Mineral wool is one of the most common insulation materials. And if you decide to insulate the walls of your house with this material yourself, it is very important to know what and how to cut mineral wool. The difficulty is that cotton wool has a fibrous structure, and if it is damaged, everything thermal insulation properties material will be reduced, which is extremely undesirable.
How to cut mineral wool
If we talk about industrial scale, then special machine equipment is used to cut this material. But at home you can use the following as a cutting tool:
- mounting knife;
- hacksaw for wood or metal;
- kitchen serrated knife for cutting bread;
- special tools: a knife with a blade made of stainless or carbon steel. The latter type is used for cutting mineral wool different types, characterized by sharpness and good cutting.
Of course, during the cutting process you will also need such additional tools as: a pencil, a ruler, with which you will make markings.
Prohibited use:
- table or stationery knife;
- scissors.
How to cut mineral wool
However, before you start cutting mineral wool, you should create the right conditions. As we have already said, this insulation has a fibrous structure. During the cutting process, various small particles of these fibers get into the air and onto your hands, and to prevent this you should:
- provide good ventilation in the room where the process itself will take place;
- use protective clothing and protective equipment. This can be work overalls, goggles, gloves, and, if necessary, a respirator and mask;
- After finishing work, it is important to thoroughly rinse your hands and face with water.
These measures are so important, as there is a danger of injuring yourself, getting an infection in the eyes, and developing allergies.
Regarding the rules for cutting mineral wool, it is important to cut the insulation across the fibers. And to mineralize the amount of dust in the air during the cutting process, it is worth using tools with a well-sharpened, sharp working edge.
If, for example, you purchased insulation in rolls, then for convenience it is better to immediately cut it right in the roll, and therefore do not rush to unroll it. But the plates are cut each separately.
At the same time, no matter how carefully you cut, no matter how accurately you take measurements, be prepared for the fact that you will have trimmings that can be used for rough work. For example, insulation of the walls of a garage or a barn. Some people even buy pieces of mineral wool at a low price as a budget option for insulation: the quality and properties are the same, only cheaper.
Thus, you should not throw away the cotton wool scraps from the roll or slab, as they will definitely be useful to you in the household.
The construction of any house involves minimizing heat loss. Solve this problem with various types insulation, among which mineral wool is considered the most popular.
It is reliable and long term service, as it perfectly resists fire and decay. You can get acquainted with the main technical characteristics of mineral wool on the website http://www.minvatka.com.
Insulation classification
Mineral wool is a product that has a fibrous structure. This allows you to achieve high-quality indicators of heat and sound insulation.
There are several types of such insulation:
- Glass mineral wool. The product is made from thin threads molten glass.
- Stone mineral wool. The main component of this substance are melts of various rocks.
- Slag mineral wool - obtained from blast-furnace slag.
All types of this insulation emit small particles of fibers and phenol-formaldehyde resins into the air. This could be the reason various diseases. To minimize the impact of these substances, when laying it, it is isolated using special films.
Cutting tools
Processing mineral wool is not very complicated, which allows you to do all the work yourself. You can cut the insulation with several tools:
- Stationery knife. Suitable only for thin sheets material.
- Hacksaw for metal. With its help, it is possible to process cotton wool with a thickness of more than 50 mm.
- Special knives. Outwardly, they are in many ways reminiscent of saws with fine teeth. But at the same time they are not bred to the side and are located in one line.
- Bread knife. In the absence of any other tool, this product can also handle mineral wool perfectly.
It should be noted that all blades must be very sharp. This will minimize the pulling of fibers from the mat structure. Experts recommend cutting before the roll is deployed.
If you need to obtain elements of complex shape, then it is better to use special cutting machines. They can process cotton wool not only in a straight line, but also in a circle. This is very important, especially in industrial production. If this is a one-time task, then purchasing such a tool will be inappropriate and it is better to use available material.
It is important to consult with a professional before cutting to minimize the cost of sheets used.
Mineral wool is an artificial construction material, which is made for heat and sound insulation of residential buildings and industrial premises. The material is not afraid of fire, resistant to various weather conditions. For convenience, they are produced in rolls and mats. It is not enough to purchase insulation; it is also important to know how to work with it; this will be discussed below.
Insulation of the attic effective ways reduce body losses as a result the house needs to be heated less, which means you can save on electricity. Mineral wool insulation is universal option with high specifications for thermal and acoustic performance as well as fire resistance.
The insulation consists of fibers. When working with material, a large number of harmful particles are released into the air. Fine dust is hazardous to human breathing and skin. Therefore, precautions are taken when working with it.
What rules must be followed:
- work in a well-ventilated area.
- For work, personal protective equipment is used: mask, goggles, respirator.
- They work in special clothing: well-buttoned overalls, a hat, and construction gloves.
- After work, hands and face are thoroughly washed under cold water. The overalls are shaken out of dust.
How to cut mineral wool in a roll
To insulate a house with mineral wool, it is cut and the material is cut lengthwise and crosswise. Each type of cut has its own rules, following which the work will be much easier to do.
Longitudinal cutting of material
Mineral wool in rolls is cut unpacked. The roll is placed on a hard flat surface. Use a tape measure to measure the required length. Place marks in three places around the package. For accuracy, the cutting area is wrapped with masking tape.
Then take a saw and cut a roll of mineral wool in a circle. After the cut piece has been separated, remove the packaging film.
Important. Masking tape is wound onto the roll on the opposite side of the workpiece so that after cutting the remaining part of the roll does not unwind.
Cross cutting of material
For cross-cutting, the mineral wool roll is unpacked. Make markings on both sides. Then apply a flat bar: a ruler, a piece of profile or a beam.
A knife or hacksaw is used along the plank. If it is not possible to cut off the insulation in one movement, the cut is repeated several times. The material is cut to the end so that it does not have to be torn off, in which case the geometry will be disrupted. You'll have to level the insulation.
Important. When cutting the insulation, put a board under it so that the knife does not become dull.
How to cut insulation
In production, the material is cut on machines using special circular saws. At home, you can cut the insulation using a utility knife, a wood saw and special knives for insulation.
Tools:
- Stationery knife It is used only for cross cuts, since its blade size is not large. The cutting part quickly becomes dull, which is why the blade is often changed. A stationery knife is used for cutting large quantity insulation.
- To cut mineral wool along the roll, use wood saw. Hacksaw has long cloth, which cuts through the roll. The disadvantage is that after such a cut there remains a lot of waste from the insulation. When carving, the teeth of the hacksaw tear out pieces of insulation.
- Bread knife with long blade 200 - 300 mm handy tool to cut the insulation along and across the roll. The serrated blade easily cuts insulation fibers without leaving much waste. Flaw kitchen knife is that it quickly becomes dull. If there is a lot of work, the knife will have to be sharpened periodically to ensure an even cut.
- Special knives are made for professional cutting of mineral wool. . The length of the tool with handle is 500 mm, the length of the blade is 330 mm. The knives are made of stainless and cold-rolled steel; the special wavy-toothed sharpening of the tool allows for smooth cutting of the material.
Choosing the right tool for the job and following the recommendations will help make home insulation an enjoyable and useful task that will not bring unnecessary hassle.
Mineral wool is one of the best, simplest and most common materials for insulation and soundproofing of walls and ceilings today, and is also known in some other areas of application. In addition, it is easy to install, meaning you can insulate the premises yourself.
Many people do not know how to cut mineral wool correctly without disturbing its structure; in this material we will look at all the ways to properly cut mineral wool, and also recommend the tools that are best suited for this.
What types of mineral wool are there?
Mineral wool is usually classified according to the material from which it is made. This leads to the conclusion that mineral wool, made from different starting materials, differs in structure - fibers, and, accordingly, in the type of cutting. So there are the following types of mineral wool:
- Glass mineral wool. Consists of glass melts.
- Stone mineral wool. It is most often made from various rock melts.
- Slag mineral wool. The starting material is blast furnace slag.
In fact, you should pay attention to the fact that sometimes mineral wool can be harmful. This is due to the fact that it contains dust and phenol-formaldehyde resins. Therefore it is necessary to refer to this material selectively, although mineral wool cannot be classified as a human carcinogen.
How to cut mineral wool:
Cutting mineral wool can be done either independently at home or using various equipment. Equipment for cutting mineral wool boards can be different. The question is one of scale. The mineral wool cutting machine is suitable for serious and large scale applications - for enterprises, manufacturers, etc. But a knife for cutting mineral wool will become an indispensable assistant in cutting insulating materials at home.
It is important that cutting mineral wool does not damage the fibres, so equipment must be selected carefully. The cut should be smooth. At home, cutting rolls of mineral wool (the so-called “50s”) will be convenient using a cutting knife, but for larger ones (“100s”) a special hacksaw for insulation will be convenient. At the beginning, its price may seem unreasonably high, but it is worth it. It is important that the work is done properly. Circular cutting of mineral wool can be convenient. A mineral wool cutting machine can easily cope with such a task.
How to cut mineral wool:
If you don’t know how to cut mineral wool at home, we can advise you on excellent tools that are best suited for cutting mineral wool.
So, for cutting mineral wool the best thing fit good, a sharp stationery knife or a hacksaw, carefully cut the mineral wool in the required directions; for greater accuracy, you can draw lines with a pencil or cut directly along a ruler. The process of cutting mineral wool is somewhat similar to cutting paralon, only you need to apply a little more effort, pressing a little harder on the tool for cutting mineral wool.
What to do with scraps and remnants of mineral wool.
One of the solutions may pleasantly please many (especially firms and large manufacturers). Mineral wool scraps are not useless and can be useful for those who decide to insulate their walls and ceilings in budget option. Trimmings can be sold at a low price, and the demand for the product will be very high.
It is also possible to recycle scraps of mineral wool boards. In this case, using special equipment, the remains of mineral wool slabs are crushed into granules with the possibility of further reuse.
Today, a method has been developed for obtaining a special type of insulation - stone wool made from basalt. Twenty years ago, such mineral wool was used exclusively for the needs of the defense industry, but today this insulation is widely used for thermal insulation of any buildings.
Mineral wool does not contain such harmful substances. environment components such as acrylic and phenol-formaldehyde resins. It consists only of natural binders, therefore it is safe for humans. This thermal insulation material not only perfectly retains heat, but also allows you to create reliable sound insulation of rooms. Basalt mineral wool is becoming more and more popular and has already been tested by time, but people still have a lot of questions regarding technological issues, which we will try to focus on in this article.
How to properly attach mineral wool?
In this case, everything depends on the type of insulation and on the type of structure on which the thermal insulation is mounted. Lightweight grades of mineral wool are installed in frame structures by surprise Hard mineral wool slabs fastened with special dowels or fixed using special adhesives.
When fastening the surface, mineral wool is placed very tightly in a pre-assembled frame made of slats and bars. wooden frame. The thickness of the frame must correspond to the thickness of the insulation. The interval between the slats is 1.5-2 cm less than the width of the mineral wool, which does not allow the material to slide during operation. The mats are installed starting from the bottom of the structure, and the rolls from the top. In this case, solid pieces are laid first, and free space, for example, near doors or windows, is filled later.
High-density mineral wool is often installed without intermediate/support beams. It is completely inserted behind the frame and pressed against the supporting structure without a gap, after which, for safety, it is fixed with dowels with a wide head, that is, the so-called “dish-shaped” dowels. In such a system, frame elements are placed on top of the insulating layer and press the wool against the wall; in addition, brackets that pass through the mats help to hold the insulation in place.
When using the bonded thermal insulation method ( wet method) frames are not used at all, so adhesives must be used as fastening. In this case, you will have to purchase a dry mixture, but it must be intended for gluing mineral wool insulation. IN Lately Polyurethane adhesive in cylinders is becoming increasingly popular, which allows you to mount dense mineral wool to any base, including wood, metal, and polymer. This technology also involves the use of disc dowels. We discussed in more detail the features of gluing insulation in articles about adhesive compositions And wet insulation facade.
What is the best way to cut mineral wool?
It is recommended to cut thermal insulation materials from stone wool with a hacksaw or with a sharp long knife specially designed for this purpose, the blade of which is serrated. In any case, the equipment must be well sharpened so that as few fibers are pulled out as possible. Many companies that produce insulation also offer their customers cutting tool: knives about 300 mm long, as well as saws with straight teeth, about 60 cm long. In the absence of special devices for such purposes, kitchen bread knives with fine teeth and a wavy edge perform well. Thin soft boards and mats (50 mm) can be cut with a regular mounting knife.
It is best to cut mineral wool produced in rolls before unrolling them. And mineral wool slabs are taken out of the packs and cut one at a time. It should be remembered that when installing thermal insulation, the insulation must fill the entire insulated space very tightly, so allowances should be left before cutting: for slabs - 0.5 cm; and for mats - about 1-2 cm.
Is it true that mineral wool needs to be protected from moisture and wind?
During the operation of insulated buildings, their walls, roofs and other structures should be protected from increased atmospheric humidity and from blowing by strong winds. Therefore, after installation, mineral wool insulation is covered from the outside with sheets of vapor-permeable, moisture- and windproof membrane. This allows you to prevent cold winds and drops of slanting rain from penetrating into the thickness of the wall. In this case, water vapor from the internal space, passing through the walls through diffusion, will be able to exit outside without obstacles.
The undoubted advantage of mineral wool is its vapor permeability, and this property should be used to the maximum. When installing mineral wool thermal insulation materials between load-bearing wall and there is no need to install a vapor barrier with insulation, since such sealing will negatively affect the climate inside the building. The lack of artificial ventilation in this case will lead to increased humidity and the formation of condensation, which, in turn, will cause the formation of mold and fungi.
A vapor barrier film must be used when installing thermal insulation indoors - in this case it is installed on the warm side of the mineral wool. This allows you to protect the insulation from water vapor from the premises. Reinforced polyethylene can be used as a vapor barrier, which is placed between the insulation and the cladding.
If the design allows, between the insulation and exterior decoration It is imperative to provide a ventilated air gap. This will help keep the mineral wool dry without reducing the vapor permeability of the building.
What to do if you need to use a 15 or 20 cm layer of wool, but the insulation is supplied 5 or 10 cm thick?
There is nothing complicated here. Need to calculate required thickness using formulas or using an online calculator (we talked about this in the last article), and then you can easily create an insulating barrier from several layers. In addition, this method allows you to easily eliminate the problem of the formation of cold bridges and blowing of joints. To do this, when installing insulation, the sheets of the outer and inner layers should be shifted relative to each other by 20-30 mm in order to reliably cover the seams.
Is it necessary to use protective equipment? Which?
Mineral wool is considered a safe thermal insulation material, both during operation and during installation. However, when long work With this insulation, it is still better to protect yourself by using personal protective equipment.
Stone wool, compared to glass wool, is much more convenient to use and safer, but you should still be careful when installing it. It is best to work on cool days in overalls made of thick fabric, covering the entire body from contact with mineral wool. It is not recommended to touch this material with bare hands; to protect them, you can use “glazier gloves” - fabric ones with rubber or silicone coating in the palm area. It is also imperative to protect your eyes and scalp. To protect the respiratory system, wear a respirator.
During the installation of stone wool, you should take a break to ventilate the room. Open packs of material must be moved carefully, preventing them from falling, so that microparticles do not escape from them. There should be no children or people not using protective equipment on the construction site during installation of thermal insulation.
Are there any nuances in transportation and storage?
Mineral wool insulation should be stored in whole packages on a flat, dry surface; the height of the stacks should not exceed 2 meters. Stacks are made in closed spaces protected from rain and humidity. If mineral wool is stored outdoors, it must be covered plastic film or a tarp.
Mats and insulation boards are transported horizontally in covered trucks. During transportation, the insulation must be protected from mechanical damage and atmospheric precipitation. During loading/unloading and transportation, the material must not be compressed too much.
You need to unpack mineral wool correctly. To do this, remove the insulation from the packaging immediately before installation, which significantly reduces the risk of damage to the thermal insulation. Insulation packaging can be used on a construction site when laying out mineral wool (when you need to protect it from contamination); it is also suitable as bags for construction waste.
Which cotton wool is better?
There is no definite answer to this question, since different conditions the best option there will be different types of material.
Basalt soft wool. It is used where high loads are not expected. This material can be used to insulate walls made according to frame technology, as well as for thermal insulation of floors and roofs. The fact that cotton wool is soft does not mean that its performance characteristics are poor. It is simply made from thin fibers, which ensures that the insulation contains many cavities in which air is retained, preventing heat loss.
Mineral wool of medium hardness (density). It is used mainly for insulating ventilated facades, where high-speed air flows are created in the air cavities. It is also used for fire prevention measures, sound and heat insulation of ventilation ducts. Medium-density mineral wool can be installed without problems instead of soft basalt wool, but the cost of thermal insulation will be more expensive.
Rigid basalt wool. This insulation is used in places where high loads are possible. For example, where it is planned to insulate walls with reinforcement and plastering (wet method) or when creating certain types of floors.
Cylindrical insulation for pipes. They are usually produced with a diameter of more than 50 mm. They come in the form of slotted pieces that can be unrolled and slipped onto the pipe, or two-piece models that fit together on the pipe.
Foil basalt wool. This thermal insulation material is characterized not only by low heat transfer, but also reflects heat, directing it indoors. Mineral wool can be covered with foil on one or both sides. When laying, the heat insulator is installed with the foil side facing the heat source. The scope of application of this insulation is quite extensive; it is considered a universal material, suitable for all methods and types of thermal insulation.
Stitching cotton wool. It consists of very durable mats, one side of which is lined/reinforced with steel mesh (galvanized, stainless, fire-resistant, acid-resistant). The sheets can be of different thicknesses and can be used to perform various types of thermal insulation. Stitched wool is usually non-flammable, so it can be used to insulate surfaces with elevated temperatures (up to plus 660-700 degrees).
Important technical characteristics mineral wool is its specific density. Insulation, the density of which is up to 75 kg per cubic meter, is ideal for thermal insulation of surfaces where heavy loads are not expected, for example, for installation in ceilings in attics and roofs. Low-density basalt wool is often used for wrapping pipes in heating plants, boilers and similar components/communications.
Stone wool, whose density is up to 125 kg per cubic meter, holds its shape well and is excellent for insulating ceilings, walls inside buildings, and various vertical structures. It is used for thermal insulation brick walls, as well as surfaces made of foam block or aerated concrete. Mineral wool of this specific density allows not only to insulate a building, but also to ensure its reliable sound insulation.
High-density basalt wool - from 175 to 200 kg per cubic meter is also characterized by increased rigidity, hence the abbreviation in its name (PPZh). Such insulation is used for thermal insulation of initially too cold planes - reinforced concrete, sheet metal. The PPZh-200 brand is also excellent for arranging additional protection residential buildings from fire. Only high-density mineral wool can be installed using wet facade insulation technology.
