How to properly insulate a house with foam: the subtleties of technology

At first glance, wall insulation with foam seems to be a simple matter, but this is far from the case. There are subtleties, non-observance of which can turn into spoiled material and mood, and you will have to redo everything all over again in three years. How to insulate a house with foam in compliance with the technology - read on.

Preparing the walls

As in most other works, the first step is to prime the walls with high quality. Priming is a fundamental step that is not worth saving. The primer strengthens and removes dust from the surface; fills microcracks; enhances the ability of materials to adhere to each other (adhesion); evens out the absorbency of the wall.

Styrofoam gluing

At this stage, even experienced craftsmen make gross mistakes. The fact is that there are only two correct and acceptable ways of gluing foam: "box" and "under the comb". No point application of the adhesive is permissible: it will lead to the sheets being shot off within a short time!

Method one: "under the comb"

This method of application involves completely covering the sheet with adhesive using a comb-trowel. It is used in cases where the wall drop is no more than 15 mm. This method of application not only saves material consumption, but is also very reliable. However, in practice, it is extremely rare to apply glue using this particular technology.

Method two: "box-camera"

“Box-camera” technology is a combined application of glue in a continuous layer along the perimeter (borders) of the sheet and 6-10 points evenly distributed throughout the sheet. This method of gluing is quite reliable and differs from simple spot application for a number of factors.

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Why can't you apply the glue pointwise?

Air currents in any case penetrate under the facade surface. Air draft increases heat loss and causes faster deformation of both the sheet and its adhesion to the wall. If you apply the glue pointwise, then the air flow will not be obstructed. In the case of applying the glue "in a box" or "under the comb", active air movement under the foam will be practically excluded.

And this factor is also important for reducing the fire hazard of the house: with spot application, the flame under the facade will spread instantly. The thrust created by the air flow is likely to inflate even the smallest ignition source. For example, damaged wiring: with an active access of oxygen, it will have a much better chance of developing into a full-fledged fire.

In addition, spot glue application significantly increases the risk of deformation of the edges of the foam sheet. Shooting off even one adhesive coupler can lead to a crack on the facade surface. In the case of applying glue by the above methods, such a scenario is excluded.

What to do after installing the foam?

A day after gluing the foam, it can be strengthened with umbrellas. The technological norm is the use of four to eight umbrellas per sheet of foam.

Further, when the sheet is fixed with umbrellas and the cracks are filled with foam, it is advisable to rub it with a special grater (roughen it up). This procedure is optional, but it significantly increases the adhesion of the reinforcing adhesive to the foam. After these procedures, you should install the perforated corners on the corners and slopes, and cover the umbrellas with glue.

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Bonding reinforcing mesh to foam

At this stage, a mistake is made, leading to the flaking of the plaster layer from the facade. The fact is that it is much easier and faster to glue the mesh, first fixing it with nails or several sections with glue, and then stretch it from above with an adhesive composition. This is unacceptable, this error threatens to shoot entire areas of the facade!

How to do

The only and correct way to fix the mesh is to first apply a thin layer to the foam, and then glue the mesh. The mesh with a spatula must be drowned in the adhesive composition. Thus, the formation of voids (non-glued places) under the mesh is excluded. It should be understood that this is the first, reinforcing layer on which the mesh is attached, and all irregularities and transitions are leveled with another layer.

Some helpful tips

• When working with a reinforcing mesh, it should be borne in mind that the enemy of the adhesive is the sun. Work should be done in the shade. In the sun, the glue dries very quickly, which causes a lot of inconvenience.
• The glue must be diluted with the correct consistency, reminiscent of thick sour cream. You can check this: the composition should not remain a thick layer on the spatula, but slowly drain.
• It is necessary to apply a reinforcing mesh with an overlap of 10 centimeters.

What tips can you add for insulating your home with Styrofoam? Write in the comments!

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