Insulating walls extruded polystyrene

Advantages of extruded polystyrene insulation of walls

Extruded polystyrene was obtained as a result of developments in the US for more than half a century ago and in the last 15 years, it is widely used in thermal insulation of buildings of different functional purpose. You can hold the insulation material that any part of the building - walls, windows, floor, basement, roof. Wall insulation extruded polystyrene foam may be carried out both inside and outside. Most appropriate insulation from the outside, as well as insulation of load-bearing structures in the construction phase. In this case, the extruded polystyrene is laid in the hollow walls.

What is extruded polystyrene.

Extruded polystyrene foam was prepared by mixing the granules of polymeric material (polystyrene) with a blowing agent based on carbon dioxide and light freons. The composition is heated to a high temperature and pressed through an extruder - a special apparatus, which provides better mixing and additional foaming the mixture. Then the forming of the liquid mixture into sheets. When solidification they form a durable and lightweight thermal insulation material.

XPS - a new word in the field of thermal insulation technology. Its performance as insulation foam with characteristics comparable, albeit one another and are made from polystyrene. The foamed polystyrene has the form of granules of size 2-8 mm, formation of the material occurs by sintering the granules to each other under the influence of steam. In the case of extruded polystyrene foam does not undergo transformation individual pellets, but a single liquid substance. Therefore, it has an integral microstructure with uniform indissoluble intermolecular chemical bonds. Consequently, unlike the conventional extruded polystyrene foam has a more dense texture consisting of small (0.1-0.2 mm) is completely closed, air-filled cells. The ability to retain heat from the extruded polystyrene foam is very high, its heat conductivity - 0.03 watts per cubic centimeter. Such low rates are explained by the fact that the structure of this material is greater than 90% of the air in the closed cells.

Also, the advantages of extruded polystyrene are:

• High strength - the material is able to withstand a load up to 35 tons per square meter.
• Resistance to aggressive environmental factors - increased atmospheric humidity, temperature changes, active solar rays and so forth, as well as deterioration by insects, rodents, birds.
• Water resistant, it prevents the emergence of different kinds of deformation, the formation of mold and rot development processes.
• Durability - the service life of the insulation is at least 50 years.
• Low vapor permeability, which eliminates the need to use paroizolyatorov during installation work.
• Environmentally friendly - as it is known, in addition to the wide range of applications in the construction sector, of expanded polystyrene make containers for storage and transportation, disposable utensils and even toys.
• Fire safety.

Wall insulation from the outside

The most widespread use of polystyrene with insulation exterior walls. In this way, it carried out insulation of buildings during the construction phase, as it is used in the reconstruction of old buildings. The advantage of this method is that the thickening of the walls on the outside does not affect the size of the interior space. In addition, the insulation of the walls from the outside more logical and correct according to the laws of physics.

For external insulation extruded polystyrene sheets are used 80-100 mm, if use thinner sheets - 30-40 mm, then they are placed in two layers. This method of insulation can save up to 50% of the domestic heat and thus reduce heating costs.

Sheet stacking process heater is as follows: the wall surface is cleaned and aligned, the sheets are glued with a special adhesive and fixed by means of mushroom- plastic dowels. The sheets are stacked end to end, but the adhesive should not fall on the joints of sheets. Insulation for better grip should have a rough surface, as well as the plate extruded polystyrene are smooth enough, you can do before gluing them cuts ordinary knife. The next step is superimposed on the polystyrene layer of mastic adhesive, and it is recessed thin reinforcing mesh. This grid provides better fixation plaster and subsequent finishing. On reinforcing mesh overlaps one lining layer of mastic, top primer mixture. Then, finishing is applied or fixed facade material.

Please note that all work on the insulation exterior walls should be conducted at a temperature of not less than 5 degrees, in dry weather. Each subsequent layer is applied or fixed only after complete drying of the previous layer.

External insulation of buildings and structures is equally effective in both the private and industrial construction.

Thermal insulation inside the walls

Sometimes the insulation of the building from the outside is impossible. This situation can occur when the reconstructed object is high cultural and historical significance, or exterior finish of the building characterized by an abundance of unique decorative elements.

For insulating walls extruded polystyrene sheet material used inside lesser thickness - from 10-20 to 30-40 mm, and they are stacked in a single layer. Stacking is made directly on the inner surface of the walls by adhesive. Additional fixing styrofoam sheets can not do.

If the outer insulation is missing, usually between the insulation and the wall surface leaving small air gap, which plays the role of ventilation. This prevents the walls from penetrating from the outside of the condensate, which can cause excessive moisture, and as a result, decay. Thanks to the wall created by the ventilation has the opportunity to dry out.

In some cases, a ventilation gap is left between the insulation and finishing materials. The thickness of the walls as a result of such activities increases significantly, which entails a reduction in the internal space premises. Therefore, this method of insulation is used when no one else more suitable.

Finishing materials are attached to the expanded polystyrene by means of wooden crates. Alternatively, it is possible to fix the sheets of extruded polystyrene plasterboard, on which is superimposed finishing: panels, wallpaper, painting and so on.

Thermal insulation of cavity wall

Currently, there are methods of erection of hollow walls, which can significantly save on materials in the construction of buildings. Through the use of sufficiently robust materials the presence of cavities in the walls does not affect the quality of construction works. In such cases, extruded polystyrene is placed directly into the cavity of the load-bearing structures, which greatly improves performance of any building - finishing both inside and outside is applied directly to the surface of the walls, and thermal insulation material lasts much longer as not exposed to the environment and external factors due lack of contact with them.