What are the nuances of carrying out insulation work with expanded clay, about the advantages and disadvantages of its use, how to properly prepare the ceiling, performing thermal insulation work, and the final surface finish. Ceiling insulation with expanded clay is a great alternative to using traditional heat insulators like foam or mineral wool. It makes it possible to provide high-quality heat saving in any type of room. In addition, this method does not require significant costs.
Features of thermal insulation of the ceiling with expanded clay
We can say that expanded clay on the ceiling is clay familiar to everyone. Raw materials are processed at high temperatures, as a result of which small granules are formed. Their porous structure creates the heat-insulating properties of expanded clay.
Based on the size of the fraction of the insulation, there are several main varieties of it. The smallest one does not exceed 0, 1-5, 0 millimeters and is used where warming takes place by filling. But more often the fraction with sizes of 0, 5-4, 0 cm, which is called gravel, is still in demand.
The expanded clay layer for ceiling insulation must be thick enough to provide an effective thermal insulation cushion. Despite the fact that the granules are not very heavy, the load can be very significant due to the thickness of the backfill of 50 cm or more.
To improve the heat-saving characteristics, it is optimal to use an insulating material based on fractions of different sizes. The main layer is made of coarse gravel, and from above and below it is fenced with fine sand granules.
Carrying out thermal insulation with expanded clay raw materials allows you to solve several problems at once:
- Since the material, among other things, acts as an excellent sound insulator, it will be able to reliably maintain peace and quiet for households during bad weather or fence off noisy neighbors.
- In the coldest weather, the heat will remain in the room, since the heated air cannot find cold bridges for itself (with the correct insulation), and therefore has to go down again.
- In hot seasons, expanded clay reliably prevents cold from entering from outside the building, so a cool microclimate will remain in the premises.
Advantages and disadvantages of ceiling insulation with expanded clay
Expanded clay has more than enough advantages, so let's dwell on the most fundamental of them:
- The insulator is highly durable among many other materials.
- Expanded clay is fireproof, since it does not burn and does not emit substances hazardous to human health into the atmosphere.
- Thanks to its special porous structure, this insulator weighs much less than other similar materials.
- It is neither edible nor attractive to various bugs, rodents, bacteria, mold and mildew.
- The low price of the material explains the fact why it has been successfully used for ceiling insulation for more than a dozen years.
- Its high thermal insulation qualities are complemented by excellent sound insulating properties, since it quickly absorbs acoustic vibrations.
- The material easily absorbs moisture without increasing its own weight or losing its basic qualities.
- Expanded clay chips or crushed stone does not cause allergic reactions in households or animals due to its natural origin.
- Like other bulk-type thermal insulation, expanded clay is very easy to use.
- Due to the fractional form of release, the air trapped between the individual stones further improves thermal insulation and produces natural convection.
Consider the possible negative aspects that may be associated with the use of expanded clay as a heat insulator:
- Its effectiveness is directly related to the thickness of the insulation layer. In other words, it makes no sense to make the thickness of the bedding less than 20, or even 40 centimeters.
- This material must be reliably protected from atmospheric moisture or precipitation.
- It is optimal to use it for thermal insulation over reinforced concrete floors. Firstly, they are quite monolithic in themselves and are able to withstand the weight of expanded clay. Secondly, they reliably retain crumbs and dust from spilling down.
- When insulating houses made of wood, expanded clay must be protected by a vapor barrier from both the upper and lower sides.
- It is not recommended to sprinkle this insulator on the ceiling, hemmed to the bottom of the beams. Given the weight and volume of expanded clay, it is possible that it will be able to break through the entire structure, which will collapse into the room.
Ceiling insulation technology with expanded clay
The algorithm for carrying out thermal insulation works is reduced to two main measures: laying a vapor barrier and filling it with bulk material of different fractions.
Preparatory work
The need for preparatory work directly depends on the surface on which the heat insulator will be poured. If the insulation takes place directly on the reinforced concrete floor, then no special preparation is required. It is enough to remove large debris. In this case, expanded clay simply crumbles over the surface, after which it remains only to level it with any improvised tool and method.
In other cases, careful preparation of the surface for the installation of the future insulation will be required. Especially in those rooms that have already been repaired many times. First of all, the surface is cleaned of any dust, and if there is an old coating or even its remnants, they must be eliminated. It is quite easy to remove old plaster or whitewash if you moisten them well with water and wait a while.
In more difficult cases, when, for example, the ceiling was previously painted, it can be very problematic to peel off the old paint. It is worth trying to knock it down with a perforator or go through with a grinding tool to such an extent until the edge becomes even. The cleaned surface is treated with a soil solution - this is done with the aim of keeping all future layers as firmly as possible. It is necessary to start priming from the corner, gradually moving towards the center of the ceiling in the room. Be sure to carefully process all existing joints. The solution should be applied in even and approximately equal horizontal stripes. After the entire ceiling is evenly painted, it is allowed to dry for a couple of days before proceeding with thermal insulation.
In the question of how to insulate the ceiling with expanded clay, you cannot do without pre-prepared tools and consumables. So, stock up on the following tools: jigsaw, screwdriver, drill, grinder, hacksaw, working cans (other containers), shovel, hammer, ax, paint roller or brush, paint bath.
From consumables you will need: multi-fraction expanded clay, flooring board, wooden lath, screws, self-tapping screws, nails, mounting foam, double-sided construction tape, cement, sand, ceiling primer.
Installation instructions for expanded clay
The whole process of warming can be reduced to several main stages:
- First you need to perform a vapor barrier. To do this, you can use ordinary plastic wrap or roofing felt, but it is better to resort to special membranes. The choice of material is especially important in those rooms where there is no natural ventilation or ventilation. It is laid in one layer and fixed on top with a wooden frame.
- Almost any wood can be used to make the frame, based on the humidity in the attic. Wooden logs are laid across the room, while thinner beams are mounted longitudinally.
- As soon as the frame and the film are fixed, you can start filling the cells with bulk insulation. The easiest way is to use expanded clay of the same fraction. In this case, it crumbles over the vapor barrier, and the only thing that needs to be paid attention to is the uniformity of distribution and the thickness of the backfill.
- In the case when different fractions are used, a layer of fine granules can be made first. Then at least 20-30 cm of coarse-grained material is poured and another layer of granular expanded clay sand on top.
- You can achieve more effective insulation by carefully tamping the heat insulator. To prevent the granules from being damaged and not losing their characteristics, the entire layer is preliminarily woken up with ordinary river sand.
- You can make the insulation even better by pouring a concrete screed onto a layer of heat insulator. In this case, there will be no need to reuse the vapor barrier film. The concrete screed itself will serve as the basis for the finishing, on which the board or other materials are laid.
Note! It is not recommended to fill the cells between the lags with expanded clay completely. It is necessary to leave a free gap of 1-2 cm between the final surface of the floor and the insulation. This will avoid touching the granules and an unpleasant squeak as a result.
Surface finish
Among the most common options for closing an insulated ceiling is its cladding with wooden clapboard. The structure of various types of wood creates a unique atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the house. Among the advantages, one can note the naturalness of wood, its excellent compatibility with interiors of different styles, thermal insulation qualities and a long service life.
In order to carry out the cladding, you should mark the insulated surface and prepare the frame. Usually, for this purpose, a lathing of wooden bars and slats is used. But it also depends on the climatic conditions in the room. So, for showers, bathrooms and other rooms with high humidity, it makes sense to use not wood, but a metal profile.
To begin with, the lining is left in a warmed room for two days so that it can acclimatize. Then it is cut to the required size. When calculating, it is necessary to indent from each of the walls by 4-5 mm, given that the humidity and temperature conditions can change, and this will entail a certain deformation of the tree.
For cutting wooden lining, it is advisable to use an electric jigsaw, and in the absence of one, a traditional hacksaw with small teeth will do.
For fastening wooden planks, medium nails are most often used. For those who decide to use self-tapping screws, we advise you to pre-drill the holes, otherwise, when tightening, the rails may split. Each subsequent row will be easier to assemble, because the boards will be inserted according to the principle of "groove in the lock", after which they simply slide tightly together. To achieve a tight connection, you can use a rubber hammer, but all actions must be very careful, because otherwise there is a risk of damage to the material.
There is no need to glue the joints for the strength of the connection, but the places for all electrical cables must be marked in advance. It is also necessary to drill holes for them, so as not to damage the outer coating of the wagon board later. The last row is first trimmed in width, which should be approximately equal to the distance between the penultimate row and the wall, excluding 3-5 mm for the formation of the expansion joint.
It remains to lay a wooden plinth around the perimeter of the room, which at the same time will hide any existing flaws and the mentioned expansion joints. For its installation, liquid nails or self-tapping screws are used. Now you can paint the sheathed surface or treat it with a special varnish for wood, which can darken over time, which will give the room nobility. On the insulated ceiling, it is optimal to use LED lamps or pendant chandeliers, the temperature of which does not rise too much. But it is not recommended to use built-in lamps: due to the lack of directions of heat release, they will burn out quickly enough.
How to insulate the ceiling with expanded clay - watch the video:
It will not be difficult to insulate the ceiling of a house with expanded clay, even for those who do not have special construction skills. Since this work does not require additional equipment, and the heat insulator itself is notable for its low cost, it has been and remains one of the most popular materials.
