Recently, many have been thinking about insulating their homes. Some insulate the entire house, while others only insulate the balcony, but everyone is faced with the question of choosing the material for the work.

There are expensive and cheap insulation materials, which ones are best? The comparative ease of installation and reasonable price leads us to two main materials - polyurethane foam and polystyrene foam. Both are types of foam and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Which is better - polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam?

Advantages and disadvantages of expanded polystyrene

Ordinary expanded polystyrene absorbs moisture relatively well, so you should use glue with a higher density. Expanded polystyrene is a regular foam plastic that everyone is familiar with. It has been used for several years now and all its pros and cons have long been known. At its core, it is 98% air bubbles enclosed in 2% polystyrene.

There are two types of expanded polystyrene - regular (foamed) and extruded. Due to its greater density, the latter has better thermophysical properties, it is more durable and durable.

Both types of foam are available in the form of slabs of various thicknesses. How to distinguish one from the other? Try breaking off a piece from the edge of the slab. Cheap, packing foam will have small balls along the break. High-quality, extruded polystyrene foam will show regular polyhedra when broken.

The main advantages of polystyrene foam include the following:

The advantages of extruded polystyrene foam compared to conventional polystyrene foam are:

Note: Insulation of premises with polystyrene from the inside is prohibited. Moisture (condensation) accumulates very quickly between the insulation and the walls, which leads to fungal infection and accelerated destruction of the building.

Among the disadvantages, the following should be noted:

• water-absorbing properties of ordinary polystyrene foam - wet polystyrene foam reduces its thermal insulation properties and becomes unusable faster;
• short service life - only 10-15 years;
• rodents often make their nests in it;
• destruction under influence external factors- the slightest exposure to sunlight through poor-quality plaster begins to destroy the insulation;
• deformation during use;
• fire hazard - burns well, releases enough when burning a large number of toxic substances.

Note: already at 60 degrees, polystyrene foam is susceptible to decay, so it is not worth using it for roof insulation. in summer southern regions The roof can easily heat up to 100 degrees.

Advantages and disadvantages of polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam Polyurethane foam is known as ordinary foam rubber. In everyday life we ​​often see soft ones, but in construction we use hard ones. This material has a closed cell structure; the slabs are produced with an edge, which simplifies and reduces the cost of installation. The use of special components makes this material fireproof.

In addition to slabs, it is produced in the form of foam, which is applied to the surface using special equipment. Thanks to the use of foam, “thermal bridges” will be completely absent, and the coating will be continuous.

Note: polyurethane foam, unlike expanded polystyrene and mineral wool, does not require vapor barrier. The water absorption rate is 12-15 times less than that of conventional polystyrene foam.

The main advantages of using polyurethane foam:

Disadvantages of polyurethane foam:

• the price is higher than polystyrene foam;
• low resistance to ultraviolet radiation.

What to choose

Unfortunately, there is no ideal material that will suit absolutely everyone. For some, it will not be suitable due to the high price of polyurethane foam; for others, the service life of polystyrene foam will not suit them. Therefore, weigh all the pros and cons, but keep in mind that the disadvantages are not complete contraindications for use. Knowing the properties of insulation, you can do optimal choice and not regret later about the money spent.

For example, if you want to insulate a garage or wooden house on the site, choose cheaper polystyrene foam.

10-15 years of foam service life will be quite enough for this type of building. If funds allow, purchase extruded polystyrene foam. Just remember that ultraviolet rays destroy foam.

If you want to improve the thermal insulation of your home or apartment for many years, it would be wise to choose polyurethane foam.

To ensure the energy efficiency of a building when carrying out thermal insulation work, it is important not only to follow the technology for installing the thermal insulation layer, but also to choose the right insulation.

It must have low thermal conductivity, light weight, high strength, fire resistance, have moisture-repellent properties, be easy to install, durable and environmentally friendly material. In addition, the thermal insulation work itself should not be a labor-intensive, costly process.

Why insulate with polyurethane foam from Ecotermix, and not with any other material? Find out in the video below:

Floor insulation methods

The method of floor insulation varies from design features structures.

The method of floor insulation varies depending on the design features of the structure, as well as the required energy efficiency of the entire structure as a whole. You can insulate the floor in 4 ways:

• Installation of a “warm floor” system;
• Installation of a thermal insulation layer followed by application of screed;
• Arrangement of a raised floor;
• Insulation in the screed.

Most often, a heat-insulating floor is installed either under a screed or a raised floor is installed.

The use of penoplex for floor insulation

On modern market thermal insulation materials Polyurethane foam insulation, in particular penoplex, is very popular. The material meets all the requirements for floor insulation, at the same time it has high sound insulation and is much more durable and environmentally friendly compared to another popular polymer insulation - polystyrene foam.

Penoplex can be used both to insulate the floor along the joists, and to equip a thermal insulation layer with subsequent application of a leveling screed.

Penoplex can be used both to insulate the floor along the joists, and to equip a thermal insulation layer with subsequent application of a leveling screed. The thermal conductivity coefficient of penoplex is significantly lower than that of polystyrene foam, therefore, using this thermal insulation material, it is possible to create a thermal insulation layer of much smaller thickness.

Penoplex is easy to install and process. During the installation of the material, it is possible to minimize the cost of insulation, which will make it possible to significantly save on consumables.

Penoplex is suitable for insulating floors located on the ground or above unheated basements, and for insulating interfloor ceilings, for which the heat-insulating layer acts as a sound insulator.

Sheets of material can be mounted directly on the base with a preliminary installation of a waterproofing layer, since with constant contact with moisture, the insulation can significantly lose its thermal insulation properties.

Penoplex is resistant to temperature changes; the material can work in permanent conditions, where the stage of freezing of the thermal insulation layer is replaced by the stage of its thawing.

The material can be used to insulate wooden floors, since penoplex prevents the development of microorganisms, therefore, there is no need to be afraid of the appearance of mold and fungi in the subfloor space. The fire resistance of the material also makes it suitable for insulating wooden structures.

The disadvantages of penoplex include the need to follow a certain technology for laying slabs and carefully seal the joints of sheets of material. Penoplex is laid in a checkerboard pattern, and the seams between the sheets of material are foamed polyurethane foam or other sealing compounds. If you do not seal the seams between the foam sheets, cold bridges will form, and the likelihood of condensation accumulation under the thermal insulation layer increases.

When applying a leveling screed to a penoplex thermal insulation layer, the structure must be additionally reinforced.

Polyurethane foam is the best alternative to penoplex

Liquid thermal insulator is a worthy alternative penoplex and is considered an ideal thermal insulator for floor insulation

It is a worthy alternative to penoplex and is considered an ideal thermal insulator for floor insulation, as it is sprayed onto any surface and creates monolithic coating without joints and seams, which eliminates the formation of cold bridges and the accumulation of condensation under the heat-insulating layer.

Polyurethane foam has the lowest thermal conductivity coefficient among all existing thermal insulators, thus, using polyurethane foam it is possible to obtain a thin, energy-efficient thermal insulation coating that is resistant to static and dynamic loads.

The polyurethane foam coating does not require additional reinforcement when insulating under the screed. Floors located on the ground, above basements, interfloor ceilings, as well as floors of rooms with low ceiling heights can be insulated with polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane foam is superior to penoplex in terms of service life, and also does not require the additional creation of a waterproofing layer.

Polyurethane foam is superior to penoplex in terms of service life, and also does not require the additional creation of a waterproofing layer. As for installation, applying polyurethane foam is a fairly quick and simple process. The thermal insulation layer does not need to be additionally secured with dowels or adhesive compositions. Polyurethane foam helps create a uniform coating on the surface of even very complex geometric shapes. There are no difficulties with transporting the material, since polyurethane foam is delivered in liquid form directly to the place where thermal insulation work is carried out, and therefore does not take up much space, and during its transportation there is completely no chance of cracks and chips in the material. In the process of insulation with polyurethane foam, there is absolutely no waste, and the material does not require additional processing when carrying out thermal insulation work.

You can apply the leveling screed immediately after the polyurethane foam thermal insulation layer has hardened (after 2-3 hours), and you can begin covering the structure with floorboards or moisture-resistant plywood half an hour after spraying the polyurethane foam.

1. All main PU foam systems are difficult to combustible materials, i.e. they are resistant to open flames and thermal radiation: flammability group G2, G3 according to GOST 12.1.044-89.PPU is the same moderately flammable material as all the others, but, unlike expanded polystyrene, PPU contains a fire retardant, which prevents the flame from spreading and makes PPU a self-extinguishing material.Modern “A” components contain effective flame retardants, which make polyurethane foam self-extinguishing, i.e., does not burn outside the flame of an external fire source.
2. Why do I need resistance to humidity when living in St. Petersburg? Your remark would be appropriate for dry Rostov.Of all the tested materials, polyurethane foam in the table (attached) is the least hygroscopic. Moreover, the higher the density of polyurethane foam, the lower its hygroscopicity.
3. Regarding flammability: inGenerally speaking, all objects made of plastic emit harmful substances to some extent. It's no secret that even the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision standards establish a minimum amount of harmful substances that are considered safe for health. For example, the familiar smell of a new car is caused by harmful volatile chemical compounds that evaporate from plastic parts over time.
4. Inexpensive furniture releases toxic formaldehyde, since chipboard contains a large amount of it. OSB boards, which are used for wall cladding in frame housing construction, are even more toxic because they contain more formaldehyde.
5. Among insulation materials, mineral wool is the leader in environmental friendliness, since it itself does not emit volatile chemicals. But it releases the same formaldehyde contained in the adhesive base, which allows the fibers to retain their shape for some time. In addition, mineral wool is an allergen. Therefore, it is prohibited for use in children's and preschool institutions.
As for polyurethane foam, the fact of the release of volatile chemical substances actually happened before. It happened that a characteristic odor remained in the room after spraying polyurethane foam for several weeks. The reason for this is component “A”, which has already been discontinued.
Until 2003, the manufacturing technology for domestic PU foam components involved the use of highly volatile ether fractions. Currently this technology is not used. Modern components do not have this drawback and when checked three days after applying polyurethane foam, no harmful substances are detected in the room. Within two to three days, depending on the thickness of the layer, the polyurethane foam is freed from a small amount of residual reaction gases and is then completely environmentally safe.
6. I don’t know how to prove to you the obvious fact of light weight. But this is true: weight - 40-60 kg per m3.
7. What can I do, I won’t prove anything to you here.
8. And regarding editing, what exactly do you call your favorite word “nonsense”?

0. What you stubbornly remain silent about is the price. PPP is cheaper.
1. The panels use only self-extinguishing PPS - this is the standard.
2. I don’t understand. I'm not attached to geography at all. This could be Amsterdam or an Antarctic station.
3. Yes.
4. They are also quite radioactive... Please do not repeat the mantras of all sorts of raw foodists and environmentalists. America is built from OSB. We only use Europe, which is no worse.
5. We don’t use either of these in panels, although we tried polyurethane foam and didn’t like it.
6. But no way. It is several times heavier than PPS and this is enough to make operations with panels, and even more so with pre-assembled segments, extremely labor-intensive and back-breaking.
7. Did I ask?
9. See point 6.

Thermal insulation of a house is a necessary measure in our climate.

Insulating your home allows you to not only retain heat in winter, but also keep it out in summer. Few people know that modern thermal insulation materials work in both directions: in winter they protect against heat loss, and in summer they prevent it from entering the house. Based on this, we can conclude: if the house is equipped with good thermal insulation, then it will be warm in winter and cool in summer. But these are not all the functions that insulation performs: it is also capable of protecting outer wall houses from cracking at low temperatures.

Thermal insulation of the house has now become widespread, and that is why there is a huge selection of insulation materials on the market, but the most popular of them can rightfully be considered polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. These materials have become so widespread due to their low price and ease of use. - a fairly simple and not very long construction project. If you know how to hold tools in your hand correctly, then insulating your house with this material will not be difficult for you. special labor. Polyurethane foam, like polystyrene foam, is just as easy to use, and its installation will not take you much time and effort. To understand which of these two materials is better for insulating your home, you need to compare them.

Application area

Expanded polystyrene, or polystyrene foam, is used in various fields of activity: from electronics packaging to individual construction. Styrofoam, like construction material, has become widespread for all types of thermal insulation work:

• it is used for roof insulation. The simplicity and ease of its installation makes it possible to carry out work in any weather conditions. In addition, expanded polystyrene is used for the reconstruction of flat roofs;
• Expanded polystyrene slabs are used for floor insulation in houses; at the same time, this is not only good thermal insulation, but also waterproofing;
• polystyrene foam is used as insulation for heated floors, which significantly reduces costs;
• This material can be used to insulate the walls of buildings, both outside and inside; it can be used to insulate loggias and balconies;
• expanded polystyrene has become widespread not only for internal insulation at home: it is used for thermal insulation of the foundations of buildings and pipelines.

But not only polystyrene foam has become so widespread in construction; along with it, polyurethane foam is also in great demand. It is easy to use, and its main feature is that this heat-insulating material is not presented in the form of plates and rolls, as usual, but in the form of a special composition that is sprayed onto the surface. This feature makes polyurethane foam a universal insulation material, which has led to its widespread use in construction, where polyurethane foam is used in various directions:

• due to the chemical resistance of this material, it is well suited for thermal insulation of containers, such as swimming pools;
• polyurethane foam is great for because it has high speed reaction, which avoids foam drainage;
• the adhesive properties of this material make it possible to widely use polyurethane foam for insulating the foundations of buildings;
• it is used for thermal insulation of the roof;
• this material is excellent for insulating the walls of buildings, both outside and inside.

The areas and polyurethane foam are similar in many ways, but they are still two different materials, having different properties.

Comparison of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam

To understand which of these two materials is better, let’s compare them according to a number of important indicators in the form of a table.

Expanded polystyrene (PPS)	Polyurethane foam (PPU)
Environmental friendliness
At temperatures above 60°C it releases phenol.	Products comply sanitary standards. Polyurethane foam can be used at temperatures up to 180 °C without fear.
Fire hazard
Lit. When burning, burning parts are separated from the material, which can cause the fire to spread.	Not flammable.
Durability
Service life is no more than 15 years. A decrease in performance occurs after 10 years of use.	Polyurethane foam, protected from ultraviolet rays, can last longer than the supporting structures of the building.
The material settles and contracts, violating the geometry of the facade.	The properties of the material do not change throughout the entire service life.
Appearance
The presence of seams between panels entails a large consumption of joint fillers.	There is no seam.
Limited selection facing materials, since a dovetail is required.	Wide choose finishing materials any shape.
Ease of installation
Slabs often deteriorate during installation or transportation due to their fragility of the material.	The material is not picky in transportation. For installation you only need a sprayer.
Sheathing of slabs is required.	The material does not require additional lathing.
Not all adhesive materials are suitable for foam, so it is necessary to use special compounds for EPS.	Excellent contact with any type of fastening materials.
Specific installation of slabs using dowels and other materials.	You don’t need anything other than a sprayer for installation.
Features of operation
High humidity can cause mold and mildew to appear on the slabs, which will cause an unfavorable microclimate in the room.	Moisture resistant. Not subject to rotting or mold.
When moisture gets on the panel, it is absorbed and when exposed to low temperatures, it freezes and destroys the foam.	Polyurethane foam repels water from the surface, which prevents destruction of the material.
It is necessary to constantly inspect the thermal insulation for defects and eliminate them.	No renewal or repair of thermal insulation is required throughout the entire service life.

Comparison result

The table shows that polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam have both pros and cons, but, of course, polystyrene foam has the most disadvantages. The service life of this material does not exceed 15 years. It is actively destroyed when exposed to environment. PPS boards are often damaged by rodents. Due to the fact that this material is a hydrocarbon polymer, adhesives and plaster solutions. But the most important thing is that polystyrene foam is an unsafe material: it burns, scattering burning fragments in different directions, while releasing toxic substances. All this indicates the unreliability of polystyrene foam for thermal insulation of a house.

Unlike foam plastic, it is reliable and in a modern way insulation. This material is lightweight and does not load the structure, but at the same time is very durable. Polyurethane foam has low thermal conductivity and vapor permeability.

There are many thermal insulation materials on the market, expensive and cheap. Which one is best for wall insulation? I'm trying to choose between polyurethane foam and polystyrene foam due to the ease of installation.

Answer

Polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam: which to choose?

Insulation of a building is one of the main stages of construction or reconstruction. This is necessary to reduce heat loss in winter time and reducing air conditioning costs during hot summer days. You can improve the energy efficiency of a building using thermal insulation, a wide range of which is available on the construction market. In recent years, developers are increasingly faced with the choice of using polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene for insulation, since these board materials are easy to install. Each of them has its own advantages, which one is more practical?

The photo shows the process of insulating walls with polystyrene, often used for thermal insulation of cottages and small country houses. Such thermal insulation can significantly deteriorate its characteristics after 10-15 years of operation.

Advantages of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene is one of the most common types of thermal insulation.

Among its main advantages are the following:

• affordable price;


• low thermal conductivity;


• simple installation of thermal insulation;


• wide range of products in terms of density and thickness;


• prevalence of thermal insulation.

It is worth noting that low cost is typical only for low-density polystyrene foam. However, this type of thermal insulation, despite its fairly active use in construction, has a wide range of disadvantages. Extruded polystyrene foam gets rid of some of them, but its cost is higher.

The photo shows the process of installing thermal insulation made of foam polystyrene using adhesives. Since cheap polystyrene foam absorbs water well, it is necessary to use more expensive types of material that are characterized by high density. They have higher thermal conductivity, which requires the use of thick plates.

Disadvantages of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene has been used as insulation for a long time, so its disadvantages are very well known.

Among them the main ones are:

• high water absorption - wet foam loses its thermal insulation properties;


• low service life - after 10-15 years, quite often there is a significant deterioration in thermal insulation characteristics;


• predisposition to deformation during operation;


• the fragility of the material leads to large unnecessary losses during transportation, storage and installation;


• attractive to rodents, they love to make nests in them;


• fire hazard.

The main enemy of thermal insulation materials is water - when absorbed by insulation, it increases the thermal conductivity coefficient several times. In addition, when it freezes in polystyrene foam, it destroys the structure: the material is deformed, crumbles and does not perform its intended functions.

The photo shows that the polystyrene foam boards have lost their integrity, despite protection from external influences facade material.

Advantages of polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam has a closed cellular structure, which has a positive effect on the water absorption coefficient. The slabs are produced with a raised edge, due to which the cost of installing thermal insulation is significantly reduced, since seams between the insulation do not require additional materials for sealing.

The main advantages of polyurethane foam include:

• the lowest thermal conductivity coefficient among building insulation materials (on average more than one and a half times higher than that of expanded polystyrene and more than two times higher than that of mineral wool);


• environmental friendliness;


• temperature range from - 70 to +110 degrees;


• service life without loss of declared characteristics is at least 30 years, in reality much longer;


• no deformation throughout the entire service life;


• high strength;


• good adhesion to most binders;


• moisture resistance;


• no operating costs.

When moisture gets on the polyurethane foam, the insulation repels it and does not absorb it, which is a guarantee of preservation thermal insulation properties and durability of the material.

The photo shows the process of installing polyurethane foam slabs for insulating the interfloor floor. The use of polyurethane foam indoors is possible due to its environmental friendliness and moisture resistance.

Disadvantages of polyurethane foam

It is impossible to call polyurethane foam a material that has no disadvantages, but there are fewer of them than polystyrene foam. This is a higher price and poor UV resistance. The first of them is fully compensated by the lack of operating costs and durability. Thermal insulation is installed under the façade material, which protects it from solar ultraviolet radiation, so this drawback can be attributed to theoretical ones.

Expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam?

When choosing between polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam, you should give preference to practical material. Thermal insulation is used to protect against heat loss, its installation is carried out in an expensive process facade works. When using expanded polystyrene, heating costs will begin to increase within 5-7 years after the start of operation, and if installation errors occur, much earlier. Replacing foam boards every 10-15 years by opening the facade is, to put it mildly, not cost-effective. Exterior finishing buildings in most cases are made with the expectation of operation for 30 - 50 years. Only polyurethane foam will help maintain heat throughout this period. And here you can order the production of pavilions with any of the insulation materials.