Clash of the Titans: foam vs mineral wool

Choosing the winner of the dispute on Forumhouse - foam in the frame walls - the best mineral wool ...

The article did not order any styrofoam manufacturers or rock wool.

Frame houses builders often argue: "Which is better - foam insulation or mineral wool?". How many people, so many opinions. As a result, developers are beginning to face the hard choices and do not know what is more profitable to insulate a home. We have simplified the problem and gathered responses from the subject, where a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of these materials. So, choose your insulation!

Content:

• Arguments "For" and "Against" foam and mineral wool karkasnikah
• Increased flammability and toxicity of foam - myth or reality?
• Pros and cons of expanded polystyrene insulation and kamennovatnoy

Foam or rock wool: a difficult choice insulation

Just say that there are no bad insulation, there are materials that are not in place or mounted with gross construction errors. Hence - all problems. But the controversy over the selection of the best type of insulation do not cease. Consider

arguments "for" foam in the frame wall.

Igor Antipov

Builder, the user FORUMHOUSE

I do not understand why to insulate frame houses often recommend mineral wool. In my opinion, polystyrene mineral wool insulation is superior on all counts! They say, foam Leaky rodents, but this can be prevented. I have seen how the mouse arrange nests laid in the mineral wool in the attic. My reasons "for" foam:

• Expanded polystyrene is cheaper than mineral wool.
• It surpasses mineral wool for thermal performance.
• The foam is practically do not absorb moisture, so there is no need for a vapor barrier.
• Dimensional stability.
• Durable foam "wool" and, over time, does not lose its properties.

It seems to me when choosing a heater, we go on about the marketing, what do you think?

Wiktar

Member FORUMHOUSE

I am also voting for expanded polystyrene. Safety indicators he is not inferior to mineral wool. A mouse eaten by all kinds of heaters. A bath but the steam room, I insulate foam, and did not regret it.

We add that in the minds of novice developers firmly entrenched "myth" that rodents eat foam. In fact mice and rats do not eat insulation! They are paving in the insulation - and in the foam and mineral wool, moves in search of food in the house or arrange nests to breed.

katoga

Member FORUMHOUSE

I stood in the shed roll minvatnogo insulation foam and lying in slabs. So, for the mouse disheveled winter wool apart and did not touch the foam.

Yury

Civil Engineer, the user FORUMHOUSE

I have my cottage is insulated with polystyrene foam 15 cm thick. Heat loss is minimal, no smells, cool in summer, in general - comfortable. I recently checked the insulation - made opening in the wall. For 7 years, the foam had not changed. Inner lining - an imitation of timber. I put it without a gap, and a vapor barrier. Wood is also in perfect condition. PPS sheets tightly, firmly laid between the pillars. Nothing penyl. The main thing - all exactly the mark and cut the foam is not a hacksaw and a sharp knife. Plates 5 cm thick layers bandaged. Outside, just in case, I mounted waterproof.

Goryachev

user FORUMHOUSE

I chose polystyrene foam as the most effective insulation inside the building envelopes. The foam does not dampen, easy to install and inexpensive. The only minus for me - bad foam sound insulator. The "myths" about the rodent toxicity and short life, I do not believe the foam. I think this is due to incorrect application of material, choice of low-quality foam and good audibility mice if they are crawling in the walls, insulated foam.

Now consider arguments "for" mineral wool in karkasnikah. We have already said that the foam - poor sound insulator. And it is true.

Serg_AS

user FORUMHOUSE

Plus rock wool - it provides better soundproofing than polystyrene.

Igor Antipov

And I would argue with this statement! Those familiar with karkasnikami, insulated with mineral wool, are well aware that in a wall of the house all the bad breath. I used to insulate the carcass partition "wool" 10 cm thick and sewed it with plasterboard on both sides. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when it turned out that the old dividing wall made of thin logs, missed less sounds.

Starper

user FORUMHOUSE

I have introduced the "five cents" against the foam. I insulate the old cottage and saw what was left of Styrofoam. All sgryzli mouse. Moreover, running right under your feet. After I put quality mineral wool, rodents disappeared. She barbed. I saw the place where the mouse would get into the house. They took a piece of glass wool, and then not climbed.

record

Participant FORUMHOUSE

I heard that the foam is bad for health and can not be used as a heater in residential areas. The "plastic" house I would not live!

nikola032

Member FORUMHOUSE

I am building a house frame. I insulate the ceiling between the second floor and the roof foam. First laid between the beams 15 cm foam in three layers of 5 cm. Filled bars perpendicular cross section of 50 mm and 5 cm packed More expandable polystyrene and to lay boards. My observation - as soon as the sun comes out and heats up the attic, of the foam there is a terrible stench. Closed his film. Did not help. The joints between the beams and slabs of foam are sealed with foam. This increases the cost and increases the period of construction. How will behave over time, wood, covered with foam, is also unclear. When cutting foam produces a lot of garbage. My verdict - foam inside is nothing to do at home. Its field of application - external insulation!

To understand the flammability and toxicity of foam

As you can see, people's opinions are divided. And now the "heavy artillery." Everyone has heard that the foam - combustible material. Perhaps it is - the main reason why many against the use of polystyrene foam for insulation and partition walls "for" non-combustible stone wool.

Igor D.

Member FORUMHOUSE

Foam during the combustion emits toxic substance. The man in the fire simply can not crawl to the exit. Suffocate. For example, if a fire occurred at night. I once saw myself as a burning building under construction, which have warmed foam. It was a terrible stench, and a lot of smoke. By the way, SES then froze the construction of the building for a year, until it's weathered.

Dikana

Member FORUMHOUSE

I once set fire to foam brand PSB 25. Piece melted with the release of something acrid. He burning, as I understand it, is not particularly supported. But melts at low temperature. If just a little polyhnet, just choke in such a room.

Vnesom clarity. Expanded polystyrene is different. For example, the modified, ie. E. - having a part of the conventional flame retardants.

Flame retardants retard ignition and combustion processes.

Foam with flame retardants represented by the letter C. This - PSB-S-15, PSB-S-25, S-PSB-PSB-35 and C-50. The number at the end is the brand of density. Group of combustibility conventional foam without flame retardants, G4, T. E. - silnogoryuchy material.

When burning polystyrene allocated a bouquet harmful chemicals - oxide and carbon dioxide, phenol, styrene, and other elements... hydrogen cyanide - hydrocyanic acid - volatile thin liquid, which is a strong poison.

Inhalation of prussic acid, or entering it into the body, leading to loss of consciousness and death.

Expanded polystyrene with the letter "C" is self-extinguishing, t. e. extinguishes the fire source in the absence of. Group its flammability - T3 - normalnogoryuchie materials. Fair to say that during combustion of carbon monoxide released timber, T. N. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. Inhalation of carbon monoxide in a fire leading to poisoning, loss of consciousness, and, at high concentrations, to death.

Incidentally, hydrogen cyanide and paperboard is also released during combustion of plain paper, Albeit in significantly smaller quantities (approximately 100 times) than during the combustion of the foam. But there is one "but."

From the point of view of fire hazard insulation should not be considered separately on its own, and mounted in a "cake" of the wall.

If the foam is closed incombustible materialFor example, giposovoloknistym sheet (GVL) or fire-resistant gypsum board (GKLO) the calculated fire resistance of the whole structure generally.

Fire indicator describes the ability of building structures to limit the spread fire and maintain the required performance at high temperatures in fire conditions.

In practice, this means that if the fire gets to the foam in the wall, then there will be no one to save. Why?

Most people die in fires is not due to direct flame exposure, and due to the fact that the inhaled toxic substances contained in the smoke, lost consciousness or poisoned by toxic gases.

In case of fire, in a cottage, in the first place, lights decoration, furniture, clothing, home furnishings and household appliances. And now look back and see what they are made? Likely due silnogoryuchih and normalnogoryuchih materials - plastics of all kinds, wood, fabric paint +. T. e. all that is, when burning, the foam is not inferior to allocate any chemical shit.

The structure must be designed so that the residents of the house was the time to leave the building.

conclusions

We reviewed the key features of polystyrene as insulation, from a security point of view. And now, so you can make an informed choice, compare it with the basic characteristics of rock wool.

• Group flammability expanded polystyrene - T3-T4.
• Group of combustibility of stone wool - NG - non-combustible material.
• Coefficient of thermal conductivity foam (depending on the density) - 0.035-0.043 W / (m · ° C).
• coefficient of thermal conductivity of rock wool with, and this is important, normal humidity and a material density of 40-80 kg / m = 0.041 - 0.042 W / (m · ° C). If the "wool" wet, its insulating properties deteriorate.
• When installing the foam does not require the installation of vapor barriers and windbreaks. Minerallovatnyh When installing insulation, vapor barrier should be placed inside the premises and the outside paropropuskayuschaya diffusion membrane which protects the insulation from atmospheric moisture. This is - the additional costs + Need for careful sizing of joints and overlaps film to create a sealed loop.
• Water vapor permeability foam PSB-S-25 - 0.05 mg / (m • h • Pa) and rock wool (depending on the density and the manufacturer) 0.3-0.55 mg / (m • h • Pa). T.. E, polystyrene - material partially transmissive and steam, according to this indicator, it is clearly inferior mineral wool. Hence, as many believe, the house is not "breathe". Leave mythical "breathing walls" of the scope of this article. Simply compare the numbers:
• If the water vapor permeability and the pine along the grain0.32 mg / (m • h • Pa).
• If the water vapor permeability and the pine across the grainjust 0.06 mg / (m • h • Pa).

The nuances of installation. The foam in the plates have to be cut and fit exactly in size between the struts. This will increase the complexity and time of work. Stone wool sized 120x60 cm put vraspor. It's easier, faster and easier for builders.

Cut the foam with a sharp knife. If no foam can not do, leave a gap to stand less than 5 mm. To simplify the process of foaming, the perimeter boards do slants at an angle of 45 degrees.

And, in conclusion, the recommendation - if you want to warm the foam frame house, mount it between the uprights, Choose quality materials from trusted manufacturers with flame retardants and a density of not less than 20-25 kg / m³. Nouneym Beware of imitations! Inside buildings polystyrene must necessarily be closed readily flammable or combustible materialsThat do not ignite and propagate a flame, e.g., plates gipsovolokna or DSP. From the roof insulation foam between the rafters and the attic should be abandoned, T. K. The roof covering, such as metal or steel sheet summer heat strongly heated. Higher temperatures lead to the evolution of harmful volatile substances from the foam, adversely affect the styrofoam and can eventually lead to material degradation. You may not use polystyrene foam for insulation of ventilated facades. If the foam is adhered on outside walls karkasnika SIR sheets it must be covered with a layer of plaster, t. E. assembled "wet front."

When selecting a heater to make informed choices and, before to buy something, study participants' experience FORUMHOUSE!

We advise topic choice of insulation for the thermal insulation of interfloor hardwood floor.

Helpful articles:

•  Aspiration of mineral wool - bulk insulation in the form of crumbs in 3 times cheaper than mineral wool in plates - Myth or Reality?
• 3 major errors when mounting the windshield and diffusion membranes in timber and frame houses.
• 4 electric termorezaka for cutting foam and extruded polystyrene nichrome string - do it yourself for 3 pennies.

In the video - as a cheap warm karkasnik: Workshop for installation of mineral wool.

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