Insulate the outside of the dacha with your own hands. How to carry out internal insulation of a country house. Requirements for insulation for residential buildings

The dacha is a favorite place for country family leisure in the summer. With the onset of cold weather, the house becomes less attractive for long visits. This is due to the design features of country estates, especially those built from the late 80s of the last century until the early 2000s. Back then, insulating a country house was not a priority.

Video about insulating a country house

The fight for heat: basic rules

With the general improvement in the quality of life and the advent of new technologies, the situation has changed. The dacha easily turns into a house where you can create comfort at any time of the year. In addition, the use of special materials significantly reduces heat loss and contributes to significant energy savings.

The factor of increased consumption of fuel, gas or electricity often deters people from spending time at the dacha after the start of the heating season. Few people want to warm the street and shiver from the cold in their own home, which does not want to warm up.

When planning insulation work, you should pay attention to several significant features that will save time and money:

• external insulation is more effective than internal insulation;
• indoor work can lead to a reduction in usable space;
• sealing windows, entrance doors, floors, cracks and cracks reduces heat loss;
• an integrated approach will provide better results.

Thermal insulation of all structural elements of the building will improve performance characteristics. If, for example, you insulate a country house from the inside, but at the same time allow the cold to penetrate through the windows or floor, your efforts will be in vain.

At the same time, excessive attention to sealing can lead to poor ventilation and a decrease in the volume of oxygen. Therefore, the approach must be not only rational, but also competent.

One of the signs of poor insulation of country windows is frost on the inner surface of the glass

It is important to know:
To insulate windows, it is enough to “plant” the glass on the sealant and press it tightly to the frame with glazing beads. Puttying cracks and painting windows will enhance the effect.

External insulation is an effective solution

How to insulate a country house, everyone decides independently, based on available resources. Interior work traditionally costs less, but loss of space is inevitable. This is important for a small house where every square centimeter counts.

But correctly performed insulation of a country house from the outside is a guarantee of a successful solution to a difficult task. It should be noted that during such work it is not enough to install the insulating material directly. You will have to resort to finishing work using certain technologies.

Most often, the following materials are used for external insulation:

• expanded polystyrene;
• mineral wool.

Mineral wool is an excellent insulation material for wooden houses. After installation, it is advisable to sheathe the building with clapboard.

The lathing is carried out in accordance with the width of the material. It is necessary to ensure a tight fit of the insulation

Work on external thermal insulation of a house consists of several stages that are important to follow:

1. Installation of wooden or metal sheathing, the thickness of which should be 2-5 cm greater than the thickness of the material.
2. Laying insulation.
3. Formation of a waterproofing layer - roofing material or dense polyethylene are suitable.
4. Creation of a ventilation system. The frame made of slats is attached to the sheathing and performs two functions at once: it leaves an “air cushion” between the waterproofing and the exterior finish; serves as the basis for fastening facade elements.
5. Finishing and decorative work using the selected material.

This is one method of external insulation that can be called classic. It is permissible to apply heat-insulating material directly to the wall, cover it with waterproofing on top, and then cover it with lathing. It also serves as a frame for installing siding or lining.

It is important to know:
A person begins to feel discomfort if the walls are more than 6 °C colder than the air inside the room. The optimal temperature difference is 3 °C.

At the same time, there are more expensive insulation technologies: in particular, using a cross frame. In this case, the material is laid in two layers according to a special scheme.

The waterproofing layer is installed without damaging the material and with a high degree of reliability - otherwise moisture will penetrate

The choice of method largely depends on the climatic characteristics of the area. But in any case, the heat-protective layer must not be allowed to freeze. Such an unfavorable phenomenon is possible when moisture penetrates into the material. Expanded polystyrene insulation and mineral wool have a porous structure and are susceptible to water. Waterproofing and ventilation play a very important role in the insulation system. We must not forget about this.

Work inside the house: a rational approach

Floors, windows, doors, ceilings and unprotected walls are excellent conductors of cold air. Therefore, only external work is not enough. The house should look like a box with not a single crack in it. How to insulate a country house from the inside is a truly pressing issue that requires an integrated approach.

First of all, you need to take care of the warm field. The work order is as follows:

• installation of the frame directly on the floor screed;
• filling the “cells” with insulation;
• laying the floor.

It is important to know:
For floor insulation, manufacturers offer a wide range of materials: polystyrene foam, expanded clay, mineral wool, fiberglass, etc.

Sealing windows and doors will help resist the effects of frost. To do this, a thorough examination of the frames and beams is carried out, and work is carried out to eliminate cracks and gaps as much as possible. Painting surfaces performs not only a decorative function - it additionally tightens cracks.

It is considered effective to insulate entrance doors using polystyrene foam - creating a kind of “pie” filled with insulating material.

The insulation is laid directly on the floor screed. The technology involves creating a frame for laying the surface

When designing the insulation of a country house, you should carefully consider the required internal work, including wall insulation. The technology is in many ways similar to the procedure for external insulation:

• laying the material;
• vapor barrier device;
• providing ventilation;
• Finishing work.

In this case, useful area is lost, but the work is not as labor-intensive and costly as with external insulation.

Insulation of the roof and attic - how to retain heat

A complete answer to the question of how to insulate a summer country house will not be given until the roof ceases to be a channel for heat leakage. As you know, when heated, air rises. And we must not allow it to evaporate freely. Especially if the roof has a residential attic, and during the construction of the dacha, the insulation features of the room, which is most vulnerable to the cold, were not taken into account.

Roof insulation is necessary if there are used attic spaces

If there are no attic spaces, in many cases it is enough to insulate the ceiling according to the same principle as insulating the walls from the inside. Thermal insulation of the roof, if necessary, is carried out according to a similar scheme using traditional materials.

After completing the entire complex of work, we can say with confidence: the problem of how to insulate a dacha has been successfully solved.

It is important to know:
Carrying out work on insulating a ceiling or roof is associated with increased danger. It is imperative to protect your eyes with special glasses from dust and particles of material.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the mass availability of construction, finishing, insulating and other materials has created a deceptive illusion. For example, you can insulate your dacha yourself. It is enough to familiarize yourself with the main technological stages and the sequence of work. But this is far from true.

Even a small house is an engineering and architectural object. And when planning actions aimed at improving performance characteristics, one cannot do without consulting an experienced specialist. A wrong decision made independently can result in a lot of problems and significant financial losses. Professionals who have been working in the construction and repair services market for many years will provide the necessary consulting assistance and help in choosing the most suitable material.

By taking timely care of the insulation and heating of your country house, you will be able to relax and work in your country house in comfortable conditions at any time of the year.

No less important is the issue of recommended technologies. Insulating a dacha is a rather complex multi-stage process. Even with a great desire to do everything yourself, there is not always time and opportunity to focus on labor-intensive construction work that requires a very careful approach. Therefore, the help of real masters of their craft will come in handy.

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

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

Stages of work

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

1. Preparing for work.
2. Slopes and windows.
3. Doors.
4. Walls.
5. Roof.
6. Water pipes.

Before you start

External insulation scheme

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We insulate windows and slopes

We insulate windows and slopes

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

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

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

Doors and doorway

Insulating a door in a house

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

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

Insulation of walls in a country house from the outside

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

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

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

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

Frame fastening method

Insulation using a frame

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

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

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

Glue and strengthen with dowels

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

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

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

Spraying method

External insulation with polyurethane foam

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

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

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

Roof and attic

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

Water pipes

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

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

To the question “Can something be done about this, or is it better to forget about insulation from the inside of a country house and insulate the walls from the outside?” the answer is: “Yes, with the right approach to the thermal insulation of a private house built from any materials - brick, aerated concrete, log, stone or panel building, all these problems are completely solvable”

So that after insulating the inside of a country house you do not encounter unpleasant consequences, the thermal insulation of walls, floors and ceilings should be carried out taking into account the following recommendations (relevant for those who do the work with their own hands):

• The presence of a vapor barrier film is mandatory. At the same time, it is better not to skimp on the quality of the film, as well as on materials for sealing its joints;
• The materials used for insulating a stone, brick, wooden, or aerated concrete house from the inside must have minimal thermal conductivity. It is best that this indicator for the insulation is less than that of the wall itself;
• When installing a heat insulator, care must be taken to ensure that there are no voids left between it and the wall of a private house. The tightest possible contact can be achieved by evenly spreading the glue on the back surface of the insulation;
• To reduce the humidity inside a private house, it is best to make forced ventilation and install;
• It is necessary to make a careful calculation of the thickness of the thermal insulation material for insulating the walls and ceiling, based on the climatic conditions of your region;
• Before installing the insulation, the surface of the walls and ceiling of a log and panel house is coated with special compounds that prevent mold.

Of course, for the highest quality insulation, it would not be amiss to carry out comprehensive thermal insulation of the walls outside the house, but if for some reason you cannot do this, rest assured, even without insulating the walls from the outside, following the above rules guarantees that the internal thermal insulation will be effective and hassle-free.

2 How to insulate?

The requirements for thermal insulation materials for internal installation differ from those that are put forward for insulating walls outside.

As mentioned above, one of the main requirements is minimum vapor conductivity, however, this factor can be compensated by the presence of high-quality vapor barrier material.

Insulation for the interior decoration of a private house must be environmentally friendly - this is one of the key characteristics that you need to pay attention to.

The thermal conductivity of the material is also important, since it directly determines how thick the insulation will need to be used.

It is in our interests not to use thick insulation for the internal insulation of the walls and ceiling of a log, panel, or aerated concrete or brick house, which will reduce the usable space of the room.

2.1 Mineral wool or polystyrene foam?

2.2 We insulate the walls from inside the house

Insulation of the inner surface of the walls of a house made of wood or aerated concrete with polystyrene foam is carried out in one layer on a previously prepared surface. In general, the algorithm for doing the work yourself is as follows:

2.3 We insulate the floor inside the house

Expanded polystyrene can be used to insulate both a joist floor and a floor under a concrete screed. When thermally insulating a joist floor with your own hands, the insulation boards are simply adjusted to size and laid out between the joists. In this case, the slabs will not experience any stress, and you can get by with any polystyrene foam.

To insulate the screed of a house made of aerated concrete or a garden panel house, it is necessary to use special high-strength polystyrene boards. The sequence of insulated floor layers is as follows:

1. Film for waterproofing (installed with an overlap of 10 cm);
2. Insulation layer;
3. Reinforcing mesh fixed with ordinary mortar;
4. Finish screed (as a rule, a screed thickness of 5-8 cm is quite enough).

2.4 We insulate the ceiling of the house

Thermal insulation of the ceiling with slab insulation has the following sequence:

1. The ceiling is cleaned of dirt, leveled and primed;
2. The adhesive composition is evenly applied to the polystyrene foam boards;
3. The slabs are tightly glued to the ceiling;
4. After the glue has dried, the slab insulation is additionally secured with umbrella-shaped dowels;
5. A putty mesh is installed on top of the insulation;
6. The ceiling surface is leveled with putty.

2.5 The nuances of insulating a country house with your own hands (video)

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

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

Basic information about insulating country houses

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

Insulating a country house has the following goals:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Instructions for insulating a dacha depend on the following factors:

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

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

Insulation of a wooden house

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

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

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

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

Thermal insulation of wooden walls

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

To perform installation work you will need the following materials:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Vinyl siding was installed over the wood sheathing.

Are there other ways to insulate wooden walls?

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

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

Thermal insulation of floors and ceilings in a wooden house

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thermal insulation of walls

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

Affordable price is a good reason to buy polystyrene foam boards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Floor insulation

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

I offer the following options:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

With the onset of cold weather, many summer residents, who have decided to admire the beauty of nature outside the city in winter, are seriously thinking about properly insulating their home, which will greatly increase its energy efficiency. Since these works are now not cheap, and the materials sometimes have exorbitant prices, we bring to your attention information that you can use to insulate your dacha yourself.

Yes, you can more thoroughly begin to insulate your country house, for example, install heating, all kinds of heated floors, etc. BUT... this is increasingly possible to do when the house is just being built or even earlier - when drawing up a project for a country house, where it will be obligatory All necessary communications are in order. What should those summer residents do who have recently bought a house that does not have a heating system at all?

Using our tips, you can quickly, efficiently and inexpensively make your country house warm!

So, insulating a country house: where to start?

The first step is to carefully examine your entire house and study all the places through which heat can escape from your home. If this problem is not detected in time and subsequently eliminated, then even the most expensive and high-quality heating system will not be able to sufficiently heat your home and make living in it as comfortable as possible!

We will engage in a set of measures that will help us properly organize energy saving in your home.

The most popular materials used for insulating houses are mineral wool and expanded polystyrene.

By insulating the entire house from the outside with these materials, you can achieve an excellent energy-saving effect. However, this pleasure does not come cheap! No problem, take up external insulation gradually. Even if this procedure takes you a year and a half, you will definitely be satisfied with the final result!

• We create a strong frame, it is also called lathing, with the help of which we will strengthen the insulation around the country house;
• Treat the walls of the country house with any antiseptic intended for these purposes;
• The time has come to protect the insulation using wind insulation or vapor barrier (the technology for using one or the other insulator depends on the selected insulation material);
• Install a frame for exterior finishing and cover everything with siding;
• Thoroughly plaster the insulated wall.

Many novice “builders” believe that the thicker the foam, the better the thermal insulation in the house! This is a wrong opinion! In fact, high-quality thermal insulation will be ensured by strict adherence to the technological process of wall insulation, according to all existing rules.

Many summer residents argue among themselves about how best to insulate their summer house: from the outside or from the inside?

Let's not get into arguments - in the end, every point of view has the right to exist! Let us note that the interior decoration of the walls with any insulation will certainly take up some usable space in the room, but the exterior will not affect the space at all, but will certainly entail somewhat higher monetary costs!

As always and everywhere, it’s up to you to decide which side you will use to insulate your country house.

The most affordable and popular upholstery insulation for the interior of your home is mineral wool. Using her example, today we will look at detailed instructions for insulating the inside of a house with our own hands.

• Initially, we make a frame (metal from profiles, or wooden from slats). When making the frame, you should take into account the width of the mineral wool roll; the wool should fit easily but tightly between the slats or profiles.
• Place mineral wool between the profiles;
• Cover the walls with OSB boards; later they can be easily covered with stain or painted in any desired color. An even more popular finishing material is drywall. It is easy to attach, wallpaper, tiles, lining, paint and many other finishing materials lie smoothly on it.

The bulk of cold air enters the room through the door when it is opened and closed. However, it often happens that the doors do not fit tightly to the door, multiple cracks appear through which cold air enters the house, and heat constantly leaves.

To avoid such heat loss, we suggest that you insulate the entrance doors of your dacha.

Here are several materials successfully used as insulation:

Rubber pasting (glued on the pan on all four sides);
Felt (also laid and nailed along the edge of the door).

These methods are successfully used if your doors are made of wood, but what should those summer residents who installed metal ones do?

For metal doors, we suggest insulating the door leaf itself.

How can you insulate a metal door?

• Cut out several wooden beams (2 - 3 pieces). The length of the beams should be equal to the width of your front door. We fasten the beams to the door with through bolts, and the heads of the bolts should be on the outer side of the door;
• We tightly insert sheets of foam plastic between the beams, by surprise;
• We cover the insulation with an OSB sheet of the required size (cut it exactly to the size of the door), screw the sheet with self-tapping screws to the wooden beams.

That's all the insulation is! Thanks to your efforts, now not only will cold air not be able to penetrate into your home, but warm air will not find a single crack through which it can slip out. The house will maintain a stable, comfortable temperature!

Windows, as well as doors, can become conductors of cold air into your room. In order to protect yourself from such “unauthorized” penetration, you should take some measures, namely:

• We identify windows with broken or cracked glass and replace them with new and intact glass;
• Using “old-fashioned” putty, we carefully cover the cracks in the places where the glass meets the wood. By the way, newfangled sealants are also able to cope with this task!;
• We thoroughly paint the frames and thereby further reduce the chance of cold air entering;
• We check for drafts under the window frames; sealant will also help us eliminate them.

However, if the cracks are too large, then it is better to use mounting foam, or simply carefully plaster these problem areas and then paint them.
In such cases, our grandfathers also used cotton wool, folded newspaper, foam rubber for insulation and sealed it all with special paper using ordinary laundry soap!

Modern technologies have given us double-glazed windows that are conveniently inserted and provide the living space with the necessary heat and sound insulation. But this pleasure is not cheap!

Warm floors are the key to the health of every household!

There are many different methods for insulating a floor with your own hands. This includes the use of expanded clay, laying hot water pipes under the floor, etc. one of the most easily accessible and cheapest is insulation with foam plates.

Let's consider the method of floor insulation using polystyrene foam:

A wooden frame corresponding to the size of the foam boards is placed on the existing floor screed;
We tightly insert the foam plates into the resulting wooden frame (foam plastic can also be crushed and filled, broken and cut, but the best way, after all, is the first one - to tightly lay the foam plates in the grooves);
Lay a floorboard on top of the insulation, or, in the absence of it, OSB sheets (they can be painted, or linoleum can be laid on top of them, also with or without insulation, depending on your finances).

Insulating the floor of a country house is no longer difficult for you, since you have already undergone good training on the walls of the country house and the entrance doors!

We all went to school and know that warm air necessarily rises, and cold air, on the contrary, falls down. It follows that insulating the ceiling, or even the attic of your country house, should occupy a very important place in the insulation of all rooms of a country house.

Again, materials such as polystyrene foam and mineral wool (for attic spaces) are often used as insulation. Technologies for insulating a ceiling or attic are not particularly different from insulating the walls or floor of a building. A distinctive feature is the desirable (but not mandatory) use of galvanized metal profiles as a frame, between which foam plastic boards will be laid and on which drywall will be fixed using self-tapping screws.

When using mineral wool as insulation, be sure to use safety glasses and gloves.

We insulate the dacha with our own hands, video

You have already theoretically familiarized yourself with all the stages of insulating each part of the house, all that remains is to consolidate the information received with a video tutorial and immediately begin. Therefore, we bring to your attention our video, which will further reveal to you the “secrets” of construction and will help you independently carry out insulation work at your dacha.