Internal and external insulation of concrete walls of a

Monolithic reinforced concrete is the simplest and most convenient building material for the rapid construction of houses and other capital structures.

The advantages of solid concrete include such qualities as:

• high strength;
• reliability;
• durability;
• relatively low price;
• as well as the possibility of manufacturing bearing elements and architectural forms of any degree of complexity.

Despite all its positive qualities, due to the monolithic structure and high density, this material has good thermal conductivity, therefore, to ensure a comfortable temperature inside the building, buildings made of concrete require additional thermal insulation.

Thermal insulation of exterior concrete walls

In order to help the reader deal with this issue, this article will discuss the main aspects of thermal insulation of the outer walls of buildings made of reinforced concrete. In addition, there will be presented a detailed instruction that describes the main methods of wall insulation using the most common building materials.

Features of insulation of a residential house

Considering the technology of work, it should be borne in mind that the insulation of the concrete wall of a residential house can be performed in two ways:

• outside,
• from the inside.

Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, therefore, if there is such an opportunity, to achieve the best result, the combination of interior and exterior decoration is most efficient.

Regardless of the method chosen, as well as the type of materials used, there are certain rules that must be followed when performing such work.

1. To achieve the maximum effect, it is necessary to carry out the insulation of the entire outer surface of the facade of the building, not forgetting the thermal insulation of the floor, the ceiling, as well as window and door openings.
2. When installing internal insulation should leave a small air gap between the decorative wall and the insulating material.
3. Before performing the installation, the walls on both sides need to be treated with an antiseptic composition to prevent the formation of mold fungi.
4. All work should be carried out after the final installation of electrical networks and laying of utilities. Diamond drilling of holes in concrete with a special drill bit can be used to penetrate walls.
5. Installation of external panels is carried out using special glue, therefore it is recommended to perform all outdoor work at an ambient temperature not lower than + 5 ° С.

   Note! Choosing for yourself the option of internal warming, you should keep in mind that in this case the dew point in the wall will be close to the inner surface, which under certain conditions can lead to the formation of condensate. In addition, due to the thickness of the air gap and the insulating material, the internal useful volume of the room will be reduced.

Internal heat insulation

This method is the most inexpensive and simple, so it is often used by residents of multi-storey buildings, the apartments of which are located above the second floor. It does not require special equipment and can be made with your own hands by any homeowner without outside help.

There are several options for energy-saving systems, which differ from each other in the complexity of installation and type of materials used.

1. The simplest, but at the same time effective way of insulation is the usual plastering of walls from inside the room.. To ensure the durability of the coating, before insulating the concrete wall from the inside with a plaster mortar, it is necessary to fix the metal reinforcing mesh and cover it with one layer of penetrating primer.
2. In the second case, the problem can be solved with the help of a sheet material with low thermal conductivity, for example, foam plastic.. It must be fixed to the wall from inside the building, pasted over with a glass fiber grid and covered with a layer of finishing putty. After that, the wall can be painted, wallpaper or finished with other materials for interior work.
3. The third method is to install an additional plasterboard partition wall.. From the inside it is necessary to mount a supporting frame made of metal profiles on the concrete wall, and lay a layer of mineral wool in the space between them. After that, install the sheets of drywall, putty gaps and visible fasteners, and then perform the finishing room.

   Tip! To achieve the maximum energy-saving effect, it is recommended to use mineral wool, the front side of which is covered with aluminum foil. At the same time between the foil and drywall, you must leave an air gap width of 20 mm.

External wall insulation

This method is most effective because it allows you to remove the dew point as much as possible outside the room, thereby preventing the formation of condensate and preventing the wall from freezing. However, its implementation requires the use of more expensive materials, and in the case of insulation apartment high-rise building will require the use of special equipment or the services of industrial climbers.

Sheet expanded polystyrene is used as a heat insulating material.

1. Before insulating the concrete wall outside, it is necessary to remove the old coating and peeling plaster, and clean the surface from debris and dust, then coat it with a penetrating primer.
2. At the level of the basement basement (for a private house) or the lower edge of the interfloor overlap (for an apartment of a multi-storey building), set the basement profile, the width of which should correspond to the thickness of the expanded polystyrene used.
3. Apply special glue to the expanded polystyrene slab around the perimeter and at several points, then press it against the wall in the right place and then fix it in the corners and in the middle using dowels with wide plastic washers.
4. Thus, mount all the panels, making sure that the glue does not fall between them and at the joints does not get out.
5. On the surface of polystyrene foam with a special glue to fix the reinforcing mesh, which will bind all the panels into one, give them extra strength and will serve as the basis for applying plaster.
6. At the end of the whole facade you need to cover with a thin layer of light plaster solution, which will provide protection from weathering, and paint the facade paint in the desired color.

   Tip! For high-quality gluing of foam panels, you need a flat surface, so before mounting all the gaps and cavities on the facade need to be filled and the overhangs and projections should be removed. For this, cutting of reinforced concrete with diamond circles using a special cutting machine can be used.

Construction Materials

Table 1 shows the comparative characteristics of the density and thermal conductivity of the most common thermal insulation and building materials (the smaller the value, the better the thermal insulation).

Table 1.

Conclusion

After reading this article, it becomes clear that to solve the issue of energy saving in your own house is completely within the power of any home craftsman.

For more information on the subject of interest, you can watch the video in this article or read similar materials on this subject on our website.