Do-it-yourself insulation of the facade with polystyrene foam today is carried out by the home owners quite often. And this is no coincidence. This popularity is due to the operational properties of the material. In addition, the technology of facade insulation with its use is quite simple and understandable.
General information
Polystyrene foam has a lot of positive qualities. In this regard, the material is becoming increasingly popular. However, many owners of residential buildings doubt whether it is worthwhile to insulate the facade with expanded polystyrene. Next, let's see if the material is really good.
Insulating properties
For materials that are used as insulation, low thermal conductivity is important. Otherwise, the room will be cold and uncomfortable. Expanded polystyrene has a reduced coefficient of thermal conductivity. Thus, thanks to its use, comfort in the apartment or house is ensured.
Security
Polyfoam is an absolutely non-toxic and inert material , unlike, for example, artificial stone, which sometimes has the ability to emit harmful radiation. Expanded polystyrene is safe for people and the environment in general. This is confirmed by the fact that specific requirements are not imposed on the material production process.
Environmental friendliness
From buildings insulated with polystyrene foam, a small amount of carbon is released into the atmosphere. Polystyrene does not contain chlorine and fluorine. These compounds are capable of destroying the ozone layer. In the manufacture of expanded polystyrene, pentane is used. It is an acyclic saturated hydrocarbon from the alkane class. Pentane does not belong to the category of greenhouse gases and does not affect the ozone layer.
Cost-effectiveness
The manufacturing process of the material is quite cheap. No major energy costs are foreseen during manufacture. In addition, waste from production is reused. For example, they go to the manufacture of special additives for various materials (from concrete to solid brick). However, the cost of insulating the facade with polystyrene foam is relatively high. It ranges from 1600 to 2000 per m 2 . Therefore, many decide to independently carry out the insulation of the facade with expanded polystyrene. The price of the material depends on its thickness and density. Regular sheets can be purchased from 30 rubles apiece.
Extruded Styrofoam
This kind of material was developed in America. Facade insulation with extruded polystyrene foam has become popular relatively recently. The material is good in that it can be used on various parts of the building. However, extruded polystyrene foam is ideally suited for the facade. The material is obtained by mixing granular polymer with a special foaming composition made on the basis of carbon dioxide and freon. The mixture is heated to high temperature and forced through a special apparatus called an extruder. It provides better mixing of the components and additional foaming of the composition. The resulting mixture is molded into plates. During solidification, a strong and lightweight material is formed.
Material advantages
The advantages of extruded polystyrene foam include:
- Low vapor permeability.
- Resistance to the negative effects of external factors.
- Durability. The operational period is about 50 years with proper installation.
- Fire safety.
The coefficient of thermal conductivity of extruded polystyrene foam is 0.03 W / m 3 . This indicator indicates high insulating properties of the material. Its structure consists of more than 90% of air enclosed in cells. The cost of extruded polystyrene foam is on average two times higher than usual.
External insulation device: general information
Expanded polystyrene, as a rule, is used when warming the outside of the structure. Insulation can be carried out both at the construction stage and after its completion or during reconstruction of the building. The advantage of external insulation is the preservation of usable space indoors. In addition, external insulation is more appropriate and beneficial in many other ways. In the external insulation, polystyrene boards with a thickness of 80-100 mm or thinner sheets (30-40 mm) laid in two layers are used. By protecting the building in this way, you can save on heating, reducing costs by up to 50%. It must be said that the external insulation of the building is carried out at an ambient temperature of at least five degrees, always in dry weather.
Preparatory stage
How to start facade insulation with polystyrene foam? Mounting technology involves surface preparation. First of all, the base is cleaned of dirt. Next, you need to eliminate everything that may interfere with styling. For example, protruding pieces of mortar, reinforcement, various protrusions (if they are not an architectural element). Then you should close up large cracks, cracks. After that, the surface is primed. To process the base, you can use the solution "Aquastop". The mixture should treat the wall to a height of 1-1.5 meters from the blind area.
Installation of vertical sag
For this, you can apply, for example, nylon cords. They are installed with a step of 0.5-0.7 m. This is necessary to see where there are bulges or dips on the wall, which will allow you to add glue in the right places or wipe the foam surface with a grater. It is important to conduct high-quality insulation of the facade with polystyrene foam. Installation technology is quite simple. Do not forget about the aesthetic component. During installation, it is necessary to check the evenness of the plates. This can be done with the help of a building level.
Sheet fixing
Do-it-yourself insulation of the facade with polystyrene foam is done on glue. The mixture is prepared in accordance with the instructions on the packaging. At normal temperature, the adhesive must be used up within one and a half hours, in hot or cold time - in 40 or 60 minutes. The solution is applied "cakes" at five points on the stove. After this, the edges of the sheet should be covered with a uniform layer of glue. If the material will be fixed on a perfectly flat surface, it is better to distribute the solution with a comb spatula.
Knitting plates
The second row must begin with a sheet cut in half. Insulation of the facade with polystyrene foam should be carried out in such a way that the seams of the rows do not coincide. The gaps formed between the plates should be sealed with pieces of material or its liquid form. It is not recommended to use polyurethane foam for these purposes. Mismatches that occur at the joints are cleaned with a grater.
Mechanical fixation
The facade is insulated with polystyrene foam for reliable insulation of the building. Therefore, to prevent tearing off the plates from the surface, they are additionally fixed with dish-shaped dowels: “mushrooms”, “parachutes”, “umbrellas”. The recommended amount of fixing elements is 5-6 per sheet. After the facade insulation with polystyrene foam is completed, you can begin to putty the dowels with adhesive mortar and reinforce the surface.
Final stage
The insulation is reinforced using a special facade film, the basis of which is fiberglass. The mesh for the wall should be rigid and dense, for slopes, decorative elements and corners - soft. Surface plastering is carried out with polymer compositions. They are highly resistant to the negative effects of the environment. Polymer plasters are not afraid of moisture, low temperature, they are not destroyed by direct sunlight.
Hollow Wall Insulation
Today, there are various technologies for the construction of structures. One of them involves the use of hollow elements. This is a fairly economical construction option, as it allows you to save on materials. In this case, warming is carried out directly in the thickness of the wall, during the construction process. This significantly improves the performance of insulation, since the material does not come in contact with the external environment. The supporting structure itself is formed of fairly strong elements. Materials have the ability to withstand various loads. And if there is a heater inside the cavity, this quality is noticeably improved. Finishing is carried out directly on the surface.