Thermal insulation of the floor with expanded clay

Thermal insulation of the floor with claydite allows not only to reliably protect the house from the cold, but also save considerably on materials. This heater is one of the most accessible and convenient in work, and with a competent laying it is also very durable. Carrying out the insulation of the floor with claydite is not difficult even with no experience, the main thing is to carefully study the technology.

Features

Expanded clay is used for loose insulation;it consists of oval and round granules with a porous structure. It is obtained by roasting clays of low-melting species, due to which the material acquires high perversity at low weight.

In construction, claydite of three fractions is used:

• 20-40 mm - rubble;
• 10-20 mm - gravel;
• up to 10 mm - sand.
  

  Specifications of expanded clay

10 cm claydite layer for thermal insulation properties is equal to 1 m brick masonry or a 25 cm thick wooden coating. Other advantages of expanded clay:

• low cost;
• good sound insulation properties;
• ecological compatibility;
• durability;
• low thermal conductivity;
• resistance to high and low temperatures;
• light weight;
• strength.
  

  Expanded claydite

The disadvantage of expanded clay is its hygroscopicity;Granules, saturated with moisture, retain it for a long time and almost completely lose their properties. Dampened insulation dissipates unevenly and promotes deformation of the floor covering. To avoid this, with the use of expanded clay necessarily equip reliable waterproofing.

Ways of insulation with expanded clay

In construction, 3 methods of laying claydite are applied - dry, wet and combined. To properly choose one of the options, you should first familiarize yourself with each one in detail.

Dry insulation

With a dry method of thermal insulation, the material simply falls asleep between lags or beacons, and the top floor is mounted on the floor - boards, chipboard, plywood. For protection from moisture the base under the heater is necessarily covered with waterproofing material. To increase the density of the heat-insulating layer, claydite is recommended to take different fractions and mix before filling. This insulation is very fast and does not require much effort.

Wet laying

When insulated in this way, expanded clay is mixed with liquid concrete and fills the space between the beacons. This option is excellent for floors with large differences in height, where a leveling screed of a large thickness is required. Due to the ease of claydite, the load on the base is significantly reduced;the screed itself dries faster and does not crack so. Choosing a wet method, it should be taken into account that the thermal conductivity of the material increases dramatically, which means that its efficiency will be much less than with dry packing.

Combined method

For combined insulation, expanded clay is covered in dry form between beacons, leveled, then the top layer is spilled with a liquid cement solution and after drying, a standard screed is made. Cement mortar makes it possible to strengthen the layer of expanded clay and avoid its deformation when pouring screed. In addition, reinforcing mesh is used, if a greater load on the floor is expected during operation.

Warming of a wooden floor

For insulation you will need:

• nail;
• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• Roulette;
• marker or pencil;
• building level;
• shovel;
• hammer;
• electric drill;
• self-tapping screws;
• sand;
• waterproofing film or coating materials;
• damper belt.

The variant of arrangement of a wooden floor on the concrete basis is considered.

Step 1. Dismantling of the

coating The floor boards are removed and taken out of the room;Logs are carefully inspected and checked by level.

level. If the bars are in good condition, they do not have deflections and other deformations, they are left in place. With minor damages, the individual bars are replaced, and if the logs are very old, loosened and rotten, remove everything to the concrete base.

. Step 2. Surface preparation

. The floor is cleaned of debris, rubbing small cracks, inspecting the corners.

Deep cracks in the corners are covered with a solution or blow out with foam.

Also the joints on the perimeter of the floor and walls are propene. The surface is covered with a layer of sand, which is well tamped. When using a waterproofing, sand is not needed.

Step 3. Waterproofing

Polyethylene or a special membrane is spread on the floor so that the edges of the material cover the walls around the perimeter by 7-10 cm;while the lags are also under the film. If there is not enough of the whole canvas, the pieces of the film overlap and fix the joints with scotch tape. On the uneven bars waterproofing must be fixed with a stapler, carefully spreading the film in the grooves between the lags.

When using waterproofing, the mixture is applied to the dust-free concrete with a paint brush or roller, gripping the walls to a height of 15-20 cm. In this case, the logs are installed over the protective layer. Suitable for coating bitumen mastic, liquid rubber, bitumen-polymer mixtures and mastics on a cement-polymer basis. Apply the composition in 2-3 layers;each layer dries for about 3 hours, so the waterproofing will take time. In the end, around the perimeter of the walls at the height of the rough floor, a damper belt is fixed, which will help to avoid deformation and cracking of the screed under temperature changes.

Step 4. Installing the rails

So, if the logs have been completely dismantled, you need to install new ones. To do this, take strong wooden slats or timber, cut to the size of the floor, primed with antiseptic solution and dried. The height of the wooden frame for the floor should be a minimum of 10 cm. The extreme rails are fastened at a distance of 2-3 cm from the surface of the walls, between the others make a gap of 0.5 to 1 meter. Each rail must be leveled and parallel to the other, so that no part protrudes from the horizontal plane.

To the floor of the rack, screw the screws with metal corner plates, one side of which is adjacent to the tree, the second - to the base of the floor. The extreme fasteners are 2-3 cm from the ends of the rails, all the following fasteners in steps of 50 cm.

Step 5. Backfilling of expanded clay

Mix large and fine expanded clay, and then cover it between lags or guide rails. At the corners warmer carefully spread out his hands, so that no voids remain. Filling the entire space, the layer of expanded clay is carefully tamped, trying not to damage the granules. On top of the waterproofing, fix it with a stapler.

Step 6. Installation of the flooring

On the shelves from the heater, the beams are filled with a rough floor of plywood, chipboard or boards, and then the finish coat is laid. Speaking around the perimeter of the film cut with a knife, the joints are closed with skirting boards.

Warming on the ground

If there is a ground beneath the concrete foundation, the insulation technology is performed a little differently:

• the ground is leveled and rammed;
• a layer of gravel is about 10 cm;
• then a layer of sand is covered and compacted well;
• the next layer of expanded clay, its thickness is from 15 to 25 cm;
• After the leveling and sealing, the wooden floor is installed.

Warming for concrete base

When floor heating under screed, the preparation of the substrate is carried out as standard: the old covering is dismantled, the cracks are closed, the surface is cleaned of dust. Then the base is covered with a liquid waterproofing or is covered with a film.

Joints on the perimeter of the floor must necessarily be closed, so the film is wound on the walls. The last fixes the damper tape at the level of the future screed. Now you can start warming.

Step 1. Setting the beacons

Lighthouses should be metal, it is best to use aluminum T-shaped rails. Mix a bit of cement or gypsum solution to fix beacons, take the first rail and lay it under the wall opposite the doorway to the solution. Be sure to check the location of the guide level, if necessary, pushed into the solution or, conversely, lifted. Height of lighthouses should not exceed 10 cm, and the distance between them - from 0.5 to 1 m.

Step 2. Backfill of insulation

A mixture of expanded clay of different fractions fill the space between the beacons and equal the rule or piece of plywood. Particular care should be taken to cover corners and joints where voids can form. After that, the expanded clay is gently tamped, so as not to damage the granules.

Step 3. Reinforcement

The heater is laid with a metal grid with large cells, leaving indents from the walls 4-5 cm along the entire perimeter. On the grid there should be no dents or protuberances, protruding sharp edges.

mesh is laid on the clay. Step 4. Making the screed

For the screed, take 3 pieces of sifted sand and 1 part of cement, mix thoroughly with water to a uniform thick consistency and pour it onto the floor between the rails. Level the screed with a long rule, navigating along the lighthouses and removing excess solution. Now you need to wait for the complete drying of the concrete and you can lay the floor.

Claydite concrete screed

If the roughing base is too uneven or the level of the floor needs to be raised strongly, a claydite-concrete screed is made. First, the surface is freed and cleaned of dust, foams crevices and joints, laying waterproofing. After that, proceed to the main process:

• on the floor installed beacons from metal rails, strengthening them with cement mortar;
  

  Building beacons for flooring

  

  Lighthouses, damper tape

• mix 1 part of cement with 2 parts of sieved sand, add 1 part of water and 3-5 parts of expanded clay, depending on the expected loads on the floor;
  

  Preparation of

• with a mixture fill the gap between the beacons, not reaching the top 2-3 cm;
  

  Screed from claydite concrete

• compact and level the surface, immersing the floated granules in the solution;
• when the coupler grinds a bit, prepare standard concrete without impurities and pour from above, equal to the beacons rule.
  

  Screed with expanded clay

  

  Lighthouses should be pulled out, and joints should be wiped with

solution. Drying takes at least 3 weeks, but it is better to wait a month. The first days of the surface of the screed periodically watered to prevent cracks. Such a foundation is sufficiently strong and warm, long serves.

Advantages of expanded clay	Disadvantages of expanded clay
Good thermal conductivity of claydite - grade 500 has a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 0,12-0,15 W / m * K	It is necessary to fill a thick layer of expanded clay - more than 50 cm, becauseotherwise the noise and heat insulation will be poor
The weight of the expanded clay is from 250 kg / m3 to 2500 kg / m3 of concrete	It is absolutely unstable to moisture, it is recommended to use either a waterproofing film or do not use claydite in general
With its help,wooden floors is extended to 50 years
Resistance to chemically aggressive environments
Environmentally friendly
Relatively low cost

Video - Warming of the floor with expanded clay