Many of us, engaged in construction, were faced with the problem of choosing a heater for buildings. Today, the market offers many different types of insulation, which differ:
- in quality;
- manufacturing materials (natural or synthetic);
- at cost;
- on the consumption of insulation material;
- by the service life of the insulation;
- according to thermal insulation properties and many other characteristics.
The most optimal option that appeared at the beginning of the 20th century on the market of North America and Europe is cellulose heaters, or ecowool. Customer reviews about it are of a different nature, they are both positive and negative.
Background to the creation of cellulose insulation
The first mass production of recycled cellulose insulation was organized in Germany in 1928. Later, already in the 50s, when the boom in the construction of frame houses in North America, Europe, began, ecowool production acquired a huge scale of production. The countries in which cellulose wool as a heat insulation material gained the greatest popularity are Canada, the USA, Finland, Germany, Austria, and this material is used very widely, oddly enough, in Japan. Cellulose wool in Russia is called "ecowool."
For comparison: in Finland, with the country's population not exceeding 5.5 million people, the production of this insulation is almost 25 thousand tons annually, and this is more than 1 million square meters of insulated buildings. The bulk of ecowool production falls on the share of the private construction sector, which is more than 70%. Often houses are built from modern building materials that only mimic natural building materials such as glued beams, logs, natural stone, etc. Cellulose wool acts as insulation inside. In Finland, for example, the share of private residential premises that are insulated with ecowool is more than 80%. This tendency to use this building insulation is explained as follows:
- in a humid climate and below zero air temperatures, buildings insulated with an ecological insulation serve much longer than synthetic ones;
- reduced costs for repair and maintenance of premises for the replacement of insulation material;
- such insulation acts as a thermos: it keeps warm in winter, and cool in summer in hot weather, and also protects all buildings from microorganisms and rodents, which are the scourge of building materials.
Given the above facts, the Ministry of the Museum Department of Finland made a decision obliging all museums in the country to use cellulose wool as the main or additional insulation, since, having hygroscopicity, it maintains the necessary microclimate for museum exhibits and the most legally protected historic buildings.
And in North America, in particular in the USA, the number of houses insulated with ecowool in 2005 alone reached almost 340,000.
In Russia, the spread of cellulose wool began only in the early 90's. Both the total number of enterprises producing ecowool and the number of consumers are steadily growing exponentially. Because consumers were able to verify the positive qualities of the pulp and the effect obtained from its use. And most importantly - the availability and low cost of raw materials for its production.
Ecowool structure and composition, distinctive features
Ecowool is a heater having a capillary-porous loose structure. It consists of:
- cellulose fiber - 81%;
- flame retardants (for protection against burning) - 12%
- non-volatile antiseptic materials (boric acid) - 7%.
Ecowool is produced mainly from recycled cellulose fiber, namely waste paper.
Ecowool insulation has a gray or light gray shade.
There are other types of insulation, similar in structure, this:
- mineral wool;
- basalt wool ;
- glass wool;
- expanded polystyrene.
All these synthetic heaters incorporate phenolic compounds, which are toxic to humans. When these materials are heated to a temperature of 250 degrees Celsius, the binder completely evaporates from them, which makes further use of the material impossible. Also a big drawback of this type of insulation is that they are made from synthetic materials that do not absorb moisture remaining on the surface of the fibers. Ultimately, this leads to the formation of such problems with insulation, such as:
- condensation on the surface;
- reproduction on the surface of fungal formations and mold;
- the formation of "cold seams" in the insulation.
The advantages of ecowool as an absorbent material
Ecowool, unlike synthetic materials, due to natural cellulose capillaries in its structure absorbs moisture by almost 14% and at the same time does not lose its qualities, like other heaters. On the contrary, it retains its qualities in a moistened state, like wood, that is, it retains heat and does not freeze. For those who decide to insulate with an ecowool, there will be no need to use a vapor barrier film, since there is no condensation on the surface.
Insulators made of synthetic materials (mineral, basalt and glass wool) have such negative properties:
- the movement of air and moisture occurs through their fibers;
- moisture is not absorbed by materials, but accumulates in the form of condensate, which is harmful to surrounding building materials;
- to remove moisture from the insulation, it is necessary to create ways to remove it through the use of vapor-barrier membrane films.
It should also be noted that cellulose wool when wet does not change its volume due to the capillary structure of the fibers. That is, in the cold season, when the outside temperature is minus temperature and air humidity is constantly increased, the volume of insulation and, accordingly, the walls will not change.
When humidity changes outside the room, cellulose wool compensates for the difference in humidity level due to the hygroscopicity of the fiber structure. It is also important when the temperature of the outside air rises, while the temperature and humidity inside the room remain unchanged. Thus, the room will always be warm in the winter and will remain cool in the summer heat, while maintaining a favorable climate for materials and, of course, people.
It is capable of absorbing ecowool water, the reviews of the craftsmen therefore recommend that it also be used for pipeline insulation, since emergency situations of pipe rupture are possible, and in such cases, until the water supply is turned off, it is necessary to protect buildings from water penetration as much as possible.
Ecowool application
The main uses of cellulose wool:
1. As a thermal insulation material:
- for floors of both lower and upper floors during the construction of private and apartment buildings;
- when used as an insulating plaster;
- for warming lightweight frame structures;
- insulation of walls with ecowool (consisting of several layers);
- during reconstruction work for old buildings;
2. As soundproofing material:
- as sound-absorbing plaster ;
- in floors between floors;
- in wall partitions.
Ecowool is insulated with basement, roofing and floor floors of residential premises, industrial, commercial, agricultural buildings and structures. As facade insulation , only internal masonry is used.
Comparison of ecowool by properties with other types of insulation
If you compare ecowool with other heaters, you get the following ratio.
A 15 cm ecowool layer corresponds to:
- a 50 cm layer of timber;
- a layer of foam concrete of 46 cm;
- a layer of 18 cm of mineral wool;
- a layer of expanded clay in 90 cm and 146 cm - from brickwork.
Technical parameters of such cellulose insulation as ecowool, material characteristics:
- density - 40-75 kg / m 3 ;
- thermal conductivity - 0.036 to 0.042 W / mK
- air tightness - degree D2 (low);
- ignition - degree G2 (moderately combustible);
- vapor impermeability - 0.3 mg / (M x H x Pa);
- sorption moisture - 16% for a period of 3 days;
- medium (acid-base balance) - pH = 8.3
Installation of cellulose wool
Installation is carried out in one of two ways:
- manual;
- automatic (using a blower: dry or wet glue).
Manual styling
This is the most common way of laying ecowool when it is not possible to use special blowing plants for applying insulation. With this method, the cotton wool is first loosened with a hand tool, since it is pressed when bagged. Loosened cotton wool is laid around the entire perimeter of the surface to be insulated, or ecowool insulation is simply poured into these cavities. The reviews and comments of the masters say that for a manual installation method, an important condition is compliance with the rules for installing cotton wool to obtain the desired insulation result. So, according to the advice of specialists, the norm for laying ecowool for walls is about 70 kg per 1 m 3. If used for ecowool floors, the consumption will be 2 times less, that is 35 kg per m 3 .
Automatic styling method
1. Dry installation method. The most optimal and fastest way to apply ecowool to the surface, however, this method requires knowledge of the laying methodology from specialists involved in its installation. To start the application by the dry method, it is necessary to close the inner surfaces of the frame with kraft paper or building board, thus obtaining a closed volume of space for filling. Cardboard or paper is attached using a stapler or construction adhesive tape, because under air pressure the paper surface can be blown out by air pressure or squeezed out by the volume of insulation.
2. Wet-glue application method. With this method, a solution is created from ecowool using a water-glue (PVA dispersion) special solution. Using the installation, ecowool is blown into the previously created space. Then the excess layer is cut off and dried using heat guns. The advantage of this method is that it is visual, that is, areas of filling the frame are visible.
There are also additional requirements for applying cotton wool in this way:
- Ecowool spraying in the room should occur at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees Celsius;
- complete drying should take place from 2 to 5 days, while the temperature should not change;
- ventilation should be installed for wet vapors from insulation layers.
Additional benefits of using ecowool, customer reviews
Ecowool is the most cost-effective option for warming rooms. Since ecowool (the cost of which is much lower than other heaters) has antiseptics in its composition, this ensures a longer service life, protection against damage from fungal formations and mold, and also repels rodents. Ecowool has good adhesion:
- to the tree;
- to concrete;
- to the brick;
- to glass and metal.
Moreover, it has a passive chemical environment. That is, when interacting with metals, concrete or wood, it will not cause corrosion, rust or rot. Ecowool also has fire-retardant characteristics, while at the same time not emitting toxic substances hazardous to human life and health at elevated temperatures.
Ecowool - disadvantages
Customer reviews are sometimes negative in nature, primarily due to the following points:
- The process of laying the insulation is quite dusty, and for its implementation it is necessary to protect the face and respiratory tract.
- This type of insulation has a large flowability, especially this negative characteristic manifests itself when laying on vertical surfaces of walls and attics.
- Ecowool has a rather low density in comparison with other heaters, such as expanded clay, polystyrene, etc. Therefore, it will be unsuitable for warming "floating" floors. Also, due to its low density, it cannot be used for insulation of floors on which external pressure is applied.
- It is not possible to warm complex structural surfaces without the use of special equipment.
- It is impossible to use ecowool as a surface for plastering walls.
- It has high excessive hygroscopicity, that is, ecowool cannot be used as insulation in places where the surface is in contact with the environment (for insulation of external facades, in places where the surface is in direct contact with the ground). Although this drawback is easily eliminated when using waterproofing materials for the installation of cotton wool.
- Also, such thermal insulation has low air permeability, which is sometimes unacceptable for some constructed structures - in cases where additional ventilation is required, for example for ceilings.
If we discuss the issue of what ecowool's disadvantages are, reviews about the minuses of this material are still much less common than positive ones. The following advantages are emphasized:
- operational installation of insulation when using inflatable units;
- environmentally friendly material that does not emit formaldehyde fumes;
- is not subject to rotting, mold and fungal formations, which ensures a long service life of ecowool material (manufacturers guarantee a service life of insulation up to 65 years, which is long enough for buildings);
- It is an excellent soundproofing material, especially for wall ceilings and multilayer walls;
- high resistance of the material to convective processes when warm air inside the insulation is replaced by cold.
Conclusion
Given the characteristics and properties that ecowool possesses, the reviews of consumers who used it, we can conclude that this material is in most cases evaluated positively. At the same time, the main factor in which ecowool is preferred, all of these are its low cost. Most importantly, it lives up to its name ecowool - ecological wool, a material that really does not contain any phenolic compounds, unlike other types of building wool: basalt, mineral and glass wool.