Expanded polystyrene is a gas-filled material obtained from polystyrene and styrene copolymers. The gas-filled styrene granules are dissolved in the polymer mass, then the mass is heated with steam, as a result of which the initial granules multiply in volume. The granules occupy a block shape and are sintered together. This technology is used to produce expanded polystyrene.
Natural gas is used for standard styrofoam. For fire-resistant - carbon dioxide. Expanded polystyrene is an inexpensive building material that does not require special knowledge and special equipment to work with it. The material is used mainly as thermal insulation and less often as decorative elements.
- 2 Scope of application of expanded polystyrene
- 3 Advantages and disadvantages of expanded polystyrene
- 4 Technology of insulation with expanded polystyrene
4.1 Thermal insulation of a concrete floor using expanded polystyrene granules
- 4.2 Insulation of floors with expanded polystyrene sheets under a concrete screed
- 4.3 Insulation of floors on logs
How to choose polystyrene foam
So, you have decided to insulate your house with expanded polystyrene. Let's take a look at how to choose the right quality material. When buying insulation, pay attention to the following criteria:
- Appearance... The material should be free of peeling granules, uniform white color, no damage or debris.
- Smell... The material must not have any chemical or other foreign smell.
- Structure... Granules should be well sintered, approximately the same size, the fracture line at breakage should pass both between the granules and directly inside them.
- Packaging... Buying material in unique labeled packaging with information about the manufacturer, regulatory document, its brand and recommendations for use, you can be sure that you are purchasing high-quality expanded polystyrene.
- Information on the characteristic of expanded polystyrene... The packaging must indicate the thermal and physical and mechanical characteristics, as well as the dimensions of the sheet.
- Place of sale... Material you need to buy at legal points of sale, in the presence of which there is a covered warehouse.
You can read about the main characteristics of extruded polystyrene here:
Engineering works
Technical moments in floor insulation with expanded polystyrene deserve special attention.
Concrete base
In this video you will learn how you can insulate the floor with expanded polystyrene on the loggia.
Enjoy your viewing!
To insulate a concrete floor, careful preparation of the surface on which the material will be laid will be required.
Before starting work, it is worth knowing that the material must be of high quality and strength.
Layers:
- waterproofing film;
- expanded polystyrene;
- reinforcing mesh, on which you should first apply 2 centimeters of the solution;
- finishing screed with a thickness of 5 to 8 centimeters;
- sealing gaps around the perimeter of the room where the work was carried out (you can use foam or fiberglass for this).
It is important to remember: roll waterproofing should be applied with an overlap, which should be approximately 10 centimeters.
Floor insulation with extruded polystyrene foam
Extruded polystyrene foam is a heat-insulating material with closed cells, distributed among themselves.
The material does not shrink, moreover, it does not rot over time, does not absorb moisture, is quite resistant to the effects of chemicals, and does not swell.
Extruded polystyrene foam is characterized by high strength.
Laying technology:
- First, a layer of assembly glue is applied to the floor surface using a comb. The adhesive should be applied with gentle movements in a thin and even layer evenly over the entire area.
- The tiles are laid on glue, after which the material is pressed with hands to obtain better adhesion of surfaces.
- In this way, the laying of the entire remaining area of the room continues.
- The laid material is allowed to dry for a day, after which glue is applied to the plates.
- Next, a special cellular fiberglass is glued in, better known as serpyanka. This action should be performed to increase the degree of hardness and strength of the floors.
- The glue is leveled on the serpentine with a spatula.
- As a result, you will get a flat surface, on which the next day you can mount beacons and make a cement-sand screed.
Floor insulation with extruded polystyrene foam
Below is a video instruction for those who want to insulate the walls of the house with expanded polystyrene.
An equally effective method of floor insulation is the use of modified polystyrene foam.
Thermal insulation of the first floor with this material provides for the installation of the material on floor slabs.
In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the joints do not coincide between the sheets with the joints of the floors.
The waterproofing is laid on top, after which a screed mixed from cement mortar is poured onto it.
The layers will look like this:
- Overlapping.
- A layer of plaster.
- Extruded polystyrene foam.
- Waterproofing layer.
- Cement strainer.
- Flooring.
Sequencing:
- The surface is prepared accordingly, significant irregularities are cleaned.
- Next, the insulation material is laid.
- Next, a waterproofing layer is laid.
- The surface is filled with a screed made of a cement-sand mixture, while the thickness of the screed should be within 30-50 centimeters.
- Next, the floor covering is mounted.
Wooden base
Often, wooden houses need to install insulation material, which is often used as expanded polystyrene.
Work algorithm:
- In order to avoid subsequent subsidence, the soil is carefully compacted and leveled.
- After that, you need to fill up a layer of expanded clay.
- This is followed by laying the waterproofing.
- Then a layer of expanded polystyrene is made.
- Then a cement-sand screed is poured.
- The final stage is the flooring of the topcoat.
It is important to remember: wood is sensitive to high humidity, and therefore you need to carefully monitor the ventilation foundation ducts.
What is the thickness of the insulating layer?
The thickness of the extruded polystyrene foam should be a maximum of 10 centimeters.
Therefore, we need two layers of slabs, each five centimeters thick.
It is worth noting that the desire to lay a layer of more than ten centimeters is impractical, since the large thickness of this heat-insulating material will not do anything.
- Cutting slabs of material is available with various tools at hand.
- It is possible to seal large gaps and crevices in the joints of the base material and the lag by means of fiberglass.
- Leave an inch of clearance along the wall when placing slabs of material.
- When laying carpet on top of an insulating building material, a base of fiberboard, gypsum fiber board or chipboard is required.
To ensure maximum comfort in the house, you should take care not only of the thermal insulation of the walls, but also of the floor insulation. Today there are a lot of insulating materials, but, perhaps, expanded polystyrene is rightfully considered the most effective. Warming the floor with expanded polystyrene is a fairly simple procedure, which, nevertheless, allows you to make your home warmer.In addition, this material is non-flammable and environmentally friendly.
Modern polystyrene foam is a cheap material that is widely used both in country houses and city apartments. It is made by thermal swelling of polystyrene granules. As a result, the granules are sintered, forming a white material.
Each of the expanded polystyrene granules consists of many microscopic cells with air. This can explain the extraordinary lightness of the material, because 97% of its composition is air voids.
Scope of application of expanded polystyrene
Depending on the density of the material, expanded polystyrene is used in the following areas:
- As unloaded thermal insulation slabs with a density of up to 15.0 kg / m3 used in enclosing structures such as: floors, internal partitions, pitched roofs, attic floors, insulation of balconies, containers, etc.
- For loadable thermal insulation slabs with a density of 15.1 to 25.0 kg / m3 used in the production of sandwich panels and in the insulation of walls, floors, rabbits, three-layer walls with a protective and decorative layer of brick.
- Any facade brands of slabs with a density of 16 to 20 kg / cubic meter. used for thermal insulation of vertical enclosing structures various facade thermal insulation systems with external plaster layers.
- Plates with a density of 25.1 to 25.0 kg / m3 used in structures with significant loads - Self-leveling floors in civil and industrial construction, insulation of foundations, walls in basements. And also in the manufacture of packaging products.
- Plates with a density of 35.1 to 50.0 kg / m3 are used as thermal insulation for surfaces that are particularly loaded during operation. - basement floors, zero cycles of buildings, garages and parking lots, in the construction of floors and roofs used for automobile and pedestrian loads, etc.
The consumer must know all the properties of the thermal insulation material in order to make the best decision for himself. Consider the pros and cons of expanded polystyrene.
The fact that polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene is better can be learned from this material:
Advantages and disadvantages of expanded polystyrene
TO positive the qualities of the material include the following points:
- Ease of use... Styrofoam plates are easily processed with a household knife or fine-toothed hacksaw. Easily fastened with mounting accessories, glued with glue or cement mortar.
- Light weight... Due to their low weight, the slabs can be lifted to a height without additional mechanisms.
- Environmentally friendly product. Expanded polystyrene is not poisonous, does not emit dust during processing, is odorless and does not cause skin irritation.
- Resistance to biological and chemical influences... Due to the fact that foam is a synthetic product, animals and microorganisms do not use it for food. It is also not a habitat for bacteria and fungi.
The advantages of the material include such qualities as sound insulation, moisture resistance, low price and durability of the material (more than 50 years).
Negative the qualities of this insulation are much less:
- Deformation... Low heat resistance allows the development of thermal deformation at a temperature of + 80-90 degrees.
- Flammability... Gas-filled expanded polystyrene granules are capable of igniting at very high temperatures.
- The need for protection from mechanical damage
Having familiarized yourself with the basic properties of the material and opting for polystyrene foam, you can use the following options for floor insulation. Warm floors are an integral part of an energy-efficient home. Floor insulation with expanded polystyrene under the screed will help reduce heat loss and will make the temperature in the room comfortable and cozy.
Insulation with expanded polystyrene is an affordable and simple way of thermal insulation.
Floor insulation with extruded polystyrene foam
Floor insulation with extruded polystyrene foam can be carried out not only in the house itself, but also on the loggia. This material does not absorb moisture, which is its main feature.
1m 2 of this material can withstand a heavy load on loggias or, for example, in a bath, and the material will not collapse.
Among the features of this material, the following should be highlighted:
- Excellent value for money;
- High density despite the weight of only up to 50kg per m2;
- The service life reaches 50 years;
- Resistant to chemicals;
- It is environmentally friendly.
Installation technology is not complicated. Before proceeding with the installation, it is imperative to level the surface and organize the screed. Penoplex will stick well only in this case.
If you are equipping a bath or a loggia, then small segments can be divided into pieces. It should be noted that the organization of this system in these rooms will lead to a significant reduction in heating costs.
Insulation technology with expanded polystyrene
Insulation of a concrete floor using expanded polystyrene granules
Adding granules to the concrete solution allows the concrete floor to acquire thermal insulation properties. To do this, mix the concrete solution. Add dry cement to a small amount of water and stir with a drill with a special nozzle until the consistency of sour cream. Without stopping to interfere, polystyrene granules are added to the solution. This can be the ratio of concrete to granules as 1: 3 and 1: 6. Than the more filler, the warmer the floor... Depending on what hard floor covering the concrete-expanded polystyrene screed will then be covered, the ratio is determined. The more granules, the lower the strength. Also, the screed with granules has a soundproofing quality.
Insulation of floors with expanded polystyrene sheets under a concrete screed
To begin with, the soil is compacted, crushed stone is poured and a layer of sand and a film are covered on top. Then the sheets of material are laid tightly around the entire perimeter of the floor. The joints are filled with polyurethane foam or glued. Lay another layer of film. To protect sheets from mechanical stressto which the floors are exposed must be laid on the sheets durable mounting mesh... Fill the surface with a 40-60 mm thick screed mortar. When the solution hardens, the floor covering is laid.
Insulation of floors on logs
If the floor is made using a log, then it becomes much easier to insulate the floors. To begin with, wooden floor elements are processed antifungal drugs and moisture protection agents. Then, boards or sheets of chipboard are attached to the self-tapping screws from the lower side of the lags, and sheets of material cut to the size of the opening are laid on them. From above, the covering is covered with foil and floor covering.
An article dedicated to floor insulation with penoizol is here:
Consumption of self-leveling cement-based floor
If we take into account all the nuances, it is quite simple to calculate the consumption of a cement-based self-leveling floor. For example, with a millimeter layer thickness per 1 m2, it is necessary to use about a liter of mortar. For self-leveling floor coverings of 8 m2, 80 liters of building material are required.
Everything is quite complicated here. It is necessary to take into account the density of the mixture, which can be read on the packaging. Some mixtures contain a variety of heavy fillers - quartz sand, barite, river sand and other building materials are used for this. Thus, the price is significantly reduced, but the consumption of self-leveling floors per m2 increases. As a result, you still have to spend a lot more money. In other words, if a mixture with a density of 1.3 kg / l is used to finish a floor of 8 m2, then in the end it will be necessary to use not 80 liters of the finished mixture, but 104.
How to avoid common mistakes
To work with expanded polystyrene to be of high quality, avoid the following mistakes.
- Special attention to the base / plinth rail... If horizontal cracks suddenly appear on the plaster, then the plinth rail was not fixed correctly. To correct the errors, you need to remove 10 cm of plaster from the bottom edge and cut off part of the insulation that covers the rail. Fasten the rail and cover it with a net to the bottom edge. Then the new mesh is overlapped by 10 cm with the old one and covered with fresh plaster.
- Contact of polystyrene foam with the ground... When expanded polystyrene comes into contact with the ground, the material quickly gets wet and becomes unusable. Here, a plinth strip is needed, which performs a protective function. To correct the error, you need to cut off the bottom edge of the insulation and replace it with extruded polystyrene foam.
- When using three-layer enclosing structures in which the outer and inner walls are made of small blocks or bricks, polystyrene foam should not be used. In this case, mineral wool in slabs is more suitable. Also do not use expanded polystyrene as insulation for wooden houses... The material traps the release of water vapor to the outside, thereby causing wood to rot.
- Weather conditions are very important in the work on insulation. Work should be carried out in dry weather at temperatures from + 5 to + 25 degrees.
- Failure to comply with the thickness of the insulation... If too thin a slab layer is applied to walls made of concrete hollow blocks or large slabs, the buildings will still be cold.
- The emergence of thermal bridges... When used in fixing the plates with dowels of an unsuitable quality (in the future, the supporting discs disappear), thermal bridges arise, which contribute to intense heat leakage.
Whatever insulation you would use, we can say with confidence that after installing thermal insulation, the house will become warmer, and the atmosphere in it will be pleasant for residents.
