A house made of gas silicate blocks is considered one of the best in terms of thermal insulation. This is mainly due to the structure of the material, which is almost 90% air. The rest is a mixture of sand, cement, limestone and water using a certain technology. It is not always necessary to insulate a house made of aerated concrete due to the characteristics of the material, however, in the central zone of our country quite severe winter frosts prevail.

Houses made of gas silicate have quite high thermal insulation characteristics, therefore, it is recommended to additionally insulate them only in regions with severe frosts.

They do not allow you to do without insulation. This is a natural process. How to insulate a house from gas silicate from the outside will be discussed further.

Insulation materials

Insulating a house made of gas silicate blocks involves the use of a wide variety of materials. Most often, however, two types are used - mineral wool and polystyrene foam. It's worth talking about the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies in more detail.

When insulating a house made of gas silicate blocks with your own hands using polystyrene foam, do not forget about the ease of installation of this material. It can be mounted with ease, and a wide variety of tools can be used to cut it. Some people use regular construction knife, and some use a hacksaw.

It all depends on the desires and capabilities of the person. At the same time, foam plastic also has a lot of disadvantages that make this technology less in demand. The fact is that polystyrene foam has low air permeability. In this case, the main material, namely gas silicate blocks, have a higher rate of this characteristic.

As for mineral wool, it is more acceptable as insulation for a house made of gas silicate blocks. It's simple perfect option, which has become widespread today. Mineral wool perfectly allows air to pass through and keeps it warm. This material is a little more difficult to install, but the characteristics of the walls will always be at their best.

There are other materials that are widely used for these same purposes, but they are used much less frequently than those discussed above.

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Tools and materials

So, now it’s worth talking about what you might need to insulate a house from gas silicate blocks with your own hands. Here you will need to acquire the following:

• thermal insulation material, in in this case we will talk about mineral wool;
• dowels;
• glue;
• perforated corners;
• container for diluting glue;
• building level;
• fiberglass mesh;
• perforator;
• putty knife.

Basically, this should be enough to carry out the entire range of events.

Now you can proceed directly to insulating the house from gas silicate blocks. First you have to prepare carefully. The wall is cleaned of various dirt, dust, and all defects are eliminated. This is done in order to improve the adhesion of the surface with mineral wool through the use of glue. If there are large defects on the wall, then they also need to be eliminated. This is done through plaster and primer. Only thorough surface preparation will allow all work to be carried out to the highest possible quality. At the level ground floor it is worth installing the frame.

It will serve as additional support for the insulation. Beacons should be placed at the corners of the house. Next comes the actual process of attaching the mineral wool to the wall. First you need to coat the surface itself and the cotton wool with glue. This will improve the properties of the materials to be fastened. During installation, it is imperative to avoid the formation of cross-shaped joints. Do not forget about additional fastening of the material. For these purposes, special dowels are used. They are umbrellas. They should be placed around the perimeter of the mineral wool slab, and they can also be additionally fastened in the center.

It is worth noting the fact that mineral wool itself is soft material, which should be further strengthened.

It is for these purposes that fiberglass mesh is used. Glue is first applied to the surface of the insulation, and then the fiberglass mesh itself is installed. Another layer of glue is additionally applied on top of the mesh.

After the process of reinforcing the insulation is completed, it is imperative to additionally insulate the corners of the building, door and window openings. This is done extremely simply. For these purposes, the same perforated corners that were purchased earlier are used.

Aerated concrete blocks are widely used in modern construction both in our country and abroad. Despite the fact that aerated concrete has good thermal insulation qualities, walls made of this material must be insulated (to reduce the cost of heating the house and increase the energy-saving performance of the entire building). Insulation of aerated concrete with polystyrene foam is very effective and inexpensive way achieving this goal.

Selection of insulation material

Experts say that it is more expedient to insulate a structure made of aerated concrete from the outside than from the inside of the house: firstly, the usable area of ​​the room is not lost; secondly, the “dew point” shifts beyond the aerated concrete blocks. To insulate aerated concrete buildings from the outside, the most various materials: mineral wool, extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex), polyurethane foam and polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene). Expanded polystyrene is the most popular due to its low thermal conductivity, durability and low cost. This material is fireproof due to the fact that it contains anti-foam. Also, the advantages of the material include ease of processing and installation: it is easy to cut into pieces the desired shape, and the slabs standard sizes(0.5 x 1, 1 x 1, 1 x 2 m) is convenient to attach to aerated concrete walls. The thickness of the material (from 20 to 100 mm) allows you to create a sufficient heat-insulating layer (if necessary, the panels can be folded in half). Also, to order, factories produce non-standard sheets of expanded polystyrene with a thickness of up to 500 mm. That is, for insulating aerated concrete with polystyrene foam, there is a large selection of finished products.

Calculation of insulation thickness

To determine the thickness of the thermal insulation layer, you need to make a simple calculation. We take data for calculations from reference tables. SNiP standardizes the total required heat transfer resistance for walls (Ro) depending on the region (measured in m² °C/W). This value is the sum of the heat transfer resistance of the wall material (Rst) and the insulation layer (Rth): Ro = Rst + Rth. For example, we choose St. Petersburg (Ro=3.08).

Heat transfer resistance is calculated using the formula R= δ ⁄ λ, where δ is the thickness of the material (m), λ is the thermal conductivity coefficient of the material (W/m °C). Let's say our house is built from aerated concrete blocks of the D500 brand, 300 mm thick (λ = 0.42 - we take it from the reference table). Then the wall’s own heat transfer resistance without thermal insulation will be Rst = 0.3/0.42 = 0.72, and the heat transfer resistance of the insulation layer Rt = Ro-Rst = 3.08-0.72 = 2.36. As a thermal insulation material, we choose light polystyrene with a density of 10 kg/mᶟ (λ=0.044 W/m °C).

The thickness of the heat-insulating layer is calculated using the formula δ=Rут λ. The thermal conductivity coefficient of polystyrene with a density of 10 kg/mᶟ is λ=0.044 W/m °C.

Insulation thickness δ=2.36 0.044=0.104 m, that is, according to the norms and rules, they are suitable for our house standard slabs made of polystyrene 10 cm thick.

We check our calculations for the “dew point” temperature (formation of condensation in the wall):

The graphs show that the condensation zone (the area where the wall temperature lines coincide with the “dew point” temperature) is located in the heat-insulating layer and even at an outside air temperature of -30˚C does not reach the aerated concrete. Conclusion: our thermal insulation layer is calculated correctly, that is, even at the most low temperatures a wall made of aerated concrete will not become saturated with moisture.

Let's say you don't want to make any calculations, and you decide to just buy a material 5 cm thick. Let's see in what area the condensation zone will be located at this thickness and all other conditions being equal. For clarity, here is a graph:

We see that moisture is formed not only in the heat-insulating layer, but also in aerated concrete. The presence of water, the thermal conductivity of which is significantly higher (λ≈0.6) than that of aerated concrete and expanded polystyrene, leads to a decrease in the heat-saving characteristics of the walls of the structure, that is, the result is a “cold house”.

Insulation of walls made of aerated concrete blocks

Despite the fact that the use of polystyrene foam boards to insulate a house made of aerated concrete from the outside reduces its “breathing” properties, this material is widely used. The technology for arranging a thermal insulation layer is quite simple and can be easily done independently.

Preparing the walls

The surface of aerated concrete blocks is quite flat, so preparing the walls comes down to removing sagging adhesive solution in the area of ​​interblock seams. Potholes (if any formed during the construction process) are filled with repair cement mortar. Then we cover the entire surface of the wall with an antiseptic solution (to prevent mold and mildew formation). After the antiseptic has dried, we prime the walls to improve adhesion when gluing polystyrene slabs to aerated concrete.

Installation of thermal insulation boards

We cover the walls of the building with sheets of expanded polystyrene using special adhesives. As glue, you can use ready-made dry mixtures (Ceresit CT 85, T-Avangard-K, Kreisel 210, Bergauf ISOFIX), liquid adhesives (Bitumast) or ready-made assembly adhesives in aerosol packaging (Tytan Styro 753, Ceresit CT 84 “Express” , Soudal Soudatherm, TechnoNIKOL 500). We apply glue to the slabs along the perimeter and additionally in several places on the surface.

Important! The adhesives should not contain solvents or other chemical components that can damage the surface of expanded polystyrene or disrupt the structure of the material.

Many adhesive compositions allow installation of slabs at ambient temperatures from -10˚С to +40˚С. However, experts in the field of house construction recommend carrying out thermal insulation work at a temperature not lower than +7˚С and in dry, windless weather.

First, we glue the first bottom row of foam plastic boards along the entire perimeter of the building, then we attach the remaining rows. We press the slabs with force against the wall surface and lay them in a checkerboard pattern. We check the correct installation with a level.

Important! In the corners of the structure, the panels are laid end-to-end, that is, in such a way that in one row the panel from the end of the building extends to the thickness of the sheet, and the panel located at an angle of 90 degrees rests against it. In the next row, the operation is performed in reverse order.

After the adhesive composition has completely dried (about 1 day), we additionally fasten each sheet using special dowels with large caps (“umbrellas”), which should not contain metal parts. The fact is that they rust and create additional cold bridges in the heat-insulating layer: that is, the dowel itself and the central nail must be plastic. Depending on the size, 5-6 dowels are needed for each sheet.

Using a hammer drill, we make a hole in the thermal insulation layer and the aerated concrete wall, then use a hammer to hammer in the dowel and insert a fixing nail.

After the installation of all fastening dowels is completed, we proceed to finishing walls

External finishing of polystyrene foam insulator

Since expanded polystyrene has low strength and is susceptible to the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation, finishing work must be carried out after its installation.

First, on top of polystyrene foam using a special plaster mortar(or adhesive composition) we attach a fiberglass reinforcing mesh, which prevents cracking of the plaster and improves adhesion. After complete drying, apply a layer of finishing decorative plaster. Such exterior finishing is quite enough to give the heat-insulating layer the necessary strength.

We insulate the floor with polystyrene foam

Insulation of a concrete floor with polystyrene foam is carried out in sheets with a density of 20-30 kg/mᶟ. We produce flooring of polystyrene foam boards as follows:

• do a preliminary leveling fill (this is done if the difference in height of the base exceeds 5 mm), let it dry;
• prime the surface;
• We attach a damper tape along the entire perimeter of the room to the bottom of the walls;
• We lay a layer of waterproofing on top of the screed (ordinary polyethylene is quite suitable: at the joints the material is overlapped - at least 10 cm, on the walls we add at least 20 cm; we fasten everything with construction tape);
• we lay polystyrene sheets on the floor according to the groove-tenon principle in a checkerboard pattern (the tenons must fit completely into the grooves);
• We lay a vapor barrier and reinforcing mesh on top of the thermal insulation layer;
• We make the screed of the required thickness.

On a note! This method of insulation is very effective, but the height of the room is reduced by 10-15 cm.

Floor insulation can be done not only using expanded polystyrene slabs, but also using expanded polystyrene concrete, making a screed out of it (since the thermal conductivity coefficient of polystyrene concrete is low - λ=0.05÷0.07 W/m °C). We prepare the solution for such filling ourselves by mixing the necessary ingredients: 20 kg of cement, 12.5 liters of water and 0.125 m³ of polystyrene foam granules, or we buy a ready-made dry mixture. After insulation with polystyrene concrete we produce finishing screed(if necessary) and lay the flooring.

Ceiling insulation

Polystyrene foam can be successfully used to insulate indoor ceilings. As a rule, for these purposes they are used thin sheets 5 cm thick. Fastening the slabs to the ceiling is similar to laying them on external wall. The only difference is that you can use adhesives and plaster mixtures, which are intended for indoor use (they are cheaper than for outdoor use).

In custody

By correctly calculating the thickness of the thermal insulation layer made of polystyrene foam and following the technology of laying sheets and external finishing, you can build a warm and comfortable home for living in any region.

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

Why insulate walls outside?

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

With minimal skills construction work 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 various 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 outer layer under its influence may be disrupted. Therefore, it is very important to insulate the facade from the outside before carrying out finishing work.

Insulation materials: brands, types, characteristics

For insulation of gas silicate walls there is wide choose materials that 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 long term operation;
• 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. Appeared this material on the market relatively recently. Thermal panels are characterized high properties and give the building great view. 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. Foam plastic is characterized by good thermal insulation abilities, as well as windproof and soundproofing properties. The material is easy to transport and lightweight. Plus it's cheap and different. simple installation. For gas blocks it is better to use 100 mm thick foam. Foam plastic does not change its properties long time.

Foam boards

The most important indicator 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, vapor permeability is important insulation material was 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 expenses to the forced ventilation system.

Important! To calculate the amount of selected insulation, it is recommended to proceed from total area 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 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 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 us to ensure ventilation gap so that moisture evaporates and the surface of the water vapor barrier is ventilated.

• Application finishing materials. As external cladding siding can be used decorative brick and etc.

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 house, then additional protection will not need. It is important to remember that the thickness of the slabs for facade insulation should be calculated taking into account climatic conditions.

On construction market There is a large selection of glues. You can use ready-made dry mixtures (Kreisel 210, Ceresit CT85, etc.), liquid adhesive composition (Bitumast). You can also use ready-made assembly 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.

Every day, with every mastered cycle, the house built according to the project with FORUMHOUSE is closer to becoming a dream come true for one of the families of our craftsmen. You can follow each stage of work, and this moment Insulation of building envelopes with mineral wool is already underway. This article will cover all aspects of the process, not only using the example of our home, but also the technology itself as a whole. Professionals reveal their secrets in a master class format for everyone:

• What determines the need for wall insulation?
• What determines the choice of insulation?
• Technology of insulation of enclosing structures stone wool.

Why is insulation necessary?

Aerated concrete has a porous structure, due to which it is characterized by reduced thermal conductivity - dry structural block this coefficient varies between 0.096-0.14 W/(m °C), depending on the density. However, in masonry, even with minimum thickness seam with glue, the thermal conductivity of aerated concrete increases.

This occurs due to an increase in humidity, and due to armored belts and jumpers, and due to a variety of metal fasteners.

If, in accordance with SNiP, we use the method of temperature fields, then, taking into account the derived coefficient (0.7), the thermal resistance of the wall standard thickness will be less than what is specified in the standards.

We get: 3.65·0.7=2.55 m²·°C/W, against the required 3.13 m²·°C/W (for Moscow and the region). That is, in a house made of aerated concrete blocks 375 mm thick, there are no walls additional insulation will actively release heat, which will lead to an increase in heating costs. Therefore, in order to get an energy-efficient aerated concrete house, which in the context of constant growth of energy tariffs is one of the main tasks for private owners, it will be necessary to create a thermal circuit around the entire perimeter, and not just protective and decorative finishing. External insulation of facades is considered the most effective.

Polina Nosova Leading Technical Specialist TechnoNIKOL company

External insulation is preferable due to several factors:

• preservation usable area Houses;
• protection of walls from temperature fluctuations;
• increase in service life load-bearing structures due to the shift of the dew point (the area of ​​probable condensation) into the thermal circuit.

Why is it preferable for aerated concrete blocks?

The modern market of thermal insulation materials pleases with an abundance of offers for any design and budget; another thing is that not every insulation will be effective when applied to an aerated concrete base. The main principle of creating multi-layer enclosing structures is to increase the vapor permeability of each subsequent layer, starting from the inside. Despite the fact that disputes over the “breathing” of walls do not subside, steam is one of the products of our vital activity, and a certain part of it is discharged through the walls. For insulation of aerated concrete, characterized by high vapor permeability, materials with even greater “ throughput", and mineral wool meets this criterion.

Two types are most in demand facade systems– “wet” façade with thin-layer finishing plaster and a hinged ventilated facade. In the first case, steam will be discharged from the walls into the insulation, and from it through a few millimeters of the reinforcing and plaster layer. In the second, the steam will be drawn out through a ventilation gap of several centimeters between the insulation and the facing screen.

High-strength slabs are used for plaster, and lightweight slabs with low compressibility are used for ventilated facades.

But if thin layer plasters can be applied to other substrates, then in ventilated facade systems, fire safety standards allow the use of exclusively non-flammable heat insulators, and the NG group is only for mineral wool.

Polina Nosova

The fire safety of a home can be increased by using non-flammable thermal insulation - the melting point of stone fiber is more than 1000⁰C. In the event of a fire in a private house, such intensity is reached a couple of hours after the fire, this time is enough to save both household members and valuable property. It is important that even melting is not accompanied by the release of toxic gases and increased smoke formation.

Technology of insulation of enclosing structures with stone wool

The ventilated facade system with siding cladding is one of the most popular among private owners, as it allows you to level out all base errors, and is also available in terms of independent implementation. If over time, under the influence of heaving forces or for other reasons, cracks form in the masonry, the hinged facing screen will not be damaged. And given the fragility of aerated concrete and its requirement for the strictest adherence to technology, many self-builders prefer cladding as a more durable finishing layer. Insulation aerated concrete walls stone wool for finishing with siding or other facing material is carried out in several stages.

Preparation

When insulating during the reconstruction of an already in use building, all functional and decorative elements are removed from the walls, the surface is cleaned of dirt, and, if necessary, primed. If there is any doubt about bearing capacity, the base is checked by tapping with a hammer. Severe unevenness must be removed (protrusions) or repaired (depressions). When insulating during the construction process, the remaining mortar is removed from the walls. If there was heavy rainfall before work, you need to let the box dry.

Marking

Before installing the sheathing, markings are applied to the wall using a level or level, along which the frame elements will be attached. Distance between vertical beam lathing depends on the dimensions of the insulation.

Polina Nosova

So that the slab becomes flat, without the formation of cracks and without deformation, and fits tightly to the wall, vertical axes marked at a distance of 10-20 mm less than the width of the insulation (length, with horizontal laying). If the width is 600 mm, the clearance distance (between the inner edges of the beam) should be 580 or 590 mm.

Installation of vertical racks

Since the complete absence of heat leakage through cold bridges is guaranteed only by two-layer insulation with overlapping joints, first a vertical sheathing is assembled on the wall according to the markings. The thickness of the beam should correspond to the thickness of the slab, usually it is a 50x50 mm beam. The racks are fixed to the aerated concrete special fasteners, because for the lungs cellular concrete Regular dowel nails or self-tapping screws used on other substrates are not suitable.

Laying slabs in a vertical frame

The thickness of the layers is selected based on thermotechnical calculation, for most regions a total thermal insulation thickness of 100-150 mm is sufficient. The absence of shrinkage and high elasticity of the slabs make it possible to simplify the technology and install mineral wool without additional fixation, laying it between the beams. If necessary, the slabs are trimmed with a knife or a hand saw with fine teeth. If, when assembling the sheathing, it was not possible to maintain the required distance, large gaps can be filled with a piece of slab.

Installation of horizontal racks

After laying the first layer, markings are applied under horizontal frame, also using a level or level.

The distance between the posts also depends on the dimensions of the slab minus the compaction; the dimensions of the beam are selected to match the thickness of the slab.

The location of the second row of timber is made horizontal due to the fact that the further frame is under facing material will be attached to it in vertical arrangement with a step of 400 mm under the siding.

Laying slabs in a horizontal frame

Thermal insulation slabs are laid sideways, with offset seams, which allows you to completely get rid of cold bridges, even taking into account the use of metal fasteners when installing vertical racks.

Protective layer

To protect the insulation from atmospheric influences and the unhindered removal of condensate, a vapor-permeable, moisture- and wind-proof membrane is laid on top of the thermal circuit.

Despite the prevailing opinion that the feasibility of insulation is questionable, since the costs will significantly exceed possible energy savings even in long term, heat calculations and practice prove the opposite. Aerated concrete house, insulated with stone wool, is not only comfortable, but also economical living.

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How to insulate a house made of gas silicate blocks with two accessible ways

Newfangled gas silicate blocks in individual construction They are now in great demand. There are many reasons for this: they are light, inexpensive, easy to install, and most importantly, they have extremely low thermal conductivity. But the material is new and people have reasonable questions: is it necessary to insulate such houses, what is the best way to insulate them, and how to do it correctly? Today I will talk in detail about the two most common and simple ways independent insulation.

Why do you need to insulate structures made of gas silicate?

Indeed, anyone to a normal person, far from the intricacies of construction, it is not clear why it is generally necessary to insulate a house from gas silicate blocks from the outside, if the blocks themselves are porous, which means warm material. To put it in a nutshell, the answer is simple, the house needs to be insulated because this material has a fairly high hygroscopicity, that is, the blocks are easily saturated with moisture.

Since you are reading my article, it means that you have probably heard how the ubiquitous advertising promises that from this material you can build houses with a wall thickness of almost 300 mm, that is, half a block. As usual, cunning managers do not tell the whole truth. In theory, you really don’t need to insulate gas silicate walls from the outside, you can just get by with high-quality reinforced plaster.

But only the thickness of such “bare” walls, even for the warmest regions of our great power, starts from 600 mm. In the middle zone, this value fluctuates around a meter. Naturally, the lower the average annual temperature in the region, the more massive the structure should be. To make it easier for you to understand, I have compiled a table with the running dimensions of the blocks.

If you are interested accurate calculations and clear instructions, then for this there are 2 regulatory documents. SNiP II-3-79-2005 is responsible for data on building heating engineering. And calculations for construction climatology are reflected in SNiP 23-01-99-2003.

The gas block itself happens different brands. The higher the brand, the denser and better the array; I have collected the main characteristics in the table below. As a rule, grade D500 or D600 is used for low-rise private construction.

When they build a bathhouse, sometimes they take the D700, but this is not a dogma. I believe that for small one-story buildings, on the contrary, you can take D400; in any case, thin walls will have to be insulated, so why pay more.

Options	Brand of gas silicate block
	D400	D500	D600	D700
Compression class	B2.5	B3.5	AT 5	AT 7
Thermal conductivity level Dry block Humidity 4%	0.095W/m*S	0.11W/m*S	0.13W/m*S	0.16W/m*S
Vapor permeability level	0.23m/m.h.Pa	0.2m/m.h.Pa	0.16m/m.h.Pa	0.15m/m.h.Pa
Frost resistance	F-35
Average shrinkage	0.3 mm/m
Maximum humidity for holiday	25%

Now let's move on to the question of why it is necessary to insulate walls made of gas silicate blocks from the outside. Savings internal usable space, this is just a secondary reason.

External insulation eliminates two problems at once: on the one hand, we reduce thermal conductivity thin wall at times, and on the other hand, we move the dew point away from the surface and provide protection from humidity. As a result, the structures are not saturated with moisture, which means they do not freeze.

I think it’s time to finish the theoretical part and slowly move towards practice. After all, in the end, you came to our resource more in order to learn how to properly equip your home or bathhouse.

Two common methods of insulating houses made of aerated blocks

Both methods I propose are approximately equally popular. But the instructions for the “Wet Facade” technology are much simpler, especially for beginners. And what is equally important, the price of such arrangement is approximately half as much.

Method No. 1. “Wet facade”

The principle of this arrangement is that the insulation is glued directly to the walls of the house, after which they need to be plastered. But first, let's decide on the insulation itself.

• You've probably noticed that extruded polystyrene foam is now widely advertised both on television and online. I had to work with him, the material is really high quality. Now it is produced by many companies, and accordingly it can be called differently, the most common being products under the brand name “Penoplex”.
  But I am convinced that it should not be mounted on aerated concrete. Penoplex, in addition to its insulation function, is a good waterproofer and such a “shirt” completely blocks the vapor permeability of the walls, which is highly undesirable in our case. Plus, such insulation will cost a tidy sum;

• The second option is mineral, or rather basalt wool. It is of course cheaper than Penoplex and with vapor permeability here full order. But for facade works it is not very suitable because it is afraid of moisture; suffice it to say that when moistened basalt slab by 1%, its thermal conductivity increases by 7–9%, and this is perhaps the main characteristic. In other words, any crack or accidental damage to the plaster layer will lead to a serious decrease in thermal insulation qualities;

• In my deep conviction, for aerated concrete the most acceptable material for a “Wet facade” is ordinary polystyrene foam with a density of about 25 kg/m³. Firstly, light material and does not require serious mounting hardware. Secondly, its level of thermal conductivity is approximately the same as that of basalt wool. And most importantly, polystyrene foam is a vapor-permeable coating and is not afraid of moisture. Plus, from my own experience I can say that the price of such cladding is significantly lower than both previous options.

Now you can move on to step by step algorithm actions. As I already said, gas silicate walls absorb water like a sponge. Therefore, the first thing to do is to prime the surface well.

Moreover, if two layers of soil are enough for expanded clay concrete, brick or cinder block walls deep penetration, then there should be at least four of them. Plus, you can start arranging only after the last layer has completely dried.

The sheets will stick. Naturally we need glue. Personally, I used Ceresit CT83 dry mix for this.

In general, it is intended for polystyrene foam, but it goes under polystyrene foam, just like running. There are instructions on the pack, they are not complicated, everything is done as usual, Ceresit is diluted with water and brought to the desired consistency using a construction mixer.

I applied the glue to the sheet with a notched trowel, in a continuous layer over the entire surface. In this case, there is no need to save money; spot or linear application of the adhesive composition is suitable for brick, but here the sheet must be in close contact with the wall. Plus, the composition itself has serious protective characteristics.

On average, the thickness of the walls in a two or three-story private cottage is about half a meter. The bathhouse can be made in half a 300 mm block.

Theoretically, with such dimensions, a 50 mm foam plastic sheet is sufficient for aerated concrete. But I always recommend making a layer of 100 mm. In terms of cost, the difference is small, and the stock has never bothered anyone.

There's a little trick here. In general, sheets are glued to the wall according to the principle of brickwork, that is, each subsequent row is made with a shift of about half a sheet. No matter how hard you try to fit the sheets together tightly, there will still be gaps somewhere. Such gaps can be filled with glue, but it is better to fill them with polyurethane foam.

To prevent the sheets from “floating,” they need to be glued from the bottom up, and the bottom row should rest on a solid base. Usually this is a protrusion of concrete strip foundation, but if there is none, you should attach a special starting L-shaped profile or at least a UD profile for drywall, the load here is small, so it will be enough.

According to the technology, after the glue has set well, the foam must be additionally fixed to the wall with plastic dowels with umbrellas (wide caps). After this, a layer of glue about 2 mm thick is applied to the foam plastic, a fiberglass reinforcing mesh serpyanka is embedded in this glue and after drying it is covered with another glue ball. Next comes decorative plaster.

But I do it a little differently. I first apply glue to the foam and embed the serpyanka in it. On top of the mesh, until the glue has completely set, I fix it all with umbrellas. As usual, at five points on the sheet, 4 in the corners and one in the center.

But we need to act quickly. When the umbrella caps are “recessed”, you can leave the wall alone until it dries. Next we proceed according to the technology: layer, drying and layer decorative plaster.

Method No. 2. “Ventilated facade”

It is a little more difficult to install a ventilated system with your own hands than a facade using the technology described above, but such work is worth the effort, the end result is an order of magnitude higher. In general, there are two options for a ventilated facade. The first uses so-called thermal panels. The second is for installing siding.

The thermal panel is actually a ready-made finishing insulation system. Expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam is used as insulation; a sheet of waterproof OSB is used as a basis, and the finishing front layer most often made from clinker facade tiles. Although there are finishing options for natural stone or porcelain stoneware. Naturally, such pleasure costs serious money.

Thermal panels can be mounted in two ways. It’s easier, of course, to glue them on Ceresit, but in the case of gas silicate walls it is not suitable, the material cannot be clogged. Therefore, only the ventilated facade system is suitable for us.

• Thermal panels are much heavier than polystyrene foam, so there must be a rigid base below. As in the system described above, a projection is best suited for support. concrete foundation. If it is not there, then an L-shaped starting strip is fixed in increments of 200 mm using gas silicate anchors;

If you had to work with aerated concrete, then keep in mind that not every dowel will fit here. To fix loaded structures, you need to take special anchors; they consist of a metal tube and a bolt with a nut inside it. When screwed in, the “tail” of the anchor, the one located inside the block, expands and the structure is rigidly fixed.

• For installation of thermal panels, a lathing made of galvanized metal UD profiles is used. These profiles must rest on the horizontal starting bar and vertically in increments of 40 cm, mounted parallel to the wall;
• By classical technology they must be attached to metal hangers. The suspensions are mounted between themselves at a distance of half a meter and fixed with a pair of anchors;
• But this technology provides for a large gap for the installation of intermediate insulation with mineral wool or polystyrene foam. In our case, we only need to provide a ventilation gap of 20 - 30 mm. And for this, hangers are not needed; the guides can be mounted directly on the wall.

Just don’t forget to make several “vents”; as a rule, they are taken to the attic or any dry room. Tandem gas block + thermal panel, for middle zone Russia is enough;

• Then everything is simple. The bottom row is installed first. The panel rests on the starting strip and is fixed to UD profiles or directly to the wall with self-tapping screws;
• Naturally, the rows are mounted offset. The tightness of the connection is ensured by the presence of special joining grooves along the perimeter of each panel;
• When the work is finished, the fastening screws are rubbed special composition, in the color of the main cladding material. Approximately the same way as gaps between tiles are rubbed.

Now let's talk about the ventilated facade for siding. This option is much more common. After all, here, in addition to a large selection of polymer siding options, you can install the same wooden block house, as a result of which the house acquires a solid, expensive appearance. Plus, both foam plastic and dense mineral wool mats can be used as insulation.

Professionals prefer to install such a ventilated facade based on metal frame. It is installed using the same technology as thermal panels, only the guides are attached to wide hangers. The width of the hangers is selected so that the insulation fits, plus it is possible to stretch the windbreak, and there is still a standard gap of 20 - 30 mm between the siding and the windbreak.

As I already mentioned, I prefer polystyrene foam, but basalt wool will also work in this case. The arrangement technology is the same. The insulation board is smeared with glue and inserted tightly, without any gaps between the wooden guides.

The thickness of the slab and the width of the beam are the same, therefore, the wall turns out to be smooth and can be easily stretched onto it windproof membrane. This canvas is fixed between the main guides and overhead wooden planks 30x40 mm. How this is done is shown in the diagram. We need the strips to provide clearance, plus the finishing cladding you choose is attached to them.

Interior finishing of gas silicate walls

Concerning interior decoration houses, then it is practically no different from the arrangement of brick or other similar structures. As a rule, gas blocks are simply plastered or covered with tiles. The only difference can be considered the reinforced plaster layer. Its thickness starts from 15 – 20 mm.

The first, thickest ball is cement-sand mortar. A layer of starting material is applied to it gypsum plaster, which is reinforced with serpyanka and, after drying, is covered with a layer of finishing gypsum plaster.

Insulating a bathhouse made of gas silicate blocks from the inside is not much more difficult. In the washing room everything is done the same way as in the case of wet facade, only instead of decorative plaster, the reinforced insulation is covered with tiles.

With a rest room and others auxiliary premises everything is still simpler. As a rule, they are lined with linden clapboard. That's why it's crowded here wooden sheathing and foam or mineral wool is glued between the guides.

As for the steam room, foam is contraindicated in it, and cotton wool, as we remember, does not tolerate humidity well. Therefore, here, first, a reinforced layer of plaster is applied to the walls. A double wooden sheathing is mounted on it, between the slats of which foil or foil paper is stretched. And on top, as usual, there is lining.

I have come across cases where people attached foil penofol (foamed polyethylene) to reinforced plaster in a steam room, and lathing and lining were already placed on top. So, penofol begins to decompose at a temperature of 90C. Of course, it is unlikely that it will warm up to such a temperature under the clapboard, but I do not recommend taking risks.

Conclusion

Independent insulation of gas silicate walls from the outside and inside is a responsible task; in conclusion, I would like to remind you once again that these walls cannot be tightly waterproofed, they must “breathe”. The photo and video in this article contains Additional Information. If you have any questions or want to add anything, write in the comments and let’s chat.

August 28, 2016

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