At the moment, doctors are sounding the alarm about construction projects in cities where they use building materials, which sometimes greatly worsen the health of citizens. Among them are asbestos, which has been banned in European countries for a long time. The next scary material is stone wool, the damage to health that it can do is amazing. In the countries of the European Union, its use has been significantly limited, and replaced with more environmentally friendly heaters.
Substances affecting health
In the CIS countries, the most common material is mineral wool, it insulates walls, ceilings, floors, attics and loggias. The thing is that fiber itself strongly absorbs surrounding moisture. And to fix this, phenol-formaldehyde resins are used , which impregnate the material to bind it, as well as repel water. Thanks to these additives, stone wool is harmful to health.
Type of facades, which is especially dangerous
But in cities, ventilated facades are very popular , which perfectly warm the room in the winter, and in the summer it is cool. According to the technology, a gap is left between the walls and the stone wool so that air can pass and moisture evaporates. Because of this, the smallest particles of dust fly off the insulation, which penetrate around through the windows, doors, and ventilation. Often, staying in such a room can cause various lung diseases and even cancer. In addition, stone wool particles can irritate the eyes, mucous membranes, and even the skin.
Stone wool insulation is harmful to health precisely with its microparticles, which are needles that get into the lungs when breathing. However, when exhalation occurs, they do not blow out, but remain inside. Accumulating inside the body, they destroy it, which leads to terrible diseases.
The illusion of material purity
When stone wool only appeared and began to be used for warming buildings, everyone thought that it was an environmentally friendly material that has very good sound-proofing qualities, as well as heat-insulating materials. However, after conducting research in 2002, scientists were shocked. Stone wool is a huge health hazard, it was made public, and now scientists are thinking about how to limit the amount of this material in order to preserve the health of citizens.
The consequences of improper insulation with stone wool
Various types of phenols, dust and dirt inflict a crushing blow to human health. In the body, the killing of beneficial microorganisms occurs, as a result of which there is a violation of the biocenosis, which leads to the formation of various inflammations. As a result, about 20% of families remain infertile, from 10 to 15% of women have premature births, the number of health defects in newborns is growing rapidly. And all these terrifying numbers are increasing rapidly from year to year.
What is a heater
Now there is a huge number of enterprises that produce stone wool, the price of their products is also diverse, it all depends on how much resin it contains. Soft rolled material costs from 400 rubles, but hard mats can rise up to 1500 rubles. and even higher. Basalt wool itself is made of rocks. Therefore, it cannot burn. But what holds its fibers together is the resins that burn. They include formaldehydes and phenols, the destruction of which due to drafts, precipitation and temperature changes affects the health of the population. And the fiber itself from the same factors destroying it becomes very fine and sharp dust, clogging the lungs.
Hardness types of stone wool
Manufacturers have stone wool, the price of which is high, the most stringent. Because of this, it is used where the mechanical load will also fall on the insulation. In general, there are three types of stone wool: soft and hard, which are sold in rolls, as well as mats. They are the most durable. They carry out the most common warming - facade. It allows the material to let air through and remove condensate. Therefore, the insulation remains dry and warms the building better. Its milder types are designed for insulation of chimneys and pipelines.
Varieties of stone wool
Rockwool stone wool, which is one of the leaders in the market, is widely used in our country. Their products are represented by a wide range of different types. Stone wool can also be fixed on a material that improves its various qualities. There is a coating of fiberglass and foil, such a material is more expensive, it costs about 1000 to 3000 rubles. The first option is preferable to use where you need to eliminate noise. For example, in places with working units. Foil coating can hold back huge temperatures. Such a heater is used near heating furnaces and similar units, whose temperature can cause a fire.
Leading companies producing mineral wool
Thanks to its quality, versatile products, Rockwool stone wool has become so widespread. There are many more companies that also supply their insulation to the CIS countries. Among them are the most famous and popular:
- TechnoNIKOL.
- Turkart.
- Nobasil.
- PAROC.
Builders of Russia give preference to these companies. All these companies have an extensive assortment, where one type of insulation can be better than another, and vice versa. There is competition among manufacturers, so you should not take everything in one organization. It is better to study building forums where people share their experiences. After all, stone wool is always chosen , reviews about which are most positive for a certain type of work. Now the insulation of buildings in their scale and implementation is so diverse that the material should be selected for specific narrow-minded work.
Another popular among the masters stone wool "TechnoNIKOL". It is used by both professionals and home craftsmen. There is also a wide range of not only stone, but also glass wool, as well as other materials for insulation. Their products can be found both in construction stores and in the online store. However, you should always remember how harmful this material can be to health, therefore, you must always install it correctly so that dust and fumes cannot escape. This applies to any insulation materials, regardless, it will be TechnoNikol stone wool or another.
How to check the quality of mineral wool insulation
Even despite the manufacturer, no matter how good he may be, products must always be checked in order to protect themselves. To minimize the damaging harm to health from the use of stone wool, it is worth paying attention to some of its features.
The first thing to do is to see if the dust is being poured from the heater. If even the smallest particles fall, you should not buy it. Just picking up the material, you need to pat on its surface - and immediately everything will be visible. Good stone wool is made from long fibers, so they all hold well. In poor-quality material, waste is also used. They are much smaller, so trash is formed. Especially easy to check in this way stone wool slabs. It is imperative to experience such insulation, because it is used to make facades, where there is a gap between the wall and stone wool, which is impossible to completely hide.
The second danger is evaporation, they can be released in those places where the insulation is subjected to maximum heat. You need to choose the material where the least resin. In addition, it is necessary to check the quality and resistance to temperature. The seller needs to request documents, where it is written, where the stone wool was delivered from, which is planned to be insulated. There must be affixed the temperature in degrees, which is able to withstand the material, as well as its warranty period. Only by studying the nuances, you can find out whether a certain type of stone wool is suitable to achieve the goal. There can be no general recommendations on the use of this material, because it is highly specialized, like the tasks that are set for it.
Work Precautions
Such contradictory material as mineral or stone wool is fully described here, its characteristics are quite high, but in inept hands it can destroy human health. I must also say that it should be transported very carefully and monitor the packaging. Accurate handling and proper installation of stone wool will allow you to safely and comfortably live in a warm house.