Creating a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in the house is much more difficult than it seems. Low temperatures, cold floors and drafts are problems that many owners of private houses have to deal with. The better the thermal insulation, the lower the heating costs - this rule has been known for a long time. But how can you make your home more secure and warm? First of all, you need to take care of the floors. Remember how unpleasant it is to step on ice, how your feet freeze when you sit in an armchair in the living room for a long time ... All these symptoms of insufficient floor insulation can be eliminated in just a few hours. In this case, you do not need to seek help from professionals. Even the most inexperienced "home master" will cope with such work.
What and how to insulate the floors?
Choosing the right material is not an easy process. We recommend that you first create list of requirements for insulation. For example, thickness, the need for waterproofing, the complexity of installation, and so on. It is also necessary to take into account purpose of the premises: for the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, you can choose different materials to achieve perfect insulation. But what properties do heaters have? What are their similarities and differences?
Expanded polystyrene extruded
One of the best options for floor insulation in a private house. This modified type of expanded polystyrene differs from its predecessor in a more closed structure. This dense and durable material is suitable for insulating floors on the ground, moreover, it does not require a special concrete base. Extruded polystyrene foam can be laid directly on gravel or expanded clay.
The advantages of this material:
- minimal moisture absorption
- high level of thermal insulation,
- strength,
- soundproofing,
- reliability,
- resistance to various biological organisms,
- size and shape stability,
- ease of installation.
Yet there is one clear flaw, because of which this type of polystyrene foam is not very popular, - high price.
Styrofoam
But the price for this "simple" view is much lower. At the same time, almost all the advantages of the previous copy were preserved. Thermal conductivity is practically the same, hygroscopicity too. The only obvious minus» polystyrene foam is low strength. Sheets can break during delivery and installation, they can also be affected by extreme load (heavy furniture in the room). We do not recommend that you use such a heater for a garage and other rooms with a high load on the floor.
polyurethane foam
Modern technologies make it possible to obtain insulation with the necessary qualities right on the construction site. To do this, it is enough to mix only two liquid components. The final result will be a solid polymer.
Polyurethane foam properties:
- low thermal conductivity (inferior to him and expanded clay, and mineral wool),
- high resistance to chemicals,
- excellent soundproofing,
- low flammability,
- low moisture absorption (depending on the density of the material).
Mineral wool
This material considered the most popular type of insulation. There are many reasons for this:
- low thermal conductivity
- good soundproofing,
- resistance to moisture and fire,
- relatively low cost
- long service life,
- compliance (relevant for strong mechanical stress).
The disadvantage of mineral wool is only in installation: not very difficult, but rather troublesome. In addition, this material will require a suitable base.
Expanded clay
An excellent choice for those who want to insulate the floor once and for many years. Among advantages of expanded clay stand out in particular:
- durability,
- resistance to high and low temperatures (does not lose its qualities and does not collapse),
- fire resistance,
- excellent soundproofing,
- low thermal conductivity.
Do-it-yourself floor insulation in a private house: step by step instructions
Modern floor insulation technology involves the consistent execution of the following actions: preparing the base, laying waterproofing, creating and laying insulation, as well as finishing. This work will take time, do not rush, and do not change the order of actions.
Training
It is necessary to determine the surface relief and the required height of the future floor. The easiest way to do this is with an optical or laser level. Then you can start tamping the soil.
A sandy layer forms on top. It must necessarily be slightly higher than required (the allowable rate is up to 25%). The sand is rammed, then moistened and rammed again. The durability of the floor and its appearance will depend on the quality of this work, so we recommend that you approach this stage with special care.
And then the last layer is laid - expanded clay or gravel.
waterproofing layer
With the help of waterproofing materials, the future floor is protected from moisture. It will also help to make a strong rough screed. There won't be any problems with this step. The material is overlapped to avoid gaps. All connections must be fastened with construction tape. Be careful, cuts, holes and other damage in the material are unacceptable.
Also remember that the insulation is laid with a small margin. The edges should rise along the walls by 20-25 centimeters. You can remove the excess at the final stage.
Rough screed and laying insulation
A mixture of concrete and crushed stone will serve as another layer, which is laid on top of the waterproofing layer. It should be low (about 50 mm) and relatively even (permissible height difference - no more than 4 mm). Low requirements allow you to make this layer quickly, but still it must dry completely by the time the insulation is laid.
The method depends on the specific material. Be aware that some heaters may require additional vapor barrier.
fine finish
After that comes the turn of the finishing screed. It needs to be treated carefully. You can use both the usual monolithic filler, and dry or semi-dry screed.
In the classic version, horizontal guides are installed on the floor, which mark the desired floor height. "Beacons" are aligned using the building level. The sand-cement mixture is laid on the floor and leveled "along the beacons" by the rule.
