The basement is freezing. Guide to internal thermal insulation of cellars from freezing. Insulation of a deep cellar

The cellar is intended for storing food: vegetables, canned goods. Therefore, it is important to create such a temperature and humidity in the underground room that the food can be kept in good condition.

At sub-zero temperatures the potatoes will freeze. Too much heat will make the vegetables limp. If moisture accumulates in the basement, rotting cannot be avoided.

We will describe how and with what materials it is better to insulate a cellar from the inside.

Let's set the task

The cellar is very important room in the house for household needs.

It is better to insulate any room during construction. But practice shows that most often finished buildings are insulated. Therefore, let's assume that we have a cellar.

Its walls are made of bricks, the role of the ceiling is reinforced concrete slab. There is no floor as such, or rather a dirt floor.

The structure is solid and reliable, however, in winter frost appears on the inner walls, and with the arrival of the first spring months, moisture condenses on all structures.

How to insulate such a structure correctly? Is it possible to insulate an underground room from the outside?

In most cases, builders advise sealing the cellar from the inside with foam boards.

This material is inexpensive and can be easily mounted on any wall. Let's try to find satisfactory answers to all the questions posed.

Determining the source of problems

There may be several reasons for the presence of water in the room. Click on photo to enlarge.

There is a lot of moisture in the cellar we described. In winter it freezes, frost forms, and in spring it condenses on the walls and ceiling. The source of moisture must be determined.

Perhaps spring meltwater is penetrating into the cellar. Then you will have to triple the waterproofing protection of the room.

Sometimes groundwater rises close to the surface. In such cases, it is impossible to do without the construction of drainage structures.

It may turn out that water penetrates through flaws in the roof after rains. The insulating structure will not help then.

First, you will need to install pipes to drain rainwater, then plaster and cover the floor slab with penetrating waterproofing.

Before starting insulation work, you should also be sure to find out the level to which the soil freezes in this area. Based on the information collected, it will be possible to determine the thickness and type of material for insulation work and waterproofing.

The best insulation option

It is best to insulate the cellar from the outside. Surely many will smile after reading this.

Basement thermal insulation diagram. Click to enlarge.

Digging out cellar walls is difficult. We'll have to turn over mountains of soil. But only walls insulated from the outside will effectively retain cold and moisture.

If the insulation is glued from the inside, Brick wall will remain in the freezing zone. The water will gradually undermine the structure and will soon seep into the cellar.

Walls in such conditions will quickly become unusable.

Walls insulated from the outside will not freeze. If we lay the insulation pie with several sheets of roofing material, we will save both the insulation board and the wall itself from getting wet.

If the cellar has already been built, you will have to throw away the soil from the walls, then wait until the brick dries. It is better to start work in warm and dry weather.

Sequence of work:

remove soil;
take a break from work until the wall dries;
glue the foam boards and additionally secure them with dowels;
we lay the structure with roofing felt to protect it from moisture;
You can fill the soil back.

Insulation of internal cellar structures

It is clear that it is better to insulate any structure from the outside. But in the case of a cellar, this is not easy, so more often the underground room is insulated inside. How to insulate cellar walls from the inside? First of all, let's decide on the material.

This is how foam sheets are attached. Click on photo to enlarge.

Polystyrene foam is the number one insulation material. It has been used for insulation for more than forty years; everyone is well aware of its positive characteristics and shortcomings. It is quite possible to insulate a cellar from the inside with foam plastic slabs.

The insulation is strong enough and does not crumble. Foam is not damaged by moisture. It will not rot if condensation appears on the insulating structure. It is not necessary to isolate polystyrene foam from water using film structures.

Insulation boards are easy to install. They are glued with a special compound or screwed with dowels with wide heads (mushrooms). The slabs can easily be trimmed with a knife to fit in a corner or on a ledge.

The disadvantages of polystyrene foam are also known to everyone. The material is held in high esteem by rodents. Sometimes they prefer to chew on insulation even in cases where beets and potatoes are stored in the basement. Polystyrene foam burns, so it should be installed carefully near electrical wiring.

How to insulate cellar walls with foam plastic:

all cracks in the inner surface of the walls should be sealed with sealant or blown out with foam;
if there are irregularities, it is better to smooth them out; it will be difficult to evenly attach a foam board to uneven walls;
the wall should be covered with moisture-proofing material, for example liquid rubber;
when the moisture insulation dries, we begin to glue the foam boards;
gluing begins from the bottom, the slabs are placed end-to-end, all cracks are filled with foam;
for reliability, we fasten the insulation with dowels, one fastener in the middle of the slab, the rest in the corners;
A mounting mesh is glued on top of the insulating patty, and plaster can be applied to the floor.

Ceiling and floor

Ceiling structures also need insulation. If the building is separate, it is from above that water can penetrate into the cellar. How to insulate a ceiling in a cellar?

Concrete slabs are often used for the construction of foundations and floors. Concrete is not able to insulate rooms from the cold. The concrete slab gets very hot in the summer and freezes in the winter. Water can leak through the concrete into the cellar.

Inside the concrete base there are tiny capillaries through which moisture can move. To create a warm and dry atmosphere in the cellar, the floor slab will have to be insulated and treated with moisture-proofing materials.

Sequence of work:

it is better to impregnate the concrete slab with a penetrating waterproofing compound; the substance fills capillaries and cracks in concrete and blocks the path of moisture;
when the slab dries, glue foam boards onto its surface, then additionally fix them with dowels;
mounting mesh and a layer of plaster.

If it is important for you to insulate the cellar from the inside with mineral wool, you will have to build another structure. Mount on walls or ceiling wooden blocks. Mineral or basalt wool mats are placed inside the sheathing. The insulation is also laid with vapor-proof films to prevent the cotton wool from getting wet.

For the floor you can suggest various options. Sawdust, expanded clay, and other insulating materials are often used.

How to reduce humidity

We told you how to properly insulate a cellar. Walls insulated from the inside will retain heat. But moisture will not be able to escape through the insulation and films. Water droplets will condense on the walls and ceiling. Rot and mold will appear. Fungal organisms may grow.

How to deal with excess moisture? Be sure to provide a hole for ventilation. The circulating air will pick up the steam and carry it outside.

To achieve an optimal microclimate in the cellar, it is necessary to insulate it.

I have an aunt - Angela Olegovna - who prepares the best pickled apples in the world, marinating them in barrels. But this year she and her husband built a new, more spacious cellar and there was no fruit in it, as it froze in the winter. As soon as I found out about this, I immediately realized that the incorrect insulation of the cellar was to blame for everything (as it turned out later, it was not insulated at all).

If the thermal conductivity of the walls of an underground structure is too high (especially when paired with poor ventilation), then in the summer ideal conditions for the proliferation of various microorganisms are created in the cellar, and in the winter all household preparations simply freeze.

Features of the cellar microclimate

Regardless of whether the cellar was located under a private house or built separately (like Angela Olegovna), in my opinion, it requires good insulation. This operation affects not only the formation of an acceptable microclimate inside, but also the service life of the building.

The walls in an improperly insulated cellar will become moldy.

If certain measures are not taken, the walls will quickly become unusable and collapse from the destructive effects of external factors: high humidity and significant temperature fluctuations.

But the most important thing is the optimal temperature for storing food. My auntie told me that soaked apples are obtained only if the air is not heated above 4 degrees Celsius and not cooled below 2. This can only be achieved if the cellar is thermally insulated both inside and out.

If the temperature in the cellar is too low or high, the products will deteriorate.

In this case, the walls of the cellar will not let warm air inside in summer and cold winter.

Another important point that many people rarely pay attention to. Many times I have encountered situations where moisture condenses on the walls and ceiling inside the cellar. This is one of the consequences of improper insulation (or its complete absence).

To reduce humidity levels, insulation measures are not enough. It is also necessary to design ventilation that will regulate the content of water vapor in the room.

And, of course, I advise you to immediately think about waterproofing, without which the thermal insulation material will get wet and work worse, and the walls themselves will quickly collapse.

However, let's return to our sheep. Before describing the process of insulating a cellar, I want to devote a few lines to the problem of choosing a suitable material.

Choosing the right material

Of course, if you have any idea about construction work oh, then you can name a dozen materials that are suitable for insulation. But I decided to choose ordinary polystyrene foam to insulate Angela Olegovna’s cellar.

Styrofoam - best insulation for the cellar.

His specifications and operational properties fully correspond to the assigned tasks, and the price is quite affordable. After purchasing thermal insulation, there will still be a lot of money left to buy two or three barrels of apples at the market and pickle them.

For especially meticulous readers who are not accustomed to taking their word for it, and also in order to justify their choice to my aunt, I will give a comparative table of the pros and cons of polystyrene foam.

pros	Minuses
The material has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, therefore it maintains the desired temperature in the food cellar well.	Polystyrene foam is not suitable for use on the external surface of cellar walls, since the outside will be subject to significant mechanical stress from the surrounding soil and may collapse.
Polystyrene foam weighs very little, so it does not require massive sheathing for installation. In addition, it does not put much strain on building construction, so you don’t have to worry about the walls shrinking after the work is completed.	When exposed to open fire, polystyrene foam ignites and during combustion releases chemical compounds hazardous to humans into the air. However, no one grills kebabs in the cellar, so this drawback can be neglected.
The heat insulator withstands moisture well. Its thermal characteristics do not deteriorate when wet, and it itself does not collapse.	Polystyrene foam is not very durable, so even when installed inside, measures must be taken to protect the insulation from damage.
When compared with other suitable thermal insulators, polystyrene foam is the cheapest among them. This factor is important if you are insulating your cellar and want to save as much as possible.	The material can be damaged by rodents, but no rodents were observed with Angela Olegovna. Moreover, the cat Vaska is always on guard, who, although he does not like apples, is not averse to eating lard, which is stored in the same cellar.

Another point that attracts me personally is the simplicity of operations for insulating the cellar. I can do all the work without a partner, so I don’t have to share the reward, that is, pickled apples.

You can do all the work on insulating the cellar with foam plastic yourself.

So I immediately decided which insulation to use to insulate the damp cellar from freezing and save the apples from spoilage. And I advise you to do the same.

And now I’ll tell you how to insulate the cellar from the inside.

Internal insulation technology

First, let's look at internal insulation. And all because they often think about thermal insulation after problems arise and carry out external works difficult. Although I highly recommend taking a comprehensive approach to the issue and insulating the cellar both outdoors and indoors.

Preparatory stage

Even if insulation is carried out after construction is completed, it is impossible to do without some preparation. I advise you to do following works:

Before installing thermal insulation material, you must make sure that the surfaces (ceiling and walls) are level and free of defects. If, when examining the walls, you find cracks, potholes or bumps, you need to get rid of them.

Before insulation, the ceiling needs to be repaired.

After leveling and repairing the walls, I advise treating them with antiseptic compounds that will destroy existing fungus and mold, and also prevent the development of various harmful microorganisms in the future.

Treatment with an antiseptic will prevent the appearance of mold.

If for some reason there is no ventilation in the cellar or it does not work effectively, it is necessary to install ventilation pipes or repair the ventilation system. The fact is that after installing the thermal insulation layer, the humidity in the room will increase sharply and from excess moisture will need to get rid of it quickly.

The cellar must have ventilation.

Having finished with the preparation, you can move on to insulation. And I recommend starting from the ceiling.

Ceiling

So, I insulated Angela Olegovna’s ceiling, or more precisely, the ceiling of my aunt’s cellar, with polystyrene foam according to the following scheme:

First I examined the surface. I found several minor cracks in the seams between the concrete floor slabs. I sealed them with putty with antiseptic additives. If you are going to attach thermal insulation with dowels, you need to take special, thermally insulated ones. Although heat loss in winter will be insignificant, the optimal temperature may not be reached.
After repairing the surface, I attached a vapor barrier membrane to the ceiling so that during subsequent operation, moisture would be normally removed from the cellar without condensing on the walls.

Vapor barrier of the ceiling in the cellar can be done with penofol.

The membrane is a polymer film with special perforation, which does not prevent the infiltration of moist air to the outside, but does not allow moisture to penetrate from the outside.

As a vapor barrier for the ceiling, I used penofol, which consists of a layer of foamed polyethylene protected aluminum foil. It is good because it serves as an additional heat insulator. Aluminum acts as a screen that reflects thermal energy into the room.

Then I installed hangers for the sheathing. I used galvanized profile, which is better suited for wet areas. That’s why I attached it to special hangers.

The sheathing can be made from galvanized profiles or wood.

Instead, you can use wooden blocks of suitable height (a few centimeters higher than the thickness of the foam). However, it is advisable to pre-treat them with antiseptics and special hydrophobic compounds. Accordingly, they will have to be secured with screws and dowels.

The distance between adjacent sheathing elements should be the same as the width of the foam boards. If it is less, you will have to trim it, if it is more, the cracks will become an excellent conductor of cold.

Then I installed insulation boards. In my case, polystyrene foam, but something else can be used in a similar way. The only thing is, do not install glass wool, which, when wet, does not perform the tasks assigned to it. Yes, and it is harmful, the apples will be covered in glass dust.

Foam boards installed in the sheathing.

Foam sheets must be mounted so that the gaps between adjacent parts are as small as possible. I personally fill them extra polyurethane foam to eliminate even the slightest chance of cold bridges forming.

I put another layer of penofol on top. As they say, the stock doesn't stretch your pocket. However, this must be done so that there is a gap of 5 cm high between the foam plastic and the vapor barrier, which will ensure ventilation. If the height of the bars is not enough or you did not think about it in advance, you can make a low counter-lattice on top.
I install decorative material. I chose plastic panels. They are inexpensive, can withstand exposure to humid air well, and look good. Although for the cellar this may not matter.

As decorative material Plastic panels are suitable.

This technology leads to the fact that the height of the room is slightly reduced.

Floor

Now about gender. It can be insulated using a similar technology, with a few exceptions:

the bottom layer needs to be laid with waterproofing material (such as roofing felt);
support logs (sheathing) must be made of strong bars that can withstand increased load;
The entire structure will have to be covered with boards or plywood on top.

A design with logs is not the best solution for a cellar.

This technology is simple and not very labor-intensive, but the bottleneck is the use of wood. It is not suitable for use in the cellar, as it quickly becomes unusable. Therefore, if I did this, I would have to do everything all over again in a few years.

I decided to use extruded polystyrene, which has all the properties of polystyrene foam, but is strong enough to withstand the increased stress that is placed on the floor.

So, the scheme of work is as follows:

Inspect the floor surface for defects and cracks. If the floor has large differences in height, I advise you to first screed along the beacons (if the differences are small, you can pour a self-leveling mixture) and wait for it to dry.

Cracks in the floor need to be repaired.

After completing the repair, you need to clean the surface. Then waterproof it. You can lay lining materials or treat the floor with mastic based on bitumen resins. I prefer the second option, although it takes longer to dry individual layers.

Before installing thermal insulation, the floor in the cellar must be waterproofed.

As soon as the waterproofing has dried, sheets of polystyrene foam are laid on top. They need to be positioned so that the seams run apart.

Installation of polystyrene foam sheets is carried out after the waterproofing has dried.

Then a metal mesh is installed to strengthen the concrete screed. After all, the floor will have to withstand significant loads from standing barrels of apples. And this is a serious matter.

A reinforcing mesh must be laid on top in front of the screed.

Then the solution is poured onto the reinforcing mesh and carefully leveled.
Final stage– decorative floor covering. I gave Angela Olegovna a gift and built her a polymer self-leveling floor. It turned out that you can not only store fruits and vegetables there, but also live in general.

Polymer floor after completion of work.

However, it was still too early to live, since there were still walls without insulation. These are the ones that will be discussed further.

Walls

For the walls, I also decided to use polystyrene foam, as I already mentioned, but I attached it not under the sheathing, but with the help of special dowels with wide heads and glue.

I’m telling you the top-secret technology so that you too are aware:

I check the walls and eliminate cracks. Of course, I have already repeated this twice, but believe me, many people neglect to complete this stage of the work, and then angrily write in the comments why their vegetables in the cellar continue to freeze.
I am installing waterproofing material. Pasting roll materials are excellent. Just choose non-fused ones, but adhesive-based ones. They are easier to install, and they do not release dangerous chemical compounds into the air.

Penetrating waterproofing can be used.

I glue polystyrene foam. For this purpose, special solutions are used, which can be purchased at hardware stores.

Polystyrene foam is glued to the walls with a special compound.

Installing plastic dowels. These are brackets with very wide caps that will firmly hold the foam in place.

And secured with dowels.

I install the reinforcing mesh. It is made from fiberglass. Some, again, skip this stage, and then their plaster falls off.

A reinforcing mesh must be secured to the surface of the foam.

Plastering polystyrene foam. This will protect the fragile thermal insulation material from mechanical stress and will allow the installation of decorative lathing in the future.

The plaster is applied to a pre-fixed mesh.

By the way, regarding decorative finishing. Here you can do everything at your own discretion, but remember the high humidity. Angela Olegovna decided to take a swing at tiles, which will make her cellar simply exemplary. But since she didn’t have the money to buy the material, I postponed this stage of work for now.

And I took up external insulation, since it is in this case that the greatest efficiency is achieved from the carried out thermal insulation materials.

External insulation technology

For me, the answer to the question of whether it is necessary to insulate a cellar outside is obvious. If you still doubt this, read the next section, where I tried to substantiate my own opinion and tell you how to perform external insulation.

Advantages of the method

Personally, I believe that it is not necessary to insulate the cellar inside if it is possible to do it outside. The fact is that the outer layer of insulation protects the structure itself and the waterproofing layer not only from low temperatures, but also from mechanical influences.

It is better to insulate the cellar from the outside.

Besides:

an ideal microclimate for storing vegetables and fruits is formed in the cellar;
the surface of the walls in the room itself will be warm, that is, the potatoes near them will not freeze;
moisture will not condense on the walls;
the size of the cellar will not change (although my aunt’s is already so spacious that you can stock up on food and survive a considerable cataclysm);
Proper external insulation eliminates the formation of cold bridges.

Therefore, if it is possible to install insulation outside, do just that. But before that, thoroughly waterproof the surfaces. Now I’ll tell you how and what.

Surface waterproofing

The peculiarity of the work here is that the surfaces being treated will be underground after completion of waterproofing measures, and therefore will be subject to significant exposure to moisture.

Waterproofing of walls can be done using pasting and coating materials.

For waterproofing in this case, I used guided adhesive materials. This is a modern roofing material, the adhesive layer of which is activated under the influence of high temperature. I used gas burner.

If you do not know how to work with heated materials, use membranes with an adhesive layer. Or even take bitumen mastic and paint the outside of the cellar walls.

Installation of thermal insulation

For thermal insulation, I used special heat-insulating boards made of extruded polystyrene. They have a low thermal conductivity coefficient and sufficient strength to withstand the mechanical impact that occurs when backfilling the cellar.

The slabs are installed starting from the bottom of the wall.

The slabs are installed on the waterproofing layer using mastic. It is applied to the surface of the slab, after which the material is pressed against the surface until the glue sets (usually this takes about 40 seconds, but it all depends on the air temperature).

Penoplex is glued directly to the waterproofing.

You need to lay out the slabs starting from the bottom of the cellar walls (from the ground) and gradually move up. The last row should be positioned so that after backfilling it rises 30-40 cm above the ground.

After backfilling, the thermal insulation should rise above the ground level.

It is very important to ensure that the insulation boards fit snugly against each other. Cracks and gaps need to be filled construction foam.

Also be careful when backfilling the soil. Make sure the ground is free of rocks and dense clods of earth that could damage the insulation. After installation, the slabs do not require any finishing. That's why I decided to use them.

The reward for the work done (pictured) is well worth the effort.

Naturally, it is better to do all the activities described above during construction in order to reduce the amount of effort involved, but if you did not attend to this in time, then proceed according to the scheme proposed above.

Conclusion

Now you know how to protect the cellar from freezing in winter. But to enjoy pickled apples, since you don’t have Angela Olegovna, you’ll have to make them yourself. If suitable recipe you don't know, you can watch the video in this article where there is detailed instructions.

But personally, I would like to ask you about this: how did you carry out or are going to carry out the insulation of the cellar in the garage. Tell me about yours practical experience or your thoughts on this matter. I would be grateful for detailed messages in the comments below.

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obustroeno.com

How to insulate a cellar from the inside against freezing: floor, ceiling, walls

The cellar, like the basement, is intended for storing canned food and other food products. In order for it to perform its functions well, it is necessary to constantly maintain optimal temperature and humidity in the room.

If we admit minus temperature, then all the products will freeze and become limp if there is too much heat. It is imperative to monitor the humidity level, otherwise rotting cannot be avoided. Therefore, insulating the cellar from the inside is a very important process.

It is important to know! Reducing the level of humidity cannot be achieved only by insulating the cellar; it must be equipped with ventilation, which will regulate the content of water vapor in the room.

Determining the source of the problem

The main factors contributing to cellar freezing are melt water. In some cases, groundwater that rises close to the surface becomes a problem. Therefore, before insulating the cellar from the inside against freezing, it is necessary to determine the source of the problem. Having found out the causes of moisture, you need to determine to what depth the soil freezes during the frost period. And based on the information received, you can decide on the thickness and choice of heat-insulating materials.

The illustration clearly demonstrates critical places for protecting cellar structures from freezing

Today's market offers a large number of heat-insulating materials for insulating any surfaces, but you need to understand that not all are suitable for insulating a cellar. Insulation for a cellar must be able to maintain geometry, have good insulating properties, and be resistant to water and soil pressure. What types of insulation are there:

expanded clay;
glass wool;
mineral wool;
expanded clay concrete;
red ceramic brick;
Styrofoam;
cellulose insulation;

Regarding cellulose insulation and mineral wool: they are not suitable for cellar insulation, as they do not meet the necessary properties. If we compare cellar insulation, then in terms of efficiency they will be arranged in the following order:

What exactly needs to be insulated in the cellar to prevent freezing?

Let us consider in detail the basics of insulation of all enclosing structures of the cellar: ceiling, walls, floor.

Ceiling insulation

Ceiling insulation plays a big role in the formation of optimal temperature and humidity, because when cold air enters the room, it threatens the formation of condensation on the ceiling and walls. So, how to insulate the ceiling in the cellar with your own hands.

Surface inspection. It is necessary to inspect the ceiling covering for cracks in the seams between the concrete slabs. After which you need to cover them with putty with antiseptic additives. Regarding the dowels for attaching thermal insulation, they must also be thermally insulated.
A vapor barrier membrane is attached to the putty surface to the ceiling. It is necessary to ensure that during each subsequent operation moisture is normally removed from the cellar without forming condensation on the ceiling and walls. The membrane does not prevent the infiltration of moist air to the outside, and prevents the penetration of moisture from the outside. The material is a regular polymer film, but with special perforation.

The photo clearly shows the membrane for ceiling insulation and aluminum hangers

To construct a vapor barrier for the ceiling, you should use penofol, the main composition of which is foamed polyethylene, protected by aluminum foil. Its peculiarity is that it serves as an excellent heat insulator, and aluminum acts as a screen that reflects thermal energy into the room.

Installation of hangers for sheathing. It is necessary to select a material that will be more tolerant of a damp room; this material includes a galvanized profile. It must be secured to special hangers. You can also use wooden blocks as hangers, but this will add additional hassle. The bars must be treated with an antiseptic and other hydrophobic compounds. Fastening will be carried out using screws and dowels.

It is important to know! When working with hangers, it is necessary to set a distance corresponding to the width of the foam. Otherwise, gaps will remain.

How to insulate a floor

Floor insulation follows a similar pattern, with the exception of several technologies. The bottom layer will be roofing felt or any other waterproofing material. The bars for the construction of the support logs should be chosen more durable, as they will experience a greater load. The top layer will be plywood or boards.

This technology Floor insulation is quite easy to install and is not so expensive, but wood has a big disadvantage: it quickly becomes unusable in moisture conditions. Therefore, it is better to use extruded polystyrene. The properties of the material are very similar to polystyrene foam.

As floor insulation effective solution will be using expanded clay base.

The base of the floor is expanded clay (insulation), then light reinforcement mesh and concrete screed

Sequence of work

Inspect the floor surface for cracks; if they are found, they must be covered. cement-sand mortar composition 1:2 (sand and cement). When found uneven surfaces, you should perform a screed along the beacons. Having completed the repair, you need to clean the surface of debris and waterproof it. The best choice would be to treat the floor with bitumen resin.

It is important to know! Polystyrene sheets can only be installed after the bitumen resin has completely dried.

Once the resin has dried, polystyrene sheets can be laid. The sheets must be mounted so that the seams run apart. Having finished laying the sheets, the metal reinforcement mesh. Reinforcing the floor screed will prevent cracks from appearing on the surface. The mesh used is lightweight, made from smooth-rolled reinforcement ∅3-4mm. Then concrete is poured onto the mesh and carefully leveled. Regarding flooring, then you can leave bare concrete or build a modern polymer self-leveling floor.

How to insulate walls

Foam plastic is the most suitable heat-insulating material for wall insulation. It is attached using special dowels and glue. Foam fastening technology:

Video: another effective method - insulating the cellar with foam insulation

In conclusion, we can say that an insulated cellar is the key to the complete safety of all conservation and other winter preparations, despite severe frosts and heat. Walls insulated from the inside will keep the entire body indoors and create optimal temperature and moisture.

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uteplenieplus.ru

How to insulate a cellar: external thermal insulation, insulation of floors, walls, ceilings and doors

As you know, building a cellar does not mean getting a good place to store your crops. Poor waterproofing can cause penetration groundwater into the room, and poor-quality thermal insulation leads to unfavorable temperature conditions and the formation of condensation. That is why we will look at how to insulate a cellar in a garage or under a house; this will create an optimal microclimate in which all products will be kept fresh for a very long time.

It is worth remembering that only an integrated approach: good waterproofing, high-quality insulation and proper ventilation guarantee that the cellar will not be damp.

Polystyrene foam is a very popular option for insulating cellars among developers.

Insulation serves two main purposes:

In winter, freezing of the structure is prevented.
In summer, high-quality thermal insulation allows you to maintain a low temperature in the cellar even on the hottest days.

Features of insulation of various parts of the cellar

First you need to decide which insulation for the cellar to choose. This depends on the heat-insulated surface and the specifics of the material used. We will look at the most popular options, and you will have to make the final choice.

External thermal insulation

Insulation of the outside of the building is relevant in cases where the cellar is located under a garage, in a barn or near the outer walls of the house, and also if it is located separately. In cases where the cellar is located under the house several meters from its outer walls, this operation does not need to be carried out.

At this stage, the following features can be distinguished:

It is best to carry out work during the construction stage, when there is space. Otherwise, you will have to clear the entire foundation, and in some cases this is almost impossible to do.
The walls must be waterproofed. The best option is modern roll materials and liquid rubber. These coatings last for decades, unlike bitumen and roofing felt.
If there are large gaps, it is best to seal them with polyurethane foam; it reliably insulates heat and does not collapse within a period of time. long term.
Next, foam plastic or other sheet heat-insulating material is attached. The easiest way to glue it is with polyurethane foam or a special composition. You can also use bitumen mastic - when it dries, it also provides high fastening strength.

In the photo - thermal insulation material for external insulation is attached to a pre-waterproofed surface

Advice! If high quality work is important to you, it is better to use extruded polystyrene foam.

This material is much stronger than ordinary polystyrene foam, it has higher thermal insulation properties, and thanks to the grooves at the ends, the joints are very reliable.

To provide maximum efficiency For the thermal insulation layer on the street, it is necessary to make a blind area along the wall to protect the basement walls from moisture.

The blind area will reliably protect the layer of external insulation and significantly extend its service life

Floor insulation

This is also an important point in the construction of a cellar. Many people believe that gender does not require special attention, but this is not true. In order for your floor to be reliable, it should be thermally and waterproofed. There are several ways to do this.

Insulation using expanded clay:

The base is leveled, which needs to be covered with roofing felt or filled with bitumen, and a waterproofing agent is glued to it.
Next, expanded clay of fractions from 5 to 20 mm is poured. The layer of material should be from 10 to 25 cm. A concrete screed with reinforcement is poured on top of the material, the thickness of which depends on the expected load on the floor. After it hardens, you can carry out additional waterproofing of the surface.

Expanded clay is an excellent material for floor insulation

It is worth noting that expanded clay is a very light material, which simplifies the process of working with it. In addition, the price for this material is quite affordable.

You can insulate the floor using sand and crushed stone:

The site is prepared and leveled, after which 15-20 cm of fine crushed stone is poured onto it. Then a layer of sand 5-10 cm thick is poured.
The pillow is compacted and waterproofed; this can be done using roofing felt or construction film.
Next, a reinforcing belt is installed and concrete is poured. If groundwater is located close to the surface, you can waterproof the poured surface and make a 5 cm thick screed on top. This will provide additional protection.

A reinforcement structure is installed on the gravel-sand cushion and concrete is poured

The third method is foam insulation:

A sand or gravel cushion is installed, which is covered with a waterproofing material.
Grade 35 foam is laid on top.
Next, a screed is poured, which, if necessary, can be reinforced to increase strength.

But this method is less common, since the floor can be perfectly insulated in simpler ways.

Wall insulation

We have looked at how to carry out work on the outside, now we will look at how to insulate the cellar from the inside.

The best option is polystyrene foam due to ease of installation and low price. With its help, you can easily carry out insulation with your own hands; you do not need the help of specialists or instructions - everything is very simple.

The walls should be prepared first - they should be smooth, all flaws should be repaired cement mortar. If there is a danger of flooding, it is better to treat the walls with a penetrating solution, this moment This best protection rooms from moisture.

The easiest way to glue sheets of insulation is to glue them, after which the surface is covered with reinforcing mesh and plastered.

Polystyrene foam provides excellent thermal insulation

It is worth noting that when insulating external walls with polystyrene foam 10 cm thick or more, internal insulation can be omitted.

Another option is to press guide bars along the walls, after which foam plastic is inserted between the bars, and the surface is covered with wood or moisture-resistant sheets.

Many developers prefer to use mineral wool; its installation process is no different from polystyrene foam. If the insulation will be carried out under plaster, solid insulation is used, if under the bars - soft mats or rolled material.

Another option is insulation with sprayed polyurethane foam. At the moment this is the most reliable and durable insulation. It has no seams, is resistant to moisture and has high thermal insulation properties. But the price of this solution is much higher than others.

Spraying is done between the bars, after which the surface is sewn up - everything is very simple

Ceiling insulation

As a rule, the main problems with the microclimate in the basement are associated precisely with poor-quality insulation of the upper partition. Therefore, it is definitely worth doing.

There are several basic options for how to insulate a cellar from above. Let's look at each of them.

You can use polystyrene foam: fill the slats, insert insulation between them and seal all the seams with polyurethane foam.

Polystyrene foam can be used on both walls and ceilings

You can fill the sheathing at a distance of 30 cm from the ceiling with 40 cm cells, or weld it from metal. Sealed plastic bags with moss, straw and other natural materials are stuffed into the created space.

You can use polyurethane foam spraying, but this will cost a significant amount.

Door insulation

Many people, when insulating a cellar, forget that a significant part of the coolness escapes through a poor-quality door. It is best to make a vestibule with two doors. But it’s still better to additionally insulate the inner fabric. The easiest way is to cover it with foam plastic - this is a simple and effective way of insulation.

You can simply glue the foam to the door