How we insulated our country house with polystyrene and tar paper: now you can comfortably live in it all year round

Our subscriber shared his experience with us.

About 8 years ago my husband and I decided to buy ourselves a house in the village. To begin with, they planned to use it as a summer residence. This is how it looked after purchase:

The wooden three-room house turned out to be very unreliable. He was very old. We live in Siberia and our winters are severe. And so in winter we periodically came to heat it. The stove in the house was ordinary, but it was heated so that the stove was red-hot. Once I put my shoes on the stove barrels to dry them. The sole has come off the shoe and melted. The stove was well heated, but the house was very cold. The curtains on the windows swayed in the wind, and a chill walked down the bottom. The floor was icy.

This could not last for a long time, we decided to change the situation, to warm ourselves. The cracks between the logs were filled with polyurethane foam. The windows were covered with cotton wool.

There were many options for wall insulation, but we settled on foam. Our decision was influenced by the advantages of polystyrene as a heater. It is very easy to handle. There is no need to purchase additional tools to work with it. Styrofoam is easily cut with a sharp knife. It is very light and it is not difficult to lift it up. I was also pleased with its budget price. Polyfoam is not afraid of fungus and bacteria. In addition, this insulation is very durable.

Of course, along with the advantages, the insulation also has disadvantages. Polyfoam is combustible. Also, foam has low vapor permeability. This disadvantage can be eliminated by correct installation of the material. Otherwise, mold may appear on the main wall. The foam was easy and quick to attach.

From personal experience, we discovered another significant disadvantage of foam. It turns out that birds love him very much. They picked it up, made holes.

Conclusion, the foam must be closed. A material was needed that was resistant to moisture, wind, minor mechanical damage.

Ordinary roofing felt perfectly suited in all respects, and it is also not expensive in price.

The whole house was insulated with tar paper from all sides.

The next winter, the house became much warmer, no more blowing into the walls and floor. The temperature began to hold longer. We replaced some of the windows with plastic ones. The exterior of the house was not very attractive.

It remains to decorate the walls of the house with siding.

The stove in the house was changed to a boiler with water heating. Now we use this country house for living. We heat it once every 2 days. The temperature lasts for a very long time. The house turned out to be very warm and, in my opinion, pretty.