Mineral wool is the most popular type of insulation for an apartment or house. Today it is used by everyone, from builders to the owner of the apartment, who wanted to warm the room. The simplicity of its installation allows you to immediately insulate the whole house (ceiling, walls, floor). We will study the features and characteristics of this material later in the article.
Mineral wool density
You can find out exactly this parameter even before purchase. Firstly, it is always written on the label, and secondly, the higher the density, the higher the price. Do not forget that high density is not suitable for everything, and there is no point in overpaying.
The most important characteristic of a heater is its specific gravity; the density of mineral wool is measured in kg / m3. The basis here is the amount of fibers in 1 m³. Their number is calculated between 30 kg / m³ and 220 kg / m³. It all depends on the manufacturing technology.
The following characteristics will depend on the choice of the correct insulation:
- Resistance to loads.
- Preservation of the form of mineral wool.
- Compression insulation.
However, the density does not affect the following features of the material:
- soundproofing;
- vapor permeability;
- plate thickness;
- thermal insulation.
Classification from Russian manufacturers
In the 21st century, the building materials market is full of offers from various manufacturers. We will consider the density of mineral wool for insulation, using the example of Russian manufacturers.
P-75
Density - 75 kg / m³. Material of this category is used for horizontal surfaces and all those places where there is a small load on the surface. More often, such a density is used in the oil and gas industries.
P-125
Density - 125 kg / m³. Good for use on ceilings, interior partitions and floors. It has high rates of both thermal insulation and sound insulation.
-175
Density - 175 kg / m³. Such a material has high rigidity. This is the ideal density of mineral wool for walls made of concrete, metal, brick and reinforced concrete.
-200
Density - 200 kg / m³. It has high rigidity. The properties of this mineral wool are the same as those of PZh-175. However, -200 has a higher fire protection layer.
Classification of foreign manufacturers
On the market you can find completely different markings - foreign ones:
- VL, TL - for structures with a load of not more than 8 and 12 kN / m².
- EL, ELD, ELUS - suitable for concrete structures, load no more than 5 kN / m².
- I'M, IMP - for floors and foundations.
- ALL, KKL - high rigidity material, designed for thermal insulation of a pitched roof.
- TCL - designed to insulate a flat roof.
- VL - the characteristics of glass wool are similar to AKL and KKL. It is used to tilt the roof.
- TCL, VUL, URL - thin insulation, used for lightweight structures, such as walls.
- LP - used between coatings of concrete, brick, metal buildings.
- A, L - density is well suited for wall decoration.
Foreign manufacturers do not indicate density, but only methods of using insulation.
Types of material
According to the manufacturing method, the following types of described material are distinguished:
- Glass wool. The most affordable material that is made from recycled sand, glass, lime and chemicals when heated to high temperatures. The thickness of the fibers is from 15 to 15 microns, the length is from 15 to 55 mm. The formaldehyde content in them is quite high, because insulation is used in the construction of warehouses, workshops and workshops.
- Basalt cotton wool. It is made from gabbro-basalt fibers - in a diameter of 5-15 microns, 20-30 mm long. It does not contain additives - neither mineral, nor binders.
- Stone wool. High strength, no shrinkage. It is made from fibers of diabase and gabbro, with a diameter of 5-12 microns, a length of 15 mm.
- Slaggy. It is made from metallurgical waste. If exposed to chemicals, oxidation may occur. Fiber thickness from 4 to 12 microns, length up to 16 mm. Do not use for insulation of facades. Pretty fragile. During installation, overalls are required.
The effect of density on heat conductivity
When buying a heater, builders pay little attention to the density of mineral wool, they are more interested in its characteristics. And the fact of density is important to consider during construction. The composition of the insulation includes air in the normal or rarefied state. And the less vapors in the mineral wool and the worse the insulation with air, the higher the thermal conductivity. And the greater the thermal conductivity, the less the insulation retains heat.
The higher the density of the insulation (mineral wool), the less air it contains, and, accordingly, it retains heat better. It is important to select the material, focusing on its purpose - to maintain heat in the room. For the attic, for example, you can take a low density.
Advantages of using the material
High density mineral wool is especially popular in the market of thermal insulation. The following advantages are distinguished:
- Water resistance - high-quality heaters do not have the ability to be saturated with water. Steam emissions calmly pass through them. Due to this property, home or apartment is not afraid of damp.
- High thermal insulation - mineral wool, regardless of climate, practically does not allow heat to pass through.
- Resistance to chemicals - when interacting with them, the insulation is not destroyed.
- High rates of air exchange - the house must breathe and have a normal microclimate inside, for this mineral wool supports air circulation.
- Fire resistance - in case of fire the insulation does not support fire and does not emit smoke. You can use the material in any room.
- Sound insulation - the insulation structure is endowed with acoustic properties. This allows not only to warm the house, but also to prevent the penetration of sounds from the street into the room.
- Environmental friendliness - high-quality mineral wool does not emit harmful substances, both during long-term operation and during heating.
- Service life - on average, the life of the insulation is 25 years. It is not susceptible to the multiplication of microorganisms.
Disadvantages of using the material
Unlike the advantages, the described insulation does not have many shortcomings, and manufacturers are struggling with them:
- A lot of sharp dust - common when using glass wool and slag. The material is quite brittle, the dust from it is thin and sharp. If it comes under clothing, itching and an allergic reaction occur. Therefore, work is carried out only in overalls, glasses and a respirator.
- Loss of quality resulting from wetting. In this case, the material loses its properties, for example, thermal insulation. With little wetting, the properties of the material deteriorate by about 10 percent.
- Phenol-formaldehyde resins - this myth will never go away. Environmentalists claim that heaters are hazardous to health due to emissions of formaldehydes. However, scientists have long proved that their content is so small that they simply are not able to harm. It is worth noting that the content of formaldehyde resins is much higher in an ordinary garden tree, for which ecologists are so eager to fight.
Application
The density of mineral wool depends on its use in construction:
- For horizontal surfaces of premises, a density of 35 kg / m³ is better.
- Mineral wool with a parameter of 75 kg / m³ is used for interior partitions, the ceiling and the internal floor.
- For exterior decoration of the house - 125 kg / m³.
- When thermal insulation of floors between floors I use mineral wool with a density of 150 kg / m³, and for load-bearing structures - 175 kg / m³.
- Insulation with a density of up to 200 kg / m³ is used under a concrete screed, for foundation or roofing.
Conclusion
So, we have studied what mineral wool is. As you can see, this is a good material for insulation, which is actively used in repair and construction. But you need to be able to choose it correctly by density. High density cotton wool is not always suitable for a specific task, and vice versa.