Each owner of his own apartment or house who wants to live in comfort and peace, tries to protect himself as much as possible from extraneous noise and winter cold. For heating, the fire of fireplaces and boilers was first used, after which electric heaters joined them. All this is not so effective if the house is not well insulated and has places through which precious heat escapes. However, if you use mineral wool insulation, you can protect your home from frost in the winter, and also escape from the heat in the summer.
Mineral wool insulation has several varieties, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. In order to make the right choice in the direction of a particular insulation, it is necessary to become more familiar with the quality characteristics of materials.
The main types of mineral wool
Having familiarized yourself with the information presented in GOST 52953-2008, you will find out that three materials belong to mineral wool , namely stone wool, fiberglass and slag. Any of them can be purchased by visiting the building materials store. Each of these varieties has a certain thickness and fiber length, and also differs in quality characteristics. For example, they have different resistance to loads, moisture resistance, as well as thermal conductivity.
Glass wool has been used for a very long time, and today it can be purchased at the lowest possible price. But working with it, in contrast to slag and stone wool, is very difficult, since it is prickly. The master will have to use personal protection measures during the installation process.
Glass wool characteristics
If you need mineral wool insulation, then you can pay attention to glass wool, which consists of fibers with a thickness ranging from 5 to 15 microns, while their length can vary from 15 to 50 millimeters. Glass wool has strength and elasticity, and its thermal conductivity varies from 0.03 to 0.052 watts per meter per Kelvin. It is possible to heat the material without damaging the structure up to 500 degrees, and the optimum temperature, when the insulation will retain its characteristics, is 450 degrees. As for the minimum temperature, it reaches -60 degrees.
Characteristics slag
Mineral wool insulation is also on sale slag, which is made from blast furnace slag. The thickness of the fibers of the material is equal to the limit of 4 to 12 microns, but their length is equivalent to 16 millimeters. Due to the fact that slags have residual acidity, in a damp room they are able to act on metal objects. Slag wool absorbs moisture well, so it is unacceptable to use it for thermal insulation of the external walls of buildings.
For the above reasons, this material can not be used for insulation of water pipes, which are made of plastic or metal. The coefficient of thermal conductivity is greater compared to the above variety and ranges from 0.46 to 0.48. The heater can be heated up to 300 degrees, while it does not lose its quality characteristics. If this value is exceeded, then the fibers will begin to sinter, and the material will lose its thermal insulation characteristics. The hygroscopicity of this insulation is very high.
Characteristics of stone wool
Mineral wool insulation is also presented in stores in the form of stone wool, the fibers of which are about the same size as those of the above slag. However, the advantage is that the elements do not prick, so working with stone wool is safer. The thermal conductivity coefficient can be equal to 0.077, while the maximum value is 0.12. The material can heat up to 600 degrees, without losing its properties.
Characteristics of basalt mineral wool thermal insulation on the example of "Technonikol Technofas Effect"
Mineral wool basalt insulation of this brand is intended for use not only in industrial, but also in civil engineering. Such plates are used in the role of sound and heat insulation in systems of external wall insulation. After installation of the material, a protective and decorative layer of thin-layer plaster is laid. Thermal insulation does not burn, it is represented by hydrophobized plates, which are made on the basis of rocks of the basalt group. A low phenolic binder is used in the manufacturing process.
Quite often, specialists are interested in the density of mineral wool insulation. In the described case, this parameter varies from 131 to 135 kilograms per cubic meter.
You may need to equip the crate for installation work, for this you need to ask about the dimensions of the plates. For example, the length can be equal to 1000 and 1200 millimeters, as for the width, it is equivalent to 500 or 600 millimeters. Thickness in increments of 10 mm varies from 40 to 150 mm. The vapor permeability of this insulation is 0.3 Mg / (m · h · Pa), while the moisture content by weight does not exceed 0.5%. Water absorption is not more than 1% by volume, and the content of organic substances can reach 4.5% as much as possible.
Characteristics of mineral wool insulation brand "Rockwool Light Butts"
Rockwool mineral wool insulation is very popular among consumers today. A variety of thermal insulation "Light Butts" is a hydrophobized heat-insulating slabs, in the manufacturing process of which stone wool based on basaltic rocks is used. The main feature of this insulation is a unique technology, which provides for the formation of one edge of the plate so that it has the ability to expand and contract. Thanks to the ability to spring, installation is easier when mounting structures on a metal or wooden frame.
The described mineral wool boards have many advantages. Among them it should be noted the absence of cold bridges, durability, environmental friendliness, fire safety and maximum tight contact with each other.
The use of Rockwool insulation "Light Butts"
These slabs are used as an unloaded layer in the structures of attic rooms, light coatings, floors, as well as partitions and walls of low-rise buildings. This includes inclined and vertical walls in attics, as well as a layer in curtain wall systems. In the latter case, there is a need to form an air gap when two-layer insulation is arranged. These mineral wool slabs should not be subjected to significant loads. During installation, the master will be able to form a surface without the formation of cracks. As a result, drafts will not form indoors, and a comfortable temperature will remain in the rooms.
Rockwool Light Butts Thickness
In order to provide the house with thermal insulation qualities as efficiently as possible, you need to ask what the thickness of the mineral wool insulation is. In a variety of "Light Butts" this parameter varies from 50 to 100 millimeters. While the length and width remain unchanged and equal to 1000 and 600 millimeters, respectively.