How to insulate a panel house outside. Self-warming of the walls of a frame house Types of insulation of a frame house

Russia is a country with a changeable climate, long cold winters, the need to constantly warm and warm your home. Residents are forced to either increase the thickness of the walls of the houses, or install additional heating devices, or decide how to insulate a frame house for winter living. The first two options lead to increased costs. The third deserves special attention and consideration.

In the world, frame technology is becoming more and more relevant and in demand in individual housing construction. The ancestor was Canada, a significant part of which is located beyond the Arctic Circle. At the current time, the following advantages of the frame method are known, which makes it possible to obtain a warm house:

  • fast erection. It takes no more than a month from the "first nail" to commissioning. significantly speed up the construction process.
  • walls, supporting structures are lightweight. The load on the foundation is reduced. You can limit yourself to shallow tape;
  • adequate impregnation and treatment is sufficient to make the building completely safe and resistant to fires. In modern frame houses, both convector and gas heating and heating with electricity are used. It is enough to solve the ventilation problems at the stage of completed construction, and there will be no condensation, no mold, no pathogenic microbes on the walls. And the walls won't get excessively hot, which could theoretically lead to a fire.

Many, after reading reviews and comments, mistakenly believe that frame houses are operated exclusively in the summer, in the fall the building is preserved until spring and is not used in winter. Our article will tell you how to correctly carry out the insulation, when it is better to do it in order to avoid unnecessary heating costs. And you decide whether to live here year-round or not, how to properly preserve the frame house until warm days and whether it is worth fearing that the building will collapse under the influence of temperature changes.

External and internal insulation

It is better to insulate the building from the outside or from the inside, it is better to be determined even at the construction stage. This will determine not only the labor intensity and technology of work, but also the financial costs. Insulation is carried out either from the outside or from the inside. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Consider both options carefully before making a choice.

External insulation

For external insulation, the following is characteristic:

  • work is carried out at any time, after the completion of construction and commissioning of the building, you will not have to dismantle or rebuild anything;
  • as a heater, either polystyrene (in the modern variation, penoplex, resistant to fire), or mineral wool in sheets, mats, rolls is used. Each of these materials will not only keep the warmth inside the room, but also prevent the house from heating up unnecessarily in the summer under the sun's rays;
  • the wooden base of the building, which is characterized by low thermal conductivity, will face inside the room. Less energy is spent on warming up the house and maintaining the set temperature.

Internal insulation

It is better to insulate the building from the inside before the stage of plasterboard installation and finishing work. Otherwise, you will have to re-plaster, paint, glue the wallpaper. Result? Additional costs, it will take more time for the full cycle of preparing the building for use and restoring its original appearance.

It is imperative to mention the following disadvantages of internal insulation:

  • cold air from outside will pass through the cladding materials and collide with the heat stored inside. Condensation will accumulate between the layers of SIP panels or frame walls, inevitably leading to the formation of mold, fungal colonies, and premature failure of the walls;
  • the facade does not receive protection from the sun, moisture, temperature changes. Strong winds, numerous freeze / warm-up cycles will also bring closer the moment of renovation or complete reconstruction of the building.

The choice of material for insulation

When choosing a heater, you need to pay attention to the following qualities:

  1. Environmental Safety. The material should not become a source of poisonous smoke, harmful volatile substances.
  2. Resistant to fire and high temperatures. High-quality insulation materials withstand direct exposure to fire for several minutes without changing the structure. A building shouldn't flash like a match.
  3. Reduced heat loss. Brick is the main material for the construction of private houses. But the preservation of heat in a sufficient volume is possible if the walls are laid out with a thickness of up to 1 meter. In frame housing construction, the thickness of the outer walls does not exceed 20 cm. And the layer of insulation should be enough for living in the building not only in summer, but also in the coldest months, if it is heated in a standard mode.
  4. Strength, resistance to deformation, preservation of the original shape during the entire period of operation. It is important to understand that the layers of insulation will be under the clapboard, siding, drywall and other finishing materials. It will be impossible to check the absence of defects. If the insulation is deformed after a year or two, cold bridges will appear in the walls, "eating up" all the heat from the heating system.
  5. Price. Frame house building is valued due to the low cost of materials, components and the assembly process. And carrying out insulation should not lead to a rise in the cost of the entire building by two or three times.

Sheets of expanded polystyrene (penoplex)

The material is lightweight. This quality is important if additional insulation is not planned during the construction phase. There will be no additional load on the supporting structures. Among other advantages, we highlight:

  • immunity to temperature extremes. Numerous freeze / thaw cycles do not change the internal structure;
  • water does not penetrate into the cells, does not freeze there and does not cause cracks or deformation.

But it is important to understand that expanded polystyrene and its modifications are not perfect. Among the negative qualities, we highlight:

  • instability to high temperatures, rapid ignition;
  • under mechanical shock, expanded polystyrene is deformed, the sheets will have to be changed;
  • the room will become a kind of thermos due to low air permeability.

The use of mineral wool for insulation


In terms of popularity, the material surpasses all others for the following reasons:

  • intended for installation both on the external and internal surfaces of the walls;
  • does not absorb or emit harmful substances, does not burn, does not smolder;
  • excellent heat and sound insulator with low weight;
  • roll material is used when working with curved surfaces, corners, arches.

There are also disadvantages:

  • waterproofing cannot be neglected. If the cotton wool gets wet, its protective properties will be leveled;
  • good fastening required. Sheets or mats should not sag, move away from the wall.

How to insulate the facade

The insulation procedure involves several successive stages:

  • preliminary cleaning of surfaces. The slots must be carefully putty, sealed with a special adhesive mass;
  • application of a primer that improves adhesion;
  • installation of sheets of foam plastic, mineral wool. It is better not to use self-tapping screws, anchors, other fasteners. Gaps, gaps are unacceptable between the base and the insulation;
  • laying of a waterproofing membrane that protects from street moisture, and installation of cladding material. Pre-treatment is carried out with antiseptics against decay, mold, fires.

How to insulate a sheathed house from the inside

It is better not to postpone this option for a period when people already live in the house, wallpaper is glued. As soon as the installation of the frame is completed, the antiseptic treatment has been carried out, start the insulation work in the following order:

  • a vapor barrier membrane is glued to the base. The smooth side faces the room;
  • further guides are attached, between which mineral wool is placed. For fastening, either a special adhesive compound or a dowel with a flat wide head is used;
  • laying a waterproofing film to maintain an optimal microclimate in the building;
  • installation of special rails that hold the insulation in one position.

Decorating, installation of OSB boards, drywall, plastering, wallpapering are carried out.

It is important to emphasize: only the installation of insulation plates will not help make the house suitable for winter living. We'll have to solve problems with heating: installing a gas or electric boiler. There are many options, but it is better not to use a traditional wood-burning fireplace for safety reasons.

Understanding how to insulate a frame house for winter living will allow you to use it all year round. Sound insulation in the house, comfort and durability depend on how correctly the technologies are followed.

Warming options

Before carrying out work, it should be determined whether the thermal insulation will be inside or outside the building. To do this, you should know the features of each option.

External insulation:

  1. Does not violate the interior of the house.
  2. A wooden wall located inside the room can save heating, as it accumulates heat.
  3. Insulation protects the building facade from adverse environmental influences (moisture, high or low temperatures, etc.).
Insulation of the house outside

Internal insulation:

  1. Has good sound insulation.
  2. There are no hard requirements.
  3. No vapor or waterproofing materials required.

Insulation of the house inside

However, this method has several disadvantages, for example:

  • dismantling of the interior decoration of the room where the thermal insulation will be installed;
  • accumulation of moisture in the room, which reduces the service life of the building;
  • insulation inside the building does not preserve the facade of the building from the negative impact of external factors.

Features of insulation

The preparatory stage of building insulation for winter and summer does not differ depending on the selected material. The difference concerns only the process of laying it. Each of the materials used has its own characteristics.

Use of foam and EPS

Styrofoam is considered the warmest material, but it is not the best option for insulating wooden buildings.


Using foam as insulation

Features of using these materials:

  1. Before laying the polystyrene, using polyurethane foam, it is necessary to remove all cracks and irregularities, since this material does not fit tightly.
  2. Expanded polystyrene should not be located near sources of combustion, as the material is flammable.
  3. The foam does not allow air to pass through, so you need to take care of the ventilation of the room, otherwise the walls in the room may become moldy.
  4. Expanded polystyrene must be used together with waterproofing and vapor barrier, as it does not allow moisture to pass through.

Using ecowool

This material has not been used very long ago, however, it can be used in the process of insulating frame and other types of buildings. The main features of this material are as follows:

  1. The laying of this material can be done with or without a special tool. The use of the tool significantly improves the thermal insulation characteristics of the room.
  2. Ecowool perfectly absorbs moisture, therefore, the installation of waterproofing and vapor barrier should be treated with greater responsibility.
  3. Ecowool shrinks, so it should be applied with a margin.
  4. When applying it, you should use personal protective equipment.

Thermal insulation of the house with ecowool

Important! Wall insulation with ecowool should be carried out by qualified specialists.

Use of expanded clay

Expanded clay is used much less often, since it has inferior characteristics in comparison with similar materials. Its main features:

  1. It is most often used for floors and floors.
  2. It is mainly combined with sawdust, ash and similar materials.
  3. Expanded clay is better to use in small fractions, so there will be less empty spaces.

The use of expanded clay for warming frame houses

How to choose insulation

Before starting construction work, you need to decide what is the best way to insulate a frame house. Insulation for residential premises must have the following characteristics:

  1. Environmentally friendly - should not emit substances harmful to human life and health.
  2. Fire safety - the material used should not let the fire spread, and also not emit a lot of smoke.
  3. Low thermal conductivity.
  4. Durability - the insulation should fit tightly and easily and not change shape over time.
  5. Inexpensive.

Important! These characteristics are more suitable for expanded polystyrene and.

In order to choose the right material for insulation, you should know what pros and cons each one is endowed with.

Expanded polystyrene

It has a low weight, which is very important in insulating a frame house. This material tolerates temperature extremes well, and is also not afraid of moisture and does not freeze. That is why buildings with its use are distinguished by their durability and low cost.


Warming with expanded polystyrene

Among the disadvantages are:

  • fire hazardous - highly flammable;
  • subject to mechanical and chemical damage;
  • does not allow air to pass through, which is why the room is constantly humid.

Often, the foam is installed from the outside of the house.


Thermal insulation with expanded polystyrene outside the building

This material can be replaced with a similar one, namely, penoplex, which is more resistant to various damage, but has a high cost.

Mineral wool

The most popular material in construction, which can be in the form of rolls, mats and slabs. Mineral wool has high performance in environmental friendliness, lightness, thermal insulation and sound insulation. Buildings with its use are characterized by the duration of operation.

Important! Slab-shaped cotton wool (basalt) does not burn.

When insulating, it is important to pay special attention to waterproofing, since over time the cotton wool sags and cakes, moreover, when it gets wet, it loses its properties and becomes an excellent medium for mold formation.

How insulation is made

In order to end up with a warm frame house, its walls must be insulated from the inside and outside. The work process is almost the same, with a few exceptions.

Insulation outside

For the outside, it is best to choose the crossover method.

The insulation is always laid with a gap in the seams to avoid the appearance of blown gaps.

  • The building frame is sheathed with OSB boards, which should have gaps of 2-3 mm. Subsequently, they need to be foamed.

This is what OSB boards look like.
  • Further, waterproofing is stretched, which protects both the walls of the house and the insulation from moisture and other adverse environmental influences. Usually the waterproofing has self-adhesive strips, if they are not there, the knocks between them should be sealed with tape.

Connecting the joints of the insulation
  • Each layer of insulation should be laid in such a way as to overlap the previous one by 15-20 cm.
  • The thickness of the insulation is approximately 15 cm.
  • After laying the insulation, all voids are filled with polyurethane foam.

Insulation of walls inside the house

After the frame house is fully insulated for winter living, you can start interior decoration. For this:

  1. The first layer of thermal insulation is laid, the thickness of which is 5 cm.
  2. Then the insulation is laid in the frame house, the thickness of which is 10 cm. The entire frame between the racks is filled with it.
  3. Then a vapor barrier is attached, which prevents steam from entering the inside of the insulation. They are laid with the rough side outward, and with the smooth side towards the thermal insulation.
  4. Bars are installed on top of it.

Important! The insulation cannot be pushed in by force and rammed, since the heat in the room depends on the voids inside it.

Insulation is also installed in the partitions between rooms. For the most part, it is required for sound insulation. For this, plates are installed with a layer of 10 mm. No vapor barrier is required here, since the temperature in the separated rooms will be the same.

Instead of a vapor barrier, glassine is used here. It prevents dust from the insulation from entering the room.

Do not forget about the insulation of corners in a frame house. This can be done in various ways. So, a warm corner can be made by building a structure of two boards, with special blocks made of blocks, and insulate the space between such structures with mineral wool.

Ceiling insulation

It is better to carry out the work even before the roof is completely assembled, so it will not interfere with the packing density.

The whole process of warming consists of the following stages:

  • Inside the house, on the ceiling beams, a vapor barrier is stretched, and a board 25 mm thick is stuffed on it.

Ceiling beams and vapor barrier
  • Insulation is laid on top, between which there should be no voids, tightly overlapping each layer.

Important! When laying insulation on the ceiling, you should make a small ledge on the walls.

  • If insulation is not required in the attic, then the membrane film should not be pulled. A board or plywood is nailed to the floor of the attic.
  • If it is not possible to insulate the ceiling from the outside, then this is done inside, while it should be tied up so that it does not fall off. After that, sew on the waterproofing, and then - the board or plywood.

Indoor ceiling waterproofing

Roof insulation

Often, both the roof and the ceiling are insulated in a frame house. This happens in cases where the attic space is used as a second floor for housing and is heated.

The process of work practically does not differ from the insulation of the ceiling. The only exception is that when the roof is insulated, waterproofing is necessarily stretched over the material, which will protect it from environmental influences.

Features of roof insulation:

  1. It is better to insulate outside, since it is inconvenient and unsafe to do it inside. Many materials have the ability to crumble on the face.
  2. After the rafter system has been installed, a vapor barrier is sutured from below, onto which sheathing material, board or plywood is stuffed.
  3. Insulation sheets are placed outside. This is done in the same way as when insulating walls, ceilings, etc.
  4. Waterproofing is placed on the top, on which a counter-lath, lathing and roofing are installed.

The inside of the roof is insulated only if it is completely assembled.


Roof insulation

Floor insulation

Floor insulation should be started with preparatory work. This should be done before installing the frame of the house.

If the land where the building is located is clay with a high water level, then a drainage system should be done.

After that, inside the foundation, the soil is removed 40-50 cm and a drainage system is installed. After it is covered with a sand and gravel pillow. After that, you can install the frame.


Floor insulation

In case this step is skipped, you can use expanded clay. To do this, the surface is first leveled, and then the above material is poured. It is desirable that it has fractions from 10-40 mm in its composition. After that, you can equip the floor.

How to choose a filler

The best insulation for the floor is mineral wool, polyester, steel shavings, etc. They are easy to install, use, environmentally friendly and fireproof. However, they have increased requirements for vapor barrier and waterproofing.

You can also use materials such as:

  1. Polystyrene - it is lightweight, resistant to adverse influences and has a long service life. It can be ordinary (less durable, fireproof) and extruded - it has low thermal conductivity and moisture absorption.

It is simple to lay such insulation: the sheets are placed end-to-end, the edge tape is installed along the entire perimeter of the floor.

  1. Expanded clay and slag - has low thermal conductivity and light weight.
  2. - This is an insulating foil, which is rarely used as an independent insulation.
  3. Edging tape - it is used for edging the entire perimeter of the house before the insulation is applied.

Floor insulation in stages

Insulation of the floor in a frame house is carried out between the profiles. That is why it is better to choose a dry screed, it is easier to work with it.

Warming process on the ground:

  1. Sand and crushed stone must be tamped well, then brick posts must be installed. They will not be the basis for the profiles.
  2. Laying waterproofing. It can be bituminous paper or plastic wrap. Its height depends on the level of the floor, it should be borne in mind that the waterproofing should protrude slightly on the walls.
  3. A small gap must be left at the joints of the floor and walls, in which the edge insulation will be laid.

Stages of floor insulation on the ground

The simplest floor insulation technology is made from bulk materials. Such insulation is carried out perpendicular to the lags along the entire perimeter of the room, while pressing tightly.

Floor insulation with slabs

The base of the floor does not play any role in the technology of laying the insulation, but this should be taken into account when choosing a material for these purposes. So, if logs are based on the floor, then a mineral wool slab is best suited as a heater, and rigid materials are best for a concrete floor. In any case, the process of installing thermal insulation is as follows:

  1. After laying the logs, from both sides to the bottom, the bars are stuffed and the flooring is assembled from antiseptic grooved boards.
  2. On top of this glassine is spread - this is roofing board impregnated with bitumen.
  3. Insulation is placed on top.
  4. After that, a vapor barrier film is placed, which protects the insulation from condensation.

What work is carried out after warming the house

After the thermal insulation is installed, it is the turn to equip the supporting system for the ventilated cladding, as well as the plane for finishing. As for the finishing, here the wind and water protection of the insulation can be provided with a layer of plaster.

As for the exterior decoration, then you should take care of the installation of the panels in advance. In order for the lathing to be strong enough, the frame posts must be installed frequently. After fixing the waterproof membrane with staples to the frame, it is lined with slats, the thickness of which is about 25-30 mm. This ensures that trapped water can drain off, as well as ventilation.

The wall of a frame house looks like this: inner cladding - vapor barrier - insulation - wooden frame - membrane - counter-lattice - facade decoration.


Exterior finishing of the house after insulation

When arranging walls for plastering work, sheet materials are used that perfectly remove steam and prevent condensation. The sheets exclude the blowing of the insulation.

The inner wall looks like this: inner cladding - vapor barrier - wooden frame - insulation - membrane - counter grill - outer cladding - basic plaster - plaster mesh - plaster.

Recently, frame houses are gaining more and more popularity. Therefore, you should know how to insulate a frame house so that it is suitable for living in both winter and summer. However, it should be borne in mind that the insulation must also be reliably protected from the negative effects of the environment, because moisture that has got into it leads to the formation of condensation, and it has a detrimental effect on this material. Therefore, it is imperative to use high-quality waterproofing.

September 6, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works (laying of foundations, erection of walls, construction of a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying of internal communications, rough and final finishing). Hobbies: mobile communications, high technologies, computer technology, programming.

The day before yesterday I received an order for the insulation of a frame house. The client undertook the independent construction of this building, but in the process of work he decided to immediately adapt a country dwelling for year-round living. He did not know how to properly perform thermal insulation, so he turned to me.

I think any novice builder can face a similar situation, so today I will tell you how and how to insulate the facade, floor and attic of a country cottage built using frame technology.

Choosing a place for installing thermal insulation

First, I will pay a little attention to where it is better to equip the thermal insulation layer - from the outside or from the inside. I prefer external insulation, but in order not to be unfounded, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the table, which sets out the features of the two mentioned options. Having studied it, you can independently make an informed decision.

Outdoor Internal
The external insulation scheme provides that the entire insulation cake will be placed on the outside of the dwelling, therefore, during construction work, the interior of the rooms does not suffer. With internal insulation, it is necessary to dismantle the decorative finishing of the rooms, and after installing the insulation, perform the finishing from scratch. This increases the time to complete the work and the estimated cost of construction.
With external insulation, the heat-insulating layer simultaneously protects the enclosing structures of the frame house from the effects of destructive external factors: temperature fluctuations, rain and ultraviolet radiation. Internal insulation shifts the point of moisture condensation inside the wall, as a result of which the enclosing structure is moistened, which significantly reduces its service life.
A wooden wall, which is in direct contact with warm air in the room, accumulates thermal energy, and when the outside air temperature drops, it releases it, eliminating the need to use heating devices. The insulation installed inside does not protect the enclosing structure from frost. The wall undergoes numerous cycles of freezing and thawing, which lead to the destruction of its internal structure.

In my opinion, you can resort to internal thermal insulation only when insulating a very old house: from the inside, the installed insulating material will avoid dismantling the external finish, which is not always possible for objective reasons.

Yes, and one more thing. Several times I have come across situations where even the correct internal insulation was not effective enough to maintain a comfortable microclimate in the house during severe winter cold. And I had to install an additional one - outside. So, whatever one may say, but the outer insulation is more reliable.

Well, now let's figure out the better to perform the thermal insulation of a frame house outside.

The choice of thermal insulation material

Taking into account the specifics of a wooden house built using frame technology using sheet facing materials, it is necessary to select a heater taking into account the following requirements:

  1. The heat insulator must be environmentally friendly. The insulating layer should not release chemical compounds hazardous to humans into the air, even if it heats up during operation.
  2. The material must have fire-fighting properties - it will not ignite under the influence of fire and not contribute to the further spread of the flame. It is also advisable to select insulation that does not emit a large amount of smoke during a fire, making it difficult to evacuate people.
  3. It is better to select insulation with the lowest thermal conductivity coefficient, so as not to use a large layer for insulation. The optimal thickness is no more than 100-150 cm (this is the average cross-section of the timber usually used to construct the frame).
  4. Strength and ability to maintain geometric dimensions. The material installed in the gaps of the frame should fill it completely, without shrinking over time.
  5. Ease of installation. To simplify the process of erecting a frame house, it is necessary to buy insulation that is easily installed inside the frame walls without the use of complex engineering equipment.

Another factor is price. Considering the total estimated cost of building a cottage using frame technology, it is necessary to select a heater that will not significantly increase construction costs. However, I would not put the price at the forefront, preferring thermal insulation with optimal technical characteristics and operational properties.

In my opinion, the closest thing to the requirements listed above is basalt insulation - mats based on fibers made from minerals of volcanic origin.

This material has many advantages, which I reflect in the table below:

Characteristic Description
Low thermal conductivity The thermal conductivity coefficient λ of basalt wool is about 0.036 W / (m * K), depending on the density of the material. Thermal calculations show that for central Russia an energy-efficient house can be built with a layer of cotton wool 10 cm thick.
Incombustibility Basalt fiber melts at temperatures above 1000 degrees Celsius, so the material not only does not ignite itself, but also serves as a reliable barrier to the spread of fire.
Hygroscopicity Mineral wool fibers do not absorb water, and formaldehyde resins, which are used to bond the mats, have hydrophobic properties, helping to remove moisture to the outside.
Light weight After installation, the insulation practically does not exert additional stress on the enclosing structures, which is important for a fragile frame house.
Easy to install Dense mineral mats of a suitable size are simply inserted into the gaps between the frame beams, without the need for additional lathing, accessories and the use of "wet" construction processes.

In my opinion, the listed properties are quite enough to persuade you to choose mineral wool. I use TechnoNICOL or Rockwool products for my work.

And if you're wondering what is the best way to insulate from the inside, see the related article in this blog, which details the technology you need. Although I can say in advance that mineral wool is so versatile that it can be used to insulate a house both outside and inside.

Tools and materials

In addition to mineral wool (and we have decided that it will be basalt fiber), you will need a lot of different materials:

  • OSB slabs for internal and external cladding of the load-bearing frame of the walls of the dwelling;
  • wooden beams 30 x 50 mm for arranging counter-lattice and ventilation gap between the insulating layer and decorative trim;
  • hydro- and windproof membrane - a special polymer vapor-permeable film (Juta or Strotex), which prevents the insulation from getting wet and destroyed by the air flow, but does not prevent the accumulated moisture from being removed from the thermal insulation layer;
  • internal vapor barrier film - in the described case, I will use foil insulation based on foamed polyethylene (for example, penofol) to increase the efficiency of the heating devices;
  • block house, with the help of which the external decorative finishing of frame walls will be made;
  • eurolining, with which I will sheathe the surface of the walls from the inside.

I will not dwell on which tools to use. You will understand in the process of further presentation.

Warming process

Now I'm telling you how to insulate a frame house for winter living. The thermal insulation technology of such a structure consists of several steps, which are presented in the diagram:

Do-it-yourself step-by-step instructions for warming a frame house are presented below. I must say right away that in my case the frame of the dwelling has already been erected, but the inner lining was not installed. Therefore, the described insulation technology itself has some nuances.

Step 1 - Preparing the frame

First of all, it is necessary to prepare the frame of the dwelling for installation inside the heat-insulating material. I do it in the following sequence:

  1. I clean wooden parts from dust, debris and dirt. In the future, the frame will be completely hidden by facing materials, therefore, pollution can negatively affect the integrity of the structure, the efficiency and duration of operation of the insulation layer. You can clean the wood with a regular brush or vacuum cleaner.

  1. I carry out repair of damaged frame parts. In my case, there were no defective areas, since I was insulating the new house during the construction process. But if you find areas of the timber damaged by rot, you need to replace the part before installing the thermal insulation material.

  1. I install engineering communications. If hidden laying of engineering systems is supposed, then it is better to do this before sewing the walls with decorative material. There are several features that I want to mention:
    • All electrical must be installed in flexible or rigid plastic or metal cable ducts that protect the insulation layer and the building itself from fire in the event of a short circuit.
    • When installing water pipes inside the wall, there should be no detachable connections, which over time can weaken and leak.

  1. I perform antiseptic treatment of the frame. To do this, it is better to use a universal compound (for example, Guardian), which prevents the formation of mold and mildew on the supporting frame of the dwelling and gives the wood fire-fighting properties. It is necessary to process wood with two layers of impregnation with intermediate drying.

Step 2 - interior cladding

For the interior cladding, I will use OSB boards and a vapor barrier with a heat reflective layer of brushed aluminum foil. The work is done in the following sequence:

  1. The frame of the house is sheathed from the inside with OSB sheets. They will serve as a support for leveling the insulation material. A vapor barrier inner layer will be attached to the same surface:
    • The glued fibrous sheets must be cut into pieces of the required size according to the preliminary drawings.
    • Parts must be sized so that, after installation, they do not reach the surface of the ceiling, floor and corners. We need a gap 2-3 cm thick, through which moisture condensed there will be removed from the surface of the heat-reflecting layer.
    • Sheets are attached to the supporting elements of the frame with self-tapping screws. The step between adjacent self-tapping screws should not exceed 20 cm.
    • The seams of the cladding should be staggered with an offset relative to each other. Their thickness is 2-3 mm, which allow avoiding warping of the surface when changing the dimensions of the base.

  1. I install a vapor barrier material. As I already said, its role will be played by penofol - polyethylene foam (it will become an additional insulation) with glued foil (it reflects infrared rays, increasing the heating efficiency):
    • The material should be placed on the OSB sheets with a reflective layer outward, and then secured to the panels using a construction stapler or nails with wide heads.
    • Rolls of penofol must be mounted so that each subsequent layer overlaps the previous one at a distance of 10 cm.
    • To seal the seams, a double-sided adhesive tape is placed inside the overlap, which glues adjacent sheets of heat-reflecting material, preventing water vapor from penetrating into the thickness of the enclosing structures and the insulation layer.

  1. Installing counterrails. They are necessary for arranging the ventilation gap between the foil and the finishing cladding. You can orient the details vertically or horizontally, depending on how you will have the decorative material fixed (in my case, the lining). The slats are fixed to the OSB-plates with self-tapping screws directly through the foil foil foam.

  1. I fix the lining on the counterrails. I have already described the technology of wall cladding with clapboard itself, so I will not dwell in detail. I can only say that it is better to install the lamellas on the clamps, thanks to which the change in the size of the euro lining is compensated for during operation.

Step 3 - Laying insulation

TechnoNicol Technolight Extra slabs are best suited as thermal insulation. On the one hand, they are strong enough to fit snugly between the supporting elements of the frame and hold there without additional fastening. On the other hand, they have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, therefore, two layers of mineral mats, 5 cm each, are sufficient for insulation.

The plus is that I advised the client in advance to make the frame of the house with a distance of 60 cm between the supports. This is exactly the width of the insulation slab. Therefore, pruning is practically unnecessary. As a result, expensive material is consumed with maximum efficiency.

  1. I install the first layer of insulation. As I already said, the width of the slabs exactly matches the distance between the frame beams, so you just need to bend them in the middle and insert them into the wall. Having straightened, the mineral mat will take its place firmly. Let me draw your attention to a few nuances:
    • The mineral mat must not be fixed to the inner OSB board. Otherwise, the self-tapping screw can damage the foam foam layer, which is laid on the surface from the back side.
    • Trimming the slabs, if necessary, is carried out using a sharp clerical knife or a saw with fine teeth.
    • After installing all the plates, it is necessary to additionally seal the joints between the plates with polyurethane glue from a balloon. It will glue the fibers of adjacent mats, eliminating the formation of cold bridges.

  1. I install the second layer of insulation. It is placed on top of the first so that the lower and upper seams are running. The rest of the rules are the same as in point 1. Do not forget to fill the joints between the boards with polyurethane foam. Excess of it, after final solidification, will need to be cut off sharp.

  1. I install insulation in structural elements of complex shapes. It is imperative to insulate all sections of the walls. Of particular difficulty are usually slopes, which serve to strengthen the structure. In this case, you need to cut the mineral mat in the shape of the depression so that it fits as tightly as possible.

As you can see, the installation of the insulation itself is a simple operation, but it takes a lot of time. However, this is not the end of the thermal insulation process. Outside, the thermal insulation must be reliably protected.

Step 4 - Installing hydro and wind protection

To protect the insulation from external influences, a special polymeric vapor-permeable membrane of increased strength is usually used. Its installation has some features that I want to describe.

The essence is as follows:

  1. A film is laid on the insulation layer. The material is fixed with staples and a construction stapler to the frame beams. You can use wide-headed carnations:
    • Work should start from the bottom of the wall, gradually moving up.
    • Film sheets must be placed horizontally.
    • Each next canvas should overlap the previous one by a distance of 10 cm.

  1. I seal the joints between the individual canvases. For this, adhesive tape is used, which is glued to the joints of the film. At the end of the work, you should get a completely sealed canvas that protects the mineral wool from water penetrating through the outer cladding and a draft blowing in the ventilation gap (about it just below).
  2. I stuff the counter-lattice slats on the polymer membrane. Here, the ventilation gap is simply necessary, since moisture condensed on the surface of the insulation will be removed through it. The slats are installed horizontally or vertically and are fixed to the frame with self-tapping screws.

  1. I fix it on the OSB slats. I already described the technology of their installation when I talked about the inner lining of a frame house. Therefore, I will not dwell on this stage in detail.

Step 5 - finishing

The technology of decorative finishing of the facades of the house depends on the chosen material. In my case, it will be a block house, the individual parts of which must be fixed on OSB plates using self-tapping screws.

If you are going to use, for example, vinyl siding, OSB boards can not be used at all, but you can attach the lamellas to a profile fixed to a counter-lattice.

Step 6 - attic floor

To make it comfortable to be in a frame house in winter, it is not enough to insulate the walls, because most of the heat energy losses occur through the attic floor. Therefore, I will briefly tell you how to insulate this surface:

  1. Hem the ceiling from below with OSB plates. You already know the scheme, as I described it above. The filing will not experience a large load, therefore, it is enough to fix the parts with self-tapping screws with small tolerances at the seams to compensate for the increase in the size of the substrate.
  2. Fix penofol. I also described the rules for installing heat-reflecting material when I talked about the technology of wall insulation.
  3. Screw on the sheathing beams. By the way, they are necessary if you use a vapor barrier with a heat-reflecting layer. It can be replaced with a conventional vapor-permeable membrane. Then the decorative material can be fixed directly on the film, but the total thermal resistance of the walls (R) will decrease, since the walls will not reflect, but absorb infrared rays.
  4. Decorate the ceiling surface with clapboard. It is attached to clips or self-tapping screws.
  5. Install insulation from the attic side. Mineral wool is embedded in the gaps between the beams of the attic floor, after which it is covered with a waterproofing film and sewn up with sheet material (in my case, OSB plates).

Step 7 - floors

The last stage of work is do-it-yourself floor insulation. The technology practically does not differ from the ceiling insulation scheme, with the exception of a few small nuances:

  • the vapor barrier film is placed on the side of the living space, and the waterproofing is at the bottom;
  • a grooved board is used as a floor covering, which is placed on a counter-lattice;
  • if it is impossible to hem the beams from below, the sub-floor boards can be placed on the cranial beams, which are screwed to the side surfaces of the beams.

If you have any questions, you can read a separate article on thermal insulation of floors.

Summary

The technology described above tells about the thermal insulation of a wooden dwelling from the outside. How to insulate a frame house from the inside, from the video that I bring to your attention.

If you are interested in even more information about the construction and insulation of a frame house, ask your questions and express your own opinion in the comments to the material.

The technology of building a frame house, which came to us from overseas, is gradually replacing all other types of buildings. Many advantages and a minimum of disadvantages brought it to the peak of popularity. More and more of our compatriots, who are faced with the choice of the type of construction of their new house or summer cottage, give preference to it. Unfortunately, the construction of a box, covering the facade with facing materials, finishing the interior of the premises does not make the new house suitable for living, because the climate in our country is very harsh. And in order for the dwelling to be full-fledged, and in its inhabitants there was no desire to move somewhere quickly, it must be insulated. In this regard, a natural question arises - how to insulate a frame house from the outside so that it becomes comfortable and serves its owners faithfully for many years?

You don't need to insulate the frame house, but in this case, the owner must be ready for exorbitant amounts that will need to be paid for electricity and heating. And, of course, one should not expect that the home will be quite cozy and comfortable.

External insulation of the house

There are several ways to install a heat-insulating layer when erecting a frame building. In some cases, the gaps between the components of the frame building are filled with insulation during the construction of the walls. This method of arranging thermal insulation allows you to save usable space both inside the building and outside. In this case, the insulation is staggered between the frame posts. The checkerboard pattern is needed to prevent the appearance of cold bridges in the heat-insulating layer.

In the event that it was not possible to carry out insulation at the construction stage, or the issue of thermal insulation arose after the end of construction work, then additional insulation is performed outside the newly erected building by installing the necessary materials on the surface of the facade.

It is best to choose a material for insulation in plates with a thickness of 5 cm. The total layer thickness, depending on the climate, should be from 10 to 25 cm. A vapor barrier film is used to protect the room from moisture and wind, and a superdiffusion membrane is used to prevent the appearance of moisture in the insulation.
The vapor barrier film must be glued to the walls with an overlap of 15-20 cm. The seams are glued with moisture resistant tape.

The choice of insulation

If the question of how to insulate a building arose in the last century, then there would be no problems with the choice of material. At that time, everything was very simple. For this, they used clay, straw or sawdust. They were used to make mixtures with which the walls were treated. Now this type of insulation is not relevant and from the outside it looks, to put it mildly, comical.

Today, the market is overflowing with various materials, and the search for a suitable insulation can confuse an inexperienced and uninformed person in this matter. Therefore, it is important to know the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of this or that material in order to find the most suitable one.
The following heaters are popular:

  • mineral and ecowool;
  • Styrofoam;
  • polyurethane foam.

Mineral wool and ecowool insulation


Mineral wool is very often chosen for insulation. The material shows itself well in conditions of high temperatures and combustion, differs in lightness and vapor permeability. Installation does not require much effort and special skills.

Quite often, ecowool is used for insulation. You can buy it in briquettes. The weight of one is 15 kg. Before use, it is loosened, and then it is poured between the frame racks and compacted.
Over time, shrinkage of the material can occur, resulting in heat loss. This is a disadvantage of ecowool.

Using foam for insulation

The main advantage of polystyrene is its low weight, due to which it is very easy to work with it. The sheets are mounted without much difficulty, and in the future do not affect the environment or people in any way.
The huge advantage of polystyrene foam is that it resists rotting, bacteria or fungus. After installation on the surface of the walls, there will be no need to cover it with a film.
Also among the advantages of this material is its low price, which allows you to save a lot on the insulation of a frame house.
On the other side of the scale, there is such a significant drawback as susceptibility to combustion, during which many harmful chemicals are released into the environment.

You can replace foam with a non-combustible type of foam called extruded polystyrene foam.

Application of polyurethane foam

Insulation with polyurethane foam is carried out by spraying onto the surface of the walls of a frame building. This option provides the highest quality thermal insulation among all others.
The application of a layer of this insulation is carried out using special equipment. All the necessary components are mixed inside the device, after which the mixture is sprayed onto the surface of the walls of the house. There, the polyurethane foam foams and turns into a solid state, forming a strong crust.

useful in work

The advantage of this insulation is the ability to apply it to almost any surface.

The disadvantage is that polyurethane foam easily lends itself to ultraviolet radiation, which means that when exposed to direct sunlight, it will lose its performance. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, and the service life of the insulation does not decrease, you should not delay covering the facade with facing material.

Preparing walls for insulation

Before any construction process, proper preparation must be done. Insulation of a frame house is no exception.

If the building has already been in operation, then it is necessary to check the condition of all walls from the outside. It is necessary to remove all unnecessary elements from the facade, such as nails, screws, other elements of construction, damage, bulges, etc. All such defects must be removed from the facade so that it is as clean and even as possible. All cracks that are visible from the outside of the walls must be sealed with polyurethane foam.

You also need to carefully inspect the surface for damp areas. If any, they need to be dried using a construction hair dryer, and measures should be taken to find and eliminate the problems that entailed such consequences.

For a frame house under construction, preparatory work also needs to be done. The frame of the walls from the inside is upholstered with chipboards. Then there is the process of removing defects, as well as filling the cracks with polyurethane foam. A vapor barrier film is applied to the inner surface of the walls to protect the insulation from air vapors emanating from the inside of the room. It is then closed during interior decoration with clapboard or drywall.

Insulation of the facade


Further, outside, on the surface of the walls, insulation is laid in layers. How many layers will be installed depends on the climate of the region. During the installation of the material, each subsequent layer must overlap the joint seams of the previous one.

After the installation is completed, the wall is closed with a windproof membrane, which is attached using a construction stapler. Then the lathing is designed, which serves to provide a ventilation opening between the membrane and the cladding material. The gap should be approximately 20-40 mm.

Chipboards are attached to the crate, after which the facade can be clad. To do this, use siding, lining, etc.
In the event that this insulation turned out to be insufficient, then another one can be equipped outside, applying an additional layer to the surface of the facade.

Frame houses have become an excellent innovation in our country - an inexpensive and fast way to build individual construction.

But, despite the large number of advantages, these buildings have one important drawback, these buildings need additional thermal insulation, since the climatic conditions in Russia are very harsh.

Consider which insulation is better for a frame house? How to properly carry out thermal insulation work, and what kind of insulation is better to use.

There are a lot of materials for thermal insulation of houses made using Finnish technology. Each has its own drawbacks and positive aspects, therefore, in order to understand how to choose a heater for a frame house and apply the best option for thermal insulation, it is worth taking a closer look at the most popular thermal insulators on the construction market.

Mineral wool for thermal insulation of the frame structure

How to properly insulate a frame house with mineral wool? This material is often used not only by construction companies, but also by private developers.

This is understandable - the insulation has excellent sound absorption and perfectly retains heat. Minvata is an environmentally friendly, fire-resistant material. An insulator layer of 5 cm is able to retain heat just like half a meter thick brickwork.

The main nuance during the installation of basalt insulation is the arrangement of a vapor barrier to protect the material from moisture. The fact is that when mineral wool gets wet it loses its thermal insulation properties.

If it is decided to use this insulation for insulation, then do not spare funds for the purchase of vapor barrier material and special membranes.

How to insulate with mineral wool

The walls of a frame house are insulated using a crate, the cells of which must be in increments of 60 cm - this is of fundamental importance, since stone wool is produced in a roll of this size. The insulator must be cut so that the cotton wool enters between the bars with effort and does not sag.

The thickness of the material is chosen based on the weather conditions in the region. If the climate is harsh, then it is better to use layers 20 cm thick; in mild climates, 5-10 cm is enough.

With multilayer insulation, cold bridges may appear, in order to exclude them, plates of 5 cm are laid in two layers, in cells. It should be understood that the guide bars should be with a section of 10x10. The second two layers of material are laid on top of the frame bars.

Insulation of a frame house with mineral wool presupposes mandatory vapor barrier, but since the outer wall of the building is already equipped with this material, it may not be used before installing the insulation.

After laying the insulator, you need to take care of protecting the mineral wool from condensation vapors. The vapor barrier material is sold in rolls, and it will not work to lay it with one sheet, so we purchase construction tape for gluing the joints.

Floor insulation in a frame house is made with the same basalt wool. Only in this case, the insulator layer should be at least 20 cm. The work is carried out as when insulating frame walls.

Thermal insulation with ecowool

An environmentally friendly and affordable insulation for frame houses, in the production of which waste from the production of cellulose products is used: paper, cardboard. Ecowool is 80% fiber and 10% antiseptic, which protects against the development of fungal formations and microorganisms. In order for the insulation to be less flammable, 10% of special additives are introduced into its composition.

Ecowool - disadvantages

Private developers very rarely use this material to insulate their buildings. Ecowool has a number of features that some builders consider to be disadvantages:


Strictly observe the norms for filling surfaces with insulation, which are recommended by the manufacturer, otherwise, in the process of shrinkage, areas without insulation may form.

Positive characteristics of ecowool

Many may think that such a process as insulating a frame house for winter living using ecowool is inappropriate, since this material has a lot of disadvantages.

But with strict adherence to the technological processes of application, the positive characteristics of the material are significantly enhanced:

  • Low material consumption makes it cost effective.
  • Ecowool has good sound-absorbing properties.
  • The best insulation is made from natural raw materials, which determines its environmental friendliness and safety for people living in the house.
  • The composition gets its combustion resistance thanks to additives, and it is worth studying the composition of the product before purchasing. If such components as boric acid and ammonium sulfate are included in the composition, then it is better to refuse its use. These components give ecowool an unpleasant and persistent smell, while the fire resistance of the material practically does not decrease. You should buy only the product that contains borax.
  • The material is laid without seams, which is a huge plus, since there are no cold bridges, and the insulation of a wooden house is of high quality and reliable.

But the decisive factor that speaks of the importance of using cross-insulation of a frame house from the inside with this material is the inexpensive cost in a duet with positive characteristics.

Thermal insulation of a frame house with ecowool - a technological process

As you already know, you can insulate a frame house in two ways - "wet" and "dry". You can spray the material on the walls simply by diluting it with water or glue, then you get an excellent result. But most private developers follow a simpler path, and use a "dry" method of insulation, which we will consider.

So, we insulate the frame house with our own hands, ecowool according to the following algorithm:

  • First of all, we will undertake to insulate the floor in the house, for this a pressed briquette of material weighing 15 kg must be loosened well, for this you can use an ordinary drill with a special nozzle. After these actions, the volume of the material will be three times larger;
  • thermal insulation of the floor of a frame house is quite simple - the material is poured onto the rough covering between the beams with a slight excess, which will be taken by the weight of the board for the final covering;
  • proceeding to the walls. Before the start of insulation, a frame is constructed from bars of the desired section. A vapor barrier is fixed to the racks, an indispensable element for insulation with ecowool. The frame is covered with OSB sheets in such a way that there is a gap on top for filling the insulation. The material will thicken under its own weight as it falls asleep, and from above it should be well tamped.

Work on the thermal insulation of a frame house with ecowool is worth stocking up with protective equipment: gloves, glasses and a respirator. You can significantly optimize the process by renting equipment that loosens the material and blows it off ready-made.

Linen based insulation

Flax has excellent heat-retaining parameters, this is achieved due to the optimal combination of density and porosity of the material.

Linen insulation is produced in several configurations:

  • slabs can be used to insulate a frame house from the inside;
  • linen strips of a structure made of glued beams;
  • heap will hammer the walls of the log.

Due to its high density, this insulator is used for insulating roofs, floors, partitions and attic floors, in which recreation areas are equipped.

A flax fiber heat insulator can be considered the most preferable for insulating a house from the inside - it is environmentally friendly, it serves for more than 70 years, does not rot, and mold does not form on it. Unlike ecowool, it is not subject to shrinkage.


Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene - which is more practical

The choice of insulation for a frame house is not an easy task, you need to take into account many nuances. As for such heat insulators as expanded polystyrene and polystyrene, both materials are successfully used to insulate a house from the inside and outside.

Polyfoam, of course, is inferior to its counterpart in some positive properties, but it is so cheap that many private developers prefer to use this material for home insulation.

Among the minuses it is noted:

  • low level of noise insulation;
  • when burning, toxins are released;
  • the material is susceptible to rodent attacks.

Thermal insulation of the facade with foam

  • Insulation of a frame house from the outside begins with the preparation of the surface, which needs to be leveled, the cracks should be repaired, and primed with deep penetration impregnation.
  • After the facade has dried, it is necessary to mount direct suspensions on it, which will not allow the slabs to slide off the surface, they will be securely fixed.
  • Five points of glue are applied to the foam, the edges are smeared around the perimeter.
  • The slab with glue is pressed tightly to the surface, working from corner to corner.
  • The second row of foam boards is staggered.

The composition of the glue is prepared in such a way that it can be worked out in an hour.

The material inconsistency is adjusted with a heated knife; when gaps are formed, they are sealed with the following compounds:

  • crushed foam is added to the glue;
  • pour penoizol;
  • apply polyurethane foam.

For the strength of the structure, the heat insulator should be attached to the surface with plastic dowels, 5 pcs. on the stove. After that, you can apply any facing material.

Thermal insulation of the frame structure from the inside

The scheme of insulating a frame house from the side of the room is similar to the previous version. The only difference is in the soil used - you need a composition for internal work with antiseptic properties.

When using a heat-insulating insulator from the inside, a simple tile adhesive, coupled with dowels, is used as an adhesive.

Installed foam plates are tightened with an overlapping reinforcing mesh, if it is supposed to putty the surface, but drywall is often used for wall cladding. This method of thermal insulation is much easier than insulating a frame house using ecowool.

Penoplex

Not sure what is the best way to insulate a frame house? Buy penoplex - an analogue of polystyrene, only with a denser structure, therefore it costs a little more. It is also worth noting that this material is much more demanding during installation - you need to protect it from moisture and sunlight.

In custody

We have built a frame house - insulation can be done both independently and with the help of a team of specialists. Is the building in a harsh climate? Apply cross-insulation, and how to choose an insulator, and how to properly insulate a frame house, we described in detail above.