Let's consider the main stages of thermal insulation work:

1. Flooring by subfloor lag This operation is carried out as in repair work, and construction wooden house. The main advantage of this flooring system is that there is no pressure on the insulation during the operation of the house. In this case, any insulating material. The subfloor is made from untreated boards - inch boards (board thickness 25 mm). Before installing the boards, treat them with an antiseptic. The logs are attached to brick posts, and the edges of the logs do not reach close to the walls. The distance between them is up to 1 meter; subfloor panels are attached to them from below. You should pay attention to large gaps between the floor boards: they need to be eliminated. Next, a waterproofing film layer is laid.
2. The insulation is installed in the joist openings. It can be sheet, tile or roll.
3. Installation of a vapor barrier, and, if necessary, another layer of waterproofing (when using mineral wool or glass wool). It can be impregnated, painted and pasted over. Pasted - this is cellophane film, the most common type. Roofing felt and isoplast are also often used. When creating a vapor barrier, layers of film are overlapped on top of each other. Joints and distances near walls and partitions are taped with special tape.
4. Laying a clean floor and final finishing. A gap between the vapor barrier and the floor is required to provide an air gap. Planed boards are used, about 5 mm thick, and a special lock is milled onto them along the length of the board.

Scheme for insulating a wooden floor in a wooden house

Choice of insulation

Let's consider all types of insulation:

Insulation with Penofol

To carry out insulation between joists, it is better to use a combination of insulation. For example, first fill the space with mineral wool. All gaps are filled with foam or sealant. Penofol is laid on top, with an overlap between the layers and on the walls of about 10 cm, with the foil facing up.

Sheets of insulation are attached with a stapler or tape and chipboard is laid on top of the joists. A gap of about one and a half centimeters is left to the walls. It is also necessary to remember about the gap between the insulation and the floor. Then the finishing floor is laid. You can only insulate with Penofol without slabs.

But there is another way to insulate with Penofol. We clean the old floor from uneven areas and lay an insulating layer. Then slats are attached to create a ventilation gap, and everything is also covered with chipboard and a clean floor. Very easy way thermal insulation.

Sheets of insulation are attached with a stapler or tape and chipboard is laid on top of the joists.

How to insulate a floor with penoplex

We lay a layer of waterproofing (polyethylene or roofing felt) on the subfloor. Then we lay Penoplex sheets into logs without gaps. We fasten the edges together with tape or glue the sheets to the base. We lay a layer of vapor barrier on top and cover it with a clean floor. When working, it is necessary to use basic rules and recommendations - the overlap between the thermal and vapor barrier panels should be at least 10 cm.

Floor insulation with penoplex

The peculiarity of this type of insulation is that a screed is made on top of the expanded clay layer, and a wooden floor is attached to it. Recommendations – it is better to entrust the calculation of the expanded clay layer to a specialist. In a wooden house, it is better to use several sizes of expanded clay granules to fill the voids as much as possible.

In a wooden house, it is better to use several sizes of expanded clay granules to fill the voids as much as possible.

Mineral wool for insulation

It is better to use slabs or mats. Rolls are inconvenient to work with and a lot of waste remains when adjusting to size. The gaps between the plates should be filled well. Cold bridges can form here, leading to heat loss. Expanded clay can be used as an additional layer. This will further increase the thermal insulation of the wooden floor in the house.

Additional insulation of the floor in a wooden house will reduce heat loss and thereby reduce heating costs. Despite the fact that wooden floors have low thermal conductivity, heat leakage can occur due to the high temperature difference in the basement and on the first floor. In this article we will tell you which material is best to use for thermal insulation of the first and second floors in a private house with a wooden base.

Features of thermal insulation

How to insulate a floor in a wooden house? The process of installing thermal insulation is relatively simple. However, the quality of work is largely determined technical features coatings used for insulation. Before purchasing material for covering the rough foundation, you need to take into account several important nuances:

• expected load on the coating;
• humidity level;
• temperature loads;
• height of thermal insulation coatings.

The base insulation technology itself is simple and consists of several stages:

1. installation of logs;
2. fixation from below on wooden sheets on joists;
3. installation of insulation on joists;
4. covering the base with vapor barrier material;
5. finishing of the rough base.

When planning work, it is very important to take into account the microclimate in the room. To insulate the first and second floors, various heat insulators are used, correctly. Moreover, technologically the insulation process also has some differences, which we will talk about a little later.

Optimal thermal insulators

What material is best to use for finishing the rough coating with your own hands? To insulate wooden floors, both natural and synthetic thermal insulators are used. The most popular of them include:

• Wood sawdust;
• Expanded clay;
• Minvatu;
• Izolon;
• Styrofoam;
• Penofol.

Each material has its own technological features and thermal insulation parameters. To understand their disadvantages and advantages, let’s consider all of the above heat insulators in more detail.

Thermal insulation with sawdust

Insulation with sawdust is one of the most budget options thermal insulation of wooden floors. The environmentally friendly material is quite light, so it can be used to insulate interfloor ceilings. The thickness of the heat insulation layer can be easily varied due to its flowability. Thus, it is possible to regulate the level of heat loss in the room.

When finishing the base with sawdust, you can use the following types of wood-based coatings:

• Blocks of pressed sawdust. The material is produced from copper sulfate, sawdust and dry cement. As a rule, it is laid between the joists when insulating the first floor. Lightweight blocks of small thickness - up to 15 mm, can be used for wall cladding;
• Pellets with sawdust. Granular bulk material is made from sawdust treated with an antiseptic and glue. Hard-to-burn sawdust can be used to insulate interfloor floors, since they do not create a large static load due to their low weight;
• Arbolit. IN in this case the base material is mixed with synthetic and organic additives and then molded into blocks. The non-flammable thermal insulator has high bending strength, while it is hygroscopic. Therefore, during its installation it is necessary to use waterproofing layers;
• Sawdust concrete. Externally, blocks with sawdust resemble cinder blocks. They are made from a mixture of wood chip granules, cement and sand. Suitable only for thermal insulation of the first floor of a house.

Insulating the floor along joists with sawdust in any case involves the use of a waterproofing layer. Hygroscopic material is a good environment for the development of mold and pathogenic flora, so during the operation of the coating it is necessary to exclude the possibility of moisture ingress.

Thermal insulation with expanded clay

Expanded clay is a granular insulation material with good sound and heat insulation properties. Why is it worth insulating foundations with expanded clay? The heat insulator has considerable advantages, which include:

• environmental friendliness;
• frost resistance;
• strength;
• low thermal conductivity;
• non-flammability.

When finishing the coating with expanded clay with your own hands, you need to take into account the low level of hydrophobicity. The material quickly absorbs moisture, although it does not deform. However, insulation with expanded clay is fraught with the formation of mold under the floor. Therefore, during the installation process it is necessary to think about additional waterproofing.

How to properly make thermal insulation with expanded clay?

1. Before expanding expanded clay, lay a layer of waterproofing on the base. It can be plastic film or roofing felt;
2. The layer thickness should vary from 10 to 50 mm, no more;
3. As you can see in the photo, a vapor barrier is placed on top of the insulation;
4. Coatings with a foil layer can be used as a vapor barrier. The best option would be Penofol.

If you want to insulate a plank floor with expanded clay with your own hands, under which there is a basement, it is advisable to pour a layer of sand underneath. Thanks to it, condensation will not accumulate under the floor, which will significantly reduce the risk of mold or mildew.

Thermal insulation with mineral wool

Is it possible to insulate a wooden base along the joists with mineral wool? The environmentally friendly thermal insulator is made from fibers obtained from glass containers and slag. The advantages of finishing the rough base with mineral wool include:

• ease of installation;
• low cost;
• light weight;
• environmental friendliness;
• resistance to mold;
• good thermal insulation.

However, in the case of treating the floor along joists with mineral wool, several negative points must be taken into account, namely:

• Upon contact with water, a coating insulated with mineral wool loses its thermal insulation qualities;
• It is not recommended to use the material for cladding the second floor due to low vapor permeability;
• It is not advisable to insulate rooms with a high static load with mineral wool due to its low strength.

What is the work schedule?

1. Preparing the base. From below you need to install a plank floor treated with an antiseptic;
2. Waterproofing. It is necessary to make additional waterproofing using polyethylene film, and first clean up the house;
3. Cladding with mineral wool. During the installation process, you need to ensure that the layers of material are laid on the joists very tightly to each other;
4. Installation of vapor barrier. It is better to make a high-quality vapor barrier with Penofol;
5. The final stage. At this stage, the finishing coating is installed.

The thickness of mineral wool is determined by the microclimate in the room. If there is a basement below the room, the material can be laid in two layers.

Ecowool thermal insulation

Why is it better to make thermal insulation with ecowool? 100% natural coating has good technical parameters and a relatively low cost. It is made from cellulose and mineral supplements, therefore, even when heated, the ecowool coating does not emit caustic chemicals. Soaked boric acid the product is practically invulnerable to fungus and mold.

What advantages does this type of insulation have?

• Good heat and sound insulation;
• Fire safety;
• Environmentally friendly;
• Low thermal conductivity.

As you can see in the photo, finishing the rough base using ecowool joists can be done in two ways:

1. Manual. In this case, finishing with ecowool involves installing insulation along the joists on boards attached below. To prevent heat loss, the joints are treated with polyurethane foam;
2. Mechanical. To finish the base of ecowool, blowing machines are used: through a special hose, crumbly insulation is evenly distributed over the coating. In this case, the layer thickness should be at least 3-4 mm.

The process of thermal insulation of ecowool floors is shown in more detail in the video clip.

Thanks to the glue that is included in the thermal insulator, it can be used to insulate not only the floor base, but also walls. It is also worth noting that ecowool is convenient for insulating not only the first floor of a house, but also interfloor ceilings. The vapor-permeable coating does not contribute to the accumulation of condensation and the development of mold.

Insulation with Izolon

How to properly insulate joists with isolon? The heat insulator, made of foamed polyethylene, has low thermal conductivity. Thanks to this quality, it recently began to be used for insulating floor coverings. What are the advantages of Izolon?

• Small thickness (2-10 mm);
• Low thermal conductivity;
• High hydrophobicity;
• Environmental Safety.

As can be seen from the photo, the material is produced in rolls, which greatly facilitates the DIY installation process. When insulating a wooden floor with Izolon, you need to take into account the following points:

• The coating has good sound insulation, so when laying it it is not necessary to use additional sound-proofing layers;
• To reduce heat loss in the room, when laying Izolon with your own hands, the material is not joined, but overlapped;
• The seams between adjacent sheets are treated with polymer glue or bitumen mastic.

Thermal insulation work can be seen in the photo below.

Insulation with Penofol

Is it possible to insulate wooden floors with penofol? Penofol is a new generation insulating coating, available in roll form. To be more precise, Penofol is used for shielding, which prevents the dissipation of radiant energy. Lightweight and easy to use, the insulation has a reflective layer that prevents large heat losses. That is why it began to be used everywhere for finishing interfloor ceilings.

What are the benefits of Penofol?

• withstands heavy loads;
• non-hygroscopic;
• has low thermal conductivity;
• easy to install;
• does not involve the use of vapor barrier.

For your information. The technology for insulating bases with Penofol is not much different from insulating with Izolon. As in the previous version, the sheets are laid overlapping to prevent heat loss.

Features of insulation by logs

How to properly insulate a rough foundation along the joists? During the installation of the thermal insulator, the following scheme must be observed:

1. The rough base is lined with boards that must be attached to the joists;
2. To prevent moisture from getting under the coating, lay a layer of vapor barrier;
3. Then the base is insulated with polystyrene foam, mineral wool or other materials.

If you need to make high-quality thermal insulation of a room above a non-residential and unheated room, then it is better to use mineral wool with a thickness of more than 40 mm as insulation. In this case, the “pie” made from a vapor barrier and mineral wool will keep the room warm, preventing heat exchange between cold basement and the first floor.

Features of thermal insulation of the first floor

Since wood tends to deform, over time, cracks may form in the floor, through which heat gradually begins to escape from the room. How to make high-quality insulation of the first floor in an old house?

The most important stage in finishing any room is insulating the floors. Many people underestimate the amount of heat loss through the floor, but properly selected insulation can save up to 30% of energy on heating. Particularly large savings are achieved when using a heated floor system, which simply needs to be insulated from below so that it does not heat the floors or the ground.

Choosing the type of insulation that is best suited for your room is only half the battle. It is important that the insulation layer is of sufficient thickness, because even the most best insulation will not provide sufficient thermal insulation if laid in too thin a layer. On the other hand, an excessively thick layer of insulation reduces the height of the ceilings in the room and is an unjustified waste of money.

It is important to understand that the required thickness of insulation depends on the climatic conditions in your area. It is obvious that when using the same insulation in houses of the same type in Sochi and Norilsk, completely different layer thicknesses will be required. Therefore, you need to take into account that all recommendations in the article are given for typical climate central Russia, where the temperature in winter rarely drops below -25 degrees. If you live in a milder or more severe climate, then the recommendations need to be adjusted up or down.

Let's consider the main types of thermal insulation and the required layer thickness when used in various types of floors.

Usually this word refers to foamed polystyrene and extruded polystyrene (penoplex). By chemical composition and thermal insulation properties of these materials are practically the same, however, penoplex has much greater bending strength and resistance to crumbling than traditional polystyrene foam. For this reason, recently most consumers are abandoning foamed polystyrene (foam) in favor of extruded polystyrene (penoplex).

The advantage of this type of thermal insulation is low price, ease of installation and moisture resistance. The disadvantages include the flammability of this material, and when polystyrene burns, a large amount of toxic substances is released.

Polystyrene slabs are produced in thicknesses from 5 mm to 50 mm; a special chamfer is made on the edges of the slabs so that during installation, gaps and, consequently, “cold paths” do not appear at the joints.

If a layer thickness of more than 50 mm is required, then two or even three layers of polystyrene are laid, with each new layer being laid offset relative to the previous one so that the joints of the slabs of the upper row fall on the centers of the slabs of the lower one.

When insulating a floor located directly above the ground, the foam layer must be at least 300 mm for a house with a wooden floor, and 200 mm for a house with self-leveling concrete floors. You should lay at least 4 layers of the thickest foam panels, offset from each other.

If there is a cold basement under the floor, then the foam layer can be reduced by 50mm.

To insulate floors between floors of a private house, 150 mm of foam is sufficient for wooden floors and 100 mm for concrete floors.

If you are insulating floors in an apartment building, then for all floors except the first it is enough to lay one layer of foam plastic 50 mm thick. On the ground floor the thickness can be increased to 80-100 mm.

Index	Polyspen	Polyspen Standard	Polyspen 45	Control method
Density, kg/m3	30-38	30-38	38,1-45	5.6 each
Bending strength, MPa, not less	0,4	0,4	0,4	5.8 each
Water absorption in 24 hours, % by volume, no more	0,4	0,4	0,4	5.9 each
Thermal conductivity at 25+-5 degrees Celsius, W/m * °C, no more	0,028	0,028	0,030	at 5.10
Toxicity, Hcl 50, g/m3	T2 moderately hazardous	T2 moderately hazardous	T2 moderately hazardous	at 5.11
Flammability group	G-3 normal-flammable	G-4 highly flammable	G-4 highly flammable	at 5.12
Flammability group	B-2 moderately flammable	B-3 flammable	B-3 flammable	at 5.13
Smoke coefficient		High smoke generating ability	High smoke generating ability	at 5.14
Compressive strength at 10% linear deformation, MPa, not less	0,2	0,2	0,3	5.7 each

This liquid version polystyrene foam, which has the same pros and cons as the solid version. Its advantage is that it can be poured into hard-to-reach places and, after hardening, forms a monolithic coating without seams.

The disadvantages include the fact that you need to think about the method of supplying penoizol for pouring; on high floors this can be a problem. In most cases, penoizol is used at the stage of construction of private houses, when insulating floors in apartment buildings It is more convenient to use polystyrene foam and penoplex.

The required thickness of the penoizol layer is the same as that of solid foam.

Glass wool and mineral wool

Perhaps this is one of the most budget-friendly options for thermal insulation. In addition to its low price, cotton wool does not burn at all and has good vapor permeability, so it is excellent for insulating wooden floors. This is where the advantages of this material end. The disadvantages include the fact that cotton wool tends to accumulate moisture and this causes rotting and mold growth, the second disadvantage is that over time the wool crumbles if the thermal insulation layer under the floor is not sealed tightly enough, as a result, particles of fibers can pass through the finishing coating become airborne and cause respiratory irritation. Also, wool has very low strength, easily breaks and deforms, which makes it impossible to use it under a concrete screed.

Despite its disadvantages, mineral wool is widely used as insulation, usually in wooden floors.

Most manufacturers produce glass wool and mineral wool in rolls or sheets with a thickness of 50 to 200 mm. Sheets can be laid in several layers with offset joints for better thermal insulation.

To use mineral wool on the first floors located above the ground, very good waterproofing is required. Cotton wool instantly absorbs moisture, after which it loses its thermal insulation properties. For this reason, it is better to use foam plastic for thermal insulation of the first floors. If for some reason it is still necessary to use mineral wool, then its layer should be at least 400 mm.

If there is a basement under the floor of the first floor, then a layer of mineral wool 300 mm thick is sufficient.

When insulating wooden floors between floors of a private house, the layer of wool must be at least 200 mm, and in wooden floors apartment buildings A thickness of 100 mm is sufficient.

Name	Advantages	Minuses	Thermal conductivity
Sawdust	Cheap, environmentally friendly material, lightweight	Flammability, susceptibility to rotting	0.090-0.180 W/mK
	Eco-friendly, durable material, not subject to rotting, non-flammable	Heavy weight, fragility	0.148 W/mK
	Does not rot, is waterproof, lightweight and easy to install	Low vapor permeability, cannot withstand high temperatures, releases toxins when melted	0.035-0.047 W/mK
Mineral wool	Low thermal conductivity, easy to install, environmentally friendly, fireproof	When moistened, it shrinks and loses its insulating properties.	0.039 W/mK

This material is very similar in characteristics to mineral wool, but is made from cellulose fibers, therefore it is absolutely safe for health. Just like mineral wool, ecowool is afraid of water and is easily deformed. Therefore, in most cases it is used to insulate wooden floors between floors.

The big advantage of ecowool is that it is installed by spraying under pressure from a special pipe. Thus, the insulation can be “blown out” under the already assembled floor; for this you only need to make several small technological holes.

The required thickness of the ecowool layer corresponds to the thickness of the mineral wool layer, all other things being equal.

Cork material

The main advantage of natural cork insulation is the extremely high sound insulation of the coating. The high price of the material is compensated by the fact that you simultaneously solve the problem of heat and sound insulation. In addition, cork insulation almost does not burn, is not afraid of moisture, is resistant to rotting and is extremely durable, which allows it to be used as insulation under self-leveling floors.

Due to its rather beautiful texture, cork insulation is sometimes left even as a finishing coating. In this case, the top layer is covered with a special varnish, which protects it and at the same time emphasizes the design.

Cork insulation is available in rolls and sheets with thicknesses from 3 mm to 200 mm. Sheets of maximum thickness allow you to insulate floors above the ground in just one layer, but at the same time they are very expensive. Price square meter thick cork insulation can cost up to 5,000 rubles. For this reason, cork insulation on the first floors of buildings is rarely used.

The thickness of cork insulation on the ground floor of a private house with concrete floors must be at least 100 mm, in floors between floors with concrete floors A layer of 50 mm is enough; if the floors are wooden, then the layer needs to be increased to 70 mm. In an apartment building, cork insulation is laid in a layer of 10 mm to 30 mm; this is quite enough for effective thermal insulation and complete sound insulation from neighbors below.

Video - Cork insulation

It's comparative new material for insulation, it combines the strength of concrete and the lightness of polystyrene. The material has excellent heat and sound insulation properties and at the same time is a durable screed. It is ideal for thermal insulation of large rooms as it is very easy to pour and level, team experienced craftsmen per day can pour up to 500 m2 of polystyrene concrete.

Due to its low weight, polystyrene concrete does not place a large load on the floors, unlike traditional liquid screed. It does not require waterproofing or additional insulation. You can lay tiles or laminate on a thick backing directly on top of polystyrene concrete. To lay soft coverings such as carpet or linoleum, a thin layer of traditional screed, no more than 30 mm thick, is poured over the insulation.

For effective thermal insulation of the first floors of private houses, 300 mm of polystyrene concrete above the ground is sufficient; if there is a basement under the floor, then the layer can be reduced to 200 mm. 100 mm of insulation is usually poured into the floors between the floors of private houses; in apartment buildings, a layer of 50 mm is sufficient.

General characteristics of polystyrene concrete	Values
Flammability group	G1
Density	from 150 to 600 kg/m³
Frost resistance	from F35 to F300
Strength characteristics	from M2 to B2.5
Coefficient of thermal conductivity	ranging from 0.055 to 0.145 W/m °C
Vapor permeability of polystyrene concrete	0.05 mg/(m h Pa)

Expanded clay is a popular thermal insulation material used in wooden floors and floors with dry screed based on gypsum fiber board. In the latter case, in addition to thermal insulation, it is also a leveling material.

Expanded clay is one of the cheapest materials for thermal insulation; it does not burn, is safe for health and is lightweight. At the same time, it easily absorbs water, which reduces its thermal insulation properties and significantly increases its weight. Therefore, the use of expanded clay requires reliable waterproofing. Another disadvantage of expanded clay is that when working with it, a large amount of dust rises into the air.

Using expanded clay for insulation. The photo shows expanded clay being poured with lean concrete

For effective thermal insulation of the first floors of buildings from the ground, the expanded clay layer must be at least 400 mm when using wooden floors and 300 mm when using concrete floors.

Between the floors of private houses, at least 200 mm of expanded clay should be poured into the floors for wooden floors and 150 mm for concrete floors. In apartment buildings, a layer of expanded clay of 50-80 mm is sufficient.

Indicators	10-20 mm	5-10 mm	0-5 mm
Bulk density, kg/m3	280-370	300-400	500-700
Crushing strength, N/mm2 (MPa)	1-1,8	1,2-2	3-4
Grading, %	4	8	0
Frost resistance 20 cycles, gravel weight loss, %	0,4-2	0,2-1,2	not regulated
Percentage of crushed particles, %	3-10	3-10	No
Thermal conductivity, W/m*K	0,0912	0,0912	0,1099
Water absorption, mm	250	250	290
Specific effective activity of natural radionuclides, Bq/kg	270	270	290

Video - Thickness of floor insulation

One of the problems of living in a private house made of wood is a cold floor. The fact is that low-temperature air currents descend downwards, and coolness also emanates from the ground. Insulating the floor covering, which is done using a variety of materials, will help make your home cozy, warm and comfortable, and protect it from freezing.

How to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below

It is known that home is the fortress of every person, so it should always feel cozy and warm. One way to transform a living space is to insulate the floor in a wooden house from below. To get a positive result, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the range of insulation products, find out the features, choose the best option and complete the installation.

Installation of the thermal insulation layer has several specific nuances:

1. It is necessary to have two-layer insulation of the floor in a wooden house from below. It is necessary to reduce the loss of heat escaping through the rough bottom. As a rule, the floor is made of ordinary boards that are adjusted to each other. The surface will suffer from strong exposure to humidity and low temperature from the ground, so building materials must be treated with special means in advance.
2. Given the fact that wood absorbs liquid well, waterproofing will be needed. Before you begin to insulate a wooden floor, it is recommended to lay one-sided fiber.
3. Products for floor insulation in a wooden house from below should not change their characteristics when in contact with wood.

Which insulation is better for the floor in a wooden house

Very often, consumers think about what material is more profitable to use to insulate a cold floor in a wooden house from below. The choice of insulation depends on the following factors: room size, type of surface, type of wood, climate, price. It’s worth saying right away that expensive finishing materials are not always the best in quality and may simply not be suitable for a particular building. To make the right choice, it is recommended to find out what types of insulating materials there are flooring materials, study their characteristics and advantages.

Materials for thermal insulation

The range of modern thermal insulation is very wide. Products may differ in dimensions, characteristics, installation technologies, and so on. Insulation of floors in a wooden house is often carried out with the following building materials: mineral wool, expanded clay, penofol, polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene), polyurethane foam, sawdust, penoplex. The choice of thermal insulation layer depends on the individual preferences of the owner of the building and the characteristics of the floor covering. How to insulate the floor in a wooden house during construction or renovation of a residential premises?

Mineral wool

Cold wood flooring is often insulated with mineral wool. This type of sealant is available as elastic mats or durable panels. The material must be laid in a single layer. The main advantages of mineral wool:

• high sound and heat insulation;
• long period of practical use;
• fire resistance and high humidity;
• affordable price;
• environmental friendliness;
• This insulation is resistant to damage: mechanical and chemical influences.

Polyurethane foam

Perfect fit wooden floor a seal whose pores are closed with air and gas for insulation is polyurethane foam. This cellular material has a small mass, but retains heat well. This insulation is most resistant to the formation of fungus and mold, is not afraid of rotting, and is not susceptible to acids. Polyurethane foam is applied using a special technique and has good adhesion (adhesion to the surface). Thanks to the use of this type of thermal insulation, it is possible to insulate a floor of any shape without creating joints.

Styrofoam

Thermal insulation of floors using polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene) has many advantages. The structure of the material ensures a low level of vapor permeability and thermal conductivity, fire resistance, reliability, and resistance to chemical and biological factors. Expanded polystyrene has a long service life and retains its characteristics for a long time. The main disadvantage is that the seal absorbs a certain amount of liquid, which can affect some properties.

Penoplex

Insulation of a wooden floor is also done with penoplex - a very light polymer homogeneous material that does not put any load on the base of the building. It is produced by extrusion - forcing molten raw materials through the molding cavity of an extruder (special equipment). Penoplex is very strong, resistant to low temperatures, durable, and has minimal moisture absorption and combustion.

Expanded clay

Thermal insulation of a wooden floor can be done using expanded clay - a loose, porous product that consists of small round balls. Insulation is produced by burning slate or clay in a special oven. Expanded clay for preserving the heat of wood floors is durable and environmentally friendly materials. It has high levels of sound insulation, fire resistance, and frost resistance. There is one significant drawback: after a certain period of time, expanded clay becomes compacted under the weight of its own weight and loses its thermal insulation qualities.

Penofol

Roll-type insulation for wooden floors, which is made from foamed polyethylene, which is covered with aluminum foil on top - this is penofol. This seal is not very thick (3-10 mm), but it conducts heat well and does not require additional vapor barrier. Due to its composition, penofol has several disadvantages: foil can be “eaten” by rust, and polyethylene loses strength over time.

Installation technology

A reliable and effective option for laying insulation for wooden flooring underneath is installation along joists - transverse boards (beams) on which the floor covering is located. ­

1. First, logs are attached to the brick foundation, the distance between which should be 1-1.2 meters (as in the photo).
2. Chipboard or thick plywood is mounted on the beams below using self-tapping screws. This is necessary for laying thermal insulation.
3. The insulating material is laid on the surface between the joists. The thickness of this layer of thermal insulation can be varied, so you need to be guided by the dimensions of the transverse boards (joists).
4. Waterproofing (for example, polyethylene film) is laid on top of the seal. This type of material is not always used, because some types of insulation are themselves resistant to moisture.
5. The final stage of installation is the installation of elements of old or new wooden flooring on the ground floor.

Probably, many home owners ask themselves the following questions: Do I need to insulate the floors? Will there be any benefit from an insulated floor? How to insulate an old floor without removing it?

We can say with confidence that it is necessary to insulate the floors, since its insulation will help reduce heating costs and you will feel the benefits of this quite quickly. And the main advantage of this process is that you can insulate a wooden floor without removing it.

Houses made of wood have remained very popular for many years, since they are relatively inexpensive, can last for decades, or even a hundred years, and they are also distinguished by their quality and comfort. If your house is built correctly and has excellent insulation, then you can forget about cold winters while living in such a building.

But, if you intend to make your home even warmer, we recommend that you start insulating the floor, since in a cold state it can reduce the temperature, which will lead to higher heating costs.

Double floor

A double floor implies a structure of two levels:

• Draft - boards attached to the beams, on which layers of thermal insulation will be laid;
• Finishing level is the level that serves as the basis for laying the last layer of insulation.

Insulation options and what materials are needed.

There are many options for floor insulation that you can find on any building materials market.

We will offer you the most popular and effective insulation materials:

• Mineral wool is excellent, soft material, which has a good price and has a high thermal insulation rate. Mineral wool can be classified as a safe insulation material that does not emit harmful substances and does not burn;
• Polyurethane foam - mainly used for vapor barrier;
• Expanded clay - has good thermal insulation properties, but has a fairly high cost;
• Penofol, penoplex, polystyrene foam are synthetic materials that reflect thermal radiation well and are fireproof.

Installation technology

How to insulate the floor in a wooden house without dismantling the floor? Very easy. Now we will present you with a simple option on how to properly insulate the floor in a room cheaply. So, let's begin.

Work should begin with the organization of a “thermal insulation cake”, which will have several insulating layers. To organize it you need:

• Create a structure from logs;
• Installation of facing boards on logs;
• Lay thermal insulation material between the joists so that the gaps are minimal.
• Can fill gaps polyurethane foam;
• We lay a layer of insulation and install a vapor barrier film on top of it, which must be attached to the joists, and secure the overlaps with tape;
• We install the selected floor covering.

The insulation of the floor on the ground will be a “pie” of many layers, which will be presented:

1. Mother soil;
2. Bulk layer of soil;
3. Large crushed stone;
4. Sand or cement mortar (which will be needed to level the crushed stone);
5. Waterproofing (in the underground of the house it will prevent moisture from not only the floor, but also the house itself);
6. Insulation (polyurethane foam, mineral wool, penofol are perfect. You can also insulate the floor with expanded clay, which has good thermal insulation qualities, but also has a high cost.

A good option is penoplex. It is as easy to insulate a floor with penoplex as with other materials).

• Screed (main and main layer of the structure);
• Floor covering (“finishing” layer).

To do efficient design, you will need good materials, patience and several assistants. If you cope with the task, then insulated floors on the ground will retain heat well in your home and will not allow the cold to penetrate.

Calculation of insulation thickness

It is worth considering the fact that each insulation must have its own thickness, which will minimize heat loss.

Here is a list of the required thickness for various insulation materials:

• Polystyrene foam - for a wooden house - 300 mm, for a concrete house - 200 mm;
• Mineral wool - at least 300-400 mm;
• Expanded clay - 300-400 mm;
• Polyurethane foam, penoplex, penofol - at least 100 mm;

Mineral wool

As was previously written in the article, mineral wool is a popular material that is non-flammable, resistant to shrinkage, deformation, as well as fungi and mold.

Before laying mineral wool, the sheathing must already have a thermal insulation material that will protect it from moisture. If there is already a layer of waterproofing, then we install mineral wool, the sheets of which must be pressed tightly against each other to avoid cracks and gaps. After laying the mineral wool, we apply a layer of vapor barrier, then we proceed to install the floor covering.

Expanded clay

It consists of porous balls of various sizes that have good thermal insulation properties. Expanded clay is very durable, safe for use, has soundproofing qualities, and besides, it has long term services. It is also worth noting its durability different temperatures. The process of insulation with these materials is a rather labor-intensive process. Afterwards, they are poured onto a coating with waterproofing, then compacted and filled with cement.

Styrofoam

This material is distinguished by its lightness and ease of installation, withstands moisture well, has good sound insulation, and has a long service life. But its only drawback is its low fire safety, that is, it can ignite.

Before laying the foam, there must be a layer of waterproofing on the surface where it will be installed. Afterwards, foam blocks are installed on the surface, followed by a layer of waterproofing and vapor barrier.

Penoplex

Between the joists we lay a layer of insulation, then a subfloor is made on top, on which we can then lay the finished floor. Advice - the gaps between the foam sheets can be sealed with polyurethane foam. Also, penoplex can be used to insulate not only the floor, but also the house itself.

Penofol

Laying penofol from other insulation materials, in fact, is not particularly different. As with any insulation, we prepare the surface, organize a vapor barrier and install the insulation, on which we apply a layer of penofol. When the penofol layer is installed, we begin laying the flooring.

How to insulate a concrete floor

Now we will move a little away from the article and talk a little about choosing insulation for a concrete floor.

The following insulation materials are ideal for concrete floors:

1. mineral wool;
2. Styrofoam;
3. expanded clay;
4. cork insulation, etc.

How to insulate a floor in a frame house

Insulate the floor with your own hands frame house it is also possible without removing the old floor on the first floor.. In fact, insulation in such a house is no different from insulation of a wooden house. We nail bars along the entire length to the joists and then install boards or OSB boards on top. To make a waterproofing coating, we make the flooring from a waterproof film that will not allow moisture to pass through. Then, we proceed to the insulation layer.

What is the quality material and what is the best way to insulate the floor? In the room, you can insulate the floor with penoplex, expanded clay, mineral wool, and polyurethane foam. Is it possible to insulate the floor with penofol? Yes, you can. This material is almost no different from those presented above. It is also suitable for this process and will create a good insulating effect.

How to insulate a floor in a private house

Floor insulation in a private house is carried out according to the same principle as in a wooden one. The only difference may be the presence of a concrete floor rather than a wooden one.

How to insulate the floor in an apartment

The construction of an insulated surface of an apartment (on any floor) is also not very different from the insulation of wooden or frame house.

As in a private house, the insulation process begins with the creation of logs, on which boards or OSB sheets are laid, after which we lay down waterproofing and the insulation layer itself. If the insulation is laid, we proceed to install the flooring.

There is another way to insulate an apartment, but it is suitable for those who live on the 1st floor. We can say that you are very lucky to live on such a floor, since you can insulate basement floor from the basement side.

Thanks to this method, there is no need to dismantle, remove or disassemble the old floor, which makes the work much easier. So, you won’t face the tedious process of creating a new floor.

As you can see, there are many materials for insulation and creating a high-quality, full-fledged wooden floor that will delight you on cold winter evenings.

homeframe.ru

How to insulate a floor in an old wooden house

Hello! We got the old one country house. A good-quality wooden frame, quite warm, but cold floor. We often visit it in the off-season and, no matter how hard we fire the stove, you can’t walk on the boards barefoot, your feet get cold. Tell me how I can insulate it, maybe lay something on top? After all, today there are a lot of different insulation materials; the store advised us to use foil Teplon.

There is no simple answer to your question. Or, rather, there is: most likely, half the old village house you can only put a traditional rug - and nothing more.

The fact is that in Russian huts (and German houses, by the way, too) did not do not only insulation, but also waterproofing of the floor, although these technologies have long been known. An unfilled underground space is best combined with stove heating and provides optimal humidity, warmth in winter (the ground does not freeze) and coolness in summer. If your house is really built in accordance with the canons of folk architecture, most likely, under thick floorboards and one or two powerful joists there is open ground, probably well-trodden clay. Yes, you yourself mention something similar. Therefore, even if your hut is built in a dry place, moisture penetrates from the “damp ground” into the underground space. It can go outside through holes in the foundation or into the room through holes in the floor, gaps between boards, and even the wood itself.

Neither waterproofing nor floor insulation was done in a traditional wooden house - only ventilation

If this is the case and there is no waterproofing, placing a thin layer of insulation (cork, foamed polyethylene of any brand, insulated linoleum) on the boards that is impenetrable to water vapor will lead to waterlogging of the floor boards and their accelerated destruction. And building an additional layer on top with a breathable heat insulator, a ventilated gap and a new flooring will not allow low ceiling huts.

Our advice: put carpet on the floor, only on a woven, not solid PVC base. The presence of natural fibers in the pile will make it warmer to the touch. Remove the wool rug from the wall and place it on the floor.

If the carpets do not give the desired result, and the desire to increase the comfort in the home is great, you will have to open up the floors.

To effectively insulate the floor in an old wooden house, you will first have to disassemble it

Remove the boards, level the level with sand if necessary, and carefully spread waterproofing on the ground. It is easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly to use a vapor barrier roofing film, carefully pressing and gluing it to the foundation and the columns on which the logs stand. You can press it with wooden planks, and glue it to uneven concrete or rubble with construction sealant or assembly adhesive. Place a layer of mineral wool, glass wool on the film or sprinkle expanded clay, perlite, agloporite, and broken foam glass.

Expanded clay is not the most effective, but inexpensive and almost non-moisture-absorbing insulation.

Thermal insulation based on organic materials (sawdust, fire concrete, ecowool) can be used if you are sure that moisture penetration has been completely eliminated. A layer of insulation of any type - the thicker, but between it and the floor boards it is necessary to leave a gap of at least 4 cm for ventilation.

Don't forget about the ventilation gap

Now you can lay the boards back, at the same time checking their condition and treating them with reverse side protective agent - will last longer. And if you really want to create comfort, as in the royal chambers, you can contrive to remove the sleeve from the stove, cover the insulation with windproofing to prevent dust, and, if necessary, blow warm air into the underground space with a fan. But this is a topic for another discussion.

Various options insulation of a wooden floor on the ground. Details depend on the features of the existing structure, but in all cases waterproofing is required

And, in fact, you’re supposed to walk on the floor in a hut not barefoot, but in homemade felt boots :)

mrpol.su

Independent floor insulation in a wooden house - 3 options for high-quality installation

Most modern people associate wooden houses with comfort and warmth. And in principle this is true, because wood is a living, natural, breathing material. But many of my friends methodically step on the same rake, forgetting that insulating the floor in a wooden house is no less important than insulating the walls and roof. In this material, I will first tell you how to insulate the floor in a wooden house with the three most accessible ways, and then I’ll go through personally the use of each type of insulation specifically for wooden buildings.

Floor insulation with cotton slabs.

Design options for floor insulation in wooden houses

Let's start with the fact that modern wooden houses can be built either on light piles or strip foundation, and on a monolithic concrete slab, respectively, the insulation scheme in all these cases will be different.

In addition, floors in wooden houses can be insulated both from below, that is, from the basement side, and from above, from the living room side. Naturally, it’s easier to do all this during the construction of a house, but not everyone is so lucky and sometimes you have to insulate the floors in an old house, which leaves its mark on the technology.

Types of insulation.

Any capital types Work in wooden houses, including insulation of walls and floors, is recommended to be carried out only after the shrinkage of the structure has been completed. And this shrinkage in a house made from dry wood lasts about a year. If freshly cut timber was used for construction, then shrinkage can last up to 5 – 7 years.

Option No. 1. Arrangement of thermal insulation in a house with a low underground

Low underground is a disease of most old houses and cottages. In my experience, almost all owners who bought or somehow received a dacha built the old fashioned way back in Soviet times are faced with a serious problem of cold and often rotten floors.

Laying Penoplex between the joists.

I will immediately hasten to reassure you, it is not necessary to break everything, if the log house itself is still intact and strong enough, then you can insulate the floor in a wooden house with your own hands in a few days, and for this you do not at all have to be a real builder. It is enough to confidently use a hacksaw, drill and hammer.

As you probably already guessed, if a private house has a low underground floor, then the floors will have to be insulated from above. And for this we need to disassemble the entire structure completely, leaving only the load-bearing logs;

If the boards and baseboards of the finished floor are in good condition, and you are not in the mood to completely change them, then when you tear down the flooring, be sure to draw yourself a sketch of the masonry and number each board. This will significantly save your energy and time when you start putting everything back in its place.

Vapor barrier over mineral wool.

• When you have free access to the joists, the first thing to do is to carefully examine the condition of the wood. Logs are a load-bearing structure, so they must be strong and reliable. If the number of rotten logs does not exceed 20-30%, then it is worth tinkering with their restoration;
• In general, according to the rules, the damaged beam must be completely removed and the same one installed in its place. But this work is not for an amateur; there are too many small, professional subtleties. When I first encountered the problem of partially replacing a load-bearing beam, I did it simply. -I cut out the rotten sector, and in its place inserted the same part of a healthy beam. I secured this sector with self-tapping screws using 4 standard metal corners 35 mm, making an overlap of about 50 cm on the old beam. But if there are no corners at hand, you can fill an ordinary board with a thickness of about 30 mm on both sides;
• Now you can start arranging the subfloor. Opinions on how to do this correctly among builders vary. The classic technology looks something like this: on both sides of each joist, along the lower edge, a so-called load-bearing cranial beam is packed. I recommend taking a cross-section of at least 30x30 mm; if you take it thinner, it may not withstand the load or burst from a nail or screw;

Installation of insulation with a ventilation gap.

• The distance between the lags often fluctuates around 50 - 70 cm. In our version, the subfloor will be assembled from planks laid on the cranial beam, perpendicular to the lags. Therefore, we will first need to cut these boards and soak them well with an antiseptic, since they are located directly above the ground. An unedged board with a thickness of about 20–30 mm is well suited for these purposes. The question of what can be impregnated with is easily resolved: the market is full of various impregnations, but I took the simplest route, dipping each board in used machine oil;
• I am often asked whether subfloor planks need to be secured to joists or to a supporting skull beam. So, as far as I have seen and done myself, these planks are simply laid on the cranial beam and that’s it. Moreover, when you measure and cut the strips, they need to be made 10 - 15 mm narrower than the gap between the joists. This tolerance is necessary to compensate for temperature and humidity deformations of wood;

Insulation scheme based on joists.

• Further, the instructions instruct to lay a layer of hydro or vapor barrier on the subfloor. The difference is this: if the soil under the house is dry and there is no heavy spring flooding in your area, then it is necessary to install a vapor barrier membrane, and so that steam freely leaves the insulation, but in no case penetrates from the soil into the insulation. Waterproofing is installed in places with high groundwater levels and on wet soils. Technical polyethylene or roofing felt is most often used as waterproofing. Any of these membranes is covered with a continuous layer of overlap, over the joists, so that the subfloor is completely covered, without any gaps or cracks. I usually fix such a fabric with a stapler;
• The insulation you choose is placed in the resulting improvised boxes. How it is possible, as well as the best way to insulate the floor in a wooden house, I will tell you in detail a little later, now we will not dwell on this;

The slab insulation is flush with the joists.

• The presence or absence of a vapor barrier on top of the insulation is determined by what materials were chosen for insulation. But in any case, between finishing wooden flooring and the insulation layer should leave a small ventilation gap, 20 - 30 mm. To do this, if possible, install the insulation slightly below the top cut of the joist. If this is not possible and the material is laid flush with the joists, then you will have to fill the wooden counter lathing perpendicular to the joists, in increments of 30 - 40 cm.

  Moreover, hydro or vapor barrier, if needed, must be under the counter lathing. Otherwise, if the finished wooden floor is not provided with proper ventilation from below, the boards will sooner or later begin to deteriorate;

• The top layer, of course, is the finishing wooden covering.

Filling the floor with ecowool.

Option No. 2. Insulate the floor above the cellar

Proper insulation of the floor below in a wooden house is, in general, carried out using a similar technology, but believe me, it is much easier to do. After all, provided that the finishing coating is in normal condition, you do not need to disassemble it. Otherwise, the technology is the same, only all actions are performed in reverse.

Subfloor laid on a cranial beam.

• According to the rules, in order to ensure that the insulation does not “stick” to the finished floor and the necessary ventilation gap remains, it is necessary to fill a small 20-30 mm cranial block in the upper part of the joist, at the border with the finished floor. But to be honest, I never do that. It is much easier to secure the vapor barrier membrane with a stapler, just below the finished floor. Nobody forces you to measure everything precisely, the main thing is that there is a ventilation gap;
• I also don’t see much point in installing the cranial beam and hemming the subfloor from planks on the basement ceiling using the previous technology. After laying the insulation in the niches so that it does not fall out immediately, I put a number of small nails on the joists and stretch several strings of fishing line or wire;

Installation of insulation from below.

• Further from below, using the same stapler, the waterproofing sheet is attached to the joists. And on top of this canvas, to strengthen the structure, an unedged board or an ordinary slab is placed. If the basement is damp and there is often water in it, then it makes sense to sew a galvanized profile for drywall onto the ceiling instead of an unedged board. I usually attach it in increments of 20 - 30 cm, in any case, it is only needed so that the insulation does not fall out.

Floor insulation algorithm.

Using a similar technology, the second floor is also being built, or more precisely, the wooden interfloor between the first and second floors along the joists. The only difference is that instead of a subfloor layer, most often lining or some sheet material, such as plywood or drywall, is sewn underneath.

Scheme of interfloor overlap.

Option No. 3. We insulate the floor of a wooden house standing on a concrete slab

Solid floor in a wooden house concrete base can be insulated using two technologies: installation on joists and arrangement of screeds. The choice depends on what end result you want to see and how much money you are willing to spend on it all. Most often in such houses the first option is used, according to which at the finish you get a covering made of natural floorboards.

Reinforcing mesh for screed on Penoplex.

Compared to the two previous options, a concrete slab, in my opinion, is much easier to insulate. As a rule, such a base initially has an absolutely flat plane; in addition, the weight of the insulating structure itself does not matter here.

According to the first method, you need to mount a wooden sheathing on the slab. It will replace those very load-bearing logs for us.

Only first the concrete must be covered with a layer of waterproofing. In this case, technical polyethylene is quite sufficient. The thickness of the bars for the sheathing depends on the type of insulation.

For a full-fledged floorboard with a thickness of 40 mm or more, the step for laying the sheathing guides ranges from 50 to 70 cm. In the case where it is planned to cover the floor with thick plywood or OSB, the step is about 30 to 40 cm.

Insulation of a wooden floor on concrete.

The sheathing bars are attached to the concrete slab with anchors. After that, just like when installing from above, insulation is laid in the niches, and a finishing coating is sewn on top of it.

Insulating a concrete slab under a screed is made even easier. Looking a little ahead, I will say that the best insulation here is extruded polystyrene foam, better known in our country as “Penoplex”. I’ll talk about its capabilities later, but now let’s get back to the technology.

So this Penoplex is laid in a continuous layer on a flat concrete slab, attached to it and all the cracks are filled with foam. After which you can choose: either lay a metal reinforcing mesh on it and pour a screed, or arrange a flooring made of plywood, OSB or plasterboard and install a laminate on it using floating technology.

Reinforced screed for expanded clay.

If you are interested in a workpiece for a “warm floor” system, then for both the electric and water versions, a base made of extruded polystyrene foam is perfect.

In addition to extruded polystyrene foam, such a floor can be insulated with expanded clay. Of course, you will have to tinker more, but the price of such insulation will be disproportionately less.

The technology here is about the same. Initially, the concrete is covered waterproofing film with an approach to the walls, just above the final coating. Next, a layer of expanded clay is poured and leveled horizontally.

Insulation with expanded clay.

You can put reinforcement on the expanded clay and pour it cement-sand mortar, it will be a wet screed. Or lay a double layer of plywood, OSB or plasterboard, this is already called a dry floating screed.

Choosing insulation

We figured out how to make the insulation itself, now it remains to find out which insulation for the floor in a wooden house is more suitable in a given situation. To make it easier for you to understand, I have conditionally divided all the materials into 2 large areas:

1. Budget, that is, not expensive;
2. And what is now called new technology, accordingly, their cost is an order of magnitude higher.

Traditional budget insulation

• Wooden sawdust is deservedly considered the patriarch in this direction. It’s not hard to guess that the price for them is a pittance; if you try really hard, you can even get them for free. But in order for this material to be used as insulation, it must be well prepared. Otherwise, after a couple of months the sawdust will simply begin to rot.

First of all, remember, sawdust must sit in a dry place for at least a year; freshly sawn material is not suitable. And in order to prevent mice from setting up a hostel in this insulation, you need to add slaked lime.

Since we are talking about cooking on our own, I will take the liberty of giving you the 2 most popular recipes:

Sawdust as an environmentally friendly insulation material.

1. For the floor, the bulk option is best. Here, 8 parts of dry sawdust will need to be thoroughly mixed with two parts of dry slaked lime powder; in stores, such lime is called fluff. In principle, the material is ready, now it can be poured into the space between the rough and finished floors. Only to achieve the expected effect, in middle lane For our great homeland, this layer should be no less than 150 - 200 mm. And in the northern regions it can reach up to 300 and even 400 mm;

Lime fluff.

1. It is much easier to work with slabs. But these slabs will need to be made first. The solution contains, in addition to sawdust, the same fluff, and cement is added as a binder. The standard proportion is 8/1/1 (sawdust/lime/cement). Naturally, all this is abundantly moistened and mixed well. When the solution is ready, it is poured into molds and lightly compacted. In the warm season, after about a week the slabs will dry and be ready for use. It is possible to lay the wet mixture directly into the floor, but in this case you will not be able to sew up the final covering, because you will have to wait a couple of weeks until the solution is completely dry.

Insulating board made of sawdust.

• Our second number is expanded clay. This material is used quite widely in our country. Expanded clay is granules of foamed and fired clay. The material is porous, lightweight, strong and durable. Its only drawback is its hygroscopicity; expanded clay is capable of absorbing moisture. This leads to the conclusion that expanded clay requires mandatory installation of waterproofing.

  As for the depth of insulation, it is approximately the same as that of wood sawdust. To arrange the floor in a wooden house, you should use 2 fractions of expanded clay, gravel and sand. This will make your mound more dense;

Different fractions of expanded clay.

• But perhaps the most popular floor insulation in the budget sector is polystyrene foam. The material is comfortable in almost all respects. In the underground, protected from all sides, the foam will lie indefinitely. Where sawdust or expanded clay needs to be filled with a thickness of at least 150 mm, it is enough to install foam plastic with a thickness of only 50 mm. This insulation is absolutely indifferent to moisture and waterproofing is installed here only to protect the wood itself. To install it, you only need to cut the slab exactly to the size of the niche, insert it and fill the gaps with polyurethane foam.

  In a wooden house, the weak point of the foam embedded in the floor is rodents. They really love to build their nests in it and fight it traditional methods almost impossible;

Insulation of a wooden floor with polystyrene foam.

• It would be unfair to skip such a common insulation material as mineral wool. You can’t call it completely cheap, but there are several inexpensive models in the line. In particular, glass wool and soft mineral wool mats are not expensive.

But to be honest, I don’t recommend them to you, this material cakes quickly, mice love it, and when wet it completely loses its qualities. No matter how hard you try, soft cotton wool will have to be changed approximately once every 10 years.

There are also mineral wool basalt slabs, they are more expensive, but their density and quality are much higher. I recommend that if you install wool, then use only slabs about 100 m thick.

Basalt slabs of mineral wool.

Of all the budget insulation options listed above, only sawdust and foam are considered flammable. Expanded clay and cotton wool are the standard fire safety.

New technologies

• Among newfangled insulation materials, extruded polystyrene foam is now breaking all records of popularity. It is a modern derivative of polystyrene foam, both materials are made from styrene granules, the only difference is in technology. Extruded polystyrene foam boards have a closed cell structure. As a result, the material does not let in not only moisture, but even steam. Essentially, we are dealing with a good waterproofing material. I already mentioned above that Penoplex can be laid in a screed, this is due to the fantastic strength of extruded polystyrene foam.

  If this material can be used to insulate airfields, roads and concrete foundations, then there is nothing to say about the strength of a small screed in a wooden house. In addition, mice are not particularly fond of it either;

Penoplex insulation from the basement side.

• Our next number is the so-called ecowool. It consists of approximately 80% cellulose, the remaining 20% ​​is fire retardants and antiseptics. Ecowool is not very expensive to produce, because cellulose is obtained from shredded waste paper. I think the high price here is more due to the fact that the material is new. There are two ways to install such insulation. If you are interested self-installation, then the cotton wool is simply poured into the floor cells and fluffed with a construction mixer.

  But it is better to order machine blowing. In this case, the cotton wool is blown onto any surface, including vertical and overhanging surfaces, using a compressor. Ecowool has one advantage over other modern insulation materials: if you are confident in the high-quality installation of the rough and finished floor, then in old houses you can simply make a hole and blow out the entire subfloor with ecowool through it;

Fluffing ecowool.

• Polyurethane foam is quite expensive. It is impossible to apply this material to any surface with your own hands; it requires professional equipment and specialists with appropriate qualifications. In terms of its characteristics, polyurethane foam is close to extruded polystyrene foam, but it will not withstand screed. The best option here is to foam the floor from below in a wet basement. The fact is that the foam will hermetically seal the tree from below, and the warranty period for such insulation starts at 30 years;

Filling with polyurethane foam.

• Penoizol will cost less than polyurethane foam. But it also requires specialists to apply it. Personally, in the case of floor insulation in a wooden house, I don’t see much point in paying for such material. After all, in essence, penoizol is the same polystyrene foam, only in liquid form. Of all the advantages, the only advantages are quick installation and a sealed continuous coating;

Filling with penoizol.

• Lastly, I wanted to talk about the so-called isolon. To explain in a nutshell, isolon is polyethylene foam. It can be covered on one or both sides with foil, or without foil coating. But it is difficult to call it an independent insulation for the floor in a wooden house; most models have a thickness of up to 10 mm. With such a thickness, isolon can only be used as an auxiliary coating. In particular, it is used when installing electric heated floors. Or sometimes they additionally cover the cotton wool. Foil-coated isolon is a good waterproofing material and personally, I often install it instead of the top insulating layer under the final coating.

Canvas isolon.

Conclusion

Insulating the floor in a wooden house with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. If you choose the right insulation and prepare well, then the floors in a medium-sized house can be installed in a maximum of a week. In the photos and videos in this article I have included additional information on the topic of insulation. If you have any questions, write them in the comments, I will try to help.

Warm floor in a wooden house.

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obustroeno.com

How important is floor insulation in a wooden home for you?

How to insulate the floor in a wooden house without dismantling the floor?

For comfort and convenience in a personal home, it is not enough to have walls and a roof.

It is extremely important that your home is always cozy in winter and comfortable in summer. Therefore, it is extremely important how carefully you treat the insulation of the floor in a wooden house. This circumstance helps to create not only a generally favorable microclimate for your home in the cold winter, but you will also feel how significantly the heating costs of your mansion have dropped. Since up to one third of the heat you create can escape directly through an uninsulated floor.

High-quality thermal insulation of the floor makes it possible to maintain a known desired temperature in the building as a whole, and prevents excessive moisture, mold, and condensation from escaping into the rooms. The great popularity of this method of constructing wooden buildings has posed an urgent problem: how to insulate the floor in a wooden house without dismantling the floor and what technologies and, of course, materials can be assembled to achieve the desired goal?

And so let’s begin the selection of materials for insulation.

The essential quality of insulation of floor structures is directly related to the insulation of housing. And it all depends on the right choice materials. Progressive industry in all countries offers a fairly diverse selection of various types of thermal insulation.

Fiberglass, stone or mineral wool. All these materials differ in the highest level of technological thermal insulation and greater noise absorption. If single-layer insulation is performed, mats made from these bulk materials or bulk insulation rolled into rolls are used. Options for thermal insulation in mats, the so-called piece version, are also considered to be the most resilient, and they are also the most durable.

How to cheaply insulate a wooden floor in a house?

Penoplex, as well as expanded polystyrene, is - thermal insulation materials, which can be used for insulation of almost all systems. Most of them differ, first of all, in their low price. These materials are relatively durable, and at the same time, for their level, they provide excellent thermal insulation of structures.

Thermal insulation is made from such materials using spraying or laying. This method is considered more economical, successful and technologically advanced. More such insulation is performed in new homes.

Mineral wool;

• Thermal conductivity is low;
• The material is loose and free-flowing, therefore not dense;
• Great water repellency;
• Long-term resistance to decomposition;
• Improved price/quality ratio;
• Purity of the material according to GOST for ecology;
• Chem. resistance to the surrounding environment;
• Resistance to various microorganisms;
• Elementary installation and processing;
• Natural ecological impeccability.

For the sake of an environmentally friendly log building, as a rule, only environmentally friendly materials are used. An important issue in this selection of the basis for insulation is not to spoil in any way this impeccable aura that the log walls and floor are ready to form. For this reason, the selection of thermal insulation is also forced to comply with environmental conditions.

The use of fiberglass or rottisite wool absolutely meets the conditions of environmental friendliness. You just need to take into account one fact, that in this situation, harmless resins are not used in these materials for the purpose of connecting fibers. The presence of phenol-formaldehyde resin in mineral wool insulation can be seen due to the brownish tint of the material used. These additives make fiberglass yellowish.

The safety of using polystyrene foam for flooring is directly dependent on the density properties of the material used. It is important that the floor is thoroughly dried so that the insulation materials do not contain compounds that quickly evaporate and which, when the temperature increases, are ready to poison the human body. For example, styrene can also provoke diseases such as toxic hepatitis, leukemia, etc. in humans.

Foam insulation technology

When selecting and using materials for floor insulation, it is important to carefully examine their composition and become familiar with the certificates of their environmental protection. Most of the current thermal insulation materials used are made in compliance with all international environmental conditions. In these materials used, the connecting link is considered to be a combination of acrylic and latex, which are safe for health.

Thermal insulation service life;

It is currently quite difficult to establish to what extent the thermal insulation used to insulate the floor will be reliable. When selecting types of insulation, many of their properties should be taken into account.

For example, many used materials, after pressure on them with a certain load, no longer restore their original size. In this case, there is one caveat: many of their fibers simply break. For this reason, such materials used have weak contact with beams and floor joists. Such systems create conditions for the emergence of cold bridges. In addition, in areas of non-compact fit of thermal insulation, condensation is likely to occur.

In order to select high-quality insulation, press on a small piece of it (for example, you can put your foot on it). If after this pressure it acquires its own initial configuration, it can be purchased. If the material is kept thin, it will not be suitable for you.

How to increase the thermal insulation properties of a floor?

How to insulate the floor in a wooden house without disassembling it?

Naturally, when insulating, you can’t limit yourself to thermal insulation mats made of moisture-proof plywood. For example, specialized insulated types are very often used finishing material, which was used, such as heat-insulating thick linoleums, double-duty carpet flooring.

Often directly under the finishing flooring floor coverings For example, under the parquet, wood-fiber boards or wood-fiber tiles or other suitable materials are laid.

Double floor

An additional type of insulation of a log building, especially its 1st floor, is considered to be additional insulation of the base of the house. In addition, it is necessary to thoroughly check all the ventilation openings in the basement rooms without exception.

So the question arises, how to insulate floors in a wooden house? The type of insulation in the double floor version is used quite often. In this case, the initial layer will be a preliminary flooring, for example, from rough boards firmly fixed to the beams. The tight fit of the rough boards to each other is very important, since there should be no gaps left. On top of them, an ordinary finishing flooring is applied, and then (if necessary) a finishing coating with various decorating materials.

Instead of a dirty floor, a variety of flooring is often used. Similar floorings often use embossed or smoothed floor coverings that have a high degree of thermal insulation. Such materials used do not concentrate debris in any way, and from their surface it is easy to sweep away all kinds of debris and dust, or pick them up with a vacuum cleaner.

Such and similar coverings are simply glued to the floor with bustilate glue, spreading it in the form of strips on the used material. The joints are thoroughly glued.

Insulation with fiberboard support

The use of wood fiber insulation for floor insulation is quite common. Fiberboards can be laid both under the finishing coating and on the main floor boards, for example, under parquet, linoleum, carpet, laminate or other used materials.

The slabs are placed in the floor one at a time, following the accuracy and uniformity of the joints, avoiding all kinds of cracks. For the purpose of such work, they can be used Various types slabs More famous are PT-STO and M-20. These slabs prevent frost from penetrating into the home from under the floor. In addition, the use of fiberboard insulation is in addition to the use of rottisite wool or other types of thermal insulation.

The concept of "hot floors"

One of the most well-known technologies is the concept of “hot floors”. In particular, this concept is often applicable when pouring a floor at the base of a cement screed, which requires heating. This concept is used in combination with the use of classical materials used for the purpose of insulation.

This concept makes it possible to achieve measured heating of the floor plane. A more comfortable cryo temperature is formed in absolutely the entire room, and not just under the ceiling. The moisture in the building is significantly reduced. The use of heated floors on the 1st floors is especially important wooden building.

The concept of a water “hot floor”

A similar concept is carried out in the following order:

1. The base of the floor (cement screed) is poured or concrete slabs are laid.
2. One or another insulation is placed, its layer can have from 2 to 10 cm.
3. A reinforcement grid is installed.
4. The pipeline concept is being installed. It is secured with plastic clamps to a grid of reinforcement.
5. The floor is filled with optimal materials (the concept of poured floors).
6. A substrate is used if necessary.
7. Then the finishing floors, the so-called floor coverings, are placed.

Electric “hot floors” in a wooden house

It is much easier to implement electric heated floors. It is possible to use cable systems or film heating components. In this case, the wire can be stretched in an iron mesh attached to the joists.

If film infrared electrical materials are used, they have every chance of being placed directly into the screed, protected by a gasket made of heat-insulating materials.

When performing thermal insulation using a wooden floor or parquet, maintain at least 1 centimeter of distance between the wall and the floor. A tree is always capable of changing its own volumes and shapes, depending on moisture and temperature.

It is more correct to carry out thermal insulation activities even during the construction of the building, taking it into account during design.

The pair concept of gender is considered predominant. This concept guarantees the necessary ventilation and makes it possible to eliminate the occurrence of mold and mildew.

Additional thermal insulation should be carried out with simple materials, so as not to form a significant load on the foundation of the house.

Materials for thermal insulation purposes must be environmentally friendly and non-flammable.

Tips for insulation

When performing thermal insulation using a wooden floor or parquet, leave at least a 1-centimeter gap between the wall and the floor. Since wood is capable of changing its volume and shape, depending on moisture and temperature.

It is more correct to carry out thermal insulation activities even during the construction of the building, taking it into account during design.

The dual concept of gender is considered predominant. This concept guarantees the necessary ventilation and makes it possible to eliminate the occurrence of mold and mildew.

Additional thermal insulation should be carried out using simple and time-tested materials, so as not to create a significant load on the foundation of the house.

Materials for thermal insulation must be environmentally friendly and non-flammable.

What does the European market of thermal insulation materials offer today?

The variety of thermal insulation materials used in today's building market often leads consumers to a hopeless situation. In order to correctly select the material used, you should understand its characteristic features and abilities.

Material; Insulate.

This is a thermal insulation source in rolls made in China. The property of the material is quite high, at a low cost. The insulation is suitable for thermal insulation of various systems.

Material; Ursa

URSA Insulation material

One of the most famous thermal insulation materials. This source is more used for horizontal planes. Having at its disposal a low cost, good thermal insulation and sound insulation properties.

Material; Thermolife

Used for light loads on thermal insulation. It is more used for the purpose of insulating roof walls, or ceilings, or interfloor spaces. Can be used on horizontal, vertical and oblique surfaces.

Similar thermal insulation materials are no less common, such as: Teplex, Isovent, Isolite, Rockwool, Penoplex and numerous other types of thermal insulation. It is important to make the right selection in the interests of your own wooden building.