Thermal insulation of a wooden house with mineral wool outside under siding - step by step instructions!

In the conditions of severe winters and severe frosts, a wooden house needs insulation - without it, it is difficult to create comfortable conditions inside in the cold season. Also, thermal insulation will reduce heating costs. This article will tell you how to properly insulate a wooden house with mineral wool for siding.

Advantages of mineral wool

Why mineral wool has become so popular insulation for private construction? The answer to this question is simple - due to the combination of its advantages, this material surpasses other insulation materials in one way or another.

1. The mineral wool does not burn.

   It can only melt, and only at very high temperatures. Therefore, this insulation is better suited for buildings made of wooden beams or logs than combustible foam.

2. Mineral wool is easy to use - it does not require the use of special equipment like ecowool. The installation process is simple - I took it out of the package, cut it (if necessary), laid it down, and fixed it with dowels or glue.
3. Mineral wool does not shrink over time and is not attractive to rodents, insects, fungus and mold.

   In addition, it is able to retain its properties for several decades.

4. And like any good insulation, mineral wool has extremely low thermal conductivity values ​​- 0.03-0.047 W / (m * K), depending on the grade of the material and the outside temperature.

Choice of mineral wool

When you enter a hardware store, you will see many types of mineral wool with different characteristics.

The question arises: what characteristics should a material suitable for insulating a house outside?

1. Type - stone or basalt wool. Slag wool or glass wool is not the best choice for the walls of a residential building. The reasons are high alkalinity and the content of substances that are harmful to humans (especially slag wool).
2. Density - from 80 kg / m3 and more. This is due to the fact that the laid material is under heavy stress.

   And so that under their influence the insulation does not crumple, does not lose its shape and thermal insulation qualities, it must be sufficiently dense.

3. Dimensions - most mineral wool for external wall insulation is sold as slabs with a length and width of 1200 x 600 millimeters. The thickness varies and can be from 50 to 150 millimeters.
4. Since the insulation is carried out outside, the mineral wool must be hydrophobic. By absorbing water, this insulation loses its thermal insulation properties by 50-70%.

   It should be borne in mind that high humidity outside and its sharp drops are not at all uncommon. Therefore, the ability not to absorb moisture and condensation is very important for mineral wool. However, this is not enough, therefore, when insulating the walls of a wooden house, take care of high-quality hydro and vapor barrier.

Separately, it is worth discussing the issue of the thickness of the thermal insulation layer. The tree itself has some qualities of insulation, and therefore it does not require such a large layer of mineral wool as for a building made of concrete or sand-lime brick.

For example, in conditions of middle latitudes for a wooden house with a wall thickness of 15 centimeters, an insulation layer of 10 centimeters will be optimal. If the walls are even thicker, 20 centimeters, then the required layer of mineral wool will be half as much.

Of course, if you live in a region with a harsh continental climate and severe frosts, then the thickness of the wall insulation should be higher. And if sheets of mineral wool 50 or 100 millimeters thick are not enough for thermal insulation, they need to be laid in two layers.

The table below shows the materials that meet the requirements and are suitable for wall insulation.

Prices for mineral wool

Mineral wool

Tools and materials

Below is a list of everything that is needed to insulate a wooden house with mineral wool for siding.

1. Mineral wool - it is obvious that without it there can be no talk of any warming. Before you go to the hardware store, take measurements of the area of ​​all walls of the house and subtract the area of ​​all windows and doors from the resulting figure. By dividing the result by the area of ​​one sheet (for a 1200 x 600 mm sheet, this is 0.72 m2) of mineral wool, you will find out how much you need to buy.

   If you plan to insulate in two layers, multiply the resulting number by two.

2. The material for the frame - it can be either a wooden beam with a section of 50 by 50 mm, or a steel profile of similar properties. You may also need U-shaped metal hangers. What they are for and how they are used will be discussed below.

   

   Profiles ud and cd for mounting the frame

   

   Beams for battens

3. Antiseptic impregnation.

   When dealing with wood, you must always protect it from the effects of fungus, mold and insects.

   

   Luxens antiseptic impregnation

4. Vapor barrier membrane - used to prevent the insulation from absorbing condensation on the walls of the house. In addition, such films are used as wind protection. Membranes are interesting because while protecting mineral wool from moisture and wind, they nevertheless allow it to "breathe".

   

   Vapor barrier membrane

5. Acrylic adhesive tape designed to join sheets of vapor barrier film.

   Construction brackets are needed to secure the vapor barrier to the wall.

6. Umbrella dowels, also known as disc dowels, are fasteners for mineral wool.

   

   Construction of the facade dowel for thermal insulation

7. Galvanized nails - for fastening the battens to the wall and connecting its elements to each other. If the frame is made of a steel profile, the nails are replaced with self-tapping screws, and the hammer with a screwdriver.
8. Tape measure, pencil and level - for measuring distances and quality control of work.

9. Rotary hammer and construction stapler - for the installation of thermal insulation and battens.
10. Hacksaw or electric jigsaw - for working with wooden beams.

There are two ways to insulate a residential building using mineral wool - frame and frameless. Both methods are discussed below.

Prices for popular models of hammer drills

Hammer drills

Frame house insulation with siding finishing

In the first method of installing thermal insulation, first a frame made of a wooden bar or a steel profile is mounted on the wall, then it is laid between its elements insulation.

The process ends with the installation of an external lathing and siding. Now let's take a closer look at the method.

The first stage - surface preparation. Slots and gaps in wooden walls are sealed and insulated, the walls themselves are cleaned of dust, debris and remnants of the old finish, if any. Protruding elements are also dismantled: pipes, shutters, window sills, and so on.

Second stage . The walls are treated with antiseptics, protecting them from decay and fungus.

Third stage. A vapor barrier film is attached to the walls with construction brackets. Membrane sheets are overlapped with each other by 10-15 centimeters, the seams are carefully glued with acrylic tape.

The fourth step - installation of the frame. The timber (pre-treated with an antiseptic) or profile is installed vertically, with an interval (distance between elements) along the width of the mineral wool slab. The timber is fastened to the wall with nails, and the profile - with screws.

Fifth stage. Sheets of thermal insulation are placed in the space between the frame elements.

The insulation is fixed to the wall using 4-6 disc dowels. If gaps or gaps remain, they should be repaired with pieces of mineral wool.

Sixth stage. A vapor barrier film is laid on top of the frame and insulation. As before, the joints are overlapped and taped.

Seventh step. Attached to the frame is a new sheathing layer that will be used to create a ventilated facade and as a frame for siding. In this case, it is permissible to use a small section bar.

This completes the insulation, then it remains only to finish the house with siding.

Important! If two layers of insulation are planned, then the second frame is mounted perpendicular to the first and relative to the siding.

For example, if the walls are finished with siding horizontally, then the beams of the first frame must also be laid. And the bars of the second layer of insulation should be located perpendicular to them, that is, vertically.

Prices for thermal insulation materials

Thermal insulation materials

Video - Insulation of exterior walls with siding

Frameless mineral wool insulation for siding

Unlike the method described above, this method does not provide for the installation of a frame for thermal insulation, and mineral wool covers almost the entire surface of the wall. Thus, the problem with the "bridges" of cold is solved, as the elements of the sheathing in the frame method of wall insulation are used.

Step 1.

The walls of the house should be prepared for insulation - cleaned of debris, dirt and dust, dismantle everything that could interfere with the process and seal the cracks and grooves with tow or pieces of mineral wool.

Step 2. The cleaned surface of the walls is carefully treated with an antiseptic. If a wooden bar is used as a crate, it also undergoes processing.

Step 3.

As for the first method, a vapor barrier membrane is attached to the wall with brackets.

Step 4. Next, universal U-shaped hangers are attached to the wall. In the horizontal plane, the distance between them should be less than or equal to the width of the mineral wool slab. In the vertical plane, the distance between the suspensions is 50-60 centimeters.

They are mounted on dowels.

Step 5. Now you need to cover the walls with mineral wool. For this method, you need to be especially careful to ensure that there are no large gaps and slots through which heat will leave in winter. They must be sealed with pieces of mineral wool.

Step 6. The next step is external vapor barrier and wind protection. The rules for laying the membrane are the same as last time - overlapping joints, seams are sealed with acrylic adhesive tape.

Step 7. Outside, a crate of steel profile or wooden bar.

It should press the mineral wool slabs against the wall and provide a ventilation gap between them and the siding. With the help of a level, make sure that the crate is installed evenly.

Important! When insulating in two layers, the slabs of the second layer are positioned so that they overlap the joints of the slabs of the previous layer. This rule is mandatory for both frame and frameless methods of installing thermal insulation.

It can be noted that insulating a wooden house with mineral wool for siding is a relatively simple matter and does not require the use of expensive materials or complex tools, and therefore it is within the power of every homeowner.

By carefully following the instructions, you will receive durable and high-quality thermal insulation that will last you 25-30 years.

Video - Insulation of the facade for siding

Video - Installation of mineral wool