Home insulation: all about materials and methods

To ensure that the room always has an optimal microclimate - it was warm in winter and not too hot in summer, it is important to take care of high-quality insulation of residential buildings. There are entire catalogs of materials with which to last insulation, sound insulation, moisture protection of certain locations. Our brief review will introduce potential consumers to the most popular materials and methods of insulation.

Basic characteristics

Home insulation can be internal and external. The ideal time for interior work on the insulation of walls, floors or ceilings is the repair period before the start of the finishing decorative finish. If the repair has already been done or there is an urgent need to save precious residential "squares", they are engaged in external insulation. Sometimes it is cheaper, in addition, in many aspects, working on the street is more practical and convenient than indoors. Depending on the locations where the work is carried out, insulation can be divided into such conventional varieties:

Walls;
Ceiling;
Floor;
Balcony or loggia;
Integrated insulation;
Window insulation;
Fragmented insulation;
Insulation of doors and other openings.

Depending on where it is necessary to carry out robots, specialists select materials to create a high-quality "thermal barrier". In terms of material selection, the selection is striking in its diversity.

What is thermal insulation

If you understand the materials for insulation, you can quickly and effortlessly choose the best option. Before this, you need to analyze and compare the most popular offers on the market. Thermal insulation is divided into two huge categories:

Thermal insulation of the reflective type. The main principle is to reduce the consumption of thermal energy due to minimizing the ingress of infrared radiation;
Preventive thermal insulation is the most popular option. The method of insulation is based on the use of materials characterized by a particularly low level of heat conductivity.

Both the first and second types of insulation for modern rooms can be implemented using various materials. They differ from each other not only in price and heat conduction parameters, but also in installation features, origin and a number of other important parameters.

Preventive thermal insulation

Distinguish between organic, inorganic, and mixed materials. Organic heaters deserve special attention. In the modern market they are presented in the widest assortment. Here are the most requested options:

Arbolite insulation (sawdust, shavings, straw, reeds);
Polyvinyl chloride insulation;
Insulation from chipboard elements;
DVIP (wood-fiber insulation plate);
Polyurethane foam insulation;
Mipora (penoizol based on formaldehyde resins);
Expanded polystyrene (aka polystyrene);
Foamed polyethylene;
Fibrolite (base - wood shavings);
Sotoplastovy heater;
Ecowool (waste paper and cardboard production).

Organic materials may be slightly more expensive than their artificial counterparts. However, these types of insulation are appreciated as environmentally friendly options for the arrangement of residential premises.

Inorganic type thermal insulation

Inorganic heaters are represented by various types of mineral components. Rolls, mats, plates, as well as various raw materials in bulk form are produced as the final material for the insulation of walls, ceilings, and floors. The main options:

Mineral wool (slag and stone);
Glass wool;
Ceramic wool.

Materials are relatively inexpensive. They are suitable for decorating a wide variety of locations, which may differ in specific conditions and a special microclimate.

Mixed types of insulation materials

Mixed raw materials for warming rooms are made from asbestos-based mixtures. A distinctive feature of these materials is their ideal heat resistance. Also, asbestos cloths absorb moisture well, so warming in this case is combined with waterproofing work. The most popular materials:

Sovelit;
Volcano.

An important caveat - asbestos dust carries a potential danger to humans. Contact with the material should be avoided by almost all allergy sufferers.

Thermal insulation reflective type

Reflex heaters slow down the movement of thermal energy. Today, polished aluminum is used as a reflective insulation. Often it is combined with one or two layers of foamed polyethylene. We mentioned all the main types of materials for insulation of premises. Choosing any of them, it is important to correlate your requirements and qualities that are inherent in insulation elements.