We have all gotten used to insulating our homes lately. The main activities in this direction are related to the installation of thermal insulation materials on wall panels. The presence of an insulation layer significantly reduces the intensity of heat exchange between the walls and the outside air. Preservation of heat inside residential premises is the key point for comfortable living, even with powerful heating equipment.
Insulation is a task that concerns not only the structural elements of a residential building. When using a water floor, you also cannot do without thermal insulation. Why thermal insulation is needed in this case and what its functions are, let’s look at it in more detail.
The main task performed by thermal insulation in heated floors
The home heating systems we rely on are designed to provide us with efficient heating. In houses where radiators are installed, heat enters the heated room due to the contact of the surface of the heating devices with the air mass. As a result of heat exchange, up to 60% of the heat goes to heating the internal space as a result of air convection. Water heated floors are much more effective in this regard. By heating the floor surface, heat is distributed evenly inside the room, creating comfortable living conditions.
High efficiency of an in-floor heating system can be achieved through proper installation and placement of all structural elements. Not the least important place in this regard is played by thermal insulation for your heated floor, based on the water principle of operation. An incorrectly laid insulation layer or its absence will lead to your heating system running 50% idle. The heat from the heating circuit should go up, not down, heating the concrete screed or stacked wooden structure.
On a note: Experts say that a warm water floor without insulation leads to significant heat loss in winter. Up to 50% of thermal energy is spent on heating the ceiling in the basement. The lack of insulation for heated floors on interfloor ceilings causes insufficiently comfortable temperatures in the heated room.
To avoid such troubles and get the highest possible efficiency from the heating system, you will need insulation, on top of which you can then lay the water circuit loops. Insulation can be performed with various materials, each of which has its own characteristics and technological parameters. Polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam and mineral wool, which are familiar to us all, will allow us to create the necessary heat-insulating layer due to its low thermal conductivity. Thermal insulation is laid depending on the type of floor covering and the selected installation scheme for the water floor pipeline. The choice of material and its technological characteristics determine the method of laying water circuits and the further operation of the entire heating system.
For clarity, the following example can be given:
The previously used polystyrene foam has a density of 20-22 kg/m3, however, in accordance with the technology for laying warm water floors, the density of the insulating material should be at least 35 kg/m3 for interfloor floors and 50 kg/m3 for floor equipment on the first floor. The presence of such restrictions on thermal insulation materials is caused by technological factors that are determined by the very principle of operation of heated floors.
Water floors are a low temperature heating system. The floor in a heated room should not heat up above 30 0 C. Exceeding these parameters will create discomfort inside the room. A negatively high floor heating temperature will affect the design features of the floor covering, and the heating devices will work with increased load. The presence of a thermal insulation layer of the required thickness will eliminate heat losses during the operation of water circuits and create optimal conditions for the spread of heat in the desired direction. A smaller thickness of thermal insulation will lead to the fact that heat will go into the underground. The large thickness of the insulating material will become a serious obstacle to heating the floor and floor covering. In this case, the operation of warm water floors will be fundamentally disrupted.
What is the basis for choosing an insulating material?
The basis for a heated floor is the so-called “layer cake” - a stacked structure in which each layer performs its own specific functions and tasks. Insulation takes one of the leading places in this pie, so a lot depends on the quality of the insulating material, its composition and structure. Thermal insulation must meet any changes in the operating conditions of the heating communication. The safety of the insulating material is one of the main factors determining its choice.
The second most important technological parameter of thermal insulation materials is thermal conductivity. Here there is a close relationship between the thickness of the material and the thermal conductivity coefficient. The proposed figure - diagram shows the parameters of various building materials used in everyday life.
The advantage of synthetic insulating materials and mineral wool is that, despite their small thickness, they have good thermal conductivity. When it comes to installing heated floors on interfloor ceilings or in wooden buildings, the small width of thermal insulation materials and their low weight play a decisive role.
Therefore, based on the data presented, it is easy to draw the following conclusion. Thermal insulation for warm water floors is created from materials with the following characteristics:
- low thermal conductivity coefficient;
- fire resistance;
- moisture resistance;
- soundproofing;
- technological compatibility with other materials.
The thickness of the insulation is determined by the texture and structure of the material. When purchasing insulating materials, base your choice on the given parameters. Price in this case does not play a special role. Today, all materials offered in the retail chain have approximately the same cost. In the general context of the cost of heating floor equipment, the price of thermal insulation is not critical.
How thick should the insulation be?
The retail chain offers materials of a certain standard thickness. The required thickness of thermal insulation in your case is determined by the conditions of the heating system design. The laid layer of thermal insulation in the case of using extruded polystyrene foam on the first floor must be at least 100-115 mm. If polystyrene foam of the required thickness is not available, thermal insulation is laid in two layers (50 + 50 mm).
To lay water floors on the concrete floor of the second floor, you will need a thermal insulation layer of much smaller thickness, 25-35 mm. We have already talked about the density of foam plastic earlier. The optimal density for thermal insulation foam should be 38-45 kg/m3.
Features of the practical use of various insulating materials
Expanded polystyrene
Let's start with the fact that the thermal insulation is laid at the very bottom of the layer cake, directly on the rough covering. Before laying the thermal insulation layer, waterproofing is laid on the subfloor and only after that they begin laying the thermal insulation layer. Let's look separately at how work is done with the most common and popular materials.
Let's start with polystyrene foam. The material is available in the form of sheets or plates. This form is very convenient for installation work. The thickness of polystyrene foam may vary. The thickness of the sheets varies from 30 to 120 mm. For installation work of all categories, especially in the case of heated floors, a type of polystyrene foam is used - penoplex (extruded polystyrene foam).
Expanded polystyrene has extremely low thermal conductivity and is very convenient and practical during installation. However, this material has a significant drawback, insufficient hardness.
Important! Do not forget that penoplex is a fragile and fragile material, however, to give strength and rigidity to the entire subsequent structure of the water floor, you will need a concrete screed or a stable flooring system.
In order to get rid of this drawback when forming a pie, reinforcement for a concrete screed is used, or additional flooring is made from plywood slabs or gypsum fiber board sheets.
A simpler way out of this situation is to use a cheap analogue - ordinary polystyrene foam.
For polystyrene foam, the optimal thickness of the thermal insulation layer is at least 100 mm. When installing heated floors on ceilings, a foam thickness of 25-30% less will be sufficient.
We use mineral mats
To obtain the necessary rigidity for a layer cake, people most often pay attention to mineral mats. They are based on the well-known mineral wool, but thanks to production technology, the material has a rigid structure. With the help of mineral mats, you can easily fill the existing voids in the subfloor and fill all the cells of the layer cake with a rack layout. Despite the obvious advantages over expanded polystyrene, the material is not resistant to moisture.
On a note: a damaged layer of steam and waterproofing can lead to the mats absorbing existing moisture and losing their insulating properties. The water floor can be laid on mineral mats made of basalt or fiberglass.
Other, less commonly used thermal insulation materials include cork. Cork thermal insulation has low thermal conductivity, but weakly resists moisture. Fungal growths often occur in floors with such thermal insulation. For best performance, it is necessary to use waxed cork material. In this case, the price increases, and in terms of its technological characteristics, cork is inferior to foam plastic and expanded polystyrene.
A new material, which today is increasingly used in domestic construction for the installation of water floors, is profile mats. Unlike other materials, mats are universal. Their design immediately includes a vapor barrier layer and bosses, special protrusions that facilitate installation and laying of the heating circuit.
Profile mats are more practical and convenient to use. Using them in the process of laying heated floors, you can lay the water circuit according to any pattern, quickly and without additional fasteners.
Conclusion
The condition of the subfloor surface and the method of installing a heated water floor determine the type and type of thermal insulation. When working with concrete screed, polystyrene foam, mireral mats or profile mats are usually used. The concrete coating provides a fairly reliable fixation of the insulating material. In the case of flooring systems, mineral mats and foam plastic can be used during work.
The method of fixing the material is carried out using glue or construction tape. For strength, foam sheets are treated with sealant. It is important not to forget to lay reinforced mesh or sheets after the layer of insulating materials to give the entire structure the necessary strength.
Thanks to the rapid development of modern technologies, various devices are increasingly being used for home improvement to increase the level of comfort of residents. One of these devices is heated floors. And for its productive operation and functioning a number of materials are required, among which thermal insulation occupies a special place.
Peculiarities
The task of underfloor heating, regardless of type and configuration, is to ensure uniform distribution of warm air in the room. Since everyone knows that cold air accumulates at the bottom, and heated air rises, the difference in temperature is quite noticeable for humans. A system of warm electric or water floors minimizes these temperature fluctuations in the home, creating acceptable and comfortable heat exchange.
The main feature of the device can be considered the thermal insulation substrate, which, along with the entire heating system, is responsible for heat conservation. Among the proposed range of similar products on the modern market there are a number of materials that are used to construct the system.
In order not to make a mistake with the choice of raw materials, you should proceed from the tasks that the product will solve as part of the entire installation of heated floors.
Among the main functions of insulation it is worth highlighting the following points:
- The presence of thermal insulation reduces the natural loss of heat that escapes through the coldest areas of the apartment or house to the outside or into the ground. In the absence of any materials for insulation, the level of release of warm masses from the room through the floor surface is 20%.
- Thanks to the installation of insulation, thermal energy circulates proportionally throughout the entire heating area, eliminating unnecessary heating of the floors and other components of the building structure that are located under the floor.
- Thanks to thermal insulation, you can save money spent on heating your home.
- In addition to its main functions, the material provides additional sound insulation, which is important in multi-storey residential buildings.
- The properties of thermal insulation products make it possible to create a protective barrier that prevents moisture from entering the home from basements or soil through the floor covering.
In addition, there are three types of heated floors, differing in operating principles. Exists:
- electric;
- water;
- infrared system.
The type of material for thermal insulation that will be best used in a particular case will directly depend on the type of device.
An important characteristic of the material will be the level of thermal insulation resistance to mechanical loads that inevitably affect the floor covering.
Thermal insulation materials have the following features:
- good compression resistance;
- elasticity of raw materials;
- minimal deformation under load on the base;
- resistance to aggressive substances;
- low thermal conductivity;
- low moisture absorption rate;
- high density of material.
Materials
To install underfloor heating systems, manufacturers offer consumers a wide selection of different materials, which differ in cost, type of raw materials (there are natural and synthetic products), as well as in the quality characteristics inherent in the products.
The main materials for thermal insulation can be distinguished:
Cork backing
The raw material is a natural and environmentally friendly product, sold in rolls. The specific structure of the material, made in the form of miniature prisms, provides the insulation with a high level of compressive strength. Cork has no adhesion to cement.
Experts recommend giving preference to such raw materials only if installation is possible based on the height of the ceilings in the room. This limitation is explained by the fact that the installation of cork insulation involves raising the floor by about 4-5 cm, since the boards required for such work will have a thickness of about 30 mm. In addition, installing the cork requires the additional purchase of reflective material to be used in the kit.
The positive features of raw materials include the safety of using products in residential premises due to the naturalness of the products. The disadvantages of cork insulation include the high cost of raw materials and low hygroscopicity.
Polypropylene is used as insulation for heated floors. The material is used in the form of extruded plates that have a closed cellular structure. This type of raw material is more popular than other floor insulation products. The high demand for polypropylene is due to the high quality of raw materials, due to which the coating is easy to process, which facilitates the installation of products in rooms with complex floor configurations. In addition, the products are not hygroscopic.
The positive properties of polypropylene include its heat resistance, which allows the product to be used at temperatures up to 130C.
Expanded polystyrene
The most suitable product for thermal insulation of water-type underfloor heating is considered to be products with a product thickness of 50 to 100 mm. The material stands out for its good strength, low cost and minimal weight. In addition, expanded polystyrene is quite hard and is characterized by resistance to significant temperature fluctuations, accompanied by changes from negative thermometer readings to positive values.
This resistance of the raw material is explained by the peculiarities of its structure; it contains air-sprayed cells. Products made of expanded polystyrene retain their appearance and properties when in contact with aggressive media, including saline solutions and alkali; in addition, they do not absorb liquid and are easy to install.
There are varieties of insulation materials that contain polypropylene film.
To the above characteristics of raw materials, you can add soundproofing properties, resistance to rotting and biostability. The service life of expanded polystyrene products is tens of years.
However, it is worth noting that there are some types of products that will release toxic substances during operation and heating.
Metallized mylar film
Such products provide high-quality protection against the negative effects of alkali on flooring and cement screed. Aluminum products without an additional layer of thermally resistant polyvinyl chloride film are not used. A positive feature of the products is their high level of reflective properties.
The disadvantages of foil thermal insulation include a low level of insulating qualities. Therefore, when laying products above the basement, standard products with a minimum thickness will not be enough. This problem can be solved using solid insulating mats in several layers. During installation, you should adhere to the technology of laying sheets in such a way that the seams of the materials located below are covered by the seams of the products laid on them. This method will reduce heat loss.
Mineral wool
The material is sold in the form of a solid slab or, on the contrary, a flexible mat. When installing wool directly into a screed, it compresses under load, resulting in a decrease in the thermal insulation qualities of the raw material. Experienced craftsmen recommend combining mineral wool with floor-type structures, which consist of wooden logs.
The advantages of mineral wool include:
- non-flammability of raw materials and resistance to high temperatures;
- good level of surface sound insulation;
- good thermal insulation characteristics;
- resistance to chemical compounds.
The disadvantages of the products include the presence of penofol in the cotton wool, which poses a danger to humans, as well as poor resistance to moisture. But high-quality floor waterproofing will help to use products for thermal insulation of heated floors.
Foamed polyethylene
Very often the choice in favor of thermal insulation for heated floors falls on this material. The products are products with a thickness of 3 to 10 mm, which are sold in rolls. There are varieties of polyethylene on sale, which additionally include a foil layer located on one or both sides.
This structure makes it possible to create a reflective layer for infrared rays. In addition, the presence of foil provides additional thickness to the insulation, increasing its properties.
Among the disadvantages, the inability to reflect IR in a solid body stands out, and it is in this form that a cement screed is laid on the floor.
In terms of its performance characteristics, the raw material is not inferior to expanded polystyrene. However, foamed polyethylene is capable of absorbing moisture, which negatively affects its insulating qualities. In addition, some chemical elements included in concrete can destroy the foil layer of thermal insulation products. To eliminate the possibility of destruction of the insulation during the operation of the floor, most manufacturers began to produce sheets where the foil is additionally covered with a polymer film.
Manufacturers
In the construction market, products used for thermal insulation of underfloor heating are represented by a wide selection of types, as well as various brands.
Among the trusted companies selling their goods on the domestic and foreign markets, the following companies stand out:
- High-quality polystyrene is produced by the trademark Knauf.
- Mineral wool is presented on the market by the brand URSA.
- The consumer is also offered thermal insulation for the floor Thermo.
- In addition, it should be noted that there is a technical jam Amorim and lavsan film from the company Daewoo enertec.
To make a choice of material that will justify the money spent on it, you need to pay attention not only to the characteristics of the raw material and its parameters, but also to the service life of the material.
Many types of products that have high performance and properties, unfortunately, have a short service life. As a result, replacement of the thermal insulation material with a new one will need to be carried out much earlier than the need for preventive maintenance of any elements of the underfloor heating system. This is especially true for floors where the covering is made with tiles, for example in a bathroom, as a result of which it will be necessary to dismantle the products. Therefore, the minimum lifespan of floor insulation products should be 10-15 years.
As for the properties of the material, which are worth paying attention to first of all, it is necessary to highlight the following:
- coefficient of thermal conductivity;
- level of resistance to mechanical loads;
- resistance to dynamic influences;
- vapor permeability;
- hygroscopicity;
- density of the material.
For rooms with high ceilings, the height of which exceeds 250 cm, you can opt for durable insulation with a rigid polymer base. For wooden floors, it is best to purchase environmentally friendly and non-flammable material. Mineral wool may be a good thermal insulation option in this case. For floors where the heating system is equipped with a cable, the main property of the insulation is the presence of a heat-reflecting layer, regardless of the form in which the material is made.
Currently, many people install engineering systems in the form of heated floors in their homes. They replace the classic (radiator) heating method, as well as the use of convectors, heating panels, fan heaters, etc. as heat sources for heating rooms.
One of the varieties of such a system is an electric-type heated floor. It is installed instead of the main heating system during the construction of private mansions and when performing renovation work in existing residential premises. Electric floors can also serve as an additional source of heat throughout the entire room or heat the necessary spaces (kitchen, bathrooms, children's room, etc.).
The use of warm electric floors in apartments and houses is currently not a tribute to a fashion trend, but a necessity, which is caused by the following factors:
- creating comfortable conditions;
- health care;
- savings.
The essence of creating a floor for an electrical structure is to lay a special cable, electric heating mats or sections under the main floor covering. A huge advantage of such heating is that it can be carried out at will, and can also be programmed to turn on and off at certain times.
A warm electric floor is a complex structure; its performance depends on the correctly selected materials, components and devices, as well as the installation of all components in their place. Insulation is an important component of such a system. Properly selected for specific needs, it will direct and retain heat in the room, helping to save electricity consumption and household money.
It is a well-known fact from basic physics: warm air in a room tends to rise to the top, while at the same time it remains cold below. Such changes negatively affect a person’s well-being. You can get a cold and feel uncomfortable. The body will be healthy only when the feet are warm.
Installation of an electric heated floor promotes uniform heat distribution, proper heat exchange and the creation of the necessary microclimate in the room. The creation technology is simple, well developed by companies specializing in underfloor heating installation services. It is used for all types of premises. This type of floor is safe to use and does not require maintenance during system operation.
When creating an electric heated floor, you must adhere to 5 prerequisites:
- it must occupy at least 70% of the area of the room in which it is installed;
- when installing, you need to use a resistive one, preferably a two-core heating cable, always shielded, infrared film or special electrical mats;
- high-quality insulation must be selected and laid correctly;
- the screed must be made of sand-cement in compliance with the required proportions; it must be no more than 50 mm thick;
- As a final floor covering after installing the electrical system, you can use ceramic tiles, natural and artificial stones, laminate, carpet, parquet and other materials that will match the installed electrical system.
Electric floor systems
Currently, there are cable, rod, liquid and film electric floor heating systems. Cable floors appeared in the 90s. A special shielded cable warms the floor surface to the set temperature. It is set on a thermostat, which responds to signals from a temperature sensor or a special external device that records the air temperature in the room. The heating cable can be installed in special mats with a certain pitch, which speeds up the installation process of heated floors.
Warm electric floors of the rod type are made of coal heating elements. They are connected by conductors and form a grid. Each carbon element is a separately functioning device. This is very important - if one of them fails, the rest will work.
The electrical liquid system consists of polyethylene pipes of a certain diameter filled with a heat-conducting liquid, inside of which there is a heating core. The pipes at their ends have a connecting coupling on one side and a damper device on the other. The latter compensates for the expansion of the non-freezing liquid. Such a system is connected to the power supply using a special regulator.
A polymer film is a product with heating elements applied to it, emitting heat in the long-wave range. Film thickness – no more than 3 mm, width – 0.5÷1 m; it has, depending on the production technology, different heat transfer.
Polymer film is not used for laying under tiles.
Thermal insulation requirements
Why is thermal insulation (also called insulation) needed when installing heated electric floors? During the operation of such a floor, heat losses occur, which are associated with heating of the cable/mat/film and the floor. Laying a special material called thermal insulation will help to avoid heat loss. It will be the basis on which the components of the heated floor are mounted.
In the retail chain, materials with thermal insulation properties are presented in a large assortment; buying them is not difficult. They are made from different components in the form of rolls, panels, films and membranes. Not all materials are suitable for creating electric heated floors. The requirements for thermal insulation material for electric heated floors are as follows:
- must have a low thermal conductivity coefficient;
- have resistance to elevated temperatures;
- easy to install and not deform during operation;
- should level out minor unevenness in the base;
- must withstand heavy loads;
- have soundproofing properties;
- withstand aggressive environments;
- have a high degree of strength;
- do not absorb moisture;
- be electrically safe;
- be made from environmentally friendly materials (should not release toxic substances into the environment);
- have a long service life.
Main types of thermal insulation
Thermal insulating materials for installing electric heated floors are made from natural and synthetic raw materials. From a large assortment, we can highlight the thermal insulation materials presented below.
Natural thermal insulation is made using a special technology from cork oak bark and is therefore called cork. Such insulation is supplied to the retail chain in the form of rolls 10 m long and 1 m wide. Thickness ranges from 1 to 10 mm. During installation there is no need to glue it, it is easy to install, has excellent sound and heat insulation properties, and can have a rubberized base, which eliminates the need for additional waterproofing.
Installation must be carried out using heat-reflecting material, because The design does not have the required component of an electric floor, which allows heat to be reflected to the floor surface.
Modern thermal insulation materials of artificial origin for electric floors include the following products:
- "Penotherm". It is made of porous polypropylene, has a cellular structure, without and with markings. The latter makes the installation process easier. Aluminum foil serves as a heat-reflecting layer. Depending on the quality of installation, it can increase thermal efficiency by up to 70%. The insulation is supplied to the retail chain with a width of 1200 mm and a length of 10 and 30 m, of various thicknesses.
- "Penofol". Made from foamed polyethylene. It has a foil layer with a thickness of 100 microns. Available in four types, differing in surfaces. "Penofol" type A has a foil surface on one side, type B has a foil surface on both sides, type C has one side with foil and the other has an adhesive layer, type ALP also has a foil side and is located on the other polyethylene film. Rolls have a thickness of 3÷10 mm and a length of 10÷30.
- "Folgoizolon". It is made of foamed polyethylene and has air bubbles in its design, as well as a foil layer. Available in two modifications: cross-linked (PPE) and non-cross-linked (NPE) polyethylene foam, differing in service life. For products made from cross-linked polyethylene it is much higher. Thanks to the material with high technical characteristics, it retains heat well. Supplied with or without underfloor heating markings in sheets rolled into rolls of various thicknesses and lengths. It is an ideal heat-insulating material for installing heated floors on balconies, loggias and other cold rooms.
The foil layer must be laminated.
Additional insulation can be a polyethylene laminated film with markings for underfloor heating. Products with a thickness of 3 or 5 mm, a width of 1 m and a length of 10 to 30 m are used.
Installation features
Properly selected material for thermal insulation not only makes staying in the room comfortable, but also reduces electrical energy consumption. The technology for making electric heated floors depends on it.
All work on arranging an electric heated floor comes down to the following operations:
- preparation of the base;
- installation of thermal insulation;
- installation of heating cable/mats/film;
- performing a screed;
- installation of finishing floor covering.
At the base preparation stage, it is necessary to dismantle the old screed, level the surface as much as possible (differences should not exceed 10 mm) and clean it from dirt and dust. If necessary, the base surface must be waterproofed.
Before you begin laying thermal insulation for an electric heated floor, you need to decide on its thickness. It has been experimentally established that above unheated rooms it should be 50÷100 mm, and for interfloor ceilings - 20÷30 mm. Seams and joints of thermal insulation must be taped with special tape (foil), between the wall and the screed - with damper tape. When laying several thermal circuits with different temperatures, a T-shaped damper profile is used to separate them.
Thermal insulation material is not only laid on the base of the floor, it must be laid along the perimeter of the wall to a height of up to 20 mm.
Installation of electric heating elements must be carried out taking into account the characteristics of the installed system (single- or two-core cables, mats, UV films).
It is better to screed the floor using a sand-cement mortar with the addition of special plasticizers that will prevent cracking. Its thickness should be at least 3 cm. After drying, begin laying the finishing floor covering. It can be tiles, parquet, linoleum or another type. They are installed taking into account the manufacturer's recommendations.
Video
A thermal insulation layer under a warm electric floor is not a luxury, but a necessity. It will help to evenly distribute the heat from the heating elements, retain it and direct it in the required direction. Poorly performed installation at any stage of creating electric heated floors will entail negative consequences. This will affect comfort, increased energy consumption and, as a result, unnecessary waste of money.
When installing a warm water floor, the main task is to direct all the thermal energy into the room, so it is important to correctly distribute it over the entire area, and also not allow it to escape to the neighbors.
For this purpose, special materials are used - insulation. There are a number of other reasons to use floor insulation:
Types of materials used for floor insulation
There are many options for pipe insulation, but all materials can be divided into:
The choice of insulation depends on:
Bulk materials and technology for their laying
The main advantage of bulk materials is their low cost and ease of use. In many respects they are not inferior to more expensive analogues. The only enemy of bulk compounds is moisture - they are hygroscopic and lose their characteristics when wet.
Before laying insulation for pipes in the form of bulk materials, the base of the floor should be prepared:
- make wooden logs, the distance between them should not exceed 800 mm;
- under each log you need a sheet of roofing material;
- instead of lags, you can use reinforcing mesh;
- the material is poured in (the layer thickness should be at least 5 cm) and compacted well - this is a very important point, since bulk compositions shrink more over time;
- Then you can start laying out the pipes. Doing this on a bulk base is not very convenient, since there is nothing to fix them to. That is why such insulation materials are not in great demand.
Insulation with sprayed compounds
The most common type of sprayed composition is polyurethane foam. Its advantages:
- it applies quickly;
- fills all the cracks;
- quickly adheres to any coating;
- creates an airtight coating.
The disadvantage of this method of insulation is that it will be difficult to do it yourself, with your own hands, since you need special equipment, which is impractical to buy for one-time use. If you really want to do all the work without involving specialists, you can rent the necessary equipment.
Before application to the concrete base of the floor, wooden forms no more than 50 cm wide are mounted on it. The composition is distributed using a special pneumatic gun.
At the same time, it is important to take care of the skin and respiratory protection system - you need a special suit, since polyurethane foam is quite toxic.
The thickness of the layer should not be more than 3 cm - it increases in volume very quickly. If necessary, you can apply a second coat. The next stage is cutting off protruding reliefs. After this, the floor is ready for pipe laying. To make it easier to secure them, you can lay a reinforcing mesh with small squares on top.
Installation of heated floors, insulation of the base before laying pipes
How to use roll insulation
The most common roll insulation for warm water floors is foil material. It is two-layer:
- a basis that can serve as a variety of heat insulators:
- expanded polystyrene;
- cork;
- foamed polyethylene;
- mineral wool;
- reflective coating - metallized polypropylene film or thin aluminum foil.
The thickness of rolled polyethylene foam is from 2 to 10 mm and can have a self-adhesive surface, which greatly facilitates the installation process.
The most popular brands in Russia:
- Folgizol;
- Penofol;
- Isoflex;
- Ecofol;
- Izolon.
Insulation for a warm water floor, based on mineral wool or fiberglass, must have a layer thickness of up to 100 mm.
The most common brands:
- Rockwool;
- Paroc;
- Knauf;
- Isover.
Rolled foil insulation for pipes is very popular due to its distinctive properties:
- high reflectivity;
- moisture-proof surface;
- durability;
- good sound and heat insulation properties;
- ease of installation;
- low weight;
- low cost.
Installation technology:
Technology for laying tile insulation
Among the most common tile insulation materials are the following.