When constructing a private house, special attention should be paid to the insulation of structures. Important elements that are directly affected by cold air are the ground floor ceilings in a cold basement, exterior walls, attic ceilings, and an attic roof. As a universal type of insulation, you can use mineral wool.
Thermal insulation of mineral wool allows for a comfortable floor temperature and heat preservation in the room. Due to its incombustibility, the material can be used in both wood and stone construction without any concerns.
What is mineral wool
This insulation is a fibrous material. The fibers are arranged in a chaotic manner. Each manufacturer has its own cooking recipe. All components melt at very high temperatures, and then break into thin fibers in a centrifuge. Next, with the help of heat treatment, mineral wool is made.
Types of mineral wool
For the construction of a mineral wool house, three types are available.
- Glass. The material is made of broken glass.
- Stone. This species can be called the most common. Most often, you can find material from basalt fiber, but it is also made from other minerals. It is easier to make stone wool insulation compared to the other two.
- Slag. It has the lowest thermal insulation characteristics and increased fragility. Not suitable for facade work and pipelines.
In addition to this classification, there is a division in the form in which mineral wool is produced.
- Roll material - has a low stiffness, therefore it is used to a greater degree for warming the walls of a house or floor along logs.
- Rigid mineral slabs or mats - great for use when insulating ceilings and attic roofs.
For the insulation of the flooring, it is preferable to use the second option, since hard mineral wool will ensure reliable operation of the floor under load.
Advantages and disadvantages of the material
The positive qualities of mineral wool include:
- good thermal insulation;
- simple laying technology, in the construction of the mineral wool floor does not require special fixing;
- low degree of absorption of moisture from the environment;
- affordable price;
- resistance to high temperatures and open flame;
- safety for humans in compliance with technology;
- resistance to bacteria, mold and fungus.
Due to these qualities, mineral wool has become widespread in both wooden and stone construction.
But we can not say about its features and disadvantages, which include:
- the need for additional protection for workers: workwear, gloves, mask;
- it is necessary to protect the insulation from moisture, the technology includes vapor barrier and waterproofing;
- the ability to absorb water, the inability to use for wet rooms;
- high degree of shrinkage in case of violation of the conditions of installation and operation;
- when laying in a wooden building between the logs, it is necessary to provide a gap between the insulation and the construction of the floor covering 3-5 cm.
If these features are not taken into account, warming will become dangerous for a person, for example, the lack of protective clothing for workers will result in particles of material getting on the skin and lungs. This will cause irritation, itching, allergic reactions.
Use for floor insulation
Mineral wool slabs are used as floor insulation in the house in the following cases:
- in the construction of the floor of the first floor in the presence of a cold basement or underground;
- in the construction of the floor to increase sound insulation;
- in the construction of the attic floor in the presence of a cold attic.
For an individual house when laying, in all cases it is necessary that the technology is strictly observed, otherwise the insulation will not fulfill its function.
Insulation technology
When laying the insulation, technology must be strictly observed. The “pie” of insulation depends on the type of overlap, so let's look at the instructions below.
Overlap of the first floor
In the presence of a cold basement or underground, insulation of the floor structure is required. Regardless of the building in which the work is carried out, wooden or stone, the layers are laid in the following order when installing mineral wool from above:
- overlap;
- waterproofing;
- insulation;
- vapor barrier;
- clean floor.
In wooden housing construction, slab or roll material is laid between the lags in compliance with the order of the layers. It is possible to fix the material from below, this is more competent from the point of view of heat engineering, but it is very laborious.
We recommend watching a video with a clearly shown insulation technology:
Soundproofing floors
As protection against the spread of sound, mineral wool is placed in the pie of the floor in the following order:
- overlap;
- vapor barrier;
- insulation;
- waterproofing;
- clean floor.
The event is especially effective in the construction of a brick or concrete house, but in a wooden one, too, will not be superfluous.
Note that in reinforced concrete floors to absorb shock and airborne noise 3-5 cm are enough for screed. And in wooden floors, the layer of material should be at least 5-10 cm.
Attic floor insulation
If the building has a cold attic, it is necessary to protect the ceiling of the upper floor. In a wooden building, mineral wool is laid between the logs, in a stone - both between the logs and under the cement screed.
The installation procedure is the same as in the previous case. The difference lies in the material of the attic flooring and the thickness of the insulation layer.
Protection of the structure in this case is carried out to prevent excessive heat loss from the room to the cold attic. Heated air accumulates precisely under the ceiling and, in the absence of the necessary measures, freely enters the attic space, creating large heat losses for the home.
This video details the attic floor insulation technology:
Thickness calculation
In an individual house there are no requirements for thermal protection of structures, so the thickness of the insulation can be selected approximately. It depends on the climate of the territory, for most cases, protection with mineral wool 100-150 mm thick will suffice.
To calculate a more accurate value, you can use the help of a specialist or a simple program "Teremok". It can be found on the network in the public domain.
Mineral wool is a modern thermal insulation material, which, if used correctly, will last a long time and reliably protect the building elements. The material is suitable for work with all types of floors from basement to attic.