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415 Lakeview RdTo reduce heat losses and reduce the cost of maintaining housing, you need to perform a number of works on its thermal insulation. Insulation of the foundation must be performed along with the insulation of walls, attic, floors, basement. If this part of the building is not insulated, the heat loss will be large. In addition, there is a risk of freezing and subsequent destruction of parts of the structure located underground. To avoid these problems, significantly reduce heat leakage, reliably protect the structure from damage by ground water, subzero temperatures, you will have to insulate the foundation of the house from the outside.
Do I need to insulate the foundation of the house?
In order to understand what advantages the insulation of the foundation gives, you will need to imagine in what conditions this part of the building is being operated, which is experiencing a huge load of the structures located above. Also, this base is under pressure from the soil. The part of the building located underground is under the influence of groundwater, rainwater, and gets wet.
In winter, the ground can freeze, and consequences could be cracks in the pores of concrete and stone. It is also affected by seasonal displacements of heaving soils. All these phenomena over time begin to destroy the base of the building, which leads to damage of the walls. To eliminate these dangerous external influences, complex measures, part of which are waterproofing, insulation of the foundation should be provided.. Thermal insulation is done outside the structure to protect the interior and directly supporting structures.
What gives foundation insulation from the outside
Insulation is a step towards creating a more comfortable indoor climate; it is also an effective way to reduce financial costs for paying for energy resources. Heat exchange processes to a large extent occur through the foundation of a building. In this regard, one of the main tasks during the laying of the foundation is considered to be the thermal insulation of this part of the supporting structures.
Do I need to insulate the foundation of a private house? This question can be answered after getting acquainted with the advantages of this method of reducing heat loss:
insulation from the outside contributes to the creation of thermal insulation protection, which makes it possible to protect this part of the building from subzero temperatures, to prevent it from freezing, which will ensure more durability of this structure;
the heat-insulating layer additionally serves as a waterproofing layer, since the main heaters do not allow water to pass through;
thermal insulation neutralizes the effect of low temperatures on the heaving of the soil, reduces movements in its base, increases the durability of the structure;
thermal insulation technology provides for the possibility of reducing the depth to which the soil will freeze. This allows the foundation to be laid with a shallower depth, resulting in lower construction costs.
How deep to insulate the foundation
If the foundation freezes, what to do? There is only one answer – to warm. If the house has a basement, insulation should be done to its full height. It is advisable to open the base completely for laying the insulation.
When insulating a private house made of wood, the base is dug out to its entire depth, followed by installation of thermal insulation.
It is important to establish the depth of freezing of the base, which is selected based on the climatic conditions of the region. A trench for laying the insulation is dug by this value, which allows you to protect the base from premature destruction, to create the most effective thermal insulation.
It is necessary to correctly perform work on the thermal insulation of the basement with a shallow foundation, which has a depth less than the layer of earth that freezes in winter. Improper insulation often leads to damage to the substrate during the heaving process.
How to insulate a strip foundation? Sprayed polyurethane foam – this option is recommended as the most effective. When using it, it is possible to completely get rid of the cracks, cracks that it fills. It is important to insulate the basement and the base surface in order to prevent significant heat loss – the earth freezes to a depth in winter, which depends on the regional climate.
Materials for insulation of the foundation
Insulation of the basement from the outside is performed using various materials. You can choose the best one based on the individual characteristics of the structure, the capabilities of its owner, personal preferences, as well as the characteristics of the proposed heaters, materials for waterproofing.
Types of insulation for the foundation:
sand and expanded clay in the form of an insulating layer. This option is considered the oldest. These materials remove moisture well, serve as an air layer adjacent to the insulated surface;
installation of polystyrene in slabs, thermal insulation with polystyrene or polystyrene foam – analogs of this insulation;
insulation with slag – solid waste, which is the cheapest option;
insulation with mineral wool in mats with further coating with a protective screen;
insulation of the foundation with polyurethane foam by spraying it with special equipment to create a seamless layer. This option is considered the most progressive, since this heat-insulating material does not allow moisture to pass through, is resistant to mechanical stress, and has the highest heat-insulating characteristics.
Expanded clay and sand
Homeowners who want to save money and do the work on their own, without the invitation of masters, prefer to insulate in this way. Backfilling with expanded clay and sand is an opportunity to make the basement waterproof, to compensate for the pressure that the soil turns out to be during its reaction to the supporting structure. This method is effective when the structure is located on clay soil with high humidity.
Insulation of the foundation of a private house with expanded clay is performed in the following sequence:
preparation of the pit from the outside of the building along the perimeter to a depth, slightly below the foundation laying. The calculation of the width of the pit is carried out in accordance with the moisture content of the earth, depending on the region of construction. The lower the temperature drops in winter, the higher the groundwater rises – the width of the pit in this case should be as large as possible;
creation of a drainage layer, which includes geotextiles, crushed stone, perforated pipes and another layer of crushed stone, laid in the same sequence. The pipes will need to be tied into a common system, and then connected to the well;
cleaning, drying of the base, followed by waterproofing. Depending on the operating conditions of the house, the type of waterproofing material is selected. It is important to know that during the laying of expanded clay, it is not worth using the coating of waterproofing with bitumen, polymers, as it is possible to damage the waterproofing film;
a layer of sand, expanded clay is poured into the prepared trenches. Each layer is tamped well.
Styrofoam
Insulation of the old foundation with a penoplex, the basement with foam plastic, and polystyrene is an effective option that contributes to the high-quality insulation of this part of the house structure.
The advantages of this method include:
- excellent thermal insulation properties;
- easy installation;
- resistance to mechanical stress, damage;
- simple finish.
Disadvantages:
- it is necessary to additionally protect the thermal insulation layer from damage by mice and rats;
- select waterproofing corresponding to these materials;
- prepare the surface for laying these materials.
Sequence of work:
Before insulating the foundation in an old private house, it must be dug to the full depth, well cleaned of the remains of bitumen, fatty deposits, oils and dried. For foam and similar insulating materials, contact with these substances is undesirable: upon contact with these substances, these surfaces begin to deteriorate. The depth of the trench should be calculated taking into account the freezing threshold and be 4 inches below it, width -3,5 feet;
The soil settles for 14 days, during which time the walls dry out.
Choose one of the methods: coating with mastics having a polymer base, applying impregnating or laying roll insulation;
The heat-insulating layer is fixed with special glue. Plates close in grooves, which simplifies their installation and prevents the appearance of cold bridges;
The foundation, the plinth, is covered with a reinforcing mesh that protects from rats and mice. The mesh is laid on glue;
Backfilling of the part of the base of the house, which is underground, is performed with sand after the glue has completely dried. Insulation located above the ground is additionally attached with dowels with large caps.
Polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam is endowed with unique properties that make it the most popular in a variety of industries. In construction, it is used for thermal insulation of private houses, industrial buildings and structures, etc. Thanks to the advent of spraying technology, it is widely used as the best insulation for the foundation, walls and basement. For these purposes, rigid polyurethane foam is used, which, after being applied in the form of foam, quickly hardens and creates a durable monolithic layer.
When insulation with polyurethane foam is preferable
Insulation of the foundation when filling with polyurethane foam is much more effective than other methods used for these purposes. There are also technological features that distinguish PUF from other insulating materials. It is more advisable to use polyurethane foam, which allows you to qualitatively insulate any surfaces (walls, floor, attic, basement, ceiling, and others).
Insulation of foundations with complex relief.
When laid, board materials form voids between the base and the thermal insulation. There is a huge risk of water penetration into these cavities with the formation of cold bridges. Some surfaces with plane differences cannot be veneered without the use of laths with a complex shape. Therefore, it will be advisable to insulate the stone foundation of an old brick house using polyurethane foam.
Covering large areas.
The larger the dimensions of the bases covered with heat insulators, the more difficult it is to achieve the integrity of such a coating. Therefore, it is extremely important to use materials with high adhesion, capable of filling cracks, voids, hard-to-reach places. With large volumes of work, the cost of their implementation is reduced by about 10%.
Limited time for performing thermal insulation works.
A team of 2 specialists can spray polyurethane foam on bases with an area of about 5000 sq ft. during the shift. The final polymerization of polyurethane foam occurs in a short time – within a maximum of several hours. With the help of polyurethane foam it is possible to carry out insulation in case of emergency.
Soundproofing. If, for example, you need to insulate the basement, which is important to protect from sounds from the outside or from the inside, PPU becomes a priority option for solving this problem. Thanks to its porosity, integrity, polyurethane foam becomes an ideal barrier against noise penetration.
Foam spraying is a technology that is used by applying foam. Polyurethane foam is a two-component blend of isocyanates and polyols. Delivery of these substances to the site is carried out in separate containers, which take up little space, so storage and transportation is much cheaper.