Insulation of walls made of silicate bricks from the outside. How to insulate a brick house from the outside and the better

It is one of the most popular building materials. Its advantages include high strength, excellent soundproofing characteristics and affordable cost.

However, he also has negative features that should be taken into account, especially when building residential buildings.

This building material perfectly absorbs water, which increases the humidity of the premises.
Not a very pleasant factor is its low frost resistance. At low temperatures, the structure of the product is destroyed, especially if the material is saturated with water.
Another negative characteristic is high thermal conductivity. This means that in winter the walls freely allow heat to go outside, and in summer, on the contrary, it contributes to heating the air in the rooms.

However, all three problems can be solved in one fell swoop - just properly insulate the walls of the house from silicate brick.

A well-thought-out construction plan will help save money when building a private residential building. The structure will be much warmer if two layers are created during the construction of the walls - inner and outer. A small gap is left between them, one or half a brick wide, which is filled with expanded clay or foam concrete. This helps to make the building warmer, and a thick layer of decorative plaster, the so-called fur coat, will help protect the material from moisture and frostbite.

Insulation of the walls of a house made of silicate bricks

The technology described above allows significant savings during construction and provides comfortable living conditions for future residents. But what about those who bought an already rebuilt house or an apartment in a high-rise building made of sand-lime brick? There is only one answer - to create an outer heat-insulating layer as soon as possible, otherwise it will be cold inside, and the walls will soon become moldy due to high humidity. But how to insulate the walls of silicate brick - each owner must decide on his own.

Each material has its own disadvantages and advantages. In addition, the cost of creating a thermal insulation layer can vary significantly depending on the technology. For example, special thermal plaster is practically not popular in our country. The reason is banal - for its application, special equipment is needed, which only some companies have. For its use, they require a lot of money, which turns the installation of a fairly cheap material into an expensive pleasure.

How to insulate a house made of silicate bricks from the outside

Leaving aside exotic solutions and inaccessible technologies, it is worth considering the two simplest heaters:

Styrofoam sheets are a cheap option for tall buildings with several floors;
Mineral wool is an ideal way to create optimal conditions for living in a private house.

Both materials are very popular among the citizens of Ukraine, as they have an affordable cost, and their effectiveness is confirmed by practical use. What is their difference?

Insulation of a house made of silicate bricks from the outside - with foam sheets is especially common in high-rise buildings. A fairly simple and affordable method allows you to quickly perform the necessary work. Usually, it takes no more than two days to fasten, reinforce, plaster and paint the outer side of the walls of a three-room apartment. As a result, the dew point is transferred outside and the humidity in the rooms is significantly reduced. Also, the economic effect in the form of heat preservation is observed the very next day after the creation of a heat-insulating layer.

A private house made of silicate brick with mineral wool insulation will have its own microclimate. It will be comfortable to be in the room at any time, thanks to air microcirculation and excellent thermal insulation qualities of the insulation. The mineral wool fastening technology is somewhat laborious and requires the creation of a special frame that will hold the lightweight material in place. In addition to the practical effect, this method also gives the possibility of the original design of the building from the outside over the protective layer.

Brick is a traditional material for private construction. But unlike wood, it necessarily requires high-quality insulation. If this is not done, then life in the house is unlikely to be pleasant and comfortable, especially in cold weather.

Peculiarities

Insulation of a brick house is a large complex of works. It is not enough to perform them only on the walls of the facade, it will be necessary to carry out certain manipulations with the roof, the rest of the walls, the base and the floor. Be sure to take into account which particular type of brick was used, how the masonry was made, in which climatic region construction or repair is being carried out.

It will not work to insulate solid blocks from the outside with the same method that is suitable for parts with air cavities. The method of laying (inextricable or providing for an internal air gap) is also important.

When assessing thermal conductivity, one cannot focus only on tabular indicators that can be found on the Internet or in specialized literature. Technologies are changing rapidly, and each manufacturer is trying to put into circulation their own know-how, vary the recipe and processing modes. Therefore, you should focus only on official information from suppliers.

If it is planned to lay a brick in a continuous layer, the insulation can be placed on one side, and on both sides at once. The use of facade panels and intra-wall insulation of hollow masonry have their own subtleties.

The best materials

The thermal conductivity coefficient is a decisive indicator for any thermal insulation material. It is equal to the thermal energy that passes through 100 cm of the coating in 60 minutes. If we proceed only from this parameter, then it is best to cover the brick wall with polystyrene foam and mineral wool.

But you need to take into account other nuances, because if the material holds heat well, this does not mean that it is suitable for all possible cases. It is very important to pay attention to the intensity of moisture absorption - depending on this indicator, no material can be compared with extruded polystyrene foam.

The same method of protection is also the most dense of all. If we take into account combustibility (at least class G1 - stop burning after the cessation of fire), then XPS and polystyrene are in approximately equal positions. It is not always possible to use expanded clay, it is only suitable for houses with well masonry.

Such thermal protection is created very simply, but over time it can become inhomogeneous, which negatively affects the performance. It is possible to use drywall for insulation only indoors, because manufacturers' statements about the resistance of some options to high humidity should not be taken seriously.

Using polystyrene, including foam, is relatively simple. Large plates are sometimes equipped with a tenon-groove system; they can be glued from the basement profile. Such a solution is suitable for siding, but few people will be satisfied with the level of permeability of the finishing layer for steam. If, nevertheless, there is a desire to choose just such heaters, it is worth equipping a full-fledged ventilated facade from above.

You can put penoplex in a variety of ways. A typical sheet has a width of 600 mm, a length of 1.2 or 2.4 m. In various modifications, the thickness of the sheet varies from 20 to 100 mm. Among all versions, the first place is deservedly occupied by the Facade modification, specially designed for finishing and thermal protection of capital external walls.

Some amateur builders choose to insulate brick walls with aerated concrete blocks. Such a measure is recommended if there is a suitable point of support, and the whole structure is thought out very well. It is worthwhile in advance, in the process of preparing the load-bearing wall, to put fiberglass reinforcement in the form of outlets.

It is not worth using expanded clay concrete for thermal protection of brick structures, since its thermal qualities are not good enough. It is justified to insulate a silicate brick wall with basalt wool just because it lasts a long time and is a completely natural solution. Instead of a loose or rolled version, it is best to take cotton slabs, they are considered the most reliable.

They began to insulate houses with granular foam glass back in the 1930s, but then it was very expensive and not very practical. The porosity of such a material obtained by modern technology ranges from 80 to 95%. Coloring depends on what specific raw material was used. Despite the lightness, the resistance to compression of this material is very high, and the escape of heat to the outside is noticeably ahead of even wood.

The advantage of foam glass is excellent damping of external noise; but we must not forget that it is quite expensive and can be destroyed by mechanical action.

Characteristics

The standard thickness of insulation for brick walls is determined by the simplest formulas. It is better to focus on the heat resistance standard established for a particular region of the country. The second indispensable parameter for accurate calculation is the thermal resistance of the main bearing surfaces, and the third is the same, but for thermal protection.

A half-brick wall is taken equal to 12 cm, one brick - 24 cm, and for a three-layer structure, the calculation is carried out at a thickness of 0.8 m. A three-layer structure is a very rare and rather expensive option. The main part of the structures is made in one or one and a half bricks, and if there are less than three blocks, then insulation cannot be dispensed with throughout the entire post-Soviet territory. This rule also applies to the coast of the Black and Azov Seas.

A common mistake is to insulate the walls from the inside, it leads to the appearance of condensation and other negative phenomena. Under siding or a ventilated facade, most often mineral or glass wool is used with a density of at least 40 kg and 17 kg per 1 cubic meter. m., respectively. When it is planned to insulate the walls with decorative bricks, it will be necessary to strengthen the foundation by adding mortar.

Whether the wall after finishing with insulation will be permeable to water vapor or not depends on the personal preferences of the owners. An exception is made only for the steam room, where the release of fumes to the outside is mandatory.

Which to choose?

After reviewing the basic information on insulation materials, it is easy to understand that their choice cannot be dictated solely by financial considerations. An attempt to save money on insulation only results in an additional expense during the operation of the building. It should be noted that depending on the chosen option, the following changes:

the composition of the desired hand tool;
types of machinery used;
list of components;
work sequence;
foundation execution.

A very light base will easily withstand the load created by the foamed polymer, but if ceramic granules are used, it will already be unreliable. And also it is required to pay attention to whether external decorative finishing will be needed or the thermal protection parts themselves will turn out to be quite attractive in execution.

If you need to install siding, facing bricks or plaster, then you will need more adhesives, fasteners, geotextiles, and so on. This circumstance will significantly complicate the work. Care should be taken to separate materials for internal and external insulation.

In the second case, the requirements for environmental safety are much less, but the danger of the destructive effects of moisture and wind increases. External heaters are also preferable for another reason: they allow you to leave the entire load-bearing wall in the region of positive temperatures and completely eliminate its freezing.

The use of internal insulation materials becomes mandatory in the following cases:

according to the decision of the state supervision bodies, you can only do so;
immediately behind the wall there is an unheated technical room (this is irrelevant for the facade of the house);
very severe frosts are likely, which require the most intensive protection of the habitable space.

Mineral wool, being not bad in itself, is quickly saturated with water. Therefore, it will be necessary to cover it from the outside with waterproof films. If you want to make the “cake” as thin as possible, you should pay attention to extruded polymer mixtures, because they are almost impervious to moisture and are characterized by increased strength. When assessing combustibility, it is recommended to compare the actual performance of the material with the requirements established by the fire department.

The advantage of roll and sheet coatings over liquid options is that they can be easily mounted even by non-professionals who do not have a specialized tool.

Actual technologies

The best solution would not be to look for a suitable option among all the approaches to insulation that are possible in principle, but to focus on modern methods. They fully meet all the requirements of the standards and, in addition, have absorbed the concentrated centuries-old experience. There are two key areas that are most in demand now:

sandwich format. A frame (made of wood or metal) is mounted on completely finished walls, into which insulation is inserted. Outside, a decorative material is applied to the frame. The advantage of this method lies in its high strength and reliability, but the foundation of the building must also be strong and solid.
"Wet façade". The insulation is glued with special mixtures, then it is covered with a reinforcing mesh and finishing. It is worth noting that expanded polystyrene will be correctly mounted as a substrate for vinyl siding and other finishing materials.

The fastening method when choosing a “wet facade” is approximately the same as when working with foam, namely:

the first step is to clean the walls from dirt, dust and plaster;
large cracks are covered with putty, and the surface as a whole should be covered with a primer layer;
a starting profile is placed, it is fixed around the perimeter with dowel-nails. Be sure to check the horizontal lines with a building level;
in addition to gluing polystyrene foam, sometimes it is attached with anchors or special pastes;
fastening in the central part of the panels with dowel-nails increases the rigidity of the structure;
it is required to seal the joints of the plates with mounting foam, and take the reinforcing mesh one that is not destroyed by acids and alkalis.

If well masonry is being made, roll materials can be used to waterproof it from the inside. The actual insulation is carried out by filling in special reagents - lightweight concrete, slag, expanded clay and some others. It is required to tamp the material every 50 cm.

Much attention should be paid to the insulation of the corners, while achieving the effect of a thermos. It is recommended to carefully study the chemical composition of the coating to be mounted or the mixture to be poured inside in order to be completely confident in their safety and reliability.

How to do self-assembly?

Calculations

Even the most modern methods of brick wall insulation are available to ordinary people. The main condition for their use is an accurate and competent design calculation. Only it allows you to simultaneously guarantee the retention of heat inside and the minimum cost of work. The simplest and most effective solution in many cases is wall insulation with extruded polystyrene foam. Calculating the required indicators is quite simple.

For example, the wall is lined with solid bricks 30 cm thick each. The heat transfer resistance is determined by dividing this thickness by the thermal conductivity of the material. It turns out the difference between the normatively prescribed and real thermal resistance.

Now you need to multiply this difference by the thermal conductivity of the selected insulation. The calculated result must, if necessary, be rounded up to an integer value (since roll and plate thermal protection is produced in multiples of 1 cm thick).

When several layers are used at once, their energy characteristics must be added together to avoid error.

The insulation of the end wall in a house or apartment also has its own subtleties. In apartment buildings, such manipulation is rarely carried out outside, since it is very expensive and impractical. This must be preceded by a thorough search for possible cold bridges. As in other cases, it is recommended to use expanded polystyrene, polystyrene or basalt-based materials.

Sequence of work

Ceramic brick not only insulates the facade, but also looks attractive and serves reliably. But this is carried out only on condition that the masonry is made according to the rules, its seams are completely even and not dirty. The presence of the slightest cracks or stains of mortar on the blocks is unacceptable. The mixture for fixing the masonry is formed with M-400 cement and sand in a ratio of 1: 3.

It is worth paying attention that river sand cannot be taken, because it leads to rapid shrinkage of the solution, if a plasticizer is not added. It is not at all necessary to create a classic gray seam: a wide variety of pigments are willingly sold as a set for facing bricks.

The first step in the work will be the preparation of waterproofing. For her, they take either roofing material, or thick polyethylene. Start laying from the corners, leaving an air gap to the main wall (40–50 mm). The prepared mortar should be relatively dense, but not too heavy to work with a trowel. A metal bar with a cross section of 8x8 to 12x12 mm is placed on the front edges of the masonry.

Next to it, the solution should be flush, and on the back side - about 1 cm higher. Similarly, a vertical seam is created. All strips will need to be rubbed with a small brush after 120–180 minutes, to block the holes or burrs found. Then the ingress of water from the external environment will be excluded.

In private construction, brick is still very popular for building walls at home. Houses built of brick can be found almost everywhere. But, despite its excellent performance, such a house requires insulation. The issue of warming a brick house is especially acute today, when the cost of energy is quite high and you have to save every kilowatt of energy. The way out in this situation is to create a reliable thermal insulation of the house, which can reduce heat loss to a minimum. All work on the arrangement of thermal insulation can be done on your own, especially since there is nothing complicated in how to insulate a brick house.

The specifics of the insulation of a brick house

When planning to insulate a brick house, it must be remembered that house insulation is a whole range of works aimed at reducing heat loss through the roof, walls, floor and foundation. And in order to answer the question of how to properly insulate a brick house, you will first have to find out what kind of brick and what masonry the house is built from, consider the types of insulation of a brick house and decide on the materials for its insulation.

Features of brick walls

Unlike concrete or wooden walls, brick walls have a number of characteristic features. Firstly, the walls can be made of solid or hollow bricks. The thermal conductivity of a brick wall depends on this, the indicator of which is in the middle between wood 0.2 W / (m K) and concrete 1.5 W / (m K) and is 0.4 W / (m K). Secondly, masonry can be solid and with an air pocket (well masonry). Depending on what type of brick is used and what kind of masonry is made, the thickness of the walls changes, and at the same time the performance characteristics and the required thickness of the heat-insulating layer.

Important! Above are the average thermal conductivity values. Depending on the type of wood and the materials used for the production of bricks and concrete, the thermal conductivity may fluctuate in one direction or another. So concrete with the addition of expanded clay has a thermal conductivity of 0.66 W / (m K), solid silicate brick 0.7 W / (m K), and pine 0.09 W / (m K). Therefore, before proceeding with the insulation of the walls of the house, it is important to know what they are made of and how thick they are.

Regarding the masonry method, it should be noted that with continuous masonry, the insulation is placed over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe wall on one or two sides. In this case, the thickness of the layer directly depends on the thickness of the wall: the thicker the wall, the smaller the layer will be required. In the case of well masonry, the insulation is placed inside the wall, between the bricks. This approach is also called intra-wall insulation. It can provide additional thermal insulation due to the air gap between the outer and inner walls, and when using a thermal insulation material, it can reduce heat loss by half.

Types of insulation

In total there are three types of insulation: external, internal, intra-wall. External insulation is the most popular and involves the placement of insulation outside the building. This approach will provide additional protection of the walls from various kinds of natural phenomena. Unfortunately, the external insulation of a brick house has its drawbacks - this is the seasonality of work and the rather high cost of materials. Internal insulation of the house, in addition to wall insulation, provides for insulation of interfloor ceilings, floors, attics and roofs. You can perform internal insulation at almost any time of the year. The third type is intra-wall insulation, it can be performed only at the stage of wall construction. Therefore, those who have purchased an already built house will not be able to perform this type of insulation.

Characteristics of thermal insulation materials

It is necessary to choose materials for warming a brick house with special care, paying attention to their characteristics. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, some thermal insulation materials can only be used for interior decoration, some - only for exterior. Secondly, the total weight and thickness of the insulating layer will depend on the density of the material and its thermal conductivity. Thirdly, its durability and ability to maintain its operational qualities depend on the resistance of the material to various kinds of negative influences. Fourth, the more natural the material, the better. Below are the main characteristics with a brief description of which you should pay special attention.

Coefficient of thermal conductivity. The lower this indicator, the less the thickness of the thermal insulation layer will be.
Water absorption coefficient. As in the case of thermal conductivity, the smaller this figure, the better. The water absorption of a material indicates its resistance to moisture absorption.
Density. In fact, this indicator displays the mass of thermal insulation. The higher it is, the heavier the material.
Flammability class. In total there are four classes of flammability. Class G1 materials stop burning without a source of fire, so their use is more preferable in construction.
Material durability. With this indicator, everything is simple. It indicates how long a given material will last without losing its performance characteristics.
Steam capacity. The ability of the material to “breathe”, passing moist air through itself, will be most welcome for internal insulation of rooms, which will only increase comfortable living in the house.
Soundproofing ability. Some heat-insulating materials also have excellent sound-proofing properties, which can significantly save on special sound-proofing materials.
Environmental friendliness. This indicator indicates only the naturalness of the materials and will be useful for those who seek to make their home as safe as possible for living in it.
Difficulty of installation. This indicator only affects the speed and ease of installation, which will be especially useful for beginners in the construction business.

In modern construction, do-it-yourself insulation of a brick house is carried out with various materials. Below are the usual artificial materials and natural ones that are gaining popularity again:

Mineral wool. Perhaps the most commonly used thermal insulation. Its thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.041-0.044 W/(m.K) and its density is from 20 kg/m3 to 200 kg/m3. Of the shortcomings, high moisture absorption should be noted. More suitable for internal insulation.
Expanded polystyrene (styrofoam). The second most popular material for insulation. Thermal conductivity coefficient 0.033 - 0.037 W/(m.K), density 11 to 35 kg/m3. This material practically does not absorb moisture, but at the same time its vapor permeability is almost zero. In addition, it is brittle, flammable, and releases toxic substances when burned. Can be used both inside and outside the building.
Extruded polystyrene foam. Thermal conductivity coefficient 0.028 - 0.032 W / (m.K), density from 25 to 38 kg / m3. Unlike regular styrofoam, extruded styrofoam is more durable, but otherwise they are almost identical. Suitable for external and internal work.
Expanded clay. The thermal conductivity coefficient is from 0.10 to 0.18 W/(m.K), density 200 - 800 kg/m3. Pretty narrow range of applications. It is mainly added to concrete for the foundation or construction of a monolithic frame of the house. It can also be used for interior wall insulation.
"Warm" plaster. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.065 W/(m.K), density 200 - 340 kg/m3. This material has quite a few advantages - sound insulation, vapor permeability, low water permeability, non-combustibility, and so on. But there are two significant drawbacks. The first - the maximum layer of such plaster should not exceed 50 mm, the second - a lot of weight, which entails the need for a reinforced foundation. But in general, it is an excellent insulation for both external and internal work.
Cork heaters. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.045 - 0.06 W/(m.K), density 240 - 250 kg/m3. This natural material is perfect for internal insulation due to its performance. The only serious disadvantage is the high degree of flammability. Best used for internal insulation.
Ecowool or cellulose wadding. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.032 - 0.038 W/(m.K), density 30 - 75 kg/m3. The ecowool obtained as a result of cellulose processing perfectly absorbs moisture and does not tolerate mechanical loads well. Used only for internal insulation. It is usually used to insulate attics.

When starting to insulate an already built brick house, first of all, it is necessary to make a small project, indicating in it all the areas that require insulation with the materials used and their quantity. It should be remembered that different materials are used for internal and external work. If the house is under construction, then all the necessary calculations are indicated in the project documentation and it remains only to purchase everything you need and start work.

As noted earlier, this type of insulation can be carried out only at the stage of wall construction. To do this, do the following:

first, we lay the outer wall, where every 5 rows of bricks we insert a metal pin made of wire with a diameter of 5 mm into the seam. We select the length of the pin in such a way as to drown it by 2 - 3 cm and the remaining part of the wire should be 2 - 3 cm more than the thickness of the heat-insulating material used;
as soon as an external wall with a height of 1 - 1.5 m has been erected, we begin installing the thermal insulation in place, resting the materials on the pins;
at the end, we lay the inner wall, after which we again raise the outer one. And so to the very top.

The method described above is suitable for materials produced in mats or plates, such as foam, mineral wool or extruded polystyrene foam. You can also use expanded clay. To do this, you will have to erect both walls at once to a height of 1 - 1.5 m, leaving a gap of 10 - 15 cm between them and tying them together with metal pins in the seams of the masonry. Then we fall asleep inside expanded clay and continue the construction of walls. For this method of insulation, coarse expanded clay should be chosen. Since it has a lower density and, therefore, its total weight will be less.

Important! You can not be limited only to the intra-wall insulation of a brick house. The walls of such a house can be additionally insulated from the outside.

Insulation of a brick house from the outside

The external insulation of a brick house consists in the insulation of the walls, the basement and the outer walls of the foundation. The technology of warming a brick house from the outside consists in cleaning the walls of the building from construction debris and dirt for further fixing a multi-layer heat-insulating cake on them or arranging a hinged structure over the bare walls with thermal insulation placed inside. From materials, you can use foam, extruded polystyrene foam, "warm" plaster. In this case, one simple rule must be observed - the sequence of arrangement of materials for insulating the walls of a brick house from the outside should be such that the vapor permeability of each next layer increases towards the outer edge.

To insulate the walls of a brick house from the outside with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam, you must do the following. Perform basic plastering of the walls to even out the main irregularities, then clean the surface of dirt and treat it with a primer. Then, in one of two ways, either with glue or with the help of “umbrella” facade dowels, we fix the sheets of thermal insulation to the wall.

If you chose the first method, then you need to apply glue to the surface of the sheet and press it firmly against the wall. We carry out work from the bottom up, placing the sheets gradually row by row. In this case, each next row is shifted relative to the previous one, placing the sheets in a checkerboard pattern. In this simple way, the stability of the entire structure is achieved. When fastening with facade dowels, we perform the same operations, with the difference that glue is applied pointwise in small portions to the surface of the sheet. Then, after gluing, we drill a hole in the wall through the sheet, into which we insert the dowel. The resulting surface is reinforced with a special mesh, plastered and finished with paint or decorative plaster.

Video: insulation of a brick house outside with foam

Another popular way of external wall insulation is to create ventilated facade. Creation works are as follows. The first thing to do is to place a layer of vapor barrier on the wall surface, then create and fix a metal or wooden frame to the wall with anchors. After that, we place a heat-insulating material between the frame rails, on top of which we lay a layer of waterproofing. For a ventilated facade, basalt or mineral wool is most often used. We fix heat and waterproofing materials to the wall with the help of facade dowels with a wide hat already familiar to us. At the end, we install the outer skin of siding, porcelain stoneware or other material.

The simplest and most widely available option for external insulation is the use of "warm" plasters. The work consists in cleaning the walls of dirt, after which their surface is impregnated with a primer. Next, a plaster mesh and beacons are fixed on the wall, along which “warm” plaster will be applied. After the plastered walls have dried, they can be finished with bark beetle decorative plaster, clinker tiles, decorative facade bricks, or simply painted.

The insulation of the foundation and basement of a brick house is carried out by analogy with the walls, with the only difference being that it is not customary to create a ventilated facade for the foundation or basement. Most often, insulation is performed with polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, clinker tiles or “warm” plaster.

Insulation of a brick house from the inside

Heat loss through external walls is only a fraction of the total heat loss. Most of the heat escapes through the roof and floor of a brick house. Of course, for more reliable heat retention, you can insulate the walls from the inside, and this will require very little effort. Consider the internal insulation of a brick house as it is being built, starting from the floor and ending with the roof.

Floor insulation in a brick house

The floors in a brick house are best insulated even at the stage of its construction. It is also possible to make insulation in an already built house, but this is associated with increased labor costs. This is due to the need to dismantle and repair an existing wooden or concrete floor. Floor insulation is carried out using polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral and basalt wool or expanded clay. Separately, it is necessary to highlight the "warm floor" system, which, in combination with conventional heaters, will allow you to save heat and provide additional heating at home.

During the construction of a new house, the insulation of wooden floors is carried out as follows:

having created a structure from a log and a draft floor from waterproof plywood, we lay a layer of waterproofing on top of them. Between ourselves, the edges of the waterproofing material are overlapped, and the edges along the perimeter are brought up with an overlap of 10 - 15 cm;
then we put a heater in the space between the lags. On top of the insulation, if desired, you can lay a layer of vapor barrier;
the next will be a rough floor made of boards, on top of which the finishing floor and flooring are laid.

If the house has two or more floors, then the insulation of the floors of the upper floors will also be the insulation of the ceiling in a brick house. In fact, you will have to create a wooden floor on the logs with insulation inside on the second floor.

The creation of thermal insulation in an already built brick house begins with the disassembly and repair of a wooden floor. After that, if necessary, excavation of excess soil is carried out, backfilling of a new substrate of sand, crushed stone and their compaction. Finally, a lag structure and insulation are assembled according to the scheme described above.

If the wooden floor can still be dismantled with minimal labor, then the concrete floor will require a lot of effort and a lot of time to remove the old screed. Therefore, it is extremely important to carry out the insulation of concrete floors at the stage of building a house. The work itself is as follows:

after creating and compacting a pillow of sand and gravel on the ground, we perform a rough screed, lay a layer of waterproofing on top;

Important! To reduce the thermal conductivity of concrete, expanded clay should be added to it. Such concrete will have a thermal conductivity of 0.66 W/(m·K) rather than the usual 1.5 W/(m·K).

Next, lay the insulation. For concrete floors, foam and extruded polystyrene foam are used. In addition to these materials, others can be laid. The main thing is to choose a material with the highest strength and density of more than 160 kg / m3;
a layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of this multilayer cake and a finishing screed is poured, after which the finishing floor covering is laid.

Wall insulation from the inside of a brick house

In most cases, wall insulation inside a brick house is not performed, due to the presence of external thermal insulation. But sometimes internal insulation is still necessary. Especially when the insufficient thickness of the walls or the maximum layer of thermal insulation on the outside is not enough to keep the heat. To insulate brick walls from the inside, mineral and stone wool, polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, cork or “warm” plaster are used.

The internal insulation of the walls of a brick house is as follows:

clean the walls of dirt and impregnate them with a primer;
using wooden bars or a metal profile, equip the frame and fix it to the wall. Frame racks are placed in increments of 40 cm or 60 cm;
if necessary, cutting the thermal insulation to the width of the opening between the posts, we put it inside the resulting structure;
from above we sheathe with drywall, plaster and apply the finish.

Important! Internal insulation of a brick house with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam is highly undesirable due to the toxicity and flammability of these materials.

Insulation of the attic and roof of a brick house

In the question of how best to insulate a brick house, it is impossible to ignore such parts of the house as the roof and attic. After all, it is through them that up to 40% of the total heat loss can escape. This is due to the simple laws of physics, according to which warm air is lighter than cold air and therefore all the heat goes up. Therefore, in order to keep warm in a brick house, it is so important to insulate the roof and attic.

To insulate the attic, you must do the following:

if you use floor beams as logs, you can build an already familiar wooden floor construction with insulation, but with minor changes;
we cover the beams themselves and the space between them with a vapor barrier;
then we fill the space between the beams with ecowool, mineral wool or basalt wool;
from above, for ease of movement in the attic, we lay a draft floor of rough boards.

Important! To maintain the performance properties of the thermal insulation of the attic and roof, it is necessary to equip high-quality ventilation of the under-roof space.

Insulation of the roof of the house is carried out as follows:

over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe structure we lay between the rafters and fix the vapor barrier. We overlap the edges of the material with each other and glue it with adhesive tape;
in the space between the rafters we lay heat-insulating material. It can be polystyrene, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral or basalt wool, as well as any other insulation with low thermal conductivity and low density;
on top we lay another layer of vapor barrier and, to maintain the insulation in place, we fix the crate in increments of 0.4 - 0.5 m.

Despite the large amount of work to create thermal insulation of a brick house, everything is quite simple. Anyone who knows how to use a tool and has minimal experience in construction work can perform insulation. In order for everything to be done correctly, it is necessary to adhere to SNiPs and the recommendations of specialists.

Practical and high-quality silicate brick is a material suitable for the construction of multi-storey buildings. With the observance of construction technologies and the selection of the correct strength grade, a ten-story house made of silicate brick (SC) will last for decades, delighting residents with its comfort and warmth. In addition, manufacturers offer a wide range of SC varieties shown for arranging load-bearing walls, internal partitions, self-supporting structures, the shape of the bars can also be varied, but there are some limitations. Everything is worth talking about in more detail.

Silicate brick: production features

In its structure, SC is almost identical to natural limestone. Today, plasticizers and other components are added to the composition to increase the moisture resistance of the material and strengthen its brittleness.

Important! For the production of bricks, special equipment is required, so SK can be considered the least counterfeit building material.

Production stages:

Composing a mixture that includes sand, limestone, additives and water;
Molding and pressing mass. The important point is that the blanks remain in the molds until the last stage, therefore they retain the ideal proportions;
Autoclaving involves "hot steaming" at 100° C. and well above atmospheric pressure;
The blanks are inspected and ready for sale.

The production process is similar to the production of foam, gas silicate blocks, so manufacturers often offer a complete range of products.

Marking and types of material

When choosing for yourself the construction of a house from silicate brick, you need to be well versed in the types of products. It should be noted that in terms of frost resistance, the density of SC is identical to ceramic, that is, the qualities are extremely high.

Important! All material characteristics are regulated by GOST379-79.

The standard indicators of the finished product are as follows:

Strength - grades M125, M150;
Frost resistance - F15, F25, F35;
Thermal conductivity - 0.38-0.70 W / m.

Frost resistance means the ability of a material in a state of complete water saturation to endure thawing and freezing cycles without loss of high qualities.

Strength is an indicator of the ability of a material to resist internal and external deformations. The numerical designation of the parameter shows the maximum permissible load per 1m2.

There are also types of bricks: solid and hollow. Unlike ceramics, silicates are equipped with cylindrical holes located in the center of the bar. It is important that manufacturers often produce SC in the form required by the customer. In this case, parties can be either medium or large.

Important! The production technology requires the use of equipment, the readjustment of which takes a long time, so if you are offered a small batch, then you will not be able to build a good house from such silicate brick - this is a fake made with production violations.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

When deciding to build a residential building from SC, you need to familiarize yourself with the positive and negative qualities of the product. The advantages include the following:

Increased bearing capacity. With strength and density over 1500 kg / m3, which the bars have, you can be absolutely sure of the reliability of the structure. This class withstands pressure up to 30 MPa, so neither hurricane winds, storms or mechanical damage are terrible.
The durability of the material is also extremely high. Moreover, even the appearance will remain unchanged, slightly changing the color. Qualitative characteristics remain ideal until the end of the use of the building.

Important! Cladding elements of SK meet higher requirements than the material intended for internal partitions.

Resistance to fungus, mold. The lime included in the material does not require additional antiseptic treatment, therefore, in a house, if it is built from SC, there will never even be a smell of mold.

Important! Lime compounds are a natural component, therefore silicate brick belongs to the category of environmentally friendly materials. Compounds of an artificial nature (additives, plasticizers) make up no more than 0.3-0.7% of the total specific gravity.

A house built from SC accepts and allows any type of finish: vinyl panels, siding - whatever the owner wants.
Thrift. The material is cheaper than ceramic bricks by at least 20%, while the variety of shapes and textures allows you to implement the projects of any silicate brick houses. Color solutions are presented in yellow color, and white brick houses, photos of which are often found in the best magazines, look extremely noble and “rich”.

But with all the advantages, the material has a number of disadvantages:

The main disadvantage is the ability of the SC to receive water. The indicator reaches 11%, so the bars cannot be used in the arrangement of foundations, lining of plinths.

Advice! Under the condition of very good waterproofing, low groundwater, silicate brick can be used for lining the basement, but the strength characteristics deteriorate over time, which will lead to the destruction of the structure before the minimum operation period.

Increased thermal conductivity requires a good insulation. Moreover, insulation is needed in any regions, since the property of thermal conductivity guarantees rapid cooling and heating of the building.
Despite the fact that the product is fireproof and non-flammable, it does not tolerate excessively high temperatures and begins to crumble.
Massiveness is another minus of silicate brick. So, to save on the foundation will not work.

To make a choice, you should take into account the evenness factor of the elements. Thanks to the production process, in which the blanks are released from the mold only at the very end, the texture and geometric evenness are preserved in the finished form. Increased performance properties do not affect the cost - it remains low regardless of the type and grade of the material.

Important! The use of SC for lining and furnishing furnaces is strictly prohibited. In a few years, such a structure will collapse, which can cause not only an expensive repair of the entire structure, but also a fire with the complete destruction of the house.

Technological features of building a house made of silicate bricks

If there is an order, bricklaying is not difficult even for a novice builder. However, you will have to be patient and attentive. The geometry of the forms helps to tightly join, but with the slightest negligence, the dignity of the material will be lost. To carry out the work, a cement mortar of cement, water and sand will be required, although many builders use a clay composition.

Important! The masonry mixture must be very thick, since the blocks have an increased mass.

A trowel, a hammer for setting the masonry and a plumb line with a horizontal level will not interfere. You need to check the evenness for vertical and horizontal every row. As for the features of the building, they are as follows:

The most commonly used combined masonry of silicate bricks and ceramic. SK for load-bearing wall panels and partitions, ceramics for cladding. This option significantly increases the strength and service life of the house, while reducing the cost of construction.

Important! The combination is beneficial in terms of using the high qualities of both materials: internal partitions are rarely exposed to moisture, but they must be excellently durable. Facing, on the other hand, often experiences the aggressiveness of the external environment, therefore, strength and resistance to water, snow and other phenomena are required to be excellent.

SC masonry, as shown in the video, is similar to ordinary brickwork, but here the first row is laid on a carefully waterproofed base without mortar, all others are laid on a cement or clay composition with a layer of at least 30 mm.
Laying is recommended by the “press” method, which increases the complexity, but guarantees strength. Applying the mixture to the brick with a layer of 1 cm will help to achieve filling of the seams, and then removing the excess.
Be sure to wet the silicate before laying, so that it does not draw water out of the mixture until it sets.
The thickness of the wall depends on the number of storeys of the building, the requirements of insulation. The standard is one and a half bricks for low-rise buildings, and for more solid ones, a double layer is needed.
Additional reinforcement will provide the desired strength of the structure. You can use wire, laying it in every third row.

Important! If the insulation parameters require even a little double brick, laying is done in two and a half, however, with careful insulation, such masonry is unprofitable.

How to insulate the house outside and inside

To insulate a house made of silicate bricks, you can use almost any material. The peculiarity of the application is that the external method is used for cladding, which has a lot of advantages:

Condensation conditions, i.e. "dew point" remains outside;
The vapor permeability of the SC is reduced, so it is much easier to choose the insulation material than for any other building material;
Finishing only the outside, as shown in the video, does not reduce the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe premises inside;
The insulation solution has little effect on the facade of the building, since beauty flaws can be covered with any cladding.

There are no tips on choosing a material, since all indicators depend only on the requirements for insulation: we are building a house in a warm climate - the easiest option is used, in colder latitudes, the shortcomings in the thermal conductivity of the SC must be leveled with a good heater. A plus for the choice of thermal insulation is the low vapor permeability of silicate bricks.

Important! Considered objectively, this point is more likely to be a minus, because of which the material is not advised to be used in a humid climate, but for insulation, the disadvantages of permeability turn into pluses.

Let me, just in case, describe how I understand your situation (so that I understand everything correctly and do not advise too much). It's just that you have a question not only about insulation, but also about heating (in another thread, here), so I'll "gather" all the information together. And you, if anything, correct it. So:

Now you live in a house where there is no heating, except for three fireplaces. House on one floor + residential attic. The walls of the house are built with a thickness of 370mm (one and a half bricks). The walls are insulated from the inside with 50mm foam. The attic is not insulated. The floors are not insulated. It's cold in the house.

In this thread you ask how to insulate, and in the other (link above), which heating to choose. Since the answer for heating depends on the answer for insulation, let's first decide how best to insulate, then (when it is clear how to insulate), we will calculate the amount of heat loss for your house (taking into account that you insulate it). Knowing the amount of heat loss, it will be possible (knowing your prices for electricity and gas) to understand the cheaper it is to heat.

I hope I explained :-). So let's start with insulation.

Walls. It is best to insulate the walls of the house normally from the outside, and remove the insulation from the inside altogether. The simplest insulation from the outside is insulation under the cladding. Insulation - mineral wool or fiberglass wool. Mineral wool density 35-50 kg / m3, fiberglass wool - 17 kg / m3 (plate, not roll positions). A crate (wooden or metal) is attached to the wall from the outside. A heater is placed in the crate. On top of the insulation - a superdiffusion membrane (it waterproofs and protects from the wind), then a gap of 2-4 cm, and the lining material (siding, for example). Thickness of a heater - 100 mm. If you insulate the house from the outside in this way, then, in principle, you can not remove the foam from the inside. It will only be necessary to perform a calculation on whether you have enough ventilation (both inflow and exhaust). I'll explain why. You now have plastic windows (they do not let air through), the walls in foam plastic also do not let air through. And in the house there should be both an inflow of air, and an extract. Otherwise, the walls will get wet and it will be stuffy. To check how you have (enough supply and exhaust or not), I need to make a calculation. For the calculation, I need the following data:

plans of the first and attic floors, with the name of the premises, and with the areas of all premises
mark on the plans where the windows, doors
note where the exhaust channels are located, and their diameters
the height (on the facade) of all the walls of the house, and separately on each floor the height of the ceiling

this information can be sent in any quality, as long as it can be parsed, here, look how the reader specified the same data,. You can draw, photograph and post by hand.

Roof. If the attic is residential, then you need to insulate the roof slope completely. How your attic room is made (in form) will depend on the insulation scheme and the type of insulation.

How did you make your attic room:

1. right under the roof

Room under the roof

2. or "a room rectangle in a roof triangle" :-)

How you insulate it will depend on which option you have (1 or 2).

Floor. You didn't write how it works. Without that, I can't recommend anything.

Looking forward to your clarification, thanks.