The long-awaited summer has begun, and with it the construction season. And if it was cold in your country house in the winter, then now is the best time to eliminate this disadvantage. One of the simplest and most effective solutions for this is thermal insulation with mineral wool made of fiberglass along a wooden frame installed to the external walls.
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To install a wood-framed insulation system, you don’t need any additional construction skills-you just need to be able to handle a screwdriver and a stapler. In addition, it is suitable for thermal insulation of almost any country house-bricks, aerated concrete blocks or wooden beams.
However, you will need some theoretical training. In our case, it consists in carrying out a heat engineering calculation. It will help you determine the thickness of insulation needed to provide heat in the premises in winter, and at the same time reduce heating costs.
The calculation takes into account the thickness and material of existing walls, as well as the climatic region where the house is located. This task has become very simple in our time – you don’t need to calculate complex indicators yourself or invite a professional designer. Just go to the website of the manufacturer of mineral insulation and use the online calculator.
One plank, two planks
Armed with the knowledge of how thick the insulation should be, you can get down to business.
First you need to install a wooden frame to the base of the wall. The depth of its risers depends on the thickness of the insulation. If the calculation showed that 50 mm is enough for additional thermal insulation, then the bar should be the same. If 100 or 150 mm – you can mount a beam of the appropriate size or make insulation in two layers. In this case, you will need two crates – the main crate and the counter crate. The second rail will be perpendicular to the first. This will allow you to cover the frame posts and joints of the insulation of the first layer with mineral wool. This means that it will eliminate cold bridges and heat leakage.
The distance between the frame posts should be 10-15 mm less than the width of the insulation. So, for a plate of 610 mm, a crate pitch of 595-600 mm is required. Due to preload, mineral wool based on glass fiber is mounted unopposed between the frame posts. Thanks to its elasticity, it will restore its shape and will fit snugly to the structure. This prevents the formation of gaps through which cold will penetrate.
Attach the crate directly to the base of the house. If it is made of wood, use nails or structural screws. If it is made of aerated concrete – use screws on the aerated concrete. They can be used without dowels, which simplifies and speeds up work. And if the fastening is necessary in a load-bearing concrete floor-with screws on the concrete. Galvanized corners are also used.
Main element
The most important component of the system of external insulation on a wooden frame is thermal insulation. It plays the main role-it protects against cold and heat loss. For example, mineral wool based on glass fiber will do a good job with it, since it has a low thermal conductivity. It is only 0.034 W / m * K (λ10).
In addition, all Mineral insulation, including fiberglass, has a key characteristic for a residential building-incombustibility. The main raw material for the production of fiberglass is quartz sand, which is used to extinguish fires, so the Minvati fire is not terrible.
When warming an old house, the elasticity of mineral insulation based on fiberglass will be a useful property. Thanks to it, Minvata will fill in all the irregularities and defects on the facade, which probably have appeared a lot since the construction. This indicator ensures a tight fit of the material to the frame posts, without cracks and gaps.
Interestingly, the elasticity of fiberglass allows the manufacturer to compress it several times in the package. After opening it, the material completely restores its shape. This makes it possible to buy and transport more material in a passenger car.
When installing the fiberglass mineral wool, it is slightly compressed and installed unawares in the frame without additional fastening. They start from the bottom and gradually rise up the facade. The process is simple, the main thing is to perform it carefully and not leave any cracks between the plates. It is also important to create a completely closed thermal circuit. In places where there is no insulation, heat will freely leave the room. Special attention should be paid to the corners and junctions (for example, walls and roofs) – they often forget about thermal insulation.
Protection from moisture and wind
Mineral wool based on glass fiber in the design must be covered with a hydro-windproof membrane. This is a special film that protects the system from precipitation and wind, but does not prevent steam from escaping from the structure. Vapor barrier for external insulation is not needed.
At this stage, it is important to avoid mistakes. The membrane must be placed tightly and not allow moisture to pass inside. Therefore, the installation is carried out very carefully, so as not to damage the material. Roll it out along the perimeter from the bottom up, so that the upper canvases are found on the lower ones by at least 100 mm. When depressurized, water will flow down them and not get into the structure.
A serious mistake can be the replacement of hydro-wind protection with a vapor barrier. It is important not to confuse these two films. Otherwise, the vapor barrier will block the exit of warm, saturated air from the structure. In cold weather, condensation forms there, which will lead to wetness and reduce the thermal protection properties of the entire system. And in the future, perhaps, before its destruction.
Good
The final stage is the installation of finishing equipment. And there’s plenty to choose from. The frame insulation system allows the use of various cladding materials. This can be vinyl siding, which in a modern design (despite the myths that accompany it) can last for many years without fading or damage. Or metal siding is a classic example that has remained popular for many years due to its strength and resistance to mechanical impact.
Fiber cement and plastic panels provide more opportunities for implementing architectural ideas. They are stylized as natural stone or brick. A combination of these materials will add creativity. Often, wood is used for finishing. There are also many options-from simple clapboard to a more respectable block house.
With the help of cladding, you can realize almost any architectural fantasy. The main thing is that under it there will be a layer of mineral wool made of fiberglass, which will reliably protect the house from the winter cold. And as a bonus-it will prevent the penetration of heat in the summer. And this will save not only on heating, but also on air conditioning.