Thermal insulation called "glass wool" is one of the oldest materials for insulation. Despite the fact that the modern market is filled with many solutions, glass wool is still preferred in construction today. However, before you purchase it, you should familiarize yourself with its features and technical specifications.
Glass wool characteristics
If you have a question about what glass wool is, then first you need to familiarize yourself with its characteristics. Glass wool is made from molten glass melt, while the temperature is maintained above +1400 ° C. It is based on a battle of sand and glass, which is pulled into a fiber. The resulting product is collected in bundles, using a binder based on bitumen.
The raw material is heated to +200 ° C, and then pressed. After that, the materials are cut or rolled into separate rolls, then they are already ready for delivery to the market. If you also wondered what glass wool is, you should understand that it is different from basalt thermal insulation. The first version of the insulation is easy due to the softness and length of the fibers, as well as their elasticity. Therefore, the material has excellent elasticity. This is especially noticeable during storage and transportation of the material, since glass wool takes up a minimal amount of space.
After unpacking, it quickly takes its original shape, which allows you to use it when working with different designs. If we compare with stone wool, the glass wool fiber has a thickness ranging from 3 to 15 microns. As for the length of the fibers, it is up to 4 times greater than that of stone wool.
The described insulation contains almost no non-fibrous inclusions, it has excellent vibration resistance. If you have a question about what glass wool is, then you should be interested in one of the important indicators - thermal conductivity. It is equal to from 0.030 to 0.052 W / m · K. But the temperature resistance reaches 450 ° C.
Areas of use
Before acquiring the described material, you should familiarize yourself with the areas of its use. Among others, it should be highlighted:
- outdoor work;
- roofing;
- thermal insulation of horizontal surfaces;
- soundproofing and insulation of partitions and walls.
For each of the spheres, different types of glass wool are selected, which differ in the type of fibers. Each material has or is free from additional coatings for each variety. The fibers in them are arranged in their own way, which affects the thermal conductivity. Different types also have a certain density. Therefore, the choice of glass wool must be approached with seriousness, because only in this way it will be possible to achieve high quality work and the durability of the product.
Basic properties
When consumers ask themselves what glass wool is, they begin to study the basic properties, among which it is necessary to highlight:
- fire resistance;
- frost resistance;
- low cost;
- Ease of use;
- resistance to low temperatures;
- immunity of chemicals.
As for ease of use, it lies in the fact that the described products can be installed even in hard-to-reach places. The determining factor when choosing a heater quite often is the cost, and for this material it is one of the minimum. Chemical reagents can act on the surface of the insulation, while they do not have a negative effect. By installing glass wool, you can not be afraid that rodents can get in it. Due to this, there is no need to provide additional protection.
Negative features
You now know what glass wool is made of, but for the full picture you need to take an interest in the negative features of this material. Among others, it should be highlighted:
- susceptibility to shrinkage;
- fragility of fibers;
- insufficiently good thermal insulation properties;
- low level of density;
- the need for additional use of waterproofing film.
The material during operation can shrink, which must be taken into account during construction. It is important to pay attention to the fragility of the fibers, as well as the fact that the material is afraid of water. For protection you have to use special tools.
Glass wool, the characteristics of which were presented above, also has a certain thermal conductivity. This ratio should be below unity. It is important to remember that the material is better if this parameter is lower. Many people also know that glass wool is unsafe for health. However, products based on this material, which no longer contain harmful substances, are presented on the modern market. But working with this thermal insulation is not very convenient, because it crumbles, therefore, additional personal protective equipment should be used, namely:
Glass wool cost
Glass wool insulation, the price of which is acceptable to most consumers, is offered for sale in many varieties. This should include plates and mats of different sizes. For example, glass wool with dimensions equal to 10,000 × 1,200 × 50 mm will cost the consumer 990 rubles. per m 3 . If the material is foil, then you can purchase it for 1731 rubles.
Product Types
The range of fiberglass products involves:
- the plates are soft;
- hard mats;
- semi-rigid plates.
The latter are made on a synthetic binder and withstand high loads. A rigid sheet of glass wool, protected on both sides by a glass flock, acts as an excellent wind protection. On the long sides of the product, a lock connection in the form of a crest and a tongue is possible, which provides strong fastening and the absence of gaps. Soft materials are pressed into rolls. Due to the fact that they have high elasticity, they straighten and recover, returning the original volume.
Conclusion
Glass wool insulation, the price of which was mentioned above, can be made with additional layers in the form of foil or fiberglass. The first is necessary for steam, while the second is for wind protection. In addition, this addition eliminates the migration of fibers.