Warming the house is a very important event, since its absence leads to a violation of the temperature and humidity conditions of the premises, structural damage and a general decrease in the comfort of living. A huge amount of thermal insulation materials is presented on the construction market, of which you can easily choose a high-performance insulation. One of the modern ways to protect the floor and walls can be foam insulation - polyurethane foam.
Due to which there is an increase in thermal insulation
Best prevents heat loss from ordinary air. Of course, inert gases constitute serious competition for it, but for their use it is necessary to ensure complete tightness. The presence of air in the thickness of the insulation can significantly reduce its thermal conductivity and, as a result, prevent heat loss from the room. Foam insulation allows you to get a maximum of voids, which are filled with gas.
Scope and consequences of insufficient insulation
The following structures require insulation in a residential or administrative building:
- floor on the ground with a heated basement or basement;
- the floor of the first floor with an unheated basement or technical underground;
- exterior walls;
- overlapping the upper floor with a cold attic;
- Roof pie when designing an exploited attic or warm attic.
If you use insulation of insufficient thickness or even neglect it, you may encounter the following problems during operation:
- high heating costs;
- uncomfortable room temperature;
- condensation from warm air;
- the appearance of mold and fungus.
Advantages and disadvantages of the material
Foam, which is supplied in small cylinders allows you to get hardened material with a lot of positive characteristics. Warming with polyurethane foam, which is the main component, has the following advantages:
- safety during operation and work;
- does not cause allergic reactions;
- long term of operation;
- ease of installation;
- lack of joints through which cold air can penetrate;
- antibacterial properties prevent mold and fungus;
- resistance to moisture and steam;
- no need for fixing materials.
Despite the large number of advantages, Before starting work, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the shortcomings that this heat insulator has:
- flammability;
- relatively high cost;
- the need for cladding.
This video talks about the features of this material:
Types of polyurethane foam
Foam for insulation of walls and floors is available in two types:
- Professional - requires expensive equipment. Such insulation with polyurethane foam is economically beneficial only for employees who have a large volume of orders.
- Semi-professional - suitable for insulation with your own hands. Cylinders are delivered completely ready for use. In this case, polyurethane foam insulation is not inferior in quality to a professional material.
Foam sprayed with the help of special installations can significantly reduce the time of work with large volumes. With independent construction, the installation can be rented.
Differences are only in the design and price of the cylinder. Convenience of installation and the quality of the insulation layer do not suffer.
Features of insulation of various designs
Depending on the surface being machined, the order of the events may vary. The advantage of polyurethane foam insulation is that it can be used for both horizontal and vertical elements. Warming a house with foam has a high degree of adhesion to the surface, since the material penetrates into the most inaccessible places.
Floor insulation
It can be produced both from below and from above. To overlap above a cold basement, the most competent will be the insulation of the floor from below. Polyurethane foam is almost the only insulation material that is convenient to work with in these conditions. To protect the attic floor, polyurethane foam is applied from the side of the cold attic.
Waterproofing and vapor barrier during operation is not required. Carries out installation is recommended in the following order, regardless of whether insulation is made from above or below:
- removal of dirt and dust from the processed surface;
- to improve adhesion, you can treat the surface with a primer;
- nailing rails or profiles, installing floor lag, between which the heat insulator is sprayed;
- filling the space between the profiles with expanded polystyrene;
- ceiling decoration or installation of a clean floor.
It is important to remember that hardened foam is not a durable material, so the floor structure should prevent direct impact on the insulation.
Wall insulation
Wall insulation with foam can be done externally and internally. A competent solution will be external insulation, but if necessary, internal work is allowed, for example, with additional insulation after putting the facility into operation. Differences are only in the finish.
The work is performed in the following order:
- surface preparation, cleaning from dirt and dust;
- wall marking and installation of a vertical crate;
- filling the space between the frame with foam;
- installation of the facing layer.
Polyurethane foam prevents the harmful effects of moisture, but it is still recommended to treat the carcass trims with an antiseptic.
Mansard roof
Warming with foam of the space between the rafters will allow you to choose the pitch of the rafters, regardless of the dimensions of the material, as is the case with mineral wool. The heater is mounted in the following order:
- installation of elements of the rafter system and roofing;
- stripping of the base;
- spraying polyurethane foam between the rafters from the cornice to the ridge;
- lathing installation;
- ceiling lining, for example with drywall.
Foam spray tips
The insulation will last much longer as in the construction of the floor, walls or roof, if you follow simple rules:
- moisturizing and preliminary cleaning of the surface before application;
- shaking the bottle before use;
- cylinder heating to a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius before starting work;
- the use of overalls, masks and gloves to prevent foam from getting on the skin when working with polyurethane foam.
About the features of the application technique:
Compliance with all these points will competently and accurately protect the house from the penetration of the cold.