Insulation rockwool: specifications and applications

Stone wool can be sold in the form of plates and in the form of rolls

There was a question about the choice of insulation for your own apartment or a country house? Basalt wool, characteristics of which I will mention in the article, in my opinion, the best thermal insulator, which can be found in DIY stores.

production subtleties

What is stone wool? This heat-insulating material, which consists of very thin and very strong fibers formed from basalt, gabbro molten. The manufacturing process in this case is as follows:

Photos operations	Description
	comminution mined rock
	Melting basalt at +1500 ° C.
	Creature fiber thickness of not more than 7 microns and a length of 50 mm by blowing while rotating on special drums
	formation mats desired size and density
	Sorting and packaging

Characteristic

Mineral wool based on basalt, gabbro-has many unique qualities:

dignity

1. A low thermal conductivity coefficientConstituting 0,032-0,048 W / (m K). Mineral wool fibers arranged randomly and do not have strict orientation. Due to such a structure is formed in its structure a huge number of air pockets, which are excellent thermal insulators.

The air layer between the fibers provide high thermal insulation properties

1. Almost zero moisture absorption. Basalt wool in the manufacturing process is impregnated with special oils, due to which its water absorption by volume does not exceed two per cent;

Special impregnation prevents water to penetrate the structure of stone wool

If you need high-quality thermal insulation steam bath or sauna, it is recommended to stop the choice on mineral wool Basalt, as a high level of moisture inherent in this type of premises, will not affect its thermal conductivity.

Bath, warmed inside basalt wool will remain warm, even with a significant increase in the moisture level in the steam

1. high vapor permeability, Is about 0.3 mg / (m h Pa);

Remember that in the implementation of basalt wool insulation inside the room, closing it all materials should not be lesser than the vapor permeability or technical ventilation holes. In the opposite case described ability disappear vain.

The film covering the basalt wool with internal insulation of the building, should also have a high vapor permeability

1. high fire resistance. Insulation stone wool is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1114 degrees Celsius (GOST 30244 and snip 21-01-97);

Basalt wool may be safely used for the insulation of fireplaces and other inflammable objects

1. high Attenuation. Rockwool absorb vertically directed sound waves that pass inside the walls, which makes it possible to save on installation of additional sound insulation;

Thanks to Basalt heat insulation can do without the installation of additional noise insulation materials

1. High resistance to mechanical stress. When ten percent strain basalt wool has a compressive strength of 5-80 kPa depending on its density. As a result, the insulation in the course of their life for a long time do not lose their shape;

On samples having a high density, can be free to go and do not fall to an adult

1. Chemical and biological inertness. Not amenable to corrosion, rot, mildew no infestation, not attacked rodent, is not destroyed by reacting with chemically active substances;
2. frost-resistance. Withstand any cold, possible in our climate zone;

Insulation of rock fibers can be safely used for the external insulation

1. Environmentally friendly;

Rock wool can even insulate the walls of children's bedrooms without fear of harm to the child

1. Simple installation instructions. Flexible mats are easily cut into segments of desired size and inserted into the sheathing cells that can additionally be fixed by dowels, umbrellas, if necessary. The whole process does not take much time and does not require any special skills.

The diagram shows the principle of insulation walls with basalt wool

disadvantages

1. The relatively high price. Raw materials and production technology itself, in this case can not be called cheap. But the high quality always requires additional financial costs, and over time, they are still paying off;

The store will have to pay decently for stone wool, but you'll be sure to follow as a result of her work

1. The presence of seamsViolating tightness. How would you not closely stacked slabs of basalt fiber, in any case where they dock will have a high thermal conductivity;

The presence of seams, though only slightly, but still reduce the insulating properties of the material

1. The presence of basalt dust during installation work. Though rock wool and is pricked as glass, still breathe its fine particles harmful to health;

At home with rock wool insulation with his own hands, I recommend to wear a dust mask and safety glasses. This completely eliminate unwanted contact with basaltic dust.

Do not forget about personal protective equipment when working with mineral wool, and crumbling to dust it does not hurt you

Areas of operation

Rock wool can insulate all the structural elements of the house, except for the cap

Basalt heat insulation perfectly copes with insulation internal and external walls, curtain walls, roofing, ceilings and underground spaces. In addition, there are areas in which he does is only possible to use this.

This includes insulation:

• Improvement with high humidity, such as baths and saunas;

When steam rooms insulation basalt wool is often additionally used more and foil, making possible to reach even greater similarity with thermos

• Facades ventilated type;

The regeneration of a ventilated facade type are very important vapor-permeable capacity used insulation

• Ship cabins;
• Pipelines of various types and purposes.

Stone wool can insulate pipes, the surface temperature of which ranges from -120 to +1000 degrees Celsius

Offers from producers

Basalt heat insulation material produced by many manufacturers. Among all available in DIY stores range are the following suggestions:

• «Greenguard Universal":

Plate size 120 by 60 cm is easy to operate with one person, making them the most popular among professional builders

• "Technonikol Tehnoakustik":

"Tehnoakustik" series has high sound insulation among other proposals this manufacturer

• «Rockwool Batts Scandic Light":

One of the edges of the boards «Rockwool Light Batts Skandik" is able to spring, which facilitates the installation work on wooden or metal frames

conclusion

You are familiar with the basic characteristics of rock wool, its areas of operation and offers that can be found in DIY stores. Videos in this article contains additional materials on the subject, and in the comments, you can ask questions on it.

Basalt heat insulation material, though not cheap, but it allows you to achieve excellent results in the field of thermal insulation