Insulation of reinforced concrete walls. How to insulate a concrete wall with your own hands

The completion of concrete work during the construction of monolithic houses indicates the completion of the main stage of house construction. But after these works are completed, the house is not yet a house itself; it is the foundation, the supporting frame. In order for a monolithic frame to become a home, a large amount of finishing work, both external and internal, must be completed. Moreover, the thickness of monolithic concrete walls is taken based on their load-bearing capacity, but not on the basis of the need to provide thermal protection for the house.

To achieve maximum thermal protection of a house, various facade systems are used, of which there are currently several fundamentally different main types. But any façade system of buildings is aimed at ensuring maximum thermal protection of the house and at the same time performs the function of its external decoration. The most common facade system is the cladding of facades with facing bricks of various color shades. Brick cladding is usually made half a brick thick; insulation made of mineral wool heat-shielding slabs is laid between the concrete walls and the brick cladding. Other types of insulation are also used, for example, all installation and other openings are filled with gas or foam concrete blocks, which are excellent insulation materials, followed by lining with the same facing brick.

The next facade system is represented by the so-called ventilated facades, the construction of which consists of insulating concrete walls with mineral wool heat-insulating boards and subsequent cladding of the walls with various slabs and panels such as alucobond. To protect the thermal insulation from getting wet, it is protected with a special windproof waterproofing film.

Currently, construction companies have developed various facade systems with facade cladding using a variety of materials - the main ones being natural stone, artificial stone and clinker tiles. Cladding with natural stone - granite, marble, gabro - is the most expensive and few people can afford to use it. Available to the general public is artificial stone, which is becoming increasingly popular due to its strength, reliability and durability. Moreover, artificial stone completely imitates almost any type of natural stone. A very effective appearance is given to houses by facing them with artificial stone to imitate “old” stone. But the most popular and in demand material at present is clinker tiles of any size and any color shades.

Exterior finishing of houses with any finishing materials is carried out using a similar “wet” facade technology. First, mineral wool basalt environmentally friendly heat and sound insulating slabs such as Rockwool, Izover, Izokor, Ecover and many others like them are glued onto the concrete walls using polymer cement glue. For greater reliability of fastening mineral wool slabs, they are doweled (additional fastening with special dowels). After fixing the mineral wool slabs, a special façade reinforced fiberglass mesh is glued onto them using polymer-cement glue, and only the facing tiles are glued onto it. Such façade systems allow for maximum heat-saving effect and a variety of architectural finishes. Well, of course, finishing houses with decorative plaster using the “wet” facade technology still remains. The type of facade system is indicated in the house design and agreed upon when obtaining a building permit.

Unfortunately, quite often there are situations when the walls of a house do not cope effectively or at all with the task assigned to them of retaining heat inside the room. Insulating the outside walls of the house will help solve this problem. The insulation layer will become the missing barrier between the cold outside air and the internal microclimate of the house. At the same time, the main wall of the building will be additionally protected from moisture and sunlight, which will have a positive effect on its service life.

Popular insulation options

There are several options for organizing external wall insulation:

1. attaching the heat insulator to the wall using an adhesive solution and finishing with plaster;
2. three-layer non-ventilated wall. The insulation is fixed with mortar and, observing the air gap, the outer wall is mounted in one brick;
3. ventilated facade. The wall is protected by waterproofing, on top of which the insulation is strengthened, then a wind barrier is mounted and external cladding made of clapboard or any other siding is installed on the frame.

Each option has its own nuances in execution. Also on sale are combined or modified insulating materials, for the use of which you should adhere to your own technology. The technology of insulating a house such as a ventilated facade allows work to be carried out even in winter due to the absence of the need to use adhesive solutions.

Examples of insulating a wooden wall:

Examples of insulation of walls made of brick and concrete:

Features of choosing material for insulation

Whatever material is chosen for thermal insulation, it will cope with its main task, however, there are a number of features of each of them and the difference in price that must be taken into account. You have to choose from:

• (foam plastic), EPS (extruded polystyrene foam);
• mineral wool;
• polyurethane foam;
• basalt slabs;
• cellulose insulation.

The main differences are moisture resistance, vapor permeability and thermal conductivity. The first two parameters are selected taking into account climatic conditions and a suitable installation method to ensure reliable protection of the walls from dampness. Thermal conductivity is important when calculating the required thickness of insulation to achieve the required effect.

It is with the calculation of the required thickness of the insulator that one should begin. To do this, you must use the instructions of SNiP, GOST and SP or contact the design organization to carry out the correct calculations. This takes into account all possible heat losses of the house through external walls, window openings, ceilings and roofs, foundations, etc. Only on the basis of the data obtained, taking into account the power of the heating system used, is a decision made on choosing the thickness of the layer of thermal insulation material for each type. After this, you can make a choice and start insulating the walls with your own hands. It is important to consider the available standard sizes of materials and the number of layers required. For example, it is not at all necessary to stop at choosing foam concrete, if according to calculations it is required to lay it in two or even three layers, it is better to choose mineral wool or polyurethane foam several times thinner.

Stage of wall preparation for insulation

Having finished with the choice of materials, you can begin the main work on insulating the house. The first step is to prepare the surface for further work. If necessary, the old layer of plaster or insulator is removed down to the base. The result should be a smooth surface of the brick, block or wood wall.

Due attention should be paid to priming the surface. If there are significant differences in levels on the wall, that is, depressions or protrusions of more than 1-2 cm, then they should be sealed with mortar or scraped down to an acceptable level. It is best to use a primer with deep penetration. Before priming, the wall is cleaned of dust and dirt.

In order for the insulation layer to be smooth and not interfere with the subsequent stages of constructing the outer wall of the facing brick or plastering, a system of beacons and plumbs should be installed in advance. They will determine the plane of the outer edge of the insulation, which will facilitate installation.

A strong thread is tied to anchors or screws fixed along the upper edge of the wall and lowered plumb to the very bottom. Horizontal threads are also tied between them. The result is a control grid that can be used to guide you when installing a heat insulator or frame.

After this, you can proceed to the next steps, which are slightly different for each type of material.

Insulation works: polystyrene foam, EPS

A special corner shelf is installed at the bottom of the wall to level the first layer of foam sheets. The material is fixed using special adhesive solutions. Next, the sheets are applied and pressed against the wall. The correctness and evenness of the installation is controlled by a grid of plumb lines and a level.

The next layer of foam should be installed after the previous one has set. In this case, it is advisable to shift the sheets by half relative to the previous layer. The sheets are secured with special “fungi” anchors at the four corners and in its center. By shifting the rows, the corner anchor of each sheet will also hold the middle of the bottom or top. At the corners of the building and in places around window openings, the foam is secured with metal corners. All joints between sheets should be taped with reinforcing plaster tape.

A reinforcing mesh is fixed over the layer of expanded polystyrene or EPS and plastering is carried out. It is best to use expanded polystyrene to insulate brick or monolithic concrete walls. The only significant drawback is the low vapor permeability of the material, which can interfere with the normal removal of moisture and condensation from the wall. A mandatory requirement before using expanded polystyrene is high-quality drying of the walls. Otherwise, it is better to use partially ventilated or ventilated facades. In this case, moisture will not linger on the surface of the main walls and spoil their mechanical properties.

Ultimately, after the work is completely completed, there should be no gaps or open spaces with access to the foam. This is necessary to protect the material from damage by rodents.

Insulation works: mineral wool

Methods for installing insulation using mineral wool are similar to options for using cellulose insulation and basalt slabs.

In order for the mineral wool sheets and mats to be securely held, a frame system and lathing made of wooden beams are mounted on the wall. The width of the lathing should be 2-3 cm smaller than the mineral wool sheet. In this case, it will fit tightly between the beams without gaps. In addition to the sheathing, anchors are installed onto which sheets of material will be placed. For an uneven wall, a two-layer mineral wool, in which the layers differ in density, is best suited. The soft layer is directed onto the wall, which ensures reliable adhesion to the wall.

In terms of external cladding, mineral wool is the most versatile. Many of its types allow plastering using reinforcing mesh. In addition, you can secure the insulation with an external horizontal sheathing, under which a wind barrier in the form of a dense polyethylene film is placed, and use various types of cladding: a brick wall, clapboard or other siding. This results in ventilated three-layer insulation, which is suitable for most climate types. This is exactly how the walls of a wooden house should be insulated so that the wood has the opportunity to breathe and not accumulate moisture.

Insulation works: polyurethane foam

The option of using polyurethane foam is similar to the principle of installing mineral wool, when a frame structure with external wind protection is being erected. The polyurethane foam solution is poured directly into the frame between the wall and the film. Adhesion to the wall is maximized, which ensures the best thermal insulation. However, in modern construction, polyurethane foam is more widely used for insulating attic spaces and roof slopes. This is argued by the fact that it is more difficult to form a layer of insulation on vertical surfaces, because initially it is a foamed liquid.

Monolithic reinforced concrete is the simplest and most convenient building material for the rapid construction of residential buildings and other permanent structures. The advantages of monolithic concrete include such qualities as high strength, reliability, durability, relatively low price, as well as the ability to manufacture load-bearing elements and architectural forms of any degree of complexity. Despite all its positive qualities, due to its monolithic structure and high density, this material has good thermal conductivity, therefore, to ensure a comfortable temperature inside a concrete building, additional insulation of concrete walls is required.

Thermal insulation of concrete walls in apartments

Thermal insulation of external concrete walls

In order to help the reader understand this issue, this article will discuss the main aspects of thermal insulation of external walls of buildings made of monolithic reinforced concrete.

In addition, detailed instructions will be presented here, which describe the main methods of insulating walls using the most common building materials.

Features of insulation of a residential building

When considering the technology for performing work, it should be borne in mind that thermal insulation of the walls of a residential building can be done in two ways: from the outside and from the inside. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, therefore, if possible, to achieve the best result, it is most effective to use a combination of interior and exterior decoration.

Regardless of the chosen method, as well as the type of materials used, there are certain rules that must be followed when performing such work.

1. To achieve maximum effect, it is necessary to insulate the entire outer surface of the building facade, not forgetting the thermal insulation of the floor, ceiling, as well as window and door openings.
2. When installing internal insulation, a small air gap should be left between the decorative wall and the heat-insulating material.
3. Before carrying out installation work, the walls on both sides must be treated with an antiseptic compound to prevent the formation of mold.
4. All insulation work should be carried out after the final installation of electrical networks and laying of utilities. For through penetration of walls, you can use diamond drilling of holes in concrete using a special drill bit.
5. Installation of external panels is carried out using special glue, therefore It is recommended to carry out all work outdoors at an ambient temperature of at least +5°C.

Note!

Advice! When choosing the option of internal insulation, you should keep in mind that in this case the dew point in the wall will be close to the inner surface, which under certain conditions can lead to the formation of condensation. In addition, due to the thickness of the air gap and heat-insulating material, the internal usable volume of the room will decrease.

Internal thermal insulation

This method is the most inexpensive and simple, therefore it is often used by residents of multi-storey buildings whose apartments are located above the second floor. It does not require special equipment and can be done by any homeowner himself without outside help.

There are several options for energy-saving systems, which differ from each other in the complexity of installation and the type of materials used.

1. The simplest, but at the same time effective method of thermal insulation is the usual plastering of the walls from the inside of the room. To ensure the durability of the coating, before insulating a concrete wall from the inside using plaster mortar, it is necessary to attach a metal reinforcing mesh to it and cover it with one layer of penetrating primer.
2. In the second case, the problem can be solved using sheet material with low thermal conductivity, such as polystyrene foam. It needs to be fixed to the wall from inside the building, covered with fiberglass mesh and covered with a layer of finishing putty. After this, the wall can be painted, wallpapered, or finished with other materials for interior work.
3. The third method is to install an additional partition made of plasterboard sheets. It is necessary to mount a supporting frame made of metal profiles on the inside of a concrete wall, and lay a layer of mineral wool in the space between them. After this, install sheets of drywall, fill the cracks and visible fasteners, and then finish the room.

Note!

Advice! To achieve maximum energy-saving effect, it is recommended to use mineral wool, the front side of which is covered with aluminum foil. In this case, an air gap of 20 mm wide must be left between the foil and the drywall.

External wall insulation

This method is the most effective because it allows you to remove the dew point outside the room as much as possible, thereby preventing the formation of condensation and preventing the wall from freezing. However, its implementation requires the use of more expensive materials, and in the case of insulation of an apartment in a multi-storey building, the use of special equipment or the services of industrial climbers will be required.

Expanded polystyrene sheets are used as a heat-insulating material, which is attached to the facade, then puttied and painted with facade paint in the required color.

The photo shows how to properly apply foam glue

1. Before insulating a concrete wall from the outside, it is necessary to remove the old coating and peeling plaster, and clean the surface of construction debris and dust, and then coat it with a penetrating primer.
2. At the level of the base of the foundation (for a private house) or the lower edge of the interfloor ceiling (for an apartment in a multi-storey building), install a base starting profile. The width of the starting profile must correspond to the thickness of the polystyrene foam used.
3. Apply special glue to the expanded polystyrene board around the perimeter and at several points, then press it to the wall in the right place, and then fix it in the corners and in the middle using dowels with wide plastic washers.
4. Install all panels in this way. It is important to ensure that the glue does not get between the foam boards and does not come out at the joints..
5. Using a special glue, attach a reinforcing mesh to the surface of the expanded polystyrene, which will tie all the panels into one, give them additional strength and serve as the basis for applying plaster.
6. To finish everything off, the facade needs to be covered with a thin layer of light plaster, which will provide protection from atmospheric factors, and painted with facade paint in the required color.

Note!

Advice! For high-quality gluing of foam panels, a flat surface is necessary, so before installation, all cracks and depressions on the facade must be filled with putty, and sagging and protrusions must be removed. For this it can be usedcutting reinforced concrete with diamond wheelsusing a special cutting machine.

Characteristics of building materials

Table 1 shows the comparative characteristics of density and thermal conductivity of the most common thermal insulation and building materials (the lower the value, the better the thermal insulation).

Table 1.

Conclusion

After reading this article, it becomes clear that solving the issue of energy saving in your own home is within the power of any home craftsman. Brief information about our website can be found at.

For additional information on an issue of interest, you can watch the video in this article or read similar materials on this topic on our website.

Preface. Monolithic low-rise houses and buildings are not uncommon today. The advantages of monolithic buildings include speed of construction and high strength. However, monolithic walls have a significant drawback - high thermal conductivity, which leads to heat loss and freezing of the walls in winter. In this article we will look at the main points when insulating the external walls of a monolithic house from the outside.

Monolithic technology is the most convenient for the rapid construction of residential buildings and other structures. Despite these positive qualities, the material has high thermal conductivity, so additional thermal insulation is required for a comfortable temperature inside the living space. We will present detailed instructions with the main methods of insulating a monolithic house from the outside.

To make it comfortable to stay in a monolithic house made of reinforced concrete in the winter, it is necessary to carry out high-quality insulation of the monolithic walls and floors of the house. The insulation scheme for reinforced concrete structures is no different from the insulation of a foam block house from the outside or inside. Let's look at how to fix slab and roll thermal insulation on a reinforced concrete wall of a monolithic house, and also show video instructions.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a monolithic house

The thermal insulation of this structure consists of several layers:

Liquid or roll waterproofing on the wall of the house;
- a layer of thermal insulation to protect concrete from freezing;
- elements fixing the thermal insulation layer on the wall;
- reinforcing layer for the stability of the decorative coating;
- finishing coating to protect against mechanical damage.

Fastening foam plastic to a monolithic wall

The foam is attached to vertical surfaces using glue. The slabs are laid from bottom to top, maintaining a checkerboard pattern between the slabs. To install the slabs, the adhesive composition is applied around the perimeter of the slab insulation and applied to the wall. For reliability, the slabs are secured with dowel mushrooms. We talked in detail about insulating the facade of a house with foam plastic in an article on our website: “How to insulate a facade with foam plastic.”

Fastening penoplex to a monolithic wall

Extruded polystyrene foam (extrusion) appeared on the construction market relatively recently, but today this insulation, due to its high strength and good thermal insulation, is in great demand. To attach penoplex or technoplex boards, glue and dowel mushrooms are used. We have talked about how to insulate a facade with penoplex more than once, for example, in the article “How to insulate a house with penoplex with your own hands.”

Fastening mineral wool to a monolithic wall

Thermal insulation with mineral wool is one of the popular methods of thermal insulation of wooden and monolithic houses. Mineral wool is attached to a reinforced concrete wall using wet facade technology or under siding. We discussed both methods in detail earlier; here we will touch only on the main stages of work on thermal insulation of a monolithic wall using the wet method and insulation under the siding.

Installation of mineral wool with siding to the wall of a house provides for high-quality waterproofing of basalt thermal insulation and the installation of a ventilation gap between the siding and windproofing film. The use of siding will give a well-groomed appearance to any private home and does not require further painting. Siding will reliably protect the thermal insulation from possible mechanical damage and rodents.

Insulation of a monolithic wall with mineral wool using the wet method:

Surface cleaning, leveling and priming;
- installation of the starting basement cornice according to the level;
- fastening mineral wool slabs with dowels;
- gluing reinforcing mesh over the insulation;
- applying finishing decorative plaster.

Insulation of a monolithic wall with mineral wool under siding:

– laying roll or liquid waterproofing on the hay;
– fastening the sheathing of wooden blocks to the wall;
– installation of basalt insulation between the bars;
– laying a vapor barrier membrane using a stapler;
– fastening wooden blocks to install a ventilation gap;
– installation of siding on the wall to protect thermal insulation.

Insulation of a monolithic house with warm plaster

Finishing walls with warm plaster is the most inexpensive and easiest way to protect brick and block houses from freezing. If you are building a house using monolithic technology, then warm plaster will significantly save money. Since this material will significantly reduce the thickness of thermal insulation. Warm plaster can be successfully used for finishing foam or mineral wool on the facade of a house.

The plastering process can be divided into three stages:

1. Using a trowel to spread the prepared mortar onto the moistened wall. The thickness of the layer should not be more than two centimeters - a layer that is too thick will fall off the wall. Leveling the solution is done using a rule or a trowel with periodic checking of the applied layer with a level.

2. grouting – grinding the plaster using a trowel. When the solution dries, the grater is moved over the solution with light circular movements. In this case, the excess mortar crumbles, where there is not enough plaster and it becomes immediately visible. An additional layer is applied to these places and rubbed over again.

3. Prime the wall to reduce moisture absorption and improve adhesion to the finishing layer. For a decorative coating, you can use facade paint or putty. Today, a technology has emerged for finishing facades with cork chips, which are resistant to moisture.

Freezing of the walls of a house or the formation of condensation on them is a very unpleasant moment, so in such cases it is necessary to insulate the facade in a timely manner, and it is advisable to do this from the outside.

Thermal insulation of concrete buildings is carried out only on the street side. Internal insulation leads to condensation forming between the surface of the walls and the insulation. Subsequently, it will contribute to the formation of mold. This will negatively affect decorative finishing (wallpaper, plaster), and can also cause serious illnesses.

Options for insulating reinforced concrete facades

For a concrete house, it is currently recommended to use three technologies for thermal insulation of external walls. The first is the option of installing a “wet facade”, the second is spraying with polyurethane foam, and the last is plastering the surface with a heat-insulating mixture.

Wet facade

To insulate walls using this method, you can use dense mineral wool or polystyrene foam. Any of these materials will significantly increase the thermal insulation of the house in comparison with previous indicators.

If we take a closer look at both options, we can identify certain differences between them:

• Price characteristics. Insulating a façade with polystyrene foam will cost much less than with mineral wool;
• Vapor permeability. Expanded polystyrene has fewer properties associated with this criterion;
• Ease of installation. Due to the fact that foam plastic has a higher density, its fixation to the wall and subsequent processing is somewhat simpler than that of mineral wool.

Installation of the structure

Insulation of walls using the “wet method” is performed as follows:

• Vertical plumbs are hung in the right and left corners. After which horizontal beacons are stretched between them. By moving them from top to bottom, the distance required to fix the insulation on the wall of the house is determined. For example, with an insulation thickness of 5 cm, the value from the surface to the horizontal beacon should be at least 6 cm;

To the thickness of the thermal insulation you need to add 1-2 cm necessary for applying glue.

• The next step necessary for insulating the facade of a reinforced concrete house from the outside is the preparation of an adhesive composition. This is done according to the instructions printed on the package with the dry mixture.
• The insulation is fixed using the resulting adhesive composition. It is extremely important to align the corners of the sheet directly with the beacons. This is how uneven walls are leveled.

It is important to know

Insulation from the outside is carried out only with the distribution of thermal insulation boards in a checkerboard pattern. Seam matching is not allowed.

Design advantages

“Wet facade” technology is used to insulate the walls outside the building. In our case, for reinforced concrete buildings this option is optimal, since it has a number of undeniable advantages over all known methods of thermal insulation:

Spraying polyurethane foam

This method of insulation appeared not so long ago, but is gradually gaining popularity all over the world. Insulation with polyurethane foam is performed using special equipment. The insulation is obtained by mixing two chemical components, which are applied to the wall using a compressor (the operating principle is similar to the usual use of a spray gun).

In a few seconds, the material hardens and creates a homogeneous layer that does not allow air and water vapor to pass through. The advantage is that no measures are required to fix it. In addition, it is not afraid of moisture and sticks to the wall in the blink of an eye. The downside is that when used outside under the influence of sunlight, polyurethane foam is destroyed very quickly, so it must be covered with a facing material.

useful in work

Due to the fact that mixing and spraying it requires special equipment, which is available only in specialized companies, the method of insulating a house in this way is the most expensive of those listed.

Facade plaster

In order to plaster a reinforced concrete wall, you will need to put in a little more effort than is required to perform the same work on brickwork. This is due to the fact that the surface of the facade has virtually no differences in the form of assembly seams. Therefore, you need to use a reinforcing mesh.
In addition, you will need the following materials and tools:

• Antiseptic liquid and a roller or spray for it;
• spatulas;
• primer;
• perforator, dowel nails 6x40;
• reinforcing mesh with a square of at least 40x40;
• plaster with thermal insulation effect.

Preliminary preparation of the wall is carried out in the same way as in the previously described methods. Then you need to attach an abrasive mesh to the surface. This can be done using dowel nails. The next step is to dilute the mixture to a homogeneous consistency.

Advice from the “façade designer”

Depending on the brand of “warm” plaster used, the amount of liquid required for mixing may vary. Therefore, it is recommended that you carefully read the manufacturer’s recommendations indicated on the packaging.

The resulting viscous solution is applied to the wall with a spatula and distributed over the surface in the direction from bottom to top. Having processed one side, you can proceed to the next. The recommended layer thickness is 5-8 mm, and their total number is at least three.

Plastering the walls outside is the least expensive and easiest way to insulate a reinforced concrete house. But at the same time, it has the lowest thermal protection coefficient compared to the above options.

Special requirements

Thermal insulation of a concrete wall requires compliance with all technological conditions, the violation of which can affect the efficiency of the work performed, as well as the service life of the structure and the entire house. Before you begin installing thermal insulation on the facade of a building, you need to consider the following factors:

• The surface of the walls must be treated with an antiseptic solution. This will prevent the formation of mold and the appearance of insects that can disrupt the integrity of the structure;
• It is necessary to insulate the entire surface of the external walls of the house, and not just individual elements. This will serve as an additional guarantee that there will be no “cold bridges” in the facade;

The term “cold bridge” refers to a section of the wall that is colder in winter compared to the rest of the façade surface. These mainly include cement seams, through metal elements (gas pipeline pipes), metal ceilings in window or door openings.

• Installation should begin only after completion of all communications necessary for human life, so that it does not happen that, after the insulation is fixed to the wall, drilling or gouging out an additional hole from the outside is required.