It happens that a consumer buys mineral wool, insulates the walls with his own hands and hopes for a long service life of the product, but in reality the opposite happens. The material fails very quickly, the premises begin to freeze, and the user develops a negative attitude towards the product, which he expresses on forums on the Internet.

Alas, such situations are not uncommon, but the main reason is not a violation of installation technology, operating rules or incorrect preparation of the walls, but incorrectly selected dimensions or physical characteristics. In particular, the density and thickness of the slabs. To ensure that insulating walls outside with mineral wool does not become a waste of money, a potential buyer should familiarize themselves with the recommendations regarding the parameters of the material.

It is known that the insulation in question is perfect for internal or external surfaces of residential buildings. Since in the latter case, wall insulation with mineral wool affects the entire thermal insulation system and the resource of the house, choosing its size must take into account the following factors:

• climatic features of the region;
• humidity;
• material of the insulated surface;
• maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year.

Even if a consumer buys mineral wool with the lowest thermal conductivity coefficient, there is no guarantee that the purchase will perform its functions.

By the way, to achieve the best effect, you should not pay attention to roll insulation - they are cheaper and, as a rule, made from lower quality components.

In addition, the thickness of the roll is a maximum of 50 mm, which may not be enough when insulating external walls. By giving preference to large mineral wool slabs, the consumer will not go wrong.

Density indicates the weight of insulation contained in one cubic meter of volume. The higher the indicator, the higher the cost of mineral wool. This fact is due to the difference in the production technology of some slabs from others. To obtain greater density, you need to spend a lot of raw materials. This, in turn, affects the increase in manufacturer costs.

The density of mineral wool slabs varies from 20 to 250 kg/m3. m. The physical properties and technical capabilities of the material will vary greatly. To accurately determine which slab is best suited for the outer wall of a particular building, it is worth knowing that the density depends on:

• the ability of the structure to withstand a certain load;
• resistance to deformation;
• material's resistance to compression.

However, a number of functions are not affected by density. Among them:

• noise insulation properties;
• vapor permeability;
• slab thickness;
• insulation properties.

Having complete information about the operating features of the insulated building, you can select mineral wool slabs, the size of which will increase their service life and the life of the house as a whole.

Recommendations for thickness and density of mineral wool

Taking into account the climatic characteristics of the region is crucial when choosing the size of insulation. For the external walls of houses located in areas of temperate continental climate (Moscow, Leningrad, Volgograd and other regions), it is recommended to choose slabs with a thickness of 80-100 mm. As the region moves away from a given area (continental, sharply continental, monsoon, maritime climate; subarctic, arctic zones), the thickness increases by about 10%. For example, for the Murmansk region it is advisable to take mineral wool with a thickness of 150 mm for external walls, and for Tobolsk the correct range will be from 90 to 110 mm.

Insulation with a density of up to 40 kg/cu.m. m is used only in unloaded horizontal surfaces, so it is better to ignore them. This type of wool is produced in rolls, rolled onto sheathed interfloor partitions, floors, etc. For insulation of external walls of non-residential or industrial premises, the figure varies from 50 to 75 kg/cu.m. m. If the user makes a ventilated facade, the slabs should be even denser - up to 110 kg/cu.m. m. Otherwise, the figure can reach 130-140 kg/cubic meter. m, but on the condition that the walls will be plastered later. The first option involves subsequent finishing with siding or a similar method of finishing work in order to extend the service life.

Rules for installing mineral wool slabs

The house is insulated from the outside in one of three possible ways:

• "well" system;
• ventilated facade;
• "wet" method.

The first involves placing mineral wool slabs inside the wall, that is, between the base material (brick, foam concrete, etc.) and the external cladding (sand-lime brick, cellular concrete).

For wooden buildings, ventilated facade technology is more often used, in which a frame is placed around the perimeter of the house, and slabs of material are tightly placed inside it. Fastening is carried out using adhesives or plastic dowels with a wide head. All work is quickly done with your own hands, and without outside help.

The good thing about this method is that there is no need for an additional layer of vapor barrier. The resulting ventilation gap between the wool and the lining allows air to circulate, preventing moisture from stagnating inside the insulation, and also shifts the dew point beyond the wool. Therefore, the purchased material will not shrink, will not get wet, and will maintain the service life specified by the manufacturer.

With the wet method, insulation boards are attached to the original surface, previously leveled, after which plaster or other special solution is applied on top of them in a layer of about 2-3 cm. The method includes the following steps:

• cleaning the surface, filling holes, crevices, cracks;
• installation of basement cornice;
• gluing thermal insulation material;
• additional reinforcement - fastening dowels;
• application of reinforcing mesh;
• surface primer;
• plastering (decorative or rough);
• dyeing in the desired color.

The classic way to install insulation on wooden walls with your own hands using the type of ventilated facade is to perform the following steps:

• impregnation of the walls with an antiseptic, and the places where rot appears - with special solutions;
• dismantling of platbands, slopes;
• drying the walls (minimum period - 1 day);
• laying a layer of vapor-permeable membrane, with the smooth side of the material facing the insulation;
• if the walls are perfectly smooth, it is not necessary to use a membrane;
• fastening wooden slats on top of the film with screws, nails or dowels; the distance between the slats should be 1-2 cm less than the width of the mineral wool slabs, so that it fits inside the sheathing, and the thickness should be equal to the thickness of the latter;
• laying thermal insulation boards inside the resulting sheathing;
• one more additional layer - wind protection (waterproofing) - is fastened with staples of a construction stapler;
• in order to create a ventilated gap on top of the bars (lathing), counter-battens are refilled so that the facing material is located at a distance of 5-7 cm from the insulation;
• since the thickness of the walls has increased, you will have to purchase new platbands, slopes, etc.

If the stages of fastening mineral wool to external walls with your own hands are carried out correctly, there is no doubt that the material will fulfill the service life prescribed by the manufacturer. For most fiber insulation brands such as Ursa or RockWool, it ranges from 50 to 70 years.

The consumer must remember that slabs with the highest density will significantly make the structure heavier, so one should not assume that the most massive option is the best. Even if the choice of thermal insulation is made correctly, and insulating the walls outside with mineral wool seems like a simple task, this does not free the user from additional work, such as preparing the surface of the house or attaching water and vapor barriers.

Proper home insulation is one of the most important issues for residents of regions with harsh climates. High-quality thermal insulation significantly reduces the cost of heat and electricity, and allows you to maintain a comfortable temperature in the warm season.

If the need for home insulation is beyond doubt, it is worth figuring out what material will be used. Next, the method of insulation is determined: outside or inside. Depending on the selected parameters, you can judge the quality of the work.

External insulation involves installing insulating material along the outer perimeter of the house. Internal - along the inner surface of the walls.

Advantages of the first method:

• Additional protection of walls from exposure to adverse weather conditions.
• Extending the life of walls.
• Dew point shifts outward. The walls are no longer constantly wet and are not covered with condensation.
• Heating costs are reduced, but the interior space of the house is not reduced.
• A soundproofing layer is created that prevents the penetration of sounds from the street.
• It is possible to change the appearance of the house thanks to a wide variety of finishing materials.

Among the shortcomings are the following points:

• Insulation materials are not cheap. All the work will cost more than insulating the interior surface of the house.
• The frequency of work depends on weather conditions. During rain or sub-zero temperatures, work must stop.

Thermal insulation inside the house is carried out only in some cases. For example, if there is no access to the outer surface of the walls. This is possible on high-rise buildings. Another option is that you cannot or do not want to change the appearance of the house.

Insulation from inside the house

Consists of small fibers that are bound together by resins. Some experts do not recommend using this insulation inside a home. The recommendation is based on the fact that resins emit substances hazardous to humans.

However, as a result of research on this topic, it was proven that the amount of substances released is so small that the harm caused to the human body is so negligible that it should not be taken into account against the background of other sources of pollution.

The insulation retains heat well due to the large amount of air contained between the fibers. Mineral wool is capable of accumulating water in the composition, after which the thermal insulation characteristics are noticeably reduced. This happens because the liquid displaces the water.

Additional Information: If the insulation is done correctly, the material will last a long time and the quality will remain at the highest level. In places where insulation will be used, there must be high-quality ventilation.

Insulation of the internal surface of the house with mineral wool is usually carried out if it is not possible to carry out work on the outside of the house. The material will contribute to long-term heat retention in the home.

Advantages of internal insulation:

• There is no need to use special tools or climbing equipment if the apartment is on the upper floors.
• Work is carried out at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions.
• It is possible to combine insulation with interior decoration. This results in savings on materials.
• The amount spent on work is less compared to external insulation.

Disadvantages of internal insulation:

• The dew point (the place where warm and cold air converge) moves indoors. This contributes to freezing of the walls. Condensation may form inside this surface. Consequences: the appearance of fungus, mold, constant moisture in the walls, decreased efficiency of thermal insulation.
• A frozen wall completely loses its ability to retain heat. The room will cool down and heat up faster than with external insulation.
• The humidity in the room increases. This is dangerous to human health. To resume normal gas exchange, it is necessary to ventilate the rooms frequently. This will increase heating costs.
• The usable area of ​​the apartment will decrease.
• You will have to dismantle all elements of the interior decoration of the room.

Insulation with mineral wool indoors

Before starting insulation work, it is necessary to carry out preparations. This stage determines how well the entire further process will be completed.

Stages of preparatory work:

• clean the walls of all decorative elements, remove finishing elements;
• clean bare walls from dirt and dust;
• Smooth out significant unevenness using coarse sandpaper;
• seal cracks with polyurethane foam or building mixtures;
• Treat the surface of the walls with solutions that prevent the formation of mold and mildew.

Small irregularities can be masked during the work process. You shouldn't pay attention to them.

Wall insulation

Initially, a frame is made that will be fixed to the wall. It is made of metal or wood, it all depends on the final finishing material. Metal elements are used when covering with plasterboard, wooden - if chipboard. The width of the bars should not exceed 40–50 mm, their depth is equal to the thickness of the mineral wool. The distance between the bars is 3–4 cm less than the width of the insulation.

Important! Be sure to install frame elements in the corners.

Mineral wool is an elastic material. It does not need to be trampled heavily into the space between the frame elements.

The roll is unwound and the required length is measured. Leave a margin of about 10 cm so that no voids form after applying the material.

Can be secured using drywall staples. If sheet packaging of insulation is used, it is installed on horizontal frame elements. The top sheets should not put strong pressure on the bottom sheets.

After laying and securing the material over the entire surface, the vapor barrier layer is installed. If a foil-based composition is chosen, there is no need to leave a partition between the insulation and the vapor barrier. When purchasing a vapor barrier, it should be placed on the wall and secured with construction tape or glue. Be sure to overlap and not butt.

Mineral wool is an excellent soundproofing material. You don’t have to use additional sound insulation; this function will be performed by insulation. After all activities have been completed, the walls are covered with finishing elements.

Floor insulation

Installation can be done on a wooden surface or under a screed. In the first case, the flooring must be completely dismantled.

Only the lags remain. It is advisable to determine in advance the condition of the surface that will have to be dismantled.

If the elements are suitable for recycling, dismantling is carried out carefully so as not to damage the elements.

The process of insulating a wooden floor:

• Inspect the joists and determine which ones need to be replaced.
• Impregnate new and old elements with solutions against mold and mildew. Moving elements must be immobilized with wedges or spacers made of wood or other suitable composition.
• Attach rough boards to the lower parts of the floor.
• Place a vapor barrier layer on the rough boards. An overlap of at least 10 cm is made between the beams and the wall. For this, you can use a vapor barrier membrane covered with a layer of aluminum. The metal surface is laid on top. This is a budget option. An expensive but effective analogue is a vapor barrier membrane consisting of several layers. There should be no ventilation gaps during installation. The canvas is secured with metallized tape. The parts of the membrane are overlapped and connected to each other with the same tape.
• Place mineral wool on top. There should be no gaps between the subfloor and the mineral wool; everything should be tight.
• The top layer is laid so as to cover the joints of the bottom one. The fibers should not be crushed so as not to reduce performance characteristics.
• The sheets are covered with waterproofing according to the same principle as vapor barrier.
• There should be about a 5mm gap between the top membrane and the floor. The finished floor is laid on additional fastening joists.

Work on insulating the floor under the screed begins with cleaning the working surface from dirt and dust. Next, all cracks and chips are repaired. It is advisable to completely eliminate the irregularities. This is necessary so that the mineral wool adheres evenly to the working surface.

To level, pour 10 cm of crushed stone or expanded clay and compact. Sprinkle a small amount of sand on top. Next, a layer of vapor barrier is laid, work continues in accordance with the instructions above.

Roof insulation

The easiest way to insulate a roof is by placing the insulation between the rafters.

The work proceeds according to the following algorithm:

• Using a building level, the lower level of the rafters is measured. It should be even throughout the entire frame. If there are deviations, they should be equalized.
• A waterproofing film is laid on the rafters if it was not laid during installation of the roofing. The mineral wool is cut into pieces of the required size. The elements will be held in place due to the expansion of the insulation, so cut the material 2–3 cm wider than the distance between the beams. If 2 layers are laid, the joints should not match.
• The vapor barrier is adjusted. Place the membrane on top of the insulation. Fix with a construction stapler.
• Surface covering. Typically plywood sheets or boards are used.

If the insulation falls out of the space between the rafters, you can secure them using strong fishing line. It stretches along the entire length and is secured in a convenient way.

External insulation with mineral wool

Mineral wool insulation work is carried out at temperatures from 5 to 25 o C.

The work is performed according to the following algorithm:

• Preparing the walls. It is imperative that the walls become perpendicular to the horizon and, accordingly, parallel to each other. The deviation should not exceed 15 mm per floor. If there are cracks or chips, they must be covered with building mixtures. A wall that is too broken can first be primed and plastered using reinforcing mesh.

Important! Before starting insulation work, if the walls were leveled with plaster, at least a week should pass for the mixture to completely dry.

• Before sheathing with mineral wool, a metal profile should be secured around the entire perimeter of the house. This is needed to protect against rodents and moisture. In addition, the thermal insulation material will not be deformed. Fixed with dowels at a height of 40–60 cm from the ground.
• The insulation is installed in 2 stages:
  • The adhesive must be suitable for outdoor use. Start installation from the bottom left corner. The mixture is applied to one side of the material: 4 blots in the corners and 1 in the center, or over the entire surface of the sheet. The board is glued to the surface of the house. All elements are applied tightly to one another. If several layers are laid down, the joints must not coincide.
  • The material is fixed with dowels. Start work after the glue has completely dried. Usually a day is enough, but the exact hardening time can be seen on the glue package. One slab is fixed with no more than 8 dowels. Fasteners are required in the corners close to the joints and add a few in the center. To install a dowel, use a punch to make a hole 2 cm larger than the length of the dowel. Next the dowel is driven in.

• Mineral wool is reinforced. This step is necessary for finishing the wall for plaster. Hydrophobic adhesive and fiberglass mesh are used. First, glue is applied, then the mesh is applied. The first step is to work on the corners.
• To remove minor differences, rough plastering of the walls is performed. After hardening, several layers of paint are applied.

If you plan to install siding, plastering is not carried out. When installing this element, be sure to leave a gap for ventilation of the facade.

Common mistakes when insulating the outside walls of a house:

• Temperature mismatch. Many people work in extreme heat or cold weather. This is prohibited; the quality of the material is significantly reduced.
• Poor quality of wall preparation. The first stage is the most important. If the walls are not prepared well enough, after a while many nuances that have not been eliminated will become apparent.
• No starting bar. The element is required; it performs many useful functions. Without it, the insulation will quickly become unusable or move down.
• Incorrect installation of slabs. Be sure to secure them in a checkerboard pattern.
• Incorrect application of glue. The sheet may become deformed if the adhesive is applied incorrectly.
• Incorrect placement of insulation sheets.

If you carry out the work in accordance with the described plan, there should not be any troubles in the future. It is worth taking into account possible errors so that the fastening of the material is reliable and the quality of work is as high as possible.

A house that has a modern heating system will not become a comfortable home if competent work is not done to insulate it. Great attention should be paid to insulating a house. After all, external thermal insulation will protect your home from the effects of precipitation and will save money on its heating. In addition, external insulation with mineral wool will help save the internal living space in the house. The most popular insulation today is mineral wool. Therefore, together with the site, we will figure out how to insulate a house with mineral wool from the outside.

Advantages of mineral wool

Mineral wool for thermal insulation and insulation of a house is the right solution. And all because this material has many advantages. Today it is worth listing the most important advantages. So, mineral wool has:

1. Low thermal conductivity and high thermal insulation.
2. Excellent soundproofing characteristics.
3. High level of fire safety. It is worth noting that this material is not capable of supporting combustion.
4. Easy installation. Cotton wool is produced in the form of a roll or slabs. Therefore, you can choose any convenient option for covering your house.
5. Good vapor permeability. An object covered with mineral wool is able to “breathe”.
6. Absolute environmental safety. Mineral wool is a completely safe material for humans. This insulation only releases harmful substances into the atmosphere when heated above +300 degrees.

Mineral wool is available in three versions. There are: basalt, fiberglass and slag mineral wool. Basically, basalt mineral wool is chosen for home insulation. It is this version of the insulation that has the most modern technical characteristics. In particular, this insulation has a low level of thermal conductivity and other modern characteristics.

It must be said that mineral wool for insulating external walls has properties that differ significantly from the properties of modern internal insulation materials. In particular, wool for insulating external facades has a good ability to repel moisture. In addition, this insulation has a high level of density.

We must not forget that using mineral wool has some disadvantages. But there is no need to worry too much. After all, if you follow the correct installation technology, you can eliminate every negative aspect. The negative aspects include the fact that the volume of insulation can change in the absence of a reinforcing layer. It is worth noting that when the volume of insulation changes, cracks form. In addition to this point, mineral wool not treated with a special compound loses its thermal insulation properties.

What to choose for facade insulation: mineral wool or polystyrene foam

Polystyrene foam and mineral wool are currently equally popular. These materials have many advantages. Therefore, every person has the right to choose. It is worth considering only the following recommendations. So, polystyrene foam and mineral wool have the same thermal conductivity characteristics. But polystyrene foam does not have good vapor permeability. Therefore, only mineral wool is suitable for insulating wooden houses.

How to insulate a private house using mineral wool
This part of the publication will discuss how to insulate a house from the outside with mineral wool. Here you need to provide not only the exact progress of the work, but also demonstrate a video.

• At the first stage of work, it is worth preparing the insulated surface for further work. When doing such work, it is important to take into account the material from which the building was constructed. For example, plaster, paint and other finishing solutions are removed from brick and foam concrete walls. The wooden walls of the structure are impregnated with an antiseptic before insulation. Places that are affected by fungus and mold are cleaned well. Afterwards they are treated with an antifungal solution. Before insulation, any corners, nails and other objects protruding from the walls that can damage and spoil the insulation must be dismantled. If you do not remove all fasteners from the wall surface, you can not only damage the insulation, but also leave unsightly traces of rust on it.
• At the second stage, the cleaned walls are primed using a deep penetration primer. Further work is stopped until the primer is completely dry.
• After the primer has completely dried, you must begin installing the horizontal frame guides. In this case, you need to use a metal profile or bursa. The thickness of the timber or metal frame depends on the thickness of the mineral wool. Mineral wool is capable of changing volume. Therefore, during work it can be slightly pressed. It follows from this that the beam can be 1 or 2 cm thinner. The step between overall dimensions can correspond to the dimensions of mineral wool slabs. To lay the insulation material tightly, you need to measure the distance between the beams not from the edges, but one by one. This means that one beam is located in the center of the other along the edge.
• Mineral wool in slabs or in rolls is placed between the guide bursa. It is recommended to start installation from the bottom up. In this case, the mineral wool must be secured with disc-shaped dowels. Mineral wool is attached to walls made of brick and concrete using a special adhesive. The insulation process should be given careful attention. Gaps should not be allowed to appear between the insulator and the guides. During building insulation work, entire slabs of mineral wool are first installed. After which they begin to insulate individual areas. Detected gaps are eliminated using pieces of insulation that correspond to the size of the gaps. Secure the pieces of insulation with masking tape.
• At the next stage of work, reinforcement is carried out. To do this, a layer of adhesive is applied to the mineral wool. After which the façade mesh is pressed into the insulation. A layer of glue is again applied on top of the mesh. It must be said that such manipulations will help prevent deformation of the slabs. In addition, using these actions, mineral wool slabs can be further protected from excess moisture.
• Now you can carry out other finishing work.

Insulation of facade with mineral wool under siding

Siding is a popular finishing material that is most often used for the exterior decoration of modern buildings. Therefore, now it is important to learn about how to properly insulate the facade of a house with mineral wool. It is possible to insulate an object under siding even without using an adhesive. To fix mineral slabs, you should use umbrella dowels. To ensure that mineral wool does not lose its qualities throughout its entire service life, it is protected on both sides from moisture.
If you plan to use siding as a finishing touch, then you need to take care of installing a ventilated facade, which will allow the resulting condensate to evaporate. After the mineral wool layer has been installed, you need to lay a vapor barrier layer. There is no need to stretch the film too much; it is fixed with staples to the beams. For high-quality fastening, dowels with a wide head are used. It is also worth using metallized tape in order not to damage the integrity of the waterproofing coating.
After carrying out all the work described above, you need to install a profile on which siding is usually subsequently installed. After finishing work on the building, a ventilation gap is formed between the siding layer and the miniwool layer. The optimal size of this gap is 5 or 6 cm.
If you carefully study all the recommendations described above, you can professionally insulate the outside of the house with mineral wool under the siding. As you can see, insulation work is not difficult to carry out. In this case, you need to have the necessary knowledge and a set of construction tools.

How to insulate the facade of a building with mineral wool before finishing with plaster

To insulate a house from the outside with mineral wool with your own hands under plaster, you must first take into account one rule. So, to prevent the plaster from cracking during the operation of the building, it is necessary to lay the reinforcing mesh in such a way that the sheets overlap each other by 100 mm.
The reinforced layer must be completely dry before further work. Decorative plaster with interesting textures is suitable for exterior decoration. However, before applying plaster, traces of dry glue must be removed from the wall. This can be done using sandpaper or a spatula. Then the cleaned wall must be primed with a special product.
It is worth starting the final finishing if, after reinforcement, the wall has a perfectly flat surface. If the surface of the wall has an uneven surface, then you should resort to rough plastering. Only after these works can the building be finished.

Every owner strives to protect his home from heat loss. For this, different materials and technologies are used. A good option would be to insulate the walls outside with mineral wool under plaster.

This option will help extend the service life of the main structure, preserve usable space inside the building and, of course, reduce heat loss. Let’s take a closer look at the insulation and the whole process so that you can do everything yourself.

Previously, this material was considered very toxic and was used extremely rarely in private construction. But modern production no longer uses harmful resins, which released toxic substances even with slight heating. Now mineral wool is considered an environmentally friendly material with excellent technical characteristics.

Stove brand	Index
	Application area	Density, kg/m3	Thermal conductivity, W/m*K	Compressive strength, kPa	Water absorption,%	Content of organic substances, % by weight
PM-40	Soft PM slab, for unloaded heat and sound insulation of pitched roofs, ceilings, floors, frame partitions	40…45	0.042	-	30	3
PM-50		>45…	0.042	-	30	3
		55
PP-60	Semi-rigid PP slab, for unloaded heat and sound insulation of pitched roofs, ceilings, floors, frame structures, three-layer walls made of brick and aerated concrete	>55…	0.04	4	25	3.5
		65
PP-70		>65…	0.039	8	20	3.5
		75
PP-80		>75…	0.039	20	15	4
		90
PZh100	Rigid slab PZh, for heat and sound insulation of walls, incl. ventilated facades, basement floors on the lower side, three-layer walls made of brick and aerated concrete	>90…	0.038	25	15	4
		110
PZh-120		>110…130	0.039	30	15	4.5
PZh-140		>130…150	0.039	35	15	4.5
PPZh-160	A plate of increased rigidity, for heat and sound insulation of loaded roofs made of corrugated sheets and reinforced concrete. slabs without screed	>150…170	0.042	40	12	5
PPZh-180		>170…190	0.044	50	12	5
PPZh-200		>190…210	0.045	60	12	5
PT-220	Solid PT slab, for heat and sound insulation of loaded roofs made of corrugated sheets and reinforced concrete. slabs, finishing slabs for ceilings, noise insulation, sound insulation of floors, partitions	>210…230	0.045	80	10	7
PT-250		>230…270	0.045	100	8	7.5
PT-300		>270…330	0.046	150	6	10

There are several types of insulation:

• Glass wool is an excellent option for insulating walls outside. It allows steam to escape from interior spaces, but at the same time retains heat in them. quite durable and elastic material. But there is a small drawback - during installation you must use safety glasses and a respirator. Small particles can enter the eyes and respiratory tract, causing irritation.

• Slag is the most inexpensive representative of this category of insulation. Absorbs a lot of water and has relatively high thermal conductivity. Therefore, it is rarely used for external insulation, and then a layer is taken 2 times thicker than necessary.

• Rock wool is an excellent choice for thermal insulation. There are no such problems with this material as with glass wool, and the technical characteristics allow you to insulate the house from the outside without hesitation. It allows steam to pass through, insulates noise and heat loss, does not absorb moisture at all and does not burn.

• Basalt is also a suitable option for façade insulation. It has the same characteristics as stone wool, but is made from a different main component.

This insulation is more popular than polystyrene foam because it can allow steam to pass through, which means it does not require additional ventilation. But mineral wool will cost a little more, although it’s hardly worth sparing money for your own comfort.

Main stages of installation

Mineral wool under plaster must be installed according to all the rules, since heavy material will be applied for decoration. In addition, the mineral wool must be securely fixed so that it does not deform during operation and does not spoil the decorative finish. Therefore, you should adhere to the following plan:

1. Foundation preparation.
2. Fixing mineral wool.
3. Thermal insulation reinforcement.
4. Plastering.

Now you need to figure out what to do at each stage, find out if there are any nuances.

Base

Insulating a house with mineral wool begins with preparing the foundation. New buildings do not require spending a large amount of time and money at this stage. It is enough to treat the outside walls of the house with deep penetration soil, which will protect the base from moisture and also increase adhesion.

Structures with a longer service life require more thorough preparation:

• Removing the old decorative layer. Using mineral wool under plaster will be impossible if there are traces of paint or decorative plaster on the surface.
• Cleaning walls from dirt, dust, traces of biological organisms, old fasteners and hanging parts.
• Filling potholes and mounting holes. In some cases, when the walls have strong differences exceeding 1 cm, it is necessary to do rough plastering. This will help level the surface.
• Application of primer.

Only after the base is completely dry can you proceed to the next stage.

Fixing the insulation

Before covering the facade of the house with mineral wool under plaster, you should install a starting profile. It performs the following functions:

• Protection of insulation from moisture and rodents.
• Support for the thermal insulation structure, which will protect against deformation.
• Preservation of the gap between the wall and the bottom row of mineral wool.

The profile can be metal, plastic or wood. Wood is used extremely rarely, since it quickly becomes unusable, although it is inexpensive. You need to fix the starting bar at a height of 40–60 cm from the ground, using dowels.

Now you can begin installing the insulation. This is done in 2 stages:

Stage 1

Gluing. Select an adhesive composition that is suitable for outdoor use and a certain type of mineral wool. In the case of dry mixtures, the solution should be prepared independently. Begin installing thermal insulation from the lower left corner.

Apply the finished mixture in a thin layer to one side of the mineral wool, and then make 5 large blots (4 in the corners and 1 in the center). Next, the slab is applied to the base and held for some time for adhesion.

The next element is placed close to the previous one. When starting to lay the second row, you need to take into account that the joints of the mineral wool should not coincide. Therefore, you should adhere to the principle of brickwork with bandaged seams.

Stage 2

Fixation with dowels. This fastening is done only after the adhesive solution has completely dried. Usually this is about 24 hours, but manufacturers indicate a more precise time on the glue packaging. To fix one slab you need to use up to 8 dowels. It all depends on the size.

One fastener is installed at the corners of the insulation, closer to the joints, and several in the center. To make such fasteners, you need to make a hole using a hammer drill, which will be 1.5–2 cm longer than the length of the dowel. Next, insert the anchor and screw or drive in the core (it all depends on the structure of the dowel).

Mineral wool reinforcement

After the entire surface is covered with thermal insulation and securely fixed, you need to prepare the facade for plaster. To do this, use a reinforcing fiberglass mesh with small cells and hydrophobic glue.

The corners are reinforced first. The glue is applied in a thin layer to the mineral wool. The size of the treated area should be 15–20 cm larger per piece of mesh. Then the reinforcing fabric is applied so that there is material of the same size on both sides of the corner.

Using a wide spatula, press it into the glue. It is strictly forbidden to apply the mesh first and then apply the glue. This reduces the effectiveness of the reinforcement. Next, they begin to apply fiberglass to the entire surface of the walls. Everything is done using the same technology as the corners. The material needs to be joined with an overlap of 10–15 cm.

Plastering

If, after the glue has dried, with the reinforcing mesh fixed, large irregularities are visible, then rough plastering needs to be done. It will completely hide imperfections and make the surface smooth.

In cases where there are small differences, decorative plaster is applied immediately. In this case, you need to adhere to the principle of finishing. The method of application will depend on the selected texture.

If the composition did not have a coloring component, then after drying you need to apply 2-3 layers of paint. Here you need to be careful when choosing paint; it must be combined with the composition of the plaster.

Wall insulation is a mandatory stage in the construction of any house. Whether the home will be warm and comfortable enough depends on what kind of thermal insulation material is used and how correctly the technology for its installation is followed.

It is best to insulate the walls of residential and public buildings from the outside. Mineral wool is often used for external thermal insulation. This is an affordable and easy-to-install insulation. Therefore, if you know the technology, it is possible to insulate the walls outside with mineral wool yourself.

Advantages of external wall insulation

There are several reasons for insulating the external walls of a house:

• complete protection of load-bearing structures from negative atmospheric influences;
• maintaining the dimensions of the internal area of ​​the building;
• maintaining high-quality ventilation of premises;
• reduction in heating costs.

Insulation properties

Mineral wool is a material made from natural basalt and silica, treated with compounds with water-repellent properties. It is produced in the form of mats, slabs, and rolls. Depending on the location of the fibers, mineral wool and lamella slabs are distinguished.

Mineral wool is used, the density of which is in the range of 75-150 kg/m. cube The first layer (it is possible without preliminary surface preparation) is fixed with a material whose density is 75 kg / m. cube The slabs completely fill the unevenness of brick, concrete and wooden walls. With the help of mineral wool with a higher density, laid in the second layer, a more even surface is formed, which greatly facilitates subsequent finishing work (so-called wet facades). The thickness of the material ranges from 20 to 200 mm.

Advantages

The undoubted advantages of this insulation include the following:

• excellent heat and sound insulation;
• high-quality filling of voids;
• fire resistance, ability to withstand high temperatures;
• possibility of use in different temperature conditions;
• ease of installation.

Mineral wool is suitable for insulating both external and internal walls of frame, wooden, and brick houses.

Flaws

There are also disadvantages to using. They emit formaldehyde, which is hazardous to human health. But according to many experts, the amount of these substances is negligible and does not cause any harm to humans.

All installation work on insulating the house outside can be carried out at a relative air humidity of no more than 85%. You cannot work with mineral wool in rainy or foggy weather. At temperatures above +30°C, external insulation is also stopped, and the treated area is covered with a dark-colored heat-insulating fabric. Otherwise, the mineral wool will crack later.

Thermal insulation process

Wall insulation with mineral wool is a job that you can do with your own hands, even without experience in the construction business.

The design of an ideal warm wall is a heater fixed on a load-bearing wall and covered with facing brickwork.

It is better to insulate a building during its construction. To do this you need to do the following:

1. overlay the facade around the entire perimeter with mineral wool boards of the required thickness, fix them with fixing anchors; for example, for the Central region of Russia, slabs with a thickness of 140-150 mm are sufficient;
2. form brickwork on top of the insulation layer;
3. rub the seams with a solution of cement or plaster.

If the house has already been built and you need to insulate it, the technology of this process will be somewhat different. First prepare the surface. To do this you need:

• free the facade from unnecessary objects, the surface should become clean and even;
• do not leave metal objects, they will begin to rust;
• remove old coating (plaster, paint), dust, dirt.

A clean base and installation done correctly are the key to high-quality insulation.

Thermal protection device for a wooden house

Insulating walls with mineral wool slabs is a whole complex of works. Several main stages can be distinguished.

Preparing the base

At this stage, wooden surfaces are treated with special emulsions and primers that will protect the house from mold and rot.

The antiseptic must dry completely.

Creating a vapor barrier layer

Its purpose is to provide the entire structure with ventilation. To do this you will need polyethylene, roofing felt or aluminum foil.

• narrow slats are placed vertically on the walls in increments of 1 m;
• the vapor barrier is secured with staples or nails; the fastening points are sealed with tape;
• holes with a diameter of 20 mm are drilled at the bottom and top of the slats; this will provide the necessary ventilation.

Frame making

To do this, boards are vertically stuffed (40-50 mm cross-section, 100 mm wide) or metal profiles are attached.

They are installed at intervals slightly smaller than the width of the mineral wool.

Installation of thermal insulation

Mineral wool is laid in two layers, shifting the slab slightly so that the joints do not coincide. This type of insulation does not require additional fastening, since it is very elastic.

Often this material is fixed using a special glue (choose in the store the one that says “for mineral wool”).

Laying waterproofing

To protect the insulation from getting wet, waterproofing material is attached to the sheathing with staples or nails. Thanks to this, mineral wool will retain its properties longer and the service life of the heat-insulating layer will increase.

The final stage

On top of the waterproofing, slats with a cross section of 30 mm are stuffed. Thus, a ventilation gap is formed, which will contribute to the evaporation of moisture. Then the house cladding is installed on the sheathing.

It must be taken into account that the total thickness of the insulation must be at least 100 mm. Also, do not forget to treat all wooden elements with an antiseptic and flame retardants.

Installation of insulation for a frame structure

The technology is generally similar to the process of insulating wooden houses described above.

On the interior walls, chipboard is attached to the frame. They are joined along the beams and beams of the strapping. Then the vapor barrier is fixed and drywall or lining is installed.

Installation of mineral wool

Mineral wool slabs are laid on external wall surfaces. The number of layers depends on the region in which the house is located. The joints of the previous layer are covered with the next row of insulation. First, in the lower part of the wall, it is necessary to fix the galvanized cornice with dowels: it will help the insulation boards lie flat and protect the building from rodents and insects.

After the heat insulator is laid, it is covered with a membrane to protect it from the wind, and attached with a stapler.

You can fix the mineral wool on the wall using a special adhesive solution. It is applied to the back side of the mat, slab or roll, which are then applied from the bottom up, easily pressing against the wall.

You can attach the heat insulator with dowel-nails “umbrellas”. It is necessary to control that the material does not move apart when punched. Its surface is smoothed with sanding brushes. A primer mixture is applied to the mineral wool mats or slabs.

Creating an air gap and finishing

The sheathing will help retain the heat insulation layer. It will also create a ventilation gap between the windproof membrane and the outer skin. Chipboard is installed on the sheathing. Then the cladding (for example, siding or lining) is installed.

Thus, mineral wool slabs placed between the frame posts will be sewn between the chipboard slabs from the outside and from the inside.

Production of thermal insulation for a brick building

The process of insulating a brick house with mineral wool is similar to that described above. The creation of a ventilated facade begins with the manufacture of battens on the load-bearing wall. The insulation is fixed on it. A windproof membrane is laid on top and secured. You also need to install ventilation ducts measuring 4-6 mm. All this is covered from above with the selected finishing material.

Wall insulation with mineral wool of frame, wooden, brick houses is a simple process. If you purchase the simplest tools and the necessary building materials, then 2-3 people are able to properly insulate a medium-sized house in one day.