How to insulate a concrete wall: outside or inside?
Having decided to make the insulation, you can do two things: make the insulation of the wall from the outside or from the inside. Experts recommend choosing the first option, since it is more reliable. It seems that it's easier to make insulation from the inside, but it's not so simple as it seems at first glance, therefore, this method should be resorted only if it is impossible to perform the work from the outside.
Note! Internal insulation often becomes a breeding ground for mold and fungi.
Warming the concrete wall from the inside, you will protect it with material from the heat source, and this will lead to its cooling. In severe frosts, it can be cooled to such an extent that its dew point will be at the boundary with the insulation layer. This, in turn, will cause the formation of condensation and dampness. At the same time, the more the vapor barrier layer is, the more moisture accumulation will take place. These problems are deprived of a way of external insulation, so it is recommended, as the main one, by specialists.
External treatment of walls
Warming of concrete walls from outside with any materials should be carried out at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees Celsius. If there is a need to work at a colder temperature, then in the adhesive formulations you will have to add special anti-frost additives. Work on external insulation is carried out in the following order:
- The base is prepared. If there are places on the wall with an old layer of plaster, then they must be cleaned. Maximum level changes on the surface should not be more than 15 millimeters. If the differences are greater, they will have to be leveled with fillers. After that, to increase the adhesion of concrete it must be primed;
- Fastening of socle profile. The width of the profile is chosen in accordance with the width of the insulation;
- Application of glue on the slabs of the material. The glue is not placed evenly over the entire area of the slab, but in the corners and in the center. In this case, the fastening is sufficiently strong, and the glue solution is saved;
- Fastening with dowels. Experts recommend making a calculation of the number of dowels, based on the fact that per square meter should have four fasteners. The length of the dowel must be 50 millimeters longer than the thickness of the insulation;
- Mounting of the reinforcement layer. This layer is necessary to increase the strength of the entire structure. For reinforcement, a grid with a 4x4 or 5x5 millimeter cell is used. It is glued from top to bottom with an overlap of 10 centimeters. After that, the entire mesh is covered with plaster;
Important! The reinforcing mesh should be covered with a solution that will protect it from the influence of alkalis.
- Application of a decorative layer. After the insulation of the concrete wall is completed, the whole wall should be treated with a decorative layer to give the appearance of the house or apartment aesthetic appearance.
Internal insulation
Insulation of concrete walls from the inside differs from the work from the outside. The main difference is that there is a need to make a layer of waterproofing and vapor barrier, as well as a crate. The beginning of the same work is the same: you need to prepare the wall. To do this, it removes the old coating from it, and cleans it. The differences should not be more than 5 millimeters. All large irregularities are puttied.
Important! It should be borne in mind that the crate takes up a certain space, so that the useful area in the room decreases.
Further from wooden bars section 10х10 centimeters are mounted directing on a wall( crate).After this, a layer of waterproofing is laid. If there is a foil layer in the waterproofing material, then it must be put foil to yourself, this will create an additional thermal screen. The next step is to install the chosen insulation. To do this, it is tightly inserted into the interstitial space of the crate. When all the material is laid, a vapor barrier is made from above.
This concludes the insulation of the concrete wall. Now it is necessary to cover the whole surface with sheet material, for example, plywood, plasterboard or plastic panels, and make the decoration with decorative material.