How to insulate aerated concrete? Instruction + Video and Photo

Do-it-yourself aerated concrete insulation. Warming a house from aerated concrete is not at all an obligation, but sometimes it is simply necessary. At first it may seem that the reason for the insulation is only to save on heating, but this is not so.

If we consider insulation from the side of savings, then first you should find out the amount that you will save on heating savings. That is, how long the insulation will pay off its cost.

If the insulation pays off only after 15 years, then there is practically no sense from it.

General information

Reasons for insulation:

Reduction of heat loss from walls, due to the fact that resistance from there are more walls, so there really is less spending on heating

1. Closing bridges in the wall, for example, armored belt, bridging, large seams. All this not only removes heat, but also can become a provocateur of the appearance of fungus and dampness.
2. We increase the useful life of the house. Insulation of 10 cm or more transfers moisture to the insulating material, and not to aerated concrete.

   Thanks to this, the liquid will not freeze in aerated concrete, and the house will stand much longer.

But there are situations where there is a benefit:

1. There are high prices for gas and electricity in your region.
2. Cold climate.
3. Wall thickness is less than 30 centimeters.
4. If the aerated concrete is too dense.

5. If there are a lot of joints and cold bridges in the walls.

How to choose the thickness

To determine the thickness of the insulation material, you need to know what heat resistance near the walls is recommended for your region, and after what period of time everything will pay off. There are often cases when people install too thin a layer of insulation. This is very impractical, because the greater the thickness of the insulation, the greater the savings in the future on heating.

It is necessary to be aware that the prices for tools and additional materials are in no way related to the cost and thickness of the insulation.

The most optimal thickness for insulating aerated concrete houses is 100 mm.

If the aerated concrete blocks that make up the house have a high density, or a wall thickness of about 200 mm, then it is even allowed to use a heater with a thickness of 150 mm.

When it is necessary to insulate aerated concrete

It is not recommended to insulate aerated concrete walls immediately after construction. The reason for this lies in the fact that fresh, factory-made aerated concrete has a high level of humidity, and it needs to evaporate somewhere.

From the thickness of the wall moisture will be released from the inside and outside, but if you immediately install the insulation, all the moisture will remain in the wall and create a high level of moisture, fungus and other troubles.

It is also necessary to know that walls with high humidity have a lower thermal conductivity, in winter weather it can even transform into ice. This can significantly reduce the life of aerated concrete.

If insulating with mineral wool is a little better, it has excellent properties. It allows steam and excess moisture to pass through. But provided that the aerated concrete is closed from the wind and will dry out for a longer amount of time.

In addition to everything, the cotton wool becomes wet, which significantly hinders thermal insulation.

If you are still going to insulate the house from aerated concrete, then you need to remember that if the role of the insulation will be min wool, you need to wait at least two months, if the foam is the insulation then the wait is from six months to 12 months.

Causes affecting drying:

• Wall dimensions,
• Temperature conditions,
• Weather conditions,
• Airflow rate.

How to choose a material

Most often, mineral wool or foam is used to insulate houses from aerated concrete.

Mineral wool have a high level of vapor permeability, and will help remove excess moisture from the walls and premises to the street.

Steam from water is always directed from the house to the street. Thanks to this, the house will always be good, the walls will be dry, and this will help keep warm air. Plus, stone wool is not flammable.

When handling mineral wool slabs, be sure to be safe and use gloves and a mask. There is practically no difference in the quality of thermal insulation between these two materials.

Polyfoam has a much lower cost, it is easy to cut, if there are crevices, they can be hidden using polyurethane foam.

It is flammable, not vapor tight. Because of this, there will be high humidity in the walls, which is very favorable for mold and mildew. In such a room, it is desirable to have good ventilation, and this reduces the heat inside the house.

For aerated concrete house, mineral wool would be the best choice due to its excellent steam permeability.

But if your financial capabilities are limited, perhaps using foam plastic with a thickness of at least 10 cm.