External building envelopes made of gas silicate blocks, which, due to their porous structure, have effective heat-protective qualities, in some cases require additional thermal insulation. Insulation of walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside is the most in an efficient way thermal protection.
Why insulate
Sometimes insulation gas silicate walls outside is required if the reason for additional thermal insulation is that during the construction of the building the thickness of the external walls was incorrectly selected and freezing occurs, leading to ineffective consumption of thermal energy and associated economic losses.
Another reason may be that during renovations, the owner of the building decides to transfer the not very effective thermal insulation of the premises from inside facade walls to their outer surface. The installation of external thermal insulation is not allowed without external finishing, which, in addition to its decorative properties, serves as its protection from mechanical damage and aggressive atmospheric influences. Therefore, thermal protection is usually installed in parallel with external finishing buildings. An additional advantage is the increase in the internal volume of the premises adjacent to the external walls.
Processes affecting thermal insulation
Why is it better to insulate walls from the outside rather than from the inside? This is due to a process called vapor permeability. While a person is in a room, steam is released mainly from his breath. If the building envelope is vapor-tight, steam, instead of passing through the walls, condenses on them, creating a humid environment that adversely affects the walls and their interior decoration or cladding. However, the most active exchange of steam-air gases through external walls occurs in winter time year.
Migration of vapor occurs in the direction from heat to cold. If the insulation is located inside, when the walls freeze at the border of the insulation and aerated concrete block Condensation also accumulates. It is absorbed by the insulating material, which also usually has a porous structure and sharply reduces its protective properties.
The placement of thermal insulation on the outside and the use of special film vapor-permeable, but at the same time waterproofing membranes allow the most effective use of the desired properties of aerated concrete blocks and the material chosen for additional insulation.
What materials are used for thermal insulation
What is the best way to insulate a house? The most common materials used as insulation for gas silicate blocks
are foam boards and mineral wool mats.
Foam insulation involves the use of flat slabs consisting of polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam, produced in the form of plates of various thicknesses and sizes. Polystyrene foam is easy to cut, saw, and drill. When using correctly selected glue, it adheres well to a wall made of gas silicate blocks.
Mineral wool is produced under different brands, such as ISOVER, KNAUF, URSA in rolls or slabs with a thickness of 45 to 200 mm, sizes: width - from 60 to 1200 mm, length - from 1170 to 10000 mm. Insulation with mineral wool and its fastening to the facade is usually carried out using special dowels for gas silicate blocks.
Sometimes cement-sand or cement-lime plaster with a porous filler - perlite or vermiculite sand, having a bulk volumetric weight of up to 50 kg/m3, can be used. Foamed foam granules are used as the porous component. When using such plaster, before painting the facade, it must be treated with deep penetration impregnation.
Another way to properly insulate gas silicate is to arrange a so-called ventilated façade. This is a type of decoration of the external walls of a house when cladding panels are assigned to the established metal frame, the profiles of which can be made of galvanized sheet, stainless steel, aluminum. A gap of at least 5 cm is left between the finishing sheets and the wall. Ambient air moves freely through it, which removes and dries condensation and moisture formed as a result of temperature changes from the wall of the building.
When using ventilated facade systems or fiber cement panels such as KMEW, it should be taken into account that they can create additional load on the foundations and soil base. Therefore, before starting work, it is better to consult with specialists and perform a verification calculation bearing capacity taking into account changing efforts.
Specifics of work execution
Most materials used for exterior finishing facades require preliminary installation of frames or lathing. Frames are needed to level the surface of the walls and to securely fasten the cladding, which can be used as façade products such as, from fairly expensive fiber cement panels to cheap pressed plastic siding, produced both in the form of so-called eurolining and in form sheet materials laminated with a film with a pattern in the form of stone, wood, and other facing materials.
Frames are made from wooden slats with a cross-section of 50 x 50 mm or stamped metal strips from galvanized sheet. The insulation is laid and fixed to the wall of gas silicate blocks using glue in the spaces formed by horizontal and vertical elements battens.
There should be no gaps or cracks between the frame and the insulation that form cold bridges and reduce the effectiveness of thermal protection.
To waterproof external insulation, it is better to use membranes or films that can combine vapor-permeable, hydrophobic and windproof properties. These materials are divided into types, such as:
- perforated; they can have internal reinforcement made of glass-polymer fine mesh and be made of one or several layers;
- porous; formed by compressed fibers, between which channels and pores are formed; due to light contamination, they are not recommended for use in highly dusty and gas-polluted outdoor air;
- woven; made of polyethylene or polypropylene threads (similar fabric is used as modern burlap), are used in exceptional cases, do not cope well with waterproofing and are not good choice as a vapor-permeable membrane;
- multilayer, consisting of 3 layers or cheaper - 2-layer ones have good wind protection and practically do not get dirty.
Is it necessary to insulate a house made of 400 mm gas silicate blocks?
Most regions of our country are located in difficult climatic conditions, characterized by winters with severe frosts, as well as very hot summers. If the home owner wants to save money, he can accept any thickness of external walls in his home. Including 400 mm, that is, 1 block. If we compare this with most brick houses, their walls are 500mm thick (2 bricks). If the walls of the house freeze in the winter, and those living in it will suffer from the heat in the summer, the choice was made incorrectly. The thickness of the walls of buildings also depends on the number of storeys, the wind rose and their intensity. Studying your mistakes from your own experience is a thankless task. Therefore, before carrying out work, it is better to contact a construction organization that employs specialists in the field of construction physics. They will perform thermal engineering calculations and give recommendations on wall thickness based on the specified parameters.
A bathhouse with a steam room on the site is a structure that provides its owner and healthy image life, and entertainment - where else can you happily spend time with your family, relatives and colleagues.
Like the main house, the bathhouse can be built from gas silicate blocks. Insulation of this building will, first of all, be required in order to save money on combustible materials required for kindling. How to insulate it? Internal insulation of bathhouse walls is impractical for the same reasons stated above:
- useful internal volume will be lost;
- on the border internal thermal insulation and condensation will accumulate on the walls, saturating the porous thermal insulation with water, depriving it of a significant portion of its effectiveness and creating conditions for the appearance of fungus and mold;
- temperature and humidity conditions in the bathhouse and its impact on building structures much more aggressive than a similar regime in the main house.
As in all other cases, it is better to thermally insulate a gas silicate bath with outside baths To do this, you can fully use the same methods that were used to insulate the main house on the site. However, as practice shows, best results in terms of the ratio - fuel economy / insulation efficiency is obtained when used for free-standing baths, saunas, insulation of steam rooms - ventilated facades.
Like many other construction works, the technology for thermal insulation of the external walls of houses made of gas silicate blocks is quite accessible for DIY implementation. However, experience is required. Any mistake, even one that may seem insignificant at first glance, can lead to defects and damage expensive materials, and the work will require significant rework. Therefore, if you are unsure of your abilities, it is better to invite specialists who, within a reasonable time and with good quality External thermal insulation will be performed.
Today, in construction (especially individual construction) a building material known as gas silicate blocks is used. And there are several reasons for such a significant popularity of blocks: low cost, resistance to low temperatures, strength. Moreover, the material is resistant to mold and rotting, weighs a little, therefore, insulating a house with gas silicate blocks (let's call this procedure that way) does not necessarily imply the presence of a strong foundation.
A distinctive feature of such blocks is that their structure contains special spherical pores, which increase both the thermal and noise insulation characteristics of the structure. In order for gas silicate blocks to be as strong as possible, it is necessary to increase their density, and this, in turn, leads to a deterioration in insulating properties (the problem is again in the pores). Therefore, it is quite obvious that buildings made of this material require additional insulation.
Insulation of a frame house
Previously, we talked about what materials are best used when insulating a frame house and described the entire process in detail; in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information
Main types and thickness of gas silicate blocks
This building material produced in strict accordance with GOST. More details from technical requirements can be found at the link below.
GOST 25485-89. Specifications cellular concrete. File for download
Thus, the classification of concrete is made taking into account many factors. According to their purpose, they can be:
- structural;
- thermal insulation;
- combined (being a combination of the previous two types).
And according to the method by which vaporization is carried out, the classification is as follows:
- foam concrete;
- aerated concrete;
- gas foam concrete.
Pay attention! If you plan to build a house from gas silicate blocks, then you must first familiarize yourself with the relevant regulatory documentation (not only GOST, but also SNiP).
Now let's talk a little about the features of choosing concrete for building a house. If we are talking about low-rise construction(and in most cases this is the case), then to calculate the required thickness of the walls of the structure you need to rely on the relevant SNiPs.
SNiP II-3-79-2005. Construction heating engineering. Downloadable file (click the link to open the PDF in a new window).
SNiP 23-01-99-2003. Construction climatology. Downloadable file (click the link to open the PDF in a new window).
And if gas silicate blocks were chosen for construction, then, according to SNiPs, in the case of the middle zone of the state, the thickness of such products should vary from 64 to 107 centimeters. These calculations are based not only on the average thermal resistance in a particular band, but also on the principles created by the State Construction Committee.
If you believe the manufacturers and their numerous advertisements, then a thickness of 30-38 centimeters is enough to insulate a house with gas silicate blocks. Although it is not known whether they took into account heat losses, provoked by so-called “cold bridges” ( masonry mortar, reinforcement, various lintels) and natural humidity climatic conditions, inherent in the middle zone (the fact is that any aerated concrete absorbs moisture to one degree or another).
Pay attention! Such blocks should be laid on a special adhesive mixture. In this case, the thin-layer seam will be only 0.2-1 centimeter thick, which will have virtually no effect on the thermal conductivity of the entire structure. Moreover, the glue itself is a fairly effective heat insulator.
Thermal insulation of a building made of gas silicate blocks
Let’s immediately make a reservation that the gas silicate block can be insulated both from the inside and from the outside. Although external thermal insulation is more effective, since it will not reduce the free space inside the room. The optimal heat insulator in this case can be considered mineral wool (it costs about 1.8 thousand per cubic meter) and thermal panels, which are not only insulation, but also a ready-made finishing material. Let's start with thermal panels.
Method one. Insulating a house with thermal panels
Such panels are produced with various options finishing.
- Natural stone.
- Tiles.
- Porcelain tiles.
- Clinker.
- Seamless panels in which, as the name suggests, there are no seams.
There is an opinion that it is better not to insulate houses made of gas silicate blocks with such panels, since they do not allow “breathing”. But experience has shown that when using panels in ventilated facades, thanks to various gaps and openings, the heat insulator “breathes” quite acceptably, and moisture does not accumulate. Sometimes auxiliary exhaust ventilation is installed.
We should also talk separately about the advantages of insulating houses made of gas silicate with this material.
- They gain durability, but their original characteristics are preserved (in other words, cosmetic repairs won't take long).
- The panels themselves can be installed at any time of the year.
- The material combines excellent thermal insulation and performance qualities.
- It is elastic, so no gaps are formed due to thermal expansion.
- Finally, thermal panels are environmentally friendly and resistant to mechanical damage.
From a constructive point of view, the panels are a “pie” made of PPU foam that is resistant to moisture particle board and facing tiles. We also note that the panels can be laid either directly on the wall surface or on a specially equipped lathing.
Pay attention! In the case of gas silicate walls, the panels must be mounted on the sheathing. Moreover, the sheathing itself must be made of galvanized profiles.
Now - directly to the installation process. Insulating a house with gas silicate blocks consists of several technological stages.
Stage No. 1. Preparatory activities
To work you will need the following equipment:
- "Bulgarian";
- mounting level;
- perforator;
- blow gun polyurethane foam;
- electric jigsaw;
- screwdriver
Stage No. 2. Fastening panels to equipped sheathing
Step 1. Using a level, a horizontal line is marked at the bottom of the wall.
Step 2. On this line, a 150-150 galvanized strip is installed, made in the shape of the letter G, for which a hammer drill is used. The plank is attached with self-tapping screws in increments of 20 centimeters.
Step 3. Hangers are placed above the plank, along which the surface of the wall is marked. For one suspension, according to the markings, a pair of holes are made for plastic dowels. The latter are installed in them, and the suspensions themselves are screwed using self-tapping screws.
Step 4. Next, the planks, made from a 60x27 profile in the shape of the letter P, are mounted vertically. The planks are fastened with self-tapping screws to the hangers - two units on each side. It turns out that the profiles will be installed around the perimeter (the distance between the planks should not exceed 400 millimeters).
Step 5. In the corners window openings and the wall itself needs to be secured with a pair of strips, to which individual corner components will be attached for the subsequent installation of thermal panels. By the way, you don’t have to use double strips, but join the panels to each other at a 45-degree angle (all gaps will subsequently be filled with foam).
Step 6. The ebb is installed along the line drawn at the bottom of the wall, flush with the starting strip. Self-tapping screws (0.42x7 centimeters) are also used to fix it to the vertical guide bars.
Step 7 The frame is filled with a “breathing” heat insulator – expanded polystyrene or mineral wool. This way, cold air will not penetrate inside the sheathing.
Step 8 Thermal panels are screwed to the vertical guides using the same screws. Typically, the required pitch of the screws depends on the dimensions of the insulating boards.
Mushroom for attaching insulation
Previously, we talked about the main advantages of the disc mount, its price and the right method working with it, in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information
Stage No. 3. Installation of window and corner elements
We continue the procedure of insulating a house made of gas silicate blocks. First, all cracks and gaps near windows and corners are filled with foam. The gaps between the panels themselves should be treated with DSP grout.
Pay attention! In this case, it is better not to use wooden sheathing, even if it has been carefully treated with antiseptics and fire retardants. Only right decision– galvanized profile.
Video - Thermal insulation of a gas silicate building using thermal panels
Method two. Mineral wool insulation
As noted above, for gas silicate blocks it is preferable to use vapor-permeable insulation. If this is not done, additional ventilation may be required. External insulation will not only extend the service life of the structure, but will also increase sound insulation qualities, and will also significantly improve the aesthetic properties of the facade. Mineral wool has been very popular lately. And indeed, it is inexpensive, and it is quite simple to install. The insulation process itself consists of preparation and, in fact, installation. Let's look at each of them.
During the installation process you may need:
- dowels;
- paint for facades;
- ten drill;
- fiberglass glass for reinforcement;
- hammer;
- special plaster mixture;
- level;
- primer mixture;
- spatula (preferably comb);
- special glue;
- mineral wool slabs (density must exceed 150 kilograms per cubic meter, thickness - over 1.5 centimeters).
Stage No. 2. Direct installation
First, the surface is thoroughly cleaned, dirt and dust are removed. After this, the algorithm of actions should be as follows.
Step 1. The heat insulator is attached to the wall with glue (you must act in strict accordance with the instructions), evenly applied with a spatula to the sheet. When installing the first row, you need to be especially careful and use a level in your work.
Step 2. The slabs are fastened with “checkerboards”, as in the case of brickwork - the seams of adjacent rows should not match. The gaps between the plates should not exceed 0.5 centimeters, so that cracks will not form in the future.
Step 3. The heat insulator “stands”. For more reliable fixation, you can use plastic dowels, having previously made holes for them in the gas silicate. Dowels should be attached two at each joint between the slabs, and one more in the center.
Step 4. The cotton wool is covered with glue diluted with water, then the mesh is embedded in it (the latter should be laid with an overlap of at least 10 millimeters).
Step 5. A second layer of glue is applied over the mesh, after which you need to wait for the surface to dry completely.
Step 6. Using a spatula, apply the primer mixture, then apply the plaster mixture, previously diluted with water.
Step 7 At the end, the wall surface is painted with special facade paint.
Method three. Foam insulation
A building made of gas silicate blocks can also be insulated with polystyrene foam, but it must not be too dense and vapor-permeable. You must act according to the instructions.
Stage No. 1. Preparatory activities
During the insulation process you will need:
- dowels;
- paint for facades;
- ten drill;
- mesh for reinforcement;
- hammer;
- plaster and primer mixture;
- glue;
- level;
- foam boards;
- spatula.
Now - directly to the insulation!
Stage No. 2. Insulation
Step 1. The process begins with a thorough cleaning work surface from dirt.
Step 3. The foam sits on the glue and is pressed lightly. The first row is laid (don’t forget to use a level), and the joints between the plates are coated with glue.
Step 4. Subsequent rows are attached in the same way as in the previous case (we are talking about “chess”).
Step 5. It is important that the plates fit as closely as possible to each other - this will provide more effective thermal insulation. It is advisable to fill the gaps between them with cut pieces of polystyrene foam.
Step 6. On external corners the slabs are attached with an overlap.
Step 7 After 24 hours, the slabs are tightened with dowels (the same as in the case of mineral wool).
Step 8 Reinforcing mesh is installed. You need to start from the corners.
Step 9 At the end, plaster and facade paint are applied.
Creating a ventilated façade
Such house insulation with gas silicate blocks is characterized, first of all, by durability.
Previously, we talked about how to independently calculate and calculate the dew point in the wall of a house; in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information
You can build a “light” facade, for which you will need the following equipment:
- dowels;
- hammer;
- drill;
- lace;
- plumb line;
- installation level.
In addition, you will need wooden slats for the sheathing (necessarily treated with an antiseptic) and the foam itself. You need to proceed as follows.
Step 1. A frame is assembled from slats corresponding to the thickness of the heat insulator (50-60 millimeters).
Step 2. Vertical bars are attached to the wall with anchor dowels in increments of 300 millimeters. Using a mounting level and a plumb line, the most even plane is ensured.
Step 3. The gaps between the vertical slats are filled with sheets of foam plastic, secured with special dowels (“fungi”).
Step 4. At the next level, the slats are attached horizontally. The resulting space should remain empty, as it will serve as ventilation.
That's it, the facade of the house made of gas silicate blocks is thermally insulated and ready for subsequent cladding.
Video - Thermal insulation of gas silicate walls
Preface. How to properly insulate a house made of gas silicate, how to insulate a house made of gas silicate from the inside - these are the questions that owners ask country houses from a gas silicate block. In this article we will look at the technology of insulating a gas silicate block, show a video of the best way to insulate a house from gas silicate from the outside and a master class on insulation country house thermal panels.
Insulation of the facade of a house made of gas silicate blocks- this is a reliable preservation of warmth, coziness and comfort of a country house, but is it necessary to insulate a house made of cellular concrete? According to their intended purpose, cellular concrete is divided into structural, structural and thermal insulating and thermal insulating. According to the production method, concrete is divided into foam concrete, aerated concrete and gas-foam concrete. The cellular structure in blocks is formed using gas, in foam concrete using foam.
How to insulate a house made of gas silicate
About operational characteristics and properties of gas silicate, read GOST 25820-83 Lightweight concrete, GOST 25820-2000 Technical conditions. If during construction you choose cellular concrete, then the calculation of the wall thickness is done on the basis of SNiP II-3-79 from 2005 “Building Heat Engineering” and SNiP 23-01-99 from 2003 “Building Climatology”. According to these SNiPs, based on modern standards for middle zone Russia, the thickness of walls made of cellular blocks should be from 640 to 1070 mm.
Manufacturers of gas silicate blocks assure buyers that a wall thickness of 300 - 400 mm is sufficient for a residential building. But whether manufacturers took into account heat loss through “cold bridges” (window lintels, mortar between blocks and reinforced mesh) in their calculations is another question. It is better to calculate and decide on your own, with the help of designers, what thickness to make the walls out of blocks based on the frost resistance and density of the blocks, how to insulate a house made of aerated concrete in order to maintain coziness and comfort in the house.
What is the best way to insulate a house using gas silicate from the outside?
Gas silicate blocks are widely used in private, low-rise construction. Gas silicate itself is a good heat insulator, but due to cold bridges, absorption of moisture from blocks, and masonry joints, it is additionally necessary to insulate buildings made of gas silicate. This makes the question very relevant: how to independently insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks, what materials to use in the work?
Materials for insulating a gas silicate house outside can be different. Traditional thermal insulation materials are widely used today: mineral wool, expanded polystyrene, polystyrene foam and “thermal insulation” plaster mixtures. In Russia, they also began to use thermal panels (thermal siding, thermal siding) for thermal protection of walls, which combine high thermal insulation and excellent appearance.
Aerated concrete facades can be insulated like any other facade from the outside and inside. We wrote earlier about insulating the facade of a house under siding with polystyrene foam and insulating the facade of a house under plastering with mineral wool. It is better not to insulate a wall made of aerated concrete from the inside with polystyrene foam, since in this case the blocks are not protected from freezing and moisture.
We insulate the gas silicate block with expanded polystyrene and mineral wool
At insulation of a house made of gas silicate blocks with polystyrene foam Do-it-yourself exterior does not require additional vapor barrier. Expanded polystyrene boards are not afraid of moisture and are durable. The insulation is attached to the facade with glue, then additionally secured with disc-shaped dowels. You can apply plaster on top or make a facade of vinyl or metal siding.
To insulate a house made of gas silicate block with mineral wool from the outside yourself, you should first make a vertical sheathing on the facade, lay mineral wool between the bars. Since mineral wool absorbs moisture, it must be protected with a vapor barrier on both sides. Siding can be fixed on top of the insulation or the facade can be plastered for painting.
How to insulate a house made of a gas silicate block with thermal panels
Thermal panels will cope with protecting the exterior walls of your home from humidity and mechanical damage. Thermal panels are produced with finishing made of natural stone, porcelain stoneware, clinker and ceramic tiles. There is an opinion among builders that it is better not to insulate gas silicate with thermal panels from the street, as this prevents the blocks from “breathing” and ventilating.
Practice shows that a ventilated facade, ventilation holes in the basement of the building and under the roof canopy allows the wall to breathe normally without accumulating moisture. Insulating gas silicate walls from the outside with thermal panels has a number of advantages: durability, environmental friendliness, resistance to mechanical damage, ease and speed of installation.
To begin with, a lathing made of galvanized profiles or timber is attached to gas silicate walls. Thermal panels are already attached to the sheathing. Expensive work of professional installers is not required. To install thermal panels on the sheathing you will need a grinder, a jigsaw, a hammer drill, a screwdriver, building level, a spray foam gun, and a little patience.
Video. Insulation of a house made of gas silicate block with thermal panels
To insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks from the street with thermal panels on gas silicate house We fasten the sheathing so that there is a ventilated space between the thermal panels and the facade of the house. On the bottom of the wall, mark a horizontal line using a level. We install the starting strip along the line and fasten it with self-tapping screws, using a hammer drill and a screwdriver.
We install hangers above the starting bar. We install U-shaped profile strips (60 mm x 27 mm) into these hangers. We fasten the guide strips with four self-tapping screws. In this way, we sheathe guides around the entire perimeter of the house wall. We install two planks in the corners of the house and on the slopes. This is necessary for fastening corner elements and adjacent thermal panels on slopes.
Along the initial finishing at the bottom of the base, at the level of the starting strip, using a level, we install the ebb. We install mineral wool between the profiles; you can also use polystyrene foam boards. TO vertical profiles We fasten the thermal panels with self-tapping screws. We seal all mounting gaps at the corners with foam. The seams between the thermal panels are carefully sealed with grout.
Video. How to insulate a house made of gas silicate
Due to their structure, gas silicate blocks easily absorb water, which can subsequently lead to microcracks, and this affects the service life. Do-it-yourself insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside will help solve this problem.
Why insulate walls outside?
Insulating the building from the outside will not only reduce energy losses, but also save on heating costs.
With minimal skills construction work you can save a lot. The location of the insulation outside will allow you to move the dew point away from interior walls. At the same time, the house will be warm and the walls will remain dry.
If you place insulation inside, then under the influence of different climatic conditions the walls will become damp. The main disadvantage of this method of insulating houses made of aerated blocks is the high probability of the formation of fungus and mold.
Options for the position of the insulation layer on the outside
Moisture does not penetrate inside the blocks, but the outer layer may be damaged under its influence. Therefore, it is very important to insulate the facade from the outside before carrying out finishing work.
Insulation materials: brands, types, characteristics
There is a wide selection of materials for insulating gas silicate walls, which have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Synthetic insulation or based on natural minerals has a lot of positive properties:
- do not change shape under the influence of moisture;
- do not rot;
- have a long service life;
- have low thermal conductivity.
To a greater extent, such properties are possessed by: mineral wool, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene. Thermal panels should also be mentioned. Appeared this material on the market relatively recently. Thermal panels are characterized by high properties and give the building an excellent appearance. However, the cost of thermal panels is much higher than the cost of other insulation materials.
The materials are produced in the form of a slab, which is convenient for insulating the walls of a house. In order to make the right choice, it is necessary to compare the characteristics of gas silicate and the listed insulation materials.
When choosing a thermal insulation material for insulating gas silicate walls from the outside, you need to familiarize yourself with their advantages and disadvantages.
Foam plastic
A common material for facade insulation. Polystyrene foam is characterized by good heat-insulating abilities, as well as windproof and sound-proofing properties. The material is easy to transport and has light weight. Plus it's cheap and different. simple installation. For gas blocks it is better to use 100 mm thick foam. Foam plastic does not change its properties long time.
Foam boards The most important indicator of the quality of polystyrene foam is its density. Optimal density material for insulating the facade from the outside is from 15 to 25 kg/m 3. Typically, PSB-S-25 foam has this density.
Mineral wool
This thermal insulation material allows steam to pass through and is the most popular in construction. It will not only protect the walls, but will also extend the service life of gas blocks, and will also avoid problems that may arise when installing internal thermal insulation. Mineral wool as insulation is characterized by high sound insulation properties, as well as fire resistance.
Mineral wool is one of the popular thermal insulation materials Mineral wool is sold under different brands, for example, KNAUF, ISOVER, URSA. The thickness of the slab can be up to 200 mm.
Polyurethane foam
Belongs to a group of porous gas-filled polymers based on polyurethane components.
Polyurethane foam has high technical characteristics Different mechanical strength, lightness and expandability. This material is convenient to apply and use in work. However, polyurethane foam is characterized by low fire resistance. In addition, this material is afraid of many acidic and alkaline solutions.
Expanded polystyrene
To produce the material, gas is used, which creates volume. It is characterized by low thermal conductivity, vapor permeability and moisture resistance. The material is durable and harmless. There are fire-resistant types of material that can go out when exposed to flame.
Gas silicate is vapor permeable, i.e. allows water vapor to pass through. To maintain this property, vapor permeability is important insulation material was no less than that of a facade made of gas silicate blocks.
Expanded polystyrene is actively used to insulate not only walls, but also floors, roofs, and ceilings Polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam have low vapor permeability, and basalt wool allows steam to pass through and helps remove it from the insulation. Therefore, mineral wool is most often used. You can use other insulation materials, but there will be additional costs to the forced ventilation system.
Important! To calculate the amount of selected insulation, it is recommended to proceed from the total area of all walls. Next, you need to subtract the sizes of all windows and doors from the resulting amount. It is important that there is a reserve of at least 5%. Excess material can always be used on the farm.
Tools and materials
Before you begin installation of insulation of gas silicate walls, you should prepare necessary materials and tools. To work you will need:
- Material for thermal insulation.
- Glue.
- Special container for diluting glue.
- Drill.
- Level.
- Dowels.
- Spatula.
- Hammer.
- Primer.
- Plaster.
Preparatory work consists of cleaning the walls from dirt and dust. This is necessary in order to ensure high-quality adhesion of the glue to the insulation.
Sequence of work on insulating walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside with mineral wool
Work on insulating the facade from the outside is carried out in several stages:
- Installation vertical sheathing. The first row of beams should be located along the border of the base.
Installation of sheathing under ecowool After installing the sheathing, it is advisable to cover them with a layer of antiseptic. This will prevent the material from rotting. Instead of bars, you can use a metal profile.
- Laying water vapor barrier. Installation of vapor barrier is carried out in a continuous layer, starting from the bottom. In this case, it is important to overlap the layers by at least 15 cm and glue the joints of the vapor barrier with adhesive tape.
- Installation of mineral wool. Connection to the wall from the outside is carried out using glue. Additionally, dowels can be used for fastening. When laying thermal insulation, it is necessary to ensure that the gap between the plates does not exceed 5 mm. If more than 5 mm, then cracks may form.
The process of laying mineral wool - Mineral wool slabs are laid in the form brickwork. Then fix the insulation layer at the joints and in the middle. It is recommended to leave the insulation for a while so that it can stand.
- Laying the second layer of water vapor barrier. The film is attached using a stapler. Additionally, you can secure it with tape or nails.
- Installation of counter-lattice. This allows us to ensure ventilation gap so that moisture evaporates and the surface of the water vapor barrier is ventilated.
- Application finishing materials. As external cladding You can use siding, decorative brick, etc.
Insulating the outside walls of a house made of gas silicate blocks can be done with your own hands if you strictly follow the instructions.
Insulation of the facade using polystyrene foam
Step-by-step instructions for insulating the outside of a house using polystyrene foam:
- Using glue, glue the polystyrene foam sheets onto the blocks and leave for 24 hours. Drive the dowels into the corners and in the middle to secure the panels more firmly. For even laying, use a level. Don't worry if the seams don't match.
Foam laying technology - Secure the fiberglass reinforcing mesh. It will prevent cracking of the plaster and improve the adhesion of the material. Reinforcement begins with fastening the corners, and only then the entire surface is fixed, starting from top to bottom.
- The surface should be plastered, painted and covered with siding.
Scheme of insulation of aerated blocks with polystyrene foam If you use polystyrene foam to insulate the outside of your home, you will not need additional protection. It is important to remember that the thickness of the slabs for facade insulation should be calculated taking into account climatic conditions.
There is a large selection of glues on the construction market. You can use ready-made dry mixtures (Kreisel 210, Ceresit CT85, etc.), liquid adhesive composition(Bitumast). You can also use ready-made mounting adhesive (Ceresit CT 84 “Express”, Tytan Styro 753, etc.). Glue should be applied around the perimeter of the slab, as well as additionally in some areas.
Installing insulation on walls made of gas silicate blocks is not difficult and can be done independently, thereby saving money.
Insulating the walls of a house solves a lot of problems, possible or already existing. The most serious of them is preventing the wall material from getting wet from the gradual accumulation of water vapor, squeezed out from inside the house. There is no way to stop this process; it goes on continuously as long as people live in the house.
Uninsulated walls accumulate moisture, which either freezes on outside wall and destroys its material, or condenses on inner surface, causing the wall to become wet and overgrown with mold or mildew.
Insulation - the only procedure that can stop moisture condensation and ensure steam escapes from the walls without loss of material quality.
As effective materials for insulation can be:
From a physics point of view, effective insulation transfers the dew point from the wall to the outside, best of all - into the insulation material. In other words, the presence of correctly installed insulation redistributes temperature regime in the thickness of the walls, making them warmer and shifting the cold layers outward, causing the area of possible steam condensation to be outside the wall material.
At the same time, the formation of condensation on the warm inner surface of the walls becomes simply impossible.
This process works most efficiently only when the insulating material is located externally.
There are internal and external insulation. At internal insulation It is located on the inner surface of the wall, while on the outside it is located on the outside. The effectiveness of internal insulation largely depends on the ratio of the vapor permeability of the walls and insulation, which should create a greater barrier to vapor than the wall.
Otherwise, steam will accumulate and materials will become wet at the insulation-wall interface (which is often observed). Usually, to protect against this, a continuous cutoff is installed, which makes steam removal possible only with the help of enhanced ventilation of the room.
Methods of wall insulation
In addition, the wall material ceases to receive heat from the inside, remaining only a mechanical barrier to external manifestations.
much more effective and preferable. It is this technology that brings the dew point outside, protects the heat of the walls from dissipating into the outside space and helps to increase comfort inside the house. The escape of steam through the walls is not obstructed; it does not accumulate in the thickness of the wall or insulation.
In addition, there are many other advantages:
- The volume of premises is not reduced.
- The walls from the inside remain intact, no registration is required window blocks re-sloping and window sills.
- The composition of indoor air does not contain excess moisture.
- Created additional sound insulation from external noise.
That's why internal insulation performed only in addition to the outside or when it is physically impossible to work outside. Insulation from outside starts correct processes, and the probability of error with this technology is much less, which allows you to do the work yourself.
Main types of insulation
Quite a lot of materials for wall insulation are produced, all of them 
have their own characteristics, their pros and cons. Today, the most suitable materials are those made from synthetics or natural minerals, because they have the most valuable qualities:
- They don't rot.
- They do not dissolve in water.
- Do not change their shape during long-term use.
- They have low thermal conductivity.
- Available in convenient for installation work form.
These properties are more likely to be found in:
- Mineral wool (especially basalt wool),
- Foam plastic.
- Extruded polystyrene foam.
- Polyurethane foam.
- Foam concrete.
Most of the most suitable materials have a slab release form, most suitable for installation on walls. Mineral wool is also available in rolls, but the slabs are more convenient, stiffer, and have clearer dimensions.
Which insulation is best suited for insulating a wall made of gas silicate blocks?
Gas silicate is a porous material. It consists of almost 90% gas bubbles, which determines its properties - high heat retention, lightness. At the same time, it can absorb water, so in order to maintain its working qualities, it requires the constant ability to easily remove moisture from the thickness of the blocks.
PLEASE NOTE!
Of all the insulation materials used, the most suitable for gas silicate blocks is basalt (stone) wool.
The reasons for this lie in its properties: if foam or polyurethane foam has extremely low vapor permeability, then basalt wool allows steam to pass through well, helping to remove it from the thickness of the gas silicate and the insulation itself.
In this combination, the wall cake works in an efficient manner, allowing the steam to flow smoothly in the desired direction.
Basalt (stone) wool
Insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside - installation of a wall pie
Composition of the wall pie for gas silicate blocks:
- Wall surface.
- The insulation layer is optimally mineral wool (basalt).
- Layer of vapor-hydroprotective membrane.
- A counter-grid that provides a ventilation gap to ventilate the surface of the membrane and allows moisture to evaporate.
- Exterior sheathing - siding or similar, a layer of fire-resistant or decorative brick etc.
As an option, an adhesive layer, fiberglass mesh, a leveling layer of primer are placed on the insulation and plastered.
wall pie
In some cases (for example, if the assembly was done using cement mortar and not special glue) A layer of vapor-conducting plaster can be applied directly to the gas silicate, to level the surface and create additional protection gas silicate blocks from getting wet.
Hydro- and vapor barrier
A vapor barrier is not used to separate the insulation from the wall, as it will cause the accumulation of vapors escaping from the solid walls and wetting of the gas silicate.
On the contrary, free passage of steam through the mineral wool is required.
At the same time, atmospheric humidity can negatively affect the properties of the insulation, and mineral wool is prone to getting wet from the action of humidity.
The solution is an outer layer of a vapor-waterproofing membrane that releases vapor from the inside, but does not allow moisture to pass through from the outside.
Installation of the membrane is done in as continuous a layer as possible, in horizontal stripes (starting from the bottom), with an overlap of layers of at least 15 cm and mandatory gluing of connections with special adhesive tape.
CAREFULLY!
No holes or violations of the integrity of the vapor-hydroprotective layer are allowed!
At finishing layer A membrane is not installed from plaster; instead, layers of external finishing (Glue-fiberglass mesh-primer-plaster) are alternately applied, which together act as a waterproofing barrier.
Sealing cracks and preparing sheathing
Preparatory work before installing insulation is the application of a protective primer layer, leveling the surface and softening the conductivity of adhesive transitions between blocks.
After this, onto the surface of the wall several horizontal rows of wooden blocks are installed the cross-section of which is equal to the thickness of the insulation.
After installing the mineral wool, they will serve as support for the counter-lattice strips necessary to provide a ventilation gap and for installing the outer cladding. The bars are pre-coated with a layer of antiseptic(twice) to prevent rotting of the material.
Installation of sheathing
As an option, instead of bars you can use metal profile for drywall. The guides are installed in the same order, attached to the wall with dowels and screws (necessarily galvanized).
The counter-lattice can also consist of drywall guides. The connection of vertical strips with horizontal ones is made using standard screws for a drill.
Insulation of walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside with mineral wool
Let's consider the sequence of actions for insulation outer wall slab basalt wool.
- Preparing the wall surface, if necessary, apply a leveling layer of vapor-permeable plaster. Dismantling external window slopes and other elements that interfere with the installation of insulation.
- Installing horizontal bars (or drywall guides). The bottom row is located along the border of the plinth (base insulation), the subsequent ones are located with the calculation of dense laying of mineral wool slabs between them.
- The installation of mineral wool is done using glue; dowels with wide heads serve as additional fastenings. A dry mixture is used as glue; it is sold in paper bags (as for ceramic tiles). The choice of glue is made taking into account local climatic conditions.
- It is recommended to apply the adhesive both to mineral wool and to the wall., since mineral wool is a heterogeneous fibrous material with a loose surface that requires increased glue consumption.
- To avoid the formation of cold bridges, the joints of mineral wool slabs should be taped with special tape or polyurethane foam.
- Installation of a vapor-waterproofing membrane. The work is carried out from the bottom up, rows of film are laid with an overlap of 15 cm and taped. The film is attached with a stapler and additionally secured with tape, nails or screws.
- After installing the membrane, a vertical counter-lattice is installed. The row spacing is 0.6-1 m (depending on facing material), The thickness of the slats should provide sufficient ventilation gap - at least 3 cm.
- Installation of external cladding.
Sectional view of the device
Installation of mineral slabs
Laying insulation
Alternative method of insulation
Insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside should be carried out taking into account the properties of the material, which is prone to getting wet and accumulating moisture in its thickness. Therefore, the main condition ensuring correct work wall pie, there will be an unimpeded escape of steam from the inside and a reliable cutoff from moisture from the outside.
Then insulation can ensure heat savings, preservation of wall material and indoor comfort.
Useful video
Insulation of aerated concrete walls in a video tutorial:
