Many of us have a country corner where you can spend time with the benefit of family, friends and close relatives. But whatever the size of the summer cottage is, the comfort of the stay is important. Some owners stay here for the summer, while others “register” on an ongoing basis. And so that it is also convenient inside the house, you should think about floor insulation in the country. In addition, where, if not here, most often this coating is quite cold.
In addition, due to frosts, not only can a cold begin, mold appears accompanied by an unpleasant odor. And over time, the walls of the house themselves will begin to collapse.
The need for floor insulation
With the onset of autumn, cold comes to us, at first appearing only at night, but then frosts are clearly manifested. And with the advent of winter, the whole house is completely surrounded by snow-white shroud. In spring, the time comes for streams that become almost whole rivers.
All this leaves its negative imprint on the walls, floor, ceiling of the home, and also contributes to a change in the internal climate. Thanks to floor insulation, you can not only maintain the optimum temperature level. This will avoid the appearance of unwanted fungi that cause various diseases, and condensation. As a result, the house is kept intact for a long time. In some cases, you can even do without a scheduled repair.
Independent work
To perform thermal insulation of the floor of the house, all work can be entrusted to a qualified team, which will require certain investments. However, if you wish, it is easy to do everything yourself, for which it is enough to adhere to the instructions. The technology itself implies the following:
- Surface cleaning, and if necessary - it should be plastered.
- Protective treatment, including the use of mastic.
- Laying a layer of heat-insulating material and its fastening, if necessary.
At the final stage, the formation of the floor itself, that is, laying a sheet of plywood, chipboard or boards, follows. Only these materials need preliminary treatment with antiseptic and moisture protective agents. And only after that you can lay a carpet or put linoleum on the finishing surface. So you can create a more comfortable atmosphere in the house.
In order to reduce cash costs, as well as labor costs, it is possible to carry out insulation in one or two adjacent rooms. At the same time, no matter how much it costs, thermal insulation of the floor of the whole house contributes to a more comfortable climate. At the same time, it is advisable to plan work in the summer period, which will result in significant benefits. What kind of floor insulation schemes exist?
Floor insulation schemes
The thickness of the thermal insulation material laying depends on the region where the cottage is located:
- The average strip is at least 12 cm.
- North - 20 cm, no less.
In relation to interfloor ceilings, in order to avoid heat leakage, it is necessary to lay an additional insulation layer of about 8 cm. It is much easier to work with wooden floors, since the floor structure is represented by beams and a lag system. This allows you to fill the space between the supporting elements with foam, expanded clay, mineral wool.
The essence of the work is as follows. Between the lags a kind of "boxes" are formed, where, in fact, the selected insulation is laid. There is nothing complicated in such work, the main thing is to be persistent, and then it can be done without the help of specialists. It is enough to enlist the support of acquaintances or loved ones. In this case, everything will go smoothly and quickly.
Well, you should also choose the appropriate technology for floor insulation in the old cottage and strictly adhere to it.
Thermal insulation in the case of low underground
This technology is the most time-consuming, because it involves the dismantling of the old flooring. This is due to the limited size of the underground space, which does not allow to fix the insulating material to the lags from below.
The steps themselves are as follows:
- The skirting board with floorboards is carefully removed. In the process, it’s worth signing each element of the “mosaic” so that you don’t mess up everything when reassembling.
- Inspect all lags for integrity. If necessary, all problem areas should be sawn out and instead of damaged elements, solid blocks of equal size should be installed. Extension is carried out using boards that are mounted on the left and right sides of the lag. As fasteners, use galvanized screws (for obvious reasons).
- A cranial block is attached to the lower edge of each log, and the same is done on both sides. This will be the support for the subfloor.
- In accordance with the distance between the logs, lumber is prepared, which will be used to form a rough flooring. At the same time, the length of each section of the board should be 10-20 mm shorter than the installation step of the lag. Due to this, the flooring parts will be laid freely, but this will not interfere with the subsequent warming of the subfloor.
- Now the actual formation of the rough floor - the laying of the prepared boards is carried out.
Docking them tightly against each other is not recommended, otherwise mounds and steps will form due to the characteristic movements of the wood.
Small but retreat needed
Now it is worth paying attention to an important point. All further actions will depend on the extent to which the rocks under the foundation are saturated with moisture. Draft flooring and logs must be covered with a layer of vapor barrier. Thanks to this barrier, the insulating material will be reliably protected from the effects of steam that rises from the surface of the earth. However, this does not prevent the removal of condensate from the thickness of the insulation.
If the house is built on a site with high groundwater, the vapor barrier membrane is not suitable. Instead, it is necessary to arrange waterproofing using roofing material or glassine.
Continued instructions
The above section is necessary because the cottage is located in different areas. Someone was lucky to be on land, while others are forced to be content with "wet" places. The further front of work on floor insulation in the country with your own hands:
- The insulating layer spreads with a continuous cloth, while going to the walls 10-15 cm. It turns out a kind of pallet. If this is a rolled material, then it is overlapped, connecting the strips together using tape. To make it convenient to carry out further work, the insulation coating can be fixed in some places with a stapler to the logs and walls.
- The “boxes” formed between the lags are now filled with the selected heat-insulating material, and a ventilation gap (about 2 cm) should remain between its surface and the edge of the lag. If this is not possible, a counter-lattice must be formed. To do this, a rail is beaten with a step of 40 cm along the lags "in the cross" in their direction.
- Now you should lay a waterproofing layer (glassine or diffuse membrane) in order to protect against moisture tending down. At the same time, if a counter-lattice was built, then the insulating layer should be located under it.
- At the final step, it remains to fix the floorboards according to the set marks. After that, the skirting boards are put back and excess insulation is cut off along its edge.
The issue with the choice of insulation must be addressed at the construction stage. But the insulation of the floors in the country in the finished house can also be done using the instructions.
High cellar floor insulation
Here, the work is carried out almost in the same way as in the diagram above, but with the difference that it is not necessary to dismantle the floorboards.
And in this case, the algorithm is exactly the opposite:
- Using a stapler, a waterproofing layer is attached to the beams from the side of the cellar. At the same time, all wooden floor elements should first be checked for integrity. Repair beams if necessary.
- At the bottom of the beams, supporting bars or thin rails are attached. If the basement is damp, then instead of them it is necessary to use a galvanized profile. These elements have to hold the entire layer of thermal insulation material.
- Loose insulation with this scheme is not used, therefore, mineral wool is selected. It is cut into pieces, while their width should be 20-30 mm more than the step between the lags. In this case, in the “pocket” the insulation will be close to its walls and will be fixed for some time. An assistant is already needed here: one will hold the material, the other will fasten the support rails.
- In addition to floor insulation in a wooden house, an insulating membrane is attached from below with a stapler.
- Planks are fixed on the beams to form a rough floor. Moreover, the boards should be laid in the transverse direction in relation to the lag.
To protect the insulation from the encroachment of rodents, it is possible to fix a metal mesh with small cells over the waterproofing layer.
Double protection
With this scheme of floor insulation, the height to the ceiling will be reduced in the region of 12-20 cm. This should be taken into account, and if conditions allow, you can proceed to work. The algorithm here is this:
- Remove the skirting boards, then inspect the floorboards, and repair if necessary. All cracks are filled with mounting foam, a mixture of sawdust and wood glue. A combination of paste and dampened paper is also suitable.
- Put the logs, the step between them should be from 60 to 70 cm, but not more than 90 cm.
- Before you start insulating the floor in the country, you need to check the height of the lag with a building level. If it is exceeded, remove the excess with a planer, in case of a deficiency, compensate with a lining under the timber roofing material.
- A continuous sheet is laid waterproofing layer or vapor barrier.
- "Boxes" between the lags are filled with the selected heat-insulating material. In this case, one should not forget about the ventilation gap.
- Cover with one more insulating layer.
- Lay boards, plywood, GVLV or any other similar material to form the finishing floor.
- At the final stage, the floor covering spreads and the skirting board is put in place.
If the foundation of the house rests on piles (including bored and screw modifications), then regardless of the technological scheme of floor insulation, it is necessary to provide protection with a windproof barrier. It is located outside.
Insulation of the floor between floors in the country
Insulating the floor between floors is necessary only in cases where the temperature of the premises relative to the ceiling is significantly different. At the same time, this procedure can be performed for the ceiling-floor of a house with an attic floor. The choice of insulation also depends on how it is installed: logs or overlap.
The sequence of work is approximately the same:
- Between the lags or on the plates a layer of vapor barrier material is laid .
- The insulation is laid, and it is necessary to ensure that there are no gaps between its segments. Sometimes overlapping seams is allowed.
- A waterproofing layer lays on top.
- The formation of the finishing floor.
If the house has an attic, which is used mainly as a storage room (not residential), then a windproof structure must be placed on top of the insulation.
Choice of insulation
When choosing a material for floor insulation, it is necessary, first of all, to pay attention to important characteristics:
- low thermal conductivity;
- light weight;
- durability;
- resistance to moisture;
- ease of processing material.
Budgetary floor insulation in the country is sawdust, earth, moss, but now they are already outdated, and more modern and effective options have been used for floor insulation. In addition, sawdust, although it is very cheap and much easier to stack, has significant drawbacks. Over time, they begin to rot. Do not forget that it is a combustible material.
It should also be borne in mind that, choosing mineral wool as a heater, the thickness of the material to be laid must be made at least 100 mm. With regard to porous analogues, the norms are slightly larger - from 100 to 120 mm.
Mineral wool
In accordance with regulatory documents, this type of material includes:
- glass wool;
- slagged;
- stone wool.
The sizes of glass wool fibers are very small: the thickness is only 5-15 microns, and the length is not more than 50 mm. Thanks to this structure, the material is quite durable and elastic. It is necessary to work with it with extreme caution, since ignoring safety rules is fraught with various complications. Inhaling glass dust can cause serious damage to the lungs, and when thin threads break, they can get on the skin or eyes, which also does not bode well. But, despite this, many owners of suburban real estate in matters of floor insulation in the country still prefer this material.
Slag is characterized as a material with residual acidity. This quality negatively affects metal surfaces in rooms with a high level of humidity. The material is able to absorb moisture well, but it is quite fragile. Warming them with plastic and metal structures is not recommended.
Unlike slag stone material is not scratchy and therefore it is safer to work with it. Its most common form is basalt wool, which has the highest characteristics. And this is in the absence of mineral and binders. The material can be formed into rolls or sheets, as well as stuffed into mats. If it is heated to a temperature above the permissible limits, it does not burn, but melts.
The significant advantages of mineral wool include:
- High degree of sound insulation.
- Availability.
- Durability.
- Maximum effect combined with good waterproofing.
It is widely used both in the construction of new buildings, and during the repair work. But this is far from the only material that can be used to warm the floor in a wooden house from below.
Expanded clay
The material consists of small granules (about 50 mm), brown in color. In total, there are three varieties, depending on the size: granules, fine gravel, sand.
Among its positive qualities it is worth noting environmental cleanliness, noise and sound insulation properties. To achieve the desired effect, the material should be laid in a layer of 50 cm. Filling it with concrete or cement is not recommended. Expanded clay can be used for warming both a wooden floor and a concrete coating.
Penoplex
This material has high thermal insulation properties, due to which it is widely used in the construction industry. In fact, this is a type of expanded polystyrene, or rather, its extruded version. In its production, the extrusion method is used (foaming followed by indentation into a special mold).
For insulation of the floor in the country, penoplex is ideal, and that's why. The result is a granular material with cells (in them the voids are filled with gas). At low weight, penoplex does not leak moisture and reliably retains heat. Usually produced in sheets with a width of 600 mm, and the length can be 1200 mm or 2400 mm.
As for his other positive qualities, we can distinguish such advantages:
- Resistant to mold and mildew.
- Durability.
- Ease of installation (even experience is not necessary).
- Resistance to deformation.
- The ability to withstand temperature changes.
However, there are also disadvantages. For example, ultraviolet rays have a destructive effect on the material. For this reason, it is necessary to finish on top of the insulation, and it is done immediately.
In addition, it is a combustible material, during combustion it emits not only caustic smoke, but also toxins (hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen bromide, phosgene). This should be considered when choosing this material for floor insulation in the country.