How to insulate the floors in the apartment on the ground floor. How to insulate a concrete floor in an apartment on the first floor
As you know, warm air tends to rise up, as a result, the floor remains the coldest place in an apartment or house. This is especially true for the first floor, which often has a basement or underground. In our article we will talk about how to insulate the floor on the ground floor and not only.
The most reliable way to protect against the cold is to use insulation, which can be in the form of blocks, rolls or bulk materials. When deciding how best to insulate the floor, you must choose between cost, heat-insulating properties and durability of the material.
Warming of the basement space
Builders don't care much about airtightness when laying out the floor. In the basement space, most often there are gaps. You can even see them from the basement. The first thing to do is to close up the gaps in the ceiling. Small holes can be puttied from below. In a private house, insulation boards can be glued to the floor from the underside.
This is where styrofoam mounting adhesive comes in handy. How to make an insulated floor from below so that the plates do not lag behind? To do this, they are additionally grabbed with parachute dowels, and the joints are foamed.
A clear advantage of the method is that nothing needs to be broken. Everything will remain as it was, and the house will become warm.
Wooden floor insulation
The old floor board can be replaced with a new one. If it is in good condition, then the floor is carefully disassembled. At the same time, you need to make the marking of the boards, so that later you do not waste time and effort on fitting. This is especially true for the half floor. Disassembly is done in order to reassemble in the same way. The nails are removed carefully so as not to damage the boards. When assembling the floor, it is advisable to use self-tapping screws, which create stronger connections and are easily removed.
Before insulating the floor on the ground floor, the cracks from above must be carefully sealed with mounting foam, putty and cement-sand mortar. Logs should be checked by level and further strengthened. Otherwise, the floorboards will creak just as before. In hardware stores, there are racks for sale that screw into logs and abut against the ceiling. They can also be made from steel studs.
Floor slabs are tightly laid with mineral wool, which should go on the walls. A budget solution is to use mats made of straw or sawdust, but they decompose over time. You can also use expanded clay, foam chips or slag. In principle, any insulation is suitable if it performs its functions. From below, a layer of vapor barrier is laid on the ceiling so that moisture does not accumulate, from which the properties of the insulation deteriorate significantly.
How to insulate the floor with foam or polystyrene foam
If the floor is covered ceramic tiles or cement screed, it can be insulated with thin sheets of polystyrene foam or foam.
Fiberboard and drywall GVL are also used. But their thermal insulation properties are much lower.
A layer of vapor barrier is placed on the concrete floor, and a layer of insulation and a plastic film are placed on it. Then a screed of cement or a special mixture is laid on top. It must be reinforced with mesh. To compensate for temperature fluctuations, an edge tape is laid along the perimeter of the wall. A new floor covering is installed on top: tile, parquet, laminate or linoleum.
Insulating underlay for linoleum
The problem of how to insulate the floor on the ground floor can be solved by the most in a simple way due to linoleum with a substrate. It is the most common, cheap, easy-to-install and maintain coating. It is enough to cut it correctly and insert it under the plinth.
The material consists of layers of PVC with a pattern, fiberglass and a substrate, which is often used as the same material on both sides, which prevents the coating from deforming when the temperature changes.
There is also a heater for the floor under the linoleum. It is the bottom layer, which can be made from jute or fabric.
Additional substrate for linoleum
If the coating does not have the necessary protection from the cold from below, then additional substrates are used for the main coating: cork, linen and expanded polystyrene. Cork is good insulation, but it can also be used as a stand-alone coating. Ordinary plywood or fiberboard also have heat-insulating properties, but the effect will be much greater if an additional layer of expanded polystyrene is laid under them. Linoleum floor insulation is best laid under plywood or fiberboard.
This is done in the following way:
- an insulating substrate is laid on a dry and even floor;
- plywood is laid and fastened with screws to the floor;
- linoleum is covered from above and the edges are hidden under the plinth, which protects the substrate from water penetration.
This method is used in rooms with high ceilings.
How to connect a warm floor
It makes it possible to create uniform heat in the room. It is a heating system located under the cover, which gives the most favorable temperature distribution in the room in height.
The problem of how to insulate the floor on the first floor with electric heating, can be solved in one of the following ways:
- with the put polymer keeps within under any covering of a floor. It does not require pouring the screed.
- whose power varies with temperature. It heats cold areas more and warm areas less. It requires pouring the screed.
- Carbon rods attached to a fiberglass mesh can be filled with ordinary tile adhesive.
After installation, you need to know how to connect a warm floor. This requires a thermostat to which the heating cable is connected. All connections should be made according to the instructions, carefully following all the steps.
Water heating is carried out using pipes with a circulating hot water. They are laid under the floor or poured with a screed. Heating is carried out through copper, polypropylene or metal-plastic pipes, which are connected to the space heating system.
Floor heating can be distributed in such a way that separate sections are connected. To do this, a manifold with control valves is placed at the top.
Conclusion
It is possible to insulate floors by installing heat-insulating materials used separately or as a substrate for floor coverings. Heat-insulating panels from the bottom of the floors are especially effective. When installing them, there is no need to disassemble the floor above. In addition, you can install a floor heating system, which can be autonomous or part of the home heating system.
The floor among all surfaces in the box of the apartment is most exposed to external loads, this is especially felt while walking. For this reason, special attention should be paid to the insulation of the floor surface; without this measure, it will be difficult to achieve optimal comfort for residents. In this article we will talk about apartments located on the ground floor, in particular about the insulation of the floor, which is in contact with the floor slab, and that, in turn, with an unheated and damp basement.
Mineral wool as a heater
For normal operation floor covering certain requirements must be observed, for example, the range of differences between the temperature of the floor and the room should not exceed two degrees. That is, the difference between the temperature of the air and the floor is minimal. Otherwise, for various reasons, if this basic requirement is not met, it is recommended to resort to floor insulation. If in summer this difference is not felt, then in winter it will make itself felt more expressively.
Ground floor insulation options
Floor insulation consists in laying a layer of thermal insulation in the ceiling between the basement and the first floor. According to the laws of physics, heat flows from top to bottom, if there is a cold room below. In addition to heat loss, the coating is affected by the formed condensate, which is released from the warm air. This moisture has a detrimental effect on the insulation material and, without effective waterproofing, it will become unusable in the shortest possible time. Such a nuisance can be prevented in three ways: use a moisture-resistant finishing material, organize an additional vapor barrier layer, or use all of this in combination. The role of the vapor barrier layer will perfectly play the usual polyethylene film. The minimum allowable film thickness for our purposes is 150 µm.
Vapor barrier layer in the form of a polyethylene film
Different floor coverings have different heat absorption coefficients. It makes sense that a concrete floor is colder than a wood floor, as it absorbs heat from the room much more efficiently. Based on this characteristic, many experts recommend choosing options with a low rate of heat absorption when choosing a finishing floor covering. These include everything “wooden”: parquet, wood, linoleum, chipboard, and polymer tiles can also be included here. The floor of their other materials can be well heated, except perhaps by a floor heating system.
If you live on the first floor apartment building it means that under you there is probably a basement to which there is access. Alternatively, you can carry out insulation from the basement. For this, ordinary foam is used, it is glued to the basement ceiling with a solution of glue and cement in the composition, or immediately with a ready-made composition that can be bought at a hardware store. The gaps between the sheets should be sealed with mounting foam, preferably a few hours after laying.
Preparation of foam boards for ceiling sheathing in the basement
It is important to note that this method of insulation can cause dissatisfaction on the part of neighbors. Implementing all the work will not provide any difficulty even for an inexperienced person; it will be difficult to calculate the location of your section. Therefore, most likely, you will need a house plan and a tape measure to circle your sector for insulation.
In many cases, it is not possible to insulate the floor from the basement side. Then they act in a completely different way. Logs are laid on a concrete floor or ceiling, the space between them is filled with insulating material, and plywood or boards are sheathed on top. This will be an excellent base for laying the finish coat, of course, if everything is done with high quality. This method is not difficult to perform, but, as always, there are a number of disadvantages for it. One of these is the effect on the height of the ceiling, sometimes large irregularities in the ceiling make it necessary to arrange a thick floor, which naturally cannot, will not be displayed on the volume of the usable area.
Floor device on logs
In apartments with arranged wooden floors, it is somewhat easier to carry out insulation. If the floor is very old, it is completely dismantled or, if possible, unusable structural elements are replaced with new ones. The "underground" space formed by the lags is filled with foam sheets. In this case, the dimensions of the room will remain the same as they were before the work was carried out.
Expanded clay can be an excellent substitute for polystyrene. This is a completely natural material obtained by firing clay in the form of granules. different diameter. Initially, before using it, it is necessary to pour a cement-sand screed with reinforcement and a layer thickness of at least 10 cm. This insulation technology, like the previous one, helps to reduce the height of the ceiling. The thickness of the coating, in addition to the screed layer, also includes a heat and waterproofing layer. It is also equally important to note its advantages, for example, in combination with this technology, you can arrange a water or electric floor.
Installing a log for the floor
If you are the owner of a two-story or even one-story house, then take note that even in the absence of a basement, floor insulation still needs to be carried out. The most effective solution would be a floor heating device that can be turned on or off as needed. True, here you need to reasonably evaluate your financial capabilities.
If the solution was stopped on the insulating material, then it must be applied even at the stage of subfloor installation. Specialists in this industry, "palm" among the best materials give extruded polystyrene foam. According to their conviction and the applications of manufacturers, it is he who has the best thermal insulation characteristics. The list of advantages should also include its resistance to moisture and mechanical influence. This material will be especially appropriate in houses where the location of groundwater is very close to the base of the foundation.
Expanded polystyrene as insulation for the floor on the ground floor
At the very beginning, before laying polystyrene foam, you need to prepare the base for it. It is a carefully compacted mound of sand and gravel 10 cm thick. The choice of insulation thickness plays an important role and depends on regional climatic conditions. Waterproofing in this case is provided by a polyethylene film. It wraps the warm side of the material. For reliable fixation, you can use a special glue without plastic substances in the composition. On top of the film, a cement-sand mortar is poured or a two-layer gypsum-fiber coating is laid.
Extruded polystyrene boards
If you are going to install a floor heating system, then keep in mind that the heating elements fit into the thickness of the screed. Otherwise, when using budget options for insulation, focus on mineral wool boards and glass wool. The proposed options are a little “lame” on moisture-resistant characteristics, so they need careful waterproofing.
Comparison of extruded polystyrene foam with other materials
In wooden houses, where the floor is usually made on logs, using soil as a base, the insulation material is laid on a special suspension from boards hemmed from below. Before this, the boards are treated with a bituminous composition from the side of the soil, and covered with a waterproofing material from above.
Finally, I would like to say that the more components of the house structure are insulated, meaning ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors, the more comfortable it will be to live in it.
Almost all owners of apartments located on the ground floor are faced with such a problem as cold floors. This is due to cold and unheated, and often damp basements. In such cases, it is necessary to insulate the floor of the first floor with modern materials.
For this, a fairly large number of different heaters and methods of their installation are used. In this article, we will get acquainted with the most effective methods of how to correctly and reliably insulate a concrete floor.
Basement insulation
The most correct solution is the thermal insulation of the floor slab from the basement side. In other words, it is necessary to insulate the ceiling in the basement, thus moving the cold and dew point away from the floor in the apartment.
To carry out such work, it is better to coordinate with the Housing Office. There are usually no problems with this. Having received such permission, you can start thermal insulation work. The following methods are available for this:
- The simplest, inexpensive, but at the same time quite effective method is to produce foam insulation. Foam sheets are glued to the concrete base with liquid nails. At the end of the work, all the gaps remaining between the sheets should be filled with mounting foam. Since the basement is quite often damp, and the foam has the property of being saturated with moisture over time, it is necessary to make waterproofing. To do this, with the same glue, a thick plastic film is glued onto the sheets of insulation. The edges of such waterproofing must be overlapped by at least 10–15 cm.
- You can spray polyurethane foam - one of the most reliable and durable insulation known today. After hardening, this material has high strength, excellent thermal insulation properties. Also, polyurethane foam does not burn and absolutely does not absorb moisture. The only disadvantage of this option is its rather high cost: spraying is carried out using special equipment and requires professional operator skills.
Advice! If you have insulated the concrete floor from the basement side, this does not mean that the floors in your apartment will automatically become warm. This technique only allows you to "push back" the cold. In any case, it is necessary to insulate the floor from the side of the apartment.
Floor insulation from inside the apartment
This method has a large number of materials used. Let's look at the main materials and the technology for their installation in more detail.
Mineral wool
This option works best with wood floors, but can also be used if you want to lay wood over a concrete base. By choosing this option, you need to follow the following technology and the sequence of work:
Advice! It is possible to insulate the floor of the first floor in this way with the use of other heat insulators. For example, foam can be used instead of mineral wool. This material has slightly worse thermal insulation properties, but is cheaper.
Expanded clay insulation
This type of insulation concrete base in the apartment on the ground floor is perhaps the most popular. This is due to the ease of installation, durability and high performance of the materials used. To insulate the concrete floor in an apartment located on the ground floor with the help of expanded clay, the following technology for carrying out thermal insulation work should be observed:
- Old flooring, including cement screed, must be removed.
- Having carefully removed all the debris, it is necessary to examine the floor slab and repair the detected cracks, crevices and other defects with mounting foam or cement mortar.
- The next step is to lay a thick polyethylene film as a waterproofing layer. Its installation is carried out with an overlap, while the seams must be glued on both sides with adhesive tape.
- Now the entire surface of the floor can be covered with expanded clay. The thickness of the layer depends on the height of the ceilings. Here, the thicker the layer, the better its thermal insulation properties will be, but the minimum allowable expanded clay layer is 10 cm.
- After backfilling, expanded clay must be compacted. It is strictly forbidden to moisten the insulation!
- A reinforcing mesh is mounted on top of the expanded clay and a cement screed is poured with a layer of 5 cm.
- The screed is carefully leveled and covered with polyethylene for proper drying.
- After the cement mortar has dried, you can proceed with the installation of the floor covering: laminate, linoleum or other material.
Advice! To increase the thermal insulation properties of the floor, foam granules can be added to the cement mortar at the stage of its preparation. This will greatly insulate the floor in the apartment.
This thermal insulation can be used in both methods of floor insulation: with wooden logs and under a cement screed. Expanded polystyrene has almost ideal properties:
- low thermal conductivity
- high density and mechanical strength,
- does not burn,
- practically does not absorb moisture,
- long service life.
When insulating a wooden floor, extruded polystyrene foam boards are placed between the joists, like any other material. The use of a waterproofing layer, despite the high performance of the insulation, is mandatory.
After laying and filling the cracks with mounting foam, the heat insulator is covered with another layer of waterproofing. For these purposes, it is better to use penofol. Then the flooring is installed: plywood, chipboard or boards. Insulation with polystyrene foam under a cement screed is carried out as follows:
Advice! Electric heating cables can be laid over the thermal insulation material. After the completion of all installation work, you will be the owner of really warm floors that consume very little electricity.
Having studied all the options for insulating the floor on the ground floor given in this material, you need to choose the most suitable one in your case. Having some skills, you can do all the work yourself, without involving expensive specialists.
Insulation of the floor of the first floor, the choice of thermal insulation material and the technology of laying each type of insulation.
The need for floor insulation on the first floor
Thermal insulation of floors on the ground floor is necessary both in a private house and in an apartment building. In the first case, insulation will help save a decent amount of money on energy, which is important for the cold season, in the second, it will make the apartment cozy and warm.
AT high-rise buildings, especially panel, always cold cellars. As a result, in winter time no matter how hot the radiators are, the floor always remains cool, and the temperature in the apartment often drops below the comfort level.
Thus, there are quite a few reasons to insulate the floors of the first floor in the house:
- Saving money. Up to 30% of heat escapes through the floor. By insulating it, you can save a lot. The question is relevant for owners of private residential buildings.
- Improved tactile sensations. Walking on a cold floor barefoot is unpleasant. You have to wear slippers and socks to boot. The insulated floor is pleasant to the touch, you can walk on it barefoot without fear of getting sick.
- Elimination of dampness. On the ground floor of a private house, moisture penetrates from the ground, in a high-rise building - from the basement. Most heaters require base waterproofing. After laying them, the floor will always be dry.
The choice of material for warming the floor of the first floor
Before insulating the floor, you need to decide on the material to be used. The market for heaters is diverse. On sale you can find thermal insulation made from natural substances and synthetic. To choose the optimal material in terms of technical characteristics / price ratio, you will have to deal with each type separately, and then draw conclusions.
To insulate the floor of the first floor in a private house or high-rise building, the following materials are used:
- Expanded clay. It is made from pure clay, which is fired in kilns at high temperatures. There are three fractions - crushed stone, gravel, sand. For the best thermal insulation of the floor, a mixture of two fractions is used (gravel, crushed stone, sand is obtained with partial destruction of the material at the time of installation). The insulation is different in density. For thermal insulation of the floor, you need to choose a sufficiently dense material. Expanded clay absorbs moisture well and gives it poorly, so waterproofing is required when laying. It can be mastic or a dense plastic film. Expanded clay thermal conductivity - 0.18 W/m*K.
- Ecowool. Produced from the remnants of the paper industry - waste paper. Borax and boric acid are used as mandatory additives. Borax is a strong antiseptic, prevents the accumulation of moisture and decay. Boric acid acts as a flame retardant, making ecowool less flammable. Insulation goes on sale in a highly compressed form in plastic bags. Before work, it must be fluffed up using a drill with a mixing nozzle and after dumping the contents of the bag into a large tank. The thermal conductivity of ecowool is 0.032-0.041 W / m * K. The insulation is air and vapor permeable. Bilateral waterproofing is not required, since when wet, ecowool is taken with a thick, fairly strong crust and protects the rest of the insulation, while thermal conductivity remains at the same level. Fire hazard class - G2, non-self-igniting. Ecowool is not interesting for mice.
- Mineral wool. There are three varieties - glass wool, slag wool, basalt wool. the best technical specifications the latter differs, it also costs 30 percent more. Available in rolls, mats, plates. Thermal conductivity depends on density: the higher it is, the better material conducts heat. Technical characteristics of mineral wool: low thermal conductivity (0.032-0.045 W/m*K), good air and vapor permeability. The insulation does not burn, melts at a temperature of +1000°С. Mineral wool is not interesting for mice.
- Expanded polystyrenes. This includes ordinary polystyrene and the brand of extruded polystyrene foam, which has become a household name, penoplex. Despite the same basis, heaters differ not only appearance but technical specifications. Penoplex is better than foam plastic in many of them: thermal conductivity - 0.032 W / m * K, water absorption - 0.4% (foam plastic has 4%), flammability group - G1-G4. The insulation does not allow moisture to pass through, it is convenient to cut. True, it is expensive. Under the usual cement screed it is cheaper to use a simple foam, and under the "warm floor" system - foam.
- polyurethane foam. It has low thermal conductivity (0.019-0.028 W / m * K), almost zero water absorption and low vapor permeability, fire hazard class - G2-G3 (GOST 12.1.044), absolutely inert to chemical media and natural solvents, uninteresting to rodents. It is applied using a special installation that sprays the material under pressure. If you purchase it (there are disposable ones), then all the work can be done with your own hands. Polyurethane foam comes in different densities (from 18 to 300 kg / m 3), the lower this indicator, the weaker the thermal insulation layer will be in terms of mechanical strength. The material strongly "grows" when in contact with air, closing all the cracks and pores, has excellent adhesion to any type of substrate.
- Foil heaters. Presented on the construction market as rolls of thin mineral wool or polyethylene foam. Such thermal insulation has two goals - insulation and repulsion of heat back into the room. In order for the foil thermal insulation to work correctly, a counter-lattice is installed (the thickness of the beam is 3 cm or more), a tongue-and-groove board is laid on top as a floor finish.
Before work on floor insulation, it is required to correctly calculate the thickness of the heat-insulating material. If you lay too thin a layer, the desired effect of protection against the penetration of cold will not be achieved, if you install too thick insulation, extra financial resources will be spent, which is inappropriate.
First floor floor insulation technology
Each of the listed heaters fits in its own way. It also matters which base needs to be insulated - concrete capital, wooden or floor along the logs. Expanded clay and expanded polystyrene are laid and under concrete screed, and under a fine wooden floor. Expanded clay is also poured over logs with mandatory double-sided waterproofing. Penoplex (extruded polystyrene foam) is always placed under the “warm floor” systems, ecowool is poured into the cavity between the subfloor and the finishing floor, mineral wool is laid along the logs and is never used in a concrete screed due to insufficient strength characteristics and increased water absorption. Foil heaters are not used independently, as they have a small thickness.
Floor insulation on the first floor with expanded clay
Several types of floors are insulated with this material: on the ground, in houses on screw piles, according to the lags. The first two options are similar to each other in terms of installation technology.
For work you will need: expanded clay, cement mixture (concrete screed), a mixing container, a drill with a mixer nozzle, a trowel, a reinforcing mesh, dense polyethylene (thickness 200 micro and above), a rake.
The procedure for warming the concrete floor of the first floor:
- Disassemble the finished floor. Carefully remove the wooden one, inspect each floorboard, clean it from old paint, treat it with antiseptics, set it aside to dry, then lay it horizontally so that it does not curl. Other types of flooring, tiles, plywood, chipboard, are dismantled and thrown away.
- Inspect the rough base, remove debris and dust, check the evenness with a level. This is necessary in order to pour expanded clay as evenly as possible, without differences in height.
- Treat the subfloor with an antiseptic and let it dry.
- Lay polyethylene, be sure to put it on the walls, 5-7 centimeters above the level of the intended finishing floor. Trim after installing skirting boards. Secure the joints of the film with adhesive tape.
- Pour expanded clay, level it with a rake, check the level in places where there were deviations from the horizontal. Add insulation there, if required, and level it again.
- Spill expanded clay with cement milk. This will increase the adhesion between the granules.
- Install reinforcing mesh. The height of the mounting racks is 3 cm.
- Shut up cement mixture water according to the instructions, let stand for 5 minutes and mix again.
- Fill the floor in parts, first carefully leveling each of them with a trowel and checking the level.
- Let the surface dry and gain working strength. This will take about a month (28 days).
- Install the finish coat. Don't forget to install baseboards and cut off excess plastic wrap.
We do the work like this:
- Disassemble the floor.
- Remove the top layer of the earth and go deep into the ground by about half a meter.
- Tamp the bottom of the resulting pit. For these purposes, either a small skating rink, or a special machine, or homemade device, consisting of a heavy handle and a dense, durable sole of any size.
- Fill the sand with a layer of 10 cm, spill it with water, tamp.
- Lay rubble on top of the sand with a layer of 15 cm, tamp. Here it is better to use a special machine for tamping.
- Pour sand again (10 cm), spill it with water, tamp. Check the resulting surface for evenness with a level.
- Lay a plastic film, put it on the walls to a height of 5-7 cm above the level of the future finishing floor, fix the joints with adhesive tape.
- Pour expanded clay, layer thickness of at least 15 cm, level with a rake and spill with cement milk.
- Install reinforcing mesh.
- Pour the concrete screed and let it dry for a month.
- Apply the finish coat. Install skirting boards. Trim off excess waterproofing film.
Important! For houses on pile foundation digging a pit is not required. The thickness of the sand and gravel cushion, insulation and concrete screed should reach the level of the finished floor in the house.
Thermal insulation of the floor of the first floor with mineral wool
For such thermal insulation it is convenient to use rolls. They are cut to size before laying. The width of the roll should be half a centimeter greater than the step lag. You can also use mats. Mineral wool is used to insulate the wooden floor on the ground floor along the logs.
Work order:
- Remove the old wood floor. Inspect the boards, remove old paint, sand, treat with an antiseptic. Leave to dry, then lay horizontally.
- Remove debris and dust from the rough base. Carefully inspect the logs, replace the rotten ones.
- Treat all logs with an antiseptic and let dry.
- Lay dense polyethylene, insulate the joints with construction tape, fix the waterproofing with a stapler to the logs.
- Open the mineral wool and lay it between the lag. The insulation must be tight!
- Close the material from above with a vapor barrier membrane, also connect the joints with tape and attach to the logs with a stapler.
- Lay the prepared old boards. Install plinth.
- Trim excess waterproofing.
- Paint the finished coating.
Floor insulation on the first floor with ecowool
This insulation is laid in several ways: blown, sprayed (water or adhesive is used for wetting), fall asleep. For independent work only one option is suitable - backfilling.
It is convenient to insulate wooden floors in this way:
- Disassemble the finished floor.
- Treat the boards in the same way as in the case of mineral wool.
- Clean the base of dust and debris.
- Open the insulation bag and put it in a large tank.
- Fluff the material with a drill with a mixer attachment.
- Lay a layer of waterproofing, dense polyethylene is suitable. Fix the joints with tape. Don't forget to climb walls.
- Pour ecowool into the first compartment between the lags. Start tamping using a wide trowel, or make some kind of tamping plane with a trowel-like handle.
- Tamp down until you feel a significant amount of effort under your arms.
- Add insulation and repeat the steps. The final option is a tightly laid insulation flush at the level of the lag.
- Repeat all the steps with the rest of the cells between the lags.
- Lay the finish coat, install the skirting boards and cut off the excess waterproofing.
Thermal insulation of the floor on the first floor with polystyrene foam
For thermal insulation of the floor on the ground or in a house on a pile foundation, it is recommended to use foam (under a concrete screed). If you need to insulate a concrete base, the foam is also poured into a concrete screed. Here it is important to consider the height of the room. In standard apartments with a ceiling height of 2.3-2.4 m, such insulation will “eat” at least 10 cm.
Polystyrenes are sensitive to the quality of the base on which they are laid. If there are obvious bulges and large horizontal deviations, this insulation may crack when loaded. Therefore, in addition, it may be necessary to level the subfloor, and this will take another 3-5 cm of the height of the room.
If it's the only one possible variant proceed according to the following plan:
- Remove the fine finish - remove the wooden floorboards, knock down the tiles.
- Inspect the base and check it for evenness with a level.
- If the height difference is more than 1.5 cm per linear meter, there are humps, you need to level the base. Knock down irregularities, dust the floor, pour a self-leveling cement screed of the desired thickness (3-5 cm). Let it dry and gain working strength.
- Next, proceed directly to the warming.
- Cut the foam with a small hacksaw.
- Lay dense polyethylene on the subfloor, connect the edges of the panels with construction tape, put the film on the walls and fix it.
- Lay the foam in two layers. So you avoid cold bridges. Lay the first layer with dressing of vertical seams. The second is similar, but a whole slab from the second should be located above each seam of the first layer. Also observe the dressing.
- Install reinforcing mesh. The height of the racks should be 3 centimeters.
- Prepare the screed mixture: mix with water according to the instructions, stir with a drill with a mixing attachment.
- Concrete the base. Fill the floor in parts. Smooth each compartment with a trowel and check for evenness with a level.
- Wait for complete drying and curing (approximately 28 days, depending on conditions).
- Do a clean up. The best option is tiles, laminate, linoleum, carpet. The wooden floor on the logs will “take away” additional centimeters of height, so this option is unacceptable for standard rooms.
Brief technology:
- Disassemble the floor, remove the top layer of soil, go deeper into it by half a meter.
- Make a sand and gravel pillow.
- Lay polyethylene on top of the insulation plate, observing the dressing.
- Install reinforcing mesh and pour concrete screed.
Its height should completely cover the distance between the ground and the finished floor in the house. Deepening below the soil level may be required only if there is not enough space from the ground to the floor to equip a full-fledged insulated concrete screed.
Combined thermal insulation of the floor of the first floor
Insulation of the floor with penoplex on the ground floor is best done in combination with foil insulation (it is better to take foil isolon, it is thinner than foil mineral wool in rolls). In the case of such thermal insulation, only a tongue-and-groove board laid along the logs can be the finish coating, otherwise the foil will not work.
Installation technology of the combined heat-insulating cake:
- Remove the old finish coat.
- Clear the rough base of debris, inspect the logs.
- If necessary, replace rotten logs, lay new ones, and treat all wooden parts with an antiseptic.
- Lay foam boards. The thickness of the insulation is flush with the lags. You need to lay the material in niches as tightly as possible. Plates should not hang out!
- From above, close the insulation with foil isolon, overlap and secure the joints with metallized tape, fasten to the logs.
- Install the counter grille. Use a beam at least 3 cm thick.
- Lay the grooved board (finishing floor).
Floor insulation with polyurethane foam on the first floor
This material gives a lot of scope for action. They can easily be insulated both from the inside (from the side of the living quarters) and from the outside (from the side of the basement, or to fill the space between the ground and the floor with material if the house is on stilts).
Usually professionals are hired for such work. This is due to the fact that spraying polyurethane foam requires a special installation. However, progress does not stand still. Disposable installations have appeared on sale, they are not cheap, however, if you make a full calculation, there will still be a certain benefit.
Having decided to insulate the floor on the ground floor with polyurethane foam yourself, choose the Foam Kit system. Attached to the equipment detailed instructions by sequence of actions, so special skills are not required. Such installations do not need to be connected to the mains, which is very convenient when insulating the floor in a country house if there is no electricity.
The second task that will have to be solved is the polyurethane foam (PUF) itself. It must be of high quality, only in this case the insulation layer will turn out to be durable and will have excellent technical characteristics.
PPU spraying technology:
- Prepare the base in the standard way - remove debris, prime with an antiseptic.
- If the base is concrete, without a log, install a system of wooden beacons (they are similar to logs, their height is equal to the thickness of the thermal insulation layer). If there are lags, insulation is carried out directly on them.
- Spray polyurethane foam in one cell. Apply the composition evenly. On contact with air, it expands in size, so do not rush. If in some place the layer thickness is insufficient, add a little material.
- Do the same for the rest of the cells.
- After the polyurethane foam has hardened, cut off the excess flush with the joists and lay the top coat from the tongue and groove board.
Important! Do not work with PPU at low and negative temperatures. This will adversely affect the quality of the thermal insulation layer. Optimum temperature for work with polyurethane foam - +10+40°C.
How to make a warm floor on the first floor
The ideal and most expensive option is to install a "warm floor" system on the ground floor. This work is not laborious, but it is necessary to have knowledge in electrics. If there is no desire to understand this, but at the same time you want to save money, carry out preliminary combined floor insulation with foam plastic (insulation plus foil thermal insulation), and invite professionals to lay the warm floor.
In this case, the laying of foam plastic will be carried out not according to the logs, but as under a concrete screed:
- Spend preparatory work ground cleaning and leveling.
- Lay the penoplex in two layers, seal the joints with adhesive tape or a special sealant.
- From above, cover the insulation with thin foil thermal insulation, close the joints with metallized tape.
In order to properly insulate the floor on the ground floor, you need to have an idea of \u200b\u200bthermal insulation materials, be able to choose them correctly and calculate the required thickness. All types of work are available for do-it-yourself work, you just need the desire to do everything efficiently and save the family budget.
The apartment on the first floor is located above the basement, from which dampness and cold penetrate into the premises through a concrete floor slab. High humidity, bad smell, fungus and uncomfortable floor temperature - these are the problems that tenants face every day until they decide to insulate the concrete base.
External thermal insulation of the base is always effective and does not take up space in the room. In the common basement, it is necessary to determine and mark the area of \u200b\u200byour apartment. In a damp room, a moisture-resistant insulation is used - polystyrene foam or polystyrene. The layer thickness for warm regions is 10 cm, for cold regions - 15 cm. Thermal insulation takes place according to the following technology:
- Styrofoam slabs are glued to the basement concrete ceiling.
- To protect the material from rodents, a metal mesh is laid and fixed with plastic dowels.
- The foam is covered with a polyethylene film for waterproofing. As a replacement for a moisture-resistant canvas that can be damaged, bituminous coating insulation is used.
Mineral wool can be used as a heater, but more effort will be required. Under the material, it is necessary to fix the crate, lay waterproofing and close everything with moisture-resistant plywood.
Thermal insulation of the concrete subfloor
The fight against penetrating cold begins with sealing cracks in the base. For their sealing, mounting foam is used, it can be used to process the joint between the floor and the wall. Thorough waterproofing will help get rid of dampness in the apartment on the ground floor. At high humidity, the entire floor area is covered with coating or penetrating insulation. After that, a polyethylene film with a thickness of 200 microns is spread. The edges of the canvas should go onto the walls to a height of 15-20 cm. The film is laid with an overlap of adjacent strips of 10-15 cm, the joints are sealed with construction tape.
There are several ways to perform floor insulation in an apartment:
- concrete screed with insulating additives: sawdust, expanded clay, perlite;
- laying heat-insulating material along the logs;
- dry screed for gypsum fiber panels;
- the use of expanded polystyrene plates for concrete;
- underfloor heating system.
Arbolit or lightweight concrete from a mixture of cement and wood fillers is an affordable and high-quality thermal insulation option. It is environmentally friendly, durable, non-flammable and durable. The lack of insulation is the increase in the floor by 10 cm and the drying time up to 25 days.
Using logs for thermal insulation will also raise the base. The work is carried out in stages:
- Wooden blocks are laid on a waterproofing layer in increments of 50 cm.
- A heater is placed between the guides - expanded clay with a layer of 10-12 cm or mineral wool 10 cm thick. The material is laid tightly, the gaps between it and the lags are filled with mounting foam.
- A polyethylene film is laid for vapor barrier. It is fastened with staples, the joints are glued with special adhesive tape.
- The draft floor is laid from a board or plywood.
Insulate concrete floor short term a dry screed will allow, which does not require time to dry. Fine expanded clay or sand is poured onto the spread waterproofing, the rock is distributed in an even layer of 5 cm and compacted. Moisture-resistant drywall is laid on the insulation in two rows or special KNAUF superfloor panels, the thickness of which is 20 mm. Sheets are glued and treated with putty. The coating has low thermal conductivity, protects against noise and moisture, is safe and does not require wet processes. Parquet, linoleum, laminate are laid on gypsum fiber.
Expanded polystyrene has a high density and strength, it will become a reliable and warm base for the floor. The plates are spaced apart so that the load is distributed evenly. The joints between them are covered with mounting foam. The material is covered with a metal reinforcing mesh and poured with a layer cement screed 5 cm high.
The installation of a floor heating system is the best option for an apartment on the ground floor, it will save the room from dampness and at any time increase the temperature of the coating to a comfortable level.
Here you can arrange a water, electric or film floor. The system is laid on a base insulated with expanded polystyrene. Foil material spreads under it, with the reflective side into the room. The water and electric cable floor is laid under the screed, and the infrared film floor is placed under the finish coat.
How to insulate a wooden floor?
Wood has a lower thermal conductivity than concrete, but on the ground floor it seems cold and damp. Before removing the covering boards, you need to choose a heater. Basalt wool is usually taken, it perfectly retains heat, absorbs noise, does not rot and does not attract rodents, and is safe in case of fire.
Expanded clay is a natural bulk material for thermal insulation, it has a small weight and affordable price, fast and easy to install. You can use expanded polystyrene, the material is durable, resistant to moisture and stress, but its cost is higher than other heaters.
The process of insulating a wooden base consists of several stages:
- The boards are removed and inspected, if they are in good condition, they are returned to their place after all work has been completed.
- Wooden logs are being treated with an antiseptic.
- A sheet of waterproofing is spread with an entry on the walls up to 20 cm. All logs are wrapped in a film.
- Rolled basalt wool is tightly laid out between the bars or expanded clay is poured. The height of the insulation does not reach the top of the lag by 5 mm.
- The laid material is covered with a vapor barrier film so that moisture from the apartment does not get on it.
- Tongue-and-groove boards are nailed to the joists.
Having correctly performed the heat and waterproofing of the floor in the apartment, you will forget about moisture and cold for a long time.