One of the common and important problems of a private house made of wood is a cold floor. This is due to the outflow from the ground of cold air currents that penetrate through the cracks. In order for the room to be warm and comfortable, it is necessary to carry out floor insulation in a wooden house from below. How to do this, what materials are used for this and the main points of installation work are described in this article.
Helpful advice! Working with cotton wool requires special protective clothing for the body, gloves and goggles. This is due to the fact that during the installation work, small fibers are separated from the plates. They can cause skin irritation and itching.
Floor insulation with expanded clay
Expanded clay is a small round porous balls of slate or clay. They are obtained by firing materials in a furnace at high temperature. Expanded clay is considered a safe and environmentally friendly material. Among its advantages are:
- high sound insulation;
- resistance to low temperatures;
- environmental safety for humans.
A noticeable disadvantage of this material is the compaction under its own weight. Expanded clay balls are pressed together. This leads to an increase in the weight of the substance and a decrease in thermal insulation properties.
Helpful advice! You should not choose this material for floor insulation in a wooden house on screw piles. An increase in the mass of the floor covering can lead to subsidence of the foundation of the structure.
Using sawdust for floor insulation
Sawdust is a waste product of the woodworking industry. They have good steam and sound insulation characteristics, retain heat, and are environmentally friendly for humans. Sawdust are of low cost. The resulting thermal effect is no worse than that of expensive materials. Thanks to the cement component, they are also well suited for floor insulation in a ground floor apartment. Subsequently, laminate, linoleum, tiles, etc. can be laid on such a screed.
Before use, sawdust is subjected to special treatment. This helps to prevent the appearance of rodents and beetles in them. After, they are mixed with cement and water and evenly applied over the entire floor area.
Helpful advice!Clay can be used instead of mortar. This material is environmentally friendly and has better thermal insulation characteristics than cement.
Sawdust is ideal for insulating floors on the ground, especially if the building does not have a solid and solid foundation.
Floor insulation with foam
Popular floor insulation with polystyrene foam. Most often, this material is called foam. The advantages of this heater:
- low vapor and sound permeability;
- high thermal conductivity;
- not afraid of exposure to fire and high temperatures;
- resistant to external factors and chemicals;
- does not lose its properties for a long time;
- easy to install.
A significant disadvantage of polystyrene is its susceptibility to moisture. He can absorb it into himself. This negatively affects the basic performance characteristics. But the simple and inexpensive technology of floor insulation with polystyrene is its significant advantage. This is what, in most cases, the owner of the house is guided by.
Helpful advice! If your dacha or private house is located on land with a close occurrence of groundwater or a high risk of flooding, you should not choose polystyrene foam as a heater. If the choice has already been made, you should take care of good waterproofing.
Ecowool
Polyurethane foam (ecowool) is a great way to solve the issue of floor insulation in an apartment on the ground floor and a private house (cottage). This material is blown into the free space using a compressor. So it evenly fills all the voids. Fine particles that make up ecowool provide excellent vapor barrier. The material is not exposed to moisture, so additional waterproofing is not needed during its installation. This allows you to reduce the cost of insulation.
Related article:
How to put it in correctly. Features of different types of heaters. Floor maintenance tips. Popular manufacturers and cost of materials.
After hardening, a solid, even layer is obtained. It handles loads very well. Light weight does not increase the weight of the structure. The service life of this heater is more than 20 years.
A significant disadvantage of ecowool is the need to use special industrial equipment.
Helpful advice! Professionals say that when insulating with this material, waterproofing is not needed. However, when insulating the floor in a country house without a foundation, it is better to lay an additional waterproofing layer.
Penofol: floor insulation
The combination of polyethylene foam and a thin layer of aluminum foil is called foam foam. It is sold as a rolled roll. The thickness of the seal is from 3 to 10 mm. Penofol retains heat well, is environmentally friendly, has high sound insulation.
The big disadvantage of this material is exposure to moisture due to the presence of aluminum foil in the composition. Another disadvantage is that penofol does not differ in long-term operation. After five years it is necessary to carry out re-insulation.
The main points of the installation work
All materials used for floor insulation have their own fixing methods. However, there are highlights of the thermal protection device. They are recommended to be observed when installing any material.
The order of arrangement of the main layers when installing floor insulation in a wooden house with your own hands:
- waterproofing layer;
- thermal insulation layer;
- vapor barrier material;
- direct structural elements of the floor;
- flooring.
Experts say that such an arrangement of the main layers will allow you to get the optimal thermal regime inside the room. This technology maintains the necessary circulation of moisture in the house.
Helpful advice! When insulating the floor of the basement in a wooden house, you can choose beams with a cross section of 50 to 100 mm. They are fixed from below, and a layer of insulation is laid between them. The additionally obtained "pie" should be sewn up with boards.
Waterproofing
When insulating the floor in a private house, you can not do without waterproofing. Due to the ability of cold air to condense on a warm surface, the wood floor is exposed to moisture. Its constant presence in the room leads to the active development of fungus, mold and causes decay of the structure itself. Especially if special tools were not used during the construction of the house.
When laying thermal insulation without a waterproofing layer, the effect of moisture negatively affects the heat-conducting properties of the material. The result is an increase in humidity in the room and a decrease in temperature. Waterproofing helps to avoid these unpleasant moments.
A waterproofing layer is laid from the side of exposure to cold air currents.
Vapor barrier
Human heat and equipment operating in the home emit warm air. It passes through the ceiling and condenses when it encounters cold air. The problem with this phenomenon is that moisture settles inside the structure. As a result, the tree swells and begins to rot from the inside. It will not be possible to prevent this process by processing special means. Therefore, when insulating the floor in a wooden house from below with foam or other material, the presence of a vapor barrier is mandatory.
When carrying out installation work from below, the vapor barrier layer is laid first. The simplest and most affordable material for this is polyethylene film. It is excellent for both steam and waterproofing.
The presence of such layers in the flooring should be designed in advance. If this was not done on time, then it is necessary to lay the film immediately after putting the house into operation.
Helpful advice! An excellent material for hydro- and vapor barriers are moisture-windproof membranes. This material allows air to circulate and retains moisture from it inside. It can be used when insulating the floor with penofol or other insulation.
The main stages of laying insulation
The best installation option is laying floor insulation along the logs. These cross boards are used for subsequent flooring.
The main stages of work:
- a log is installed on the finished foundation. The recommended distance between the bars is not more than 1-1.2 m;
- after that, thick plywood or chipboard sheets are installed. They are fixed with self-tapping screws. This is how the base is prepared for laying the heat-insulating layer;
- insulation is laid between the wooden lags. Depending on the material used, the thickness of this layer may vary. In any case, it should not exceed the size of the lag itself;
- then a layer of waterproofing is laid. Although this step is recommended by experts for maximum effect, it can be skipped. This is due to the resistance of some materials to moisture;
- Now you can lay the flooring. It may be old. Or it can be replaced with a new one.
Compliance with this sequence will allow you to insulate the wooden floor with foam or other insulation.
Features insulation with sawdust
Floor insulation with sawdust is an eco-friendly and affordable way to keep the heat in the house. When choosing this heater, you must adhere to a number of recommendations:
- broken glass should be added to the prepared mixture of sawdust with cement or clay. This will prevent the appearance of rodents. Do not forget about the use of special solutions;
- the mixture consists of five parts of sawdust, one part of cement (clay) and half of water. This proportion must be observed. When mixing a steeper solution, you will get a durable insulation, but with a low thermal conductivity;
- carefully fill the voids between the lags. This will allow you to get an even layer of insulation. If this technology is not maintained, the thermal insulation will be “leaky”, and the floor will remain cold.
Helpful advice! Due to the large number of insulation materials on the market and the time spent on preparing the mixture, sawdust is rarely used for insulation. However, they will help solve the issue of isolation with a limited financial budget.
Features of foam insulation
Due to its high strength and affordable cost, foam floor insulation in a wooden house is more common than other materials.
Among the features of the installation of this insulation, we note the following points:
- penoplex is laid between the lags and fastened to the floor from below with mounting glue;
- it is necessary to accurately and tightly fit the edges of the plates. This will avoid the penetration of cold air;
- joints are additionally glued for maximum adhesion;
- a waterproofing layer is required. This is especially important for a private house or cottage in a swampy area;
- before laying foam plastic, wooden beams and crossbars are treated with a special solution. This will avoid rotting and the appearance of bugs.
Helpful advice! If you live in an apartment building, then choosing foam as a floor insulation is the best solution. This material is laid in a thin layer and does not affect the height of the room.
Due to its light weight, penoplex is great for floor insulation in a frame house. The load on the foundation of the building will be minimal. This will avoid shrinkage of the house over time.
The main points of expanded clay insulation
The laying of this insulation takes place according to the technology described above. However, there are a number of features that you need to be aware of. To conduct floor insulation in a wooden house with expanded clay, you must:
- be sure to lay a pillow of sand. It is poured in an even layer and carefully rammed;
- a layer of liquid mastic is applied on top of this pillow. It plays the role of waterproofing;
- now expanded clay falls asleep. In order for the layer to be as even as possible and without voids, it is recommended to use a material of different fractions. This will allow the granules to fit closer to each other;
- vapor barrier is required. Only after it can the main flooring be laid.
Due to the significant weight of this material, it is better to insulate a wooden floor with expanded clay with a solid foundation.
Do-it-yourself warming of a wooden floor in a house: video
Today on the Internet there are a great many training videos for self-assembly of insulation. Viewing them will allow you to understand the technology of work, the principles of choice and the main stages of laying materials. In addition, these videos contain a large number of useful points. So you can find out, for example, about the correct filling of the floor screed with insulation with polystyrene foam.
In order for the floor in the house to turn out to be warm, it is necessary to take into account many nuances. The right choice of insulation plays an important role in this. When choosing a material for yourself, you should not start from the price or installation technology. Consider the type of building, the nuances of the landscape and the features of the operation of the house (permanent or seasonal). Based on this, you can choose the perfect floor insulation.
