Insulation of the ceiling with clay

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:23

Pros and cons of clay as a heater for ceilings, options for solutions based on this material, the choice of components for the insulating layer, the technology of work. Ceiling insulation with clay is the use of a cheap natural material as the main or auxiliary insulator of floors. The cover not only prevents heat from escaping from the room, but also keeps it cool in summer. Making a batch of clay, sawdust and other plant waste is a complex operation and requires certain construction skills. We will talk about the technology for performing work in our article.

Features of thermal insulation of the ceiling with clay

Clay belongs to environmentally friendly building materials. It is well diluted with water and, after drying, turns into a very solid substance that retains heat perfectly. Most often it is applied to the floors of small rooms.

In its pure form, clay is not used as a heater for the ceiling due to its high weight and long drying time, and reducing the thickness does not give good results. To create an insulating "cake", sawdust, straw and other components of natural origin are added to the solution. If proportioned correctly, the coating will exceed the capabilities of some modern insulators. Mixing requires a lot of physical activity, and a concrete mixer is a must.

The applied layer 30 cm thick dries for a very long time, therefore it is recommended to insulate the ceiling with clay in summer. The damp material is not insulating.

Advantages and disadvantages of clay ceiling insulation

Clay as a heat insulator for floors has become popular due to the following qualities:

• Low cost. Raw materials have no competitors among analogues used for these purposes. It can always be obtained with a minimum expenditure of effort. In rural areas, the breed is often dug up and brought on its own.
• Clay belongs to fireproof materials, does not burn and does not contribute to the spread of fire. It can be safely laid near the chimneys.
• Rodents and insects do not live in the thickness of the coating.
• The solution for the ceiling is prepared from the base and lightweight fillers, which significantly reduces the load on the walls.
• There are no harmful impurities in its composition, so the overlap is environmentally friendly.
• It is easy to master the technology of insulation, everything can be done independently.
• Clay and lumber work well together. The wood remains in its original form for many years, and the insulating layer does not lose its quality for a long time.
• If necessary, the already dried mixture that has been removed for some reason can be reused, for which it is enough to wet it. In this way, waste can be avoided after construction.
• After adding water, the rock becomes plastic and is able to fill any voids, which allows it to be applied to complex surfaces.
• After the moisture evaporates, it becomes hard, so it is not necessary to install walk-on flooring on the attic floor.

However, the material has practically been replaced by modern heat insulators. There are several reasons for this:

• This method of insulation is far from the most effective. In most cases, clay is used as an addition to the main thermal insulator.
• To prepare the solution, it is necessary to carefully maintain the proportions, otherwise the insulating layer will crumble or simply will not perform its functions.
• The ready-made mixes are quite heavy, so the floors must be designed for heavy loads.

Clay ceiling insulation technology

The effectiveness of soil-based insulation depends on many factors: adherence to the coating technology, the quality of consumables, the composition of the solutions, etc. You should not neglect the recommendations of experienced craftsmen - it will be very difficult to redo the work, because after hardening, a very durable cover is obtained.

Surface preparation

The quality of insulation depends not only on the components of the insulating layer, but also on the state of the floor. Before work, perform the following operations:

1. Remove sharp elements that could damage the waterproofing membrane.
2. In most cases, the insulation of the ceiling with clay is carried out from the side of the attic. Usually there are power beams on the floor, between which it is convenient to lay mortar, and use the top as a base for leveling. If the floor is flat, attach the logs to it, which will divide the surface into sectors. The height of the beams should be equal to the thickness of the insulator.
3. When performing operations at an early stage of construction, the structure of the ceiling under the clay insulation is simplified. Slats 50x50 mm are nailed to the floor joists from below. To save money, gaps of 20-30 mm are left between them. From the side of the room, plywood shields are temporarily attached to them, which will prevent the solution from waking up through the cracks. After the completion of one section, the slabs are transferred to another, and the process is repeated. Instead of slats, you can use boards that completely cover the ceiling and create a flat surface for decorative finishing. But they will cost the owner more.
4. Place sheets of cardboard on the floor of the attic and cover with a waterproofing film to keep moisture out. Lay the sheets on the wall and between each other with an overlap of 15-20 cm. Glue the joints with reinforced tape.
5. Before using a solution of clay with sawdust or straw as insulation for the ceiling, insulate the chimney. The hot part should not touch the filled coating.
6. Pull the wiring harness through the metal tube if necessary.

The choice of clay for insulation

There are several types of soils, each of which has its own properties. Not all of them are suitable for construction work.

Depending on the content of sand and calcium carbonate, dry and oily clay are distinguished. The first, when mixed with water, increases little in volume and forms a low-plastic mass. It is not recommended to use it to create an insulating solution. Fatty ones absorb water well. They are slippery to the touch, after adding water they become plastic. Such a mass is easy to lay on the surface.

The rock, which is mined from the seabed, contains a large amount of silt. For insulation, it is not very suitable, because fragile in compression and low tack.

You can recognize clay that is suitable for ceiling insulation as follows:

• The stickiness of the material is determined by making a paste out of it and squeezing a piece with your fingers. They should stick together a little. Blind the ball and flatten it with your palms. Turn the brush over with the blank down and squeeze your fingers several times. The clay should fall off after a few manipulations, while some of it will remain stuck.
• To test for ductility, wet the rock and roll it into a pencil-thick rod. Wrap the roll around your finger. The higher the quality of the substance, the thicker the strip that will remain intact after the procedure. Squeeze wet clay in your fist. The mixture should be squeezed out with a narrow ribbon. If water starts to drip after squeezing, the clay is not suitable for the job.
• The absence or presence of sludge can be checked by molding a ball from the wet mass. Flatten and pat it with your hand. If water appears and the substance retains its color, the sample contains a large percentage of clay. When changing the color, it cannot be used due to the high percentage of silt.
• The soil for construction is easy to determine if you pick up a dry piece. A high-quality sample breaks down into small pieces that are difficult to crush further. But under the influence of water, they quickly soften.

Ceiling insulation with clay and sawdust

This method is considered the most effective among other clay-based heat insulators. The result depends on the observance of the proportions of the components and on the state of the sawdust.

When choosing a bulk mass, pay attention to the following factors:

1. Buy medium-sized waste. Small fractions are heavy and too dusty, while large fractions have worse thermal insulation properties.
2. Do not use bark sawdust for insulation. They often contain insects that will ruin the ceiling. A high quality substance from high temperature dried sawn timber is available in carpentry workshops.
3. If you have a choice, use softwood sawdust. They contain a resin that prevents the appearance of mold and mildew.
4. Do not use waste chipboard, MDF, OSB and other products for the manufacture of furniture. Fragments that are too small are cut after cutting.
5. Before use, treat sawdust with special agents to protect against insects, decay and combustion. Most often they are mixed with copper sulfate or boric acid. If you have to insulate the sauna and bath, copper sulfate is not used, because when heated, it emits vapors harmful to humans.

Prepare a working mixture. The work is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Prepare a container for soaking the soil. Its size depends on the area to be insulated.
2. Pour in clay and cover with water. Leave the mass to soak for a day.
3. Stir the solution to a liquid sour cream. Add liquid if necessary.
4. Fill half of the concrete mixer with the resulting mixture.
5. Add sawdust according to the proportion: 2/3 of a bucket of prepared sawdust per 1 bucket of rock.
6. Stir until a dense mass is obtained.
7. You can check the quality of the kneading by pouring it into a bucket and sticking a stick. It should be kept upright.
8. Cover the floor with the prepared mixture in a layer of 25-30 cm and compact. The simplest rammer with a working area of 25x25 cm can be made by yourself. Especially carefully treat the floor at the junction with the load-bearing walls.
9. Level the surface with a long rule, resting on the logs. If the work was carried out in the summer, the mixture will dry in 2-3 weeks.
10. Examine the dry coating. If cracks are found, seal them with the same compound.
11. After drying, the soil becomes very hard, and it is allowed to walk on it, but if you want to, you can mount a wooden flooring.

Clay and sawdust slabs can be used to cover the attic floor. This method is used when the house has been in use for a long time. To create blocks, you will need shapes in the form of cells, which allow you to make products with dimensions of 50x50x20 cm. Put the lattice on a flat surface and fill with a solution prepared as in the previous method. After 15-20 minutes, remove the form, move it to another place and repeat the operation. After drying, place the blocks tightly on the floor of the attic, having previously coated the ends with a liquid solution. Check for cracks in the connection of the blocks and fix them if found.

Ceiling insulation with clay with expanded clay

In this case, the soil is used as an addition to expanded clay. The work is performed in the following sequence:

• Stir the rock with chopped straw to a plasticine state.
• Apply the mixture in a layer of 5-8 cm on the vapor barrier tape, fixed to the floor of the attic.
• After a month, when the solution is dry, coat the surface with liquefied clay. It will close all cracks formed after the mass has dried out.
• After drying, sprinkle expanded clay on the floor. Build a walking deck on top.

Another option for insulation - instead of expanded clay, a thick layer of sand is poured. The loose mass will then fill the formed cracks and eliminate heat loss. How to insulate the ceiling with clay - watch the video:

For thermal insulation of the ceiling, you do not need to have special abilities and special devices, all questions can be solved by yourself. But working with clay requires a lot of physical strength, so enlist the support of your family, you cannot do without their help.