The main nuances of thermal insulation of ceilings using penoplex, the advantages and disadvantages of working with this material, surface preparation for thermal insulation, instructions for performing basic work, finishing with plaster and water-based paint. Insulation of the ceiling with penoplex is the best option in order to increase the comfort of living, improve sound insulation and reduce heat loss in the living room. At the same time, the ratio of price and quality of material and work is optimal for a wide range of owners. According to numerous reviews, insulation of the ceiling in a house with penoplex can significantly reduce the costs associated with the acquisition of energy.
Features of thermal insulation of the ceiling with penoplex
For those who are interested in how to insulate the ceiling with penoplex, it will be useful to find out what kind of material it is and what its key characteristics are. To begin with, this is nothing more than one of the varieties of extruded foam with low thermal conductivity.
In production technology, pellets are exposed to high temperature and pressure. A special foamed substance acts as a catalyst for a chemical reaction, which is based on carbon dioxide and freon, which after a while evaporates, giving way to air.
Penoplex owes its fine-pored structure to the extrusion process, as a result of which each of the individual cells has approximately the same dimensions and is isolated from the others. The size of each of them ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 mm. Due to their uniform arrangement in the structure, the material is warm and durable.
Another interesting feature of this material is its ability to keep moisture out. It can only penetrate into the outer cells of the foam, while the inner ones remain completely dry. In the course of practical experiments, it was found that this heat insulator is able to absorb water only for the first 7-10 days, after which it only gives it back.
Particular attention should be paid to the thickness of the foam, which becomes important for interior work. It is known that thick-walled material can seriously reduce the usable space in rooms. But the thickness of the foam is minimal, which makes it different for the better from the same foam, for example. This means that you should not be afraid that it will significantly reduce the height of the room, balcony or loggia.
Another feature of this insulation is the ease of installation. Penoplex sheets can be attached directly to the glue, they do not need to be nailed. There is no need to buy expensive adhesives, it is enough to buy ordinary tile adhesive, which is definitely available in any construction department.
Before carrying out insulation work, it is necessary to understand how they will be performed. The heat insulator can be installed from the outside of the room or from the inside. In the first case, it is attached to the outside of the ceiling. In this case, the gaps between the plates should be minimal. Each of them has a groove-notch fastening, so they are connected quite reliably. It is possible to improve the heat-saving qualities and strength of the joints by properly filling the joints and seams with construction foam.
If the ceiling is insulated with penoplex from the inside, then the slabs are attached to the ceiling directly on the tile adhesive. In this process, it is important to achieve a dense and even surface without gaps and gaps. As in the external version, all cracks are carefully treated with foam from a spray can.
Advantages and disadvantages of ceiling insulation with penoplex
There are a number of specific advantages that penoplex and a ceiling insulated with this heat insulator can boast:
- Due to the unique porous structure, the material is characterized by low water absorption and vapor permeability.
- It is produced in the form of L-shaped plates, which greatly facilitates installation on ceilings.
- The special roughness of the surface ensures a high-quality bond with the finishing material.
- Penoplex is considered a completely environmentally friendly insulation.
- Differs in a long operational period.
- Resistant to fungal and mold microorganisms.
- Penoplex is famous for its ease of installation, because it can be easily cut and cut with any sharp knife.
- It is absolutely insensitive to air humidity, and therefore work with it can be carried out in any weather.
- The material remains unchanged in shape and size up to a temperature of 80-100 degrees.
- Plates are easily glued just on the floor, if the thermal insulation is carried out from the inside of the building.
The main disadvantage of this material is associated with its properties during combustion. Like its counterpart, polystyrene, it is capable of emitting corrosive and even poisonous combustion products, which have a suffocating effect. On the other hand, if the heat insulator is securely closed on each side, this danger is practically minimized.
Ceiling insulation technology with penoplex
Thermal insulation work must be carried out in full compliance with the sequence of all stages. You should also pay attention to the quality of the building materials used.
Preparatory work before installing the penoplex
At this stage, the ceiling or attic, where the insulation will be carried out, should be cleaned of all types of debris. Lumps of solution are removed from the surface, as well as any irregularities. Floor joints must be thoroughly cleaned of loose plaster.
If there are residues of the previous coating on the ceiling, they must be removed. In especially difficult cases, a hammer and a chisel will come to the rescue, as well as an ordinary wide spatula.
As soon as the surface is cleaned, it must be treated with a primer mortar, best of all based on acrylic. You should not save on the primer, otherwise it will cause the insulation and subsequent layers to peel off.
When the ground paint is completely dry, voids, seams, chips and cracks are sealed with a putty. After that, all the sealed areas are carefully sanded with coarse sandpaper and re-treated with a soil solution. The ceiling is now ready for insulation work.
Among the materials and components we may need: penoplex (according to the ceiling area), wooden board, metal profiles, screws, nails, putty solutions, glue for working with penoplex, ground paint.
It is necessary to stock up on the following tools and equipment: jigsaw, drill, hammer, chisel, spatula, various screwdrivers, containers for solutions, spray gun, paint brushes and rollers.
Instructions for installing foam on the ceiling
To find out how to properly insulate the ceiling with penoplex, you need to resort to the following step-by-step algorithm:
- First, you need to make a crate, which will be filled with heat insulator plates. Therefore, its length and width are prepared in accordance with the dimensions of the products. The thickness of the profile must match the thickness of the foam. In the manufacture of wood, coniferous or deciduous wood is used, the main thing is high-quality dried. The board is cut to size, thoroughly cleaned, and, if necessary, covered with linseed oil.
- To fix the foam boards to the floor, special adhesives are used, but not metal screws, which will create cold bridges and heat leaks later.
- When installing thermal insulation boards on the ceiling, seams will certainly appear. They will have to be sealed immediately with polyurethane foam or acrylic putty applied for these purposes.
- As soon as the entire penoplex is glued to the ceiling, a reinforcing fiberglass mesh can be fixed on top of it, which will give the structure more strength.
- You can start finishing the thermal insulation layer using any commercially available material.
If the penoplex is laid outside, then it can be laid simply on top of the floor, which will be the floor for the upper room. In the case when it is supposed to walk on it, it will be necessary to create a crate on which the finishing of the floor will be placed. The lags should be located so that cells are formed in which the heat insulator will be placed. Despite the fact that they can be arbitrary in size, it is advisable to make them as suitable as possible for the dimensions of the foam board.
As soon as the insulation is laid in the cells, all seams must be filled with sealant or construction foam. If you do not pay attention to this, there will be no guarantee in reliable thermal insulation of the room.
In addition, it is worth taking care of ventilation. For this, a flooring is constructed above the laid heat insulator, in which a small gap is provided for air circulation. Thanks to this, moisture will not accumulate on the surface of the wood or other material from which the coating was created.
Surface finishing
Quite often, the insulated ceiling is plastered, because this is a long-known way to give it an aesthetically finished look and hide all the flaws that emerged during thermal insulation. Certain qualifications will be required here, because if you just apply plaster to the ceiling surface, it will fall off in pieces.
In addition to the fact that the solution for these works must have a certain consistency and stickiness, the ceiling must be given connecting qualities. It is best to use a mesh reinforcement to ensure proper adhesion. It is nailed or glued, after cutting out the corresponding pieces. Once the mesh is fixed, you can start mixing the solution.
To prepare the correct working mixture, take 3 parts of washed sand, add 1 part of cement and 1 part of clay to them. It is these proportions that will make it possible to make a sticky solution that will reliably hold the fixed reinforcing mesh.
We will apply the plaster in 2 stages. First, the mortar is thrown onto the ceiling in order to fill all gaps and drops, as well as voids in the mesh. It is best if the first layer dries up within a few hours.
Now you can start leveling the surface. For these purposes, plasterers have a special tool. It is a piece of metal with a handle fixed in the center. We take a little mortar on the work surface and spread it on the ceiling. It is imperative to ensure that the mixture does not get into the eyes.
Once the plastered ceiling has set (this may take 12 to 24 hours), it can be trowelled. Such a tool is sold in construction departments. It is quite easy for them to work: the grater is slightly moistened in water, and the grout is carried out with rotational movements in a circle.
Remember that after complete drying, the surface of the ceiling will still be covered with cracks. In order to get rid of them, we may need a putty, and then the ceiling can be covered with water-based paint, which will give it a finished look. Such paints can be of different composition, include acrylic or silicone, so before starting work, read the manufacturer's instructions again.
It is best to use a brand new roller for finishing. This will help achieve a more uniform surface. If possible, it is better to purchase a special spray gun for painting the plastered ceiling. It will allow you to more evenly distribute the water emulsion - while it will lie down in an even and thin layer.
The painting procedure is as follows: paint is poured into the working bath, in which we wet the paint roller, we apply it several times over the surface, achieving an even distribution of the liquid. You should always start painting the ceiling from the corners, as well as the joints between the ceiling and walls. If you began to move the roller from left to right, then after passing the wall along the entire length, change direction in the opposite direction. The paint should lay flat, without any noticeable transitions.
If too much paint has been applied, then a roller will help to remove the excess: when there is no water emulsion left on it, you can walk it over the surface so that it absorbs all the excess substance. A beam of bright light directed at it will help to assess the quality of the painted ceiling - even an ordinary carrier is suitable for this purpose.
Before the paint is completely dry, the room must be protected from drafts and direct sunlight. It is not recommended to forcibly use electrical appliances to dry the surface.
How to insulate the ceiling with penoplex - watch the video:
As you can see, penoplex is rightfully considered a universal material that can be used to insulate not only floors and walls, but also the ceiling surface. It owes its popularity to its affordable price, heat-saving characteristics, as well as the slight complexity of insulation work that each owner can perform independently.
