Advantages and disadvantages of thermal insulation of ecowool ceilings, options for creating an insulating layer, checking the quality of raw materials, calculating consumables. Thermal insulation of the ceiling with ecowool is the application of free-flowing cellulose mass to the horizontal ceiling to form a heat-insulating layer. The structure of the material makes it possible to mechanize operations, which reduces the time of work and improves the quality of the coating. We will talk about the most popular options for creating a protective shell in our article.
Features of work on insulation of the ceiling with ecowool
Ecowool is a fragmented thermal insulation material made from fine wood fibers and special substances that improve the performance of cellulose. In most cases, waste paper, fire retardants (boric acid) and sodium tetraborate, which protects against decay, are used for its manufacture.
The applied coating retains its qualities at high humidity, therefore it is often used in places where condensation is possible. To preserve the insulating properties of the product, the room must be equipped with good ventilation to remove excess moisture from the insulator. It is not recommended to apply raw materials to the basement ceiling.
The product goes on sale packaged in briquettes or bags. At the production stage, the substance is compacted to reduce its volume during transportation, and before work is fluffed manually or with special devices.
The floors are insulated in two ways - wet and dry. The first option allows you to apply ecowool to the ceiling from below, using the adhesive properties of a wet substance. For this, lignin is added to the composition, which gives the material its adhesive ability. With the help of a special device, the raw material is sprayed over the surface and adheres to it. With the dry method, it is placed in cells from the outside of the ceiling.
Blow molding machines are used to cover large areas with ecowool. Their task is to loosen the compacted material and feed it to the place of laying. Fluffing is a necessary operation. Only whipped ecowool does not allow heat to pass through.
The scheme of the machine for working with bulk mass looks like this:
- The basis for the placement of the power plant, gearbox, pipeline and other assembly units;
- Electric motor with a gearbox that allows you to regulate the supply of the mixture;
- The gateway through which the mass enters the working area;
- Baking powder for fluffing briquettes;
- Corrugated hose for supplying raw materials to the ceiling;
- Hose nozzles;
- Remote Control;
- Switch for emergency stop of the device.
Depending on the power of the electric motor, the units last for several classes. Professional devices pump at least 700 kg of ecowool and have a large number of functions. Semi-professional machines can process up to 80 bags of the product per shift. The cheapest units are used in small areas. Often material is fed into such devices manually.
Advantages and disadvantages of ecowool ceiling insulation
Loose mass has many advantages, thanks to which users prefer it to other products:
- The insulating "pie", in addition to the main function, is good for soundproofing the room.
- Subject to the laying technology, the composition does not sag and forms an elastic mass that retains its qualities for a long time.
- Special agents are added to the product that repel fungus and mold. The material doesn't like mice.
- The coating does not transmit heat at its own humidity of 20 percent. No vapor barrier is required during installation.
- The mixture completely fills the cavity intended for it. There are no cold bridges.
- The insulation process can be mechanized. Special devices will help cover large areas in no time.
When working with the product and during operation, sometimes problems arise that the owner of the house should be aware of:
- Before insulating the ceiling with ecowool, you need to spend a lot of time to create blown-out cavities.
- The technology for processing waste paper is quite complicated, it requires the use of special equipment, which increases the cost of the product.
- The material does not burn under the influence of open fire, but smolders, therefore it is not recommended to use it in fire-hazardous places.
- Over time, the substance shrinks.
Ecowool ceiling insulation technology
Thermal insulation of the ceiling with ecowool is carried out manually or using special machines. The method of creating an insulating layer depends on the area to be treated, but in any case, you first have to equip cavities for the bulk mass.
The choice of ecowool for thermal insulation
Despite the fact that raw materials have been used as a heat insulator for a long time, GOST has not yet been developed for it. Therefore, it is not possible to compare products with a reference sample. The state can only be assessed in an indirect way:
- Take a handful of raw materials. To the touch, the ecowool should resemble fluff, but not cut paper. When shaken, small parts do not fall out of it.
- Products with large fragments are poorly impregnated with antiseptics and other protective ingredients.
- Set fire to a pile of raw materials. The material will start to smolder and then quickly go out.
- Prefabricated products are sold sealed in plastic wrap.
- Ecowool has good characteristics only when dry.
- Pay attention to the color of the insulator. A gray tint means it is made from high quality raw materials, while yellow means it is made from low quality raw materials. A change in color also indicates that one of the most important components, borate, is missing from the insulation.
- For residential use, take a borax-containing substance. The presence of ammonium sulfate will lead to an unpleasant odor.
Do not purchase products from unknown companies. There are enough reputable manufacturers selling quality material. Ekovilla Eggeh is a company registered in Finland that has been supplying insulation to Russia for a long time.
Isofloc - this brand is known all over the world. The main office is located in Germany.
High quality raw materials are produced by several companies in Russia. These include "Ekovatu" of the Moscow region and the Don Industrial Company. These plants use equipment with automatic dosing of components to ensure the stability of the heat insulator.
In order not to pay too much, it is necessary to correctly calculate the volume of the insulating layer.
With a rough estimate, you can use the following recommendations:
- The layer of raw materials on the ceiling in multi-storey buildings is 10-15 cm.
- The overlap on the upper floor is covered with a layer of 30-40 cm. This is due to the fact that warm air from the whole house collects under the attic and the heat loss in this place is maximum.
- For an accurate calculation, it is necessary to multiply the volume of the gap, which is planned to be filled with cotton wool, by its density. The latter factor depends on the coating method. If the material is laid by hand, the density can be 30-35 kg / m3, if the process is mechanized - 40-45 kg / m2.
- Calculation example: ceiling area - 20 m2, insulation thickness - 0.2 m, density - 45 kg / m3… Multiplying everything, we get the mass of raw materials.
Manual installation of ecowool
The option is suitable for thermal insulation of small rooms, above which there is an attic. In this case, the use of blowing devices is economically disadvantageous.
Board material - plywood, boards, etc., should be fixed to the logs, from the side of the room.that meets these requirements: the structure must withstand the weight of the insulation; the presence of cracks and gaps through which raw materials can spill out is unacceptable; it is recommended to install jumpers between the beams, dividing the floor into cells.
Perform the following operations:
- Cover the base with vapor barrier and secure with a stapler. Ecowool can perform its functions when wet, but the film will harm me nothing. Lay the cloth with an overlap of 15-20 cm on the walls and on adjacent pieces.
- Pour the raw materials into a container of suitable size, filling it one third full, and loosen with an electric drill with a nozzle. After fluffing, it will increase in volume several times.
- Pour insulation into the cells of the base and compact using a sheet of plywood. The coating under the cold attic should be 20-30 cm thick. If the ceilings of the interfloor ceilings are being processed - no more than 15 cm.
- Work the corners of the structure especially carefully. The mass compresses well, so fill it with a margin. Make sure the mixture fills all voids, otherwise the effect will be negligible.
- Moisten the ecowool with water from a spray bottle. Under the influence of moisture, the lignin, which is part of the substance, will soften, and then stick together and create a dense crust. It will protect the composition from humid air.
- When the coating is dry, cover it with a vapor permeable material with an overlap of 15-20 cm on the walls and adjacent panels.
- If the attic is in use, install walking decks.
Thermal insulation of the ceiling with ecowool in a dry way
Thus, the ceiling is insulated with ecowool in a private house from the attic side. To create an insulating coating, it is necessary to create a closed space where raw materials will be blown out. You will also need a machine to feed the material to the installation site.
Perform the work as follows:
- Nail boards or shields to the logs on both sides. The gap between them will be equal to the thickness of the insulating layer and can reach 20-30 cm.
- Make a hole in the board, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the blower hose.
- Connect the clipper to the mains. Pour ecowool into the receiving hopper.
- Connect the hose to the product. Insert the other end into the hole in the board and move it all the way to the wall, and then move it half a meter.
- Set the operating mode and turn on the device.
- After a while, the mass will fill the space between the wall and the hose. This moment can be determined by the change in the blowing noise.
- Pull the hose out of the hole 0.5 m and continue to supply insulation until the cavity is completely filled.
- Close up the hole in the board.
Wet-glue method of thermal insulation with ecowool
Thus, ecowool is applied to the ceiling from below. In order for the material to adhere well, lignin and water are added to the composition.
The operations are performed in the following sequence:
- Clean the surface from dirt, dust, peeling plaster.
- Fasten the crate to the ceiling, to which, after insulation, the plasterboard sheets will be fixed.
- Prepare the pumping unit for operation. On the hose through which the spraying is carried out, put on a special nozzle that moistens the loosened mass with water when feeding.
- Add a small amount of adhesive to the water to reduce the chance of deformation of the coating after drying and increase its elasticity. The product enhances overlapping adhesion. The glue should not be flammable or thick.
- Turn on the machine and adjust the water and ecowool supply. If you squeeze a well-prepared mixture in your fist, only a few drops of liquid will fall out of it. In high humidity, the material will fall off the ceiling. The prepared mixture is fed to the surface under high pressure and sticks to it.
- Cover the surface with insulation evenly. Further measures are carried out in a few days, after the raw materials have completely dried. Therefore, the house is insulated in summer, in dry warm weather.
- Cut off the covering that protrudes above the batten, flush with the frame. Remove excess with a special roller knife, which is usually supplied with the ecowool blower. Waste can be reused. After processing, a perfectly flat surface is obtained.
- Install the false ceiling.
How to insulate the ceiling with ecowool - watch the video:
Do-it-yourself insulation of ceilings with ecowool is more profitable for many reasons than the use of traditional heat insulators. The need to use special devices is offset by the cheapness of raw materials and simple operations. To get a good result, it is enough to study the technological process and take the work seriously.
