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 yourself in a blanket or thoroughly insulate your living space. Let's take a look at the list in order possible problems heat loss in the 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 durable 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 panel house, then the second common cause of cold in an apartment may be poor-quality seams between the plates. It is your responsibility to seal the external seams. Management Company... 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 for insulation 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. In addition, it is the most economical option, because you yourself carry out all construction work and pay only for the material. But the thickness of the sandwich panel can reach 25 cm. This means that the area of ​​the room along the entire length of the wall will decrease by exactly that amount.

6. If you are not ready to part with part of the usable area of ​​your apartment, 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 one efficient method allowing to insulate old apartment Upstairs.

For more complex, incomprehensible reasons, it is possible to detect cold places in an apartment using a thermal imager that can easily determine 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.

Front 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 well-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 brand Rockwool personifies 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 facade sandwich panel, it should be borne in mind 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 the best results if they are fixed on an additional layer of foam.

By the way, unlike polystyrene, Rockwool sandwich panels, stylized as a 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 attached 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 disturbed geometric shape.

It is almost impossible to carry out such insulation work using ordinary foam. In especially difficult cases, in order to insulate the uneven facade of the house, instead of foam plastic, 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 conducting construction works, and as a consequence, 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 remuneration, but also rent. 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 any particular difficulties.

For this, by by and large will need minimal set most common tools. During installation, you can not 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.

Fastening the facade panels can be done 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 mandatory need associated with periodic repair of the facade and restoration of the outer surface of the walls.

However, if the work is carried out 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 about facade panels with insulation are mostly positive.

Pavel, 45 years old, Izhevsk:

I recently purchased from the secondary housing market Vacation home... I decided to make in it overhaul before check-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:

V recent times old heating system poorly began to cope with their task. I started to insulate the outside of the facade. I used a Rockwool sandwich panel as insulation. Now in all rooms optimum temperature... I recommend this insulation to everyone.

Vladimir, 43 years old, Zhitomir:

I'm a small foreman construction crew... 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 influences environment, then clinker outperforms some types of natural stone.

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 performance mechanical strength, with an underestimated value of water absorption.

Such material is distinguished by its pronounced frost resistance and the ability to maintain 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 sound insulation qualities.

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

2.3 Thermal panels with porcelain stoneware tiles

Kermogranite is another type of insulation ceramic tiles... It is made from high quality raw materials, in the process of firing, exposure 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 design 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.

As a rule, these products are used in houses, the appearance of which is oriented towards the Mediterranean or scandinavian styles... 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 non-uniformity in their colors, 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 a 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 with the help of polyurethane foam, and it is not recommended to leave the foam in the open state - it is destroyed under the influence of 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. Exists different techniques processing window slopes.

Grading 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 slopes is plastering plaster mix or putty. Plastering - very affordable way however, it is very inefficient in terms of energy saving. Unfortunately, such slopes are characterized by poor thermal insulation. Plaster is a fragile material, over time it can crack, which leads to the need for periodic corrective actions.

To ensure good thermal insulation when performing 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, irregularities.

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

The work process consists in:

• gluing prepared foam sheets with outside 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 works.

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 moisture-resistant gypsum board, which contains antifungal agents and silicone granules, but it will be useful to use additional materials, for example, a moisture resistant primer.

Insulation technology

Insulation of window slopes consists of several stages. For self-fulfillment work will require a standard set of tools: tape measure, paint knife, wooden blocks, a roll of scotch tape, a few
polyurethane foam packages, as well as a sealant, a 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.
• 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 between the wall and the sheet finishing material it is necessary to lay a layer of the material in question. 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

Styrofoam is a whole class polymer materials, which are essentially cellular foamed plastic mass.

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

• high heat-insulating properties;
• materials are not toxic;
• light weight of materials, ease of installation and fastening;

In comparison with polystyrene foam, polystyrene will gain large quantity glasses, since the material is not so 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 window slopes in a relatively warm climatic region, two layers of material will be sufficient; in colder climatic conditions, polystyrene must be combined with other heaters, 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 construction 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 response to exposure 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 precisely with this indicator, and therefore, with a gap of about 40 mm or more, 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 with the internal and outside window construction.

Sandwich panels are produced by manufacturers ready-to-use, so in some cases the question of finishing 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: expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam and others.

The front surfaces can be smooth or corrugated, coated with polymer resins. Due to this, the slabs are produced in various colors, which allows you to create interesting geometric combinations on the outside of the building. This quality is used by developers industrial enterprises, in order not to additionally solve the question of how to finish the sandwich panels. It's quite another matter when it comes about the construction of private houses. If from the 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 construction frame houses as filling between drains and crossbars of the main frame. They are used for exterior decoration as self-construction 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 equipped with all kinds additional elements and layouts so that during installation you can close the joints and arrange edges, corners, transitions. In addition, the products themselves are made with thorn-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.

Slope cladding

With the advent of plastic windows immediately there was a problem, how and with what the finishing of the slopes should be done. We tried everything - both high-quality plaster, and plastic panels and many more options. But most the best solution came with the advent of the three-layer material. Decorating window slopes with sandwich panels 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 are cleaned window frame 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 lower part and the sides are wrapped in 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 junctions of the window and sill to the opening is carried out polyurethane foam; cured foam 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 begins from the upper slope: the starting point is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws plastic profile into which the sandwich is inserted the right size 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; you need 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 attaching the finishing framing in the form of corners to liquid nails.

There are other ways to install window slopes using brackets, battens and other fixtures. 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 above, it is clear what to do with your own hands and assembly work on the installation of 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 create a beautiful frame for a window block without changing the window itself. Moreover, manufacturers have learned to design the front surfaces of sandwiches in the most different colors and shades, including "wood, marble, granite". The plastic is used glossy, semi-glossy, matte. Cladding with sandwich plates window openings can be matched to any interior style.

Interior wall decoration from sandwiches

The 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, the methods and materials can be absolutely any. Only for finishing will be needed preliminary preparation... Let's say it is impossible to stick wallpaper on sandwiches. Therefore, you first have to sheathe the walls with plasterboard. You may need to accept additional measures for better insulation 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 putty with reinforcing tape, grouting the caps of self-tapping screws and wallpapering, tiling, textured plaster, painting on 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. 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 intended - in a vertical or horizontal position. If the building was built in frame version and does not require additional insulation, then it is not necessary to arrange the crate, but wood cladding can be attached to 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, polystyrene or polyurethane foam in their construction. A panel with one or another insulation has both disadvantages and advantages. Panels with polyurethane foam are distinguished by 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 fire resistance. Polyfoam has a wider list of advantages: environmental friendliness (it consists of air by 98 percent), low thermal conductivity, low weight, highest performance, unpretentiousness, durability and minimum production time.

Mineral wool has a lot of disadvantages. It absorbs excess moisture, which leads to subsidence, damage to 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 lies in 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. Use panels with mineral wool in car washes, cold rooms, food shops it is completely unreasonable. 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 used fearlessly in all buildings, the roof and walls of which belong to the second and more categories of fire resistance.