the construction level;
- Step 3. The next step is to warm the wooden house outside under a mineral wool siding or other material. The main thing here is to ensure the maximum fit of the material. For fixing using construction glue or dowels with a large head. Waterproofing is mounted on top of the insulation, which serves to remove vapors from the insulation. Usually, a special membrane is used for this, which is mounted directly on the batten;
- Step 4. Installing siding is the final step. If you doubt how to do it correctly, then you will be helped by a photo of the trim of the house with siding outside.
Regardless of the type of material chosen, insulation of the house under the siding will allow you to significantly save on heating and improve the appearance of the building. The purchase of insulation for the walls of the house outside is a very important point, therefore, it is worth getting acquainted with the features and performance characteristics of each of the materials.
