A country house is a building that was originally calculated only for summer operation, therefore, during its construction, insufficient attention is paid to thermal insulation measures. If it is necessary to use it in the cold season, the question arises of how to insulate a country house designed for winter living.
Why warm
Modern heating systems are able to create the desired temperature in the room, so why do you need to carry out additional activities. Warming of a country house will allow the owner to solve the following problems:
- high heating costs;
- the appearance of condensation on the walls and ceiling;
- violation of the operation mode of structures and their destruction.
If during the cold season inside the house there will be a plus temperature, but its enclosing structures are not sufficiently insulated, this will lead to many problems, which are easier to prevent than to fix with your own hands.
Materials for thermal insulation
The building materials market offers a huge assortment of types and manufacturers of thermal insulation materials. It is easy to get lost in this variety. The choice depends on the location of the insulation and the wishes of the owner of the house. The main heat insulators include:
- Mineral wool. Available in the form of mats (rolls) and hard plates. The first option is suitable for walls and floors along logs, the second for walls, floors, roofs. The advantages include incombustibility, high efficiency, durability, resistance to decay and mold. The disadvantage is the ability to absorb moisture. It is important to remember that when working with this material you need to use masks, gloves and protective clothing. Neglect of safety measures will result in particles of cotton wool getting into the skin and lungs, and as a result, irritation and allergic reactions.
- Styrofoam. The material is made of polystyrene. It is a plate of small balls filled with air. An undeniable advantage was the low cost of material and availability. There are a lot of shortcomings. These include flammability, inability to pass air (the house will need additional ventilation), low strength and instability to the simultaneous effects of moisture and low temperatures. It is suitable for do-it-yourself warming of walls (it is recommended not to use it outside), ceilings (better for warming from below), an attic roof.
- Extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex). The material is similar to polystyrene, but is an improved version of it. Belongs to low combustible, has increased strength and moisture resistance. The disadvantages include air tightness. Suitable for insulation of walls and floors (both floors, and on the ground).
- Expanded clay. Inexpensive material. Compared with the previous three is not highly effective. Represents small granules of baked clay, loose. The disadvantages include high thermal conductivity and a large mass. Suitable for insulating floors (at the same time leveling the surface).
There are also a number of less common materials, which include:
- polyurethane foam;
- ecowool (mats of insulation from flax);
- penoizol (foamed polymer resin);
- isocom (foil material);
- sawdust.
How to better insulate
After choosing a heat insulator, you need to determine the method of insulation. Do-it-yourself warming at home for winter living can be carried out by two methods:
- outside;
- from the inside.
Insulation of the country house from the inside is relevant in the following cases:
- works are carried out in the winter when it is not comfortable to carry out operations on the street;
- Do not affect the facade of the building and violate its decoration;
- wall insulation at a sufficiently high height.
It is important to remember that insulation from the outside with your own hands is more correct from a technical point of view.
Protecting the house from the side of cold air allows you to prevent the effects of cold on the supporting structures and extend their service life.
Insulation technology
It all depends on the location of the structure to be protected. In the case of a country house for living in the winter, the following elements need thermal insulation with their own hands:
- ground flooring;
- floors of the first floor with a cold basement;
- exterior walls;
- attic floor in a cold attic;
- mansard roof.
It is necessary to consider each of these cases separately.
Ground floor insulation
An event may be required if the building has a basement, which is planned to be used as a warm room and to conduct heating there. For this event, two types of thermal insulation materials are suitable:
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- expanded clay gravel.
If expanded clay is used, then the work is performed in the following order:
- compact the base soil by tamping;
- they fill with coarse or medium sand (the thickness depends on the characteristics of the soil, it is about 30 cm);
- expanded clay fall asleep (thickness of about 30-50 cm, depending on the climatic region of construction);
- lay a layer of waterproofing;
- poured concrete subfloor.
If a decision has been made to insulate with penoplex, work is carried out in the following sequence:
- compact the soil;
- make a bed of sand or gravel;
- pour in concrete;
- stack waterproofing;
- foam layer;
- reinforcing mesh;
- pouring a rough concrete floor.
For floors on the ground it will be more economical and easier to use expanded clay. It is important to choose its thickness correctly depending on the temperature of the outside air during the cold season.
Basement floor and attic
Laying the insulation on top can be done in two ways:
- between lags;
- under the screed.
The choice depends on the design of the floor and the floor cake. Logging is suitable for houses with beamed ceilings. In this case, almost any type of heat insulator can be used:
- polystyrene and foam;
- mineral wool (plates and mats);
- expanded clay and sawdust;
- polyurethane foam and penoizol;
- ecowool.
Screeding requires increased strength from the material. It is better to stay at:
- mineral wool plates;
- penoplex;
- expanded clay.
When mounting on lags, the beams are first mounted under the flooring, then waterproofing is laid between them (in case of attic insulation from the outside, vapor barrier). Next, heat insulation is laid in the space.
For foam and foam, it is recommended to provide a small gap between the plates and the tree, which is filled with sealant.
If the insulation is laid under the screed, then the work is carried out in this way:
- waterproofing is laid on a leveled and cleaned base (again, in the case of protecting the attic with your own hands from the outside - vapor barrier);
- put a heater (for foam, provide distances between the plates);
- when insulating from the outside, it is necessary to provide waterproofing, when insulating from the inside - vapor barrier;
- stack the reinforcing mesh;
- pour screed.
The second version of insulation is from the ceiling. For attic flooring is undesirable, since the insulation is on the side of warm air. For basement floors, insulation from the outside is a more correct option, but it is extremely laborious. To fix the heat insulator use wooden slats or adhesives.
Wall insulation
Conducted inside and out. When fixing the heat insulator with your own hands from the front of the facade, the work is performed in the following order:
- clean the wall of dust and dirt;
- fix waterproofing;
- mount a frame for a heater;
- stack thermal insulation;
- wind protection is fixed to the insulation layer;
- perform external cladding.
It is important to remember that for materials such as mineral wool and ecowool, it is necessary to provide a ventilated layer on the outside between the heat insulator and the outer skin, 5-10 cm thick. The fastening of the insulation materials to the wall depends on the type selected.
When installing thermal insulation from the inside, follow this order:
- surface cleaning from dust and dirt;
- fixing waterproofing;
- installation of insulation;
- vapor barrier;
- interior decoration.
Mansard roof
The most common type of insulation is hard mineral wool slabs. Work execution order:
- installation of the rafter system;
- consolidation of waterproofing and wind protection;
- installation of a counter-lattice (needed to provide a ventilation gap between the mineral wool and the roofing, breaks are provided for the free movement of air in the counter-lattice);
- lathing installation;
- laying of roofing material;
- installation of heat insulating plates between rafters;
- vapor barrier;
- lower crate;
- covering of a ceiling.
For the convenience of laying mineral wool, the rafter pitch is taken so that 58 or 118 cm remain between them in the light. After thermal insulation of the roof, home insulation is completed.