One of the methods of floor insulation is the use of sawdust. This method has several advantages. However, when creating such insulation, you need to adhere to certain norms and requirements. Otherwise, the result will not be satisfactory. How to properly perform floor insulation with sawdust will be discussed later.
Features of insulation
In your own home during the cold season, a significant part of the heat goes through the floor. To reduce the amount of coolant consumed, the owners should pay attention to creating a high-quality thermal insulation layer. For these purposes, many different materials are used. They differ in the degree of thermal conductivity, durability and cost.
Insulation of the ceiling and floor with sawdust in your own home allows you to get a good result with minimal cost. It is this fact that makes the presented type of thermal insulation popular.
Sawdust is a product of the woodworking industry. These are production wastes, therefore their cost is relatively small. At the same time, sawdust has a number of characteristics that allow you to use this material as a heater. However, the material also has disadvantages.
Sawdust quickly absorbs moisture and loses its heat-insulating qualities. At the same time, it is a combustible, highly flammable material. Therefore, it is not used in its pure form. They are mixed with other compounds. To get high-quality insulation, you will need to study in detail the features of installation.
Varieties of sawdust
According to reviews, floor insulation with sawdust is very effective. However, you need to choose the right material to create thermal insulation. Sawdust can be different. This is recycled wood. Its appearance depends on the selected processing method. It can be sawing, drilling or planing.
If the sawn wood, it turns out trash. When drilling or planing, chips are obtained. Its size is approximately 3-5 cm.
The sawdust fraction can vary significantly. For insulation, material from 0.5 to 3 cm in size is suitable. Such sawdust can be purchased at woodworking enterprises at an affordable price. At the same time, the buyer receives environmentally friendly material. It weighs quite a bit, which reduces the load on the foundation.
Experts note that to create a layer of insulation suitable sawdust of such wood species as pine, oak, ash or spruce.
Insulation requirements
The creation of floor insulation with sawdust in a block, frame, wooden or other building requires the right choice of materials. It is also important to determine under what conditions the floors will be operated. In this case, it is worth considering the purpose of the room, the level of humidity and temperature. It is important to pay attention to the overall load on the base of the room.
Before starting construction work, you should also determine how high the thermal insulation layer can be. If the house is already built, and you want to create additional insulation, not only the size of the sawdust layer, but also all other materials that will be used in the work, is taken into account. Otherwise, the height of the ceilings will greatly decrease.
Sawdust should have a certain set of characteristics. You need to choose a completely dry material. The smell of such sawdust should not be unusual for wood. It is extremely important to treat them with antiseptics and flame retardants before use. After this, the sawdust should again dry thoroughly. At the same time, copper sulfate and lime (10%) are added to the composition.
Types of insulation
There are several options for floor insulation using sawdust. Most often, wood blocks are used for these purposes. This is the insulation of the floor with sawdust with cement. These components are mixed in a specific proportion. The composition is added copper sulfate. This option is suitable for a new house, which is only planned to be built.
Another option is the use of pellets (granules). In this case, the sawdust is mixed with a flame retardant, antiseptic and special glue. This is a carboxymethyl cellulone composition. The result is a granular filler that has high thermal insulation characteristics. Thanks to the impregnation, the natural material does not ignite, does not rot. It is not susceptible to pest attacks.
Another option for creating a heater from the presented material is the use of sawdust. In this case, coniferous sawdust is mixed with cement, water and sand. The thermal conductivity in this case will be the same as that of slag concrete.
Other types of insulation
In some cases, insulation of the floor with clay and sawdust is performed. This option is less durable than cement varieties of flooring. But the thermal insulation properties of this material are high.
Another option for creating a layer of insulation is the use of wood concrete. It is obtained by mixing sawdust and cement with organic additives. In this case, plates are created that are characterized by high heat and sound insulation indicators. This material is not flammable, but does not like moisture. The coating is strong and durable. It is used for dry rooms. This requires the use of high-quality hydro and vapor barrier.
A common option is to use sawdust in its pure form. This is a special technology. In this case, you need to take into account a number of nuances.
Insulation Reviews
According to reviews, floor insulation with sawdust in a wooden house or other other structure will be effective only with the exact implementation of installation technology. If you plan to mix wood processing waste with cement or clay, the work will need to be carried out promptly. The composition quickly freezes.
One of the most popular methods is the use of dry backfill. In this case, it is extremely important to properly prepare the sawdust for installation. The fact is that in natural material bugs, rodents and other pests can start. Therefore, without an antiseptic in this case can not do. In order for the insulation to comply with fire safety requirements, it is treated with a flame retardant.
Also, the material in a humid environment begins to rot. To protect the sawdust from moisture, it is necessary to apply waterproofing. If the fraction was very large, it may be compacted over time. The thermal insulation properties of the material in this case will noticeably decrease. Therefore, you need to adhere to the established rules for creating an insulating layer.
Dry backfill
Warming up the floor with sawdust in a wooden house most often occurs when using dry backfill. In this case, two types of sawdust are required. The first layer is created from a material with a large fraction. Small sawdust will be stacked on it. In this case, there will be no dust in the house that constantly appears when using fine-grained backfill.
Also, you can not use only large sawdust. In this case, they cannot be tamped with quality. The layer of large sawdust should be about 15 cm. They are tamped, and then covered with a fine fraction. This layer should be the same thickness. To better compact the material, it is permissible to moisten it with a small amount of moisture. When it dries, slag or sand is poured on top. This prevents the processes of decay and the spread of insect pests inside the insulation.
Instruction manual
To perform floor insulation with sawdust in a wooden house, you will need to perform a number of simple steps. First, the waste from the woodworking industry is watered with an antiseptic and mixed thoroughly. While this material dries, you need to process the logs with the same composition.
When all processed materials have dried, a rough floor from the boards is laid. Waterproofing is laid on it. Sawdust is poured onto polyethylene with a layer of at least 10 cm. Experienced builders advise impregnating the sawdust with a solution of lime before this. It is diluted to a liquid state. This procedure prevents decomposition processes.
Also, do not stack screed on sawdust. This material is not so strong as to support its weight.
The insulation dries for at least 2 days. During this time, the sawdust will sit. It will be necessary to pour them more. Some builders simply pour immediately a layer of 14 cm more than necessary. It is also worth considering proper ventilation. Without this, in a few months the material will lose its heat-insulating qualities.
Sawdust with cement
If you plan to create a mixture for insulation from cement with sawdust, you need to choose slightly moist chips for this.
It must be stored for at least a year. The material should not have foci of fungus, bacteria, rot. Next is the insulation of the floor with sawdust with lime. Processing with this antiseptic extends the life of the thermal insulation.
Preparation of cement backfill
To prepare the mixture, you need to add 20 parts of pre-processed sawdust, 3 parts of dry cement and 2 parts of water. The result is a semi-dry granular insulation. It is necessary to add cement and water in small portions. Do not allow the solution to solidify. Dry components are mixed first. Then they gradually add water. Inadequately interfered areas should be avoided.
Next, a sand substrate is created. It should be about 10 cm. Waterproofing is laid on it. You also need to treat all wooden elements with an antiseptic. Prepared chips are poured on top. Sand must first be wetted and tamped. When it dries, pour out sawdust with cement. The base must ripen. It can be covered with boards when the material becomes elastic. In this case, the layer may crack a little when pressed. It should not fail.
Other options
Insulation of the floor in a private house with sawdust requires high-quality ramming. The material must not sag after installation. For this, other materials are added to the composition. In addition to cement, there are other compounds that can give sawdust density. For example, it can be gypsum.
To prepare the correct backfill for the floor, you need to mix about 85% sawdust (shavings) with 5% gypsum. In the same composition you need to add 10% lime. If lime dough is used, it will need 2 times more than dry powder. It should be remembered that gypsum crystallizes quickly. Therefore, you can cook a very small amount of backfill at a time.
It is for this reason that cement is used more often. It is more plastic, hardens more slowly. If gypsum is used, drying the sawdust is not necessary. The insulation will need to be prepared in small portions. It is imperative to mix the composition thoroughly. Water is added in small portions. After mixing, its adequacy can be checked by squeezing the filling in the hand. If she holds the mold after her fingers are open, the material is ready. But at the same time moisture from it should not be allocated in drops.
Clay application
Insulation of the floor with sawdust can be done by adding clay. In this case, it is important to pay attention to high-quality waterproofing. A plastic film will not be enough. It is better to use special bitumen mastics. If it is planned to lay the film, its thickness should be at least 220 microns.
Such material should be well ventilated. However, it should not accumulate condensate. Otherwise, the filling will not fulfill the functions assigned to it. The waterproofing should fit snugly to the floor. The film is glued with a special composition. She is lapped.
Creating a layer of backfill from clay and sawdust
Next, the clay is mixed with water. About 100 liters of clay should be added per 100 liters of liquid. It should be clean, without any foreign components. Mixing is carried out with a construction mixer. To prepare one serving, you will need a bucket of clay. Water is added to it. Then sawdust is mixed into the composition to the desired density. This backfill is laid in a layer of 10 cm.
When warming the floor with sawdust with clay, the surface cracks when it dries. It needs to be covered up. To do this, use the same clay. After 13-15 weeks, the layer will mature. It is covered with boards. They should be wide enough. Wooden shields are best suited for these purposes.
Having considered the features of floor insulation with sawdust, you can make high-quality thermal insulation, which will last for many years.