A simple way to insulate the floor in a private house. How to insulate a floor in a dacha: the better to insulate, a step-by-step process for insulating a floor with your own hands. Under heated floor

Cold floors in private houses significantly reduce their traditional advantages compared to apartments. This problem is especially relevant if the house stands directly on the ground, without ground floor. In this case, even with intense heating, it is very difficult to warm the floors well. But even if there is under the floor covering cold basement, the temperature in which in winter can remain at +2-4 degrees, then the living space above will also constantly give off heat. In addition to the discomfort from a cold floor, a lot of heat escapes through it into the winter time year, which increases heating costs.

Where to begin?

Ideally, insulation is carried out at the construction stage; in this case, the thermal insulation is laid after the installation of the flooring. The thermal insulation layer is laid between the rough and finished floors leaving a small gap, or the finished floor is laid directly on the heat-insulating layer.

If you plan to improve the thermal insulation of the floor in an already built and lived-in house, it is necessary to either dismantle the existing floor or build it up with a layer of insulation and a finished floor. The decision largely depends on the height of the ceiling and financial capabilities.

Insulation materials

Several materials are traditionally used to insulate floors in private homes:

mineral wool. This is an inexpensive (from 1,400 rubles per m3), durable material. It is released in different forms, most often you can find cotton wool in the form of a rigid slab or flexible mat, each has two sides, laid with the hard side up in order to reduce the likelihood of deformation. Among the advantages of this material are:
- price;
- non-flammable (withstands up to 1000 degrees);
- ease of installation;
- low thermal conductivity;
- good soundproofing qualities.
The big disadvantage of this material is vapor permeability; if waterproofing is not installed, the thermal insulation layer becomes saturated with condensation over time, accumulates moisture (up to 70% of weight) and quickly loses its insulating properties. Rodents also love mineral wool, so protection from them is mandatory;

Glass wool- a material similar in characteristics to mineral wool. Thermal insulation properties on high level, but glass wool is more difficult to work with; care must be taken that it does not get on the body or in the eyes. That's why DIY installation glass wool is not recommended;
Ecowool it costs the same as glass wool (approximately 1,000 rubles per m3), and in terms of thermal insulation qualities it is not inferior to the materials already listed. Ecowool is made from cellulose and is an environmentally friendly and absolutely non-toxic material, but, like any cotton wool, it accumulates moisture, attracts rodents and has flammable properties;
Expanded clay– a clay-based material, it does not lose its insulating properties when moisture accumulates. Therefore, serious hydro- and vapor barrier is not required. Expanded clay is an environmentally friendly and effective insulation material. The only disadvantage of this material is that the layer sufficient for thermal insulation must be at least 10 cm; if the thermal insulation layer is thinner, the floor will be cold;
Styrofoam very popular for insulation concrete floors, its significant disadvantage is flammability and fragility. Due to the high fire hazard, polystyrene foam is more often used to insulate balconies than for residential premises. Cost - from 1,500 rubles per m3;
Expanded polystyrene– better thermal insulation properties than polystyrene foam, practically does not absorb moisture and does not lose its insulating properties over time, and is resistant to mechanical stress. But it has the same disadvantage as polystyrene foam - flammability. When burned, it releases toxic substances; for this reason, such materials are not recommended for use in wooden houses. It is one and a half to two times more expensive than foam;
Chipboard, plywood, sawdust and other organic insulating materials . They are not fireproof and are not ideal as thermal insulation, although they do not emit toxic substances when burned.

When choosing a material, focus on the basic parameters, which are different for different manufacturers, they are always present on the labeling and in the characteristics:

flammability coefficient– G1 materials do not burn without direct flame action;
water absorption coefficient. It is measured as a percentage, the lower it is, the less moisture the material will absorb and the longer it will retain its insulating properties;
coefficient of thermal conductivity. The lower it is, the better material will isolate the room;
density – shows how much the material will weigh down the floor structure, the more layers and the greater the density, the more durable the subfloor and ceiling structures should be.

In most cases, one layer of insulating material is enough; a gap of 2-3 or about 10 cm is left between it and the finished floor for air circulation, and the air also provides additional protection from the cold.

How to install thermal insulation

To begin thermal insulation work, the floor covering must already be installed, in modern houses This is most often a monolithic reinforced concrete slab installed on the ground or ground floor.

If the house is installed directly on the ground, then insulation is carried out in several stages:

backfilling is carried out under the flooring with sand (5-7 cm) and crushed stone (10-12 cm), in the case of old houses it is necessary to dismantle the flooring and go deeper into the ground;
then the subfloor is laid, most often wooden;
a layer of waterproofing is laid (waterproofing mastics or rolled materials), which protects the insulation and wooden logs from moisture;
Parallel logs are installed on the subfloor wooden boards or bars;
between the lags it is laid or filled thermal insulation material(in case mineral and glass wool are used);
a vapor barrier layer is placed on the thermal insulation (usually polyethylene film is used; professional membranes are more effective, but more expensive);
a finished floor is laid on top, a gap is left between it and the thermal insulation for ventilation.

If there is a cold basement under the first residential floor, the insulation procedure is a little simpler; heat-insulating material is placed under the floor or laid by extending the floor by a few centimeters.

The subfloor is cleaned;
Next, a layer of waterproofing is laid;
Logs are laid on it (this is an opportunity to level the floor covering);
The insulating material is laid out between them without seams;
A substrate for the finished floor and the finished floor itself are installed on top.

The entire insulation procedure can be carried out by one person in a few days. Most often, mineral wool is used to insulate private houses; it has an extremely low fire hazard. But it requires the installation of hydro- and vapor barriers.

If you have a basement, it makes sense to install a thermal insulation layer on its ceiling; this significantly complicates the work on thermal insulation, but allows you not to reduce the height of the ceiling of the living space.

Some subtleties

There are several points to consider when planning and installing thermal insulation:

if there is a cold basement under the first floor, an important part of the floor insulation work will be the thermal insulation of the basement walls - through them the a large number of heat;
All wooden elements floors must be treated with an antiseptic;
a mandatory element for thermal insulation materials is ventilation, it prevents condensation from settling and absorbing;
steam and waterproofing - mandatory for any type of thermal insulation material;
if a space of several centimeters is left between the layers of the subfloor and the finished floor, it should be insulated with a fine-mesh metal mesh - this will eliminate the possibility of rodents, which are very fond of many insulating materials, from entering the underground.

If thermal insulation work is carried out correctly, the floor will last as long as basic elements house designs. All materials used for thermal insulation, when the right conditions are durable and will not require replacement long years. But if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to postpone repairs and turn to professionals.

Keeping your home warm is one of the main components of comfort and a healthy life for the whole family. In this, an important role is played by floor insulation in a private house, which has its own subtleties and features. It is worth paying attention to it first of all, without delaying work until the onset of cold weather.

Features and Benefits

In a private house, unlike city apartments, there is almost always no central heating, therefore, the tasks of ensuring warmth and dryness indoors have to be solved independently. Even with powerful batteries, it is not possible to maintain the rooms in winter comfortable temperature, if reliable thermal insulation is not installed under the floor covering.

Sometimes during construction country house After pouring the screed, they hastily make some simple thermal insulation and install a finishing coating. And then, with the onset of cold weather, they wonder why it’s cold in the house, you can’t walk barefoot, and there’s generally a draft coming from under the floor. Therefore, you should carefully insulate, knowing all the intricacies of the process, the properties of materials and other construction tricks.

IN multi-storey building the floor is partially heated by the lower apartments, and even if the apartment is located on the ground floor, then below is the basement, where it is always warm due to the placement of hot pipes and heating systems there.

In a private house, under its foundation there is simple earth, which tends to freeze in winter, so all the tasks of ensuring reliable thermal insulation of the floor lie on the shoulders of the owners.

The decision to reliably insulate the floor in a country house before the onset of the cold season has a number of advantages:

reduction of heat loss in the room, expensive heating becomes more efficient and is not wasted;
many floor insulation also have vapor and waterproofing;
the atmosphere in the house becomes more comfortable, you can walk barefoot, including children;
reliable insulation retains for a long time fresh finishing coating in the house - laminate, parquet and others;
if used quality materials and everything is installed correctly, the thermal insulation will last for many years in a row.

There are different methods for insulating a floor, but the coating itself, on which the insulating layer is placed, comes in several types. And it also affects the choice of insulating material.

Types of coatings

The solid base of the floor has several varieties depending on its material: wood, concrete, screed.

A wooden floor on joists made of thick beams is one of the most ancient types of building the foundation of a house. Schemes for fastening crossbars, tools and technologies are changing, but general principle has remained unchanged for many centuries. There are two ways to secure the logs: in the foundation of the building or on support pillars.

The logs are embedded in the foundation of the building, if its area is small, so that the beams are long enough to securely connect the structure. Otherwise, or if the horizontal supports can no longer be fixed to the base, a “floating” floor on support pillars is used.

Supports for logs are made of brick or concrete at a distance of 70 - 100 cm from each other. First, holes are made for them in the ground, the depth and width of which depends on the height of the pillars themselves. Crushed stone or sand is poured inside with a layer of 30 cm, compacted well, then the supports themselves are installed from brick or cement mortar with the construction of formwork and reinforcement cage. Waterproofing from 3 to 4 layers of roofing material is laid on top, then horizontal beams are attached to the pillars using threaded rods or anchors.

Wooden logs The good thing is that you can successfully create a subfloor from them by nailing solid boards to the bottom cut of the beams, coating the gaps between them with clay and placing any type of insulation on top. Then the top boards are nailed and the finishing coating is installed.

Wood itself retains some heat; it is a natural, environmentally friendly material.

The concrete base of the floor eliminates the need to make a frame from logs, build supports for them, or use a lot of wood. But even here, not everything is simple - for reliability, pouring must be carried out in several layers, and the cost of a high-quality solution is high. For concrete base it is necessary to select the top layer of soil, fill it with a cushion of sand 10-15 cm thick, pour it with water and compact it thoroughly. A 10-centimeter layer of crushed stone is poured and compacted onto the sandy one.

The next layer of a reliable concrete floor is a rough screed made of expanded clay or crushed polystyrene foam, gravel, sand and cement 10 centimeters thick. After laying and leveling, you need to wait until the mixture dries and lay the waterproofing. Roofing material is best suited for this. It is necessary that it also covers the walls by 10-15 cm. The joints must be additionally glued.

Insulation is placed on the waterproofing and placed on top reinforcing mesh and finally, they make a finishing screed. Thanks to its multi-layer nature, the concrete floor is durable, warm, and reliable. On top of it you can make any decorative covering: linoleum, parquet, laminate.

An earthen floor is usually made in a garage, bathhouse or outbuildings of a private house. It does not have a monolithic base or frame made of beams; there is natural soil immediately underneath it. However, there are effective methods of insulation for it: gravel, expanded clay, penoplex.

Types of insulation

There are several dozen varieties of heat-insulating material for a private home. It is worth considering the most popular of them and their properties.

Expanded clay is porous granules of fired clay. Thanks to the voids inside, they prevent the penetration of cold air and absorb moisture well. A layer of expanded clay 10-15 cm thick has excellent thermal insulation. The advantages of this material include its low cost, environmental friendliness without chemical impurities and ease of installation. The granules are simply scattered with a shovel in an even layer on a horizontal surface.

Penoplex can effectively insulate an earthen floor, but it is also perfect for concrete or wood. Made from extruded polystyrene, the material is supplied in slabs with a smooth surface with a thickness of 20 to 100 mm. It has high thermal insulation even in harsh winter conditions, is very lightweight, relatively cheap, and does not emit harmful substances. The sheets are easy to install; they are cut with a simple mounting knife. The disadvantages of penoplex include relatively low fire resistance (when burned it emits acrid smoke), vapor permeability, instability to ultraviolet radiation and poor adhesion to other materials due to the smooth surface.

Polystyrene foam insulates any type of floor. This material is widely known and time-tested. It has all the same advantages as penoplex, but adheres better to other surfaces. The sheets can be crushed and added to the screed solution as additional insulation. It is very successful to use polystyrene foam to insulate wooden floors on joists; it will provide excellent protection from both cold and moisture.

Insulating the floor at the dacha with penofol or tepofol will also be effective. This is a thin polymer material covered with foil with a thickness of 2 to 10 mm. Closed pores prevent air or moisture from penetrating, and the micron foil layer is reflective. The insulation is universal and suitable for any conditions and can be combined with many materials. Penofol is sold in rolls, which are cut and rolled out on a horizontal surface, the joints are sealed with special foil tape.

Insulation with expanded polystyrene provides excellent thermal insulation, vapor permeability and moisture resistance. This polymer material, consisting of 98% air, is stronger than foam, the static bending strength reaches 1 kg per square meter. cm. This means that it can withstand almost any mass upper layers floor covering. Expanded polystyrene sheets with a thickness of 10 to 45 cm are easy to install and do not interfere with chemical reaction with other substances, resistant to deformation.

Floors are often insulated with Izolon in combination with other effective insulators: polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene, mineral wool. It is produced in rolls, the layer thickness can be from 2 to 100 mm, inside the foil layer there is foamed polyethylene. Izolon has high sound absorption, waterproofing, and can be used in a wide temperature range - from -80 to +80 degrees.

Polyurethane foam is available in form of hard slabs are a fairly durable material. But it does not have high waterproofing properties, so it must be used in combination with other polymer insulators.

Thermal insulation boards consist of solid polymer material, properties are similar to expanded polystyrene. But unlike it, their surface is covered with a layer of foil, due to which these materials effectively reflect heat, are fire-resistant and resistant to mechanical stress.

Heat-insulating boards from the manufacturer TechnoNIKOL are popular.

Insulation of walls and floors with mineral wool has been used for a long time. This material, produced in rolls and slabs, has a thickness of up to 10 cm, high degree heat and sound insulation, cheap and easy to install. A huge advantage of mineral wool is its non-flammability. One of the disadvantages is that over time it shrinks a little.

This inorganic insulation comes in three types: stone wool, glass wool and slag wool. The difference is only in the raw materials, the differences in physical properties Hardly ever. You should work with mineral wool carefully, wearing gloves and preferably a respirator, since its small particles floating in the air have a harmful effect on the skin and respiratory tract.

Wood fiber board (WFP), due to its porous structure, retains heat well, but it is better to install it in combination with other effective heat insulators: penofol, isolon, mineral wool. The most popular varieties Fiberboard used for floor insulation is M-20 and PT-100. This material is also used for finishing floor covering, its surface is smooth, has a pleasant natural texture.

The subfloor between the joists can be insulated with sawdust. This method is the cheapest, especially if you have a lot of wood processing waste on hand. Sawdust retains heat well and does not emit harmful substances, but over time it dries out and shrinks, forming voids and can rot. It is possible that harmful insects may appear in them.

Which material is better?

The choice of material depends on many factors: type of floor, climatic conditions, type of soil on which the house stands, financial capabilities. If you want to save on thermal insulation, then you should choose expanded clay or polystyrene foam as they are cheaper. If you don’t mind spending money on ensuring long-term comfort in your home, then you need to make multi-layer protection from penofol, penoplex or expanded polystyrene.

For a concrete floor, in order to avoid a layer of screed that is too thick, you should choose thin foil polymers in rolls, the thickness of which does not exceed 1 cm, and insulate a spacious subfloor on joists with massive slabs of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene.

Sawdust will not work for too humid environment, mineral wool also tends to absorb water.

Polymer and foil based insulation is the best and most versatile, they provide any protection - from cold, moisture, rot, insects, wind and fire. In addition, they are easily cut into even pieces and mounted. The leader among materials for floor insulation in a private home can be considered thermal insulation boards from various manufacturers.

Methods

Almost any of the above insulating materials can be filled or spread over the joists. This method is suitable for any of them - loose or spread. The first rough covering is attached from below, then an insulator is mounted on top of the boards and closed at the top.

The second method, on a concrete base, requires laying each layer in stages, after each it is necessary to level and check the level. If the layer is liquid, then you need to wait a certain time for it to dry. In addition, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate temperature inside the room, since cement mortar in the cold it does not set well and loses its beneficial properties.

How to do it yourself?

Any person familiar with construction work can independently insulate the floor in a country house, cottage, rural house, the type of building and dimensions do not matter, the installation principle is the same everywhere. A small kit is required for installation hand tools. If dry mixtures are used, you will need an electric mixer for mixing. Workplace should be well lit; it may be necessary to maintain a suitable temperature for solutions to harden.

If the foundation in a country house is located on logs, then it will not be difficult to make internal insulation. To do this, you need to build a subfloor. You will need the following tools: a wood saw, tape measure, level, hammer and nails. You can choose boards from different types of wood, the main thing is that they are dry and smooth.

Most often the following sizes are suitable for them:

length – from 2 to 6 m;
thickness – from 2 to 4 cm;
width – from 15 to 20 cm.

The boards are nailed to the joists from below across the entire width of the floor, the gaps between them must be closed, for this you can use clay, acrylic sealant or wood putty. After drying, the selected insulating material is placed inside. To ensure rigidity of the entire structure, transverse fastenings made of boards or metal profiles must be installed at a distance of 0.7 - 1 m. A finishing coating is placed on top. If everything is done correctly, then the owners of the house will receive a warm and dry floor for many years to come.

It will not be difficult to put it in yourself country house cement screed with insulation. Before installation, it is necessary to install beacons; you can find them in hardware stores special types exactly for this purpose. Metal ones may also be suitable. profile pipes. For alignment with beacons, metal is used building code 1-2.5 m long. After laying, each layer is checked with a horizontal level and left to dry.

To insulate the floor on the veranda, it is best to use foam sheets with additional waterproofing, such as polyethylene film or penofol. Since this room does not need to retain heat so much, you can get by with an earthen floor with expanded clay and laying a rough board.

September 7, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works(laying a foundation, erecting walls, constructing a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobby: mobile connection, high tech, computer technology, programming.

Today I want to talk about do-it-yourself floor insulation in a private house. After all, you know that I have a construction project, which I do not to make money, but simply for the soul. This is the construction of a house on summer cottage my son.

My preliminary calculations show that if you do not use insulation, you will have to spend too much money on buying fuel for heating system, since the home will be used in winter, and quite often.

Well, besides, I want my future grandchildren to run around on warm floors without slippers and socks, remembering kind words his prudent grandfather.

So there is no question of necessity and feasibility, you just need to decide how this can be done and how to insulate the floor in a private house. This is what I want to talk about in today’s material.

Basic rules for floor insulation

I always told everyone that The best way acquiring a warm and cozy private home is self-build. In this case, you can think in advance about the best way to insulate the floors and will not skimp on thermal insulation materials. And then, during the operation of your home, you will not have to finish anything, remodel, improve, and so on.

The specific technology depends on several factors, but the main one is what materials were and will be used to construct the floor. It is also very important to know whether there is a large basement under the insulated floor or not.

Depending on the circumstances, I can offer two options:

Insulation of the floor in the house from below. This is the case when there is a basement, and the ceiling is made on joists (for example, in a cottage made of timber). Then the thermal insulation material can be hemmed from below.

Thermal insulation of the floor in a private house on the ground. Everybody is here thermal insulation work will have to be done from the side of the living quarters, that is, from above along the lower floor of the first floor.

If you have to insulate an old house, which belonged to parents or grandparents, I advise you to perform high-quality repairs foundations, including replacement of support joists. Yes, it will be more expensive and longer, but you will be sure that the home will be not only warm, but also strong, and the floor will not collapse under your feet.

Thermal insulators used

On the modern construction market there are great amount heat-insulating materials that can be used for insulation of concrete and wooden floors. To make it easier for you to choose the appropriate option, I will list the main requirements that I consider important:

light weight - this parameter is especially important in timber house, where I would advise minimizing the load on enclosing and supporting structures;
hydrophobicity – water often gets on the floor, not to mention air humidity, so it is advisable that specifications insulation did not deteriorate when wet;
long service life - after all, you don’t want to carry out floor insulation measures every 2-3 years, especially after retirement, when you just want to babysit your grandchildren;
environmental safety - I certainly don’t want my descendants to breathe the chemicals emitted by cheap or low-quality heat insulators.

If the price of the material is very important to you, then to choose, you can use the table in which I have summarized the cheapest, but quite effective options.

Insulation	Description
Dry sawdust	They have a minimum price, but their operational properties worsen greatly when wet. Therefore, I highly recommend taking care of high-quality waterproofing on both sides, especially since the material has a high water absorption coefficient. But environmental friendliness is at its best.
Sawdust granules	A more advanced version of the previous insulation. Granules are made from sawdust, to which water-repellent substances, antiseptics and fire retardants are added. All this makes them more practical to use, but reduces their environmental friendliness.
Slag	A good material that attracts builders with its low cost and low thermal conductivity. However, due to its weight, I would advise using it only for insulating floors installed on the ground (without a basement).
Expanded clay	Mineral granules, which are quite environmentally friendly, are light in weight and inexpensive. But in order to properly insulate the floors, you will have to pour a considerable layer of material (in some cases up to 30 cm), which is not always acceptable due to the height of the ceilings.
Mineral wool	Only the most inexpensive ones are simple varieties, devoid of heat-reflecting additives and other modifiers that improve performance properties. But the material is non-flammable and environmentally friendly, as it is made from basalt.
Glass wool	This material is currently practically not used for residential premises, as it requires careful waterproofing and is harmful to health. I highly recommend choosing something more suitable, especially since there are many options.
Styrofoam	Lightweight, porous and cheap material with a low thermal conductivity coefficient. Personally, I consider the disadvantages to be low fire-fighting properties and the fact that mice like to chew foam plastic. And one more thing - low strength, therefore, for example, it cannot be used under it.

In principle, there are many options, so you can choose something suitable.

All these materials are inexpensive, but you will have to buy them to install them. Additional materials and expend considerable effort. Take this into account when choosing insulation. It is possible that the entire insulation operation will be much more expensive than you expect.

However, I will be insulating the house for my own children and grandchildren, so I am not going to save money. If you share the same opinion, then I advise you to pay attention to the following heat insulator options:

Vermiculite. A material for which the raw materials are processed hydrated micas, characterized by a very low thermal conductivity coefficient and a long guaranteed service life.

Penoplex. This is extruded polystyrene foam, which is a distant relative of polystyrene foam. Like the latter, it consists of small closed cells filled with air, but is distinguished by its highest strength, high hydrophobic properties and non-flammability.

Fiber insulation with additives. We are talking about mineral wool from such manufacturers as Ursa, Isovent, Penofol and so on. They are processed with various additives and modifiers that give the material water repellent properties, increasing wear resistance.

Some materials have a protective heat-reflecting layer of metal foil, which increases the effectiveness of basalt wool.

For myself, I chose basalt mats, which are sold already cut into pieces. They are easier to install between joists. In my case, Izover KL37 or KT37 (one in rolls, pipe mats) came up.

Insulation of a wooden floor

To find out which layer of the selected thermal insulation material needs to be laid for high-quality insulation floor, you can refer to SNiP number 23-02-2003, which contains all the necessary tables and thermal calculations.

For those who do not want to dive into the world of numbers and tables, I will give calculations on the thermal insulation material that I chose:

for my son's country house located in middle lane In Russia, 12 cm of insulation is enough;
for the northern regions of our vast country it is better to equip a layer 20 cm thick;
Southerners are the luckiest; a house in Krasnodar or the surrounding area can be insulated with basalt mats 8 cm thick.

Actually, I can say that insulate wooden house quite simple, since it has floors and interfloor ceilings They are a system of support logs, which are covered with boards at the top and bottom. That is, you get these kind of containers that just need to be filled with insulating material.

However, as they say, the essence is in the details, so I’ll tell you in more detail and detail how to properly insulate the floor in a private house made of timber.

Thermal insulation of the floor in a house without a basement

When I designed and built the house, I abandoned the building for several reasons that are not necessary to give here. This determines the technology that I will use.

In order for you to gain more benefit from my story, I will outline the sequence of actions for the case when insulation occurs in a rather old house that has been in use for a long time and the flooring has partially become unusable.

So, the instructions are as follows:

First, I dismantle the baseboards and floorboards. If you plan to cover them again (the condition allows you to do this), I advise you to number the parts so that you can later assemble them in the same order.

I inspect the support joists. If partial damage to the support beam is found, this area can be cut out and a new part can be installed. It can be screwed on the sides with additional boards and galvanized screws (to protect the fittings from corrosion).

If the floor is not built on the ground, then a board is screwed to the bottom of the log, which will serve as the bottom of an improvised box for insulation. For this I recommend using inexpensive edged boards, since no one will ever see them after finishing work.

To make your work more convenient, I can recommend the following:

take unedged board and attach it across the joists from their lower part so that the distance between adjacent parts is slightly less than the gap between the joists;
other boards are placed on top of this unedged board, which will play the role of the bottom;
there is no need to lay them tightly so that during the expansion of the wood the surface does not warp;
It is not necessary to attach the bottom boards to the support boards; they will then be tightly pressed with insulation.

Then I lay a layer of waterproofing on the bedding boards. Some experts believe that if groundwater lie deep, then this operation is not worth performing; it is enough to lay a vapor barrier membrane that does not interfere with air infiltration.

But I decided that it would be both more reliable and durable. What if my great-grandchildren will live in this house? So why not try and do everything as efficiently as possible.

The waterproofing is laid so that a continuous sheet is formed without seams. Therefore, I roll out the rolls with an overlap of 10-15 cm. Moreover, I make sides on the support beams and bottom trim perimeter of the house. To prevent the sheets from fidgeting, they can be secured with a construction stapler.

Waterproofing seams can be additionally sealed bitumen mastic or special waterproofing putty.
Then I lay mineral mats on the laid waterproofing material. I initially positioned the support joists so that the insulation would fit between them without gaps. I recommend that you use rolls rather than mats, which are easier to adjust to the required dimensions.

There's one here important point. The insulation must be laid in “troughs” of joists and boards so that the heat-insulating material does not reach the top cut of the joist (the gap should be about 2 cm). This is necessary for ventilation.

If the joists are low or the insulation is thick, I advise you to make a counter-lattice on top, on which the floor covering (in the sense of a floor board) will subsequently be laid.

I don’t think I need to tell you for a long time how to make a counter-batten. Take wooden slats and nail it to the joists at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other, placing it perpendicular to the supporting elements.

I lay a vapor barrier on top of the thermal insulation material, which will protect the basalt mats from moisture penetrating from the living space. If you install a counter-lattice, then the membrane must be laid under it. I think this is clear.

At the last stage, previously removed or new floor boards are installed. And only then - if there is a need and desire - decorative flooring.

If the idea of insulating the floor came to you before the construction of your home, in the place where the house will be (inside the foundation), I advise you to remove part of the soil (several tens of centimeters), cover a shallow pit with geotextiles and pour expanded clay. And then install the logs on top. Thus, mineral insulation in the ground will further increase the effectiveness of ongoing activities.

Thermal insulation of the floor in a house with a basement

The technology itself is similar to that described above. However, you will need to do less, since there is no need for dismantling flooring.

So, I’m telling you the sequence of actions, read carefully:

As in the previous case, it is necessary to carefully inspect the support beams (if the house is old) and complete them partial renovation or replacement if necessary.
After this, you need to nail the support bars. They need to be secured to the side edges of the beams. Considering that the air in the basement has high humidity, you can replace the wood with a galvanized profile, which will last longer.

Too thick parts are not needed here, since only pieces of heat insulation will rest on the support bars, which, as you understand, weighs little.

Then the insulation is cut. It is necessary to cut the material so that its width is several centimeters greater than the distance between the joists. Then the material expands inside the floor and does not fall out.
After laying the mineral wool, the vapor barrier membrane is secured using a stapler.
Well, then the subfloor boards are sewn on.

To protect the basement floor from rodents, I also recommend attaching a metal mesh with small cells to the bottom. This is especially true in dachas.

Conclusion

This is how I insulated the floor of my son’s dacha. But the wife still said that as soon as the grandchildren appear, she will knit their socks. Although I don't see the need for this. By the way, have you insulated the floor in a private house or country house? And if so, how? Tell us about it in the comments.

If you are interested in the process of insulating a concrete floor, I recommend watching the video in this article.

September 7, 2016

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Living in the private sector, the owners themselves take care of the insulation of their own homes. It is not difficult, knowing the technology, having at hand step by step photos work or instructions on video. The article will tell you how to make a warm floor in a residential building with your own efforts.

How to insulate flooring in a private house

When choosing a material, pay attention to the following properties:

Flammability. Indicator G1 indicates that the substance will not ignite without direct exposure to fire.
Water resistance. The lower the percentage of water absorption, the less moisture the material absorbs, which means it retains heat better and longer.
Thermal conductivity. A low coefficient indicates good insulation.
Density. Indicates how much heavier the material makes the entire floor structure.

Also, an important role when purchasing insulation is played by its quality, cost, durability (service life should be at least 10 years) and ease of installation - which is especially important if you are going to make a heated floor with your own hands.

The most common materials for insulation:

Mineral wool. Its advantages:

inexpensive;
durable;
withstands high temperatures, up to 1000°C;
has low thermal conductivity;
isolates sounds well.

Flaws:

high vapor permeability. If you do not take care of waterproofing, the cotton wool will accumulate moisture over time and become useless;
attractive to rodents. They will require special protection.

Glass wool. Its properties are similar to mineral wool, but it has an additional disadvantage: you need to be careful not to get it in your eyes or on your skin. Because of this feature, it is difficult to work with it; it needs to be done by professionals.

Ecowool- a non-toxic, environmentally friendly material that has the same advantages and disadvantages as other types of cotton wool.

Sawdust. The cheapest material for floor insulation. They retain heat well, but have many disadvantages: they are highly flammable, attract rodents and insects, absorb moisture well, being a favorable environment for the development of mold and mildew.

The following materials are more often used to insulate concrete floors than wooden ones:

Expanded clay. It has a clay base and is an inexpensive, environmentally friendly material. Has low thermal conductivity. Among the disadvantages: it absorbs and retains moisture well, although it does not lose its properties.

Attention! The expanded clay layer must be at least 10 cm, otherwise the floors will be cold.

Perlite. Similar to expanded clay, but has improved characteristics.

Styrofoam. Advantages:

good thermal conductivity;
moisture resistance.

not environmentally friendly;
high flammability;
fragility.

Extruded polystyrene foam. This is an “improved version” of polystyrene foam: it is stronger, lasts longer, and retains heat better.

Cork. Natural material which holds heat well. It is usually placed under the finishing floor covering.

Polyurethane foam. Good for almost everyone:

resistance to moisture, temperature fluctuations and loads;
durability;
excellent thermal conductivity.

Among the disadvantages, it should be noted that it is not environmentally friendly.

Foam glass. It has all the advantages of polyurethane foam, plus it is environmentally friendly. However, it is fragile and therefore cannot withstand heavy loads.

Advice. When purchasing insulation in slabs or rolls, press down on a small piece of material. If it returns to its original form, feel free to take it.

Methods of insulation. Options for wood and concrete floors

There are two main ways to insulate a floor:

Advice. These methods are good at the stage of construction, repair or reconstruction of a house. If you plan to insulate an already lived-in room, you will need to disassemble the floors or lay insulation on top of them, and then “decorate” them again with the floor covering.

Instructions for insulating a wooden floor

Before starting work, it is necessary to lay the subfloor. It is made from untreated boards, they are attached to beams. If we're talking about about repairs, then first you need to dismantle the old floors.
Lay the joists on the subfloor. Secure them with self-tapping screws. The distance between the bars is 0.6-1 m.
Lay material for waterproofing.

Position the insulation so that it fits snugly against the joists. Lay waterproofing on both sides. If expanded clay is used, it simply needs to be poured into the space between the bars.
The next layer is vapor barrier. This is a special film or membrane that extends the service life of the heat-insulating material. It should be laid with a smooth surface to the insulation.
Installation of finished floor covering.

Attention! Ventilation is required between the two floor levels. To do this, special holes are made in the upper floor covering - vents.

This version of a double floor, consisting of a “draft” and a “finish”, is also suitable for a concrete base. However, it is worth keeping in mind that this design reduces the ceiling height by about 6 cm.

Instructions for insulating a concrete floor

For a concrete floor, you can use another, although less effective, technology, but it reduces the height of the room by only 3 cm. You need:

Clean and level the concrete floor.
Lay the substrate, on top of it - wood slabs in 2 layers. They are laid like bricks, the seams of the layers should not match, they need to be coated with sealant.
Glue and connect the wood panels with self-tapping screws.
Lay the floor covering.

Heated floors

This system allows the home to be heated evenly. However, she has significant drawback: high power consumption. Also, this option is not suitable for houses with wooden floors. Otherwise, they need to be dismantled. Installation sequence for a heated system:

Clean and level the subfloor.
Place waterproofing material.
Place insulation on top, for example, polystyrene foam.
Lay the cable over the entire surface (in the form of a “snake”).
Connect the system and screed the floor. Its thickness is approximately 5 cm.

You can use the finished structure only after 3-4 weeks, when the concrete has dried. The heating temperature should be increased little by little and gradually. Infrared heated floors also run on electricity - a special film or rods with wires. Such insulation is installed faster, but costs more than a traditional electrical system.

Another option for underfloor heating is water. Comfort in the house is ensured by pipes laid under the screed. This method requires significant financial investments, but beneficial in operation. It is advisable to install it in a house with autonomous heating. It is better to entrust the installation of water heated floors to professionals.

When insulating floors, we must not forget about other equally important components of the process. For example, if the house has a basement, you need to start with that first. It will not be superfluous to insulate the foundation walls so that they do not come into contact with freezing soil and moisture. Only with this integrated approach You can achieve real warmth and comfort in your home.

Insulation of a concrete floor: video

Do-it-yourself floor insulation: photo

The cool surface in a room is the floor. When the air in the room is relatively warm, the floor remains cool - this is due to the laws of physics, when cool air is at the bottom, and warm air tends to rise. Cold also enters the home through joints and cracks. Heat loss through an uninsulated floor is about 30%. Do-it-yourself floor insulation will help reduce heat loss.

In the process of resolving the issue of floor insulation, the main issue is considered correct selection material that must have the following technical and functional qualities:

Strength;
Light weight;
Moisture resistance;
Thermal conductivity;
Environmental safety;
Withstand loads;
Speed, ease of installation;
Durability.

Manufacturers of insulation materials offer a wide selection of insulation technologies that can be carried out independently.

Thermal insulation material, tools

Insulation is carried out with materials that prevent heat from escaping from the room. The following are most suitable for performing such tasks:

Bulk – wood concrete, expanded clay. They have good thermal insulation properties with relatively low cost. Expanded clay is considered more affordable, which is used as a bedding or included in a cement screed. You can watch the technology of floor insulation with expanded clay in this video:

Glass wool and mineral wool are an excellent option for heat and sound insulation. It is fireproof, hygroscopic, and is not subject to rotting or attack by rodents. Mineral wool perfectly tolerates mechanical loads and impacts. It is produced in slabs and flexible mats. The slabs are used with a single-layer insulation method. Flexible mats have perforated paper on one side - this side is laid down.

When using mineral wool, a mandatory vapor barrier is required.

Expanded polystyrene and polystyrene are considered moisture-resistant materials. They do not ignite, muffle noise, and do not deform. They are used for insulation work on floors on the ground, heated coatings, above the basement. Expanded polystyrene is laid on any surface (wood, ceramic tile, concrete, metal).
Penoplex - has low thermal conductivity, excellent sound insulation, moisture resistance, and long service life. These indicators make the insulation an alternative to polystyrene foam. Used for insulating surfaces along joists and under screeds.

It is impossible to say specifically which type is the best, since you need to choose insulation based on the functionality of the room and financial capabilities. In addition to the insulating material, you should prepare a tool for work. You may need:

Shovel;
Hammer;
Screwdriver;
Roulette;
Saw;
Stapler;
Special knife;
Individual protection means;
Master OK;
Rule.

Insulation technology for different types of floors

The process of floor insulation depends on the type of floor surface: wooden, concrete, and each floor has its own nuances.

Insulation of wooden floors along joists

Traditionally, for insulation, a material is used that is placed in the space between the joists. The insulation method includes the following processes:

The first thing you need to do is remove the old coating.
Next, a layer of vapor barrier is laid. This could be plastic film. Moreover, they unfold it, laying it on the frame with an overlap of 200 mm.

The joints should be reliably insulated. And definitely vapor barrier film laid on the walls by 50 mm. Then the insulation remains dry.

Placed between the joists insulation material. When expanded clay is used, the material is evenly distributed between the lags, equalizing it as a rule. If rolled sheet insulation material is used, then it is laid close to the joists (so that there are no gaps). When forming a layer of thermal insulation from mineral wool, glass wool creates an additional layer of vapor barrier. In this case, moisture from the room does not enter the insulation through the cracks.
Boards, OSB, and others are laid on top of the insulation.
If necessary, a decorative finishing coating is laid: laminate, others.

Options for concrete floor insulation technologies

Most floors in apartment buildings are made of reinforced concrete slabs. Such a floor is quite cold, and if you take into account that there are cracks between the slabs, loose joints between the walls and the floor, the floor becomes simply icy. Therefore, its insulation is a priority problem that should be solved. There are several insulation options.

Insulation plus screed

You can improve the insulating qualities of a concrete floor by laying insulating material between the screed and reinforced concrete floor slab. In this case, insulation is carried out in this way:

Dismantle the floor covering and remove the old screed.
The reinforced concrete floor slab is cleaned, removing the remnants of the old screed.
A vapor barrier is made by laying polypropylene film. It is laid with an overlap of 200 mm, extending onto the walls of the room by 50 mm. The overlap joints are carefully insulated using special tape.
Next, foam plastic (25 mm thick) 5 cm thick is laid on top. Instead, mineral wool, polystyrene foam, and other materials are used.

The insulation is laid very tightly so that cold bridges do not appear in the joints.

Lay a layer of vapor barrier again. By the way, when using polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam, you can skip this point.
Then a metal mesh (5-10 cm) is laid, which serves as the screed frame.
Fill the layer concrete mortar, minimum thickness which is 5 cm. A screed of less thickness will crack and crumble.
It will take about 14 days for the screed to dry.
After which it is primed - this strengthens the top layer of the screed.
The finishing decorative floor covering is laid on top.

Joists plus insulation

This method of insulation is similar to insulating a wooden floor, only the logs are installed on the reinforced concrete slab independently. This method eliminates all “wet” processes. Installation technology includes the following:

Clean the slab from old screed and debris.
Waterproofing is done using polymer-bitumen solutions (they are applied with a brush or roller). Film is also used for these purposes.
The logs are installed in increments of 90 cm. When will it be used for insulation? bulk insulation, then use metal beacons.
Lay the selected insulation material (sheet, roll) tightly laid out between the joists or covered bulk material, which is compared to beacons as a rule.
GVL, OSB, plywood are laid on top. It is advisable to lay in 2 layers with overlapping connecting seams of the bottom row. Then you get a seamless coating, eliminating the possibility of cold bridges.
These layers of floors are secured to the joists with self-tapping screws.
Flooring is laid on top.

Alternative methods of floor insulation

When heat loss is small, then use simple methods insulation:

Installation of a "warm floor" heating system. In addition to thermal insulation, such an insulation system also provides heating. Electric options warm floors do not reduce the height of the room; they are used on small areas(kitchen, bathroom). Water systems are made from pipes filled with screed, which reduces the height of the room by 10 cm. Most often they are used in the house, connected to the heating system.
Application of leveling heat-insulating floors – simple technology insulation of the floor covering with a mixture, for example, Thermo Plast. It has waterproofing, fire safety, good sound insulation, environmentally friendly. The application technology is so simple that you can do it yourself. The screed is only 50 mm.

Floor insulation is easy to do with your own hands, the main thing is to choose the right technology and insulation material. In this case, you must comply with all technological processes. Then heat loss through cold floors can be avoided, and the house will be comfortable and cozy.