The technology of thermal insulation of the blind area with penoplex, the advantages and disadvantages of insulating the auxiliary structure with this material, advice on choosing the components of the protective layer. Insulation of the blind area with penoplex is the use of a highly efficient heat insulator to increase the durability of the auxiliary structure of the building. The soil under the protective cover does not freeze and does not swell, therefore the soil that has changed in volume does not act on it and on the foundation. Penoplex is one of the few materials that perform well in conditions of high humidity, under the influence of high mechanical stress. We will talk about the technology of creating an insulating layer based on this product in this article.
Features of thermal insulation of the blind area with penoplex
The design is designed to protect the foundation from atmospheric precipitation flowing from the roof of the house. It looks like a strip 1-1.5 m wide, which encircles the house around the perimeter. It is made of paving slabs, paving stones or concrete.
In some cases, the blind area collapses and water seeps to the foundation. This happens for the following reasons: in winter, moisture trapped in microcracks freezes and expands, which leads to the appearance of cracks in the protective layer. Through them, water penetrates under the blind area. Also, the strip can collapse from the heaving of the soil under the concrete, which occurs if the water underneath freezes. The protective cover deforms due to the fact that it is thin and wide and cannot withstand heavy loads.
Penoplex is often used to protect the blind area - a sheet product with the properties of foam and plastic. This is a domestic analogue of imported extruded polystyrene foam produced by the Russian company of the same name. The characteristics of the insulators are almost the same, but the Russian one is cheaper.
Penoplex is most in demand for insulating houses standing on heaving soils - sandy loam, loam and clay, capable of absorbing a large amount of water. Moisture, when frozen, squeezes the soil out, and when it thaws, it settles, shrinks, which negatively affects the blind area and foundation. It is advisable to modify the structure if the house has a heated basement and basement. In this case, the thickness of the frozen layer at the foundation will decrease, which will lead to a decrease in heat loss through the lower part of the house.
Insulation is not always effective. For example, it is not made near screw piles, because the soil near them does not freeze in the most severe frosts, and there is no heaving.
Penoplex is sold in packs of 10. The most popular panel sizes are 0, 6x1, 2 m with a thickness of 3-10 cm. The depth of the insulating layer depends on the climatic zone and the degree of stress. The scheme of insulation of the blind area with penoplex is complex and consists of bedding, extruded polystyrene foam and waterproofing.
The material acquired its qualities due to the closed-type honeycomb structure, which provides high density and stiffness of the sheets. To facilitate joining, milling is made along the edges of the panels. They also improve the tightness of the joints. It is recommended to insulate the blind area around the house with penoplex at an early stage of building construction, simultaneously with the construction of the foundation.
Advantages and disadvantages of insulating the blind area with penoplex
Penoplex is considered the best product for finishing the blind area. He is appreciated for such qualities:
- The material practically does not absorb moisture. After a long stay in water, it increases by only 0.4% of the panel's weight.
- Samples surpass competitors in moisture-repellent and heat-insulating properties.
- The insulation has a long service life, which is comparable to the operation of the entire building.
- Penoplex eliminates the main problems associated with frost heaving of the soil in the immediate vicinity of the foundation. The temperature near the base of the house does not drop below zero degrees, so the reasons that lead to the destruction of the protective structure or its displacement relative to the base disappear. The foundation will not be affected by the load from the frozen soil.
- The product is not afraid of harmful aggressive elements, which are abundant in groundwater. Cement mortar and other mixtures are not able to destroy it.
- The material is easily cut and modified, despite its high density. Blocks are manufactured with high precision, which speeds up installation work. The thermal insulating layer under the blind area of this product will reduce the cost of house insulation.
- Penoplex maintains the integrity of the auxiliary structure, prevents soil subsidence in spring and swelling in winter.
The user must be aware of the drawbacks of the material: it collapses under sunlight, so it is not allowed to use it without UV protection. The cost of extruded polystyrene foam is higher than that of other products of a similar purpose.
Blind area insulation technology with penoplex
The thermal insulation layer under the blind area is a multi-level structure of several rows of different components. The result of the work depends not only on the observance of the method of forming the protective layer, but also on the quality of the material used. Details on insulation below.
The choice of materials for the insulating "cake"
The product is operated in difficult conditions, so only high-quality samples can cope with their task. It is impossible to check the declared characteristics without special equipment, but it is not difficult to determine the state of the proposed product by external signs. To do this, follow these steps:
- Ask the seller for a broken piece of sheet and study its structure in this area. Penoplex consists of a huge number of small granules that are difficult to see with the naked eye. If large elements are visible, then the material is considered defective, because manufactured in violation of technology. Sheets with large granules become saturated with water and lose their insulating properties.
- Press down on the broken area with your fingers. Low-quality panels will crack, tk. thin-walled granules will start to burst. After installation, such blocks quickly collapse under the influence of even small loads.
- Buy panels packed in a protective plastic wrap without tears.
- Read the basic information about the product on the label - dimensions, purpose, characteristics, release date, manufacturer.
- Make sure the sheets are in the correct geometric shape. Deformation of the panels is not allowed.
To insulate the blind area, buy a product of the "Foundation" brand, the density of which is more than 35 kg / m3… It corresponds to the old designation "Penoplex 35" without a flame retardant. This modification is intended for the isolation of loaded structures. Samples have increased strength compared to other models of extruded polystyrene foam.
The thickness of the foam can be up to 150 mm. The required size is obtained by gluing several sheets with special or universal adhesives.
When choosing funds, pay attention to the following points:
- The glue should not destroy the product. Do not buy products that contain gasoline, kerosene, solvents or other substances that can harm the material.
- To insulate the blind area, buy compounds designed to work outside the premises. They securely fix the panels at any ambient temperature.
- Dry adhesives should be stored indoors, because they are hygroscopic.
Penoplex installation instructions
When laying foam, small pieces of the product are always needed. To cut the slabs, you can use the following tools: a heated knife of any type (the basic requirement is that it must be very sharp); electric jigsaw for separating thick samples; nichrome wire, heated to a high temperature, which will quickly cut sheets of any thickness.
The method of protecting the blind area with penoplex is very simple, which allows even inexperienced users to do the job. Operations are performed in the following sequence:
- Mark the trench for the insulation layer. The width of the ditch should be equal to the depth of soil freezing for a given area, but not less than 1 m. The deeper the foundation, the wider the strip. In addition, it should protrude 20 cm further than the overhang of the roof over the walls.
- Dig a trench around the perimeter of the house to the depth of the insulating "pie" together with the blind area, usually 30-35 cm is enough, but at the request of the owner it can be changed. For example, if the house is on marshy soil, the depth is increased to create an earthen castle. If there is a basement floor, a ditch is dug by 1 m.
- Be sure to cut the roots of trees and shrubs. They are able to destroy the blind area and the protective layer. If you leave them, the vegetation will germinate again.
- Examine the exposed wall of the house. Seal gaps and gaps with cement mortar. If insulation is carried out at the initial stage of building a house, level the walls of the foundation and basement using sand-cement mortar and mesh and plaster.
- Mount the formwork around the perimeter of the pit. It can be made of wooden panels, but the best option is concrete curbs, they will serve as edging and will reliably protect the insulation from tree roots.
- Fill the bottom of the pit with a layer of clay 5 cm thick. If the soil is swampy, it is recommended to arrange a clay castle 25 cm thick - well-tamped soil does not allow water to pass through.
- Lay roofing material on top of the clay. The canvas prevents sand and clay from mixing. If the groundwater is located very deeply, instead of roofing material, the clay is covered with geotextiles.
- Mix gravel and sand, which are taken in proportions of 1: 1, and cover the roofing material with a layer of 10-15 cm.
- Level the mixture and tamp thoroughly. For better shrinkage, pour water over it. The surface should slope towards a drainage ditch or surrounding soil where water should flow.
- After the sand dries, place the Styrofoam sheets on top of it. The thickness of the insulator depends on the average winter temperature in the area. It can be up to 150 mm.
- The panels can be laid in two layers, with the upper blocks overlapping the joints of the lower row.
- Glue the top and bottom panels together. To do this, apply the product around the perimeter of the sheet and at 4-5 points in the middle. Place the sample on the bottom row and press firmly.
- Fill the gaps between the base and the foam with polyurethane foam.
- Cover the insulation with waterproofing. It can be a film or roofing material. The material is laid with an overlap on adjacent sheets and on the walls of the foundation. Seal the joints.
- Cover the top of the product with a waterproof layer, which is called a blind area.
In addition to the main purpose, the auxiliary structure evenly distributes the load on the insulator. Traditionally it is made from concrete, but it can be asphalt, cobblestone, tile, stone, etc. In the case of using paving slabs or other tile material, sand 10-15 cm thick is first poured onto the insulation. The surface should be sloped for better drainage of water.
The concrete blind area is performed as follows:
- Put wooden blocks 20-30 cm high on the penoplex, and on them a reinforcing mesh with 10x10 cm cells.
- After pouring the concrete, the mesh will be inside the concrete screed. The reinforcing layer compensates for the contraction and expansion of the coating that occur during temperature fluctuations.
- Make expansion joints from thin wood planks or plywood strips. They are laid on the ribs perpendicular to the walls every 2 m and fixed with a thick cement mortar. Before installation, treat lumber with bitumen mastic or used machine oil. Expansion joints exclude the formation of seams and cracks in the cold season. The slats can also be used as beacons when pouring concrete, so mount them on a slope.
- Fill the prepared area with concrete mortar. The screed should be monolithic around the entire perimeter of the house so that cold bridges do not appear.
- To increase the strength and moisture resistance, the blind area must be ironed. Rub dry cement into a still damp surface and cover with a damp cloth. After a week, remove the napkin and allow time to dry.
How to insulate the blind area with penoplex - look at the video:
Penoplex is considered the most effective material for insulating the blind area. Despite the fact that its cost is twice as much as polystyrene, the product is very popular with owners of country houses due to its unique properties.
