Do-it-yourself insulation of a house with penoplex

One of the most important stages in the construction of any building is thermal insulation, so the choice of material is very important. It should provide comfort in the home, be safe and energy efficient. The process of insulating walls with penoplex is simple, so you can do it yourself.

How to insulate a facade, popular technologies

To insulate a house, you can use the “wet facade” technology. It bears this name because during the work process liquid construction compounds are used that require drying.

How insulation is performed:

Cleaning and surface preparation.
Applying an adhesive layer (maximum 3 cm).
Installation of thermal insulation.
Applying a second adhesive layer.
Installation of reinforcing mesh.
Applying plaster.
Padding.
Painting.

Another popular technology is the ventilated facade. Its peculiarity is that work is carried out much faster than with previous technology. This is due to the fact that installation does not involve the use of so-called “wet” compounds, between the application of which a certain time must pass. When choosing a ventilated facade, you can begin subsequent installation stages immediately after completing the previous one.

For fastening, not glue is used, but disc-shaped dowels and anchors. This technology is durable and has good resistance to external influences. You can choose any materials for exterior finishing.

Selecting a heat insulator depending on the conditions of use

As noted above, manufacturers create material with certain characteristics. Depending on this, different types of penoplex are distinguished. Therefore, if you decide to insulate the entire house from the basement or basement to the roof, then choose the right material for different parts of the house:

For the foundation or basement premises, with external insulation, buy a penoplex foundation. In this part of the house the load is maximum - regular high humidity, and in winter the mechanical impact of frozen soil. Therefore, the material should have more durable properties.
Thermal insulation of floors is carried out using the same foam foundation. After all, here too there will be strong and constant loads.
If you need to insulate a balcony or attic, then a roof or wall insulator is suitable.

In making a conclusion, it should be clarified that for elements that are constantly exposed to destructive factors, it is necessary to use penoplex with improved properties.

Installation features

In this article we will tell you how to insulate a house made of aerated concrete on your own. Penoplex insulation 50 mm thick will help eliminate cold bridges, prevent the appearance of dampness and mold in the room, create a comfortable microclimate and save on heating costs in the winter.

1 – Penoplex boards are fastened using Penoplex Fastfix adhesive foam. It is specially designed for such work. In addition, it has low expansion.

2 – You will also need umbrellas or strong ones. Everyone calls them differently. You can see what they look like in the photo below.

3 – Mechanical fixation of the insulation is carried out using black self-tapping screws 120.

Preparatory work

Installation work begins with preparation:

Inspect the entire house, check for unevenness and protruding elements. Remove all excess using a spatula and a hammer, so that later during the work it does not cause unnecessary trouble.

Wash the walls of the house using a hose or Karcher. This will help remove dust and dirt from the surface.

If the walls of the house are made of reinforced concrete, then treat them on the surface with a primer. Plaster is applied to the brickwork to level the surface as much as possible and eliminate air gaps that may form when laying insulation. Penoplex slabs can only be mounted on a flat and durable surface. This will guarantee the durability of such insulation. For example, if the wall was previously plastered and painted on top, then you should get rid of the paint and check the plaster layer everywhere for evenness.
Prime the plaster after drying. This allows you to strengthen its surface and improve adhesion with the adhesive used to fix the insulation to the wall. Thanks to this, the plaster will not crumble as the load from the applied materials increases.
Draw a line using a laser level, since thermal insulation of the walls will not insulate the foundation. This will happen separately, together with the blind area. Back off 10 cm to cover the seam later.

Use a coated thread to mark the starting line. Before insulating the wall, you should install embedded parts and fasteners, with the help of which the drainage system, external lamps, antenna and other accessories placed on the facade of the building will be fixed in the future. If the fastener passes through the insulation and is located within its thickness, then it is worth treating it with a protective compound. For example, any paint for exterior use, but not oil-based, is suitable.
Along the coated line below, where the installation of insulation will begin, mount the starting profile. It must be made of stainless steel. It is fixed to brickwork or a concrete wall using self-tapping screws and dowels. First, their locations are marked, holes are drilled according to the markings, where fasteners are then inserted. The starting profile will be a reliable support for the first row of insulation boards.
It allows you to align them horizontally. Plus, this is additional protection for the lower part of the thermal insulation from moisture, mechanical damage and rodent pests. The starting profile clamps are fixed at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other. At the point of contact with the wall, the elements must fit tightly together. If a gap has formed, it should be eliminated using spacers. A gap of 3 mm is left horizontally between the individual profiles and a special fastening is installed.

It is important to know!
The level of placement of the lower part of the insulation is set 20-30 cm higher than the floors inside the house. This allows you to improve the thermal protection of rooms and avoid dampness. It should also be ensured that the width of the stainless steel profile is equal to the thickness of the foam board.

Installation of insulation using “wet technology”

Step by step steps:

Installation of penoplex outside the house should begin from its corners. But in the locations of door or window openings, they start from them, first filling the opening around the perimeter. Of course, some of the insulation boards will have to be cut to give the desired shape. But this is not difficult to do with a hacksaw or even a regular saw.
Lightly moisten the area on the wall for better adhesion. Along the marked line, proceed with the installation of heat-insulating boards, fixing them with adhesive foam. Gluing will take no more than 3 minutes. There are types of adhesives that can only be applied to a dry surface, this is indicated on the packaging. In this case, you need to wait until the wall surface is completely dry.
The adhesives are mixed according to the instructions on the pack. If a dry mixture is used, then it is diluted with water and stirred for 5 minutes, then set aside for another 10 minutes and thoroughly stirred again until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. You can use this glue for 2 hours, after which the composition loses the necessary characteristics. The glue is applied along the perimeter of the slabs in a strip of 10 cm. The thickness of the adhesive layer should not exceed 2.5 cm. The area of the foam sheet is filled with glue by 40%.

Perform mechanical fixation with 5 fasteners. It is advisable to do this 2-3 days after gluing the slabs. This will ensure a tight fit of the slab and will not disturb the plane. The second row of insulation is placed offset by half the slab. So the seams will not match vertically. This not only improves thermal insulation parameters, but also increases the strength of the wall finish.

Apply a second layer of glue - more than 0.2 cm thick. It will fix the reinforcing mesh. It is necessary to improve the adhesion of the plaster to the surface of the insulation. Additionally, the mesh is secured using staples with a stapler or small self-tapping screws. The strips of reinforcing mesh have dimensions of 30x100 cm. They begin to be fixed from corners and slopes. Adjacent strips are laid overlapping, 10 cm wide. On the sides, the mesh is fixed with metal corners, which are attached to self-tapping screws.
Perform plastering. It is important that the reinforcing mesh is completely covered with plaster and does not protrude from it anywhere. After hardening, the top plaster is primed and painted in the desired color.
Close all walls in the same way.

Work can also be carried out during light rain. This is only to your advantage, because... The adhesive foam will be moistened naturally, which will ensure better adhesion. Penoplex itself is not afraid of moisture, as it has zero water absorption. At the same time, it is characterized by low thermal conductivity and high strength; during work, you can safely rest a ladder on it. The insulation has a long service life, is environmentally friendly and easy to install.

It is important to know!
Insulation scraps can also be used, but it is better when they are large solid slabs. Very often, cuttings are placed in places where there are fastenings on the façade for the drainage system, external lamps or CCTV cameras. But keep in mind that insulation boards less than 20 cm wide cannot be laid at the corners of walls. This will reduce the level of thermal insulation and can lead to the formation of “cold bridges”.

Detailed instructions for those who want to insulate themselves

The process of insulating the facade of a building using extruded polystyrene foam is quite simple. If all installation rules are followed, you can insulate the walls on your own in the shortest possible time.

Preparatory work and necessary tools

To ensure strong adhesion of the material to the surface, it is necessary to carry out high-quality preparation. This work includes not only processing the wall itself, but also protruding elements (window sills, ebbs, etc.). Preparatory work includes:

Facade cleaning. At the same time, a layer of old finishing material is removed, as well as various contaminants: dirt, stains, dust, etc.
Elimination of harmful microorganisms (mold, mildew, etc.) from the surface. For this purpose, antiseptic agents are used.
Processing of metal objects existing on the facade. Produced with an anti-corrosion compound.
Checking the evenness of the wall. Only small deviations are acceptable; unevenness exceeding 2 cm per 3 m2 requires leveling.
Prime the prepared surface to ensure maximum adhesion.

In situations that require leveling the wall surface, perform the following steps:

Plastering. Allows you to achieve perfect smoothness. The layer of plaster does not have a negative impact on the properties of penoplex.
Use of insulation boards of various thicknesses. Used in case of large differences. A thinner insulation is placed on the protruding surface. However, it should be noted that the level of thermal insulation in such areas will be lower.
Installation of special gaskets for alignment. Such a procedure cannot be called simple; its implementation requires the appropriate skills.

For work related to wall insulation, you will need the following tools:

tape measure and steel square;
aluminum rule and level (2 m or more);
masking tape;
steel brush, hacksaw and hammer-pick;
drill and construction mixer;
metal scissors and construction knife;
hammer drill and screwdriver with attachments;
stainless steel grater and set of spatulas;
sanding block;
rollers, brushes, trowel.

Methods

To insulate the facade with penoplex, several mounting options are used:

sheets of extruded polystyrene foam are fixed with mastic or glue;
special polyurethane foam is used;
the material is secured with dowels.

Each method has its own characteristics. Professionals often use several methods simultaneously, which ensures reliable fixation of the slabs. For example, glue is used first, and then dowels are used. However, if you comply with all the requirements during the application of each method, the strength of the material will be guaranteed, capable of withstanding an additional layer of finishing, which will eliminate the need for additional fixation.

Description of technology

Installation of penoplex on facade walls includes several stages:

Fastening the base profile. Required as a support for slabs. The thickness of these two elements must match each other.
Preparing the adhesive base. Prepare according to instructions.
Sheathing with slabs. The adhesive composition is applied not only in their center, but also along the edges of the material. Work begins from the lower section of the building. For cladding door and window openings, only solid sheets are used.
Fastening the slabs using metal or plastic dowels. This happens 2-3 days after the glue has completely dried.
Processing of joints. They are filled with polyurethane foam or insulation.
Performing reinforcement. For this, reinforcing mesh is used.
Carrying out finishing work. Usually decorative facade plaster.

Important! Installation of penoplex under plaster must be carried out in such a way that the surface is perfectly smooth. Otherwise, after finishing work, all errors will be noticeable.

Installation of insulation using “ventilated facade” technology

The ventilated facade is a lattice structure, which is lined with slab or panel materials. The peculiarity of this finish is the presence of a gap between the finish and the wall. It is necessary for air circulation and free removal of moisture from the wall surface.

The insulation of a ventilated facade with penoplex differs slightly in technology and is carried out in several successive stages:

Preparing the walls. If necessary, putty for leveling. Cracks and chips are repaired. The top is treated with a primer.
Drawing vertical lines under straight hangers. Marking the horizontal position of the profile.
Installation of stainless steel profiles. This structure will serve to accommodate the facing material. It is important that the distance between the frame and the wall is 5-7 cm greater than the thickness of the insulation boards. This space will become a ventilated gap.
Penoplex boards are laid on a layer of glue. Additionally, they are fixed to the wall with disc-shaped dowels - 5 pieces each. for 1 plate. When installing in penoplex, slots are made for fastening the profile. They will need to be sealed with foam sealant after laying the slabs.
A layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the insulation. Its role is played by a windproof membrane made of multilayer insulating materials. It is attached to the insulation using a stapler and staples. At the joints of the canvas, an overlap of 10-15 cm is made.
The frame of the profile system is assembled and the facing material is installed on it. These can be decorative wood panels, aluminum or steel cassettes, porcelain stoneware.

Primary layer sketch

Penoplex is prepared for plastering by laying the primary layer. For this purpose, alkali-resistant PVC mesh should be used. By using PVC, you will insure yourself against the aggressive influence of cement on the exposed mesh. Cement is known to react with many materials.

Cut strips the length of which should be slightly greater than the height of the wall. Please note that installation is done from top to bottom. Apply the strip to the fiberglass with one hand, and apply the solution to the mesh exclusively along the top edge with the other. Thus, the mesh is, as it were, “welded” to the penoplex. As a result, the primary layer should be up to 5 mm thick.

Penoplex insulation scheme: 1 - penoplex slabs, 2 - glue, 3 - dowels, 4 - reinforcing mesh, 5 - primer, 6 - plaster coating

When the top edge is fixed to the plane, apply the solution to the mesh so that it is evenly distributed across the entire width. Every movement comes from top to bottom. Be sure to leave a vertical “tape” clean of the plaster mixture on the right side, because each subsequent strip will overlap the edge of the previous one by almost 1 cm.

As a result, it turns out that the wall will be strip by strip covered over the entire surface with a mesh. Look at all the places on the wall where the geometry of the plane changes (door openings, slopes, window openings) - this is where you should first start laying the mesh.

How to determine the thickness of insulation

To calculate the thickness of the thermal insulation material, you can use special online calculators.

In this case it will be necessary to take into account:

thickness of external walls;
the degree of their thermal resistance;
climatic features in the region;
seasonal temperature;
thermal conductivity of insulation.

It is important to know!
The resulting value will only be an approximate value. For an accurate calculation, it is recommended to contact specialists.

Recommendations for insulating walls made of various materials

Rules for insulating concrete walls:

before proceeding with the installation of thermal insulation, you need to treat the surface with antiseptic compounds;
You cannot lay insulation in a specific area, this must be done over the entire area of the building;
concrete is not resistant to moisture, so the installation of a waterproofing membrane is necessary.

Rules for insulating a wooden house:

the wood must be thoroughly dried;

between the thermal insulation layer and the cladding there is space for free air circulation;

Waterproofing must be installed;

material with high vapor-permeable characteristics is used as thermal insulation (Penoplex façade insulation technology is not recommended).

It is important to know!
The most important rule for thermal insulation of a building made of any material is compliance with the stages and installation technology. The work is quite difficult, so it is better to entrust this task to professionals.

As it became clear, there are many types of insulation for facades. Penoplex is considered one of the most modern and effective. It has impressive performance characteristics and a long service life. However, it is important to consider that this can only be achieved if the installation work is carried out in accordance with all rules, regulations and requirements.

Physical properties

Speaking about the physical properties of this material for the purpose of insulating private houses, cottages and even a swimming pool, it is worth mentioning the positive qualities, they are also disadvantages, but the need to purchase this type of insulation remains with the buyer.

One of the main properties is a high level of heat , which allows you to warm large buildings. The softness of the surface is also a positive property, because you are able to use it in cases of facade, roofing and in different weather conditions, but the structure is an easy target for rodents and birds, especially if you live in a country house near a forest area or in the very forest.

The following properties are exclusively negative - the easy flammability and combustibility of the material itself, which is literally firewood made of foam plastic, although additional chemical additives are added to many types, they do not reduce the risk of burning the material to a low level. Perhaps we will finish with these physical properties.

expanded polystyrene knauf

Pros and cons of penoplex

Penoplex is high-quality foamed polystyrene. Manufactured using extrusion technology. The material was developed more than 50 years ago in an American laboratory. Penoplex is sold in a special packaging film. This is necessary to protect it from ultraviolet rays, since it is not resistant to them. Thanks to this, the insulation can be stored outdoors. However, if possible, it should be additionally protected from the sun to reduce the risk of sun exposure. Under the influence of rays, the integrity of the top layer of the heat insulator can be damaged.

The advantages include:

Low thermal conductivity. This makes it possible to insulate the façade walls with penoplex foam with a minimum layer thickness. In this case, the thermal insulation will be high.
Good resistance to moisture. Thanks to this, the insulation does not deteriorate under the influence of precipitation and condensation.
High strength. Insulation of the facade with penoplex under plaster and any other cladding is not subject to mechanical damage.
Long service life. If the thermal insulation layer is installed correctly, the operational period will be at least 50 years. To do this, it is better to entrust the insulation of the facade to specialists, and not to do it yourself in the absence of experience.
Environmental Safety. The insulation is absolutely safe for human health, so it can also be used for internal insulation, including in educational and medical institutions.
Resistance to chemical environments . Low probability of mold and mildew.
High speed and ease of installation work.
Non-flammability.

The disadvantages include:

If a fire occurs, the material does not ignite, but melts;
Rodents love to spoil Penoplex;
When exposed to ultraviolet rays, it loses its performance characteristics, therefore, during installation in sunny weather, additional protection of the walls is required;
High price.

The advantages of thermal insulation material are much greater. They cover all the shortcomings. For example, the high cost of insulating a façade with Penoplex will pay off due to its long service life.

Varieties of Penoplex for insulation

There are several types of penoplex for insulating facades. They differ in flammability class and strength. Each type is intended for thermal insulation of various objects.

Main line:

Penoplex “Facade”
Designed for thermal insulation of internal and external enclosing structures, that is, walls, partitions and facade systems. It is a slab with a milled surface. Thanks to this characteristic, insulating the facade of a house with Penoplex under plaster has better adhesion with glue and cladding, which reduces the time required for the work.
“Base”
It is considered a universal material. Used for thermal insulation of floors, walls, roofs that will experience high loads. Penoplex "Osnova" is used in industrial and civil construction.
“Wall”
is an analogue of Penoplex “Facade”. However, this variety does not have a milled surface. Used to insulate external and internal enclosing structures (walls, partitions, facade systems).
“Comfort”
is the most popular thermal insulation material in private housing construction. It is used for insulation of country houses and city apartments. The material is used for walls, extensions, loggias, balconies.

It is important to know!
There are also other types of insulation, but they are not intended for facades: Penoplex “Foundation”, “Roof”, “45” (for road construction), “Pitched Roof”, “Geo”.

Scope of application

The extraordinary consumer properties made Penoplex an ideal solution for thermal insulation of any buildings. Using this material, thanks to its unique characteristics:

· protect the foundation and plinth from heat loss;

equip basements with thermal insulation;
thermally insulate floors and ceilings of buildings;
line water supply systems and swimming pools;
insulate loggias and balconies with slabs;
manufacture of multi-layer sandwich panels;
develop highways and runways;

Extruded polystyrene foam is used throughout the construction industry. It solves problems of heat conservation at facilities built in the climate zone with the lowest temperature.

Expert advice

Trimming standard size insulation boards results in the need to remove the connecting ends. Because of this, gaps and cracks may appear at the joints. In the future, they will become “cold bridges”, increasing the level of heat loss from the wall. To avoid this, such joints are “blown in” with a foam type sealant. It resembles polyurethane foam, but at the same time has even higher performance characteristics - it is not afraid of moisture, temperature changes, exposure to sunlight or freezing. It is important that it does not expand in air.

When fixing penoplex with an adhesive composition, only 1 fastening in the form of a disc-shaped dowel can be used for each of the plates. But this approach is usually chosen only when insulating one-story buildings with concrete walls. They are less susceptible to wind loads. To ensure reliable fixation of the insulation board, the fastening must go into the concrete wall by at least 40-50 mm. This number must be added to the thickness of the selected foam when purchasing fasteners.

If the facade of the house, after insulation with penoplex, is planned to be covered with siding, then a sheathing made of metal or wood should be mounted on top of the insulation. It is attached to the penoplex itself with long screws or dowels. Of course, the insulation board must be fixed not only with adhesive, but also with fasteners with a disc head. This will reduce the risk of the thermal insulation collapsing when installing the sheathing and avoid tearing off the facing material during strong gusts of wind. There remains a ventilated gap of 2-3 cm wide between the siding and the penoplex. But there is no need to use a vapor barrier with such cladding.

Tools

The procedure for insulating a brick house with penoplex from the outside does not cause any difficulties if you first prepare everything necessary. You will need:

perforator;
electric drill with mixing attachment;
hammer;
building level;
smooth, serrated and regular spatulas;
sandpaper;
buckets;
sharp knife;
roller;
penoplex, mounting foam, fiberglass mesh for reinforcement with a cell size of 5 by 5 mm;
aluminum perforated corners;
glue for penoplex;
primer composition;
plaster mixture;
putty;
umbrella dowels.