In search of a versatile insulation

Created with the support of Termopol.

In most regions of our country, subzero temperatures last for more than six months, so we do not build houses without thermal insulation. A rare developer does not dream of a heater with good thermal and operational properties, suitable for both walls and attic floors, for example. And it is desirable that it provides sound insulation, and the price is reasonable. Is there a universal solution to the issue of house insulation?

There is no such insulation! - most owners of suburban real estate will say. You never know what we want: as they say in FORUMHOUSE, "Materials should be used for their intended purpose, not at will!" Technical specialist of the company "Termopol" - manufacturer of building insulation, Rostislav Golubtsov helps to understand this issue - we will try to find a universal insulation together with him and the participants of our portal.

What should be the insulation

Rostislav Golubtsov, tTechnical specialist of Termopol:

"For all thermal insulation materials, the following properties and parameters are prioritized: low value of the thermal conductivity coefficient (thermal efficiency), low water absorption, high compressive strength and elasticity, low density (low weight), environmental friendliness, durability, ease of installation, biostability (resistance to decay and mold formation), preservation of the initial geometry (not caking) ".

Cheat sheet. To help consumers

The requirements named by the expert are universal and important for the thermal insulation of all structural elements of the house. But for the insulation of each structure there are also special requirements. We have collected them in a cheat sheet.

Rostislav Golubtsov, ttechnician:

"On the one hand, the consumer needs high thermal efficiency and sound absorption, non-combustibility and resistance to moisture, and on the other hand, safety, ease, and ease of installation. Cost also plays a significant role in the choice. But in order, for example, to achieve non-combustible properties of a material, it is necessary to introduce additional chemicals - fire retardants, which to some extent cannot be completely safe. "

Natural or synthetic: which is safer

When choosing insulation for a home, country dwellers also often resort to the usual division of materials into natural and synthetic.

Natural materials are honored by people who build 100% eco-friendly houses and are engaged in organic farming, but also developers without such life attitudes, "breathing" with cheap synthetic insulation, sometimes they begin to think about using in the direction of sawdust and moss.

Dmitriy, FORUMHOUSE member:

"I sewed up the ceiling and floor with OSB and put in a cheap synthetic insulation. It is impossible to breathe in the house now, I will clean everything. Can sawdust be used as insulation? "

Sawdust and hemp are, of course, extreme. The environmental friendliness of the material is of great importance, and the house must be safe for life, but insulate the ceiling with sawdust in the XXI century is about the same as weaving in search of ecological shoes bast shoes.

Rostislav Golubtsov ttechnician:

“It is wrong to mean only natural materials (flax, sawdust, hemp, straw, moss, etc.) as environmentally friendly. Eco-friendly materials are those that do not have a toxic effect on living organisms. The most environmentally friendly today are polyester insulation. it synthetic materials produced by thermal bonding technology (without the use of adhesives, toxic binders and fire retardants) ".

Originally from the textile industry, polyester insulation was developed as filling for pillows, blankets, clothing and furniture, including children's mattresses. Direct contact with the human body immediately obliged manufacturers to adhere to special requirements for the safety and environmental friendliness of materials. For the production of construction polyester insulation, the same raw materials are used, the only difference is in the recipe, density and thickness. By the way, the opportunity to insulate the house with children's mattresses looks attractive.

Rostislav Golubtsov technical specialist:

"Natural heaters often lose to synthetic ones in a number of properties: thermal conductivity, vapor permeability, water absorption, elasticity, resistance to deformation, durability, dimensional stability and biostability ".

Formula of universal insulation

As our expert says, universal insulation you can call one that has the following set of characteristics:

• thermal conductivity no more than 0.04 W / (m ∙ oC);
• water absorption no more than 1 - 1.4 kg / m2;
• vapor permeability not less than 0.20 mg / (m ∙ h ∙ Pa);
• environmental friendliness;
• durability;
• elasticity not less than 90%;
• compressibility not less than 50%;
• sound absorption coefficient at low frequencies (125 Hz) not less than 0.20 Hz;
• sound absorption coefficient at high frequencies (4000 Hz) not less than 0.75 Hz.

Materials with such indicators are no longer a myth. Some qualities seem to be mutually exclusive, but in a finished construction with the right components, such materials are truly universal.

Artyom, atprivate owner FORUMHOUSE:

"Where can there be good indicators of thermal conductivity, if the material is blown through? How will it keep warm if it is blown out? "

Rostislav Golubtsov technical specialist:

"The thermal conductivity of materials consists of the thermal conductivity of their constituent elements. For materials produced by our company, low thermal conductivity is provided by a large amount of inert air that is between the fibers. To ensure effective thermal insulation in the structure, it is necessary to provide for the use of windproof materials, as well as vapor barrier. "

A question that often occurs on our forum: does such a universal insulation need a vapor barrier - after all, it is vapor-permeable?

Sergey Chekanov, FORUMHOUSE member:

"Still, the question of the need for a vapor barrier film in the attic floor is interesting in case of insulation of the attic roof with such an insulation. Insulation is resistant to moisture, this is an excellent property. But, as I understand the physics of the process, in winter warm steam from the attic should still condense in its upper layers, close to the street, there it will turn into ice and this ice will gradually accumulate, increasing thermal conductivity insulation. Yes, of course, in warm weather it will all melt, calmly come out of the insulation either in the form of steam or in the form condensate, but without vapor barrier, condensate will still form, we will not go anywhere dew point. "

Rostislav Golubtsov technical specialist:

"The low thermal conductivity of porous materials is retained when they are moistened due to their low water absorption capacity. When working with such materials, it is necessary to use a continuous vapor barrier from the inner surface of the house and a supply and exhaust ventilation device. This is especially true in attics, since condensation can accumulate in large quantities. This condition is necessary to protect external structures from moisture. Moisture will not have a destructive effect on the material, however, it can lead to damage to adjacent structures (metal corrosion, wood decay). "

How to choose a bona fide manufacturer

It seems that if you compare the information provided by the manufacturers of insulation with our cheat sheet and the above set of characteristics, there will be no problem. So we will find a material that can be used to insulate all structural elements of the house, from the attic to the outer walls, regardless of the material from which the house is built and the architectural complexity of the building. But the risk of error always remains.

Rostislav Golubtsov technical specialist:

"In the modern construction industry, a huge variety of different insulation materials is presented, however, there is no clear information regulator for reliable properties and characteristics. The existing building codes and regulations in the Russian Federation do not fully reflect the variety of materials. Because of this, many consumers are lost in their choice and, as a result, choose the wrong method of isolation. As a result, the thermal efficiency of the structure remains low and the costs are high. "

And how not to be mistaken here? Manufacturers of thermal insulation materials are constantly competing with each other, including unscrupulous ones, who try to present their products in the most favorable light, embellishing their qualities and overstating indicators.

Rostislav Golubtsov technical specialist:

"Unfortunately, today in our country there are no express methods for self-assessment of the properties of building heaters, however, conscientious manufacturers are always ready to share the results of tests and studies of their materials. The consumer should pay attention to where the tests were performed. There are only a few centers with a well-developed scientific and instrumental base for evaluating building materials. One of the most respected today is the "Research Institute of Building Physics of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Sciences" (NIISF RAASN) ".

SRI Stroyfiziki is one of the developers of construction SNIPs. On the technical basis of the institute, different heaters were tested: mineral wool, expanded polystyrene. Scientists recently tested and praised polyester insulation.

Compromise but reality

Universal insulation is always a compromise, because each structural element of the house has its own specific requirements for thermal insulation. But now there is materialsobtained by the method of thermal bonding (polyester insulation), which are at the same time environmentally friendly, resistant to moisture, heat-efficient, unattractive to all types of pests and with such an extensive list of useful properties they have quite acceptable cost.

What is the best insulation in your opinion? Write in the comments!

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