Insulation of gas silicate walls with polystyrene foam. How and why to insulate gas silicate walls from the outside. Main types of insulation

Recently, the use of gas silicate blocks has become popular in the construction industry. It's quite cheap, fast and convenient. In this regard, we will consider why insulation is needed for buildings made of this material, how to properly insulate it, and what is the best way to insulate a house.

As you know, gas silicate is a porous material, which makes it warm. The thermal conductivity coefficient of cellular concrete (gas silicate) depends on the brand of this product (more details in the table), but in general the thermal conductivity of gas silicate blocks is very low and therefore, in theory, it does not require insulation. But it's not that simple.

Due to their structure, the blocks are very easily saturated with water. This leads to microcracks appearing. As a result, the lifespan and effectiveness of the material is significantly reduced. Insulating a house using gas silicate blocks from the outside solves this problem. External insulation also saves usable space inside the house.

Insulation methods

So, how to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks? There are several ways:

• "Wet façade"

In this case, the insulation is glued to the walls of the house. This method is quite easy to perform even for those who have little experience in construction.

• "Ventilated facade".

This method involves a ventilated system and is more difficult to implement than the previous method.

Materials

How to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks? There are several materials that are used as insulation for gas silicate blocks:

• Styrofoam;
• mineral wool;

Let's talk more about these materials.

Styrofoam

Foam plastic is one of the most common materials for insulating facades. Gas silicate walls are no exception. Despite its energy saving, it is also environmentally friendly and fireproof. Those who decide to insulate with foam plastic also note that it is quite cheap and easy to install.

What kind of foam should you use for such work? It all depends on your material well-being, but a fairly experienced specialist will say that it is better to make a layer of foam plastic 100 mm thick.

An experienced specialist will say that it is better to make a layer of foam plastic 100 mm thick.

Since the method of insulation for polystyrene foam is a “wet facade,” the wall surface should be cleaned of debris and primed with a deep penetration primer. Experts advise repeating the priming procedure about five times.

You should re-prime only when the previous layer has dried.

The next step is to paste the foam directly onto the gas silicate blocks. For this, a dry glue mixture is used. In the instructions on the packaging of this substance you can find all the necessary details for working with the glue.

Typically, country houses use gas silicate blocks of the D200 brand, so do not skimp on foam glue and apply it to the entire surface. Thus, the thermal insulation will fit tightly to the wall, which will have a beneficial effect on the insulation.

Foam sheets should be attached from the bottom up and only when the bottom sheet is already firmly glued. Why? This will help prevent the sheet from slipping, breaking the level. For additional strength, you can install an L-shaped profile below, leveled.

In addition, foam plastic slabs should be fastened in the same way as brick laying is done, that is, with a shift of half a sheet. This will also increase the strength of the structure.

The gaps between the plates should be covered with glue or blown out with foam. You can also do it a little differently. As mentioned above, it is recommended to make a layer of foam 100 mm. However, to achieve this, it is not necessary to buy slabs of such thickness. 50 mm slabs will be sufficient, but glued in two layers so that the joints do not coincide. This will help you to worry less about blowing in seams and the insulation of gas silicate will be of better quality. The downside is that this method will require a little more money.

When the glue has dried and set well, the foam is additionally fixed with plastic umbrella dowels. After this, a layer of glue is applied, into which the reinforcing mesh is embedded, and then, after it dries, another layer of glue is applied.

The finishing touch is the application of plaster and painting or decorative plaster. It all depends on your taste.

Mineral wool

Gas silicate is a vapor-tight material, therefore mineral wool, whose vapor permeability is a well-known fact, is suitable for insulation. It also does not burn and has soundproofing properties.

But there are also disadvantages. For example, cotton wool absorbs water and with any serious damage to the plaster layer or a crack, it loses its thermal insulation. Therefore, not all experts agree on whether it is possible to insulate facades with it.

We cannot say directly whether it is possible or not to insulate your house in this way, but in any case, if you nevertheless decide to choose mineral wool as insulation, its algorithm of actions is similar to that of attaching polystyrene foam.

To begin with, it is worth clearing the walls of debris and dust by priming the surface of the walls made of a gas silicate block. And in this case, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just one time. It's better to repeat several times.

Installation of wool slabs is carried out in the same way as for foam plastic. The first row is leveled and attached to the wall using glue and dowels, which are fixed at the joints and in the middle of the slab. The next row is also installed with a half-slab offset so that the seams do not coincide.

After installation, you should give the insulation time to stand and dry, and only then can you continue work.

The next step is application to mineral wool. A mesh is attached to this glue, which is slightly recessed. You also need to overlap 1 cm at the joints of the mesh. After the glue has dried, apply another layer.

The final stage is, of course, plaster. At the same time, the house “breathes”, since the plaster allows steam to pass through. However, as already mentioned, be careful, since damage to the plaster layer will have a bad effect on the thermal insulation.

Thermal panels

What are thermal panels? This is a system of insulation, moisture-resistant boards and facing tiles. Typically the insulation is foam or mineral wool. Well, facing tiles allow you to do without putty.

In addition, the tile protects gas silicate from mechanical damage and moisture, since it is usually made to look like brick or stone. Thus, thermal panels combine beauty and reliability.

This type of insulation refers to a “ventilated facade”. Although some experts say that with such insulation the wall “does not breathe,” ventilation holes under the canopy and in the basement of the building easily solve this issue.

How is insulation done with thermal panels? Below is the algorithm of actions

Since thermal panels are heavier than polystyrene foam, the presence of an L-shaped strip under the starting row is mandatory. The plank is leveled and fixed with anchors in increments of 200 mm.

For aerated concrete, special dowels are used, the edges of which, while in the block, expand under the influence of the mechanism. This is important, because without it they simply will not hold on.

After installing the plank, you should proceed to the next stage, namely installation of the sheathing. It usually consists of galvanized metal UD profiles or wooden beams. The profile is installed on the starting strip and vertically attached parallel to the wall to the hangers. The suspensions are mounted with anchors at a distance of 500 mm from each other.

Thus, we sheathe the entire perimeter of the house. We install two strips on the corners and slopes, since this is necessary for installing the corner elements of thermal panels. At the level of the starting strip, below along the base, you need to install a low tide.

We close the space between the profiles with mineral wool or foam plastic slabs. However, do not forget about the ventilation gap of 20-30 mm. We attach thermal panels to the profile using self-tapping screws. As in the case of foam plastic slabs, we install the tiles with the same shift. Well, the tightness is ensured by grooves for connecting the panels.

By the way, our partners do a good job of insulating houses made from gas blocks.

After finishing the work, all gaps are sealed with foam, and the screws and seams are rubbed down.

Also, instead of thermal panels, you can use siding. The principle of its installation is the same as that of thermal panels. However, under the siding, in addition to the insulation, a windproof membrane is installed.

So, today we looked at how to insulate a house from gas silicate from the outside. We also learned how to insulate gas silicate blocks from the outside and what materials can be used for this. How to insulate the house is, of course, up to you, but we hope that this information will help in creating a cozy, insulated house.

We wish you success in your endeavors!

Due to their structure, gas silicate blocks easily absorb water, which can subsequently lead to microcracks, and this affects the service life. Do-it-yourself insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside will help solve this problem.

Why insulate walls outside?

Insulating the building from the outside will not only reduce energy losses, but also save on heating costs.

With minimal construction skills you can save a lot. Placing the insulation outside will allow you to move the dew point away from the interior walls. At the same time, the house will be warm and the walls will remain dry.

If you place insulation inside, then under the influence of different climatic conditions the walls will become damp. The main disadvantage of this method of insulating houses made of aerated blocks is the high probability of the formation of fungus and mold.

Options for the position of the insulation layer on the outside

Moisture does not penetrate inside the blocks, but the outer layer may be damaged under its influence. Therefore, it is very important to insulate the facade from the outside before carrying out finishing work.

Insulation materials: brands, types, characteristics

There is a wide selection of materials for insulating gas silicate walls, which have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Synthetic insulation or based on natural minerals has a lot of positive properties:

• do not change shape under the influence of moisture;
• do not rot;
• have a long service life;
• have low thermal conductivity.

To a greater extent, such properties are possessed by: mineral wool, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene. Thermal panels should also be mentioned. This material appeared on the market relatively recently. Thermal panels are characterized by high properties and give the building an excellent appearance. However, the cost of thermal panels is much higher than the cost of other insulation materials.

The materials are produced in the form of a slab, which is convenient for insulating the walls of a house. In order to make the right choice, it is necessary to compare the characteristics of gas silicate and the listed insulation materials.

When choosing a thermal insulation material for insulating gas silicate walls from the outside, you need to familiarize yourself with their advantages and disadvantages.

Styrofoam

A common material for facade insulation. Polystyrene foam is characterized by good heat-insulating abilities, as well as windproof and sound-proofing properties. The material is easy to transport and lightweight. In addition, it is cheap and easy to install. For gas blocks it is better to use 100 mm thick foam. Polyfoam does not change its properties for a long time.

Foam boards

The most important indicator of the quality of polystyrene foam is its density. The optimal material density for insulating a façade from the outside is from 15 to 25 kg/m3. Typically, PSB-S-25 foam has this density.

Mineral wool

This thermal insulation material allows steam to pass through and is the most popular in construction. It will not only protect the walls, but will also extend the service life of gas blocks, and will also avoid problems that may arise when installing internal thermal insulation. Mineral wool as insulation is characterized by high sound insulation properties, as well as fire resistance.

Mineral wool is one of the popular thermal insulation materials

Mineral wool is sold under different brands, for example, KNAUF, ISOVER, URSA. The thickness of the slab can be up to 200 mm.

Polyurethane foam

Belongs to a group of porous gas-filled polymers based on polyurethane components.

Polyurethane foam has high technical characteristics

It is characterized by mechanical strength, lightness and expansion ability. This material is convenient to apply and use in work. However, polyurethane foam is characterized by low fire resistance. In addition, this material is afraid of many acidic and alkaline solutions.

Expanded polystyrene

To produce the material, gas is used, which creates volume. It is characterized by low thermal conductivity, vapor permeability and moisture resistance. The material is durable and harmless. There are fire-resistant types of material that can go out when exposed to flame.

Gas silicate is vapor permeable, i.e. allows water vapor to pass through. To maintain this property, it is important that the vapor permeability of the insulating material is no less than that of a facade made of gas silicate blocks.

Expanded polystyrene is actively used to insulate not only walls, but also floors, roofs, and ceilings

Polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam have low vapor permeability, and basalt wool allows steam to pass through and helps remove it from the insulation. Therefore, mineral wool is most often used. You can use other insulation materials, but there will be additional costs for a forced ventilation system.

Important! To calculate the amount of selected insulation, it is recommended to proceed from the total area of ​​all walls. Next, you need to subtract the sizes of all windows and doors from the resulting amount. It is important that there is a reserve of at least 5%. Excess material can always be used on the farm.

Tools and materials

Before you begin installation of insulation of gas silicate walls, you should prepare the necessary materials and tools. To work you will need:

• Material for thermal insulation.
• Glue.
• Special container for diluting glue.
• Drill.
• Level.
• Dowels.
• Putty knife.
• Hammer.
• Primer.
• Plaster.

Preparatory work consists of cleaning the walls from dirt and dust. This is necessary in order to ensure high-quality adhesion of the glue to the insulation.

Sequence of work on insulating walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside with mineral wool

Work on insulating the facade from the outside is carried out in several stages:

• Installation of vertical sheathing. The first row of beams should be located along the border of the base.

Installation of sheathing under ecowool

After installing the sheathing, it is advisable to cover them with a layer of antiseptic. This will prevent the material from rotting. Instead of bars, you can use a metal profile.

• Laying water vapor barrier. Installation of vapor barrier is carried out in a continuous layer, starting from the bottom. In this case, it is important to overlap the layers by at least 15 cm and glue the joints of the vapor barrier with adhesive tape.
• Installation of mineral wool. Connection to the wall from the outside is carried out using glue. Additionally, dowels can be used for fastening. When laying thermal insulation, it is necessary to ensure that the gap between the plates does not exceed 5 mm. If more than 5 mm, then cracks may form.

The process of laying mineral wool

• Mineral wool slabs are laid in the form of brickwork. Then fix the insulation layer at the joints and in the middle. It is recommended to leave the insulation for a while so that it can stand.

• Laying the second layer of water vapor barrier. The film is attached using a stapler. Additionally, you can secure it with tape or nails.

• Installation of counter-lattice. This allows you to provide a ventilation gap so that moisture evaporates and the surface of the water vapor barrier is ventilated.

• Application of finishing materials. Siding, decorative brick, etc. can be used as exterior cladding.

Insulating the outside walls of a house made of gas silicate blocks can be done with your own hands if you strictly follow the instructions.

Insulation of the facade using polystyrene foam

Step-by-step instructions for insulating the outside of a house using polystyrene foam:

• Using glue, glue the polystyrene foam sheets onto the blocks and leave for 24 hours. Drive the dowels into the corners and in the middle to secure the panels more firmly. For even laying, use a level. Don't worry if the seams don't match.

Foam laying technology

• Secure the fiberglass reinforcing mesh. It will prevent cracking of the plaster and improve the adhesion of the material. Reinforcement begins with fastening the corners, and only then the entire surface is fixed, starting from top to bottom.

• The surface should be plastered, painted and covered with siding.

Scheme of insulation of aerated blocks with polystyrene foam

If you use polystyrene foam to insulate the outside of your home, you will not need additional protection. It is important to remember that the thickness of the slabs for facade insulation should be calculated taking into account climatic conditions.

There is a large selection of glues on the construction market. You can use ready-made dry mixtures (Kreisel 210, Ceresit CT85, etc.), liquid adhesive composition (Bitumast). You can also use ready-made mounting adhesive (Ceresit CT 84 “Express”, Tytan Styro 753, etc.). Glue should be applied around the perimeter of the slab, as well as additionally in some areas.

Installing insulation on walls made of gas silicate blocks is not difficult and can be done independently, thereby saving money.

Gas silicate blocks, due to their efficiency and reasonable cost, have become one of the most popular materials for individual construction.

However, to ensure standardized resistance to heat transfer, the thickness of an aerated block wall in central Russia must be at least 500 mm, while standard projects often require a thickness of 400 and even 300 mm.

What should the owners of such houses do to ensure a comfortable temperature in the premises without going broke on insulation costs? Certainly, .

Another reason for the need for insulation is the formation of cold bridges when laying gas silicate blocks on cement-sand mortar. If the geometry of the stone is incorrect or unstable, the masonry is leveled by thickening the seam, which leads to a deterioration in the thermal insulation qualities of the wall and the microclimate inside the house, and increases heating costs.

For external insulation, mineral wool slabs or mats, polystyrene foam slabs, polyurethane foam in slabs or foam are most often offered. In order to make the right choice, it is worth comparing the technical characteristics of gas silicate and the named insulation materials.

One of the positive qualities of gas silicate is vapor permeability, that is, the ability to let water vapor pass through. To maintain this property, it is necessary that the vapor permeability of the insulation be no less than that of masonry blocks. Let's compare vapor permeability in mg/m h Pa:

• gas silicate - 0.14 - 0.23;
• mineral wool slabs and mats - 0.3 - 0.6;
• polystyrene - 0.013 - 0.05;
• polyurethane foam - 0.0 - 0.05.

When comparing, we see that vapor permeability is higher than that of gas silicate, only for mineral wool. This does not mean that other heat insulators cannot be used to insulate aerated block walls - just in this case a forced ventilation system will be required, which means additional costs.

Two common methods of external thermal insulation

Builders most often offer one of two insulation methods: a plaster system, also called the “wet method,” and a ventilated facade, also known as a dry insulation method.

Wet facade

As follows:

• outer wall;
• insulation;
• adhesive mixture with embedded reinforcing alkali-resistant plastic mesh;
• facade finishing.

The method is good for independent implementation, since it does not require the construction of a frame and high qualifications of the performer, however, such insulation can only be carried out at positive air temperatures.

Ventilated facade

A ventilated facade is considered more reliable among professionals and provides more opportunities for home decoration. The insulation scheme looks like this:

• outer wall;
• supporting frame;
• insulation;
• wind and moisture protective membrane;
• ventilated gap of at least 40 mm;
• curtain façade.

To perform thermal insulation using this method, it will be necessary to build a frame with precise alignment of the facade surface, otherwise unevenness will be visible on the facade.

A ventilated façade provides more opportunities for exterior finishing; work can be performed at temperatures as low as minus 7°C, but the contractor must have skills in using construction tools.

Choosing a thermal insulation system, what is the best way to insulate gas silicate?

Both methods are suitable for insulating a house made of gas silicate blocks, with one small caveat: if the house is built from high-quality certified blocks.

If you use low-grade handicraft material with low mechanical strength, the supporting frame will be impossible to fix on the wall: the gas silicate will simply crumble when screwing in the dowel screws.

Thermal insulation with mineral wool

For thermal insulation of gas silicate walls using the wet method, slabs with a density of at least 150 kg/m3 are used. To determine the thickness of the heat insulator, a thermal engineering calculation of the external enclosing structures is carried out. For the Moscow region, a wall 400 mm thick needs to be insulated with a layer of 80 mm mineral wool board.

Materials required for work:

• adhesive composition from dry construction mixtures (CCM);
• a plinth with a shelf width equal to the thickness of the mineral wool slab layer around the perimeter of the house;
• insulation - basalt slabs;
• alkali-resistant across the façade area plus an additional layer to a height of 2 m;
• protective corner mesh or an additional amount of mesh for a width of 600 mm along the height of each wall corner;
• plastic corners to protect the internal corners of openings;
• plaster composition and vapor-permeable acrylic paint for finishing;
• dowel-screws with a metal core and a thermally insulated head (fungi) at the rate of 5–6 pcs./m2.

ATTENTION: The length of the dowel screws is selected based on the fixation into the masonry at 120 mm. The use of dowel-nails will lead to the destruction of gas silicate blocks.

Warming is carried out in several stages:

1. Preparation of the base - the walls are cleaned of dust, dirt, oil or solvent stains, and excess mortar.
2. Installing a base strip to support the bottom plate and protect the insulation from rodents. The plank is attached so that the shelf is 2 cm below the junction of the wall and the foundation.
3. An adhesive composition from SSS is applied to the back surface of the insulating board along the perimeter with an indentation of 1.5...2 cm from the edge and 2...3 marks in the center. The adhesive composition should not get on the end of the insulation - this forms a cold bridge. The slab is installed in place in the lower left corner of the facade. The operation is repeated over the entire surface of the walls, from bottom to top, placing vertical seams between the slabs at intervals of 300 mm.
4. Glue strips of thermal insulation to the ends of the openings of windows and doors.
5. A day later, the slabs are doweled, placing dowel screws in the corners and in the center of each slab, sinking the dowel head flush with the surface of the insulation. The overlaps of the slabs at the corners are cut off, the seams more than 3 mm wide between the slabs are filled with scraps of insulation.
6. Glue a protective mesh - apply a 3-4 mm layer of adhesive to the surface of the basalt slab, apply a piece of mesh and use a spatula to embed it into the adhesive. Special corner mesh elements or an additional layer of protective mesh are glued to the corners of the house. All façade corners of the openings are reinforced with pieces of 5x10 cm mesh, and special plastic corners are glued to the inner corners of the openings. An additional layer of protective mesh is glued to a height of 2 m.
7. After the adhesive has completely dried for 97 days or according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the surface is primed with an adhesive primer and the finishing is performed.

Thermal insulation with polystyrene foam

To insulate walls with polystyrene foam using the ventilation façade system, you will need the following materials:

• adhesive composition from SSS;
• insulation - extruded polystyrene foam;
• dowel screws;
• base strip;
• lumber for constructing a load-bearing frame and counter-lattice;
• superdiffusion membrane;
• material for the curtain wall - siding, plank, lining.

Before starting work, decide on the direction of the decorative material strips - the supporting frame will be perpendicular to the direction of the cladding strips. To simplify the work, it is advisable to draw the facade, mark the position of the sheathing beam on it - the planks are attached in increments of 600-5 mm, at the corners and edges of the openings of windows and doors.

ATTENTION: The base strip serves as protection against the penetration of rodents that make nests in polystyrene foam; its width should be equal to the thickness of the insulation layer.

Carrying out the work in stages:

1. Facade preparation is similar to the wet method.
2. Installation of the plinth strip.
3. Fastening the sheathing beams to dowel screws.
4. Installation of polystyrene foam boards with glue.
5. A day later - doweling.
6. Installation of a superdiffusion membrane - the panels are fastened with an overlap of 10...15 cm using vapor-permeable double-sided tape.
7. Construction of a counter-lattice made of timber with a cross-section of 40x40 mm.
8. Installation of a suspended facade.

Thermal insulation with thermal panels

Thermal panels are a composite material that combines a structural (load-bearing) layer, a layer of insulation (expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam or mineral wool board) and a finishing layer of ceramic or other facing tiles.

The use of this material speeds up the work, is not associated with seasonal restrictions, but due to the large weight of the panels, it requires a supporting frame made of metal profiles.

The most commonly used profiles are galvanized roofing steel for fastening drywall. To perform thermal insulation you will need:

• drill;
• dowel screws;
• insulation;
• metallic profile;
• base strip.

The work algorithm repeats the technology of the ventilation facade system with the difference that the frame is not made of timber, but of metal:

1. Prepare the façade surface.
2. Mount the plinth strip.
3. A supporting frame is built from hangers and profiles attached to them.
4. The insulation is mounted on the glue, and after a day it is secured with dowels.
5. Thermal panels are installed.

Internal thermal insulation of the house

Gas silicate walls can also be insulated from the inside of the house, but such insulation will eat up 10 cm of usable area along each wall, and then require forced ventilation to normalize the microclimate.

Mineral wool slabs or expanded polystyrene can be used as a heat insulator; insulation can be done either wet or dry. As a finishing material, plasterboard, chipboard or OSB is used.

Gas silicate blocks are an excellent masonry material, however, they should be purchased from trusted manufacturers, with a certificate of conformity, so as not to waste money on low-quality handicraft material.

When performing work, it should be remembered that this material has low mechanical and impact strength; the use of a percussion tool is unacceptable.

Since the blocks have high moisture absorption, it is advisable to hydrophobize them with a special primer before gluing the insulation.

Preface. Owners of country houses made of this material and those who decide to build a house from gas silicate often ask questions related to its insulation. Is it necessary to insulate a house from a gas silicate block? If so, what is the best way to insulate a house made of gas silicate with your own hands? Let's look at the technology of thermal insulation of a gas silicate block from the outside and inside and show video instructions on this topic.

Independent thermal insulation of the facade from gas silicate blocks will help keep the house warm in winter and add coziness to country housing. According to its purpose, gas silicate is classified into structural and thermal insulation. According to the production method, the material is divided into aerated concrete, foam concrete and gas-foam concrete. The cellular structure of this building material is formed using gas or foam.

Is it necessary to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks?

If cellular concrete was chosen for the construction of walls, then the calculation of the minimum wall thickness is done using a heat engineering calculator, based on SNiP 23-01-99 of 2003 “Building Climatology” and SNiP II-3-79 of 2005 “Building Heat Engineering” . For central Russia, based on modern SNiP, walls made of cellular concrete should be from 640 to 1070 mm wide.

At the same time, manufacturers assure that about 300 - 400 mm will be enough for the wall of a residential building. But whether manufacturers took into account heat loss through “cold bridges” in their calculations is another question. It is better to independently calculate how thick the walls should be made of gas silicate based on the thermal conductivity characteristics and density of the material, so that the house is warm and cozy in winter.

How to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks

Gas silicate blocks, like expanded clay blocks, have long been used in low-rise construction. Gas silicate itself is a very good heat insulator, but due to its ability to absorb moisture and cold bridges in the masonry, it is necessary to make the walls thick enough or to additionally insulate the walls of the building. Increasing the thickness of the walls leads to increased costs, but you can insulate a house from gas silicate blocks yourself.

You can use various materials for thermal insulation of gas silicate. For many years, materials such as Isorok mineral wool, polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam and facade plaster systems have been used. In recent years, thermal panels that combine high thermal insulation characteristics and excellent appearance have become widespread in Russia.

How to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks from the outside

Insulation of gas silicate blocks with mineral wool

To independently insulate a house from a gas silicate block with mineral wool, you should make a vertical sheathing on the facade into which the thermal insulation will be laid. Since mineral wool and glass wool absorb moisture, the material must be protected on both sides with a water vapor barrier. Siding can be mounted on top of the insulation on vertical guides.

To insulate a gas silicate house from the outside, you should choose high-density basalt wool. Material with low density will cake and slide down over time. The distance between the guides should be 1-1.5 cm less than the thickness of the mineral wool slab, so that the thermal insulation fits tightly into the frame. The vapor barrier film should be laid with an overlap of 15-20 cm between the sheets.

Insulation of gas silicate blocks with polystyrene foam

Photo. How to insulate gas silicate with your own hands

When insulating a house made of gas silicate blocks with polystyrene foam or penoplex, no additional vapor barrier is required. Expanded polystyrene boards are not afraid of moisture; thermal insulation boards are attached with foam plastic glue. Then the material is additionally attached to the wall with disc-shaped dowels. You can apply plaster on top of the foam or cover the facade with siding.

When thermally insulating a house from gas silicate from the outside with your own hands, keep in mind that polystyrene foam boards cannot withstand heavy mechanical loads. In addition, all seams between the plates should be sealed with foam. The façade should be covered with siding or plastered with façade putty not only to protect the polystyrene foam from damage, but also to protect the mounting foam from direct sunlight.

Insulation of gas silicate blocks with thermal panels

Let's look at how to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks with thermal panels. This material will do an excellent job of protecting walls from moisture and mechanical damage. Thermal panels are produced with a decorative finish to resemble natural stone, porcelain stoneware or brick. Insulating the facade with thermal panels has its advantages: resistance to mechanical damage, durability and ease of installation.

In order to properly cover gas silicate walls with thermal panels, first a sheathing of profiles or timber is attached to the façade. Thermal panels are attached to the sheathing to leave a ventilation gap. To install thermal panels yourself, you will need a standard set of tools: a building level, an angle grinder, a hammer drill and a screwdriver. Check out the step-by-step video below.

Video. How to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks with your own hands

Insulating the walls of a house solves a lot of problems, possible or already existing. The most serious of them is preventing the wall material from getting wet from the gradual accumulation of water vapor, squeezed out from inside the house. There is no way to stop this process; it goes on continuously as long as people live in the house.

Uninsulated walls accumulate moisture, which either freezes on the outside of the wall and destroys its material, or condenses on the inside surface, causing the wall to become wet and overgrown with mold or mildew.

Insulation - the only procedure that can stop moisture condensation and ensure steam escapes from the walls without loss of material quality.

Effective materials for insulation can include:

From a physics point of view, effective insulation transfers the dew point from the wall to the outside, best of all - into the insulation material. In other words, the presence of properly installed insulation redistributes the temperature regime within the thickness of the walls, making them warmer and shifting the cold layers outward, causing the area of ​​possible steam condensation to be outside the wall material.

At the same time, the formation of condensation on the warm inner surface of the walls becomes simply impossible.

This process works most efficiently only when the insulating material is located externally.

There are internal and external insulation. With internal insulation, the insulation is located on the inner surface of the wall, with external insulation - on the outside. The effectiveness of internal insulation largely depends on the ratio of the vapor permeability of the walls and insulation, which should create a greater barrier to vapor than the wall.

Otherwise, steam will accumulate and materials will become wet at the insulation-wall interface (which is often observed). Usually, to protect against this, a continuous cutoff is installed, which makes steam removal possible only with the help of enhanced ventilation of the room.

Methods of wall insulation

In addition, the wall material ceases to receive heat from the inside, remaining only a mechanical barrier to external manifestations.

much more effective and preferable. It is this technology that brings the dew point outside, protects the heat of the walls from dissipating into the outside space and helps to increase comfort inside the house. The escape of steam through the walls is not obstructed; it does not accumulate in the thickness of the wall or insulation.

In addition, there are many other advantages:

• The volume of premises is not reduced.
• The walls from the inside remain intact; there is no need to re-design the window blocks with slopes and window sills.
• The composition of indoor air does not contain excess moisture.
• Additional sound insulation from external noise is created.

Therefore, internal insulation is performed only in addition to external insulation or when it is physically impossible to work outside. Insulation from the outside starts the right processes, and the likelihood of errors with this technology is much less, which allows you to do the work yourself.

Main types of insulation

Quite a lot of materials for wall insulation are produced, all of them have their own characteristics, their pros and cons. Today, the most suitable materials are those made from synthetics or natural minerals, because they have the most valuable qualities:

• They don't rot.
• They do not dissolve in water.
• Do not change their shape during long-term use.
• They have low thermal conductivity.
• Available in a form convenient for installation work.

These properties are more likely to be found in:

• Mineral wool (especially basalt wool),
• Styrofoam.
• Extruded polystyrene foam.
• Polyurethane foam.
• Foam concrete.

Most of the most suitable materials have a slab form of release, most suitable for installation on walls. Mineral wool is also available in rolls, but the slabs are more convenient, stiffer, and have clearer dimensions.

Which insulation is best suited for insulating a wall made of gas silicate blocks?

Gas silicate is a porous material. It consists of almost 90% gas bubbles, which determines its properties - high heat retention, lightness. At the same time, it can absorb water, therefore, in order to maintain working qualities, it is necessary to constantly be able to easily remove moisture from the thickness of the blocks.

NOTE!

Of all the insulation materials used, the most suitable for gas silicate blocks is basalt (stone) wool.

The reasons for this lie in its properties: if foam or polyurethane foam has extremely low vapor permeability, then basalt wool allows steam to pass through well, helping to remove it from the thickness of the gas silicate and the insulation itself.

In this combination, the wall cake works in an efficient manner, allowing the steam to flow smoothly in the desired direction.

Basalt (stone) wool

Insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside - installation of a wall pie

Composition of the wall pie for gas silicate blocks:

• Wall surface.
• The insulation layer is optimally mineral wool (basalt).
• Layer of vapor-hydroprotective membrane.
• A counter-grid that provides a ventilation gap to ventilate the surface of the membrane and allows moisture to evaporate.
• Exterior cladding - siding or similar, a layer of fireproof or decorative brick, etc.

As an option, an adhesive layer, fiberglass mesh, a leveling layer of primer are placed on the insulation and plastered.

wall pie

In some cases (for example, if the assembly was done using cement mortar and not special glue) A layer of vapor-conducting plaster can be applied directly to the gas silicate, to level the surface and create additional protection for gas silicate blocks from getting wet.

Hydro- and vapor barrier

A vapor barrier is not used to separate the insulation from the wall, as it will cause the accumulation of vapors escaping from the solid walls and wetting of the gas silicate.

On the contrary, free passage of steam through the mineral wool is required.

At the same time, atmospheric humidity can negatively affect the properties of the insulation, and mineral wool is prone to getting wet from the action of humidity.

The solution is an outer layer of a vapor-waterproofing membrane that releases vapor from the inside, but does not allow moisture to pass through from the outside.

Installation of the membrane is done in as continuous a layer as possible, in horizontal stripes (starting from the bottom), with an overlap of layers of at least 15 cm and mandatory gluing of connections with special adhesive tape.

CAREFULLY!

No holes or violations of the integrity of the vapor-hydroprotective layer are allowed!

With a finishing layer of plaster, a membrane is not installed; instead, layers of external finishing (Glue-fiberglass mesh-primer-plaster) are applied one by one, which together act as a waterproofing barrier.

Sealing cracks and preparing sheathing

Preparatory work before installing insulation is the application of a protective primer layer, leveling the surface and softening the conductivity of adhesive transitions between blocks.

After this, onto the surface of the wall several horizontal rows of wooden blocks are installed the cross-section of which is equal to the thickness of the insulation.

After installing the mineral wool, they will serve as support for the counter-lattice strips necessary to provide a ventilation gap and for installing the outer cladding. The bars are pre-coated with a layer of antiseptic(twice) to prevent rotting of the material.

Installation of sheathing

As an option, instead of bars, you can use a metal profile for drywall. The guides are installed in the same order, attached to the wall with dowels and screws (necessarily galvanized).

The counter-lattice can also consist of drywall guides. The connection of vertical strips with horizontal ones is made using standard screws for a drill.

Insulation of walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside with mineral wool

Let's consider the sequence of actions when insulating an external wall with slab basalt wool.

1. Preparing the wall surface, if necessary, apply a leveling layer of vapor-permeable plaster. Dismantling external window slopes and other elements that interfere with the installation of insulation.
2. Installing horizontal bars (or drywall guides). The bottom row is located along the border of the plinth (base insulation), the subsequent ones are located with the calculation of dense laying of mineral wool slabs between them.
3. The installation of mineral wool is done using glue; dowels with wide heads serve as additional fastenings. A dry mixture is used as glue; it is sold in paper bags (as for ceramic tiles). The choice of glue is made taking into account local climatic conditions.
4. It is recommended to apply the adhesive both to mineral wool and to the wall., since mineral wool is a heterogeneous fibrous material with a loose surface that requires increased glue consumption.
5. To avoid the formation of cold bridges, the joints of mineral wool slabs should be taped with special tape or polyurethane foam.
6. Installation of a vapor-waterproofing membrane. The work is carried out from the bottom up, rows of film are laid with an overlap of 15 cm and taped. The film is attached with a stapler and additionally secured with tape, nails or screws.
7. After installing the membrane, a vertical counter-lattice is installed. The row spacing is 0.6-1 m (depending on the facing material). The thickness of the planks should provide sufficient ventilation gap - at least 3 cm.
8. Installation of external cladding.

Sectional view of the device

Installation of mineral slabs

Laying insulation

Alternative insulation method

Insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside should be carried out taking into account the properties of the material, which is prone to getting wet and accumulating moisture in its thickness. Therefore, the main condition for ensuring the proper operation of the wall cake will be the unhindered release of steam from the inside and reliable cutoff from moisture from the outside.

Then insulation can ensure heat savings, preservation of wall material and indoor comfort.

Useful video

Insulation of aerated concrete walls in a video tutorial: