How to insulate a country house yourself. Insulating a country house for winter living Do-it-yourself insulation of the walls of a country house from the inside

23.06.2020

Muhammad Al Khorezmi: biography, photos and interesting facts Scientific work of Muhammad al Khorezmi

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There is nothing better than a weekend or vacation spent at your own dacha. Residents of large cities especially value this type of recreation, and therefore often visit their country estates even in the cold season. But the design of country houses is not intended for comfortable living at low air temperatures, so in this case high-quality insulation is necessary, the organization of which has its own characteristics.

Thermal insulation of these two types of residential buildings should occur according to different schemes. These differences are dictated by the fact that a private house is heated year-round, while the internal temperature in a dacha drops significantly during the cold season.

The main task of insulating a house is to retain heat inside the room. This can be achieved most effectively by creating internal and external insulation. The dacha, in turn, is heated only when it is in use, and it is necessary to achieve a comfortable temperature in a short period of time. Such a sharp change in conditions is very harmful to the very structure of buildings and finishing materials.

Therefore, when deciding how to insulate a country house, it would be preferable to choose only thermal insulation from the inside, which will reduce the negative impact of a sharp increase in temperature. At the same time, the heating time of the room will be reduced, since energy costs for insulating walls, floors and roofs will be reduced. An important advantage of this method of thermal insulation of a dacha is its low cost.

But exclusively insulating from the inside can lead to the development of fungus, which occurs due to a shift in the dew point (the boundary of condensation formation inside the wall, which can shift under certain conditions). Therefore, to avoid such consequences, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

A layer of vapor barrier film is required between the insulation and the wall. It is highly undesirable to save on this aspect of repair work.
Regardless of whether you use insulation in the form of slabs or rolls, the joints between the pieces of material should fit snugly against each other.
There should also be no empty space between the wall and the insulation layer. Therefore, before starting work, it is advisable to treat the wall surface with an adhesive composition.
Almost the only way to significantly reduce humidity in a dacha is a forced ventilation system. If you have the opportunity, be sure to equip your seasonal country house with it.
The thickness of the insulation layer must clearly correlate with a number of parameters, the most important of which is the climatic conditions in the region. Information about specific calculation formulas can be found on the Internet.
Before starting work, it is necessary to treat the inside of the walls with an antifungal compound.

If you follow all the tips given, then such internal thermal insulation will be quite effective and at the same time you will have to avoid problems with fungus.

Internal wall insulation

There are many ways to organize wall insulation from the inside, so we will consider only the most popular ones. For this type of work, mineral wool, glass wool and expanded polystyrene are most often used (presented on the Russian market under the name “penoplex”). The latter option is the most preferable, as it has high vapor barrier parameters. Let's consider the algorithm for the simplest thermal insulation using the example of penoplex panels:

The quality of thermal insulation from this material largely depends on the base surface to which it will be attached. Therefore, before starting work, the wall must be thoroughly cleaned or even leveled to rough.
After waiting for the putty to dry, you can apply a layer of waterproofing. But the good vapor permeability of penoplex allows you to get rid of this protective measure.
Next, you can begin gluing the foam panels. For better contact, the surface of the insulation must be perforated using sandpaper or a knife. The glue is applied to one side of the panel using a spatula, after which it is pressed against the wall, starting from the bottom corner. Mounting slots are treated with sealant.
Additionally, it is necessary to secure the thermal insulation material using disc-type dowels.

After completing this stage of work, it is necessary to install a vapor barrier layer. It is best to use foil materials for this, which are attached to the sheathing. During installation, it is necessary to leave a little space between the insulation layer and the vapor barrier.

Installation of mineral wool or glass wool is not much different from the process described above. The differences are that due to the flexibility of these materials, they can only be attached to the sheathing, and it will also be impossible to do without basic waterproofing.

Insulation of a wooden floor in a country house

A significant portion of the internal heat of a room can escape through the floor, especially if there is a basement. Therefore, effective thermal insulation of a dacha will also require internal thermal insulation of this structural element.

The most effective will be insulation with floor removal, which is carried out according to the following scheme:
A plank beating is nailed to the floor joists, which will form a flat base surface. OSB boards will be the best alternative to regular wood.
Then a layer of waterproofing material is laid, which can be used as ordinary polyethylene film.
The next layer is formed from insulation. The best choice in this case would be porous materials that provide good natural ventilation.
The final stage is the installation of the second plank, which will serve as a subfloor. In this case, there should be a distance of 5-10 mm between the edge of the roll and the wall, necessary for natural ventilation. Later it can be covered with a plinth.

When choosing heat-insulating materials for internal floor insulation, you need to choose those that can withstand heavy physical loads. In particular, it can be polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam and expanded clay.

Unlike walls, the floor is best insulated both from the outside and from the inside, so it is highly recommended to insulate the external base of the dacha.

Internal roof insulation

It is impossible to provide heat without an insulated roof, since it is through this part of any structure that the vast majority of internal energy escapes. The technology is also a classic thermal insulation cake, which is installed using the following method:

The initial stage is laying waterproofing materials. Slightly sagging waterproofing strips are placed perpendicular to the rafters. The resulting cracks are sealed with tape.
Rolls or slabs of thermal insulation are laid end-to-end between the rafters. From the inside, they are additionally strengthened with ropes or thin wooden blocks. If the required thickness of thermal insulation requires laying insulation in two layers, then the outer layer must cover the knocks of the inner one.
After this, a vapor barrier layer is created. The smooth surface should be located towards the street. To attach the vapor barrier, it is enough to use tape or a stapler.
At the final stage, the guide sheathing is installed, onto which the final decorative trim is mounted.

Foamed thermal insulation, the technology of which is radically different from that described above, is becoming increasingly popular. It uses polyurethane foam, which is sprayed under high pressure from a tall device. But it should be taken into account that this approach will require the installation of a forced ventilation system, since polyurethane foam does not allow steam to pass through at all.

The design of a country house is usually intended to be used during the warm season. The main task is protection from precipitation, wind and dust.

During the cold season, it becomes impossible to live in a country house; it is not able to sufficiently provide a comfortable temperature. You have to constantly heat the stove or boiler, keep electric heaters on, which creates increased consumption of energy, fuel and, accordingly, money.

Let's look at how to insulate a country house for winter living and solve the problem with your own hands.

Why insulate?

Insulating a country house for year-round use automatically turns it into a full-fledged home. The fashion for country houses has been around for quite some time, and insulating a dacha makes it possible to acquire such a home relatively inexpensively and easily. The possibility of year-round living outside the city limits, in the fresh air, is attractive to most owners of country houses.

In addition to considerations of economy, insulating a country house with your own hands has another, more important reason. When people live permanently, the house develops its own atmosphere, saturated with water vapor. They appear due to cooking, using the bathroom, toilet. But the main amount of steam appears due to people's breathing. The steam that comes out of your mouth in the cold is also released when you breathe in warm rooms, it’s just not visible. In the internal atmosphere of a house, steam is under a certain pressure, which is called partial pressure. Normally, this moisture is gradually pressed through the walls and removed outside, evaporating from the outer surface of the walls.

If the structure of the house is not designed for living in winter, the surfaces of the walls are not able to retain heat. They are constantly cold, which causes steam to condense on them. The walls get wet, become saturated with water, freeze on the outside and begin to collapse. Metal elements begin to rust and fail.

Insulating the dacha for winter living, which consists of, and (if required), will help to avoid this.

Materials for thermal insulation

To insulate the outside of a country house with your own hands, various materials can be used:

hard(slab). These include polystyrene foam, penoplex, basalt mineral wool, etc.
roll. In most cases, these are various types of mineral wool, of which there are several dozen.
sprayed. Polyurethane foam, ecowool
bulk. Expanded clay, vermiculite, sawdust, polystyrene foam granules, etc.

The main indicator characterizing a heat insulator is vapor permeability. Exist:

permeable materials- mineral wool, all loose types, ecowool, etc.
impenetrable species- polystyrene foam, penoplex, polyurethane foam, penofol and other synthetic types of insulators

In addition, important indicators for heat insulators are:

thermal permeability. The lower it is, the better the material is able to retain thermal energy.
ability to burn. Most heat insulators either do not burn at all or are subject to appropriate procedures during manufacture. At the same time, the possibility of combustion may remain. For example, polystyrene does not support combustion, since its granules are filled with carbon dioxide. At the same time, a puddle of molten polystyrene burns quite well
ability to hold shape and not change its linear dimensions over time. If the insulator changes size or shape after several years of operation, so-called problems occur. cold bridges that contribute to wet walls and corrosion of metal parts
high temperature resistance
moisture resistance, hygroscopicity. In this regard, mineral wool, which requires the installation of protective films, lags noticeably behind.
biologically neutral. The insulator must not rot, support the growth of mold or mildew, or support insects or rodents.

The most common are mineral wool and polystyrene foam. This is due to high performance, relatively low cost and availability. Recently, materials made from polyethylene foam have been actively developed, which are absolutely resistant to moisture and biological manifestations.

The choice is usually determined by price and the user’s general ideas about a particular material, its qualities and properties. For those who want to insulate their country house for winter living price matters a lot, which often predetermines the choice of material to the detriment of the quality of work. When deciding how and with what material to insulate a country house, you need to take into account the specifics of the operation of a particular insulator and have an idea of the physical processes occurring in the structures of the house.

How best to insulate

There are two ways:

External insulation is considered the most effective and preferable option. It consists of installing a heat insulator on the outside of the walls and has many advantages:

The inner surface of the walls is kept intact, which allows you to finish it in any way, install hanging furniture or household appliances
all are saved conditions for unhindered release of water vapor, ensures durability and safety of wall materials and structures
walls are included in the thermal circuit buildings, which contributes to more efficient operation

To the disadvantages external insulation include:

work cannot be done in cold weather, in the rain or at night
not all types of insulation are suitable for outdoor installation

Insulation from the inside involves installing heat insulators on the inside. The room becomes as if enclosed in a cocoon of insulating material installed on all external walls. The disadvantages of this method are:

becomes more complicated or even worse steam output through the walls stops
the surface of the walls is covered with insulation, which requires installation of protective casing or another layer
installation on walls hanging items are excluded
the volume of rooms is reduced
external walls are excluded from the thermal circuit, remaining only mechanical barriers

The advantages include:

opportunity carry out work at any time or in any weather
there is free access to any surfaces

The main difference between these methods is the steam output mode. With external insulation, it passes through the wall, enters the insulation, from where it is removed outside. It is necessary to use a vapor-permeable insulator, the most successful option of which is mineral wool. With internal insulation, steam escape becomes almost impossible. If an impermeable insulator is used, cutoff occurs. If mineral wool is installed, then the steam passing through it ends up in front of the wall. Its permeability is lower than that of the insulator, so steam accumulates in the thickness of the insulation, the material becomes wet and loses its working qualities.

Vapor permeability rule

There is a rule according to which the vapor permeability of materials should increase in the direction from inside to outside. According to him, installing an impermeable insulator on the outside will “lock” the vapors inside the wall, causing it to become wet and begin to deteriorate.

At the same time, installing permeable material on the inside will create conditions for vapor absorption by the insulator, but will prevent passage through the wall. Guided by this rule, you can avoid common mistakes when choosing and installing heat insulators.

When choosing an installation method, The outdoor option should definitely be preferred. However, sometimes you have to choose internal insulation if there is no possibility or access to the surface of the walls. For example, the architecture of the house cannot be disturbed, or the walls are located too close to the neighboring building, etc. Choosing internal insulation, you should immediately take care of creating a high-quality ventilation system. The removal of internal air will remove steam, which will eliminate the problem of excessive air humidity.

Insulation technology

Installation methods for different materials have their own characteristics, but the general procedure remains the same. In addition to vapor permeability, it is necessary to take into account the material of the walls and ceilings in order to select the most suitable thermal insulator. In addition, insulating the walls of a country house will not completely solve the problem.

It will also be required insulate the floor in the country house from below or from above, as well as insulation of the ceiling and, if necessary, the roof. Typically, an insulator is installed on the roof in order to make the attic a full-fledged living space.

All work is carried out after appropriate preparation, which consists of removing hanging elements, brackets and other foreign parts from the surfaces. Contaminants are cleaned, crumbling or peeling areas are completely removed. The old coating or layer of paint is removed, if possible.

Gaps or cracks are sealed with putty or solid plaster. After this, the surface is covered with a double layer of deep penetration primer, after which you can proceed to the direct installation of the insulation.

Insulation of floors on the ground

Do-it-yourself floor insulation in a country house is done in accordance with the material or design of the floor slab. Country houses are usually built with floors laid at a low height above ground level or, as they say, on the ground. The proximity to the soil creates high humidity at the lower level of the house; the floor surface is constantly cold, which contributes to moisture condensation.

When insulating the floor in a dacha with your own hands on the ground, you must sequentially perform the following steps:

remove boardwalk and joists
level the base soil, compact it
pour a layer of sand about 20 cm (thickness depends on the level of the floor, existing or desired)
pour a layer of crushed stone, compact it well, add 305 cm of sand and also compact it tightly
lay geotextiles and a layer of vapor barrier film on top of it
lay a layer of insulation. Optimally - extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex), but also a good option is insulating the floor at the dacha with expanded clay. It is poured in a layer of 20 cm
pour a layer of screed 5 cm thick or more, depending on the desired floor level

After the screed has dried, either the floor covering is laid or a heated floor is installed.

Ceiling above the basement and attic

Insulation of the floor in a country house located above an unheated basement is best done from below, from the subfloor side.

A layer of vapor-permeable insulation (mineral wool) is installed on the surface of the prepared floor slab. Because the the insulator will need to be protected from moisture, first you will need to install lathing with a thickness of bars no less than the thickness of the heat insulator. The sheathing pitch (the distance between adjacent planks) corresponds to the width of the insulation.

The gaps are tightly filled with insulator, all cracks are filled with polyurethane foam. Then a layer of vapor-waterproofing membrane is installed with the exit down (to the basement), after which you can begin installing the sheathing.

It is optimal to insulate the ceiling of a country house from the outside, from the attic.

The optimal way is to install a high sheathing and fill the resulting cells with expanded clay, laying plank flooring that allows free movement around the attic. It's inexpensive and fast. Alternatively, you can lay a layer of mineral wool.

The use of polystyrene foam or penoplex is allowed only if the attic is residential and heated. Otherwise, the ceiling will get wet and rot.

Wall insulation

There are two ways to insulate the walls at your dacha yourself - from the inside or the outside. We have already examined the advantages and disadvantages of these methods; now we will determine the procedure.

Preparation

Work on insulating the facade of a dacha from the outside begins with preparation - cleaning the walls of all foreign elements, removing cladding or old coating, crumbling or peeling areas. Detected cracks or potholes must be puttied or plastered; the surface is primed with a double layer of primer (deep penetration primer).

Lathing

After this, you need to install the sheathing. First, the outermost vertical strips are installed, aligned vertically and by distance from the wall surface. Then control cords are stretched between them, along which the remaining strips are installed in increments equal to the size of the insulation.

Installation of insulation

Slabs or cut pieces of insulation (mineral wool) are inserted between the sheathing strips. Installed on top of the insulator layer of vapor-waterproofing membrane with moisture escaping (you must carefully monitor which side the film is unfolded).

Then horizontal strips for lining or are installed.

Internal option

Insulating a country house from the inside with your own hands is somewhat easier. On the prepared surface of the external wall heat insulation boards (foam plastic or penoplex) are glued. As an adhesive composition, you can use a mixture for laying ceramic tiles. The insulator is glued and additionally fixed with special dowels with a wide plastic washer.

After installing the insulation, a reinforcing mesh is attached to its surface with brackets and a layer of plaster is applied.

Mansard roof

If you need to create a full-fledged living space from the attic, you need to insulate the roof. The only available option is . To do this, you need to install a heat insulator on the lathing layer that supports the roof covering.

A sheathing is installed, between the slats of which heat insulation mats are inserted. It is recommended to use impermeable types of material. All cracks are filled with polyurethane foam. After installing the insulator, sheathing made of clapboard, OSB, chipboard or plywood is installed on the ribs of the sheathing. The choice depends on the type of interior decoration of the attic, since sheet materials allow for more finishing options than lining.

Installation prices

Greetings. This time you will learn how to properly insulate a country house. As an example, let's look at popular methods of thermal insulation of wooden cottages and construction sites made of concrete blocks. The types of buildings for review were not chosen by chance, since most of the dachas were built from these materials.

I am sure that the methods proposed in the article will be of interest to owners of old country houses. However, if your dacha is new, but not warm enough, you will also find a lot of useful information for yourself.

Basic information about insulating country houses

Proper thermal insulation of a country house begins with an analysis of heat loss using special equipment - a thermal imager

Insulating a country house has the following goals:

Ensuring living comfort;
Reducing heating-related costs;
Ensuring a long service life of the facility without the need for regular repairs.

From the above points we can draw the following conclusion - the cottage must be energy efficient.

What is an energy efficient home? This is a construction project in which, thanks to high-quality thermal insulation, an optimal microclimate is combined with low energy consumption.

In accordance with SanPiN 2.1.2.100200, the following requirements are imposed on the microclimate of residential premises during the cold season:

the average air temperature should be from 18 °C to 24 °C;
relative air humidity – within 35-40%;
air flow speed no more than 0.15 m/s.
the surface temperature of the walls is no more than 4 °C lower than the air temperature in the room;
the floor surface temperature is no more than 2 °C lower than the air temperature in the room.

Do you think the microclimate within the walls of your dacha meets the listed requirements? If it doesn’t match, then it’s time to insulate the country house.

Instructions for insulating a dacha depend on the following factors:

Nature of operation of the facility (seasonal or all-season);
Materials used in construction;
Type of glazing of the object;
Presence of technological errors made during design and/or construction;
Type and efficiency of the heating system used;
The budget of funds allocated for the implementation of the project.

Thermal insulation of a construction project can affect individual structural elements, for example, floor walls or foundations, or can be carried out comprehensively. Despite the fact that the price of complex insulation is significantly higher than the cost of separately performed work, it is an integrated approach that provides the best result.

Insulation of a wooden house

Wooden cottages are insulated in such a way that the lumber retains an optimal level of moisture and does not rot or collapse. Conventionally, the thermal insulation of a wooden cottage can be external and internal. Which of these varieties is more preferable?

External (external) insulation of walls prevents them from freezing. In addition, the dew point shifts towards the outer edge of the wall. In order to reduce the formation of condensation, a ventilated façade is installed. As a result, the wood remains dry and does not rot, which has a beneficial effect on the resource of the house.

Thermal insulation of load-bearing walls from the inside of the house reduces the usable area of the room, which is especially noticeable if the dacha is small. In addition, by insulating the inner surface of the walls, you will cause the wood to freeze in winter and get wet with the onset of the warm season. As a result, the wood will rot and rapidly deteriorate.

The following conclusion can be drawn: we carry out internal thermal insulation of a wooden building only in combination with external insulation. As a last resort, we limit ourselves to external insulation only.

Thermal insulation of wooden walls

One of the most correct instructions for insulating wooden walls involves installing a ventilated facade with the laying of heat-insulating material. The advantage of this solution is the absence of condensation and the ability to use thick insulating materials.

To perform installation work you will need the following materials:

Guide metal profiles 100×40 mm;
Vapor barrier film;
Slabs of dense mineral wool (thickness similar to the width of the metal profile or will have to be laid in two layers);
Double-sided tape;
Windproof coating;
Wooden blocks 50×20 mm;
Vinyl siding.

The instructions for installing a ventilated facade with insulation are as follows:

Using a plumb line and a spirit level, the curvature of the walls was determined;

In our case, the attic protrudes slightly forward relative to the first floor.

At intervals of 60 cm from each other, leveling pads made of pieces of plywood were fixed to the surface of the walls in order to compensate for differences in levels;

Vapor barrier strips were secured with a stapler along the surface of the wall;

The vapor barrier has 2 sides - one smooth, the other rough. We direct the smooth side outward, and the rough side inward. We attach the vapor barrier horizontally, so that the upper strip overlaps the lower strip and thus ensures condensate drainage.

Guide profiles were vertically fixed on top of the vapor barrier;

The profiles are installed on leveling plywood pads, which can be easily felt under the vapor barrier layer. As a result, the guides should be spaced 60 cm apart from each other.

We insert mineral wool slabs into the spaces between the guides;

We glue pieces of double-sided tape along the outside of the guides;
We lay out a windproof covering, temporarily fixing it with double-sided tape;

On top of the windproof covering we fill a sheathing of wooden slats;

We fasten the lathing so that the slats are fixed on the metal guides that were used in the manufacture of the supporting frame.

Vinyl siding was installed over the wood sheathing.

Are there other ways to insulate wooden walls?

Due to the ease of implementation, spraying polyurethane foam is becoming increasingly popular. A two-component mixture is sprayed onto the wall under pressure, after which it polymerizes and forms a layer of foam. Despite the obvious advantages, the method has a significant drawback - the equipment for spraying is expensive, and therefore it will not be possible to perform such insulation with your own hands.

Foamed polyurethane is an airtight composition that will not allow the wood to breathe. Therefore, there is a possibility that the walls on the outside will rot and collapse.

Thermal insulation of floors and ceilings in a wooden house

Floor insulation in a wooden house can be done using various materials. For example, I recommend laying expanded clay backfill, mineral wool or crushed foam between the lags.

But the method of floor insulation you choose must meet the following requirements:

Structural floor elements, including joists and planks, must not rot;
Filling the space between joists should be unattractive to rodents;
The thermal insulation layer must be fireproof and non-toxic.

As an example, I offer instructions for the correct installation of a thermally insulated floor pie.

The easiest way to insulate the floor on the joists is during the construction of the cottage. If insulation is carried out in a house that is already in use, the flooring will have to be completely removed.

After access to the joists is open, you need to cover the wooden parts with antiseptic and fire retardant in several layers, with a break for each previous layer to dry.

After the impregnation has completely dried, the space between the joists is lined with a windproof coating. This measure will eliminate the possibility of the formation of cold bridges. Wind protection must be attached to the joists with staples made from a construction stapler.

Insulating material is laid or filled into the prepared space between the joists.

Traditionally, mineral wool is used as insulation. But such material, over time, can become a refuge for rodents. Therefore, I recommend using dense expanded clay backfill with a core diameter of 3-5 mm. This backfill is produced by the Knauf company for the installation of dry screeds.

After the insulation material has been laid between the joists, a top layer of vapor barrier is laid. Vapor barrier strips, as well as wind protection, must be laid with an overlap so that there are no gaps. A boardwalk is installed on top of the finished pie.

Floor insulation is performed in the same way as floor insulation. But for these purposes, lightweight materials are used, mainly mineral wool or polystyrene foam boards.

When installing ceilings, a vapor barrier is placed at the bottom of the pie in order to prevent the penetration of moist warm air from the room.

A windbreak is laid over the insulation cake to act as a barrier to cold air from the attic.

Insulation of a country house made of aerated concrete or silicate blocks

Unlike wooden cottages, objects made of brick or lightweight concrete can be thermally insulated both outside and inside. And in this case, external insulation is an order of magnitude more effective than internal insulation.

But the best results are guaranteed by comprehensive insulation, during which the thermal conductivity of walls, blind areas, floors, ceilings and roofing systems is reduced.

Thermal insulation of walls

For thermal insulation of walls made of brick, concrete blocks and similar building materials, cellular polystyrene slabs can be used; mineral wool, application of polyurethane foam.

Affordable price is a good reason to buy polystyrene foam boards

Of the listed materials, I especially recommend polystyrene foam boards. Using this type of insulating materials, you can not only reduce the thermal conductivity of load-bearing walls, but also subsequently plaster the building, giving the facade an attractive appearance.

Installation of polystyrene foam boards followed by plastering is carried out in accordance with the following diagram.

To install thermal insulation, you will need the following materials:

Cellular polystyrene slabs with a thickness of 150-200 mm (thickness is selected depending on the climatic conditions of the region);

Disc-shaped dowels (umbrellas) in the amount of 4-5 pieces per slab;
Starting strip - a profile for holding the slabs of the first row in the required position;
Alkali-resistant reinforcing fiberglass mesh;
Tile adhesive or special adhesive for polystyrene foam;
Plaster mixture or tile adhesive for making a reinforcing layer;
Plaster mixture for finishing.

The instructions for insulating the walls of a modern dacha made of aerated concrete blocks or sand-lime brick are as follows:

Scaffolding is assembled, from which it is easier and safer to work than from a stepladder;
Using a chisel, the sagging of masonry mortar is knocked off the surface of the walls;

The surface is primed with one layer of penetrating primer to strengthen the porous base, and one layer of film-forming primer for better adhesion;

You can apply the primer with a roller or even a brush. But, given the large surface area and application in two layers, I recommend using a spray bottle to work with the primer.

At the level, along the edges of the wall, orientation cords are fixed along which the insulation slab will be laid;

Using a laser level or a spirit level with a plumb line, the location of the upper part of the slabs in the first row is determined and the corresponding mark is set along the perimeter of the walls;

Mix the adhesive solution in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and, after preparation, leave for 5 minutes;
Apply glue to the plate;

We install the first slab from the corner, so that its edge protrudes beyond the corner at a distance equal to the thickness of the slab;

The second slab is placed from the corner close to the aligning edge of the first slab, as shown in the figure;
In a similar way, the entire first row is laid out along the perimeter of the walls;
When laying each row, we check the horizontal and vertical position of the slabs with a level;

We begin laying the second row also from the corner. The slabs should lie in relation to each other with an offset, as shown in the figure;
We lay the third row offset relative to the second row, but so that it coincides with the slabs in the first row;

The next rows are installed in a similar way, so that as a result a jagged joint is formed at the corner;

We combine the slabs with the window openings, cutting the foam, as shown in the figure;

If during installation there are gaps between some slabs, immediately fill them with polyurethane foam to prevent the formation of cold bridges;
After the foam has dried, remove the excess with a sharp knife;

Disc-shaped dowels are installed along the edges and in the center of the slab, so that their caps are recessed into the surface of the foam;

The slopes are strengthened with reinforcing fiberglass mesh and plaster mixture;
The recesses for the dowels are filled with the mixture;

The wall cladding is reinforced with fiberglass mesh and plaster mixture;

Decorative plaster can be applied on top of the dried base layer.

Floor insulation

In previous instructions I talked about how floors on wooden joists are insulated. This technique can also be applied in brick houses where the floors are laid on joists. But what to do if the house already has a ready-made concrete screed?

I offer the following options:

Installation of micro-lags followed by laying thermal insulation and laying plywood;
Installation of a dry screed made of gypsum fiber board with expanded clay backfill;
Laying an additional layer of expanded clay concrete;
Laying an additional layer of polystyrene concrete;
Installation of underfloor heating systems for subsequent use as an auxiliary heating system.

If the level of the subfloor allows you to raise the surface by 5-10 cm, I recommend laying a layer of expanded clay concrete along the beacons. The advantage of this solution is the low thermal conductivity and high strength of the material. Again, laying expanded clay concrete is much easier and faster than working with ordinary concrete, if only because the finished solution is much lighter.

For dachas, the problem of rodents, which gnaw holes in the insulation layer and feel comfortable in the underground, is an urgent problem. Expanded clay concrete, after gaining brand strength, is practically not inferior in hardness to heavy concrete, and rodents will not settle in such an underground.

Another option that I personally tried in my home is the installation of a “Warm Floor” system based on infrared film emitters. This option is preferable for summer cottages that are used seasonally. If you decide to live in a country house, in winter you can quickly heat the floor, which means comfortable conditions for temporary living will be provided.

Film infrared flooring is a universal solution that can be installed under tiles, carpet or laminate. The only important condition for uninterrupted operation of a film heater is a perfectly flat base without a pronounced microrelief.

Why don’t I recommend underfloor heating based on water heating equipment? Most dachas and country houses in the province do not have a stable water connection. Again, the wiring in an older home may not be able to handle the load of a water heater.

Conclusion

Now you know how external insulation of low-rise buildings is performed. I am sure that the proposed instructions and recommendations will be useful when arranging your dacha.

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments to what you read - I will definitely answer all of them. By the way, maybe you will find answers to your questions by watching the video in this article.

Most people use a country house exclusively for summer living, however, there are also those who like to spend time outdoors in winter. If you are one of them, and are going to visit the dacha in the cold season, then the dacha house in this case must be prepared for winter living, namely, well insulated. This article is dedicated to this topic.

General information

To heat country houses, different systems are used, which can have different capacities. However, no matter what the heating is, it will not save you from the cold in the house if all energy saving measures are not taken. And if you manage to achieve a comfortable temperature, then the heating will be what is called “golden”.

Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate all the main reasons for the strong cooling of the house by performing a certain set of works to insulate it. This complex consists of the following actions:

Window insulation

Of course, the easiest way is to install modern energy-saving double-glazed windows, but if finances do not allow this, then they will have to be insulated.

This is done as follows:

First of all, if there is missing glass somewhere, the windows need to be glazed.
The gaps between the frame and the wall must be filled with foam.
The gaps between the glass and the frame must be filled with sealant.
In places where the window vent adjoins the frame, as well as at the joints of the sashes, you need to use a special elastic insulation, for example, made of foam rubber.

After these simple steps, the house will become much “warmer”.

Door insulation

If so, then it can be sealed using elastic insulation - foam rubber or rubber. If the door is metal, then it is also easy to make it silent and retain heat well. To do this, foam plastic is laid on its inside and secured with wooden slats.

External insulation

First of all, it must be said that the price of external insulation is quite high, however, the result of this operation is worth these costs, since even the coldest house becomes warm after this. The classic insulation for external insulation is polystyrene foam and mineral mats.

Before insulating the outside of a country house, it is necessary to prepare the facade - dismantle drains, canopies, antennas, etc. In addition, you need to clean the walls from crumbling and peeling areas.

Further instructions look like this:

Installation of foam plastic or mineral mats is carried out using a special glue, which is applied pointwise. The work is done from the bottom up, and the slabs should be arranged in a checkerboard pattern. When gluing the insulation, you should use a building level, which will allow you to control its location relative to the vertical plane.
Next, the insulation needs to be additionally secured with special dowels “umbrellas”. Five dowels should be used for one slab. Umbrellas can be mounted between slabs, which allows you to use one dowel to fix several slabs at once.

Then the insulation is reinforced with fiberglass mesh, which is glued to the foam or mineral mats with the same glue that was used for the insulation itself..Gluing the mesh is carried out by applying a thin layer of glue to the wall using a spatula, to which the mesh is applied.
The next step is to cover the mesh with another layer of glue about 2-3 mm thick. This procedure is performed with a wide spatula or small spoon.
When the glue has hardened, decorative plaster can be applied to the wall..

Advice!
To mount umbrellas, you need to make holes in the wall with a hammer drill through the insulation.
If there is no electricity at the site at the moment, renting a diesel generator for the dacha will help solve the problem.

Insulation adjustment

Internal insulation

Instead of external insulation, summer residents often carry out internal insulation. This option is cheaper, however, it takes up useful space inside the room, so everyone must decide for themselves how to insulate a country house for winter living.

Far-sighted owners understand that insulating a country house both inside and outside is a necessity. For some, a dacha is not only a summer house, but also a great place where you can spend your winter holidays and New Year's holidays away from the noise of the city.

In dachas, individual heating is most often installed, and you don’t want to waste heat. To prevent this from happening, you should try once and insulate the dacha.
You will learn how to insulate a country house or small house with your own hands and with the least waste by reading this article.

Stages of work

In what order is it necessary to insulate a house or cottage:

Preparing for work.
Slopes and windows.
Doors.
Walls.
Roof.
Water pipes.

Before you start

External insulation scheme

Before you insulate your house and begin the corresponding external work, you should complete the internal repairs.

Important. If the country house has been renovated from the inside, then the walls must be completely dry, and the heating system inside the country house must be completely ready for use.

You should think in advance about what material you will choose as insulation, and you must take into account their thermal conductivity coefficient. The most popular and effective today are:

mineral wool (glass wool);
Styrofoam;
expanded polystyrene;
polyurethane foam;
bulk materials (expanded clay, organic materials).

An important parameter of insulation is the heat transfer coefficient. To make the final choice of material, a table of the heat transfer of each of them is presented. It includes the main insulation materials that can be used as thermal insulation for your dacha from the inside and outside and their thermal coefficient.

Advice. Before you begin the process of insulating your dacha with your own hands, all surfaces should be prepared. The walls must be carefully primed. There should be no traces of old peeling paint on them; the surface should be cleaned and leveled. This is necessary for a better fit of the insulation to the surface, as well as for the insulation system to last as long as possible. Only after this the country house is ready for thermal insulation.

In addition, you should be aware that for each type of surface there are special requirements and different types of installation are assumed. So, let's look at the external insulation of your country house in stages.

We insulate windows and slopes

This type of do-it-yourself insulation is one of the first to be carried out. To prevent cold from entering the dacha through the windows, it is necessary to insulate the window frames.

For those who have pre-installed metal-plastic windows with double-glazed windows, the work will be significantly less than for the owners of a country house with wooden windows.

Carefully foam all cracks and recesses under the window and install an external window sill. Slopes also need to be sealed to avoid even weak drafts. After this, you can move on to the next stage.

Doors and doorway

Insulating a door in a house

Insulating external doors is a necessary and not at all difficult task. It is highly desirable to have a dressing room or entryway. In this case, it will be easier to preserve heat in your dacha.
If there is only one door, then it is insulated using foam rubber, foam boards, layers of mineral wool, or blowing its surface with polyurethane foam. The last method is the most effective, since it does not leave the slightest gap in the insulating layer, but it is also the most expensive.

If you decide to insulate the doors yourself using foam rubber or polystyrene foam, then it is more convenient to do this if you have frame stiffeners. The material is placed between them and glued to the surface in the cells of the frame. If necessary, you can create such a sheathing yourself and attach it to the door leaf using self-tapping screws.

Insulation of walls in a country house from the outside

Often a dacha is a small house where there is too little free space to insulate them from the inside. Therefore, the best way to insulate a dacha with your own hands is to choose external insulation, when the thermal insulation is installed outside the building.

External insulation of a country house can be done in several ways:

frame fastening;
gluing plus reinforcement with dowels;
spraying method.

Let's take a closer look at each of the methods, since insulating wall surfaces from the outside is the most labor-intensive and voluminous work when insulating any house or country house.

Frame fastening method

Insulation using a frame

This type of insulation fastening is suitable when working with mineral wool, with basalt slabs, and sometimes this method is used to insulate the walls of a country house with foam plastic slabs. Also suitable if you need to insulate the floor.
Do-it-yourself insulation of walls using mineral wool is a popular option, since it has a low heat transfer coefficient, is practically resistant to combustion, and is inexpensive.

To do this, attach a frame made of metal profiles or wooden beams to the wall and fill the cells of the sheathing with insulation so that there are no gaps between the insulation boards.

But mineral wool has a drawback - it is afraid of moisture. Therefore, if you use it for external insulation of a house, you need to take care of the moisture-proof film. After installing the insulation, you can begin facing work: the frame is sheathed with siding, clapboard or any other facing materials.
In the same way, you can carry out insulation using the frame method with other types of insulation.

Glue and strengthen with dowels

You can put insulation on the glue such as polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam (heat transfer coefficient from 0.031 to 0.042 W/mK), it is widespread, lightweight, easy to install, and in addition, it is inexpensive. The process of insulating the walls of a dacha with polystyrene foam occurs as follows:

cleaning and leveling walls;
padding;
installation of the base profile (serves as the basis for the bottom row of slabs);
gluing foam boards;
securing the slabs using dowels with special holding caps;
seam sealing;
application of reinforcing mesh and plaster;
decorative finishing works.

Do not forget that installation of penoplex and foam plastic boards is possible only in dry weather, at temperatures from +5 to +30 degrees.
The dowels are located in the corners and in the center of the slab, and the insulation itself is not laid neatly seam to seam, but like brickwork. This arrangement allows it to be more securely fixed to the wall surface and increases its heat-holding capacity.

Spraying method

External insulation with polyurethane foam

This method is the most reliable way to insulate the outside of your country house. Polyurethane foam is a foamed mixture that is sprayed onto all external wall surfaces.

In addition to its excellent heat-saving properties (thermal conductivity coefficient from 0.023 to 0.041 W/mK, see table), it also has fastening properties, so such insulation will also strengthen your walls or floor of the house from the inside.

Important. The spraying method is well suited if you need to thermally insulate a country water supply. Its disadvantage is the price and the obligatory work of a specialist, since it must be sprayed in a protective suit with a mask, and special equipment is needed for it.

Roof and attic

You also need to take care of the roof insulation. The attic is usually insulated from the inside. If the attic space is non-residential, then you can simply insulate its floor: a lathing is installed on the floor, into which the selected type of insulation is laid. The technology is reminiscent of wall insulation, only on a much more convenient horizontal surface.
You can also insulate the floor by filling the sheathing cells with expanded clay or sawdust, or choose another insulation material. Just don’t forget about vapor and waterproofing. This is extremely important to prevent condensation from forming.

Water pipes

It’s easy to insulate the water supply system at your dacha with your own hands. To do this you need to choose the right materials.
Special cylinders made of basalt fiber are excellent for insulating country water supply systems. Their design allows the pipe to be hermetically enclosed, and heat loss will be minimal. The top of this insulation structure is wrapped with tape for strength, and in the spring it will be easy and simple to remove.
Also often, in order to protect country water supply from the cold, glass wool insulation is used: it is used to line the pipes, trying to completely insulate them whenever possible. The disadvantage of glass wool is the need for additional waterproofing.

This is just a brief overview of methods for insulating a summer house. And remember that insulating a country house is a financial investment that you will never regret, because it will improve the internal atmosphere of the country house and keep it warm for many years.