How to insulate in a private house

Cold winters still take place, and you need to prepare well for them so that living in the house is 100 percent comfortable. Underfloor heating is the basis on which it depends how pleasant it is to be indoors when it is cool outside. There are convenient options for insulating this part of the building without removing the top layer - it's easy to do it yourself if you follow simple recommendations.

We insulate the floors from the basement - when is it appropriate?

Any wooden house quickly loses heat, this is due to the peculiarity of the material. Therefore, the insulation of all parts related to the external environment is mandatory. Walls are only part of the overall structure, which must undergo a thorough heat blocking procedure. The process of working with the floor will solve such problems as:

• excessive energy consumption for space heating;
• high humidity - relevant for the transitional seasons;
• rotting of wooden building elements;
• the appearance of fungus, mold, which poses a danger to the health of residents of the house.

Most often, in cottages, floors are insulated above a cold basement, because. in the cold season, they cool down quickly and have a low temperature even if the room is heated using their boiler system. Poor or no insulation means icy floors that are useless for carpeting. The problem is solved only by proper insulation, there are simple techniques that can be used without removing the old floor. It is better to spend money on such an event once than to constantly spend extra gas or electricity on double heating rooms.

In the event that the building has already been built, and there is a need for additional floor insulation, it is more expedient to do this from below, i.e. without removing floors. Benefits of the bottom technique:

• the ceiling height in the rooms will remain the same, because there will be no need to raise the floors due to insulation;
• no need to specifically spend money on insulating compounds of increased density and rigidity due to the load of furniture, appliances and other items in the house;
• you will protect not only the floor itself from freezing, but also all floor structures, which will extend their service life and generally make the home warmer;
• there will be a change in the location of the dew point from the inside to the surface of the floor - this will get rid of the decay of wooden elements.

The method of floor insulation from below has only one limitation - the subfloor is too low, in which it is impossible to be for work. Such cottage buildings are quite rare. If this is your case, choose the floor insulation option from above, i.e. with the procedure for opening it and filling it with a suitable insulating material.

Minvata - fiber insulator

Mineral wool is a building insulation made up of many fibers in three distinct types: glass; stone or basalt; slags. To work with the floor, basalt canvas is most preferable, because. it is easiest to mount it under the floor structure. Of the two options - rolled and mats in the form of plates - choose the second, because. it keeps its shape well. Advantages:

• good level of thermal insulation;
• simple installation technology;
• relatively low level of moisture absorption from the environment;
• moderate price;
• heat resistance and fire safety;
• bacteria, mold, fungus do not start in the material.

Flaws:

• when laying with your own hands, you must use special protection - gloves, clothing, a respirator, glasses, because. there will be many particles of fibers and dust in the air, causing irritation of the skin and respiratory organs;
• moisture protection is required, because the structure is susceptible to vapor absorption;
• if installed incorrectly, strong shrinkage is possible;
• when laying between the lags, you need to leave a gap to the main structure of 5 centimeters.

If you decide to choose mineral fiber, select the material of the desired thickness. Specific data depend on the climatic zone, for example, an indicator of 100-150 millimeters is suitable for central Russia. Basalt wool is suitable for all types of floors, including the attic.

Styrofoam - air material from granules

Styrofoam consists of foamed PVC granules containing a maximum of air inside, this gives it good thermal insulation qualities. Advantages:

• has strength, stability, rigidity;
• almost does not absorb moisture - the percentage is lower than that of mineral mats;
• has a light weight;
• easy to mount, because does not change shape;
• inexpensive;
• durable, does not mold, does not rot.

Flaws:

• subject to fire;
• brittle to break;
• ventilation of the base is required, because does not pass steam and air.

For floor insulation in an ordinary private house, foam boards of the PSB-S-15 brand ten centimeters thick are suitable. At the time of purchase, do not confuse them with granulated polystyrene foam, which easily crumbles into small PVC balls. The latter can also be used as a heater if the repair budget is very small. The material has good thermal conductivity, but has a relatively short service life - no more than ten years.

Polyurethane foam - do I need a device to work with it?

This building material is a foam of two types - light and hard. To work with the floor, the second option is used, because. it does not require special vapor barrier from the basement side and has the best thermal insulation characteristics. The first type is very similar to mineral wool - in the same way, when working with it, you will have to leave gaps for ventilation and waterproof the lower surface. PPU consists of two components:

1. 1. polyol or hydroacid with emulsifiers, polyesters and foaming agents;
2. 2. isocyanate or polyisocyanate and diphenylmethane diisocyanate mixed with each other, which are strong reagents in the complex.

Building material advantages:

• fills all cracks and corner spaces thanks to spraying technology;
• suitable for bottom mounting;
• does not shrink, fireproof;
• does not require vapor protection;
• durable - lasts up to 50 years;
• high level of adhesion to all materials;
• high installation speed;
• complete environmental friendliness;
• has no seams, because is a single sheet after drying.

Among the shortcomings, one can single out the high cost, the need for skill in applying and the use of special equipment - a high-pressure apparatus that can be rented.

Installation technology - how to keep warm quickly and efficiently?

Mineral wool and foam plastic, having the form of plates, are mounted on the "wrong side" of the floor from the basement side using the same technology. Attach bars with a cross section of 50 to 100 millimeters to the beams from below. Lay a layer of material for thermal insulation on top, like on shelves. The beams should be placed under the "top" floor at such a distance that a few centimeters remain between it and the top surface for ventilation. Hem the heat-insulating "pie" from below with boards, apply waterproofing to prevent vapors from penetrating into the material from the basement side.

The waterproofing function can be performed by ordinary polyethylene film - this is the cheapest and most convenient option. A moisture-proof membrane will cost more - it is stronger and does not prevent air movement, unlike cellophane. In order for the materials to last longer, the film will need to cover the upper surface of the main thermal insulation. The order of all layers from top to bottom will be as follows:

1. 1. flooring;
2. 2. concrete screed or expanded clay;
3. 3. overlap;
4. 4. vapor barrier from the side of the room;
5. 5. a layer of mineral wool or polystyrene;
6. 6. waterproofing from the basement;
7. 7. holding boards.

Application of PPU is carried out on a specially prepared floor surface, it is necessary to remove dust, debris from it and make sure that it is completely dry and free of grease. The foam does not adhere to polyethylene and greasy compounds. The procedure can be carried out at temperatures above 10 degrees, otherwise the material will not stick to the ceiling as it should.

For work, you will need a high-pressure apparatus - it is very expensive to buy it, you can rent it in specialized companies. It is connected to two containers with the first and second components. When the start button is pressed, the compositions are combined in a vortex chamber, then they are sprayed in the form of a fine and light mass. The pressure in the machine must be at least 140 atmospheres. When choosing a technique, pay attention to the current source - the required one must match your home network.

Apply PPU evenly, after putting on protective equipment - goggles, a respirator, gloves. The procedure for a professional is about an hour, if you are confident in your abilities, you can try it yourself, but it will take more time due to insufficient experience. Apply polyurethane foam not only to the space between the lags, but also to the lags themselves - this will protect them from rising steam from the ground.

After applying a layer of about 10 centimeters, turn off the machine and leave the room to dry. Complete hardening of the material and its perfect adhesion is achieved in two days. There is no need to specially process the bottom layer, because. it is not exposed to moisture and holds well to the top of the floor.

Often the harvest season continues until the first frost. Staying overnight at sub-zero temperatures in an uninsulated country house is quite uncomfortable. The use of modern insulating materials allows you to independently reduce heat loss in the room. When insulating the walls and ceiling, one should not forget that the cold enters the room from below through the flooring.

Choice of materials and tools

First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics of modern materials offered for insulation.

• Expanded clay - used as a backfill on a rough or concrete floor.
• Polyfoam - has good steam and thermal insulation. The only drawback is the tendency to crumble.
• Expanded polystyrene and penoplex - have excellent thermal insulation qualities.
• Mineral wool - is used quite often between the basement and the floor of the first floor.
• Ecowool - made from paper waste impregnated with an antiseptic and flame retardants.
  
• Fiberboard - is a mixture of wood fibers, liquid glass and cement. It is hygroscopic, so a waterproofing device is required. The recommended laying layer is at least 15 cm.
• Izolon - rolled thermal insulation made of foamed polyethylene. It has low thermal conductivity and good sound insulation.
• Penofol - insulation with a thin layer of foil that prevents heat loss. Resistant to heavy physical exertion.



When laying thermal insulation, a building level is useful

A special tool for laying thermal insulation is not required, the material is easily cut with a sharp knife. For the manufacture of a rough and finished floor, a standard set of carpentry tools is useful:

• mount;
• axe;
• a hammer;
• chisel;
• building level;
• saw;
• plane;
• screwdriver.

The use of electric tools will significantly speed up the work. A small circular saw and a screwdriver will be a good help.

Subfloor insulation

Making a subfloor is easy. A 2x2 cm beam is attached to the bottom of the lag with screws, on which thin boards, plywood or USB sheets, cut to size, are laid. If the logs have a small height, it is better to use an aluminum or steel corner instead of a beam. All wooden parts of the subfloor must be treated with an antiseptic to prevent the appearance of fungus and wood rot.

As a waterproofing, roofing material or polyethylene film is used, which is laid on the subfloor between the logs. The edges of the film are bent, put on the logs and fastened with a construction stapler. The joints between the film are overlapped by at least 100 millimeters.

Insulation is adjusted and laid on the prepared surface. The easiest way to work with mineral wool, which has a loose structure, or with bulk components. Sheet thermal insulation requires more careful fitting of joints or the use of mounting foam. The laid insulation should be flush with the top of the log or slightly lower so that it does not create an obstacle when installing the finished floor.

Before installing the floor, another waterproofing layer of polyethylene film is laid on top of the laid insulation to prevent moisture from entering from above. Floorboards are laid on the logs or a raised floor is mounted from sheets of plywood or fiberboard under linoleum or laminate.

Wood floor insulation

If the height of the room allows, an existing wooden flooring can be used as a subfloor. For insulation, it is recommended to use expanded polystyrene sheets 5 centimeters thick, which have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity. It is necessary to carefully dismantle the plinth and remove all interior doors from the canopies.

Lay a waterproofing film on the flooring. Fix additional logs from a 50x50 mm beam with screws on the prepared surface with a gap corresponding to the width of the insulation sheet, this will avoid unnecessary cutting of the panels. Expanded polystyrene has special docking grooves, on which a thin layer of mounting foam is applied immediately before installation, which ensures a tight connection from the penetration of cold.

On top of the laid insulation, a finishing layer of waterproofing is arranged. Depending on the intended finish coating, wood-fiber boards or floorboards are installed.

When used as a foam insulation with a thickness of 10 mm, there is no need to install a beam. The material is laid directly on the wooden floor with the foil facing up. The seam of the stacked sheets end-to-end is glued with metallized adhesive tape. Plywood sheets are installed on top of the insulation and fastened with screws to the wooden floor. The finished floor covering is laid on the prepared base.

Concrete floor insulation technology



Insulation of concrete floor with cement screed

Concrete has a high thermal conductivity and is a good conductor of cold. In order to quickly and efficiently insulate the floor in the country house, made of concrete, modern technologies and insulating foam materials should be used.

A damper tape is mounted on the lower part of the walls around the entire perimeter of the room, which will compensate for temperature changes in the floor structure. The concrete surface is leveled with a small layer of mortar screed. Extruded polystyrene foam panels are laid on a leveled surface in one or two layers, on top of which a polyethylene film is laid. The joints of the film, overlapped with an overlap of 100-150 mm, are carefully glued with adhesive tape. Next, a reinforcing mesh is laid and filled with a self-leveling mortar. After the screed has hardened, the final flooring is laid.

When choosing a method of floor insulation in a country house, one should take into account the technical condition of the existing coating, the structure of the building, the year of construction and other nuances. Undoubtedly, the easiest way, which does not require large expenses and dismantling the coating, is insulation on a wooden floor, which is not difficult to do with your own hands.

The floor, laid illiterately, can cause a significant amount of heat loss. This is especially felt in a country house built on the ground. If during the construction of the cottage the technology of laying the floor was not observed, then it may be necessary to insulate. About how in the country, and will be discussed in this material.

Material selection

In search of an answer to the question of what, you will have to explore several options for materials. Such qualities as durability, weight, moisture resistance and thermal conductivity deserve special attention. If the task is to carry out repair work with your own hands, then ease of use should also be taken into account.

Most often used for these purposes:

• expanded clay;
• Styrofoam;
• perlite;
• mineral wool;
• stone wool;
• technical plug.

Each of the presented heat insulators has both pluses and minuses. When choosing, it is worth considering the size of the cottage, the climate zone, the time at which it is planned to live in this house, etc.

Mineral wool - the most popular insulation

The most common material for repair work in the field of floor insulation is mineral wool. It is made from various raw materials, which allows it to be classified into glass, stone and slag.

What are its benefits? First of all, she is easy to work with. Cotton wool is easy to cut and fit. It has excellent performance properties: it is chemically neutral and is not afraid of exposure to high temperatures.

With its help, you can not only improve the thermal insulation properties of the cottage, but also solve the issue of sound insulation.

When choosing mineral wool as a heater, one must take into account its ability to absorb moisture. In this case, one cannot do without laying a layer of material having vapor barrier properties.

The thickness of the mineral wool layer depends on many factors. This is the purpose of the room, and the climatic band. If it is planned to live in the country all year round, then the layer of such insulation should be about 20 cm. For living in the warm season, 4 cm is enough.

Insulation Options

In a country house, floor insulation is most often done in one of two possible ways:

• by lags;
• on a concrete base.

The first method is applicable for both wooden and concrete floors. It has one significant advantage: there is no load on the insulation, which allows you to choose any option as it.

When choosing the second method, serious pressure will be applied to the material defined as a heater, which imposes a number of restrictions on it, it must be strong and dense.

wood flooring technology

It is worth paying attention to the two-layer insulation system. The design in this case has the following layers:

• draft floor;
• warming;
• clean coverage.

The main task of the subfloor is to perform a thermal insulation function. It can be made of rough boards attached to beams. This option can be called the most common and popular.

However, it also has a number of disadvantages. Over time, the prefabricated structure becomes unstable and loosens. To eliminate such a problem, it is recommended to attach the cranial beam to the lags along the lower edge and lay the board segments in the formed pockets. The warming process consists of the following steps.

Surface preparation

The first step is to prepare the foundation. To do this, the old coating is dismantled. The surface is cleaned from dirt and dust.

As practice shows, most cottages have uneven floors. They need to be leveled. This will make future repairs easier.

To do this, you can perform a concrete or cement-sand screed.

The lags are laid at a distance of 60-100 cm from each other.

Waterproofing

The organization of waterproofing is carried out on both sides of the insulation layer.

If penoizol is used as a heater, this step should be omitted.

Insulation laying

Mineral wool is cut into layers depending on the size of the grooves and placed between the lags. The width of the fragments should be slightly larger than the distance between the beams. So the material better fills all the cavities.

If the room is high enough, then the insulation can be laid in two layers.

Finished floor laying

This stage is the final one. Plasterboard, laminate, plywood, ordinary boards, etc. can be chosen as cladding.

Concrete floor insulation technology

Insulation of the concrete floor deserves special attention, as it is usually very cold. For thermal protection, the lag technology discussed above can be applied.

Another option is floating floors. In this case, it is necessary to arrange the cement screed. It is recommended to assign the function of a heater to a material such as extruded polystyrene foam, since it has a high compressive strength and better withstands mechanical stress.

As a result, the floor will consist of several layers: a concrete base, and a floor covering.

Modern methods of concrete floor insulation

When working with a concrete floor, there are a number of additional ways to achieve the task. This should include:

Floor coating with heat-insulating paint

This method has many advantages. Anyone can make these repairs themselves. The paint is suitable for both new and old buildings.

It is applied in several layers on a pre-cleaned floor. Each layer should dry well, only after that you can move on to the next. As a rule, in this way it is possible within a day.

Floor covering with warm linoleum, technical cork or carpet

Carpet and linoleum cannot adequately solve the problem of insulation. However, these options are quite economical.

When choosing a technical cork, you will have to incur significant material costs, but this material is considered the safest for health and is characterized by excellent performance properties.

Covering with plywood sheets or moisture-resistant fiberboard and chipboard

This option is classified as a budget option. These materials can be laid both on the logs and directly on the concrete floor. A more tangible effect can be achieved by laying them in two layers on the concrete coating itself.

It is worth remembering that plywood sheets should not completely coincide with each other. Between them, you need to leave small joints of 1.5 mm, which will prevent unevenness of the finished floor, for which you can choose laminate, linoleum, carpet and other options.

Underfloor heating technology

Installing underfloor heating is a modern way to achieve a comfortable atmosphere in a country house. For this, water or electrical systems are installed.

It is worth noting that this option is difficult to perform after the completion of the repair and bring it to life with your own hands. Therefore, such systems are usually equipped by specialists at the construction stage.

In domestic climatic conditions, the need for insulation of residential buildings is beyond doubt. Owners of private houses have to solve this problem on their own. Wooden boards, from which in most cases the floors are made in suburban households, deform over time, and gaps appear in the initially tightly knocked down coating.

It is hard to imagine, but up to thirty percent of thermal energy can escape through these cracks in the cold season. As a result, heating costs rise sharply, and the comfort of living in the winter period decreases. To prevent these consequences, it is necessary to insulate the floors with high quality.

The list of materials for floor insulation is quite wide.

Variants of wood floor insulation technologies

The procedure for thermal insulation of a wooden floor should be provided for at the stage of designing and building a house, and then minimal labor and financial resources will be required. If it is necessary to perform this manipulation, when the overlap is already ready, the technology for performing work is much more complicated. In this case, it is possible to do the work correctly and insulate the floor from above, directly along the old coating, or with its partial dismantling. There is also the option of insulating the flooring from the bottom of the basement.

In this case, it is more convenient to insulate the floor from the basement side.

Thermal insulation of floors is made from above if the house has a low basement. If at the same time the flooring is dismantled, only logs are left. The procedure is very labor intensive. In the event that the basement is of sufficient depth, the laying of the insulating material can be done from below. This is much easier and faster, since in the process of doing the work you will not have to dismantle and disassemble the flooring if it is in good condition.

The better to insulate the floors in a private house

Do-it-yourself floor insulation in a private house is quite realistic. In this case, a variety of heat-insulating materials are used. Which one is better is determined after analyzing their performance characteristics and the specific conditions in which they will be operated. Insulated floor significantly increases the comfort of living in the house at negative ambient temperatures and reduces heating costs.

Ecowool - one of the options for insulation for wooden floors

Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene are widely used, the use of glass wool and mineral wool has its own characteristics. The simplest and cheapest method of insulating the surface of a wooden floor is with expanded clay or using sawdust. The so-called dry screed has good performance characteristics.

Advantages and disadvantages of polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam

Many people know that it is possible to insulate the floor with foam. Expanded polystyrene for the floor is also popular with professional builders and home craftsmen. Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene, due to their excellent performance, are most widely used as insulating materials. Except for minor differences, their specifications are comparable to each other. The use of these thermal insulation materials has the following advantages:

• low cost;
• low thermal conductivity;
• small mass;
• wide area of ​​use;
• long service life;
• resistance to pathogenic microflora;
• ease of installation.

Quite often, the floor is insulated with foam

In addition to the above advantages, these materials also have operational disadvantages. Their list is also quite impressive, the following negative qualities can be noted:

• emit harmful substances when ignited;
• prevent the passage of water vapor;
• afraid of exposure to direct sunlight;
• attractive to rodents;
• are destroyed on contact with solvents;
• have low mechanical strength.

Characteristics of "Dry screed" for floor insulation

The so-called "Dry screed", which is made from gypsum fiber, is great for thermal insulation of the wooden floor of a private house. The use of this composition implies the following positive aspects:

• excellent thermal insulation;
• fire safety;
• ease of installation;
• compatibility with all finishing coatings;
• small thickness;
• good sound absorption characteristics.

The process of laying a "dry screed" for floor insulation

At the same time, since we are insulating the floor with a factory-made dry mixture, its high consumption should be taken into account: twenty kilograms of the mixture are required to process one square meter of surface. In addition, when water penetrates, the geometric dimensions of the dry screed change, which can lead to damage to the finish coating.

Possibility of using mineral wool

Mineral wool is widely used to provide thermal insulation for wooden floors. The material is made in the form of plates, which are easy to lay on the floor with your own hands.

Mineral wool is well suited for floor insulation

Mineral wool has many positive properties. The material is distinguished by excellent sound-absorbing and heat-insulating qualities, fire safety, prevents the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, and is resistant to aggressive chemical environments.

However, when water enters, deformation and partial loss of heat-insulating qualities occur. In addition, mineral wool has low mechanical strength and does not belong to environmentally friendly materials.

Features of the use of glass wool

Glass wool is similar in its characteristics to mineral wool. A feature of its use is that when performing work, you need to carefully ensure that it does not get into the organs of vision or on the skin.

Glass wool - a common option for insulating a wooden floor

The production process is complicated by the need for the employee to use personal protective equipment. The negative quality of this material is its significant shrinkage over time, as a result of which, if improperly installed, thermal insulation is violated.

Pros and cons of using expanded clay

Expanded clay is a clay-based foamed and fired granules of a porous structure. The big advantage of this material is its low cost, environmental friendliness, low weight and long service life of about fifty years. Expanded clay has excellent soundproofing and insulating qualities. Thus, the thermal insulation of the surface of a wooden floor with expanded clay will not make a hole in the family budget.

Expanded clay floor insulation - simple and inexpensive

The downside of its use can be considered the need to make a layer of backfill that is significant in thickness, otherwise the wooden floors will remain cold, especially at sharply negative ambient temperatures. In addition, it absorbs moisture well, although it does not lose its insulating properties.

Sawdust is the cheapest material

The cheapest material in terms of cost is finely chopped sawdust. They do not pose any danger to human health, the technology for performing work is extremely simple: the space between the rough and finish flooring is filled with sawdust. Before use, this material must be thoroughly dried for at least twelve months, otherwise it will quickly become unusable. Cutting waste from freshly cut trees cannot be used immediately.

Apparently, sawdust is the most budget option for floor insulation.

By increasing or decreasing the thickness of the layer, the level of thermal insulation is adjusted. In the northern regions with a very cold climate, a very thick layer has to be poured. It is necessary to take into account the attractiveness of this material for rodents and to repel them, add two parts of dry slaked lime to the composition. The disadvantage of sawdust is the occurrence of rotting processes in them when wet.

Modern choice - isolon and penofol

Undoubted operational advantages are the use of such modern materials as isolon and penofol as a heater. Izolon is a foamed polyethylene covered with a layer of foil and has excellent soundproofing qualities with a very small thickness. The material does not support combustion, prevents the development of pathogenic microflora and corrosion processes, a two-centimeter layer is comparable in soundproofing and heat-saving properties with masonry in one brick.

Fragments of laying penoizol for floor insulation

Penofol produced in the form of rolls consists of several layers of insulation, on top of which there is a reflective foil. It acts as a screen that prevents large losses of thermal energy.

When using penofol, it is not necessary to carry out additional work on waterproofing or arranging a vapor barrier layer.

The easiest way is laying a double floor

The easiest way to perform insulation is to provide for the laying of a double floor at the stage of building a house, which is a rough and finish coating. Such a system of insulation should be used in a room with high ceilings, as you have to take up useful space.

The construction technology provides for the laying of logs on which the subfloor will be strengthened. The covering can be made of wooden boards, particle boards, OSB or other similar materials, it is only important that the structural elements fit snugly together without forming gaps.

Arrangement of a double floor - a reliable option for insulation

Insulating material is laid on the surface of the subfloor between the guides. At the same time, sand should not be used as its quality at high natural humidity, since in this case condensation may form. A finishing coating of wooden boards about five centimeters thick is mounted on top of the insulation. The new coating will have to be painted, as described in the article

Of course, the old floor can also be insulated in the same way, however, the reduction in the relative height of the ceiling should be taken into account.

The most correct floor insulation - according to the logs

When building a new house or dismantling the coating, the most correct floor insulation is the method of performing work on logs. In this case, the insulation is placed between the logs, which serve as the basis for the finished floor. Depending on the design of the building, the basis for the installation of logs and insulation can be a subfloor made on their own logs, as well as a concrete coating or even soil. In the latter case, it is useful to equip a clay castle to protect it from moisture with a layer of about 5-10 cm.

Dense insulation can be held between the lags on ordinary nails

In the technology under consideration, the height of the lag and the distance between them must correspond to the height of the insulation and its width. Before installing the floor covering on top of the insulation, it is necessary to equip a vapor barrier layer of a waterproof film fixed on the logs. The joints of the film can be fixed with adhesive tape.

How to insulate floors with your own hands from below without removing the old floor

If a private house has a deep cold basement, the most correct way would be to insulate the floor from below without removing the old coating. This does not require choosing a material that can withstand the weight of heavy furniture and other mechanical loads. In this case, not only the finished surface will be protected, but the entire floor as a whole, and the dew point of the floor will shift outward, and the floor will not rot.

When performing such a task, some difficulties lie in rapid fatigue when working with constantly raised hands. There are also restrictions on the types of heat-insulating material and the need for its fastening with increased reliability.

Schematically, insulation from below is performed as follows:

• first, a waterproofing layer is equipped;
• then a heat insulator is located;
• on top of it, insulation from water vapor;
• then an overlap is performed to ensure the retention of the thermal insulation of the floor.

Styrofoam can be fixed from below with nails with spacers and mounting foam

Adhering to this technology when doing the work with your own hands, you can get the most comfortable temperature conditions in the living quarters of the house. The heat insulator should be of low weight, since it will exert a constant load on the fasteners, bulk materials are not suitable in this case.

Floor insulation in a wooden house from the inside with foam or glass wool

Insulation from the inside with foam or glass wool gives good results. These materials are lightweight and have excellent thermal insulation properties. First, waterproofing is fixed to the lower surface of the ceiling using a stapler. Next, you can lay the thermal insulation boards in such a way that they are held during installation due to frictional forces. To do this, their width should be slightly larger than the distance between the lags. When working with glass wool, be sure to use personal protective equipment for the respiratory system, vision and skin.

Penoplex - a reliable insulation of a wooden floor

A vapor barrier film is applied over the insulation, which is attached to the logs with staples and a stapler. Further along the logs, a frame is mounted that holds the insulation. It can be made from any material that suits you in appearance and durability. Between the retaining elements, gaps are allowed through which the insulation is guaranteed not to fall out.

Step-by-step instructions for thermal insulation of a wooden floor with polyurethane foam

At present, thermal insulation of a wooden floor with polyurethane foam has become widespread. To perform this work, it is necessary to first prepare the base on which the ecowool will be applied, and spray the composition onto the lower surface of the floor. The step-by-step instruction looks like this:

• the coating is cleaned of contaminants and thoroughly degreased;
• the base is dried to a moisture content of not more than five percent;
• the high pressure unit is connected by hoses to containers with mixture components;
• polyurethane foam spreads evenly over the floor surface;
• the drying time of the coating occurs within two days from the moment of application.

It is quite possible to insulate wooden floors from below with polyurethane foam

High-pressure equipment used to spray polyurethane foam is very expensive. It is irrational to purchase it for arranging thermal insulation in a private house and it is better to rent this equipment.

In this article we will talk about how to insulate the floor in the country with affordable means and with your own hands. The topic of the article is of significant interest, since over 30% of heat loss in a country house falls on the floor. Meanwhile, it is not so difficult to increase the energy efficiency of a building object by means of floor insulation, and you will surely cope with this task on your own.

Important: If the power supply is unstable, then for the operation of the power tool during the repair, you will need to rent a diesel generator to give.

Features of thermal insulation of floors in country houses

Insulation of floors in the country depends on the type and flooring. Therefore, before proceeding with thermal insulation work, it is necessary to determine the type of floor and analyze its condition.

Do-it-yourself floor insulation in the country house is advisable for the following reasons:

• minimization of heat losses;
• elimination of drafts;
• prevention of dampness and mold on the flooring substrate;
• increase in the operational resource of the subfloor.

So, there are reasons for carrying out thermal insulation work, it's time to consider how these works are performed.

Insulation of plank structures

The question of how to insulate a wooden floor in a country house is relevant for most owners of old country houses.

The need for thermal insulation is caused by:

• the presence of a void between the boardwalk and the ground;
• the presence of gaps between the boards.

Important: In the gap between the ground and the boardwalk, rodents in most cases start.
This is another reason to fill this space with dense thermal insulation material.

In the photo - expanded clay backfill

In the case of boardwalk, the best solution would be to insulate the floor in the country house with expanded clay.

We do it like this:

• We free the room from furniture and other elements of the surroundings.
• We dismantle the plinth.
• With the help of a nail puller and a chisel, we dismantle the boards.

We mark each dismantled board in accordance with its original location. In addition, we mark its direction on the board.

If this is not done, the flooring from the boards at the end of the work will lie unevenly.

• Having raised the boards, we level the ground and carefully compact it in the intervals between the lags. For these purposes, you can use a manual rammer, which you can make yourself.

Tip: When leveling the soil, it is advisable to carefully examine its surface for the presence of anthills and rodent burrows.
If there are such, they must be destroyed - the dacha craftsmen fill the holes of rodents with cement mortar with the addition of crushed glass.
With an anthill under the floor, everything is somewhat more complicated, and therefore it is better to use special tools designed to remove insects.

• We lay waterproofing on top of the compacted soil, for example, plastic wrap.
• Expanded clay is poured over the waterproofing layer. In order for the backfill to lie more evenly, it is better to use expanded clay of a fine fraction.
• Expanded clay, covered between the lags, is rammed until its surface is equal to the surface of the lag.
• Further, the boards are laid in their original place in accordance with the original numbering. So that the surface of the laid floor does not subsequently deform, we fix the boards not with nails, but with screws.
• The gaps formed between the boards can be caulked if the plank flooring is used as a subfloor. If the plank coating is finished, the cracks formed after the bulkhead of the boards are puttied, after which the entire coating is cycled.

Insulation of concrete floors

Today country houses from block containers are widely used. The floors in such buildings are thermally insulated already from the factory. The situation is much more complicated with modern dachas, where a concrete screed is used as a subfloor.

In this case, it all depends on what will be the finish coating.

For example, if a laminate or parquet board is used as a coating, special substrates (cork, polyethylene foam or polystyrene foam) can be used for thermal insulation.

• Cork backing- this is a rough coating made from crushed oak bark, pressed with the addition of an adhesive composition.

In the photo - cork substrate

Such coatings, depending on the thickness and type of binder, can be completely natural or mixed with bitumen or rubberized.

These substrates are good for a low degree of thermal conductivity and excellent soundproofing properties. But, most importantly, the cork substrate absorbs the slight relief of the concrete screed.

However, there are also disadvantages. The cork substrate is afraid of moisture, which is solved by pre-laying a plastic film on the screed. Perhaps the most important disadvantage is the high price.

• Foam polyethylene, as a heat-insulating substrate, is characterized by resistance to excessive moisture, excellent thermal conductivity and ease of installation. In addition, the price of this material is an order of magnitude lower than the cost of analogues.
  The lack of material is fragility, since this coating quickly loses its shape under mechanical stress.

• Expanded polystyrene, as a substrate, is a two-layer coating. The top layer is foam - polystyrene foam, and the bottom layer is foil.
  Such a coating is characterized by an average cost combined with high thermal insulation qualities. Less warm are single-layer modifications made of extruded polystyrene foam.

Insulation of the screed under the linoleum covering