Expanded insulation of the floor with expanded polystyrene

The floor, in terms of heat loss - takes second place after the walls.

Increasingly widespread was the insulation of the floor with expanded polystyrene - one of the most popular heaters.

Despite all the properties of this material, it is necessary to carry out its proper installation.

In addition, insufficient insulation becomes a consequence of condensation, the appearance of fungi and mold.

Application features of the

Styrofoam is considered a variety of foam, but has many differences and has several advantages:

• Operational period is more than a century;
• One of the lowest coefficients of thermal conductivity;
• Not resistant to mold and fungi;

Allows to achieve for the floor surface good waterproofing, heat-insulating and soundproofing properties.

Before you begin the insulation of the floor with extruded polystyrene, you need to purchase the required amount of material.

It is produced under a variety of brands and can have a diverse structure, used to heat various surfaces( wood, concrete screed).

Of course, the thickness of expanded polystyrene for floor insulation can vary and depends on the operating conditions.

The recommended value of this indicator is not less than 55-60 mm. Most plates are laid in two layers of 25 mm each.

On the second and subsequent floors, when the floor surface does not contact directly with the ground, it is possible to reduce the layer thickness to 20-25 mm.

It is necessary to carry out the insulation of the concrete floor with expanded polystyrene together with waterproofing. More often, roll materials based on bitumen or mastic are used due to lower cost.

Professionals recommend laying a special film when the floor is insulated with expanded polystyrene under the screed.

When laying the insulation on the ground, increasing the waterproofing layer is especially important.

There are two possible variants of work under similar conditions:

• The flooring of slag or gravel is poured, which is carefully compacted. On top of laying wooden logs and laying heat insulation between them;
• First put polyurethane sheets, which are covered with roofing material and poured with cement-sand or concrete screed, then they insulate the heater.

Its features are the insulation of the wooden floor with expanded polystyrene. Think it needs at the design or construction stage.

Video:

First, a concrete screed 5-6 cm thick is laid on a compacted layer of gravel.

When the surface dries, a thermal insulation of at least 5 cm thick, on top of which the wooden flooring begins to be erected.

Features of work for different rooms

For many floor surfaces, the technology of floor insulation with polystyrene is similar.

It is carried out according to the general plan, but if some of the steps have already been carried out during construction earlier, they can be omitted:

1. Base leveling;
2. Arrangement of the "gravel-sand" pillow with a layer of at least 10 cm( if necessary);
3. Filling voids with expanded clay;
4. Installation of expanded polystyrene plates;
5. Laying reinforcing mesh over the heater, which will evenly distribute the load to the floor.

It is necessary to conduct the insulation of the floor of the ground floor with expanded polystyrene under the screed, especially if there is a basement under the house.

A dense polyethylene or waterproofing sheet is laid on the rough concrete floor or slab.

The heat insulation material is covered in 2-3 layers, overlapping the joints of the plates of each previous one.

On top you need to make another vapor barrier layer made of foam foil polyethylene.

Then reinforcing mesh is laid, a rough concrete layer of concrete is poured, after drying of which a full screed is made.

Widely distributed insulation of the floor of the loggia with expanded polystyrene.

It differs little from the thermal insulation under the screed, but instead of a waterproofing layer, a vapor barrier is necessary.

Video:

The floor of the attic or loggia should breathe so that condensation does not accumulate when the temperature changes drastically.

Plates of expanded polystyrene are also stacked in several layers with a displacement between themselves at the joints.

If the floor is wooden, the reinforcing mesh should not be stacked. If ceramic tiles are to be put on top, it is necessary.

Carrying the floor insulation with expanded polystyrene with your own hands, it is necessary to take into account several more recommendations:

• Cut slabs can be any tools available;
• Too large gaps are sealed with liquid glass fiber;
• Around the walls leave a gap of 1-2 cm for ventilation;
• When laying a parquet board or a laminate over a heater, it is necessary to fill a wooden crate;
• If the expanded polystyrene is placed under the "warm floor" system, then a damper band is glued along the perimeter of the wall;
• Polystyrene should not come into contact with tar and bituminous mastics.

Service prices for

For those who do not want to work with their own hands, you can hire a construction team.

In many respects, the price of floor insulation with expanded polystyrene depends on the number of operations performed and will be the sum of their costs:

• Dismantling of the old concrete covering - from 3 yards.e.
• Dismantling of old wooden covering - from 2 at.e.
• The device of glass insulation and waterproofing - from 6 at.e.
• Screed device - from 5 yards.e.
• Stacking insulation - from 5 yards.e.
• Installation of the final floor covering - from 5 y.e.

But even when ordering the services of the construction team, you have to purchase the material yourself.