The article will describe in as much detail as possible about the insulation of the slopes of metal-plastic windows. Such designs can be found not only in private homes, but also in offices, industrial premises. In other words, the scope of plastic windows is quite wide. But, unfortunately, many homeowners only decorate slopes, do not think that they need to be insulated. And this is a very serious mistake, since warming is one of the most important procedures, which must be paid close attention to during the installation of metal-plastic windows.
Is it necessary to insulate?
Let's look at the reasons why it is necessary to warm the slopes of windows made of metal. The reasons are not very many, but they are quite significant, so you should not neglect them:
- The window system is installed by creating a so-called installation joint, which is filled with foam during installation. But it has rather unstable properties, especially with increasing humidity or temperature difference. Therefore, the mounting foam is gradually destroyed, a very large amount of heat begins to escape through the destroyed seam.
- The presence of voids is the very first sign that the formation of fungi and mold is about to begin. Of course, the entire surface can be treated with antiseptics, which will protect it from the appearance of fungi. But condensate will still appear on the surface.
- If warming and sealing are not performed correctly, then moisture will begin to enter the rooms through all the joints. Moisture will gradually accumulate, and significant temperature jumps will lead to cracks and skewed windows.
- In that case, if you set the slopes without a layer of insulation material, a "game" of metal plastic can occur. In other words, areas with voids will begin to bend under any, even the weakest, effect.
We can conclude from all of the above - warming slopes is an important stage in the installation work. This is what will allow avoiding subsequently various problems and unnecessary investments.
Polyfoam - the cheapest material
It should be noted that warm slopes are a one-hundred-percent guarantee that when operating window systems in the rooms there will be maximum comfort. There are a large number of materials that can be used as insulation.
The most popular is polystyrene. The one that is used for packaging household appliances. It has a very low cost, and it will not create any problems during installation. But be sure to consider that with constant temperature changes, the foam can collapse. Therefore, if you plan to make high-quality and reliable insulation for windows, you need to assess the likelihood of destruction due to the influence of these factors.
Mineral wool
The price of ecowool (mineral) is slightly higher than that of polystyrene. But her properties are much better. Mineral wool is an excellent material in order to qualitatively insulate slopes both inside and out. This material can very well isolate the required section of the window, and most importantly - it is absolutely non-combustible.
Therefore, even in case of fire, it will not be able to ignite. Therefore, do not look at the price of ecowool (for 10 sheets you will have to pay at least 350 rubles), it turns out to be much better in practice than cheap foam.
Penoplex
Extruded polystyrene foam (this material is better known as penoplex). It has the best characteristics when compared with polystyrene or mineral wool. But its cost is about twice as high as that of polystyrene. But the most important plus is that the material is strong enough and able to withstand quite large loads. In addition, polystyrene foam 50 mm is twice as effective as polystyrene of the same thickness.
When warming the internal slopes on the windows with any of these materials, it will be necessary to finish. Of course, if your house is made of sandwich panels, finishing work is not necessary. And if everything is correctly installed, then there is no need to do insulation.
Varieties of insulation options
There are a lot of options for warming, they are all carried out directly during the installation of window slopes. But in the event that the structure is already installed and it suddenly turns out that the thermal insulation is insufficient, it will be necessary to remove all existing finishes. And sometimes you have to buy new material to make a new cladding. Do not reject glass wool insulation - this is a fairly high-quality material that will last for more than a decade. But you need to work with it as carefully as possible.
The most economical way
This option for insulation is based on the fact that the slopes will be made of insulation material. You will need such a set of materials for work:
- Styrofoam.
- Putty.
- Liquid nails (or any suitable glue).
This method is suitable for warming internal slopes on the windows. But you can safely do the work outside the premises, but using a slightly different technology.
Exterior finish
For work you will need a reinforcing mesh, as well as putty, trowels, dowels with washers.
The work procedure is as follows:
- First you need to carefully cut the foam and smooth out as much as possible all the surfaces that will be processed. All cracks that you find must be coated with putty, and the joints must be carefully sealed.
- All areas that you plan to insulate must be treated with a deep penetration primer.
- Cut the foam into separate elements. All details must correspond to the dimensions of the slopes of the window. It should be noted that all elements that are arranged vertically need to be made a little smaller in size (by the thickness of the horizontal element).
- Polyfoam is a material with a smooth surface, so you have to wipe it a little with an emery cloth. This will provide the most effective grip with the base.
- All elements must be smeared with adhesive and installed in their place. After that, let the solution dry.
- Under the fixing dowels, you need to make holes. A layer of putty must be laid on top of the material.
- Pull the mesh for reinforcement and fasten it with dowels.
- Cover the entire surface with putty and apply 1-2 coats of paint (as needed).
Please note that all work on the insulation of internal slopes on the windows is performed somewhat differently, now we’ll talk about this. But all the same, everything needs to be done as carefully as possible, otherwise even small irregularities will be visible after the surface finishes.
Insulation inside the house
Internal insulation of the slopes of metal-plastic windows can also be done with foam. The works are in many respects similar to those that we described a little earlier. But there are such differences:
- It is not necessary to use a mesh for reinforcement. Instead, perforated corners can be used.
- Foam parts can be composed of several fragments at once.
- The thickness of the insulation should be selected based on how the loops are located on the frame.
Thanks to the use of polystyrene, all work can be done as cheaply and quickly as possible. You can use this method of insulation in any room, regardless of their purpose.
Combined insulation method
Very often mineral wool is used to warm the house. It is much better than polystyrene. The problem is that it is difficult to cut the foam, and in some cases the slopes have a certain bevel. And it must be taken into account. And if plastic panels are used as cladding, their shape will also have to be taken into account.
When using mineral wool, the warming algorithm is as follows:
- First cut the foam so that it does not protrude from the wall. All sections must be sealed.
- Fix the guide profile on the frame, it will be required in order to fix the installed panels. It is recommended to fasten the panels almost to the very edge of the frame.
- Around the outer edge you need to install a rail made of wood. It is on it that you need to fix the panel. But rake is not necessary at all.
- All surfaces must be coated with putty and primed.
- Prepare mineral wool while the surface dries. All work must be carried out with gloves, it is allowed to tear or cut mineral wool - this moment is not critical.
- Cut the panels and put them in the initial profile. Between the base and the element, a gap will necessarily appear, it is in it that you need to hammer in the insulation material. It is important that the material occupies the entire space, but it does not interfere with the installation of the panels.
This option of insulation can be used for both external and internal works. Only the use of slopes should be considered.
The most reliable way of warming
But if you use several materials for insulation at once, then you can most reliably carry out the work. For work, you will need not only a heat insulator, but also foil material. Three-layer sandwich panels are also useful. But you can apply two-layer panels, if you carefully level the entire surface and protect the mounting seam.
The algorithm of the work is as follows:
- Thoroughly prepare the surface, defects and cracks must be eliminated, the joints sealed.
- First, put a profile for the panels, after it the wooden slats on the outside.
- The area on which the mounting seam is located must be faced with insulation with foil. Moreover, the material should go on adjacent walls.
- Prepare the sandwich panels - they need to be cut into pieces of the right size.
- The gap between the foil and the battens of wood must be filled with mineral wool.
- Install the panels, for this, firmly press them to the wooden beam.
- Now it remains to fill the corner gap and install a plastic element.
All work should be carried out as carefully as possible, in accordance with all the rules. Only in this way you can get a good result.