Well      06/26/2020

How to insulate a cottage for winter living video. How to insulate a country house for winter living Insulation of a garden house with your own hands

With the onset of cold weather, many summer residents, who have decided to admire the beauties of nature outside the city in winter, are seriously thinking about proper insulation of its own, which will greatly increase the energy saving of heat in it. Since these works are now not cheap, and materials sometimes have exorbitant prices, we bring to your attention the information, using which you can make the insulation of the cottage with your own hands.

Yes, you can more thoroughly insulate your country house, for example, carry out heating, all kinds of underfloor heating, etc. BUT ... it’s more and more realistic to do it when the house is just being built or even earlier - when drafting a summer house, where they will be in mandatory all the necessary communications are in order. And what about those summer residents who recently bought a house in which the heating system is not provided at all?

Using our tips, you can quickly, efficiently and inexpensively make your country house hic!

So, warming a country house: where to start?

The first step is to carefully examine your entire house and examine all the places through which heat can escape from your home. If not detected in time, and subsequently not eliminated this problem, then, in this case, even the most expensive and high-quality heating system will not be able to heat your house enough and make living in it as comfortable as possible!

We will take a set of measures that will help us properly organize energy saving in your home.

The most popular materials used for home insulation are mineral wool, polystyrene foam.

By insulating the entire house from the outside with these materials, you can achieve an excellent energy-saving effect. However, this pleasure is not cheap! Nothing, take care of the external insulation gradually. Even if this procedure will take you a year and a half, you will definitely be satisfied with the final result!

  • We create a strong frame, it is also called a crate, with which we will strengthen the insulation around the country house;
  • Treat the walls of the country house with any antiseptic designed for these purposes;
  • It's time to protect the insulation with the help of wind insulation or vapor barrier (the technologies for using one or another insulator depend on the chosen insulation material);
  • Set up a frame for exterior finish and, sew everything with siding;
  • Thoroughly plaster the insulated wall.


Many novice "builders" believe that the thicker the foam, the better thermal insulation in the house! This is an erroneous opinion! In fact, high-quality thermal insulation will be ensured by strict adherence to the technological process of wall insulation, according to all existing rules.

Many summer residents argue among themselves about how best to insulate the cottage: from the outside or from the inside?

Let's not get into arguments - in the end, every point of view has the right to exist! We note that interior decoration walls with any insulation will definitely take up some useful space of the room, but the external one will not affect the space at all, but it will certainly entail somewhat higher cash costs!

As always and everywhere, it is up to you which side you will insulate your country house from.

The most affordable and popular upholstery insulation for the interior of your home is mineral wool. Let's take a look at her example today. detailed instructions warming the inside of the house with your own hands.

  • Initially, we make a frame (metal from profiles, or wooden from laths). In the manufacture of the frame, the width of the mineral wool roll should be taken into account, the wool should lie easily, but tightly between the rails or profiles.
  • Insert mineral wool between the profiles;
  • Sheathe the walls with OSB boards, subsequently they can be easily covered with stain or painted in any desired color. Even more popular finishing material is drywall. It is easily attached, wallpaper, tiles, wall paneling, paint and many other finishing materials fit smoothly on it.

The bulk of the cold air enters the room through the door, when it is opened and closed. However, it often happens that the doors do not fit tightly to the boat, there are multiple gaps through which cold air gets into the house, and the heat constantly leaves.

To avoid such heat leakage, we suggest that you start insulating the front doors in your country house.

Here are a few materials that have been successfully used as insulation:



Rubber pasting (glued on the boat from all four sides);
Felt (also laid and nailed along the edge of the door).

These methods are successfully applied if your doors are made of wood, but what about those summer residents who installed metal ones?

For metal doors We suggest insulating the door leaf itself.

How can I insulate a metal door?

  • cut a few wooden beams(2 - 3 pcs.). The length of the bars should be equal to the width of your front door. We fasten the bars to the door with through bolts, and the bolt heads should be on the outer side of the door;
  • We tightly insert sheets of foam between the bars, by surprise;
  • We cover the insulation with an OSB sheet of the desired size (cut it exactly to the size of the door), fasten the sheet with self-tapping screws to the wooden beams.

That's all warming! Thanks to your efforts, now not only will cold air not be able to enter your house, but warm air will not find a single crack through which it can slip out. The house will remain at a stable comfortable temperature!

Windows, as well as doors, can be conduits of cold air into your room. In order to protect yourself from such "unauthorized" penetration, you should take some measures, namely:

  • We identify windows with broken or cracked glass and change the glass in them to new and intact ones;
  • With the help of the "grandfather's" putty, we carefully cover the cracks in the places where the glasses fit to the tree. By the way, newfangled sealants are also able to cope with such a task !;
  • We paint the frames well and, thereby, further reduce the chance of cold air penetration;
  • Check for drafts under window frames, sealant will also help us eliminate them.

However, if the gaps are too large, then it is better to use mounting foam, or simply carefully plaster these problem areas and then paint them.
Our grandfathers in such cases also used cotton wool, folded newspaper, foam rubber for insulation and sealed it all with special paper using ordinary laundry soap!

Modern technologies have given us double-glazed windows that are conveniently inserted and provide the living space with the necessary heat and sound resistance. But this pleasure is not cheap!

A warm floor is a guarantee of the health of every household!

There are many different methods for warming the floor with your own hands. This is the use of expanded clay, and the laying of pipes under the floor with hot water, And. one of the most easily accessible and cheap is insulation with foam plates.

Consider the method of floor insulation using foam:

A wooden frame is stuffed onto the existing floor screed, corresponding to the dimensions of the foam boards;
We tightly insert the foam boards into the resulting wooden frame (the foam can also be crushed and poured, broken and cut, but, the best way, after all, the first is to tightly lay the foam plates in the grooves);
Lay on top of the insulation floorboard, or, in its absence, OSB sheets (they can be painted, or linoleum can be laid on top of them, also with and without insulation, we look at our finances).

Floor insulation country house not presented for you great work, since you have already had a good workout on the walls of the cottage, the front doors!

We all studied at school and know that warm air necessarily rises, and cold air, on the contrary, descends. It follows that the insulation of the ceiling, or even the attic of your country house, should take a very important place in the insulation of all rooms in a country house.

Again, materials such as polystyrene foam and mineral wool (for attic spaces) are often used as insulation. The technologies for insulating a ceiling or attic are not particularly different from insulating the walls or floor of a building. A distinctive feature is the desirable (but not mandatory) use of galvanized metal profiles as a frame, between which foam boards will be laid and on which, with the help of self-tapping screws, drywall will be fixed.

When using mineral wool as a heater, be sure to use goggles and gloves.

We warm the cottage with our own hands, video


You have already theoretically familiarized yourself with all the stages of warming each part of the house, it remains only to consolidate the information received with a video tutorial and immediately proceed to. Therefore, we bring to your attention our video, which will even more reveal the “secrets” of construction to you and help you independently carry out insulation work in your dacha.

September 6, 2016
Specialization: master in construction drywall constructions, finishing works and installation of floor coverings. Installation of door and window blocks, facade finishing, installation of electrics, plumbing and heating - I can give detailed advice on all types of work.

If you want to use a country or country house for winter living or sometimes spend time in it during the cold season, you must take care of effective thermal insulation designs. I will tell you about my experience of work, which gave excellent results. There is nothing complicated in the process, you just need to repeat all the steps outlined in the review and use quality materials For maximum efficiency insulation.

Warming process

I will talk about the work, breaking it into six parts, so it will be easier for you to understand the nuances of insulation, and you can plan all the actions in correct sequence. There are no trifles here - the more scrupulously you approach the process, the best result get in the end.

Stage number 1 - windows

You need to start work with this part of the structure. Why? It's simple: if you do not insulate window openings in advance, then when insulating walls from the outside or from the inside, you will not be able to make openings, and without this it is very, very difficult to achieve an ideal appearance.

  • First of all, you need to assess the condition of the existing window structures, if the wood is badly damaged and it will be problematic to restore it, then it is better to order new ones. window blocks. Ideal Solutionplastic double-glazed windows, but if you cannot afford to install them, then it's okay - if you wish, you can also insulate an ordinary wooden window with high quality;

  • Frames must have double glazing, single glass is a weak barrier to cold. It is best to use either a double frame construction or insert a second frame for the winter, as is still done in the countryside. That is, you need to measure the size of the opening and make a separate structure, which will be placed for the cold period, this is the cheapest solution possible;

  • I advise you to disassemble the structure, if it has cracked glass, then they need to be replaced, also stock up on a new glazing bead in advance. Glass is planted on silicone sealant around the entire perimeter, this will significantly reduce heat loss through the joints. It is also desirable to coat the glazing bead with sealant, after which it is fixed with carnations, this option provides maximum reliability;

  • Another important part of the work is the sealing of the joint between the frame and the sash or sashes.. It is best to use a special sealant on a self-adhesive basis, it is sold in construction stores footage, so you need to pre-take all the necessary measurements. A cheaper solution is foam tape for window insulation, it is also glued around the perimeter, but unlike the first option, its service life is only one season;

  • If there are cracks and cracks on the frame and sashes, then they need to be repaired with putty, after which the surface is painted. It is important to protect the wood from adverse effects, as moisture and temperature changes deform the structure, and over time the material begins to rot;
  • It is very important to insulate the joint between the frame and the wall with high quality, all gaps wider than 5 mm are easiest to fill mounting foam, it is important that there are no voids inside the structure. IN last resort, you can fill the space with batting, tow and other materials, but this option can be considered as temporary, later it is better to use mounting foam;

  • All joints, especially on the outside, must be closed either wooden platband, or other materials and additionally protect against moisture with a silicone sealant. The fact is that the foam does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation and, under its influence, begins to collapse very quickly;
  • As a more radical option, you can consider the use of shutters, they close when necessary and allow you to create an additional barrier to the cold. But it is much easier to put good frames than to build such a structure.

If you urgently need to insulate windows in winter, then use the option with plastic wrap- a piece larger than the size of the window is taken and fastened around the perimeter with a stapler.

Stage number 2 - the door

An ordinary summer house usually has a more or less solid door, the only function of which is to protect against intrusion. But if you want to use the structure in the winter, then the design should perfectly protect from the cold.

Let's figure out how to properly insulate this part of the structure:

  • Most importantly, the front door should not go directly into the living space.. Be sure to provide a dressing room, if it is not there, then fence off a small part of the space. There should be such a barrier between the street and the house, this will significantly reduce heat loss through the door block;
  • As for the door material, it is most often wood, although in Lately metal variants are increasingly being used. Here it is important to choose a design with a thicker canvas, and if you have a metal door, then it is desirable that it be filled with mineral wool insulation;
  • We will figure out how to modify an ordinary wooden door, first of all, it is necessary to seal all the cracks and cracks with a special putty. After that, apply 2 coats of paint or varnish to protect the material from moisture;

  • If you need to insulate the structure, then the most simple option is the upholstery of the surface with batting or foam rubber. Outside, the surface is closed with dermatin, for better protection joints around the perimeter are made rollers, they seal the junction;

  • Additional abutment density door leaf to the box provides a special rubber seal. It sticks around the perimeter in a matter of minutes and performs two functions at once: with it, heat loss is significantly reduced, and the door closes more gently. The seal is sold by the meter and has a self-adhesive side for quick attachment;

  • As an option that is suitable for both wooden and metal structures you can consider the use of mineral wool or polystyrene with inside canvases. You can fill the internal cavities with the material, or you can mount it on the outside, it all depends on the features;

As a quick option for improving the thermal insulation of a doorway, I can advise a curtain made of dense material, a blanket or something similar will do. It's not very pretty, but it's very effective, if you don't believe it, try it.

  • As for the adjoining of the box to the wall, it is filled with mounting foam, the excess of which is cut off after drying. Next, you need to close the gaps with a platband or some kind of bar, this will protect the foam and create an additional barrier to the penetration of cold.

Stage number 3 - ceiling

Do you know that from 20 to 25% of heat is lost through a poorly insulated ceiling? This is due to the fact that when heated, the air always rises, and if the structure is not thermally insulated, then it turns out that you are heating the street. Just recently, I wrote a detailed review on the insulation of the ceiling, read it, and you will understand this part of the work very well.

Here I will briefly talk about the most popular options for insulation:

  • The most budgetary solution is the use of sawdust, in order to protect the material from dampness, they must be mixed with lime. The minimum layer of material is 20 cm, but for effective insulation it is advisable to pour 25-30 cm. Biggest Benefit– affordable price, but other indicators leave much to be desired;
  • The use of clay involves the manufacture of a solution with sawdust, this increases the strength of the layer and makes this technology more reliable than the one described above. Plus, at a low cost, but the work is quite laborious: you need to dig up clay, prepare a solution of the right consistency, after which it needs to be evenly distributed over the surface and leveled, it dries for at least a month;

  • Expanded clay is a good option, this insulation is very popular due to its low cost, light weight and fire safety. The technology of its application is very simple: you need to fill the material on the ceiling with a layer of 20 cm or more. An additional advantage of this material is that it absorbs excess moisture from the air, maintaining optimal humidity in room;
  • Styrofoam is a very popular solution today, insulation is available and easy to use. The technology of work is not at all complicated: you need to prepare the surface by leveling it and laying a waterproofing vapor-permeable membrane. Sheets are laid in a layer of 100 mm or more, all cracks and joints at the junctions are sealed with mounting foam, it serves as a heat insulator and as glue;

  • Mineral wool - another modern effective option for ceiling insulation. The advantage of this material is ease of use and high thermal insulation performance, the disadvantage is that the cost will be higher than that of all the options described above, although it cannot be called very large either. When laying, the main thing is to fill the space tightly, the layer thickness should be at least 100 mm, but it is better if it is 150-200 mm;

  • Another option is to use spray formulations like penoizol. The advantage of this solution is simplicity: all the work will be done for you by specialists, the minus is the high cost.

If you do not have an attic in the design of your country house, then you will have to insulate the ceiling from the inside. Styrofoam or extruded polystyrene foam is best suited for this type of work, these materials are simply glued to the surface using a special compound, after which all joints are also sealed.

What is the best way to insulate the ceiling? It's up to you to decide, I personally lean towards mineral wool as it is very effective and easy to use. It is by no means worth saving on the insulation of the house.

Stage number 4 - floor surface

We will figure out how to insulate the floor in the country house with our own hands, I will consider the option with a wooden floor, since it is he who occurs in the vast majority of cases. To keep the design as warm as possible, you should follow a few simple tips:

  • Insulation of floors in the country begins with filling the space under the floor with sand, no empty spaces through which frost and wind walk. A friend of mine spent a lot of time and money on expensive insulation, but the floor became warm only after he covered the space under it with building sand and waterproofed the surface. Cold and damp - that's what gives an empty cellar;
  • Next, logs are laid, the height of which should be 20-25 cm, it is this layer of insulation that we will lay on the surface. The distance between the elements should be such that you can lay the selected material without cutting, this will simplify the workflow and improve the final result;

  • Then the surface is laid with insulation, it is best to use mineral wool, as it keeps heat well and is easy to use. It uses inexpensive roll material 100 mm thick, which is laid in two layers. The insulation should adjoin the structure as tightly as possible, so when cutting, make the elements 3-4 cm more than the distance between the lags;

Of course, you can use foam plastic or mineral wool in the form of plates as a heater, in this case you need to place elements with offset joints to prevent the appearance of cold bridges. All insufficiently tight joints are filled with mounting foam, this should not be forgotten either.

Before you insulate the floor in the country, you must decide on the material and purchase everything you need for work. Of course, sawdust or expanded clay can also be used, but these materials will not give the desired effect, unless they are poured in a layer of 40 cm. Therefore, rely on the experience of many developers and choose what works.

To ensure the best effect, the surface is covered with a vapor barrier material, after which it is sewn up with either a floorboard or sheet elements, it all depends on your project, because the floor can be finished with a variety of materials.

Stage number 5 - wall insulation

It is through this part of the structure that the the largest number heat, and this is not surprising, because the walls are the largest part of the building in terms of area, which goes out into the open air, and is not covered by soil or roofing, like the floor and.

Let's figure out how to carry out the thermal insulation of a country house with your own hands:

  • First of all, you should indicate the fact that it is desirable to carry out work outside, this is due both to the simplicity of the process, and to the dew point, which shifts outward, and to the fact that the work inside takes up usable area. I will talk about a complex solution in which the walls will be thermally insulated on both sides, this option provides the best effect at low cost;
  • On initial stage you need to choose a heater for the walls outside, there are two main options: either polystyrene or mineral wool. The first solution is characterized by low cost and low weight, the second is high efficiency. Styrofoam is still used most often, since not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on a country house;

  • Work begins with leveling the surface and fixing the frame, into which the insulation will be laid. The spacing of the elements should be selected in such a way that the insulation is tightly inserted between them without additional cutting. It is important to set the crate evenly, since it depends on how even the wall will be subsequently, you can use suspensions to fix the structure, this will simplify the workflow;

  • Then the entire space is filled with foam, the thickness of which should be 100 mm. Everything is simple here: insert the sheets into the cells as tightly as possible, without gaps and voids. If they are nevertheless formed, then fill them with mounting foam to exclude the occurrence of places for the penetration of cold;

  • For additional reliability, the insulation is additionally fixed with self-tapping screws, on which special pressure washers are put on (this element is called rondol). Two fasteners per sheet are enough, it is important to fix its position and exclude shifting or slipping over time;
  • Next, the surface is covered with a windproof membrane, which will prevent the penetration of moisture into the structure and protect the surface from wind loads. It is easiest to attach it with a stapler;
  • To improve thermal insulation performance and ensure unimpeded evaporation of moisture from the surface of the walls, a counter-lattice 3-4 cm high is stuffed over the main frame;
  • Finishing can be different: from siding or wooden lining to more expensive solutions or even plastering (in this case, oriented strand board is nailed first).

I am often asked what kind of insulation to choose for outdoor insulation of a summer residence. The advice is simple: if funds allow, then use mineral wool or foam spraying, if there are financial restrictions, then the foam will become great solution, the main thing is to lay it correctly and fill all the cracks with foam.

Modern industry produces an excellent insulation for walls inside the house in the country - penofol. It is a foamed polyethylene, on one side of which a reflective surface is glued, it has the property of reflecting heat, thereby helping to save energy and increase the temperature in the room.

Let's figure out how to carry out insulation from the inside with your own hands:

  • First of all, you need to prepare the surfaces, no special alignment is required, because the material is flexible. The main thing is that the base is clean and dry, do not cover wet places with penofol best idea, since mold may subsequently begin to form in these areas;
  • Next, pieces of material of the desired length are cut off, it is better if they go to the floor and ceiling, thereby isolating the joints, which are areas with increased heat loss. As for fastening, there are two main options: penofol can be attached to wooden walls using a construction stapler, or you can nail slats on top, this option is good if the surface is subsequently sheathed with clapboard;

  • Do not forget about the additional insulation of the seams between the penofol - they are glued with special metallized adhesive tape. This eliminates the loss of cold through the seams, which will inevitably occur if you do not take care of it in advance. A country house insulated in this way from the inside will be much warmer, and less energy will be spent on heating it.

Stage number 6 - attic thermal insulation

I put this part of the work last, since the attic can not be found in every building, but in view of the limited space for construction, the presence of such a room is advisable, because it significantly increases the usable area. But in order to use this part of the building as a full-fledged residential area, it must be very well insulated.

Unlike other rooms, the attic is separated from the outside air only by a roofing system, which is clearly not enough to effectively retain heat.

The workflow in this case looks like this:

  • First of all, you need to prepare the space, remove dirt and cobwebs, and also remove everything from the attic that may interfere with the work. All surfaces should be easily accessible, then you can start laying materials, below is a drawing that shows the structure of the structure;

  • Next, a vapor-permeable membrane is attached, which will act as a hydro-barrier, and will also prevent the penetration of wind into the structure. The material is fastened with a stapler; for reliability, laps of 10-15 cm are made on the joints;
  • As for the insulation, its layer should be at least 150 (and preferably 200) mm, perfect option- mineral wool, but, in extreme cases, foam plastic is also suitable, all joints between the sheets of which are necessarily sealed with mounting foam. When laying, try to achieve maximum density, the fewer gaps and voids remain, the warmer it will be in the room in winter, remember this;

  • Next, the surface is covered with another material - penofol, it allows you to improve the thermal insulation properties of the surface, as well as reflect heat back into the room, which is especially important in the attic, because this is the upper part of the building and warm air accumulates here. All mounting recommendations are described in the section above, so I will not dwell on this aspect in detail;

Conclusion

Thermal insulation of a country house is a simple process, but it requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, it is better to start work in advance so that the entire structure is prepared for the onset of the cold season, and you do not worry about having to sleep under three blankets at low temperatures.

The video in this article will help you understand some important nuances even better, and if something is not clear to you, then write your questions in the comments below this review.

September 6, 2016

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Insulation of a country house, as it is necessary, due to the fact that most of the buildings located outside the city are not heated from the central heating system, or gas-fired boilers, but with the help of solid fuel boilers, or conventional heating furnaces.

Such heating is effective, but laborious. In order for the received thermal energy used as rationally as possible, it is necessary to take care of the insulation of the walls of the country house. The best way to do this will be discussed in this article.

From this material you will learn where it is worth insulating the cottage - from the outside, or from the inside. An answer will also be given to the question: “Which insulation to choose?”. We will consider such materials for home insulation with our own hands as mineral wool, extruded polystyrene foam, penoizol and foil penofol.

1 Where is it better to insulate: inside or outside?

Immediately it is worth mentioning that if you want to equip as much as possible effective insulation country house with, then the required result can be obtained only through its complex insulation. Especially when it comes to warming a country house made of wood with your own hands.

There are a lot of ways to lose heat in a house with low thermal insulation. These are windows, and attic floors, and doorways, and walls.

But there are often cases when the budget for a summer house thermal insulation project allows you to choose only insulation from the outside or from the inside of the house. Let's figure out which option in this case is better to give preference.

In order to be able to easily understand all of the following, you first need to understand the concept of thermal inertia. For example, a cottage built of brick, during the summer day, stands under the rays of the sun at an air temperature of +35 degrees.

During this time, the brick walls warm up so much that the warmth of the walls will be felt even 3-4 hours after sunset.

Based on this, a brick is a material with high thermal conductivity, as well as - it absorbs the sun's rays for a long time, raising its temperature, and when the temperature decreases environment also gives its heat back for a long time.

1.1 Insulation of the walls of the cottage exclusively from the inside of the house

In construction, there is one key rule, which is formulated as: “design outdoor structure(walls) of the house, the layers of the wall should be arranged in order of decreasing their thermal insulation and increasing vapor barrier properties from the outside to the inside of the building. That is, the outer contour of the walls should have the lowest thermal conductivity.

If layer thermal insulation material, contrary to these requirements, will be located inside the house, then both points of this rule will be violated. Of course, the insulation of the walls from the inside will give quite a tangible result, but the microclimate inside the room will suffer significantly.

There is a great risk that the humidity and dampness of the air in the house will increase significantly, due to the unnaturally high vapor barrier, which is facilitated by most types of thermal insulation, especially foil, materials.

The internal insulation of the walls of the cottage, as a rule, is done by hand by installing heat-insulating material on the surface of the walls, and then lining it with drywall.

This technology is often performed incorrectly, as well as, since one of the key factors that must be followed so that internal insulation does not bring all of the above problems with one's own hands is the strongest adjoining of the heat insulator to the wall and the tight connection of the joints.

This is important due to the high thermal inertia of a brick wall. For 5-10 days of serious sub-zero temperatures outside surface the walls of the house will cool down very much, and the brick will turn into a serious source of cold, working to cool the inside of the house, which has more high temperature, and, as a consequence, provoking heat transfer.

If you insulate the wall inside the house with your own hands, then it is very important that the thermal insulation be made as tightly and monolithically as possible, since any gaps in the joints of the thermal insulation material with the wall and between themselves will contribute to the appearance of cold bridges.

A cold bridge is a place that has greater thermal conductivity than the main part of the house structure. Cold bridges are a serious reason for reducing the effectiveness of wall insulation, even if it is made using the highest quality thermal insulation materials.

If cold bridges have appeared, then the brick or wooden wall of the dacha will give off cold through the insulation (even if it is), as a result of which the drywall layer with which it is lined will cool.

When drywall is cooled below the dew point temperature, due to the temperature difference, moisture will condense on it, which will eventually turn into mold or fungus. Especially often this situation happens with the corners of the most poorly heated rooms.

In order for the internal insulation of a country house not to bring more disadvantages than advantages, it is necessary to strictly follow the following recommendations:

  • The optimal insulation for insulating walls from the inside is a foil-type heat-insulating material like foam, it is best that the foiling is done on both sides. Double-sided foiling significantly reduces heat transfer between the cold wall and facing material, as a result of which condensate is either minimal or not formed at all;
  • Arrangement of a thick facing layer with. If drywall is used, then it optimum thickness should be about 5 centimeters. Such a lining, due to its size, will prevent intensive cooling of the air inside the room due to freezing of the walls in winter, even if there are cold bridges.

1.2 Insulation of the walls of the cottage from the outside

External wall insulation is one of the most common and universal options partial thermal insulation of a country house with their own hands. And, in fact, the only correct option.

The low thermal conductivity of heaters helps to maintain the optimal internal temperature of brick, or wooden wall throughout the cold season.

The wall will not freeze due to the fact that the insulation prevents the penetration of cold from the outside, and from the inside the wall is heated by warm air.

For example, in practice, this plus, given our knowledge of the thermal inertia of the walls, results in the following. After opening the window to ventilate the house with cold winter morning, you will get instant warming up of the air that got inside the house, as the heated walls will give off their heat inside the house.

As a result, even if the window is open for an hour, the temperature in the house will drop by a maximum of 2-3 degrees. Similar ventilation, when the insulation is located outside the walls of the house, is likely to provoke a decrease in the temperature of the house by 7-8 degrees.

An additional advantage of high-quality external thermal insulation, provided that the insulation is mounted as tightly as possible and covered with a layer of plaster and external cladding, is the complete absence of any air convection, cold bridges and drafts.

2 Types of heaters

Question: "Which insulation to choose?" it is very multifaceted, moreover, each individual case requires an individual choice, and it is impossible to say exactly which insulation is objectively the best. Let's look at the basic requirements that a really high-quality insulation must meet.

  • thermal insulation properties. The higher the thermal insulation characteristics of the material, the thinner the lining layer will be, as a result of which both finances and free space will be saved.
  • Hydrophobicity From how much the heat insulator absorbs moisture, the life span of the ego directly depends. The presence of internal moisture contributes to the accelerated destruction of the insulation. It is important that the material has water-repellent properties.
  • Fire resistance. High-quality insulation should not undergo combustion and be self-extinguishing.
  • Lifetime. It is important that over time the insulation does not decompose, does not lose its thermal insulation properties, microorganisms, midges and rodents do not start in it.
  • Safety. This factor acquires maximum significance when it comes to materials for thermal insulation of a country house from the inside. The insulation should not have any negative effect on the human body;
  • Soundproofing. High-quality heaters, as a rule, have good soundproofing properties. We are talking about foamed foam and mineral wool products.
  • Price. How much insulation costs is often one of the leading factors when choosing a thermal insulation material. It is important that the cost of the insulation is optimally correlated with its functional characteristics.

Let's figure out which insulation is best used to insulate a country house with your own hands. The following materials meet the above requirements:

  • Mineral (basalt) wool;
  • Expanded polystyrene foam;
  • Foil penofol;
  • Liquid penoizol.

If you are not limited in funds, then mineral wool is the best option for warming the cottage with your own hands. According to the thermal conductivity parameter given material is one of the best insulators. It does not burn, does not rot, has excellent soundproofing properties and vapor permeability, which helps to maintain an optimal indoor climate.

Mineral wool can be used to insulate walls with your own hands, both inside and outside the house. Weak side mineral wool insulation is unsatisfactory moisture resistance.

Manufacturers are trying to solve this issue with the help of a variety of hydrophobic additives that impregnate mineral threads at the creation stage, however, in order to be completely sure that the insulation does not collapse due to moisture gain, it is necessary to equip a high-quality waterproofing layer.

If you do all the work yourself, then an important factor is the maximum simplicity of the insulation. The best option in this case, it is foil penofol, or expanded polystyrene foam.

These materials have good thermal insulation properties, and, at the same time, they are quite inexpensive. Penofol with double-sided foil is great for internal insulation walls of the house, while expanded polystyrene should be used for external wall insulation.

2.1 Features of warming a country house with foam plastic (video)

A country house is a building that is initially calculated only for summer operation, therefore, during its construction, insufficient attention is paid to thermal insulation measures. If it is necessary to use it in the cold period, the question arises of how to insulate a country house intended for winter living.

Why insulate

Warming the cottage will save on heating in winter

Modern systems heating systems are able to create the desired temperature in the room, so why is it necessary to carry out additional measures. Insulation of a country house will allow the owner to solve the following problems:

  • high heating costs;
  • the appearance of condensation on the walls and ceiling;
  • violation of the operation mode of structures and their destruction.

If during the cold season there is a positive temperature inside the house, but its enclosing structures are not insulated enough, this will lead to many problems, which are easier to prevent than to fix with your own hands.

Thermal insulation materials

The building materials market offers a huge range of types and manufacturers of thermal insulation materials. It is easy to get lost in this variety. The choice depends on the location of the thermal insulation and the wishes of the owner of the house. The main heat insulators include:

  1. Mineral wool. It is produced in the form of mats (rolls) and rigid plates. The first option is suitable for walls and floors along the logs, the second for walls, floors, roofs. The advantages include incombustibility, high efficiency, durability, resistance to decay and mold. The disadvantage is the ability to absorb moisture. It is important to remember that when working with this material, you need to use masks, gloves and overalls. Neglect of safety measures will lead to the ingress of cotton particles on the skin and lungs, and eventually to irritation and allergic reactions.
  2. Styrofoam. The material is made from polystyrene. It is a plate of small balls filled with air. The indisputable advantage was the low cost of the material and availability. There are quite a few shortcomings. These include combustibility, inability to pass air (the house will need additional ventilation), low strength and instability to the simultaneous effects of moisture and low temperatures. Suitable for do-it-yourself insulation of walls (it is recommended not to use it from the outside), floors (better for insulation from below), attic roofs.
  3. Extruded polystyrene foam (foam). The material is similar to foam, but is an improved version of it. It belongs to low-combustibility, has increased strength and moisture resistance. The disadvantages include air tightness. Suitable for insulating walls and floors (both interfloor ceilings and on the ground).
  4. Expanded clay. Inexpensive material. Compared to the previous three, it does not have high efficiency. Represents small granules of the baked clay, free-flowing. The disadvantages include high thermal conductivity and a large mass. Suitable for floor insulation (simultaneously levels the surface).

There are also a number of less common materials, these include:

  • polyurethane foam;
  • ecowool (insulation mats made of flax);
  • penoizol (foamed polymer resin);
  • isocom (foil material);
  • sawdust.

How best to insulate

After choosing a heat insulator, you need to decide on the method of insulation. Do-it-yourself warming at home for winter living can be carried out in two ways:

  • outside;
  • from within.

Insulation of a country house from the inside is relevant in the following cases:

  • work is carried out in winter, when it is not comfortable to perform operations on the street;
  • it is impossible to affect the facade of the building and violate its decoration;
  • wall insulation at a sufficiently high height.

It is important to remember that do-it-yourself insulation from the outside is more correct from a technical point of view.

Protecting the house from the cold air side helps prevent the effects of cold on the supporting structures and extend their service life.

Warming technology

It all depends on the location of the structure that needs to be protected. In the case of a country house for living in winter, the following elements need thermal insulation with their own hands:

  • floors on the ground;
  • floors of the first floor with a cold basement;
  • exterior walls;
  • attic floor when the attic is cold;
  • mansard roof.

Each of these cases must be considered separately.

Ground floor insulation

An action may be required if the building has a basement that is planned to be used as warm room and carry out heating there. Two types of thermal insulation materials are suitable for this event:

  • extruded polystyrene foam;
  • expanded clay gravel.

Scheme of thermal insulation of the floor on the ground with expanded clay

If expanded clay is used, then the work is performed in the following order:

  • compact the base soil by tamping;
  • perform backfilling of coarse or medium sand (thickness depends on the characteristics of the soil, is approximately 30 cm);
  • expanded clay is poured (thickness is about 30-50 cm, depending on the climatic area of ​​\u200b\u200bconstruction);
  • lay a layer of waterproofing;
  • pour concrete subfloor.

Styrofoam floor insulation scheme

If a decision is made to insulate with foam plastic, work is carried out in the following sequence:

  • compact the soil;
  • make a backfill of sand or gravel;
  • pour concrete;
  • lay waterproofing;
  • foam layer;
  • reinforcing mesh;
  • pouring a rough concrete floor.

For floors on the ground, it will be more economical and easier to use expanded clay. It is important to choose the right thickness depending on the outside temperature during the cold period.

Ceiling over the basement and attic

Laying insulation from above can be done in two ways:

  • between lags;
  • under the screed

Thermal insulation of the attic floor between the cold attic joists and between wooden beams attic floor

The choice depends on the constructive solution of the ceiling and the floor pie. Laying along the logs is suitable for houses with ceilings along the beams. In this case, almost any type of heat insulators can be used:

  • polystyrene and foam plastic;
  • mineral wool (slabs and mats);
  • expanded clay and sawdust;
  • polyurethane foam and penoizol;
  • ecowool.

Laying under the screed requires increased strength from the material. Here it is better to stop at:

  • mineral wool boards;
  • penoplex;
  • expanded clay.

The scheme of floor insulation under the screed

When installing along the logs, beams are first mounted under the flooring, then waterproofing is laid between them (in the case of attic insulation from the outside, vapor barrier). Next, thermal insulation is laid in the space.

If the insulation is laid under the screed, then the work is carried out in this way:

  • waterproofing is laid on a leveled and cleaned base (again, in the case of protecting the attic with your own hands from the outside - vapor barrier);
  • put a heater (for penoplex provide for the distance between the plates);
  • when warming from the outside, it is necessary to provide waterproofing, when warming from the inside - vapor barrier;
  • lay the reinforcing mesh;
  • pour the screed.

The second option for insulation is from the side of the ceiling. Undesirable for attic floors, since the thermal insulation is on the side warm air. For the basement floor, insulation from the outside is a more correct option, but extremely laborious. To fix the heat insulator use wooden slats or adhesives.

Wall insulation

Carried out from the inside and outside. When fixing the heat insulator with your own hands from the side of the facade, the work is performed in the following order:

  • clean the wall from dust and dirt;
  • fix waterproofing;
  • mount a frame for insulation;
  • lay thermal insulation;
  • wind protection is fixed on the insulation layer;
  • do the outer lining.

It is important to remember that for materials such as mineral wool and ecowool, it is necessary to provide a ventilated layer on the outside between the heat insulator and outer skin, 5-10 cm thick. The fastening of heat-insulating materials to the wall depends on the type chosen.

When installing thermal insulation from the inside, follow this order:

  • cleaning the surface from dust and dirt;
  • fixing waterproofing;
  • installation of a heater;
  • vapor barrier;
  • interior decoration.

mansard roof

The most common type of insulation is rigid mineral wool slabs. Work order:


  • installation of the truss system;
  • fixing waterproofing and wind protection;
  • installation of a counter-lattice (it is necessary to ensure a ventilation gap between the mineral wool and the roofing, gaps are provided for the free movement of air in the counter-lattice);
  • installation of the crate;
  • laying roofing material;
  • installation of heat insulator plates between the rafters;
  • vapor barrier;
  • bottom crate;
  • ceiling lining.

For the convenience of laying mineral wool, the pitch of the rafters is taken so that 58 or 118 cm remain in the light between them. After the thermal insulation of the roof, the insulation of the house is completed.

Foreword. How to independently insulate a garden house for the winter, and inexpensively? This question begins to interest many summer residents who want to spend time outside the city, not only with the onset of the first cold weather, but also in the summer. Consider in this article how to insulate an old garden house for the winter on your own. At the end of the article, we will show detailed video instruction: insulation garden house outside.

The main purpose of the house suburban area lies in the formation comfortable conditions life outside the city. Despite the nature and fresh air, everyone wants the conditions of a country holiday to be as close as possible to home. In addition, many avid gardeners extend their holiday season until late autumn, and sometimes even in winter, they come to the dacha with great desire.

Do I need to insulate the garden house for the winter

Not possible at the cottage comfortable rest in cold weather, as old garden houses have simple design not intended for winter living. If there is no thermal insulation in the panel garden house, it will be difficult and very expensive to keep the heat in the summer house. Heating costs will increase as all the heat will be lost through entrance doors, ceiling, walls and floor.

All this suggests that it is necessary to seriously think about the thermal insulation of a country dwelling, moreover, these works are not particularly difficult. Only after this can in early spring and spend the weekend in comfort in winter, slowly doing work. But it should be remembered that all work should be carried out when it is warm - in this case, you will make the insulation inexpensive and of high quality.

How to insulate an old garden house for the winter

The most practical today are such heat-insulating materials as Rocklite mineral wool, foam plastic and foam slabs. Many are still trying to use inexpensive old-fashioned ways of warming, one can say from what lies under their feet. So, when insulating attic floors, you can use sawdust, moss, expanded clay, etc. But we will consider exclusively modern materials.

Materials for thermal insulation of a summer house

When using mineral wool and cellulose insulation, high-quality hydro-vapor barrier of the material from moisture is required. Basalt heaters are mainly used to protect facades, warm wooden floors from the cold. Mineral wool has been used for decades in construction, and has proven itself in the best way. It is believed that this insulation does not gnaw mice.

Styrofoam and extruded polystyrene foam are used in the insulation of strip foundations and blind areas. Penoplex is a dense and durable material that is not afraid of high humidity. Styrofoam, on the contrary, is a fragile material that rodents have chosen. Along with this, polystyrene is the most popular insulation in Russia due to its low cost and ease of installation.

In order not to overpay and make the thermal insulation layer optimal, you should calculate the thickness of the insulation on a heat engineering calculator. As a first approximation, it should be noted that for basalt materials, the thickness of the thermal insulation of structures should be taken at least 10 centimeters. For expanded polystyrenes, the thickness of the thermal insulation layer should already be at least 15 centimeters.

Requirements for materials for thermal insulation

When laying mineral heaters should be tightly laid in the frame, the material returns to its original state after pressing. Mineral wool absorbs moisture, so they must be covered with a vapor barrier. The insulation layer is always laid only on the cold side. Before use, the material must be dry, otherwise it will rot with all the ensuing troubles.

Since rodents start up in garden houses, it is worth choosing a material resistant to moisture and rodents for thermal insulation. For savings Money and improvement of thermal insulation characteristics building structures you can use mineral and organic heaters, stacking them like a layer cake. In this case, the moisture-proof material is laid on the side of the warm room.

How to insulate a garden house inside with your own hands

Many people associate a garden house with a simple summer building made from inexpensive improvised materials. Modern Construction Materials also allow you to build a solid country house for relaxing away from the bustle of the city with a minimum budget. But in order to keep the house in the country house warm and comfortable in winter, you should think about the quality insulation of this building from the inside and outside.

Insulation of the floor and foundation of the garden house

Comfort in a living room depends to a large extent on a warm floor. Most often, in vegetable gardens, one row of boards is laid on the logs on the roll, the subfloor is sheathed with chipboard or fiberboard and linoleum is laid. But through such a floor, cold will penetrate from the ground and even good system heating will not save your feet from freezing feet. The first step is to make a blind area and insulate the strip foundation.

All information on independent thermal insulation of the foundation garden house you can find on our website in the section "Insulation of the foundation". To insulate the floor in the garden house, you must first remove flooring. Warming is carried out by laying heat-insulating material between the lags. After that, boards, OSB sheets or Knauf warm floors are laid on the logs.

Do not forget that basalt insulation should be covered with a vapor barrier film on the side of the warm room and waterproofing on the cold side. Mineral wool mats and slabs should be laid close to the logs so that cold bridges do not form in the ceiling. When laying slab insulation (polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam), all cracks must be treated with mounting foam.

Insulation of the ceiling, attic garden house

Insulation of the ceiling is very important, more than 10% of the heat goes through this design. When choosing a heater, keep in mind that the material must be durable, fire resistant and safe for health. To insulate the attic of a garden house, you can use Izorok mineral wool or loose natural heaters. As inexpensive material you can use sawdust with earth, expanded clay or moss.

All heaters are laid with the necessary layer from the side of the attic. A vapor barrier film is preliminarily laid on the ceilings so that the thermal insulation does not absorb moisture from the warm air. A subfloor can be laid on top of the insulation if there is a need to walk in the attic. Or simply cover the insulation layer with a windproof film to protect it from blowing, pulling away by rodents and birds.

Insulation of the facade and walls of the garden house

The first way to finish the walls, the so-called " wet facade» – slab insulation it is attached to the facade of the house with glue, a reinforcing mesh is glued onto the foam plastic and plaster is applied, followed by painting. The second method, "insulation for siding" - thermal insulation is attached to the facade between the guides from the bars or drywall profiles, then the walls are sheathed with siding or pvc panels.

These two methods are well known to many. One has only to take into account that the “wet facade” is suitable exclusively for block and brick walls, and the insulation of the walls of a country house for siding is suitable for any material - foam block, wood, panel house. In a country house, you can use inexpensive insulation. The choice of insulation depends only on financial capabilities and personal preferences.

Insulation of windows and doors of a garden house

After insulating floors, walls and ceilings, many people forget about the front doors and windows, through which a lot of heat also leaves the house. Windows, especially wooden ones, require careful insulation for the winter. Be sure to inspect windows and slopes, check the absence of gaps between the frame and glass, coat all joints silicone sealant and replace the glazing beads with new ones if necessary.