Thermal insulation is not just an additional measure of maintaining comfort in the house and a means of saving individual structures, but a regulatory requirement. Therefore, one should approach the organization of warming responsibly and with knowledge of the nuances of this event. There is a wide range of materials for thermal insulation, but most of them are combined with adhesive installation techniques. An alternative way is to fix on the fasteners, but this is rather an exception to the rule. At the same time, the adhesive itself for the insulation is presented in a huge assortment, which may well complicate the choice in the eyes of a beginner.
Features of adhesive for thermal insulation
Such compositions have unique combinations of physical and operational properties even against the background of building adhesive mixtures. This is largely due to the fact that the function of this tool converges with the tasks that the insulation itself performs. In particular, such glue should provide, albeit at a minimum rate, but the same thermal insulation, vapor permeability, moisture protection and at the same time be mechanically resistant. As for the immediate task of mechanical retention of the target material, the adhesion provided by special modifiers is responsible for it.
At the same time, adhesive for insulation is environmentally friendly. Since insulation panels and roll materials are often laid directly in residential premises, this requirement is one of the key. Exceptions are perhaps facade materials, but even in this segment manufacturers are trying to minimize the content of harmful components, although the general requirements for compositions for outdoor use are much higher.
Foam Tools
Under the general name of polyfoam, a whole group of materials is hidden, which also directly refers to polystyrene and extruded polystyrene foam. The peculiarity of gluing such panels is the need to provide high adhesion forces. The form factor of tile insulation itself presents difficulties in terms of performing an adhesive function, so the main focus in the choice is on this property. To complicate the ability of the adhesive to grip, the laying surface can also be - especially metal. In this case, you should discard formulations that include gasoline, acetone and active solvents. These components not only reduce adhesion, but can also negatively affect the state of the foam itself.
And what to glue insulation? In addition to high adhesion forces, the presence of such qualities as physical durability, stable solidification, moisture resistance and non-toxicity should be taken into account in the composition.
Mineral wool products
Minvata also in some versions is a tiled material, but the fibrous structure as such still improves adhesion, in contrast to foam. And yet, you should rely on the quality of the glue, which will ensure its strength and reliability. This will help the structure cope with dynamic loads, which are especially dangerous for basalt fibers. Therefore, mechanically resistant and hard glue for insulation is selected.
Mineral wool may not be enough to form a reliable protective structure, therefore, a reinforcing layer is often used as a reinforcing element, for example, in the form of a plastic mesh, which is used for plastering. The adhesive composition forms a three-component bond, winning in strength properties. Also for mineral wool temperature changes and especially humidity are dangerous. Therefore, the composition must be resistant to moisture and have high vapor barrier properties.
Facade insulation
The installation of facade insulation is a more responsible task, since the material will have to withstand a whole range of external threats that are not in the room. First of all, choosing a tool for such purposes is from a heat-resistant series. At a minimum, the composition must be suitable for use in a temperature range of -30 to 100 ° C. But the marking should also indicate a separate quality of frost resistance, which means the ability of the adhesive to withstand cold in a large number of freezing cycles without lowering performance. If you plan to install on concrete or brick surfaces, then we select adhesive for insulation with enhanced adhesion, adhesion and hardening properties. It is desirable that the composition is also characterized by improved moisture resistance - a class not lower than D4.
Thermal Insulation Adhesive Manufacturers
One of the leaders in the segment is the Ceresit brand, which offers adhesive reinforcing mixtures for a wide range of applications. The company, in particular, produces modifications of the compositions specifically for facade thermal insulation, which can be fibrous mineral materials or expanded polystyrene.
Recently, the manufacturer Tytan has also become popular. Users note the advantages of the Styro product line, thanks to which it is possible to adhere to bricks, aerated concrete, wood and other surfaces that initially reduce the adhesion effect.
Soudal company offers good quality and cheap polyurethane adhesive for insulation, the price of which is on average 300-350 rubles. per can of 750 ml. By the way, the same volume from more famous manufacturers can cost 500-600 rubles. This, for example, applies to IVSIL products. True, this company provides higher quality in compositions that are based on foreign polymer additives and fractionated sand.
How to choose the best composition?
Focus on 1-2 characteristics is not worth it. The approach should be comprehensive, since the quality that is of little significance at the moment may appear in the future. The best tactic of choice is to evaluate properties that will prevent the risks of destruction of the insulation itself, since updating the adhesive mass is not as costly as a complete alteration of the insulation layer. So, on what glue to glue a heater?
For home use, it is advisable to choose environmentally friendly mixtures with a vapor barrier property, which will subsequently affect the general characteristics of the microclimate. Do not forget the sound insulation - modern adhesives effectively perform this task. As for external insulation, protection against moisture, frost and mechanical resistance should come to the fore.
Glue consumption
Purchase volume is also an important parameter of choice. Of course, it is better to stock up on material with a margin, but preliminary calculations will help to more accurately determine the number of cartridges or bags. The standard flow rate indicated by the manufacturers is about 4-5 kg / m 2 .
If you plan to create a reinforcing protective layer, then this value can be increased by 1 kg. This is provided that the thickness of the adhesive is 3 mm. These calculations relate to dry mixtures, which are subsequently diluted with water. By the way, the standard packaging in this case is a 25 kg bag. That is, one bag should be enough for an area of 5 m 2 .
If a can is used, then the consumption of adhesive for insulation will be as follows: 125 ml / m 2 . Accordingly, a typical 750 ml bottle will serve a surface of 6 m 2 .
Installation work
The prepared solution is applied around the perimeter of the panel with strips whose width is 4-5 cm. It is advisable to indent 3 cm from the edges. You can perform work with a spatula or scraper, applying the composition with small slaps. In order to increase adhesion, you can also use a notched trowel - it will provide a wavy mass distribution, which will improve adhesion to the surface.
If the adhesive for insulation is planned to be used together with a reinforcing mesh, the layer thickness will need to be increased. However, the maximum thickness shall not exceed 10 mm. Further, the plate ready for landing is superimposed on the target area. For tight fixation, the material should be slightly knocked out with a spatula handle. Between themselves, the insulation panels are always end-to-end, and the sides will also be useful to treat with glue mass so that there are no cold bridges.
Alternative gluing methods
As an alternative, you can offer tools such as PVA, "liquid" nails and polyurethane foam. The first option may well replace specialized tools, if it comes to gluing thin panels to an even and adhesive-friendly basis in the room. Mounting foam ensures perfect hitch strength. If mechanical reliability is paramount, then this option should be preferred. But you should also keep in mind that polyurethane foam will cause a lot of trouble if you need to dismantle the insulator. "Liquid" nails are also focused on creating a strong bond, but this adhesive for gluing insulation can only be used outside the living room. This is due precisely to the content of toxic harmful components.
Conclusion
Practice shows that the highest quality insulation coatings are formed under conditions when all components of the structure have approximately the same technical and operational properties. Following this principle, we can conclude that polyurethane compositions with polymer additives are more suitable for expanded polystyrene.
What, in this case, should be adhesive for insulation based on mineral wool? It is advisable to choose environmentally friendly dry mixes for this material, in which the content of synthetic elements is minimized. And here it is worth distributing the directions for using two combinations. So, the use of polystyrene will be most advantageous as part of the facade finish, since it is not ideal in terms of environmental cleanliness. Conversely, mineral wool can be used in the interior decoration of premises regardless of their functional purpose.