When building your home, everyone is faced with the problem of its insulation and the choice of the necessary material. Foam plastics of various types are currently popular heat insulators in the field of industrial and private construction. Expanded polystyrene boards in practice have proven their reliability and durability when insulating external walls, floors and ceilings.

Production and scope

Expanded polystyrene is a polymer gas-filled material obtained by foaming polystyrene and other components. It consists of 98% gas and has good thermal insulation properties. For the first time, the foam was obtained by the German company BASF in 1951, and later the method was sold to all countries.

Expanded polystyrene boards are suitable for insulation of walls, ceilings and floors

The essence of manufacturing is that during heating above + 80 ° C, polystyrene turns from a glassy state into a viscous fluid, insulating tape at a temperature of + 30 ° C foams granules. Production consists of several stages, none of which can be skipped, otherwise the composition and quality of the product will be disrupted. To increase, the polystyrene molecules are filled with gas as they dissolve in the molten raw material.

The process of swelling of granules takes place in a closed hopper, the bottom of which is equipped with holes. Water vapor enters through them. Then the swollen granules go into a separate container, from where they are transported to the drying hopper, already at this stage acquiring the necessary parameters.

Drying takes 5 minutes, then aging from 6 hours to a day at a temperature of + 22 ... + 28 ° C, is poured into molds heated to the required temperature and hermetically closed. Baking lasts a certain time, and at the last stage the plates are cooled from 12 to 72 hours.

Learn more about Styrofoam and Styrofoam in this video:

Expanded polystyrene is used in the following areas of life:

1. In the military industry for the manufacture of helmet filler, shock-absorbing pads and knee pads.
2. Packages for long-term storage of frozen fruits are being used in the food industry.
3. In construction, polystyrene is used to insulate walls, ceilings and floors, foundations.
4. In household appliances it is used as an insulator for the refrigerator wall.
5. The interior can be seen in some elements of furniture, in suspended ceilings.

Expanded polystyrene is used as a filler for soft toys for children, although many countries no longer use it as such. In the countries of the European Union, there has been a long-standing dispute about the prohibition of the use of polymers in the production of children's toys.

Properties and technical characteristics of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene (PPS) is one of the most effective heat insulators. Its use in construction works makes it possible to subsequently significantly reduce heating costs. Its energy-saving properties make it possible to use plates for insulating pipelines and protecting them from freezing. The feature to save heat is used in the construction of various refrigeration equipment.

Insulating the house with expanded polystyrene will help reduce heating costs

The main properties of expanded polystyrene:

1. Low specific thermal conductivity - up to 0.043. PPP is an ideal insulation, as it consists of 98% air, which has the lowest thermal conductivity. A good example: a 12 cm thick foam will provide as much heat as a 2 meter brick and 45 cm thick wood.
2. Resistant to some chemical and biological influences. PPS does not react to salt and soda, bitumen, mineral fertilizers, soap, lime, gypsum, but dissolves in turpentine, in nitric and acetic acid, in alcohols, drying oil, some varnishes, and certain oil products. Expanded polystyrene is unsuitable for fungi and bacteria.
3. In ordinary foam, there is zero vapor permeability, the ability to absorb water up to 4%. Dense material obtained by extrusion is more resistant to moisture, is not subject to deformation, therefore it is used to insulate the foundation.
4. High compressive and tensile strength. This property makes it necessary to use foam as a building material, which can hold a large load for a long time.
5. The ability to maintain physical properties for a long time. Research shows that styrofoam structures can last at least 30 years.

There are also disadvantages. First, there is almost no soundproofing. Secondly, polystyrene plates can be used to insulate houses no higher than 25 m.It should also be added that the plates can withstand severe frosts, but at a temperature of + 30 ° C they emit toxic substances: methyl alcohol, acetophenone, formaldehyde, ethylbenzene. At + 80 ° C, the material collapses and begins to release phosgene, hydrocyanic acid, bromine. Expanded polystyrene is afraid of hot sunlight: ultraviolet light decomposes it.

More about which is better - foam or mineral wool:

Types of foams

There are several types of expanded polystyrene boards: pressed, non-pressed and extruded. The former are usually used as packaging material or as insulation for refrigerators, thermoses, and thermal boxes. The latter are well suited for insulating roofs, balconies, walls, foundations. Extruded ones are worth highlighting, since this type of foam differs from the previous ones in a smaller cellular structure, increased strength and, of course, much higher cost.

Due to the strength and quality when insulating foundations, basements and other wet rooms, preference is given to him. But since, like all foam plastics, it is a combustible material, it is not recommended to use it for roofs and facades.

There are different brands of expanded polystyrene, the most popular of which are:

1. Penoplex has an orange color and is available with different types of edges. Slabs equipped with grooves and a ridge are easier to connect during installation. This type is mainly used for underground structures, for the insulation of communications, as well as in the manufacture of sandwich panels.
2. Technoplex is resistant to climatic conditions, it is recommended for industrial and private construction.
3. Primaplex is a blue product that has become very popular in recent years, is relatively cheap and carries all the necessary characteristics: easy to use, waterproof, not afraid of severe frosts.

The variety of foam allows you to choose the option that suits you

Recently, scientists have developed a completely new technology for the production of foam, which can really be called an environmentally friendly product and should soon appear for a wide range of consumers. The inventor was David Shiraldi and his colleagues at Case University. The technology is rather unsophisticated: it is necessary to mix milk protein and clay. It is known that 80% of cow's milk consists of casein, which is used in the production of glue.

But since this substance is not entirely strong, it was decided to add a little clay. A glyceraldehyde molecule was used to combine casein protein molecules. After the reaction, the mixture goes through several stages of processing, and the foam is obtained at the exit.

Tests have shown that this product is not only environmentally friendly, but also as strong as traditional foam.

In the video, you can learn more about Technonikol insulation:

External wall insulation technology

To save money, it is recommended to insulate the outer walls of the building. Once you have decided on the material, you can start working. First you need to prepare the walls, which must be dry - this is a prerequisite. After the last rain, you need to wait at least two weeks. Then they clean the walls so that they do not crumble. The paint is also removed. Next, you need to make the entire surface even. This completes the first stage.

At the second stage, it is necessary to prime the walls, if dirt or roughness remains after holding them with the palm of your hand. Any primer is suitable: "Ceresit", "Tokan", "Ecomis". It can be applied with a brush or spray. The brush will be of better quality. After that, the slabs are prepared for laying. They must have a non-smooth surface, otherwise they simply will not stick. You can scratch them with something or use a spiked roller.

Expanded polystyrene plates are perfect for insulating both a country house and an apartment in the center of a metropolis

Plates are first glued, then nailed for strength. Work starts from the bottom, on the left side. If this is a private house, then the first row should be based on the ebb, and if the apartment is in the city, then on the starting bar, without which the material will fall. Now you need to prepare a couple of spatulas: one for the mixture set, the other for applying to the wall. You may also need a fine-toothed saw.

The glue is diluted according to the instructions on the package, you can make it a little thicker to make it more convenient to work. For speed, you can not apply glue to the entire plate, but put several portions around the perimeter and in the middle. The slab is applied to the wall, pressed down, excess glue is removed. When laying the second row, it is important to ensure that the seams are aligned, and so on, row by row.

Leave the wall to dry for three days, after which you need to attach the tiles using dowel fungi, inside which plastic dowels are inserted. With an insulation thickness of 4 cm, the length of the fungi should be at least 9 cm.

The dowel caps should not stick out from above, they must be “sunk” about 1 mm deep. Each plate will require 5-6 fungi.

More about the extruder:

Polystyrene plates are quite popular in construction when insulating walls, floors or ceilings. The material is characterized by many positive advantages, ease of use and relatively inexpensive price.

Description of building boards

The material in question is made from expanded polystyrene granules, which undergo special processing in several stages. The production of boards consists in the fact that the granules are first foamed and then stabilized. The latter process helps to restore pressure, and the plates take the desired shape. After manufacturing, the material is allowed to rest for a day to complete its production.

Polystyrene plates are used for finishing facades and for interior work of residential or public premises. This material is considered harmless to the health of people and animals, on the contrary, it creates the right microclimate in the room. For interior decoration, it is used to insulate walls, ceilings and floors.

Material features

The slabs under consideration have many advantages, among which the following should be noted:

• The thermal conductivity of the material is much lower than that of wood or brick, therefore it is characterized by high energy-saving ability. Heat-insulating plates allow saving on heating during the operation of the building, in addition, they are used to protect pipelines from freezing.
• The water resistance of the slabs is quite high, the material does not deform, does not dissolve and does not absorb water, therefore it can be used for insulating the foundation of a building, especially when it is necessary to contact polystyrene with the ground.
• The boards are resistant to chemical and biological substances. They do not dissolve and do not deteriorate when interacting with an alkaline environment, various acids, cleaning or bleaching agents, building materials: cement, paints, bitumen and others. Plates made of polystyrene foam are resistant to the development of microorganisms, their structure does not allow the appearance of mold, fungus, algae.
• The strength of the material is quite high with its low density, it does not break or deform at the folds, when compressed.
• Plates are characterized by a long service life, over time they do not lose their shape, thermophysical and mechanical properties. Resistant to temperature extremes, do not rot.
• The fire resistance of the material lies in the fact that polystyrene plates can burn only in the presence of an open flame, outside of it they extinguish on their own. Spontaneous combustion is possible at a temperature of +491 degrees Celsius.

Use of material for wall decoration

Plates retain heat well, therefore they are quite popular when facing wall surfaces. The thickness and size of the material is dictated by how warm the room needs to be.

Before finishing, it is necessary to prepare the walls so that the slabs are securely fixed and do not fall off during operation. All surfaces are recommended to be cleaned of dirt and dust, which can be done with a spatula and a brush (vacuum cleaner). In the presence of large irregularities, pits, they must be plastered. In general, thermal insulation boards do not require perfectly flat walls.

When finishing surfaces, parts of the material should fit snugly together. If necessary, they can be easily cut with a hacksaw; holes in the plates can be made using an electric drill.

Ceiling decoration with polystyrene elements

The material in question is widely used for finishing ceiling surfaces. Here, the slabs perform mainly a decorative function, however, their heat-insulating and sound-insulating properties help to retain the necessary heat and hear less neighbors from above.

Modern polystyrene slabs for ceilings are distinguished by a variety of colors, textures and patterns. You can choose white classics or material with imitation wood. In addition, there are designer tiles in various whimsical shapes.

Before gluing the elements, it is necessary to prepare the surface of the ceiling, while it is not necessary to completely remove the old paint or whitewash, modern adhesives allow the tiles to be glued to the old materials. However, flaky, cracked parts are best sanded. Then the ceiling must be cleaned of dust, degreased and primed.

Polystyrene boards for underfloor heating

Due to the fact that the material in question can withstand sufficiently high temperatures, it began to be used for the underfloor heating system. The tiles have special channels into which the pipes of the heating system will then be laid.

Installation of the floor is quite simple, it is suitable for rooms with low ceilings, in addition, this type of floor frees you from the work associated with pouring the screed. A plastic wrap is laid on the base flat surface, a special damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the room. Then they put plates, an aluminum heat reflector and floor heating pipes.

Close such a system with a dry screed method. For this type of underfloor heating, any floor covering can be used: laminate, parquet, linoleum.

Tile adhesive

Technologies do not stand still and are developing all the time, this also applies to adhesives. A special glue for polystyrene boards has appeared on the construction market, which effectively bonds them to almost any surface.

Polyurethane adhesive is suitable for indoor and outdoor use, it is a foam that quickly and reliably glues various materials. This tool is able to replace liquid nails, glue for ceiling and thermal insulation elements, drywall.

Thus, polystyrene boards are a durable, reliable building material that retains heat well, which is waterproof, durable, and resistant to various substances of chemical and biological origin.

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Expanded polystyrene boards for walls (extrusion)

September 17, 2016

To carry out the construction of a house from expanded polystyrene blocks, quickly level the walls, ceiling base, make a screen for the bath, build a light partition, you can solve many other such issues with the help of extruded polystyrene foam plates. You just need to learn more about them.

Characteristics of extruded polystyrene foam

Extruded polystyrene foam is a high quality insulation, which is produced by mixing polystyrene granules under high pressure and temperature with a specially foaming agent and subsequently extruding from the extruder. Such building boards made of polystyrene granules are reinforced on both sides with fiberglass cloth, coated with a polymer-cement agent. As a result, they have high moisture and heat resistance, which makes it possible to use them inside buildings (in living quarters, bathrooms, even in saunas) and outside.

Structures of various shapes can be produced from extruded polystyrene foam blocks. Such slabs can have a thickness of 1 to 5 cm, and dimensions - 60x120, 60x260 cm. They can be easily cut with a construction knife or a hacksaw.

In addition to the slabs, for the convenience of installation work, corner pieces are made with dimensions - 15x15, 20x20 cm.For the construction of various curved surfaces, slabs with a size of 2x60x120 cm are produced.On one side, they have deep cuts located parallel to each other with a step of 3 cm.

Temperature range for slabs "-50 ° С" - "+ 75 ° С". Expanded polystyrene prevents the formation of mold and mildew.

Application area

Expanded polystyrene plates, main purpose:

• For finishing industrial, public buildings.
• As insulation for walls of residential buildings.
• In agriculture, railway, road activities.
• Insulation of foundations, basements, roofs of houses.
• In the refrigeration industry.
• For the installation of airfields, at other facilities.

The thermal insulation characteristics of expanded polystyrene depend on the technology of its production. The closed cellular structure of the product provides a small change in the case of moisture thermal conductivity, which can be 0.001-0.002 W / (m K). This makes it possible to effectively use extruded polystyrene foam as thermal insulation of basements without additional waterproofing.

The increased thermal properties of expanded polystyrene make it possible to use it as thermal insulation for fences.

It is intended for such tasks:

• Insulation of the foundation.
• Internal wall insulation.
• Insulation of walls of underground structures.
• Thermal insulation of house facades with subsequent application of various facing materials to thermal insulation plates.
• For monolithic construction of houses.
• For the production of sandwich panels.

Before pouring the concrete slab from the outside, one row of heat-insulating coating is placed along the concrete slab. Rough slabs provide good adhesion between concrete and plaster. Such boards are also applicable in vertical structures, where they will provide the required adhesion to materials, adhesives.

Thanks to the tests carried out, it was revealed that expanded polystyrene chips have a number of advantages, distinctive characteristics:

1. In the process of compression, the tensile strength depends on the density and thickness of the material. The newest types of expanded polystyrene have already been developed, for which it was possible to significantly reduce the combustibility due to the introduction of more effective fire retardants into it. This made it possible to achieve the parameters of low-combustible materials.
2. After a thousand cycles of freezing and defrosting, a product made of expanded polystyrene retains its thermal insulation qualities. In this case, the change in technical resistance is no more than five percent.
3. Other brands of the product can be made on request, for example, a special brand of the product with an embossed surface that increases adhesion. This makes it possible to effectively use plaster and adhesive materials.
4. Typical brands differ among themselves in heat engineering parameters, compressive strength, density.
5. To facilitate installation, to prevent the formation of cold bridges, slabs are produced with various edge shapes, for example, rectangular, with a selected quarter, and others.

The Technoplex slab is distinguished by significant chemical resistance in comparison with most other building materials.

Certain types of organic matter, including those that contain:

• coal tar, derived from it, for example, creosol,
• solvents, substances that provide wood protection,
• paint thinners, often used solvents (acetone, white spirit, and others).

can lead to softening, subsidence, and sometimes dissolution of the plates.

Important! “The use of adhesives is recommended. They do not include the components listed above. Such plates can be stored outdoors in special packaging. But in this case, they must be protected from sunlight in order to prevent the destruction of the slab coating. "

Plates made of expanded polystyrene lend themselves well to processing and installation. They can be easily cut, adjusted to the required parameters using a simple knife. The selection of adhesive solutions should be carried out taking into account the manufacturer's recommendations.

Some tips for performing wall insulation with extruded polystyrene foam boards

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Expanded polystyrene blocks, expanded polystyrene concrete blocks

September 17, 2016

Before you understand the use and advantages of polystyrene foam blocks, you first need to understand what they are.

Features of expanded polystyrene concrete sheets

As the name suggests, they are made of polystyrene concrete - a composite material that consists of the following components:

• Expanded polystyrene.
• Cement.
• Water.
• Various additives.

Despite their lightness, expanded polystyrene concrete blocks are strong enough. During loading and construction work, this is an important factor.

Due to its composition, expanded polystyrene has poor thermal conductivity and good noise insulation.

The cellular structure of the material explains its excellent sound insulation and noise absorption characteristics. To ensure good sound insulation, a slab with a thickness of 3 cm will suffice. If you increase the layer thickness, these properties will become more impressive.

Due to the structure, the blocks are quite well processed and can be adjusted to certain sizes with the tools at hand.

Expanded polystyrene blocks are obtained by sawing a massive slab or by pouring it into a mold. During cutting, plates can be obtained with a minimum error of 2 mm, which is not difficult to mount them using an adhesive mixture and with a seam thickness of 2-3 mm, taking into account the elimination of cold bridges, in this case, you can do without plastering the walls.

Additional properties that benefit this material are low flammability as well as water resistance and durability.

With the combination of all these qualities, it is safe to say that expanded polystyrene concrete blocks are one of the best materials on the construction market.

The use of polystyrene foam blocks

Having learned about the composition and main characteristics of the blocks, you can proceed to their direct application in business.

The scope of the blocks is quite extensive:

• Construction of various types of houses.
• Thermal insulation.
• Soundproofing.
• Installation of load-bearing walls.
• Creation of architectural masterpieces.

Due to their technical characteristics, polystyrene concrete blocks are used for insulation works of various nature:

• Insulation of attics and roofs.
• Thermal insulation of wells.
• Insulation of walls and lintels.

The variation of applications does not end there, blocks are used in almost all construction work.

Polystyrene concrete wall blocks have excellent geometry and quality of the front surface. It is recommended to lay the blocks on glue, in this case the thickness of the seams will be 2-3 mm.

A wall made of polystyrene concrete blocks will be warmer than a wall made of mortar bricks.

Advantages of blocks from expanded polystyrene concrete

Compared to foam concrete and gas silicate, the strength of expanded polystyrene concrete is 20% higher. The moisture content in expanded polystyrene concrete is 5 times less. This prevents the material from becoming moldy.

D400 blocks can be used to construct buildings up to two storeys using wooden beams. The use of the D500 grade allows you to lay hollow reinforced concrete slabs directly on the block and erect houses up to 4 floors inclusive.

If you wanted to build a five-storey house, then you need to use D600 blocks. For comparison, only one-story houses can be built from D600 foam concrete.

This material can be used to build not only the walls of the upper, but also the first floors. Due to the high density of the block, builders do not need to erect a reinforced concrete girder frame between floors. This significantly reduces the time and cost of any construction.

Another advantage is the ability to withstand the effects of solvents, weak acids and alkalis, and various oils.

The price of blocks is 1.5 times less than that of analogs. Compared to other blocks, it is able to withstand flexural and tensile stress.

Expanded polystyrene concrete has managed to combine the advantages of various materials, such as wood, concrete, expanded polystyrene.

Polystyrene concrete products are as strong as concrete. They are as easy to handle as wood. They have high heat and sound protection properties, like expanded polystyrene.

As a material, it offers extensive possibilities for most construction work. At the moment, blocks of expanded polystyrene concrete are one of the most technologically advanced building materials.

A stunning combination in one material, makes products from expanded polystyrene concrete a worthy competitor to wood, concrete and ordinary expanded polystyrene.

The peculiarity of polystyrene concrete is that its density can vary as a result of different proportions of its components. You can determine the required material by brand.

For example, the D300 has a low volumetric mass, therefore it is used just for thermal insulation, and the more durable D400 is used as a self-supporting material in the construction of buildings in low-rise construction.

An unscrupulous manufacturer can deliberately reduce the percentage of expanded polystyrene in concrete, but do not take this into account when specifying the brand.

The slabs will be too heavy; it also leads to a decrease in thermal conductivity. Another problem can be the rather low quality of the porous aggregate.

This can lead to adhesion, the granules as a result of operation can move, thereby reducing the strength of polystyrene concrete slabs. Therefore, the material should be purchased only from a trusted manufacturer.

Disadvantages and solutions

Lest you think that polystyrene concrete products are a super material that has absolute invulnerability, let us analyze its shortcomings.

The low density of polystyrene concrete blocks played a cruel joke with them. Windows and doors built into it will loosen over time.

When installing fasteners, such as: dowels, screws, anchors and others, they allow the possibility of poor installation. It is quite possible to pull the fasteners even by hand.

To avoid such incidents, you should adhere to some rules. During installation of such elements in slabs, their working part should be kept in a void filled with concrete mixture. Longer anchors are also recommended.

When using blocks indoors, it is necessary to plaster them with a layer of at least 20 millimeters, from the outside more than 15 mm, which increases the cost of installation. Polystyrene concrete walls have poor adhesion to plaster. The blocks will need preparatory work before finishing.

Conclusion

Manufacturing technology and technical composition of expanded polystyrene concrete are periodically updated taking into account the accumulation of experience. In this regard, this material occupies one of the leading places in modern construction markets. Due to possible changes in manufacturing technologies, always learn the news about expanded polystyrene concrete blocks. Keeping up to date is always important, especially if you are passionate about construction.

Polystyrene concrete blocks, due to their unique properties, have become a popular material in low-rise construction. The houses are durable, warm and at the same time with excellent air permeability.

The walls and floor will not be afraid of chemical influences, and the self-sufficiency of the material will allow not to use additional means of insulation. Insects do not start in polystyrene concrete, which means that the house will stand for a long time, delighting its owners with comfort and safety.

A new high-quality material in the world of the construction industry - polystyrene concrete - is rightfully one of the first among other heat-insulating and structural-heat-insulating materials. In a relatively short period of time, polystyrene concrete has become widely known in the construction industry as a promising building material for the future.

The Russian construction industry is in many ways lagging behind the capabilities of advanced countries that use the achievements of modern production.

But the most interesting proposals cannot go unnoticed and soon begin to be used by our compatriots. One of such achievements is polystyrene concrete blocks.

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Disadvantages of polystyrene concrete and polystyrene concrete blocks

The disadvantages of polystyrene concrete and polystyrene concrete blocks must be carefully studied, as well as the characteristics of polystyrene concrete and polystyrene concrete blocks, before choosing this material, since polystyrene concrete has its own characteristics, without taking into account which, you can later be disappointed in your choice. The quality of purchased polystyrene concrete products must be carefully examined both in appearance and on chips and according to the attached documentation.

The main properties of polystyrene concrete - thermal insulation are determined by polystyrene balls, structural - cement-sand component.

So, all the disadvantages of polystyrene concrete known to me are listed below:

- The strength of installation in polystyrene concrete products of fastening materials (self-tapping dowels, anchors, etc.) is very low and leaves much to be desired. Self-tapping dowels screwed into the outer layer of the polystyrene concrete block can be pulled out with your fingers. Therefore, the installation of fastening materials should be carried out according to the following rule: when installing dowels and anchors into a block, their working part must be located in the void of a polystyrene concrete block filled with concrete (mortar) of a grade of at least M 150, using longer anchors and special dowels for polystyrene concrete ...

- The low density of polystyrene concrete makes certain adjustments to the installation of windows and doors. Windows and doors that are not properly mounted in a wall made of polystyrene concrete blocks can eventually lose their static installation and begin to loosen during intensive use.

- The low content of polystyrene balls in blocks leads to the fact that their properties are determined not by polystyrene, but by the concrete component with all the ensuing consequences. If the granules have poor adhesion to concrete, then they will not adhere to it, they will fall out on the chip, and the strength of such blocks will be significantly lower. The manufacturer must have a quality certificate for polystyrene balls.

- Polystyrene concrete requires plastering inside the room with a rather thick layer of plaster - at least 20 mm, outside - at least 15 mm, which leads to a rise in the cost of construction. You should also pay special attention to the fact that the wall made of polystyrene concrete has low adhesion to the plaster mixture, that is, the plaster mixture does not adhere well to the surface of the polystyrene concrete mixture. This factor requires additional preparation of the walls before plastering.

- Shrinkage of polystyrene concrete is three times greater than that of aerated concrete and foam concrete - 1 mm / meter.

- Not resistant to organic solvents: gasoline, acetone.

- Blocks made of polystyrene concrete belong to the flammability group G1, that is, they are certainly not flammable, but also not fire-resistant. Under the influence of high temperature, near the fire source, the polystyrene balls gradually collapse, losing their heat-shielding properties, and although the remaining concrete frame does not allow the blocks to collapse completely, their strength and resistance to heat transfer decreases. Fires among household people are rare, therefore, having adopted all kinds of fire protection methods, including facing a polystyrene concrete surface with non-combustible materials and applying a layer of plaster on them, this drawback can be ignored.

- The developers are convinced that the number of defrost and freeze cycles is approximately 100. In fact, after two dozen such cycles, especially when polystyrene concrete is moistened and then frozen and thawed, the strength of the blocks significantly decreases and they begin to break. It becomes necessary either to insulate the outside, or to plaster the surfaces outside with a thick layer of plaster with further painting.

- Low vapor permeability does not allow this material to compete with the same aerated concrete or foam concrete, which significantly affects the microclimate and humidity of a room built of polystyrene concrete. In other words, the walls do not breathe. The vapor permeability of the walls does not replace ventilation, but it smoothes out fluctuations in humidity. It is necessary to provide for the possibility of designing ventilation to remove excess air humidity to regulate the microclimate. When erecting multi-layer walls, condensation of water vapor between layers is possible under operating conditions with changing weather conditions.

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Expanded polystyrene plates: characteristics and options for use

Many people are familiar with the process of warming the walls of a built house. For this, different materials are used. The most commonly used polystyrene foam boards and mineral wool. These materials are inexpensive, easy to assemble, lightweight, and work very well. Even a beginner can handle the work of insulation.

Pros and cons of polystyrene foam boards

Expanded polystyrene is a relatively new insulation. It is very popular, has its advantages over other materials and its disadvantages. The advantages of expanded polystyrene tiles include:

• very light weight;
• high strength;
• low cost;
• ease of use;
• the possibility of processing with hand tools;
• the total weight of the wall increases after insulation by only 10-15 kg;
• the thermal insulation properties of the material are fully preserved when moisture enters it.

But polystyrene foam boards have their own disadvantages:

• they have almost no sound insulation properties;
• they have a low vapor permeability coefficient;
• when the ambient temperature reaches + 80˚С and above, the material may begin to deteriorate;
• expanded polystyrene plates are not resistant to organic solvents;
• they can only be used for private residential buildings up to 25 m high;
• Styrofoam can catch fire.

Knowing these properties, we can conclude about the suitability of expanded polystyrene plates for the installation of house insulation.

More about some of the characteristics

If we talk about the thermal conductivity of the material, then the foam (this is the name of the expanded polystyrene tiles) is a lot of air bubbles. Each of them is enclosed in a thin shell consisting of polystyrene. The percentage is 2% polystyrene and 98% air. This state of matter can be compared to solid foam, which is an excellent heat insulator. The denser the polystyrene tile, the higher its thermal insulation properties.

Normal foam has zero vapor permeability. He is able to absorb water up to 4%. Dense material is made by extrusion. Under the influence of moisture, it remains almost dry, since it absorbs very little of it - 0.4%.

The strength of extruded polystyrene foam is much higher than that of conventional foam. The production of ordinary polystyrene tiles is decreasing. The extrusion method gives a higher quality material with excellent moisture resistant properties and strength.

Expanded polystyrene tiles do not react at all to:

• soda;
• soap;
• mineral fertilizers;
• bitumen;
• cement;
• gypsum;
• lime;
• asphalt emulsions;
• groundwater.

But it dissolves in such substances:

• turpentine;
• acetone;
• drying oil;
• some varnishes;
• some petroleum products;
• alcohols.

Polyfoam does not like sunlight very much. When exposed to ultraviolet light, it simply decomposes.

Expanded polystyrene tiles do not protect against external noise. But fungus and mold cannot live on it. The material is environmentally friendly and harmless to the human body. It withstands frost well without losing its qualities. But at an air temperature above + 30˚C, it begins to emit harmful substances: ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, toluene, acetophenone, methyl alcohol. At temperatures above 80 ° C, these emissions can be compared with a gas attack. Hydrocyanic acid, phosgene and hydrogen bromide will also be added to them.

With proper use of expanded polystyrene, it must be fixed with glue and must be covered with plaster or decorative coating. In such conditions, its service life is about 30 years. To achieve this, the insulation must be carried out without errors.

Typical mistakes when using insulation

Craftsmen often make mistakes that lead to reduced foam life. A common mistake is the use of slabs of the wrong size. A thick slab will surely crack over time and go in waves. Which one can and should be used in each specific case?

To insulate the facade of the building (photo No. 1), it is better to take polystyrene of the PSB-S brand. It is a self-extinguishing material. The thickness of the slabs should be 5-10 cm. Density - no more than 17 kg / m³. Before buying, you should try to break off a piece with your hand. Are there any balls on the break? This is a packing material. It is not suitable for insulation. If you can see regular polyhedra, that's good stuff. The best manufacturers are:

• Polimeri Europa;
• BASF;
• Styrochem;
• Nova Chemicals;
• Penoplex;
• TechnoNIKOL.

On the walls, you need to fix the material in this way: apply glue to the corners and in the middle of the plate and press it to the surface. Additionally, you can strengthen them with umbrella dowels. Cover a layer of insulation with a decorative coating on top.

This material is also used for roof insulation (photo No. 2). The slabs are covered from below with a vapor barrier film, from above - with wind and moisture protection. To work on the roof you need:

• drill with drills;
• screwdriver;
• hacksaw;
• hammer;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• flooring material;
• hydro and vapor barrier film;
• mounting foam;
• slats with a thickness of 4 cm.

All gaps between the insulation plates and the rafters are filled with polyurethane foam. Roofing material is laid on top.

Conclusion on the topic

Polystyrene boards have long been used as insulation for houses. They are produced in different sizes: 100x50 cm, 100x100 cm, 200x100 cm. The thickness of the plates ranges from 1 to 10 cm. The most popular brands are PSB S-15, PSB S-25 and PSB S-35. Wall tiles are fixed with adhesive. Apply the glue with a spatula to the corners and in the middle of the slab. Then the material is pressed against the wall. For strength, you can additionally plant it on special dowels in the form of umbrellas. The glue is usually purchased as a powder mixture. She is diluted with ordinary drinking water. Instructions for using the glue are attached.

Expanded polystyrene resists well some aggressive environments. These are saline solutions, detergents, chlorine water, some acids, ammonia, lime, adhesive paints. Harmful microorganisms such as mold and algae do not live on it. It is not eaten by birds and animals. The density of the material can be so high that it is used in the construction of landing strips at airfields, in the reconstruction of highways.

The material is used in slabs and when insulating floors in an apartment or in a house. In this case, they do not need to arrange additional waterproofing. The boards are placed on the subfloor with or without glue. They coexist well with pipes and electric floor heating elements.

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Polystyrene concrete blocks are a modern generation of building materials. They are used in the construction of heat-efficient houses that meet the SNiP standard.

Description of polystyrene concrete blocks and their characteristics

The material itself is similar in structure to lightweight concrete and combines a porous aggregate, modified additives and cement. In terms of its composition, it is a unique product on the building materials market.

Polystyrene concrete blocks, according to the requirements of GOST R 51263-99, have the following application:

• Thermal insulation boards. Material with density D150 - D250 and compressive strength: M2-M3.5;

• Solid blocks (depending on the type of walls). Density D250 - D 600 and strength B0.5 - B2.5;

• Hollow parts. Density D250 - D350 and compressive strength M5, B0.5 - B1.0;

• Monolithic construction with thermal insulation. Density from D150 to D250 and strength M2 - M5.

Scope according to GOST R 51263:

• Thermal insulation (slabs and monolith). Scope: thermal insulation of coatings and attics, plinths, foundations. Density grade D150 - D225;

• Structural and thermal insulation (lintels, monolith, blocks). Scope: any type of external walls in the construction of low-rise buildings. Density D400 - D600.

• Heat-insulating and structural (blocks, monolith, additional parts). Scope: load-bearing walls of multi-storey and low-rise buildings. Density D250 - D350.

For the manufacture of expanded polystyrene concrete blocks, it is better to use the pressing method, and even better vibration pressing, of the material. This significantly increases its stability, which means its service life.

Blocks composition

The composition of the solution for polystyrene concrete blocks includes the following components:

• Slag Portland cement or Portland cement;

• Air-entraining additives and promoting rapid hardening;

• Expanded polystyrene;

• Quartz sand.

Polystyrene, produced in the form of granules, reduces the thermal conductivity of the final product. Manufacturing plants producing these blocks must comply with the following quality standards: GOST R 51263-99, GOST 21520-89, GOST 25820-2000 and GOST 25192-82.

This is how a cut of a finished polystyrene concrete block looks like in the photo.

Block types

Polystyrene concrete blocks have a number of indisputable advantages, on which their wide popularity is based. In addition, they come in different types that can be used both for wall decoration and for the construction of partitions.

Cladding blocks

The material is widely used in the construction and decoration of buildings and structures. Thanks to him, there is no need to carry out additional work on the facade.

Such blocks are distinguished not only by their high strength, but also by their attractive appearance. The glossy surface can imitate a variety of facade materials and have a rich color range.

Cladding blocks are popular for several reasons:

• Fastening of the cladding is done without adhesive.

• The facing layer penetrates deeply into the porous structure of the material.

• The cladding can imitate from the structure of ordinary stone to marble.

• Lined blocks are able to withstand all weather conditions.

Wall blocks

The popularity of high energy efficiency houses has led to the interest of developers in polystyrene concrete blocks. Walls made of them do not need additional insulation measures and are up to two times cheaper than those of brick or aerated concrete.

Heat-saving properties comply with all SNiP norms for residential, industrial and multi-storey construction. In addition, the blocks have high strength, ease of processing and high rates of heat and sound protection.

Wall blocks have sufficient fire resistance, and with additional brick cladding, they can belong to the first category of fire resistance. In addition, they are resistant to negative factors: weather conditions, acids, alkalis, mold, fungus, rodents.

The absence of steel reinforcement does not distort radio waves and the geomagnetic field of the house.

A few more words about why consumers choose polystyrene concrete blocks:

Classification and characteristics of blocks

In the manufacture of polystyrene concrete, the manufacturing plant must produce products that meet the parameters of the standard, GOST, which relates to the characteristics of aerated concrete blocks.

The dimensions of the final product may vary:

• Length 28.8 - 59.8 cm;

• Height 8.8 - 29.8 cm;

• Thickness 19.5 - 30 cm.

The most popular blocks remain:

• Wall 58.8 * 30 * 18.8 cm;

• Partition walls 58.8 * 60 * 9.2 cm;

• Wall 58.8 * 38 * 30 cm;

• Jumpers 38 * 30 * 130 cm.

The weight of partition blocks can be in the range of 5-15 kg, and of wall blocks - 5-30 kg.

Advantages:

• Service life is over a hundred years.

• High thermal insulation properties.

• Good soundproofing.

• The light weight allows the use of inexpensive foundations.

• Ease of processing (blocks can be given any size and shape).

• Resistance to various kinds of negative influences.

• High resistance to moisture and cracks.

Disadvantages:

• With prolonged exposure to fire (over 300 ° C), styrene begins to stand out from the blocks.

• The final product must fully meet sanitary requirements, since it contains chemical components.

To carry out the construction of a house from expanded polystyrene blocks, quickly level the walls, ceiling base, make a screen for the bath, build a light partition, you can solve many other such issues with the help of extruded polystyrene foam plates. You just need to learn more about them.

In this article

Characteristics of extruded polystyrene foam

Extruded polystyrene foam is a high quality insulation, which is produced by mixing polystyrene granules under high pressure and temperature with a specially foaming agent and subsequently extruding from the extruder. Such building boards made of polystyrene granules are reinforced on both sides with fiberglass cloth, coated with a polymer-cement agent. As a result, they have high moisture and heat resistance, which makes it possible to use them inside buildings (in living quarters, bathrooms, even in saunas) and outside.

Structures of various shapes can be produced from extruded polystyrene foam blocks. Such slabs can have a thickness of 1 to 5 cm, and dimensions - 60x120, 60x260 cm. They can be easily cut with a construction knife or a hacksaw.

In addition to the slabs, for the convenience of installation work, corner pieces are made with dimensions - 15x15, 20x20 cm.For the construction of various curved surfaces, slabs with a size of 2x60x120 cm are produced.On one side, they have deep cuts located parallel to each other with a step of 3 cm.

Temperature range for slabs "-50 ° С" - "+ 75 ° С"... Expanded polystyrene prevents the formation of mold and mildew.

Application area

Expanded polystyrene plates, main purpose:

• For finishing industrial, public buildings.
• As insulation for walls of residential buildings.
• In agriculture, railway, road activities.
• Insulation of foundations, basements, roofs of houses.
• In the refrigeration industry.
• For the installation of airfields, at other facilities.

The thermal insulation characteristics of expanded polystyrene depend on the technology of its production. The closed cellular structure of the product provides a small change in the case of moisture thermal conductivity, which can be 0.001-0.002 W / (m K). This makes it possible to effectively use extruded polystyrene foam as thermal insulation of basements without additional waterproofing.

Increased thermal properties of expanded polystyrene provide the possibility of its use as thermal insulation of fences.

It is intended for such tasks:

• Insulation of the foundation.
• Internal wall insulation.
• Insulation of walls of underground structures.
• Thermal insulation of house facades with subsequent application of various facing materials to thermal insulation plates.
• For monolithic construction of houses.
• For the production of sandwich panels.

Before pouring the concrete slab from the outside, one row of heat-insulating coating is placed along the concrete slab. Rough slabs provide good adhesion between concrete and plaster. Such boards are also applicable in vertical structures, where they will provide the required adhesion to materials, adhesives.

Thanks to the tests carried out, it was revealed that expanded polystyrene chips have a number of advantages, distinctive characteristics:

1. In the process of compression, the tensile strength depends on the density and thickness of the material. The newest types of expanded polystyrene have already been developed, for which it was possible to significantly reduce the combustibility due to the introduction of more effective fire retardants into it. This made it possible to achieve the parameters of low-combustible materials.
2. After a thousand cycles of freezing and defrosting, a product made of expanded polystyrene retains its thermal insulation qualities. In this case, the change in technical resistance is no more than five percent.
3. Other brands of the product can be made on request, for example, a special brand of the product with an embossed surface that increases adhesion. This makes it possible to effectively use plaster and adhesive materials.
4. Typical brands differ among themselves in heat engineering parameters, compressive strength, density.
5. To facilitate installation, to prevent the formation of cold bridges, slabs are produced with various edge shapes, for example, rectangular, with a selected quarter, and others.

The Technoplex slab is distinguished by significant chemical resistance in comparison with most other building materials.

Certain types of organic matter, including those that contain:

• coal tar, derived from it, for example, creosol,
• solvents, substances that provide wood protection,
• paint thinners, often used solvents (acetone, white spirit, and others).

can lead to softening, subsidence, and sometimes dissolution of the plates.

Important!“The use of adhesives is recommended. They do not include the components listed above. Such plates can be stored outdoors in special packaging. But in this case, they must be protected from sunlight in order to prevent the destruction of the slab coating. "

Plates made of expanded polystyrene lend themselves well to processing and installation. They can be easily cut, adjusted to the required parameters using a simple knife. The selection of adhesive solutions should be carried out taking into account the manufacturer's recommendations.

Some tips for performing wall insulation with extruded polystyrene foam boards

Insulation of the enclosing surfaces of a house is a guarantee that the costs of heating and air conditioning are minimal. Dozens, if not hundreds of technical solutions have been developed for roofing, wall and foundation thermal insulation, but not all of them can be called budgetary. Therefore, expanded polystyrene plates, inexpensive and at the same time characterized by low thermal conductivity, occupy a leading position among all heaters. What are the nuances of foam insulation?

Polyfoam as insulation - pros and cons

It is still argued about whether it is possible to insulate a house with a material containing styrene (a poisonous substance belonging to the second hazard class). Foam plastic is supported by its excellent performance, which has led to many years of use all over the world, and against it is evidenced by the fact that even in the Soviet Union, after several fires in which people died, the use of foam in construction was prohibited.

The advantages of insulating the roof and the whole house with expanded polystyrene

Polyfoam (this is the name of the product of the Finnish company, which was the first to start supplying expanded polystyrene board to the Soviet market) is a mass made of polymeric cells filled with gas, foamed and formed into thick sheets. Due to its peculiar structure, the material consists of 99% air, due to which it effectively retains heat and does not allow cold to pass through.

So, a 12 cm thick foam plate in terms of the level of thermal insulation is equal to a wooden wall 45 cm thick or a brick wall 2.1 m thick.However, when choosing a material, it should be borne in mind that the heat transfer coefficient depends on its density, and the denser and stronger the foam, the more it is able to remove heat energy.

Lightweight expanded polystyrene slabs are not problematic to transport and lay, in addition, the installation does not exert a significant load on the roof, walls and foundation of the building. It can absorb moisture only through direct contact with water, so the material does not need vapor protection, which means that the already economical insulation is even cheaper. It is also noteworthy that the foam is capable of not losing its properties for 80 years or more.

Flaws in thermal insulation with foam plates

Savings in which the initial investment decreases, but operating costs increase or other additional risks appear, for example, for the health of residents or the safety of property, are always questionable. Therefore, the use of foam in a warming cake should be considered from a different point of view - its disadvantages.

The first and probably the most significant disadvantage of traditional foam is flammability. The fact is that natural gas is used in production to fill styrene granules, and polystyrene foam can easily ignite from an ordinary match. The house, which is insulated with such material, burns down in a matter of minutes, and people in it die from phosgene, dioxides, hydrogen cyanide and other deadly substances released when the foam burns.

The low vapor permeability of the material can be attributed to both its advantages and disadvantages:

1. On the one hand, it does not need to be protected from water vapor, which is actively released by a person in the process of life and is a negative factor for the same mineral wool.
2. On the other hand, the room, insulated with expanded polystyrene plates from the inside, without forced ventilation turns into a steam room, in which it is absolutely impossible to live and work.

Contrary to popular belief that expanded polystyrene boards are a good noise barrier, this is not true. Moreover, they transmit sounds well from the outside, and when vibrated, they themselves are capable of producing them (creaking, rustling, friction between the plates). Therefore, you should not use them for the purpose of soundproofing from neighbors or street noise - it will not only not increase, but also may decrease.

Owners of private houses who are thinking about insulating the roof and other enclosing structures with expanded polystyrene should also be warned: despite the fact that it is not a breeding ground for living organisms, rodents, insects and birds often like to settle in it. In some cases, colonies of microorganisms form on the surface, which do not affect function and longevity.

Myths and truths about chemical hazards

Many potential buyers doubt the environmental safety of expanded polystyrene boards. For example, on forums and sites, rumors are actively circulating, citing sources from the 80s that expanded polystyrene is capable of releasing gaseous styrene, which, penetrating through the nasopharynx into the lungs, supposedly accumulates in human vital organs and causes cancer.

The toxicity of the material has not been proven by modern research. I must say that in the course of most of the experiments, they studied not household, but industrial premises where various plastics and rubber were made, which means that the concentration of secretions and the degree of their effect on the body were much higher than usual. As a result, the environmental friendliness of expanded polystyrene boards is confirmed by such international building associations and ratings:

• ECOPSE - the French association of foam producers, which developed the "Uni'vert PSE" standard, the label of which is placed on products that have passed a strict eco-audit;
• BRE is a British multidisciplinary research center that studies the so-called built environment and has assigned a high environmental class (A +) to the foam;
• IRC is an international building code that classifies expanded polystyrene as an energy efficient and environmentally friendly insulation.

Confirmation of the safety of the material is also a study for the presence of styrene vapors in a building built with the use of foam, carried out by the Moscow Research Institute of Hygiene. FF Erisman: according to the test results, they were not found in air samples (conclusion No. 03 / PM8). Thus, it can be concluded that modern high-quality polystyrene foam boards do not have any significant effect on human health.

How to choose polystyrene foam insulation

There are several types of polystyrene foam boards:

• press (domestic brands are designated by the letters PS) - mainly used as packaging material or insulation for refrigerators, thermoses, thermobox bodies, etc.;
• pressless (EPS, PSB, PSB-S) - due to their low cost, they are used for insulating foundations, roofs, walls, balconies and other structures more often than other materials;
• extruded (XPS, EPS) - made of the same polystyrene, but using a different technology that allows you to get a fundamentally different insulation.

Pressless foam grades have different densities - from 15 to 50 kg / m3. The strength of the plate, its price, physical characteristics and scope of application depend on this indicator. The density is indicated in the marking - PSB-S 15 or PSB-S 50. The letter C in the designation indicates that the material contains flame retardant additives that prevent its ignition. It is this brand of expanded polystyrene that is recommended to be used for roof insulation.

Video: how ordinary and self-extinguishing polystyrene foam burns

Extruded foam differs from pressless foam with a fine-cellular structure and, as a result, much greater strength, but its cost also increases significantly. Due to its strength and practically zero water absorption, it is preferred to use it when arranging foundations, basements and other damp rooms, but it is undesirable to use this type of polystyrene foam as insulation for ventilated facades and roofs, since it, like ordinary foam, belongs to combustible materials.

As for the quality of production of thermal insulation boards, it is regulated by GOST 15588-86 "Polystyrene foam" and must be confirmed by appropriate certificates. It is worth purchasing products from well-known manufacturers who provide all the necessary information about their products. It also makes sense to conduct a home test of a piece of foam for flammability before installation.

Warming of various surfaces with expanded polystyrene

The opinion that expanded polystyrene is not suitable for insulation, for example, a roof or walls, is unreasonable: in order to level the shortcomings and evaluate all the benefits of using polystyrene plates, thermal insulation from them must be correctly mounted. According to GOST, the area of ​​their application is limited to the middle layer of building fenced structures so that the material cannot come into contact with air and, moreover, with an open fire.

Roofing insulation

The attic space after insulation turns into an excellent living room. The use of foam allows this to be done at relatively low cost. Denser grades (35 and 50) are used for arranging flat, including inverted roofs. In this case, a film or liquid waterproofing must be laid on a polystyrene foam layer with a thickness of about 70 mm.

Pitched roofs can also be insulated with expanded polystyrene plates, the joints of which are sealed with polyurethane foam. However, it is much more rational to use them to insulate the attic floor, since this will not form cold bridges. The insulation is fixed with dowels (preferably), cement mortar or glue, if the irregularities on the surface do not exceed 1 cm.

Secrets and features of wall insulation

Walls can be sewn up with foam plastic both outside and inside, but, following fire safety recommendations, a non-combustible heat insulator, for example, mineral wool, should be installed around the perimeter of all openings (window, door, ventilation) at a distance of 50–80 cm. When installing foam boards as an internal heat insulator, special attention should be paid to the ventilation system of the internal space.

The thickness of the slabs must be calculated based on the thickness and material of the walls, as well as the standard resistance to heat transfer for a specific climatic zone. At the same time, the density of the material should be different: for outdoor work, it is better to use denser plates (grades 25 or 35), and for indoor works, the PSB-S 15 grade is quite suitable.

External protection of the foundation

It is optimal if the base of the building is insulated during construction. Those who have a house already built, and the thermal protection of the foundation in it has not been thought out, will have to dig it deep into at least the width of the sheet (1 m). The prepared surface must be treated with bituminous mastic and, after it has dried, glued polystyrene foam sheets.

If the foundation of the house is level with the ground, the foam must be completely closed (when backfilling, it is better to use expanded clay), and it does not need finishing. In all other cases, insulation boards must be finished with plaster, brick, siding, ceramic tiles or aluminum profiles. These materials are non-flammable and, in addition to their decorative function, create a protective barrier.

Thus, expanded polystyrene plates are quite an economical material, the insulation of which increases the energy efficiency of the building by 3-5 times. Along with this, there is no reason to fear that the foam is not environmentally friendly and poses a threat to human health. A sufficient condition for ensuring your own safety is to give preference to well-known brands when choosing products, and to adhere to construction requirements during installation.

Expanded polystyrene plates: the whole truth about affordable thermal insulation for roofs and houses

Is it worth using polystyrene foam plates for thermal insulation of roofs, walls and foundations? Independent analysis of chemical properties and fire hazard. Technologies

Features and technical characteristics of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene is a universal insulation, which has always been the leader of the domestic market for thermal insulation materials. The popularity of this insulation is due to the optimal ratio of cost and functional characteristics - in this parameter, expanded polystyrene surpasses all existing materials for insulation.

Polystyrene insulation boards

This article will discuss in detail the technical characteristics and features of expanded polystyrene insulation, you will also learn how this material is made, and how it differs from extruded polystyrene foam. We also recommend installing insulated siding.

1 Scope of polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene is widely used as the main thermal insulation material in private and industrial construction.

The main factor that determines the demand for expanded polystyrene insulation is their minimum cost, which is an order of magnitude less than the same mineral wool and other thermal insulation materials on the market.

Do not think that since expanded polystyrene is cheap, it guarantees effective insulation - on the contrary, the thermal conductivity of all heaters used today is approximately the same - it varies from 0.03 to 0.04 W / mk.

In practice, the difference in thermal conductivity at the level of 0.03-0.05 W / mk is simply imperceptible, the difference between expanded polystyrene and more expensive insulation lies not in efficiency, but in some features of this material, which we will discuss in detail in the corresponding section of the article. This is important when insulating the foundation with expanded polystyrene.

In general, after analyzing the properties of this insulation, it can be concluded that thermal insulation with expanded polystyrene has the following advantages:

• Efficiency - the cost of a cubic meter of expanded polystyrene is about 2-2.5 thousand rubles, while mineral wool - 5-6 thousand rubles. At the same time, the consumption of mineral wool for insulating the same object will be about 50% more than polystyrene;
• Ease of installation and insulation of the facade with foam - expanded polystyrene plates are installed on the surface to be insulated using an adhesive composition, which greatly simplifies their installation. For example, for the installation of the same mineral wool, you will need to equip the supporting frame, which entails additional costs of both time and finance.

Insulation of the facade with expanded polystyrene

Heaters based on expanded polystyrene are used for thermal insulation of the following objects:

• Facade walls of houses and apartments made of any materials - bricks, concrete, expanded clay blocks, foam blocks, aerated blocks (including for insulation using wet plaster technology);
• Lagoon floors, high density polystyrene foam can be used for thermal insulation of floors under a concrete screed;
• Roofs - straight and pitched;
• Ceiling and insulation of apartment facades;
• Balcony, loggia, or attic;
• Foundation and basement.

Expanded polystyrene has not only thermal insulation properties, but also the ability to noise reduction, which is why it is often used as a sound insulation material for the insulation of private houses, apartments, or sound insulation of industrial premises.

2 Production technology of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene insulation is made using the technology of foaming and subsequent bonding of polystyrene granules.

Briefly, the production technology of this material can be described as follows:

1. Raw materials of polystyrene are loaded into a pre-frother - a unit in which polystyrene is heated with hot steam to a temperature (about 100 degrees), at which the granules expand in volume, and cavities are formed in them, which will subsequently be filled with air;
2. After the granules have expanded, they are dried from steam condensate and transported to a holding container, where they are aged for 12 hours at a temperature of 16-25 degrees. Curing of polystyrene is necessary so that the cavities inside the granules are filled with air;
3. Air-filled granules are loaded into a block mold - an aggregate, where individual granules are combined into a monolithic block. After loading the granules, the sealed container is closed, and hot steam is supplied inside under pressure, under the influence of which the polystyrene granules are sintered together;
4. After drying the block with plaster on the insulated facade, the product goes to the cutting line, where automated equipment forms slabs of the required thickness and dimensions from the block. The block is cut with red-hot strings, which guarantee maximum cutting precision.

Upon completion of this stage, insulation boards are packed in plastic wrap and delivered to store shelves.

Expanded polystyrene granules

3 Dimensions and thickness of polystyrene boards

Insulation materials from expanded polystyrene are supplied to the market in the form of slabs with facade plaster on foam plastic, having the following dimensions:

The thickness of the slabs varies from 10 to 100 mm, the thickness step is usually 10 mm.

The above dimensions of the plates refer to common standards, if you need non-standard dimensions of thermal insulation, then most manufacturers, when ordering a large enough batch, can make such heaters to order.

In general, for thermal insulation of vertical and inclined surfaces - facades, walls, roofs, the best option is slabs with dimensions of 1 * 0.5 m, since it is rather difficult for one person to work with large-sized products.

The thickness of the expanded polystyrene sheet, which provides effective thermal insulation, in most regions of the CIS countries varies from 50 to 100 mm.

Expanded polystyrene boards of various thicknesses

4 Types of expanded polystyrene and their technical characteristics

The classification of polystyrene foam used for thermal insulation is carried out based on the density of the insulation. The most popular materials for insulation are polystyrene foam brands:

Its thermal insulation properties directly depend on the density of expanded polystyrene. The lower the density, and, accordingly, the more air in the insulation, and the less polystyrene walls, the lower the thermal conductivity of the material.

And vice versa, the more expanded polystyrene is pressed, the less air is closed inside the insulation cells, and the lower its thermal conductivity will be. However, it must be borne in mind that the strength characteristics of the insulation directly depend on its density.

Let us compare the technical characteristics of the most popular types of polystyrene foam heaters PSB-15, PSB-25 and PSB-35 in thermal insulation:

• Material density, kg / m³: PSB-15 - from 8 to 15; PSB-25 - from 15 to 25; PSB-35 - from 25 to 35;
• Thermal conductivity coefficient, W / mk: PSB-15 - 0.037; PSB-25 - 0.039; PSB-35 - 0.043;
• The vapor permeability coefficient for all types of expanded polystyrene is not higher than 0.05 mg / mchPa;
• Resistance of the material to compression at deformation of 10% of the volume, MPa: PSB-15 - 0.04; PSB-25 - 0.07; PSB-35 - 0.16;
• Bending resistance of the material, MPa: PSB-15 - 0.06; PSB-25 - 0.018; PSB-35 - 0.25;
• Percentage of moisture absorption by volume for 24 hours: PSB-15 - 4, PSB-25 - 1, PSB-35 - 1.

Thermal insulation of the roof with expanded polystyrene insulation

All classes of expanded polystyrene belong to the G3 flammability group - normally combustible materials, the boundary temperature of their operation is 80 degrees, above which the polystyrene granules begin to sinter, as a result of which the insulation itself is deformed.

5 Comparison of conventional and extruded polystyrene foam

Extruded polystyrene foam is made from the same polystyrene granules as the insulation considered in this article, but using a much more complex technology, which causes differences in these materials in price and in technical characteristics.

The cost of these materials can vary 2-2.5 times, in order to understand whether it makes sense to overpay, let's compare their main technical characteristics:

• Thermal conductivity coefficient, W / mk: extruded polystyrene foam (EP) - 0.028; expanded polystyrene (P) - 0.038;
• Percentage of moisture absorption by volume for 24 hours: EP - 0.2; P - 2;
• Percentage of moisture absorption by volume for 30 days: EP - 0.4; P - 4;
• Vapor permeability coefficient, mg / mchPa: EP - 0.018; P - 0.05;
• Density, kg / m³: EP - from 28 to 45, P - from 15 to 35.

The flammability class of materials based on polystyrene is identical - G3, or, in the case of adding refractory additives - G2.

The difference in thermal conductivity between EP and expanded polystyrene determines that for the same thermal insulation efficiency, you will need a greater thickness of expanded polystyrene insulation than EP boards.

Extruded polystyrene foam structure

Density varies within 10 kg / m³, which is also quite significant. Expanded polystyrene, the density of which is minimal, cannot be used to insulate loaded facades, while there are no such restrictions for EP heaters, the density of which is 28 kg / m³.

Expanded polystyrene, unlike EP boards, is eaten by mice. Despite the fact that EP is made from the same raw materials as expanded polystyrene, mice do not eat it, since the structure and density of the material does not allow them to damage the insulation.

With that in mind, if you want to fit the insulation with Styrofoam, all mice must be etched beforehand. Do not neglect this, because otherwise, you risk money and time spent on the insulation of the house.

However, mice are dangerous for the most part only for houses - rodents are found extremely rarely in apartments. However, even if the mice are turned on, it is most likely that they will initially be interested in ordinary food. Rodents (mice and others) are usually rarely mistaken for thermal insulation materials.

When choosing between thermal insulation made of expanded polystyrene and EP, consider the conditions under which the material will be used. For example, for insulation of the basement or basement floor, it is better to choose EP, since it is more stable, strong and durable, while ordinary expanded polystyrene is perfect for thermal insulation of the facade.

Extruded polystyrene foam: characteristics

Technical characteristics of expanded polystyrene, insulation properties. Comparison of technical characteristics of extruded and conventional expanded polystyrene.

Thermal insulation of the roof with expanded polystyrene plates

There are many ways and materials for roof insulation. This article will discuss how to properly insulate the roof with expanded polystyrene.

Roof insulation scheme.

Expanded polystyrene is a heat-insulating foam, which is produced by swelling and welding polystyrene granules together when heated (80 - 100 ° C) with water or steam.

In construction, polystyrene foam of two types is used: it is a polystyrene foam plate and extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex).

Expanded polystyrene board

Expanded polystyrene plates are produced by foaming polystyrene with further sintering of particles. Despite the fact that the expanded polystyrene board is a polymer, it absolutely does not contain any substances harmful to the human body.

The expanded polystyrene board does not contain any harmful substances.

Expanded polystyrene board is not a hygroscopic material and, accordingly, under the influence of moisture, it does not lose its thermal insulation properties. The periodic appearance of condensation of water vapor, which can sometimes be the thickness of the expanded polystyrene, will not have serious consequences. Experts have proven that this material has water absorption, when immersed in water for 7 days, only 0.5-1.5% of the volume.

The disadvantages of this material for roof insulation include low sound insulation properties, as well as a low vapor permeability coefficient, which is only 12x106 g / (m.h. Pa). The weak resistance of expanded polystyrene to the effects of many organic solvents is another of its significant disadvantages. Temperatures over + 80 ° C can destroy polystyrene foam boards.

The system of bonded thermal insulation provides for the use of expanded polystyrene, which meets the requirements of the current standard (DSTU B.V.2.7894). This means that the material must not spread fire, that is, be self-extinguishing. Expanded polystyrene boards, which are cut from seasoned blocks, must be flat and dimensionally stable.

Extruded expanded polystyrene

This type of polystyrene foam is also a thermal insulation foam. It is obtained by mixing polystyrene granules at a high temperature, extruding (blowing) from an extruder and adding a blowing agent. In the old days, various CFCs were used as a blowing agent, but today manufacturers use CFC-free systems based on CO 2.

Having zero capillarity and negligible water absorption (less than 0.2 vol.%), Extruded polystyrene foam has a sufficiently high strength and stable thermal insulation characteristics (thermal conductivity is 0.038-0.041 W / m-K).

This material has a fairly high chemical resistance, however, individual organic solvents (white spirit, acetone, etc.), wood preservative, coal tar can lead to shrinkage, softening and dissolution of the material.

An essential feature of this thermal insulation foam is its very low vapor permeability. Depending on the density of the material, vapor permeability is 40-70 times less than that of mineral fibers. Proceeding from this, to insulate the roof with this heat-insulating foam (foam) means to create a barrier for steam on the way from the inside to the outside.

In construction, not only roofs, but also walls of buildings are insulated with extruded polystyrene foam. In this case, you should know that, based on the fact that the dwelling has a sufficiently high humidity, then when using extruded polystyrene foam, the question of the need for air conditioning from the inside of the room will immediately arise in order to avoid progressive dampness on the walls.

Extruded polystyrene foam is incredibly easy to install and very easy to process, it can be easily cut with an ordinary knife.

Why choose polystyrene foam boards?

Heat leakage often occurs due to cold bridges. In order to prevent their occurrence, the thermal insulation layer must be a single continuous structure. This constructive solution is based on the installation of insulation material on top of the rafter structures. The only thing that applies to the insulation material is that it must have high strength. Since throughout the entire period of operation, it will be constantly subjected to significant loads by both the roof and atmospheric precipitation.

A material such as expanded polystyrene boards has a number of significant advantages and is able to fully meet the strength requirements. They prevent the appearance of "cold bridges". Thanks to special connections, including “tongue-and-groove” or “step”.

The whole house can be insulated with expanded polystyrene plates, since this material has a number of advantages over others.

Expanded polystyrene also has the highest moisture resistant characteristics. It should be noted that this material is highly resistant to water. And, as a result, there is no need to build additional protection of the roof from moisture from the inside.

In terms of strength, the board made from expanded polystyrene has excellent load-bearing capacity. She is absolutely not afraid of the loads that the longitudinal wooden slats used for installation exert on the slab.

At the end of the installation of expanded polystyrene plates, a single insulation design will be obtained, which is able to cope with both voltage and high temperatures.

Before proceeding with the direct installation of expanded polystyrene plates, you need to prepare all the tools and material necessary for this.

• drill;
• screwdriver (when using mounting screws);
• saw;
• hammer;
• measuring tool;
• pencil;
• stationery (construction) knife.

• plywood (boards) for flooring;
• waterproofing material;
• vapor barrier material;
• polyurethane foam;
• nails (fixing screws);
• wooden slats (at least 4 cm thick);
• material for finishing (when mounted on top of closed rafters).

Installation of thermal insulation over open rafters

This method of performing roof insulation assumes that the rafter system remains inside the room. As a result, the rafters will be an element of the interior.

Installation of expanded polystyrene boards on top of open rafters.

On top of the rafters, flooring is laid, which can be made of plywood, boards, etc. In the future, it will be used as a filing of the building. This liner is covered with a waterproofing material (waterproofing membrane). As a rule, polymer-bitumen material is used for this. A waterproofing membrane has two functions at once. The first is the underlying waterproofing mat. The second is a vapor-permeable layer. It is necessary to lay polymer-bitumen material under an insulating layer.

Diffusion waterproofing membranes are often used instead of the materials mentioned above. They are stacked on top of the thermal insulation. For greater tightness and reliability, steam insulation is sometimes laid under the insulation.

When insulating with heat-insulating polystyrene (penoplex), you should know that the plates are necessarily mounted with a layer bandaging. Sample - ordinary brickwork, which has a sufficient density of joining products.

Any gaps that appear between the thermal insulation foam and the elements of the roof structure must be filled with polyurethane foam (polyurethane foam).

Installation of expanded polystyrene plates on top of closed rafters.

Expanded polystyrene plates are fixed with fixing nails. Another option can be used - mounting screws. Fastening to the rafters is carried out through longitudinal wooden slats. Before proceeding with the insulation work, the slats must be drilled. Otherwise, they will split.

When insulating the roof on open rafters with heat-insulating foam, one should not forget about the construction of a ventilation channel. Adequate air circulation will be when the longitudinal slats have a thickness of at least 4 cm. Such an indicator will provide excellent drying from the inside of both the roof and the thermal insulation layer.

Installation of thermal insulation over closed rafters

The thermal insulation of the roof over the closed rafters with expanded polystyrene plates has little difference from the method discussed above. The only difference is that the lathing is mounted from inside the room (under the rafters).

After that, the expanded polystyrene plates themselves are placed directly on it. From the inside of the roof, a vapor barrier layer is laid over these slabs and a fine finish is performed, which can be made from drywall sheets or plastic panels or lining. When laying the vapor barrier layer, care should be taken to ensure that the side that is not moisture permeable faces the rafter system.

As a conclusion: by performing roof insulation with expanded polystyrene plates, you can forget about heat leakage for a long time, since the minimum service life of these products is 25 years. And according to laboratory data, the service life can reach 80 years or more.

Roof insulation with expanded polystyrene and expanded polystyrene

Insulating the roof with expanded polystyrene will allow you to forget about heat leakage, since its minimum service life is 25 years.

Expanded polystyrene - characteristics and selection criteria

Heating an apartment in winter costs us oh, how expensive it is, and energy prices are growing exorbitantly every year. And it’s a pity when such an expensive heat is uselessly leaving the apartment outside. Moreover, these losses are simply enormous. However, there is a good way to reduce them: sheathing the outer walls of the house with foam, otherwise, polystyrene, plates. This familiar to all polystyrene characteristics in terms of thermal insulation are very remarkable. But are its other properties so good? Today we will tell you about it.

About the properties of expanded polystyrene - in detail and available

First, we will consider the technical characteristics of expanded polystyrene that really correspond to this insulation, later we will touch on those points of its properties that are controversial, but are constantly promoted by sellers and manufacturers.

About thermal conductivity

Polyfoam is nothing more than a multitude of air bubbles enclosed in thin polystyrene shells. In this case, the ratio is as follows: two percent polystyrene, the remaining ninety-eight - air. The result is a kind of solid foam, hence the name - expanded polystyrene. The air is hermetically sealed inside the bubbles, thanks to which the material perfectly retains heat. After all, it is known that an air gap that is motionless is an excellent heat insulator.

Compared with mineral wool, the thermal conductivity of this material is lower. It can range from 0.028 to 0.034 watts per meter per Kelvin. The denser the foam, the greater the value of its thermal conductivity coefficient. So, for extruded polystyrene foam, which has a density of 45 kilograms per cubic meter, this parameter is 0.03 watts per meter per Kelvin. This means that the ambient temperature is not higher than seventy-five and not lower than minus fifty degrees Celsius.

About vapor permeability and moisture absorption

Regular foam has zero vapor permeability. And the characteristics of extruded polystyrene foam, which is made in a special way, are different. Its vapor permeability ranges from 0.019 to 0.015 kilograms per meter-hour-Pascal. This seems strange, since, in theory, such a material with a foam structure is not capable of passing steam. The answer is simple - in dense extruded foam, molding is done by cutting. So steam penetrates through these cuts, getting inside the air cells. Regular foam, as a rule, is not cut, so it is not available for steam.

With regard to water absorption, the situation is reversed. If you submerge a sheet of plain foam in water, it will absorb up to 4 percent of it. The dense extruded polystyrene foam will remain virtually dry. It will absorb ten times less water - only 0.4 percent.

About strength

Here the palm belongs to extruded polystyrene foam, which has a very strong bond between the molecules. In terms of static bending strength (from 0.4 to 1 kilogram per square centimeter), it is noticeably superior to ordinary foam plastic (its strength ranges from 0.02 to 0.2 kilograms per square centimeter). Therefore, in recent years, ordinary, not extruded, foam is produced less and less, since it is less in demand. The extrusion method makes it possible to obtain a more modern insulation material, durable and moisture resistant.

What is polystyrene foam afraid of?

Expanded polystyrene does not react in any way to substances such as soda, soap and mineral fertilizers. It does not interact with bitumen, cement and gypsum, lime and asphalt emulsions. He doesn't care about groundwater either. But turpentine with acetone, some brands of varnishes, as well as drying oil can not only damage, but also completely dissolve this material. Styrofoam dissolves in most products obtained by the distillation of oil, as well as in some alcohols.

But he doesn't like polystyrene (neither regular nor extruded) in direct sunlight. They destroy it - with constant ultraviolet irradiation, the material first becomes less elastic, losing strength. After that, snow, rain and wind complete the destructive work.

About the ability to absorb sounds

If you need to save yourself from excessive noise, expanded polystyrene will not help one hundred percent. It is able to muffle the impact noise somewhat, but only on condition that it is laid with a sufficiently thick layer. But airborne noises, the waves of which spread through the air, are too tough for foam. These are the design features and properties of expanded polystyrene - rigidly located cells with air inside are completely isolated. So for sound waves flying through the air, you need to put obstacles from other materials.

About biological resistance

As it turned out, mold cannot live on polystyrene. This is confirmed by American scientists who conducted a number of laboratory studies in 2004. These works were ordered by the companies producing polystyrene foam from the USA. The result completely satisfied them.

The whole truth about harmlessness, non-flammability and long service life

In terms of ecology, polystyrene is absolutely safe - after all, during its production, freon is not used, which makes holes in the ozone layer of the Earth. Polystyrene can serve for many years without losing its properties - tests have shown that it can be repeatedly defrost and frozen, and the quality of the material does not suffer. This material is not subject to combustion, since it contains special substances - fire retardants. All this seems completely correct and indisputable, but only at first glance. There are several nuances. Let's talk about them further.

Ecology issue

Unfortunately, expanded polystyrene oxidizes in air. Moreover, ordinary foam, which has a looser structure, is more susceptible to this process. Extruded material oxidizes more slowly, but the same fate awaits it. And even no burning is needed - a thirty-degree heat outside is enough. In the process of oxidation, a lot of harmful substances are released. These are benzene with ethylbenzene, toluene, poisonous formaldehyde, methyl alcohol and acetophenone. The newly laid foam also releases styrene, since complete polymerization of the material is impossible during the production stage. Until the polymerization is completed, styrene evolution will not stop.

Foam manufacturers are trying to challenge information about the harmfulness of expanded polystyrene. They say that their raw materials are less harmful than wood. This refers to the release of harmful substances by a tree during combustion. This is not true - if the expanded polystyrene is heated to a temperature exceeding 80 degrees, then such a "bouquet" of substances will float out - wherever there is a tree. It is time to use harmful soot with smoke for a gas attack. They contain, for example, phosgene (carbonyldichloride), hydrocyanic acid (hydrocyanide), hydrogen bromide (hydrobromide).

Flammability issue

In fact, any polystyrene burns. Manufacturers are disingenuous, claiming that it dies out on its own, being less dangerous than a tree - alas, it is not. Such a statement clearly contradicts the Russian GOST 30244-94, according to which foam plastics are ranked among the G3 and G4 groups in terms of flammability - the most dangerous.

Speaking about the fire safety of expanded polystyrene, manufacturers are cunning using European standards that differ from domestic ones. There, combustibility is determined by three evaluative characteristics: biological, chemical and complex. According to the first of them, the most dangerous material in terms of lightning ability is wood. But at the same time, toxicity is determined extremely approximately, far from in full. And it is impossible to fully compare the harmfulness of combustion products of foam and wood in this way. It is the same with the chemical method.

But the complex technique, which is commonly used in Europe when testing polymers, is capable of giving true results. But Russian firms selling polystyrene foam from Europe, providing buyers with the technical characteristics of expanded polystyrene, show only biological and chemical tests of the material. Some domestic foam manufacturers do the same, revealing only part of the information to the consumer. So the truth is hidden from the broad masses.

Another way to distort the facts is to effectively hang a foam board in the air and then set it on fire. To do this, a lit burner is applied to the stove from below. The result speaks for itself - only the piece that was in contact with the burner burns out, and then the fire does not go. But this experience does not correspond to real operating conditions in any way, and can only serve as a focus. But if you put a piece of expanded polystyrene on a plane made of non-combustible material and set it on fire, it will not go out at all. After all, red-hot drops of polystyrene formed when a small piece is heated will transfer fire to its entire surface. The result will not be long in coming - the stove will burn out completely.

If we take polystyrene foam, which does not include fire retardants, then its smoke production coefficient is 1048 square meters per kilogram. For foam with a self-extinguishing effect, this figure is higher - 1219 square meters per kilogram. For rubber, for example, it is 850 square meters per kilogram, and even less for a tree - only 23 square meters per kilogram. To make it clearer, we will give the following figures: if the smoke in the room is more than 500 square meters per kilogram, then, stretching out your hand, you can not see her fingers.

Fire retardants (most often hexabromocyclododexane) are added to polystyrene foam to increase its fire safety. In our country, it is customary to designate such foam with the letter "C". This should, in theory, mean that the material has the property of decaying on its own. But in practice, it turns out that expanded polystyrene with a fire retardant burns no worse than one that does not contain this additive. It only ignites worse, without doing it spontaneously at elevated temperatures. Its flammability class is G2, but after a few years it turns into G3 or G4 - the properties of the fire retardant deteriorate over time.

Service life issue

If you properly operate expanded polystyrene, covering it with plaster or other protective and decorative layer on top, then it will last for 30 years, no less. True, in reality everything turns out to be not so rosy - either the masters blindly the insulation hastily somehow, then the customer will try to save money at the expense of the materials, then the inexperienced master will make mistakes when installing the expanded polystyrene plates.

One of these mistakes is the incorrect calculation of the thickness of the insulation. It seems to many that if you take a thick thirty-centimeter foam plate, then it will last longer, and it will be warmer in the house. But this is not so - a material of great thickness from temperature changes will crack and wave, under which cold air will penetrate. It should be noted that in Europe, the norm has been adopted - to insulate houses from the outside with expanded polystyrene not more than 3.5 millimeters thick. This helps to reduce the risk of poisoning during a fire.

How to correctly choose expanded polystyrene

Polyfoam is one of the most popular building materials. It's lightweight, warm and cheap, and easy to use. Since the demand is great, there are more and more offers from manufacturers. And each of them assures that it is his foam that is the best, and the quality is beyond praise.

1. Lost from the countless number of offers, do not rush to buy material. First, carefully study its parameters. If you need to insulate the facade, take PSB-S expanded polystyrene, positioned as self-extinguishing. His brand must be at least 40. And if the brand has a number of 25 or less, then do not look in the direction of such material - it is only suitable for packaging, but not for construction work.

2. Keep in mind that PBS-S-40 foam (fortieth grade) can have different densities - from 28 to 40 kilograms per cubic meter. It is advantageous for the manufacturer to mislead the buyer in this way - less money is spent on the production of lower density expanded polystyrene. Therefore, you cannot focus only on the number in the brand name, but you must ask to show the technical characteristics of extruded polystyrene foam.

3. And it will also be great if they tell you exactly how this expanded polystyrene is made. After all, if its density is more than 35 kilograms per cubic meter, then it should only be extrusion. In the usual way, without using strong compression, it is possible to achieve a density no higher than 17 kilograms per cubic meter.

4. Before buying, try to break off a piece of material from the very edge. If it turns out to be a low-grade packing foam, it will break with an uneven edge, with small round balls visible on the sides. The material obtained by the extrusion method has regular polyhedrons at the place of a neat break. The fault line will pass through some of them.

4. As for the producers of expanded polystyrene, the best of them are the European firms Polimeri Europa, Nova Chemicals, Styrochem, and BASF. Russian manufacturing companies, such as, for example, Penoplex and Technonikol, are not lagging behind them. They have a production capacity that is quite enough for the production of very high quality expanded polystyrene.

Conclusion

Although foam, as it turned out, is dangerous when burning and emits harmful substances at the same time, it remains one of the most demanded heat insulators. After all, as a heater, expanded polystyrene has a lot of advantages: it is the cheapest, it is easily cut with an ordinary knife, almost does not absorb moisture and keeps heat well. It is not for nothing that four out of five European buildings have exactly expanded polystyrene insulation of the facade. Moreover, both residential buildings and offices, and industrial premises.

True, it is too early to talk about long-term studies of this material - even half a century has not passed since the beginning of its use. Therefore, those who talk about the service life of expanded polystyrene for more than 80 years can only confirm their words by tests in laboratory conditions. But you shouldn't trust them one hundred percent - after all, in order to get the desired results, you can send special samples to the laboratory.

The most important thing when using expanded polystyrene in the external environment is to reliably cover it from sunlight and atmospheric influences. To do this, you need to use a plaster mixture that includes cement. The coating should be applied tightly, not a single gap should remain. Otherwise, a tiny ray of sunlight can completely destroy the thermal insulation over time.

But inside the foam for insulation should not be used, no matter what the manufacturers claim. Let them talk to themselves, but in the event of a fire they will not be around, but toxic combustion products can cause enormous harm, taking away health, and sometimes even people's lives. An example is the well-known tragedy in the Lame Horse club, where most of the visitors simply suffocated with the products of the combustion of this insulation.

Expanded polystyrene - characteristics and the whole truth about insulation Photo and Video

Characteristics of expanded polystyrene, its objective positive, negative sides and controversial points, as well as the criteria for choosing this insulation.

To provide warmth in the house, it is necessary to insulate not only the roof, but also the walls.

There is a whole range of materials for wall insulation on the market.

Walls can be insulated both outside and inside.

When walls are insulated from the outside, the area of ​​the living space is preserved, and insulation technology allows you to provide the building with warm and modern walls.

Before proceeding with the insulation of the walls, it is necessary to decide on the method of insulation. Styling or - individual preference. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.... The features of each method of insulation must be studied at the time of designing the building.

Insulation from the inside

Internal wall insulation is characterized by the following features:

• the cost of insulation from the inside is less than for external insulation;
• season and weather does not affect the choice of time for work;
• there is no need to build additional scaffolding for the insulation work.

Negative factors for internal insulation are:

• a significant decrease in living space;
• the outer wall is isolated from heating from the room;
• the likelihood of fungus formation inside the wall increases, since the dew point is formed precisely in the inner part of the structure;
• when the heating is turned off, the walls quickly cool down due to the low inertia of the insulation;
• the place where the floor joins the outer wall cannot be equipped with a heater, which leads to the formation of cold bridges.

The method of insulating walls from the outside is more popular, despite the fact that the cost of labor and materials for performing work is much higher than the method of internal insulation.

Dew point

Insulation outside

The advantage of wall insulation from the outside is:

• in winter and in cold weather, heat remains in the wall for a long time;
• the design area of ​​the premises is preserved;
• external thermal insulation protects the internal walls from dampness.

In addition, the outer walls are additionally protected from the effects of atmospheric agents, which significantly increases the service life of the structure.

The main disadvantages of the external thermal insulation of the structure are:

• restriction of work performance in accordance with weather conditions;
• an increase in the cost of the materials used.

On which side of the wall to insulate with expanded polystyrene

It is advisable to insulate walls with expanded polystyrene from the outside, since the material does not allow air to pass through, which can lead to the formation of condensation inside the wall during internal insulation, and also inside the room, the material can emit a specific smell.

Advantages and disadvantages of expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene material is porous air-containing raw materials, is used in most cases as a heat-insulating material.

In industry, the material can also be used as electrical insulation and packaging material.

The material has gained widespread use due to its quality indicators:

• low level of water absorption;
• low thermal conductivity;
• ease;
• biological resistance;
• durability;
• compressive strength;
• not affected by temperatures;
• ease of installation;
• low price of the material.

Comparison of heaters

Despite an impressive list of positive indicators, expanded polystyrene has disadvantages that must be taken into account during installation:

• low rate of sound insulation;
• instability to solvents and many chemicals;
• afraid of fire. When burning, it releases harmful toxic substances;
• poor resistance to ultraviolet light;
• easily lends itself to the influence of rodents and insects, which, making holes in the material, provoke its destruction;
• low vapor permeability;
• fragility.

However, the production technology of these materials is different.: expanded polystyrene is produced by extrusion, when granules melt when combined into a single structure, foam - by gluing granules with dry steam.

Specifications

Types of expanded polystyrene

Polystyrene foam is classified according to the method of production of the material and the inclusion of various additives in it:

• pressed expanded polystyrene... Produced by pressing;
• pressless expanded polystyrene... Produced by removing moisture by drying and then foaming at high temperatures;
• Not much different from the pressless one, an extruder is additionally used in production. The best and best option for wall insulation.

There are other types of expanded polystyrene (extrusion, autoclave), but they are not used as insulation, because they have different characteristics.

In addition to the types of expanded polystyrene, there are also various types of insulation, such as:

Wall cake when using insulation - expanded polystyrene outside

Pie walls are layers of materials that are stacked in a specific order, each of which performs its own functions to ensure a normal indoor climate.

When insulating brick walls with polystyrene laid outside, the wall cake looks like this:

• internal plaster;
• outer wall;
• adhesive solution for gluing polystyrene foam;
• insulation (expanded polystyrene);
• adhesive solution for gluing the next layer;
• fiberglass mesh;
• adhesive composition;
• primer;
• finishing plaster.

NOTE!

When arranging a wall using expanded polystyrene, it is necessary to lay the layers in a strict sequence.

Internal and finishing plaster can be replaced with other finishing materials, which are provided by design solutions.

Wet wall cake

Vapor barrier and waterproofing issues

An important requirement in the construction and arrangement of a house is the correct execution of all work to ensure ventilation and waterproofing, since it is the incorrect installation of these components that significantly reduces the characteristics of the structure.

When walls are insulated with polystyrene, waterproofing is not needed... It should be noted that with a high passage of groundwater under the building, it is imperative to waterproof the basement and foundation.

Since expanded polystyrene does not allow air and water to pass through, there is no need to lay the vapor barrier layer when insulating the walls from the outside.

Insulation wall cake for siding

Sealing gaps and preparing the lathing

Installation of expanded polystyrene on the crate is the most time-consuming process among the insulation options. Most often, the crate is made in the case of a siding finish.

Sealing cracks

If you intend to carry out work on the installation of siding on the wall of a house from beams, then you should first seal the seams with high quality, clean the surface of dust and debris and seal the cracks with sealants, foam or a mixture of sawdust and PVA.

If the wall is concrete, brick or foam blocks, then cracks in such houses are cleaned of sand, treated with a primer, then sealed as follows:

• if a small gap... With a prepared mixture of cement and sand with the addition of PVA, the gap is closed with a spatula;
• if the gap is medium... Make holes for dowels at a distance of 20 cm. Using screws with washers, pull the metal mesh over the gap and seal it with plaster by pressing it into the mesh. Next, apply a finishing layer;
• NS at the big crack... Fill the gap with polyurethane foam, cut off irregularities and seal up with plaster in two layers.

Large cracks can be repaired with anchors:

• knock down the plaster, seal the cracks with polyurethane foam;
• install a channel in the opening and fix a reinforcing mesh on it;
• you can use brackets made of reinforcing mesh;
• apply plaster;
• putty.

Sealing cracks

When the wall is prepared for laying the insulation, you can mount the crate.

Preparation of the lathing

The lathing for siding can be made from a metal profile and from a wooden bar... In humid climates, it is advisable to install metal slats.

Before proceeding with the installation of the lathing, you should determine the location of the siding:

• with horizontal siding... A bar or metal profile is installed perpendicularly;
• with vertical siding... Frame boards or metal profiles are installed in a horizontal position.

The step of the lathing is determined by the width of the expanded polystyrene sheet: in width, it should fit tightly between the battens of the lathing and not form gaps.

The order of work is determined in steps:

• treat the wall with special mastic;
• frame boards are fixed along the entire perimeter of the walls using galvanized screws and plastic dowels;
• if holes are formed between the timber and the wall, these gaps are sealed with pieces of expanded polystyrene by gluing them to the wall.

CAREFULLY!

If the lathing is made of wood, the boards must be pre-treated with antiseptic agents.

The execution of the lathing does not require special skills, but it should be borne in mind that the choice of materials should be made based on the climate conditions.

Lathing for siding

Wooden lathing

Wall insulation technology with polystyrene outside

Before proceeding with the insulation of the wall with polystyrene foam, you should dismantle the gutters, decorative elements, clean and prime the wall. Next, insulate the ebb and flow and window slopes.

Now let's talk about the thickness of expanded polystyrene.

NOTE!

Carrying out wall insulation with extruded polystyrene, sheets are used, the thickness of which ranges from 80 to 100 mm and more.

You can use thinner sheets with a thickness of 30-40 mm, if they are laid in two layers.

Let's start installing insulation on the walls with our own hands:

• at the bottom of the wall, a profile is installed to hold polystyrene foam;
• an adhesive mixture is applied to the wall on the entire area, pointwise and on a sheet of insulation (abundantly on the center and edges of the sheet);
• firmly attach the adhesive sheet to the wall;
• fix the panel with dowels so that the dowel goes into the wall by at least 50 mm. The dowels are located in the center of the panel and at the joints. It is recommended to use plastic nails;
• if gaps are formed (up to 2 cm), then they are sealed with a mounting foam, if there are more gaps, then they are first sealed with pieces of insulation, and then foamed. Excess foam is cut off;
• the heads of plastic nails are cleaned and putty.

After installing the insulation, a reinforcing mesh is applied to the facade... Cut strips of mesh at corners and slopes and glue them with a spatula with adhesive. An adhesive composition is applied to the mesh along the wall so that it penetrates 0.1 cm through the mesh onto the expanded polystyrene.If an overlap is formed, separate strips of mesh are applied to it and glued additionally.

Device in razarez

Fastening plates with dowels

Application of assembly glue

After the surface has completely dried, it is leveled with fine-granulated emery paper.

Useful video

Detailed video instruction on wall insulation with extruded polystyrene foam:

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