The main obstacle to the normal operation of heating batteries is the appearance of an air lock. The water in the system cannot circulate, the radiators do not heat up. For someone, it may be a discovery that the solution to the problem was invented eight decades ago and this simple device is called the Mayevsky crane. The principle of operation of the device is based on the movement of a needle valve, which allows air to be released from communications.
Mayevsky's crane is not a large, but effective device for eliminating air congestion
The appearance of an air pocket in heating system happens for several reasons:
- After the installation of a new heating communication, the remaining air cannot be expelled even with great pressure water.
- After heating downtime in the summer, air bubbles accumulate at the highest point of communications. In private households, oversight of filling can lead to an air lock.
- Natural corrosion in aluminum elements of the heating system leads to chemical reaction and the accumulation of gases that must be released using a valve.
The device and photo of the Mayevsky crane
Mayevsky's design is a needle air valve and consists of a screw and a metal body that fit snugly together. The air outlet device is usually made of brass, which is resistant to corrosion. The shutter itself is steel, and the casing is made of durable plastic. In some varieties of the device, the body can be rotated horizontally.
The needle valve is driven by a locking screw. The screw can be adjusted with a cross-head screwdriver or by hand, depending on the model.
Modern valves are additionally equipped with a special key, which greatly simplifies the process of adjusting the device. This key is especially convenient when adjusting the device located in a corner or in another hard to reach place.
Note! Mayevsky's device in a vertical heating system is installed only on the upper batteries. With a horizontal arrangement of communications, valves must be installed on each radiator.
The basic principle of operation of the Mayevsky crane and its varieties
The operation of the needle valve is based on the float principle. The accumulated air raises the float, which opens the exhaust valve.
Crane types
Mayevsky's device has several varieties:
- Classic device with manual control having a screw.
- Automatic design designed for systems individual heating.
- Device with safety valve. Protects the system from excessive internal pressure fluctuations. Especially in demand for systems with plastic pipes.
In addition, KM can have the following versions:
- the usual version with a thread;
- with a plastic cap (suitable only for heating appliances);
- Ball Valves.
The device and principle of operation of the automatic air vent
The same float principle is used at the heart of the operation of an automatic KM. The accumulated air raises the float and releases air, after which it returns to its place.
Schematic principle of operation of an automatic air vent for heating:
This valve does not require special attention, after installation, you can not remember about it. Mayevsky's automatic crane usually has a nickel-plated or brass body and is provided with the possibility of manual opening just in case of a "fire" case.
Note! Specialists in the installation of heating systems do not recommend installing an automatic KM on old-style cast-iron heating radiators. The water in such a system contains many impurities, due to which the faucet quickly clogs and stops functioning.
For centralized systems heating it is worth buying a Mayevsky faucet for cast iron radiators. They can withstand a pressure of fifteen atmospheres, withstand temperatures up to one hundred and fifty degrees and are used in steam heating. These devices are marked with the abbreviation MC140.
Helpful information! Another reason why automatic KMs are not used for central heating systems is the small diameter of the exhaust valve. It is only two millimeters, and it will take several hours to release air from the central system, when it is turned off again, annoying with its hiss.
Advantages and disadvantages of KM
It is worth mentioning that the task of air removal from heating systems can be assigned not only to the Mayevsky crane. The principle of operation, similar to this device, is incorporated in ball valves and other similar devices. But CM has obvious advantages:
- rapid removal of air from the system;
- valves with manual control can be installed in any radiators;
- automatic KM are indispensable for individual systems and allow you to bleed air without human intervention.
The disadvantages include only the tendency of these devices to clog due to impurities and dirt in the system.
How to choose the right faucet
The choice of KM depends only on the characteristics of the heating system in the house. For communications in a private house, you can use any of the listed types of taps. For radiators in the house with central heating you will need KM with fuses to prevent water hammer.
Automatic KM should be installed only if there is confidence in the cleanliness of the contents of the radiators. Otherwise, the valves will have to be cleaned endlessly, and doing this during the heating season will be problematic.
Helpful information! The difference in the cost of manual and automatic KM is not great, therefore it cannot be a decisive argument in choosing a device.
How to install a Mayevsky crane
Installing the KM is very simple - it is simply screwed into the plug of the heating battery. If there is no hole in it initially, the plug should be replaced.
Note! The gasket in the KM must be made of rubber or silicone. Do not purchase a valve with a paronite gasket.
When installing the air extraction device, make sure that the air outlet is directed downwards. So the water that rushes out of the system after the air lock will fall into the substituted container, and not onto the wall or ceiling. For sealing, the thread of the device is wrapped with fum tape.
Automatic KM
To change the air outlet device to a new one, simply unscrew it, holding the plug with a gas wrench.
Note! All plugs on radiators are made with a left-hand thread, therefore, so that they do not unscrew when installing the tap, they must be fixed with an adjustable wrench.
If heating communications are made of plastic pipes, installation of KM will require the installation of an additional fitting.
Having studied the principle of operation of the Mayevsky crane and its device, it will not be difficult to install the valve. It is only necessary to take into account a few important nuances:
- Air tends to accumulate in all radiators, so in an individual heating system it is better to install KM on each battery.
- The needle valve must be installed on the loop condensers with the loop up.
- The air outlet device is useful on coils and heating registers.
- If the tap has not been used for a long time, and rust has appeared on it, it should be lubricated with kerosene before air removal and wait a bit.
How to use a faucet correctly
If there is a suspicion that an air lock has formed in the system, you should:
- Remove all valuable items away from the battery and prepare a container for water.
- Take the key for the Mayevsky crane or a screwdriver, insert it into the thread and slowly carefully rotate it counterclockwise.
- Stop turning the key after a hissing sound and wait until water comes out of the hole. Then close the tap.
Note! Combustible gases may form in the heating system, which will escape along with the air lock. Therefore, smoking should not be allowed during ventilation.
If the batteries are still cold after bleeding, the heatsink may have failed. In this case, it is better to seek help from a professional plumber.
Economy and safety
The air in the heating system has a destructive effect on the boiler and interferes with the uniform heating of the radiators. The Mayevsky crane does not just improve the operation of heating communications. It allows you to significantly save money on space heating.
In addition, Mayevsky's device will protect residents apartment buildings from unpleasant disagreements with neighbors due to emergency flooding. That is why this small but effective device should be installed in every home.
What is a Mayevsky crane (video)
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Air bubbles formed as a result of heating the coolant and its reaction with metal accumulate in the heating system and prevent the coolant from fully circulating through the pipes. To remove them, conventional threaded valves were previously installed on radiators. Now a Mayevsky crane is installed on the radiators, which is more reliable and durable in operation. What is a Mayevsky crane, how to use this mechanism, and how does it work?
Device description
Heating a house is one of the concerns of every owner. Whatever the heating boiler, the heating system still has radiators, batteries or registers filled with coolant. Unfortunately, it is impossible to achieve complete removal of air from the system for many reasons, and expansion tanks are installed for its global bleeding, and a Mayevsky crane is used for local air removal.
The Mayevsky crane is a more reliable, compact and functional needle stop valve than a conventional faucet, and some models can work in automatic mode. It is imperative to remove air from the system, since, in addition to stagnation of the coolant, in places where air accumulates, the metal begins to oxidize, rust and the radiator fails faster or noise appears in the pipes. Mayevsky's crane is installed most often in systems autonomous heating- in the central system, additives are often added to the coolant, which cause clogging of the tap.
The main element in Mayevsky's manual faucet is a shut-off needle valve. To open the valve, a four-sided cap screw with a cross-shaped slot is installed in the faucet, so a regular screwdriver or pliers can be used to open the faucet. Any radiator has a ¾ or ½ inch threaded hole on the side into which a tap, adapter or fitting is screwed to continue the pipeline.
The presence of air in the system is determined in a tactile way - just feel all the radiators in the system, paying attention to the temperature at the top and bottom of the device. If a difference is heard to the touch, it means that air has stagnated somewhere in the system. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in the system with forced circulation, in which the slope of the pipes is not always observed. In a pipeline with natural circulation, air almost always escapes into expansion tank itself, in the direction of the coolant.
But even in such a system, air can accumulate if the pipe turns are incorrectly assembled or the slope is too small. Therefore, the Mayevsky crane is simply necessary - it allows you to bleed air and restore the system without stopping the system. normal heating in the apartment. A tap is screwed in at the top of the radiator, on the coolant supply side.
Mayevsky crane design
The valves have a brass body, a plastic casing and a steel needle valve. Produced different models Mayevsky crane: for some models, the plastic casing rotates horizontally, for others, the rotating casing is made with a hole in one of the faces of the valve nut. It is generally undesirable to install a Mayevsky crane and bleed air from the heating system during boiler operation - it is better to check everything in the summer. The cork on the radiator or the thread on the faucet can be poorly unscrewed, and with a system filled with coolant, you risk breaking the faucet and flooding the apartment, and in the worst case, your neighbors.
Attention!
Mayevsky's tap can be screwed into a heated towel rail. In some models of heated towel rails, two Mayevsky taps are installed.
An automatic air vent or Mayevsky faucet is a short metal cylinder with a hole in the top. The air vent works on the principle of a float. The accumulating volume of air begins to move the float inside the faucet. The float opens and closes the faucet outlet valve. Mayevsky's faucet is not installed on old-made cast-iron radiators, since the coolant in such a battery quickly becomes contaminated and the faucet will have to be cleaned very often.
The simplest copy of the Mayevsky crane. Used on inexpensive radiators.
In addition, in the central heating system, the amount of air is greater due to shutdowns and unscheduled work, so the valve with its small air outlet can be open for a long time. Another reason why the Mayevsky crane is not installed in the DSP is the periodic occurrence of hydraulic shocks reaching several tens of atmospheres.
How to use the Mayevsky crane
After you have installed the Mayevsky crane, you can guess how to use it yourself. The simplest valve is opened manually, the more complex automatic Mayevsky valves release excess air themselves, after passing a certain pressure threshold on the valve.
Using a special key or screwdriver, open the tap and let the air out.
But automation is usually installed on long heating mains, for example, in industrial premises. For apartments and private houses, the usual hand device. Before bleeding air, remove objects near the radiator so as not to soak them.
Attention!
Turn off circulation pump if you have a forced circulation heating system. When the pump is turned on, air bubbles simply cannot all rise up to the Mayevsky tap.
The jet of water that will drain after the air has a diameter of only 1.5 mm, so next to the radiator, prepare a mug, ladle or plate, and prepare a screwdriver. Then install the screwdriver in a special slot on the faucet. The screwdriver is slowly turned counterclockwise. In total, you need to do 5-8 half-turns.
If you hear air hissing from the radiator, stop and wait for all the air to escape and water to flow. Immediately after the appearance of water, the tap can be closed and the pump turned on. If you did everything correctly, but the radiator does not warm up, then most likely the radiator is clogged. You are unlikely to be able to clean the radiator yourself, so it is better to call the master.
Air locks inside the heating system inevitably appear in the following cases:
- when a new heating system is being installed;
- in case of repair of the system and removal of water from it;
- when installing new radiators;
- when air is sucked into the system during its operation;
- when there is a gradual release of air bubbles from the water, which is a natural physical phenomenon;
- in the presence of corrosive processes, which are accompanied by the release of a certain amount of air. Particularly susceptible to such processes in urban apartments aluminum batteries heating.
When choosing a device model, you should consider some features of radiators:
- For centralized heating systems best solution there will be the use of manual taps, which can be bled off at any time. It is undesirable to use automatic taps in apartments or houses where central heating works. The coolant in such systems has increased contamination, as a result of which the tap hole will be constantly clogged with dirt;
- Cranes with automatic control good in private homes with autonomous systems, because the purity of the coolant is maintained there. It is also recommended to install automation in places with difficult access;
Battery operated automatic air vent - If the heater is installed in some kind of recess or niche, then access to its end may be limited. In this case, it will be impossible to unscrew the screw with a conventional screwdriver. Therefore, it is recommended to use Mayevsky's automatic crane for such a radiator. Or use a special key, which is located in the same plane with the battery;
- old style cast iron radiators are still used in many rooms. In this case, it is possible to install a Mayevsky manual faucet for cast-iron radiators, but it is better to use special automatic air vents made of brass and having considerable strength.
Mayevsky manual tap on a cast iron heating battery
Consider how to use the Mayevsky crane. To do this, it is advisable to substitute some kind of container under the battery and stock up on a dry rag. Using a wrench or screwdriver, the locking screw is turned counterclockwise a quarter or half a turn. Air will hiss out of the system. When it comes out completely, water will flow from the tap. It is necessary to wait until the water begins to flow continuously. After that, the locking screw can be tightened.
Knowing what to do, bleeding air from the radiator is very simple.
If the air was successfully bled, and the battery remained cold, then this is a sign of clogging. To clean a clogged battery, you will have to resort to the help of plumbers.
If the faucet hole is clogged, it can be cleaned with a needle or other sharp object.
If the valve has not been used for a long time, the rotation of the adjusting screw may be difficult due to the formation of corrosion on it. If this situation occurs, use WD-40 lubricant spray. Just a few minutes after applying it to the screw thread, it can be easily unscrewed. At the end of the heating season, it is advisable to lubricate the adjusting screw silicone grease. In this case, the thread will not be destroyed by the effect of the coolant on it.
If it is necessary to replace the Mayevsky crane, use two adjustable wrenches. With one key, you need to hold the plug on the radiator, and with the second - unscrew the tap. If this is not done, then unscrewing the tap can loosen the plug and lead to loss of its tightness.
We have dismantled how to bleed the Mayevsky crane from the system on our own and how to operate the device with automatic control. If provide necessary care this device, check and clean it in a timely manner, the device will serve long term without causing any problems to their owners.
The price of a Mayevsky crane depends on its type, material of manufacture, diameter, and starts from 30 rubles.
Mayevsky's manual crane is a self-sealing device. The product set includes a sealing ring made of rubber, so there is no need to use any additional sealing materials.
Traditionally, the installation of air vents of this type is performed in tandem with radiator fittings (1 dm x ½ dm; 1 dm x ¾ dm). As an installation tool, a spanner wrench specially designed for working with fittings and plugs is used.
Plumbing wrench for installation of radiator fittings and plugs. 1 - ring wrench, 2 - radiator cap, 3 - radiator cap. This tool and parts are often operated when installing faucets that remove air
The operation of Mayevsky cranes (air vents) is only allowed when certain values pressure and temperature. These values are determined by the technical characteristics of the device.
Warming attic floor at home allows you to save more heat inside the room, and not spend it on heating a cold attic. It's good if it's used like utility room(technical attic) or as an attic, and if not? Then it is pointless to spend resources on heating an unheated attic space.
That is why it is worth making the insulation of the cold attic ceiling using heat-insulating materials. You can perform insulation from the side of the attic or from the side of the room (inside / outside). It is best to do this during the construction period of the building, or immediately before fine finish rooms. But even during the operation of the house, there is no reason not to insulate the ceiling from the attic.
The thickness of the attic floor insulation is standardized using SNiP II-3-79 "Construction Heat Engineering". This guide contains detailed recommendations regarding the selection and formula for calculating the resistance to heat transfer of various thermal insulation materials. The calculations take into account not only the type of material, but also the average annual temperature, the duration of the heating season, wall material Houses.
The attic floor insulation technology depends on the material chosen.
In this article we will consider the most popular heaters.
Mineral wool is a heater, the fibers of which are arranged in a certain way. Namely, this randomness leads to the fact that between the fibers is formed air bag, which informs the insulation of its properties. However, the same feature of cotton wool increases the ability to absorb moisture. To avoid this, you need to know how to properly install mineral wool.
Benefits of mineral wool:
- high density;
- long service life;
- Fire safety;
- ease of installation;
- usage mineral wool for warming horizontal surfaces does not lead to its caking, slipping and, as a result, the formation of cold bridges.
Among the disadvantages: the ability to absorb moisture.
There are three main ways to lay cotton wool: continuous, in grooves or in cells (see photo). The choice of method depends on what load will fall on the floor in the future. The most stable frame is obtained in the latter case.
First stage
It starts with laying the vapor barrier film. The film will allow you to remove the steam that rises from a warm living space to cold attic. To lay the film correctly, you need to carefully read the markings applied to it. Be sure to observe an overlap of 100 mm.
Attic floor insulation technology with mineral wool Otherwise, the beams may rot.
At the junction of the film and walls or other protruding surfaces, it is necessary to raise it to a height equal to the thickness of the insulation plus 50 mm. and glue it with tape or wrap it on the insulation plate.
Second phase
Insulation (wool) is being laid. This is a fairly simple process. Slabs or strips are easily cut with a construction knife to the desired size.
When laying the sheet, make sure that there are no gaps left or that the mineral wool material is not strongly squeezed. Both will lead to a decrease in the quality of insulation. Typical mistakes in the photo.
a) insufficient thickness of the heat-insulating material;
b, c, d) the thickness of the attic floor insulation is incorrectly selected.
- insulation with foil will increase the resistance of the material to heat loss. The sheet is laid with the foil side down.
- the insulation should not protrude beyond the beam. If such a situation exists, the beam needs to be lengthened wooden beam or additional lath up to the thickness of the insulation.
- a thin insulation laid in two layers retains more heat than one thick one. In this case, the plates must be laid in a checkerboard pattern.
- if there are speakers in the attic structural elements, for example, a chimney pipe, you need to raise the insulation to a height of 400-500 mm. and fix it.
Third stage
Waterproofing is being laid if the attic is not supposed to be used, but rafter system not protected by waterproofing film. If roofing material separated from the attic with a film, then you can proceed with the final stage.
Draft floor. It is laid over the insulation and serves as the basis for the final finish.
The process according to the installation technology is similar to the insulation of the attic floor with polystyrene foam.
The advantages of these materials:
- low cost;
- ease of operation;
- waterproof.
Among the disadvantages: flammability.
Attic floor insulation technology with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam
The installation process of rigid insulation based on RїРµРЅРѕРїР»Р°СЃС‚Р° is more than simple and can be done by hand. The work can be divided into two stages:
- surface leveling. To ensure high-quality insulation, there should be no significant irregularities on the floor of the base. You can eliminate such differences by performing a screed with a sand-cement mortar.
- slabs are laid butt-to-butt or between beams. The presence of a bar increases the strength of the floor.
Insulation of the attic floor with foam plastic Draft coating
Styrofoam must be protected from destruction with a film in a non-residential attic. In a frequently used or residential attic, you need to somehow move, so it is better to equip a subfloor from OSB or a sand-cement screed over polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam.
Sawdust is finely chopped wood.
Advantages:
- naturalness;
- no toxic impurities;
- light weight;
- material availability.
The disadvantage is flammability.
Attic insulation technology with sawdust
- before proceeding with the insulation with sawdust, they need to be prepared. Namely, mix cement and water with sawdust in a ratio of 10:1:1.
- Pour the attic floor with the finished mixture and level it. It is worth noting that it is possible to use sawdust as a heater without using a frame only in a non-residential attic. Otherwise, when walking on the floor, the sawdust will be compressed, and concrete screed collapse.
- build a cellular structure from a bar. Pour a solution with sawdust into each cell. The advantage of this method is that a subfloor can be laid along the timber. And the attic will be usable
Expanded clay is obtained by firing clay.
Advantages:
- low thermal conductivity;
- naturalness;
- environmental friendliness;
- ease;
- availability.
The disadvantage is associated with the difficulty of lifting expanded clay to the height of the attic.
Expanded clay is usually used if it is necessary to insulate the attic floor over the slabs.
Expanded clay attic insulation technology
The work is carried out in three stages:
- the plate is inspected for cracks and cracks. They are sealed with mortar or covered thick paper. The protruding elements do not create difficulties with backfilling of expanded clay.
- mount a crate from a bar. A draft floor will be laid on it in the future.
- loose insulation is poured onto the stove and leveled with a conventional rake. Layer thickness 250-300 mm. You can move around expanded clay without restrictions.
Insulation of the attic floor with expanded clay Tip: when filling expanded clay, it is better to combine granules different size(diameter). This way you can avoid the appearance of voids.
At the end, a subfloor is mounted or poured with a sand-cement screed.
Please note that the insulation of the attic wooden floor has some nuances:
- the tree is subject to decay, which means that the steam rising up must pass freely. Improper installation of films or the use of non-breathable materials, such as roofing felt, will lead to the destruction of wood in the future.
- using foil insulation, you need to place it with the foil down. So the wood will be protected from water ingress and at the same time, it will not accumulate steam moisture.
- "Correct" - use a superdiffusion membrane or vapor barrier film
- "Wrong" - to lay a special film without marking or even a regular film
Attic floor insulation scheme for heaters different kind below.
Attic floor insulation scheme - 1
Attic floor insulation scheme - 2 moydomik.net
A bit from the history of roofing
Since ancient times, people have built private households with such high quality that they could stand for 100 years. At the same time, it was not cold to live in them, and the natural wood roof frame was always dry. As for the shape of the roofs on such buildings, they were most often built with two slopes, and had a slight slope.
This choice was explained by the fact that the snow that fell in winter had to linger on the roof and perform the function natural insulation. In the attic of the building, one, less often two windows were made. They were closed for the winter and then the air in the under-roof space played the role of a heat insulator.
During the summer, the windows were opened slightly at night to cool the temperature in the attic. In the heat they were closed, and the air did not heat up. So in the attic they regulated the temperature.
In winter, when snow fell, it covered the roof with a continuous carpet and thus was a roofing natural heat insulator. Even in severe frosts, the temperature in the under-roof space did not drop below zero. As a result, in cold weather the house was warm.
At the same time, the roof slopes were not insulated so that the snow on them would not melt. The rafter system was left open, thereby allowing it to be inspected and current repair. Therefore, in such attics, only floors were thermally insulated.
If the roof slopes are insulated, then the attic becomes a heated attic, which has a different functional purpose.
Building materials for floor insulation - the better to insulate
On domestic market a large selection of building materials. To decide how to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic, it is necessary to take into account the conditions in which the heat insulator will be operated.
There are a number of requirements for a heater:
- preservation of its original qualities at temperatures from -30 to +30 degrees;
- in hot weather, the material should not emit substances harmful to people and freeze in severe frost;
- you need to choose a fire-resistant heat insulator if lighting is planned in the attic;
- products must be moisture resistant so that when wet, their original properties do not decrease.
Before you purchase materials for insulating the floor of an unheated attic in a private household, you need to consider what the floor is made of. If these are wooden beams, then bulk, rolled or plate heaters. When the cover was created from concrete slabs, heavy bulk or plate insulators can be used. Often a cement screed is poured on the floor.
In the form of plates and mats they sell:
- mineral wool;
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- Styrofoam;
- straw;
- seaweed.
In the form of rolls are made:
- mineral wool;
- stone and glass wool;
- algae ladders.
One of the most popular options for arranging thermal insulation is the insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool.
Bulk materials include:
- expanded clay;
- sawdust;
- straw;
- reeds;
- ecowool;
- granular foam;
- slag.
When is insulation installed in the attic? wooden house, you need to use natural, environmentally friendly and breathable materials.
Mineral wool attic insulation
This modern and popular insulation is produced in rolls or mats. Mineral wool does not burn, does not rot, various microorganisms and rodents are not dangerous to it.
Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool is carried out in stages:
- First lay the lining material on the floor. In the case of an economy option, inexpensive glassine is laid on the floor. A more expensive and high-quality device will be a flooring device made of a vapor barrier film, which is mounted with an overlap.
- At the same time, the joints of the segments are glued with adhesive tape or fastened wooden slats fixing them with a stapler.
- The width of the heat-insulating material is selected taking into account the technical standards for a particular region. The mineral wool between the lags is laid out tightly, leaving no gaps. Tape is used to seal the joints.
- After the installation of the insulation is completed, even boards are placed on the logs and this is how the floor in the attic is formed.
The above solution on how to insulate the attic of a private house with mineral wool gives the material the ability to "breathe" and ventilate when moisture gets on it. To prevent the penetration of moist air into the insulation, waterproofing is mounted under the roof.
When working with mineral wool, you need to use protective equipment, such as a respirator, goggles, gloves and overalls.
Application of extruded polystyrene foam
Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) refers to loose materials, so it is used if it is necessary to insulate a floor made of logs and beams. For thermal insulation of plates, extruded polystyrene foam is used, which is denser than conventional foam.
Before laying it, the surface of the base is leveled. On the warm side of the floor, vapor barrier is not needed, since concrete slabs have practically no vapor permeability. A vapor barrier film is laid out on the prepared base. Then, slabs of extruded insulation are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Mounting foam is blown into the joints.
After it dries and becomes hard, the thermal insulation boards are poured concrete mix about 4-6 cm thick. After hardening, the screed becomes suitable for use as an attic floor. If desired, you can lay the final coating on the screed.
Insulation of a cold attic with ecowool
Ecowool is a lightweight and at the same time loose heat insulator, consisting of cellulose, it also contains flame retardants, for example, boric acid and storm. Before starting work, a film is laid on the floor. For laying ecowool, a special blowing machine is used.
The heat-insulating layer is applied continuously, without leaving even the slightest gaps. Ecowool contains a large volume of air, so a layer of 250-300 millimeters is enough. When performing insulation, it should be remembered that shrinkage occurs over time. this material. Therefore, a layer of ecowool is applied with a margin of 40-50 millimeters.
Then the insulation must be moistened with water or with a solution. It is prepared from 200 grams of PVA glue and a bucket of water. The broom is moistened in the solution and the cotton wool is well moistened. After drying, lignin is formed on the heat-insulating layer - a crust that prevents the insulation from moving.
Which method of attic insulation from the above options to choose depends on the specific situation.
kryshadoma.com
And for those who like to delve into absolutely all the subtleties of construction - a useful video:
What insulation is suitable for the attic?
It is necessary to insulate the attic floor when the attic space is not planned to be used for housing. Those. we are talking about a cold attic, the roof slopes of which are not insulated at all. And far from all the same materials are already suitable for overlapping, they are selected for slopes.
Mineral wool: no harmful dust
So, when insulating the attic floor with mineral wool, it is correct to use the so-called tension method. Its essence is that first fit insulating material- and so that he prescribed between the beams.
After that, it is laid on it in three layers of slab or roll insulation from mineral wool, with a total thickness of about 150 millimeters, and on top it is covered with a vapor barrier film. After that, plywood, which should be no thinner than 18 millimeters.
Expanded polystyrene and foam: ease of installation
High-quality insulation of the attic floor with expanded polystyrene is also obtained, the main advantage of which is that there is no need for vapor barrier, and all gaps are easily sealed with mounting foam.
Inflatable insulation: fashion and rationality
IN Lately it has become especially popular to insulate the attic floor by blowing.
The main advantage of blown insulation is that it fills all the voids that exist by itself and creates an even continuous layer. In which there are no joints, no seams and no adjoining, and for which there is no need to cut separate small pieces of prickly insulation to plug something.
Today, for the insulation of cold attics in Russia, two types of blown insulation are mainly used: ecowool and blown wool.
Ecowool up to 80% consists of cellulose fibers, which are produced from ordinary waste paper, and 20% from additives such as snowstorm as a fire retardant and boric acid as an antiseptic. Such a heater has a high thermal conductivity.
But blown wool is obtained by grinding ordinary mineral materials for thermal insulation, which for some reason did not pass the product acceptance.
For example, they did not have sufficient density or the correct structure of the fibers. And such material is crushed and packed under high pressure, and therefore it is easy to transport it to the site of the facility, where everything will be loosened again upon arrival.
But still, ecowool is most often used as a material. The insulation itself in the process looks like this: one person must remain near the installation and monitor its normal operation, while loading the material. And the second person goes up to the attic with the hose, makes a cruciform incision on the vapor barrier (just between the beams), inserts the hose into this incision, and fills the cavity with material.
Plus, relatively inexpensive bulk materials are used to insulate a cold attic:
What parameters of the heater should be paid attention to?
In no case do we urge you to purchase the most expensive heat-insulating materials to insulate your attic floor. But note that the larger and longer any famous company produces materials for this purpose, the more it pays attention to quality by changing them volume weight, improving its products and increasing thermal insulation coefficients. And that already says something.
For the rest, always pay attention to such parameters of heaters that are important for a wooden floor, and have none for concrete - and vice versa.
Parameter number 1. Biostability
We are talking about the fact that in such a heater, which often remains open, bugs or some other living creatures do not start. This is especially true of mice, who love to live in a warm and dry (and, most importantly, deserted) attic.
Another important requirement for attic insulation is water resistance. Raindrops accidentally falling into it or simply moisture should not lead to the process of decay.
Glass wool is recognized as one of the most resistant heaters:
Parameter number 2. Thermal conductivity
The main requirements for insulation for an attic floor are the ability to maintain thermal insulation properties for a long time.
When buying a heater, also pay attention to such an interesting point: modern manufacturers of thermal insulation materials always indicate in technical specification three coefficients of thermal conductivity of the material at once: in a dry state, at a temperature of 10 ° and 25 °, and humidity categories A and B.
You need to look at the coefficient of thermal conductivity in a dry state, or at a temperature of 10 degrees, because this is exactly the normal climatic situation in the attic. For more precise and detailed thermal calculation you will need a SNiP table.
Now let's take a moment. When choosing a heater, you will probably be advised to take a heater with the lowest possible degree of thermal conductivity. But in fact, this only makes sense for residential attics, because when you have to insulate the roof slopes, then too thick materials cannot be laid between the rafters. Therefore, materials are needed here that will conduct heat as poorly as possible, but at the same time have a small thickness.
But for the attic floor, just the thickness of the insulation is not a critical factor, and you can save on this. Just take a cheaper insulation, but thicker, albeit with high thermal conductivity. You are all compensated by the height of the insulation itself.
Parameter number 3. Weight
Depending on the chemical composition, each insulation has its own volumetric mass. So, materials such as basalt, glass and any other inorganic and organic compounds are most often used as the basis for fibers. From their type, the heat-insulating material itself becomes either light or heavy. And the shape of all these materials is provided precisely by the elasticity of the fibers: how much they straighten between the floor beams.
Note that heavy insulation keeps its shape better due to the rigidity of its fibers. And foam insulation has the best stability for attic floor insulation, which in this parameter is equated to hard stone wool. But there is a moment: the same mineral wool insulation that was inserted between the floor beams can be easily straightened and pressed tightly against the wood, but the foam one will not do this, and voids form - the bridges are cold. Therefore, you will have to additionally use a can of foam to close all the cracks.
But, if the attic floor is insulated according to reinforced concrete slab foam-based materials, then there will be only pluses. Not to mention the fact that concrete floor the attic already has a considerable weight and creates a serious load on the walls and foundation of the house, and the use of light insulation for it is only a big bonus.
And unlike the concrete floor, the attic floor is able to withstand a fairly limited load. Therefore, the weight of the insulation in this regard is also not the last moment. After all, there are already many variations here: the same cubic meter of thermal insulation can weigh as much as 11 kilograms, and all 350 - this is the norm.
One of the heaviest heaters is basalt wool:
Parameter number 4. Moisture resistance
Rain moisture or roof leaks accidentally getting into the insulation should not start the rotting process. It’s bad if after six months or a year the new insulation begins to decompose from the inside, while emitting bad smell dampness.
Therefore, attic floor insulation on wooden beams and on concrete is quite often done using polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam, which are known for their almost zero hydrophobicity.
Parameter number 5. Environmental friendliness
Another point: the attic insulation should not emit any toxic and pungent substances in terms of smell, despite the fact that, perhaps, no one will walk in such an attic.
It's all about ventilation: sooner or later, the insulation molecules are picked up by the air and brought into the living quarters, which can be unsafe for the residents of the house. Therefore, choose a heater that meets sanitary standards.
Parameter number 6. Shape saving
Another important point- this is the form of stability of the selected insulation. So, special laboratory tests have shown that over time, heat loss through the gaps between the plates or the matte heat insulator can reach 40%. And this despite the fact that the material itself during the same time may not change its thermal conductivity at all, if at the same time it remained dry.
Therefore, the stability of the shape and dimensions of the material over time is very important. For the concrete floor of the attic, such gaps will not be critical, because here the floor itself is quite heat-insulating, which cannot be said about the attic floor.
But the problem is that in the technical information for modern heat insulators such a parameter as shape or stability cannot be found.
Parameter number 7. Fire safety
And the last point: the attic insulation must meet all the requirements fire safety. Take the same popular ecowool, which is not just made from ordinary waste paper and pieces of newspapers. It would seem that everything is simple and ingenious, why don't you cut the paper into smaller pieces too, and just fill the attic with it? Would it be worse? After all, the principle of friability is also involved here, like in animal hair, when air molecules get stuck between small elements.
Let's just say: yes, the insulating properties of this method will not be worse, but it is the old dry paper and wood that most often leads to an unexpected fire. That is why modern cellulose insulation is necessarily treated with special chemicals against fire.
If we are talking about the combustibility of materials, then it is important that the insulation not only does not burn, but also has attenuation. Just remember that everything burns at the epicenter of the fire, both iron and concrete, but if a spark falls on the attic floor, then the insulation should not light up. That's what it's all about.
This is what the attic insulation cake itself should look like:
Vapor barrier questions: how, on which side and is it necessary?
For warming roofing from wood and concrete, the vapor permeability of the insulation is of great importance. So, all heaters that are made today in the form of plates and rolls can be conditionally divided into "wool" and "foam", as building contractors like to do.
To "cotton" we will refer heat-insulating materials made of organic and mineral fibers - this is mineral wool, stone wool and glass wool insulation. All these materials are formed by the hardening of plastic masses of very different chemical origins. And all these materials have approximately the same coefficient of thermal conductivity: within 0.04.
All these materials are made up of fibers that are intertwined with each other. They do not form any closed pores, and water vapor easily enters and escapes through them. Therefore, all wadded heaters are vapor-permeable materials. Why, under production conditions, their fibers are additionally coated with a special water-repellent substance, and the heaters also turn out to be hydrophobized: a water molecule from water vapor is not allowed to penetrate and wet the insulation. It can only cling to its surface, and when a critical mass accumulates, it transforms into drops and rolls down. It turns out that hydrophobized cotton wool insulation is not a wet vapor-permeable material.
Therefore, until now, scientists from all over the world cannot come to an unambiguous conclusion: vapor permeability building insulation- Is this good or bad. Let's just say that if you are equipping an attic floor on wooden beams, you better lay vapor-permeable materials on it so that wooden rafters, which took on moisture from the lower living quarters (and water vapor always rises), could freely give it to the heater. And they will easily come out of the insulation - through ventilation alone is enough. But in terms of floor insulation on concrete, there is not much difference. But there is such a moment here: when using vapor-permeable heaters, it is important that the ventilation of such an attic is organized in accordance with all the rules, and a separate ventilation system will not interfere.
Note that there are no fibers in foam insulation, since such material is literally made from air. All foam insulation consists of a cellular structure, with closed bubbles and not closed, like a kitchen sponge. Therefore, such heat insulators can be both vapor-permeable and non-vapor-permeable. For example, extruded polystyrene foam, which is better known to us as polystyrene, passes water vapor between the balls, but extruded polystyrene foam does not.
Interestingly, you can use not only one type of insulation, but two at once to compensate for each other's shortcomings. But at the same time thermal insulation material with a lower vapor permeability must necessarily lie in front of a heater with a high vapor permeability. That is, first polystyrene foam, then cotton wool. Otherwise, in the opposite case, a material with a lower vapor permeability will become a certain vapor barrier for another material, it will simply begin to rot and there will be nowhere for moisture to go.
How to insulate a concrete attic floor
If we are talking about the insulation of the attic floor of concrete, then the thermal insulation must necessarily be in the form of two or three layers with overlapping joints of each lower layer. Moreover, it is very important that the entire surface be leveled so that there are no irregularities of more than 5 millimeters anywhere - this is not difficult to achieve with modern leveling compounds.
For concrete attic floors, extruded polystyrene foam slabs are ideal as thermal insulation. They don't need a vapor barrier, but if you put styrofoam - it's not extruded polystyrene foam, and then, of course, you need it.
Additionally, if you need to walk on such an overlap later, you can do cement-sand screed up to 4 centimeters and put two layers drywall sheets. Just be sure to make masonry mesh paths for such a screed that you will walk along. Be sure to glue the joints between the foam polystyrene plates with tape so that cement milk does not leak between the plates.
The attic floor itself can be insulated both at the manufacturing stage and at almost any time during the operation of the house itself. Of course, for the attic it is much more correct to insulate the floor even before you move into your new home.
More details about the process itself:
How to insulate a wooden attic floor
So, there are two main ways to insulate the attic floor: laying a heat-insulating layer inside the structure of the attic floor, and laying insulation on top of it. For a cold and non-residential attic, it is not necessary to cover the insulation with something on top and build a full-fledged floor. But then be sure to leave the running ladders - separate paths from the sparse flooring throughout the attic area, this is necessary for roof maintenance.
Under the insulation, you need to put a vapor barrier, and in the form of a trough, so that it can protect the insulation from water vapor, which comes from the lower living quarters. But there is an exception to this rule: if the insulation was laid with good resistance, for example, it is foam or extruded polystyrene foam, then vapor barrier is not needed here. But if we are talking about an attic with a particularly wet regime, for example, above a kitchen or a sauna, then a vapor barrier layer must be installed here.
Another method is tension, when the vapor barrier only sags slightly between the beams. The disadvantage of this method is that in this way the insulation between the beams is not inserted tightly enough.
And if the overlap is also made from ready-made companies, then this option is not suitable at all, because such voids quickly become the so-called cold bridges. Therefore, in Russia the method is more popular, in which the insulation is first laid, then it is covered with a vapor barrier, and only then - with a finishing floor.
So, this is what the whole process of warming looks like:
- Step 1. Between the beams using construction stapler fix the vapor barrier.
- Step 2. Next, mineral wool slabs are cut so that their width is corresponding to the step of the beams.
- Step 3. These plates are carefully inserted into the gap between the beams.
- Step 4. For a while, while the ceiling is not yet ready below, so that the insulation does not fall between the beams, it is supported by draft bars or a strong thread stretched especially for this.
- Step 5. Next, a diffuse membrane is quickly mounted on top of the insulation - so that steam can easily escape through it, and drops from above from the slopes do not penetrate inside.
But let us also note such a moment about the last step. Many experts believe that no diffuse membranes or windproof films are needed for insulation, because in a cold attic, thermal insulation will dry due to natural ventilation convection air currents that easily penetrate through openings and dormer windows.
