Mineral wool and its most valuable characteristics
If you understand, then everything that is awarded by nature mineral wool - the characteristics of the same stone. At one time, our ancestors erected thick-walled castles of this durable material and thereby provided themselves with comfortable living conditions even in regions with a harsh climate. The appearance of a stone "gun" saved builders from such a costly and time-consuming technology, because now you can do with a thin box of the building, reinforced with a new effective "fur coat."
To appreciate the power of this additive, let's take a closer look at its main advantages:
- Thermal insulation properties. The mineral wool insulator has a very low corresponding coefficient of 0.038-0.045 W / K × m, therefore its 10 cm layer protects the same as a brick wall 117 cm thick( solid wood 25.5 cm).
- Sound-absorbing properties. The material perfectly absorbs unnecessary sounds, preserving the peace of the household, its sound insulation factor - 0,95( with a maximum of 1).
- Non-combustibility. Perhaps, this is the most valuable property of the insulator, because here all the worthy opponents( foam, etc.) suffer a fiasco. It is able to operate normally under the influence of infernal temperatures( up to +1000 ° C) and rightfully belongs to the "gold" group of non-combustible materials.
- Water vapor permeability. Another important plus in the characteristics of this insulation - the ability to "breathe".The building, equipped with a stone "coat", provides the residents with a healthy internal microclimate, for the maintenance of which no mechanical "helpers" are required. The vapor permeability of the mineral wool is 0.49-0.60 Mg /( m × h × Pa).
- Naturalness. All these properties of mineral wool are quite solid, but the last iron argument in its favor is natural and pure origin. The material is made of stone and fire, even the fact that phenol is most often used as a binder does not spoil its impeccable reputation, because during processing, the harmful additive loses all its negative qualities.
There is one more important characteristic on which the quality of the thermal insulation of the building depends - the density of mineral wool.
How does the mineral wool density affect its characteristics?
It's easy to see that the higher this figure for a sample, the more expensive it will cost the consumer. The fact is that the increased density of mineral wool gives it additional properties:
- does not lose its original shape under its own weight;
- does not succumb to compression and deformation;
- withstand the extra burden.
The insulator is produced in a density of 30-200 kg / m3.The vapor permeability, thermal conductivity and noise-absorbing properties of mineral wool of different "density" do not actually differ from each other, most importantly, this is the convenience and further functionality of the constructed "puff".
Please note that mineral wool density:
- 30-50 kg / m3 is a soft "fluff", produced in bags or minvate in rolls. Used to insulate the horizontal cavities in the structure of the building. Compressibility - up to 50%.
- 75 kg kg / m3 is a semi-rigid type, it is used for insulation of horizontal parts of a house and technical structures. Compressibility - 20%.
- 125 kg / m3 - a sample of medium hardness to protect the vertical and horizontal parts of the house. Compressibility - up to 12%.
- 150-175 kg / m3 - rigid plates for warming of a roof and walls of a building. Compressibility - up to 2%.
- 200 kg / m3 - plates of increased strength, which work under load up to 12 MPa.
What is the real life of the mineral wool?
Another important indicator of good quality is the durability of the insulator. Declared by the manufacturer, the service life of mineral wool is up to 50 years. This is an honorable age in construction, so the insulation can be reliably attributed to the elite group of "long-livers".
But it should be taken into account that this lifetime directly depends on the installation of an insulating layer of mineral wool in the construction of the house. Some types of insulator are already equipped with a protective anti-wind or vapor barrier coating, but for simple samples, these additional barriers should be independently provided for.
Remember that as soon as this heater gets wet( or as the builders say - "sweat"), it will lose all its useful characteristics, it will harden, and in the future the fibers will begin to crumble.
For the correct laying of mineral wool, it is necessary to provide technical slots with a width of 8-10 mm for unimpeded evaporation of moisture from its "body".
