How to insulate an old apartment and find problem areas. How to properly insulate window slopes in a house? House insulation from sandwich panels

If with the onset of cold weather the temperature in your apartment tends to zero, then you have a choice - to make all rooms with heaters and wrap themselves in a blanket or thoroughly insulate your living space. Let us consider in order a list of possible problems of heat loss in an apartment.

Common causes of coldness in an apartment

1. The first and most common reason is cracks in window frames. If you do not have the opportunity to put sealed double-glazed windows, then seal the gaps between the frames yourself. To do this, you can use foam rubber, paper or pieces of fabric. Take one of the listed materials, roll tightly and place in the gaps between the frame and the window opening. Seal the cracks on top with strong construction tape. This will significantly reduce the flow of cold air into the apartment, but will not provide complete thermal insulation.

2. If you live in a panel house, then the second common cause of cold in an apartment may be poor-quality joints between the plates. Your management company is obliged to seal the external seams. But, as a rule, the procedure for filling out and signing an application for such work can take a very long time.

3. If you want to solve this problem quickly, you can contact a construction company engaged in sealing joints between panels using the method of industrial mountaineering.

4. However, even all of the above measures may not be enough to insulate a corner apartment on the 7-14th floor. Wind gusts at this height are much more intense, and the water in the heating system, rising from the first floor, has time to cool down considerably. Therefore, you need to thoroughly insulate not only windows and interpanel seams, but also the walls themselves. Sandwich panels can be used for wall insulation.

5. You can fix the sandwich panels on cold walls inside the apartment. This is a relatively new, but easy-to-process construction raw material. Besides, it is the most economical option, because you do all the construction work yourself and pay only for the material. But the thickness of the sandwich panel can reach 25 cm. This means that the area of \u200b\u200bthe room along the entire length of the wall will decrease by exactly that amount.

6. If you are not ready to part with a part of the usable area of \u200b\u200byour apartment, then you can contact a construction company, and the sandwich panels will be fixed outside. This is an expensive procedure, but at the same time it is the only effective method for insulating an old apartment on the top floor.

For more complex, incomprehensible reasons, it is possible to detect cold places in an apartment using a thermal imager that can easily identify areas of heat loss. The only negative is that this device costs a lot of money, however, you can call a service that will give an exhaustive answer about cold zones in an apartment and about places where heat is lost.

Facade facing thermal panels are presented in the form of special structures that perform two important tasks - they carry out insulation of the facade of the house and are a finishing material.

Thermal panels - facade decorative elements

Metal and rustic facade panels have gained deserved popularity due to the relatively low cost and high speed of the installation work carried out.

1 Features of facade thermal panels

It is worth mentioning right away that the presented metal and rustic facade panels of the Rockwool trademark personify the most rational and environmentally friendly solution to the thermal insulation issue.

Before you start insulating the outer surface of the house with such a product as a facade sandwich panel, it is worth taking into account that it can be compatible with any surface, be it stone or brick.

Insulation of the facade of the house with Rockwool sandwich panels will give better results if they are fixed on an additional layer of foam.

By the way, unlike polystyrene, Rockwool sandwich panels stylized as stone or brick significantly improve not only the heat-saving qualities of the facade, but also increase its aesthetic appeal.

In addition, the Rockwool sandwich panel can be fastened to the outer surface of the facade (as opposed to foam) on surfaces such as:

• Concrete;
• Expanded clay concrete;
• Classic brick on;
• Plastered facade;
• Unplastered facade;
• Block house wall;
• Aerated concrete;
• Wood;
• Unfired raw brick.

Thermal panels stylized as a stone or brick have mostly positive reviews, which is associated with a certain number of advantageous features.

For example, it may be the possibility of insulating old buildings with sandwich panels. Products such as rustic thermal panels can, if necessary, insulate the facade of a house with a broken geometric shape.

It is almost impossible to carry out such insulation works using ordinary foam. In especially difficult cases, in order to insulate the uneven facade of the house, instead of polystyrene, first, finishing with a crate is carried out, which levels the work surface.

After that, the facade is covered with thermal panels or sandwich panels, which can be stylized as stone or brick.

2 Characteristics and properties of thermal panels

When finishing the outer surface of the facade with thermal panels, the term of the installation work is significantly reduced.

In turn, this significantly reduces the total time spent on construction work, and as a result, their cost.

It is known that when carrying out construction work, a significant part of the costs is not only the purchase of material and labor costs, but also the rental of scaffolding, with the help of which the facade work will be carried out.

Installation of a thermal panel does not require the involvement of highly qualified workers and specialists, because you can do it yourself without much difficulty.

To do this, by and large, you need a minimal set of the most common tools. During installation, you cannot do without:

• Electric drills;
• Construction knife;
• Hammer;
• Screwdrivers as per.

Before you start installing the insulation, you need to make sure that the surface of the walls is flat and does not have significant flaws.

Facade panels can be fastened with glue, foam or dowels. It is known that the presented panels cost significantly less than traditional brickwork, therefore, after carrying out simple calculations, you can find out the percentage of savings when insulating in this way.

Insulation, presented in the form of thermal panels, completely relieves the owner of the obligatory need associated with periodic repair of the facade and restoration of the outer surface of the walls.

However, if the work is performed without observing the requirements of the technology, then the insulating coating may undergo deformation.

The presented material has a long service life, which is more than fifty years, while maintaining the original color.

2.1 Product Feedback

As already mentioned, reviews of facade panels with insulation are mostly positive.

Pavel, 45 years old, Izhevsk:

I recently bought a country house on the secondary housing market. I decided to make a major overhaul in it before moving in. When it came to insulating the facade, I bought and installed Rockwool thermal panels. Excellent insulation and, moreover, pleasing to the eye.

Sergey, 50 years old, Kramatorsk:

Recently, the old heating system has begun to cope poorly with its task. I took up the exterior insulation of the facade. I used Rockwool sandwich panel as insulation. All rooms are now at the optimum temperature. I recommend this insulation to everyone.

Vladimir, 43 years old, Zhitomir:

I am the foreman of a small construction team. We work mainly on private orders. When it comes to external insulation of the facade of houses, we use Rockwool thermal panels. These products have long established themselves as the best. Customers are always satisfied, excellent material, we have no complaints about its quality.

2.2 Clinker thermal panels

The presented type of panels has clinker tiles as a decorative layer. If we talk about the degree of resistance to aggressive environmental influences, then clinker surpasses some types of natural stone in its performance.

This material has a large number of colors and is made using shale clay. Such raw materials are currently being mined in North-Western Europe.

This suggests that clinker is an absolutely environmentally friendly material that does not contain harmful chemical additives and impurities.

It is created during the implementation of the high-temperature firing method. Clinker panels show high values \u200b\u200bof mechanical strength, with an underestimated value of water absorption.

Such material is distinguished by its pronounced frost resistance and the ability to preserve its properties throughout its entire operational life.

In addition to the fact that clinker panels exhibit excellent thermal insulation and aesthetic properties, they demonstrate high noise insulation qualities.

In addition, the material acts as additional waterproofing like. Such material is used not only as a heater and a decorative element of the facade, but also for interior finishing work.

2.3 Thermal panels with porcelain stoneware tiles

Kermogranite is another type of ceramic insulation tile. It is made from high quality raw materials, in the process of firing, exposure to high temperatures and pressure.

The result is a very tightly compressed material that is virtually immune to the harmful effects of the environment.

These indicators are significantly superior to natural natural stones. The presented thermal panels are especially quoted by those home owners who prefer to decorate a facade with a detailed textured surface.

Thermal panels made of porcelain stoneware tiles are large in size, which easily allows them to imitate masonry.

Typically, these products are used in homes that have a Mediterranean or Scandinavian look. Despite the solid dimensions of the plates, they weigh a little, therefore, this allows them to be installed with ease with your own hands.

2.4 Thermal panels with glazed tiles

This type of thermal panels is currently very popular. Their use is especially important in the process of finishing low-rise houses.

The popularity of this material was already noticed in the 60s of the last century. Glazed tiles have a smooth surface and a heterogeneous color scheme, which makes the facade of the house look like natural brickwork.

This material is characterized by good appearance, simplicity during installation work, high strength characteristics and a minimum number of disadvantages.

2.5 Thermal insulation of the facade using clinker thermal panels (video)

Installing PVC windows is a great way to keep the warmth of the interior space of the living space, since plastic windows are characterized by high tightness. But besides this, in order to preserve heat in the house and increase energy saving indicators, it is very important to correctly execute the slopes.

This is a fundamental point. And that's why. The window frame is inserted into the opening using polyurethane foam, and it is not recommended to leave the foam open - it is destroyed by sunlight. In addition, polyurethane foam has the ability to accumulate moisture in itself, which can subsequently lead to the spread of mold and mildew in the house.

Slopes are the inner walls of the niche into which the window frame is inserted. There are different techniques for handling window slopes.

Making slopes is an extremely important task. On how well the slopes are made, and what materials were used at the same time, the indicators of energy saving of the living space and its sound insulation will depend.

The easiest way to finish the slopes is to plaster with a plaster mixture or putty. Plastering is a very affordable way, however, it is very ineffective in terms of energy saving. Unfortunately, such slopes are characterized by poor thermal insulation. Plaster is a fragile material, it can crack over time, which leads to the need for periodic corrective actions.

To ensure good thermal insulation when making slopes, it is necessary to use additional materials in the work, due to which it will be possible to ensure the function of insulation. In other words, insulation is the use of thermal elements that are mounted with slopes and are subjected to subsequent plastering. Further, the article will focus on how to properly insulate the slopes of windows.

There are two types of work for this operation:

• outdoor work;
• internal work.

The materials that are used to insulate slopes are:

• drywall;
• mineral wool;
• styrofoam;
• expanded polystyrene;
• sandwich panels.

External insulation of slopes

External thermal insulation of slopes is performed in several approaches. First, you need to prepare the work surface - to clean it of dirt, dust, foam residues, unevenness.

For external insulation, as a rule, foam or expanded polystyrene is used, which is attached to the working surface by means of liquid nails. The use of perforated plastic corners in the work will help to achieve perfectly even levels.

The work process consists in:

• gluing prepared foam sheets from the outside of the slope;
• in the presence of cracks, filling the cavity with an adhesive solution;
• fixing the reinforcing mesh on the surface of the foam sheet;
• carrying out plastering;
• carrying out staining

The second step in insulating window slopes is internal work.

Internal insulation of slopes

1.Plasterboard insulation

A fairly common option for finishing slopes is using drywall.

Drywall is a material whose structure consists of two sheets of building board with a hard gypsum core. It should be noted that this material is quite delicate, since it does not tolerate moisture well, it can swell and lose its original shape. There is a moisture-resistant gypsum board, which contains antifungal substances and silicone granules, but it will be useful to use additional materials for finishing, for example, a moisture-resistant primer.

Insulation technology

Insulation of window slopes consists of several stages. For independent work, you will need a standard set of tools: a tape measure, a paint knife, wooden blocks, a roll of scotch tape, several
polyurethane foam packages, as well as sealant, moisture-resistant primer and possibly gypsum plaster.

The insulation process takes place according to the following scheme:

2. Insulation with mineral wool

Types of mineral wool

Mineral wool is a popular material that is characterized by two important, linearly dependent characteristics - thermal insulation coefficient and volume. There are three types of mineral wool:

• Soft type - high isolation ratio and large volume.
• The semi-rigid type - compressed material - takes up less volume, due to which it loses in thermal insulation properties.
• The rigid type is a thin material, but also ineffective for providing thermal insulation. It is used, as a rule, only in combination with other heaters.

Insulation technology

The method of insulating window slopes using mineral wool is similar to the above-described technology for insulating drywall with the only difference that a layer of the material in question must be laid between the wall and the sheet of finishing material. In order for the insulation to be effective, it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances:

3.Foam insulation

Types of foam. Properties

Polyfoam is a whole class of polymeric materials, which are essentially cellular foamed plastic mass.

In addition to the economic benefits, the advantages of the material include:

• high thermal insulation properties;
• the materials are not toxic;
• light weight of materials, ease of installation and fastening;

Compared to polystyrene, polystyrene will score more points, since the material is not as fragile, more flexible and durable.

Insulation of slopes with foam. Technology

The insulation technique is identical to those described above. Sheets of material are mounted with a slope using glue with further plastering or covered with sheets of drywall.

When insulating the slopes of windows in a relatively warm climatic region, two layers of material will be sufficient; in colder climatic conditions, polystyrene must be combined with other insulation materials, for example, with mineral wool.

4. Insulation with sandwich panels

Sandwich panels concept. Views

Insulation with sandwich panels is a very effective and modern way to insulate window structures.

Sandwich panels are a building material with a complex structure, consisting of two sheets of rigid material (often PVC) and a layer of insulation. All elements of the material are connected by pressing - cold or hot.

By appointment, sandwich panels are classified into:

• roofing;
• wall - used in finishing works

The following is used as a heater in these panels:

• mineral wool;
• expanded polystyrene;
• fiberglass

The advantages of sandwich panels include:

• good thermal insulation and sound insulation;
• safety for humans;
• lack of reaction to the effects of the chemical environment, as well as mold and mildew
• between the wall and the sandwich material, the gap is eliminated with the help of some kind of heat insulator, for example, mineral wool;
• the outer side of the slopes is covered with an F-profile to achieve an aesthetic effect

Before insulating the slopes of the windows, you need to measure the width of the gap. It should be noted that the choice of insulation is often associated with this indicator, and therefore, with a gap of about 40 mm, it would be more reasonable to use foam or expanded polystyrene. If the gap is less than the specified dimensions, mineral wool is used.

Thus, the insulation of slopes is an important and necessary business. For the result to be effective, work must be carried out simultaneously from the inside and outside of the window structure.

Sandwich panels are produced by manufacturers ready-to-use, so the question of finishing in some cases does not arise at all. For example, in the construction of industrial premises. The product is a three-layer structure consisting of two galvanized steel sheets and a heat-insulating layer between them. Basalt wool or foamed synthetic materials are used as insulation: expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam and others.

The front surfaces can be smooth or corrugated, coated with polymer resins. Due to this, slabs are produced in various colors, which allows you to create interesting geometric combinations outside the building. Developers of industrial enterprises use this quality in order not to additionally solve the question of how to finish the sandwich panels. It is quite another matter when it comes to the construction of private houses. If outside you can still get by with the appearance of the plates themselves, then inside the premises they should certainly be closed.

Scope of use

Sandwich panels are used in the construction of frame houses, as filling between drains and crossbars of the main frame. They are used for exterior decoration as an independent structure or as part of a hinged ventilated facade. This material serves as both insulation and cladding. There are special three-layer roofing products. Both those and others are completed with all sorts of additional elements and layouts, so that during installation it was possible to close the joints and arrange edges, corners, transitions. In addition, the products themselves are made with tongue-and-groove locks, so they are easily and tightly mounted. They can be attached to the lathing, and to a flat surface if it is flat.

Recently, insulated slabs have been often used for interior work. They are used to make internal partitions, stationary and mobile, they are used to insulate external walls from inside the premises, as well as balconies and loggias. It has become especially popular to use sandwich panels for finishing windows, more precisely - slopes. In this case, sandwiches are used with outer layers not of metal, but of plastic and with a thinner layer of insulation.

Facing slopes

With the advent of plastic windows, the problem immediately arose of how and with what the finishing of the slopes should be done. We have tried everything - high quality plaster, plastic panels and many other options. But the best solution came with the advent of the three-layer material. Finishing with sandwich panels of window slopes at the same time eliminates the "cold bridges" and gives the window opening a complete look. The work is simple and quite affordable in order to do it yourself. The cladding of window slopes should be carried out before the start of wall finishing. These works are done in this order:

• all surfaces around the window frame are cleaned from dust, dirt, mortar flows;
• a window sill is installed; most often a solution based on cement and lime is used for this; to avoid deflections, metal strips are laid under the windowsill, and for insulation, the lower part and the sides are wrapped with felt; the insulation is impregnated with an antiseptic before use in order to prevent it from rotting and the appearance of insects;
• sealing of voids and places of abutment of the window and window sill to the opening with mounting foam is performed; the hardened foam is cut with a painting knife flush with the main surfaces;
• the sandwich panel is cut according to preliminary measurements of the upper part and sides; the material is very well cut with a jigsaw or a metal file;
• work starts from the upper slope: with screws, a starting plastic profile is attached to the frame, into which a sandwich of the required size is inserted with a slight slope; the internal gap is filled with polyurethane foam or liquid nails and pressed against the wall;
• in a similar way, the side parts of the slope trim are fastened; it is necessary to ensure that the slopes fit snugly to the sides of the opening, and excess adhesives should be removed immediately and thoroughly;
• finish facing the slopes with sandwich panels by fixing the finishing framing in the form of corners on liquid nails.

There are other ways to install window slopes using brackets, battens and other devices. But, these methods are more complicated and time consuming. They are used in special cases when the construction of a window opening or frame requires it.

From the foregoing, it is clear what to do with your own hands and the installation work for installing the window sill, and the slopes on the windows, is not such a terrible problem. Moreover, this method of protecting a window opening is successfully used not only for plastic frames, but also for wooden ones. This means that you can build a beautiful frame for a window block without changing the window itself. Moreover, manufacturers have learned to decorate the front surfaces of sandwiches in a variety of colors and shades, including "wood, marble, granite". The plastic is used glossy, semi-glossy, matte. Facing with sandwich slabs of window openings can be matched to any interior style.

Interior wall decoration from sandwich

Premises of frame houses, the outer walls of which are made of "sandwich" slabs, are undoubtedly subject to interior decoration. Since the panel itself inside the room will look too dull and official. Moreover, methods and materials can be absolutely any. Only for finishing will need preliminary preparation. Let's say it is impossible to stick wallpaper on sandwiches. Therefore, you first have to sheathe the walls with plasterboard. It may be necessary to take additional measures to better insulate the walls. For this purpose, a layer of insulation is laid between the profiles of the frame, and then it is sewn up with sheets of drywall. This is followed by the standard procedure: sealing the joints with a putty with reinforcing tape, grouting the caps of self-tapping screws and wallpapering, tiling, textured plaster, painting over the finishing putty.

Some interior styles require a lot of wood. In this case, the owner of the house can use his talent and sheathe the walls with beautiful clapboard, imitation of a bar, wooden wallpaper. To do this, you need to equip a frame of beams along the surfaces of the walls, placing them in such a way that the cladding lies as planned - in a vertical or horizontal position. If the building is built in a frame version and does not require additional insulation, then it is not necessary to arrange the crate, and the wooden cladding can be attached to the frame posts. All work can be done by hand, showing maximum imagination. The main thing is to choose the materials with taste and assemble them according to all the rules of finishing art.

Of course, the main component of a sandwich panel is its insulation. It is he who determines how comfortable the winters will be in the home. Insulation must meet the following requirements:

• Possess very significant thermal insulation indicators;
• If possible, have the minimum weight;
• Have a high strength indicator;
• Be able to maintain their characteristics even at high humidity levels;
• Withstand low and high temperatures without problems;
• Be completely safe for humans, that is, do not contain harmful substances and do not burn;
• To be durable, that is, not to lose their own properties over time;
• Have a low cost.

The modern market offers to carry out insulation with sandwich panels that have mineral wool, foam or polyurethane foam in their construction. A panel with one or another insulation has both disadvantages and advantages. Panels with polyurethane foam have ideal thermal insulation properties, but they are quite expensive, and therefore are used only in specialized rooms and freezers. Private construction is carried out mainly using mineral wool and expanded polystyrene.

The main advantage of mineral wool is its resistance to fire. Polyfoam has a wider list of advantages: environmental friendliness (98 percent of it consists of air), low thermal conductivity, low weight, highest performance, unpretentiousness, durability and minimum production time.

There are many disadvantages of mineral wool. It absorbs excess moisture, which leads to subsidence, violation of the integrity of the structure and freezing. Installation of mineral wool is quite difficult to carry out, and a large mass leads to an increased load on the foundation. The disadvantage of polystyrene is its low degree of fire resistance.

The use of sandwich panels with mineral wool is relevant, first of all, in structures that need maximum protection from open flames. This category includes the bulk of the pre-fabricated buildings. It is absolutely not advisable to use panels with mineral wool in car washes, refrigerators, food shops. Foam panels are perfect for reconstruction and construction of buildings, regardless of their purpose. Mainly, this group consists of buildings that require ideal moisture resistance, hygiene, practicality and minimal cost. If we talk about the ratio of quality and price, then it is panels based on foam that can be called the most reasonable option. They can be safely used in all buildings, the roof and walls of which belong to the second and more categories of fire resistance.