THE RANGE OF PRODUCTS IN MODERN GARDENING STORES IS AMAZING: THERE ARE NUMEROUS TYPES OF COVERING AND MULCHING MATERIALS, A VARIETY OF FERTILIZERS, INSECTICIDES, FUNGICIDES... BUT ALL OF US CAN DO YOU WILL YOURSELF TO BUY WHAT YOU WANT? I THINK NOT EVERYTHING. THIS IS WHY I DECIDED TO TELL ABOUT ORDINARY PINE NEEDLES, WHICH WILL BRING GREAT BENEFITS TO ANY HOLD GROUND AND WILL HELP YOU REFUSE BUYING THESE NECESSARY BUT EXPENSIVE GOODS

PINE NEEDLES AS MULCH

On the neighbor’s summer cottage, a huge pine tree grows close to our common fence. Every year she shed a large amount of needles, which I did not always have time to remove. And so, when one day I got around to this event, I discovered damp soil under a thick layer of pine litter, while the rest of my garden was suffocating from the scorching summer heat.

This observation gave me a brilliant idea - to use pine litter as mulch. It was not difficult to get a large amount of pine needles: our SNT borders on a vast pine forest. In half an hour, I filled the car to the brim with bags of this free material, which was enough for me to mulch all the vegetable beds, flower beds and tree trunks of garden plantings.

ON A NOTE

To protect your hands FROM STINGY NEEDLES, when gardening with pine needles I use not ordinary cotton gloves, but thicker ones - intended for pruning thorny bushes. And in the cellar, where my harvest is also stored, also arranged with pine needles, I specially leave strong gloves: I put them on every time I take out the next batch of vegetables for consumption.

Under a layer of mulch 3 - 5 cm thick, the soil remained wet much longer after watering, so I stopped worrying about my green pets, leaving them unattended until the next weekend. In addition, the mulch suppressed weeds and prevented the formation of crust on the soil surface, saving me from the need to loosen the rows and weed out unwanted vegetation.

I still use pine litter as mulch to this day - and I never cease to rejoice at this economical find, which saved me from the need to buy special mulching materials in the store.

Spiny beds and tree trunk circles

In the spring, after emergence or planting of seedlings, mulching vegetable beds with pine needles. And I have to renew the thick layer of mulch under trees, shrubs and garden strawberries only occasionally: the needles on the soil surface very slowly rot. For the same reason, in the fall, after harvesting vegetables, I rake the needles from the surface of the beds and send them to the compost heap for “ripening.”

I dig up the beds with the addition of mineral fertilizers and organic matter, and also add wood ash for digging at the rate of 1 half-liter jar per 1 m2, since pine litter, when used regularly, tends to acidify the soil. If there is no ash on hand, I use fluff lime, chalk or dolomite flour according to the instructions. I do things differently with garden crops: I move the layer of needles to the side, add fertilizers and liquefied liquids to the tree trunk circle, burying them in the soil with a hoe, and then return the mulch to its place.

After harvesting, I tried adding pine mulch to the soil, but I didn’t like it: in the spring it is very difficult to work with the “prickly” soil. Therefore, now I use pine litter, which I collect in large quantities in the fall, to prepare humus.

Preparing pine humus

The needles rot for a very long time, from 3 to 5 years, so to speed up the process I use a few tricks. To do this, I put needles, fresh mullein (for every 1 m 3 of needles I take about 100 kg of manure), tops of vegetables, weeds, kitchen waste, layering them with small portions of garden soil, and then generously spill the contents with a thief of any microbiological fertilizer according to the instructions in the compost bin. and cover the pile with thick film. I use similar solutions 2-3 more times in the next season, and also periodically ventilate and moisten the ripening humus with a hose. With this approach, the coniferous litter rots 2 times faster, and within 1.5 years, by the next spring, I receive the most valuable fertilizer.

If mullein is not available, then I fill the compost bin with needles and plant residues mixed with garden soil and generously moisten each layer with a strong urea solution (200 g per 10 liters of water). In the future, I also use solutions of microbiological preparations - and in the same time frame I obtain a loose, homogeneous mass, which, thanks to the rich chemical composition of pine needles, is saturated with a mass of useful macro- and microelements.

And the presence of a large amount of essential oils and phytoncides in pine needles completely frees such humus from pathogenic microflora and insect pests, which often choose “ordinary” humus for wintering or a place of permanent residence.

Coniferous humus has a slightly acidic reaction, so before applying it to the plants, I add a glass of wood ash to each bucket of such fertilizer. But if this seems tedious to someone, you can, even at the stage of adding humus, sprinkle the layers of ingredients with wood ash or a purchased deoxidizer according to the instructions.

Let the garden wake up early!

Slowly decomposing pine needles are an excellent material for building warm beds. I prepare such beds in the fall so that next season I can harvest an ultra-early harvest of vegetables from them.

To do this, in the planned area, I dig a trench two spade bayonets deep. I cover its bottom with a thick layer of pine needles sprinkled with wood ash, lay a layer of manure on top, and then fill the hole to the top with soft-stemmed plants - weeds without seeds and roots and vegetable tops, layering them with small portions of soil. The top layer is fertile soil 15 - 20 cm thick. I use so much “filling” that at the end of the work such a bed rises 25 - 30 cm above the ground surface. I spill the contents generously with a solution of microbiological fertilizer and cover it with a thick black film.

By spring, the bed settles, and with the arrival of the first thaw, the processes of decomposition of organic matter are actively launched in it, due to which heat is released, and the soil in the bed warms up at the earliest possible time. This allows you to plant seedlings a month earlier than usual. To do this, I make cross-shaped cuts in the film and plant the plants in them, after which I install arcs over the bed and cover them with spunbond to protect the plantings from spring frosts. The contents of such a bed last a long time and allow it to be used for several years.

Alternative to spruce branches

The beneficial properties of pine litter do not end there - I successfully use it for insulating plants for the winter. I remove the lashes of covering grapes, actinidia, clematis and other heat-loving vines from the trellis, tie them up and lay them on the ground. I bend the branches of “tender” shrubs (rhododendron, azaleas, roses, heat-loving varieties of berries, etc.) to the ground and secure them with metal pins. After this, I take out bags of pine needles that have been pre-dried in the sun from the bins and fill the ground part of the plants to the top with it. Then I cover the coniferous rollers with a thick film and secure its ends with stones or sprinkle it with a layer of earth.

In the same way, I insulate bulbous flowers and beds with vegetables planted before winter - I cover them with dry needles and cover them with film. I use the film to protect plants from damping off during winter thaws, the risk of which increases significantly under such a dense layer of wet mulch. And I insulate the root system of young seedlings of trees and shrubs in a different way: to do this, I place thick garbage bags filled with dry pine needles in their trunk circles.

Dry shelter based on pine needles perfectly protects plants from winter frosts. And if when using other materials, such as straw or sawdust, such shelters became a cozy wintering place for rodents, now such a problem does not arise: prickly needles do not allow voles to come close to such “houses.”

Needles as an insecticide

In early spring, various pests of fruit trees and berry bushes wake up in the garden and immediately begin laying eggs. In order to protect against them, I spend spraying plants with pine infusion. To prepare it, first I finely chop 1 - 1.5 kg of young pine twigs with a hatchet, place them in a bucket and fill the container to the top with hot water. I keep the contents in a warm place under a lid for 3 - 4 days, stirring them periodically.

Then I filter the infusion, dilute it halfway with clean water, add a couple of tablespoons of liquid soap and spray the trees and shrubs with the solution. I repeat spraying several times: during the period of swelling of the buds on the plants, in the pink bud phase, and also immediately after flowering. This economical product replaces expensive insecticides and allows you to rid your garden of codling moths, flower beetles, weevils, honey beetles and leaf rollers.

Also noticed that pine infusion is an excellent remedy for various types of aphids, which likes to settle not only on garden crops, but also on garden crops, such as cucumbers and tomatoes. To protect against aphids, I spray garden crops with the infusion described above, diluted 1:1 with water, and to treat vegetables I prepare a weaker solution - 1 part infusion and 2 parts water.

In one of the seasons, with the help of two sprayings carried out at an interval of 2 days, I completely rid my cabbage of white cabbage caterpillars - and took this remedy into service. However, in the new season, I decided that it was better to completely prevent these voracious pests from appearing on the plants, and immediately after planting the seedlings in the ground, I began to spray the cabbage bed every 10-12 days with a pine decoction, which scared away the white butterflies and did not give them the opportunity to lay eggs on the plants . Now I carry out such procedures every season, and my cabbage is always clean.

To prepare the decoction, place 1.5 - 2 kg of chopped pine twigs in a large enamel pan, add 6 liters of water and put on fire. I boil the contents under the lid over low heat for 15 - 20 minutes, and after cooling, strain. I prepare a working solution for spraying from 2 liters of broth and 8 liters of clean water and add a couple of tablespoons of liquid soap so that the fragrant drug settles on the leaves.

Coniferous solution is an effective remedy against cruciferous flea beetle. Therefore, to protect against this pest for preventative purposes, I regularly spray not only cabbage, but also radishes, radishes, daikon and other cabbage family crops.

But to protect against the Colorado potato beetle, which, as it turns out, also cannot tolerate the pine smell, I prepare a more concentrated solution - 4 liters of decoction per 6 liters of water.

By the way, to protect potatoes from wireworms, you do not need to prepare infusions or decoctions, but you can use pine litter from the forest.

To do this in the spring, when planting tubers, you need to add a handful of pine needles to each hole, and the enemy will be defeated: the smell of rotting pine needles disorients the pest.

Fortunately, there are no slugs in my garden plot, but a friend of mine, having suffered with these voracious pests, found salvation in pine litter. Now she places rolls of pine needles around the perimeter of each bed, and the slugs are unable to reach the leaves and fruits of the vegetables. She does exactly the same thing in the case of trees and shrubs, the young leaves of which slugs like to feast on: she makes rounded edges from needles in their trunk circles.

Fungicidal properties of litter

Having started using an infusion of pine branches on cucumbers and tomatoes to protect against aphids, I noticed that these plants were much less damaged by fungal diseases. Now I use pine infusion diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2 on these and others cultures more methodically, at intervals of 10 - 14 days. What is most pleasing is that after such preventive spraying, tomatoes are affected by late blight only in extremely unfavorable weather - during the period of cold, prolonged rains, when it is impossible to spray with either folk remedies or fungicides.

And thanks to this budgetary means, cucumbers and zucchini have become less susceptible to their main disease - powdery mildew.

Harvest with pine scent

The bactericidal and antiseptic properties of pine needles help me not only get a generous harvest at my summer cottage, but also store it for a longer period in the cellar. For this purpose, I use well-dried pine needles, which I sprinkle over the root vegetables when they are stored. At the bottom of the bin, in which I am going to put carrots, beets, radishes, daikon or other vegetables, I first pour needles in a layer of 2-3 cm, then I lay out the root vegetables in one layer, crush them with pine needles, put a new layer of vegetables - and so on until it’s full the whole bin. With this approach, root crops remain juicy and elastic much longer and are not damaged by rot.

WHEN BRANCHES ARE USEFUL

But what about pine spruce branches? On the eve of winter, I, of course, use it to protect the trunks of young trees from rodents. To do this, I tie pine branches to the trunk of each tree with their needles down, and they do not allow rodents to get to the tasty bark.

Thanks to their pronounced aroma, needles can be used to combat a wide variety of garden and vegetable pests. But in this case, I do not use dried pine litter, which has lost the bulk of its essential oils, but young pine branches, which I cut in the neighboring forest in early spring. At this time, the needles are maximally saturated with phytoncides and beneficial substances, so infusions and decoctions from them not only cope well with pests, but also act as additional plant nutrition.

Over the past few years, natural, environmentally friendly insulation materials have experienced a real boom in popularity. Low thermal conductivity, versatility of use, environmental friendliness, low price, durability - this is not a complete list of their advantages.
There is still time before the onset of severe frosts, and if you want to further insulate your house, then take a closer look at natural insulation materials, which we will talk about in our article.

Linen

Plant fibers have long been used as roof sealants in wooden houses. Surely you have seen a log house caulked with tow, which is a waste product from flax processing.

Modern products are more technologically advanced - these are linen felt and rolls
ribbon tow. This tape is uniform in thickness and width and is convenient to use.

The same can be said about insulation made from short flax fiber, which is produced in the form of mats and slabs of different sizes and thicknesses of 50 and 100 millimeters, with a density of 25 - 40 kg/cu. m.

Linen is used for thermal insulation of external walls, roofs, partitions and ceilings. Due to its natural origin, the material can be used for internal sound insulation and insulation, and to increase fire resistance during the production process, boron salts are added to the insulation or surface treatment is carried out with fire retardant substances.

There is material that is completely natural, without any additives. The service life of linen thermal insulation is 70 years or more.

Hemp

Hemp insulation is similar to linen and is used in similar cases. The main feature is that it is not made by domestic manufacturers. This is understandable, in our country the industrial cultivation of hemp is prohibited, so on sale you can only find German goods in rolls and slabs of different thicknesses and sizes. In terms of its performance qualities, insulation is in no way inferior to flax.

To obtain this type of insulation, peat is sifted, mixed with water and brought to a thick paste. Next, wood waste is added, pressed into blocks and dried. Thanks to the antiseptic properties of peat, fungi and mold do not appear in the blocks, and the porous structure is not damaged by freezing condensate. Therefore, vapor barrier membranes and forced ventilation of the premises are not needed.

As for the thermal insulation properties, a half-meter wall made of peat blocks corresponds to a wooden wall one and a half meters thick. The material is very durable, which is convenient for transportation and installation. The blocks are laid with dressing, without mortar, and can withstand significant loads and do not shrink. Therefore, peat blocks are used for the construction of partitions and walls in frame houses. Moreover, durability can reach more than 75 years.

"Ecowool"

This cotton wool is made from cellulose. Refers to environmentally friendly materials. Contains additives of boron mineral compounds, which give it antiseptic properties and fire resistance. It looks like a light, loose mass. It is applied to the insulated surface using a blowing machine. The prepared cavities are filled with the material; it easily penetrates into hard-to-reach places.

Cellulose wool can be used to insulate any house structure: floors, walls, internal partitions and pitched roofs. With the exception of rooms with high humidity, since ecowool is hygroscopic.

The insulation material contains new and recycled sheep wool.
Available in the form of woolen fabric with a thickness of 20 to 120 millimeters of different densities. At high humidity, it can absorb about 30% of its dry weight of water, then releases it. This creates a comfortable microclimate in the room, and allows you to do without the use of vapor-proof film.

Suitable for thermal insulation of walls, partitions, ceilings, the space between rafters and in the construction of frame-panel houses. The material is attached to the wooden frame with a construction stapler.

Manufacturers add insect repellents to wool. In addition, the imported insulation is treated with fire retardants. Domestic material does not contain such additives, so it is more environmentally friendly.

They are made from shavings and other wood waste. Due to low thermal conductivity, good vapor permeability and high strength, soft boards are not only an excellent thermal insulator, but also a good finishing material that is easy to install. In addition, it is easy to process using ordinary wood tools.

Such slabs do not change their structure, they are not afraid of fluctuations in the relative humidity in the room, they do not deform and do not shrink. Suitable for insulation and soundproofing of any structures, especially wooden ones.

The material is quite exotic for our area, as it is made from the bark of the Mediterranean cork oak, which grows in Portugal. The ground bark is treated with hot steam, mixed with natural cork resin and pressed into molds.

Next they cut into slabs. The porous structure provides good thermal insulation and breathability, and the resins provide resistance to rotting and mold.
Lightweight cork slabs are easy to lay, they cut well. The material is used for both external and internal thermal insulation of buildings. A façade insulated with a cork board can be plastered. Cork panels can also be used simply for finishing floors and walls.

Damask

Damask is an organic material made from storm emissions of the seaweed zoster. This plant is common in the Black Sea.

Kamka is a good heat insulator, does not rot, does not lose its properties when wet, and does not support combustion. Due to the large amount of calcium salts, rodents and harmful insects do not grow in it. When humidity is high, damask takes away excess moisture from the room, and when the air is dry, on the contrary, it moisturizes it.

This is one hundred percent environmentally friendly material. One might even say it is medicinal, as it contains organic compounds of iron, iodine, cobalt, zinc, and amino acids. It also contains a biologically active substance - fukondak polysaccharide, which has an antitumor effect. This material has a mild odor of iodine, hydrogen sulfide and bromine. It has a beneficial effect on the respiratory and nervous systems.

He’s trying to hang out, but I have three cats. And besides, in my attic there are plenary meetings of all the neighbor cats for various reasons. There are all sorts of fights without rules, etc.

If insulation means saving money, then you need to start with a set of engineering measures aimed at improving heat generation.
First things first, you need to install a bypass in the water heating system.
The second activity is replacing the heating device (boiler).
Third, eliminating the uncontrollability of ventilation outflow (the kitchen hood in the bathroom and the fireplace are equipped with dampers)

Then - ensuring the drainage of rainwater, increasing the roof overhang, arranging a blind area around the house - all together eliminating the possibility of settlement of the foundation and the appearance of new cracks in the building and normalizing the humidity of the underground.

The next stage is the elimination of transverse, longitudinal and vertical air filtration (critical for brick walls). Existing cracks are expanded and sealed with expanding cement. Problematic and potentially problematic areas are drilled and blown out with foam from a spray can.

The thermal physics of walls is greatly influenced by their humidity. Therefore - trees, bushes, etc. at a distance of 2 m from the building - we mercilessly uproot it. All sorts of grapes, flowers, birch trees and other crap that shade the walls and tear up the foundation - too. (At this stage, clashes with the natives are possible, even armed ones - be prepared).

The next stage is surface waterproofing of the walls.

Then we take on the windows. The old ones are still quite normal, but it’s blowing. Therefore, we take it out, inspect it, make minor repairs and put it back on silicone sealant. Then (important!!!) we take out each glass, coat the seat with sealant and place the glass on it. As a result, the tightness is no worse than that of a new plastic one.

Window shutters are not an acquired taste. It’s easier to pin plastic film on the outside with buttons for the winter. Cheap and cheerful.

The attic is usually uninhabited. Therefore, we insulate the floors using the cheapest method, for example, pine needles - an excellent insulation for these purposes. We close up holes and cracks in the attic and caulk them using any available method.

That's about it. I did this at my mother-in-law's. Gas consumption has approximately halved. And this despite the fact that a gas water heater was also installed, which consumes a fair amount.

The idea of ​​replacing conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones turned out to be counterproductive - they burn and there are large voltage drops.

Press to burn...

Needles? And this is a thought. She doesn't rot. And there will be no questions about environmental friendliness - only fire hazard

Insulating the ceiling in a private house can significantly reduce the amount of heat loss during the cold period and significantly improve the indoor microclimate in the summer. In addition to increasing comfort, high-quality thermal insulation will also give you significant savings on the family budget on heating. The costs associated with the purchase of insulation will pay off in 2-3 years.

In addition to reducing the cost of heating a house, floor insulation solves a number of other problems. By preventing warm air from entering the attic, the insulation structure prevents the accumulation of water vapor and moisture in the roof space, which damages the rafters and floor beams. In addition, insulation allows you to avoid melting snow on the roof and the formation of large icicles, which are very dangerous during thaws. When organizing living space in the attic, the soundproofing function is very useful. In any case, ceiling insulation is a necessary measure for a private home.

Carrying out work on ceiling insulation is quite possible for any home craftsman. Installation requires a minimum level of initial training for the performer. The tips below will help you avoid common mistakes and carry out the planned work quickly, without putting in extra effort. By carefully planning the work process and promptly preparing the necessary materials in the right quantities, you will save your time, nerves and transportation costs. Let's take a closer look at how to properly insulate a ceiling in a private home.

Where to insulate the ceiling: inside or outside

Insulation of the ceiling in a private house can be carried out both from the inside and from the outside. Both options give pretty good results. They differ in the materials used and the methods of their installation, so each master chooses an option that is convenient for himself under specific living conditions, taking into account economic feasibility.

Options for attic insulation

With external insulation, the insulation is installed in the attic. If the attic space is not used, then the insulation does not need decorative finishing, which distinguishes this option from the previous one. In addition, it is much more convenient to work with external insulation.

Internal insulation involves attaching heat-insulating materials to the inner surface of the ceiling and installing suspended structures made of plasterboard, plastic, wood, etc. It must be taken into account that with internal insulation, 15-20 cm of room height is lost. Therefore, if your ceiling is at 2.5 m or lower, then you should give preference to insulation from the attic.

Internal insulation is worth choosing if you are going to do renovations and plan to install a suspended ceiling. In all other cases, preference should be given to external insulation.

Selection of material for thermal insulation

The following thermal insulation materials are popular for insulating private houses:

1. Styrofoam;
2. Expanded polystyrene;
3. Penoizol;
4. Polyurethane foam;
5. Penofol;
6. Mineral wool;
7. Basalt wool;
8. Ecowool;
9. Expanded clay;
10. Sawdust;
11. Vermiculite;
12. Dry grass, pine needles, reeds.

External insulation using polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene is perhaps one of the cheapest and most accessible methods. This task is fairly easy to complete on your own. The materials are resistant to moisture, do not rot, do not burn, but in the event of a fire they melt, releasing acrid, toxic smoke. Expanded polystyrene essentially consists of the same material as polystyrene foam, but is manufactured slightly differently. The main disadvantages are the release of toxic phosgene gas during combustion and a relatively short service life (up to 10 years). When using them, it is necessary to pay increased attention to fire safety.

Penoizol is a liquid foam plastic. Does not burn, is vapor permeable, biologically stable, and has superior thermal insulation properties to polystyrene foam. Manufacturers claim complete safety for humans after hardening. It is produced directly on site and installed using a special, expensive installation, so the work is carried out only by specialized teams. Convenient and economically feasible for large volumes.

Work is carried out similarly with polyurethane foam, which is synthesized from two liquid components. Depending on the proportion used, polymer foam with different properties is obtained. The surface is covered with a continuous layer without joints, eliminating the possibility of blowing through cracks. Disadvantage - toxic substances are released when burned.

The process of pouring penoizol

Penofol is foamed polyethylene covered with aluminum foil. Prevents the penetration of cold air, drafts and radon, reflects radiant heat into the room. The material is very light, does not create additional loads, and works very well in combination with mineral wool. Due to its small thickness, it has almost no effect on the height of the room.

Mineral wool contains mainly natural materials: sand, rocks or melts. Available in rolls and sheets of different sizes. It has good heat and sound insulation characteristics and an affordable price. It needs protection from moisture, as when wet it completely loses its thermal insulation properties. It is resistant to temperature changes, restores its shape after load, but cakes over time. The material, unlike glass wool, is almost not scratchy, but still requires protective equipment when working. The main disadvantage is the phenol content, which can easily penetrate human skin.

Basalt wool is made from rock melts. Available in the form of mats and slabs. It is characterized by resistance to loads and high temperatures, hydrophobicity, and elasticity. The material is capable of transmitting water vapor and does not allow it to accumulate inside, does not shrink and can withstand use for up to 70 years without loss of quality. Just like mineral wool, it contains phenolic binders, and the fibers can irritate the skin and mucous membranes.

When carrying out work indoors, mineral wool or basalt wool is usually used. This vapor permeable materials that allow the ceiling to “breathe”.

Ecowool is a bulk material of natural origin, consisting of 80% cellulose with borate additives, which protect it from easy ignition and rotting. Laying work can be carried out wet using a special installation and dry manually. The manual method is extremely simple. It is enough to pour cotton wool between the joists onto previously laid glassine and lightly loosen it. Ecowool increases in volume by 2-3 times. The recommended layer thickness is 30 cm. The thermal conductivity is the same as that of mineral wool, while ecowool is not afraid of moisture and prevents the development of fungi and mold. Serves for more than 100 years.

It is possible to use cheap local materials such as expanded clay, sawdust, hay, pine needles, reeds, clay and slag to insulate the attic floor. Their cost is often equal only to the cost of delivery, but their thermal insulation properties are also noticeably lower, and they are more difficult to install. Sawdust requires special protective treatment before laying. Otherwise, they can be damaged by rodents, rot and become very flammable. Hay is a tempting place for various small bugs and insects to settle. For a noticeable thermal insulation effect, all bulk insulation materials require a significant thickness - from 30 cm, which leads to a heavy load on the floors.

Good results are achieved by combining sawdust with vermiculite. Both materials are of natural origin, easily absorb moisture and easily release it, maintaining optimal humidity. Vermiculite is made from hydromica and is considered an ideal bulk insulation with environmentally friendly properties. In terms of thermal conductivity, it is comparable to mineral wool. The only drawback of vermiculite is the price.

Laying loose insulation involves filling it between the joists or beams of a specially made sheathing.

If the environmental friendliness of materials is important to you, then you should opt for expanded clay or sawdust with vermiculite. If high thermal insulation properties and ease of installation are important, your choice is basalt wool.

Insulation with basalt wool: step by step

Let's take a closer look at how to do external insulation with your own hands using one of the most effective insulation materials - basalt wool.

Necessary materials:

1. Basalt wool slabs 100 mm thick;
2. Vapor barrier film;
3. Waterproofing film;
4. Foil tape;
5. Wooden beam;
6. Hardware.

Tools:

1. Stapler;
2. Roulette;
3. Hacksaw or jigsaw;
4. Hammer;
5. Bench knife;
6. Screwdriver.

• Step 1. First of all, you need to thoroughly clean the attic and create a flat surface for laying basalt wool.
• Step 2. If the attic is planned to be residential, then a wooden frame is laid for the future floor. The pitch between the lags is determined in accordance with the width of the insulation boards in order to ensure the tightest possible fit.

If there are wooden floor beams, the insulation is placed in the space between them. If the height is insufficient, additional bars are attached on top.

If the attic will not be used, then this point can be skipped.

The height of the insulation depends on the climatic characteristics of the area and the roof structure. In most cases, it is optimal to use two layers of basalt wool 100 mm thick.

• Step 3. Vapor barrier film is laid. If the ceiling is reinforced concrete, then this point can be skipped, since it has low vapor permeability.

Fastening to floor beams or joists is carried out using a construction stapler and folding the edges. During new construction, the film is placed under the beams. The sheets are overlapped by 150 - 200 mm, fastened with moisture-resistant tape and must be placed on the walls by at least 200 mm to guarantee the prevention of moisture penetration. The best option is to use foil material. In this case, the sheets are placed end-to-end with the foil down and taped with special tape.

Beams and joists are not covered with a vapor barrier film to avoid the accumulation of moisture in them and rapid rotting.

• Step 4. Sheets of basalt wool are laid on the vapor barrier film, avoiding cracks at the joints if possible. Gaps of 2-3 cm are left near the walls, which are not closed to ventilate the cotton wool.

• Step 5. The second layer is laid with maximum displacement of the seams. In cold climates, a third layer will not be amiss. It is laid across the previous ones and eliminates all potential cold bridges.

For an attic floor that will not be used, you can stop here (unless, of course, the roof is leaking), or you can play it safe by following the recommendations of the next paragraph.

• Step 6. A waterproofing film is laid to protect the wool from moisture from entering from above during operation.
• Step 7. The structure for moving around the attic is mounted.

For a residential attic, boards and, if necessary, a finishing coating are laid; for a non-residential attic, it is enough to provide walking bridges during technical inspection and maintenance of the roof.

It is better to carry out work in the warm season - in summer or early autumn.

For external insulation, it is better to take vapor-proof materials to protect the ceiling from moisture; for internal insulation - vapor permeable.

The more air the insulation contains, the more effective it is, so we must strive to provide maximum “fluffiness” to materials such as mineral wool, ecowool, and sawdust.

External insulation will always be cheaper and easier to do.

With internal ceiling insulation and the use of some models of built-in ceiling lights, light bulbs may frequently burn out due to lack of heat removal. In this case, it is better to hang an ordinary traditional chandelier.

For vapor barrier, you can only use a special film with the appropriate marking or glassine; you cannot use ordinary polyethylene.

Penofol is always placed with the foil down.

You can perform complex insulation by combining different insulation materials.

When performing insulation with basalt wool, you must use a mask and protective clothing that completely covers the body.

Before starting work, you should carefully study the advantages and disadvantages of all available thermal insulation materials, analyze their operational capabilities, estimate the costs and complexity of installation. Making a carefully considered decision and installing thermal insulation, taking into account the above recommendations, will guarantee a safe and effectively insulated ceiling in a private home.

Preface

Coniferous plants in the garden are stylish, beautiful, and prestigious. However, you will have to pay for such beauty - no, not with money, but with time spent on care. Conifers especially need your attention in winter. In this article we will tell you why you need to cover conifers for the winter and how to do it.

How to cover conifers for the winter

Sheltering conifers for the winter is a very important plant protection process, so we recommend studying the video and other information provided in this article. Already in the fall, when the days are either sunny or rainy, you need to do it. During this period, the conifers are not yet strong enough, which means they can be seriously damaged by strong winds or the first frosts. It is the first wintering that is quite dangerous for these plants. There are several methods of shelter.

So, if your coniferous tree grows in a tub, then you should definitely bring it into the house or into a room where a constant temperature is maintained. However, the size of the plants can change your plans - if the trees simply no longer fit into the doors, you will have to think about sheltering the coniferous beauties right on the street.

As an effective and inexpensive covering material, you can use spruce branches, which are laid in the form of a hut, covering the plant from top to bottom.. By the way, this affordable heat-insulating material can be used to protect other plants from winter frosts.

What to do if you can’t get spruce branches? Then you can make covering material in the form of homemade pillows stuffed with sawdust, straw or various rags. If the frosts in your area are very severe, we recommend using everything in combination to protect plants - both spruce branches and bags. All your multi-layer protection should be well reinforced so that in a strong wind nothing will fly apart. To do this, fir branches are secured with staples or simply sprinkled with earth below, and the pillows are tied with twine.

If one-year-old seedlings have already been planted in open ground by autumn, then it is necessary to take a slightly different approach to covering plants for the winter. First, the root system should be insulated. To do this, you can pour a large layer of sawdust or peat on top of the soil in the area around the tree trunk. Also suitable for these purposes are the spruce branches we mentioned above, laid directly on the ground or just pine needles.

The branches should be tied with twine so that they are pressed against the trunk. Firstly, it will then be much easier to wrap the plant with thermal insulation material, and secondly, this will protect the branches from wind and heavy snow.

For shelter, you can use a material known as spunbond or agrofibre. This is a special non-woven material with a high degree of resistance to both low and high air temperatures. He is not afraid of precipitation - rain, wind, snow and even hail. An undoubted plus is that it allows air and steam to pass through, so that covered plants will not suffer from rotting.

Options for protecting conifers for the winter

Polyethylene can also be used to protect trees from frost. Only in this case is it recommended to create a frame from stakes or metal rods and attach the film over the frame. If you wrap polyethylene around plants, this is fraught with rotting of the needles, because the film does not allow air to pass through. When creating a frame, make sure that it holds well - it will have to withstand all gusts of wind and the weight of fallen snow. Watch the video, which covers in detail the shelter of conifers and options for protecting plants for the winter - you will get answers to many questions.