Insulation is a generic name for materials that are designed to reduce heat and sound transmission.
Basic types of insulation
Consider the types of insulation, their characteristics and application, which will correctly select the necessary materials. There are two main types of it: heat and sound insulation. The first reduces heat transfer. This leads to a more stable temperature, lower heating and cooling of indoor air. Sound insulation makes the house more pleasant for life, protects from external noise. To select the best product, you can study the classification of materials, taking into account the R-value, since this is a measurement of heat transfer resistance. The higher this indicator, the better.
Thermal insulation materials use:
- in construction for facade and interior works using on walls, floors, roofs;
- for technical purposes - insulate pipelines and various equipment;
- special types include infrared, vacuum, reflective, air - technological insulation, the characteristics of which make it possible to maintain the desired temperature in the room.
Types of raw materials
Organic heaters include a variety of polymeric materials, which are lightweight, maintain excellent temperature, but light up easily, therefore they must be protected.
Types of heaters, their characteristics and applications differ in the raw materials from which they are produced. They can be:
Insulators differ in structure and are granular, fibrous, cellular. And also with the form: from rolled materials, plates to curly products. A special indicator is the attitude towards fire: from fully stable varieties to fire hazardous varieties that are used only for specific, narrow purposes.
Wood processing products in the form of boards, sawdust, shavings, as well as recycled paper, various types of waste from the harvesting of feed in agriculture are called "organic insulation for walls", the price of which is the lowest. Such materials are used for private homes, but they are easily wet and not resistant to decay.
Inorganic materials include mineral wool and its derivatives, concrete and glass products, metallurgy wastes with special technologies in the form of foam, fiber, and cellular structures. They are characterized by average specific gravity, low strength, wet. Therefore, they are used only in combination with other building products.
Mixed insulation materials include asbestos materials (solid, carpet, foam). They are lightweight, resistant to burning, but can emit harmful substances without additional protection or with improper installation.
The main warming products
The main types of insulation, their characteristics and application can be considered on the example of the most common insulation products.
Glass wool is made from recycled glass and sand, soda ash and limestone. The glass is then molded using resin into millions of pure fibers that are bonded to each other. Such heaters can be produced in the form of rolls and plates. Mineral wool is made from molten rock in a furnace through which it is blown with a temperature of about 1600 ° C. Finished products are produced in rolls and sheets. The density of the insulation of this type may be different. It acts as a good temperature and sound insulator.
Hard insulation boards are divided into:
- Polyurethane (PUR) plates, they are filled with gas, but in order to prevent its leakage, they are treated with aluminum foil.
- Polyisocyanurate (PIR) plates have long fiberglass strands in their structure.
- Polystyrene boards, such as foamlex insulation, are good materials to protect against extreme temperatures and noise.
Reflective foil insulation is an environmentally friendly and efficient product that is often used in the construction industry. Foil material reduces heat transfer by up to 97%. The reflective insulator acts as a large shield that protects against vaporization and reduces moisture condensation. Getting wet can be a problem for some of the fiberglass materials.
Eco isolation
Eco products include environmental types of insulation. These are thermal and acoustic plates and rolls, wool, hemp and recycled polyester. Dry construction method involves plasterboard lining. They are used as a replacement for wet plaster.
Ventilation membranes, waterproofing materials, adhesives are also necessary components of construction. The density of the insulation used in the premises to protect the roof, external systems of facades, attic and ceiling, floor, walls can be different, which allows you to compensate for the temperature conditions of various climatic zones.
Roll products
Roll insulation is the most common and affordable type of insulation. It consists of flexible soft threads, most often fiberglass. Such materials are also made from mineral (stone and slag), plastic and natural fibers, such as cotton and sheep’s wool.
Plates and rolls have insulation dimensions that suit the standard pitch between nails in the wall, attic rafters or beams, as well as floor ceilings. Continuous rolls can be manually cut or trimmed to any plane profile to prevent tearing. The insulation is installed with or without cladding. Manufacturers often combine roll materials with a protective layer of kraft paper, foil, kraft paper or vinyl to provide vapor barrier and air barrier. Slabs with a special refractory surface are produced in various widths for basement walls and other places where their layer will remain open. The cladding also helps to facilitate mounting during installation. Nevertheless, uncoated boards using additional insulation is the best insulation for walls, the price of which is quite reasonable.
| Name | Price per roll, rub. |
| Glass wool Ursa | 900-1300 |
| Uniflex Technonikol | 1100-1400 |
| Glass wool "Izover" | 1100-1300 |
Standard fiberglass rolls and slabs have high thermal resistance, but for the second this figure is one and a half times higher.
Concrete blocks
Concrete blocks are used in the construction of the house for the foundation and walls. There are several ways to protect them. If the cores are not occupied by concrete and steel for structural reasons, they can be filled with insulation, which increases the average R-value of the wall. Field studies and computer simulations have shown that the filling technology of any type of protective material offers small fuel savings because heat is easily passed through the remaining solid parts of the walls and joints. It will be more efficient to install insulation on the surfaces of the blocks. The price for it is much lower than the cost of heating.
Placing insulation on the inside of the load-bearing walls and on the facade has additional advantages in contrast to the thermal mass-containing block. In an air-conditioned room, such an installation helps to stabilize the temperature.
Some manufacturers include polystyrene balls in concrete blocks. What increases the R-indicators of products throughout the volume. Other manufacturers make foamed concrete blocks. They have thermal resistance twice as much. Different sizes of insulation help the widespread use of blocks in construction.
There are two varieties of solid precast autoclaved concrete: wall blocks made of autoclaved aerated concrete and autoclaved aerated concrete. This material contains about 80% air and is widely used in construction.
Autoclaved concrete is ten times higher than normal in insulating properties. Large blocks are easily sawn, and the shape is adjusted using conventional tools. The material absorbs water well, therefore it requires protection from moisture. In the production of prefabricated autoclaved aerated concrete, fly ash is used instead of quartz sand. This distinguishes it from cellular concrete. Ash is formed by burning coal in power plants and is almost free material that was previously disposed of.
Also, hollow blocks made of a mixture of concrete and wood chips are used to create warm walls . They are installed by dry installation without the use of a solution. One potential problem with this type of block is that the tree is exposed to moisture and insects.
For walls made of concrete blocks, as a rule, foam insulation is used during the construction of a new house and major repairs, or heat-insulating concrete blocks. Block walls in residential buildings isolate and indoors.
Foamed rigid slabs and fixed formwork
Rigid insulation panels can be used to warm almost any part of the house, from the roof to the foundation. Insulation "Penoplex" or other rigid boards provide good heat resistance, and also reduce the thermal conductivity of structural elements. The most common types of materials used in the formation of plates: polystyrene foam, which include polystyrene, extruded polystyrene foam - "Penoplex", polyisocyanurates and polyurethanes.
Insulating structural forms (ICF) are mainly formed for cast concrete structures, which creates walls with the highest heat resistance.
ICF systems consist of interconnected plates made up of blocks that are filled with technical insulation, or of foam blocks. The panels are fastened together by plastic ties. Along with foamed elements, steel bars of reinforcement are used, which are added before concrete is poured. When using foam blocks, steel rods are inside the cavities to strengthen the walls.
Insulation often becomes easy prey for insects and groundwater. To prevent these problems, some manufacturers make foam blocks treated with insecticides and adopt methods for waterproofing. In order to properly install the ICF system or insulation (the reviews are unanimous here), the help of experienced professionals is needed.
ICF consumers claim that:
- Insulation demonstrates high quality thermal and waterproofing.
- It is quite difficult to mount such a system yourself.
- It has been functioning perfectly for several years.
Loose types of heaters
Loose insulation consists of small particles of fiber, foam or other materials. This mass forms a material that can fill any spaces without disturbing the structure or finish. This ability to take any form for modernization in places where it is not possible to install traditional types of insulation makes bulk insulation suitable, the price of which is very low. The most common materials of this type are cellulose, fiberglass and mineral fibers. They are produced using recycled waste. Cellulose is made from waste paper. Glass fiber is 20-30% recycled glass. Mineral insulation "Technonikol" is usually produced for 75% of post-industrial materials. Some less common heaters include polystyrene balls, vermiculite, and perlite. Loose insulation can be installed in enclosed cavities or in attics. Cellulose, fiberglass, and rockwool typically require experienced qualified installers to ensure the correct density and high R-value. Polystyrene, vermiculite and perlite granules are usually poured.
Infrared and reflective barriers
Most general insulation systems withstand conductive and convective heat fluxes. The best insulation forms infrared barriers. They reflect radiant thermal energy. Such insulation is installed with the help of specialists.
Infrared barriers are used in homes, usually in attics. First of all, to reduce the influx of heat in the summer, reduce the cost of cooling. Reflective insulation includes infrared barriers made of aluminum foil with high reflectivity.
These systems also represent a variety of substrates in the form of kraft paper, plastic film or balls, cardboard, as well as other thermal insulation products.
Infrared radiation passes in a straight line from any plane and heats a solid surface that absorbs energy. When the sun heats the roof - this is the effect of radiant energy. Most of this heat "travels" through the roof to the attic, carried along the roof plane.
The heated roof material radiates the energy received to cooler attic surfaces, including ducts and attic floors.
The IR barrier reduces the transfer of radiant heat from the bottom of the roof to the others in the attic. To be effective, the system must face the airspace.
The infrared barrier is a heater whose technical characteristics make it more effective in hot climates, especially when the cooling air ducts are located in the attic. Some studies show that emitting barriers can reduce cooling costs from 5% to 10% when used in sunny weather. The influx of heat is reduced. This makes it possible to reduce air conditioning costs. In cooler climates, it is generally more cost-effective to install conservation thermal insulation.
Rigid fiber insulation
Fiber insulation consists of fiberglass or mineral wool made of stone and slag and is mainly used to protect air ducts in houses. The production technology of such material is not simple. But the TechnoNIKOL mineral wool insulation has a set of unique properties that are difficult to combine in one product. Especially if there is a need for a material that can withstand high temperatures. Installation is usually carried out by ventilation and air conditioning specialists on the outer surfaces of the ducts. If the insulator is uncoated, the installation work is completed by reinforcement with cement, canvas and water-repellent mastic. Different thickness of the insulation provides the desired R-value. Plates are installed so that the seams between them are sealed with pressure-sensitive tape or fiberglass and mastic.
Foam Sprayers and Liquid Isolators
Liquid foam is sprayed or poured in the right place. Some materials may have a double R-value than traditional materials. Foam insulation for walls fills even the smallest cavities, creating an effective barrier to air. Today, most of these materials use foaming agents that do not use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which are harmful to the Earth’s ozone layer. Available liquid foam for insulation is made of cement, phenol, polyisocyanurate, polyurethane. Some less common types include icinin and tripolymer. Aisinin can be sprayed or injected, making it the most versatile, and it also has good resistance to air and water. Tripolymer is a water-soluble foam that is injected into the cavity of the wall. This unique insulator has excellent resistance to fire and air.
Liquid heat-insulating foam in combination with a foaming agent is used with small spray containers. Foamed insulation for walls in large quantities is poured in place under pressure. Both types expand and harden as a mixture. They also correspond to the shape of the cavity, filling and sealing it very carefully. Slow curing of liquid foam is also provided. It is designed to wrap around obstacles before expansion and hardening. Liquid foam can be poured directly from the container. It is often used for wall cavities in residential buildings.
Installation work
Installing most types of liquid foam insulation requires special equipment and must be done by an experienced installer.
After installation, the thermal barrier of foamed materials in terms of fire resistance is equal to drywall. In addition, some building codes do not recognize spraying as a vapor barrier. So such an installation may require additional steam protection.
Some types of insulation materials can be mounted independently, especially rolled or foam. Others need a professional installation.
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