Thermal insulation of the floor with liquid Penoizol, its features, the pros and cons of such insulation, the technology of work. Insulation of the floor with Penoizol is a special technology that involves the use of liquid heat-insulating material, which is pumped into the previously prepared cavities of the enclosing structure. We will tell you how to use Penoizol for the floor as a heater in this article.
Features of floor insulation with Penoizol
The main advantage of Penoizol floor insulation is the ease of applying this material. And it consists in the following. By partially or completely dismantling the flooring, they open access to the space between the logs, and then fill it with liquid foam insulation by pouring using special equipment. At the same time, a porous mass is formed on the basis of the floor between the logs, which, after drying, becomes close in appearance and characteristics to foam.
The insulation has a density of 10-30 kg / m3 and low thermal conductivity of the order of 0, 028-0, 038 W / m ° C. For comparison: the average thermal conductivity of foam is in the range from 0.038 to 0.043 W / m ° C, and the same indicator of mineral wool slabs is 0.07-0.08 W / m ° C, that is, Penoizol is more effective than foam. retains heat and surpasses mineral wool in this indicator.
The raw material for the production of Penoizol is a low-toxic polymer carbamide resin, filtered water, orthophosphoric acid, which accelerates the hardening of the main component, and a foaming agent containing about 2% sulfuric acid. After mixing them in a generator and feeding them under pressure through a hose, a liquid insulation is obtained. The material has excellent fluidity and, due to its own weight, is able to fill even the smallest gaps.
The quality of floor insulation with Penoizol largely depends on the experience of the performer. The main problems that may arise even after 2-3 years are not so much due to equipment, but due to non-observance of the proportions when mixing the components of the composition. If too much resin comes out, the material will turn out to be too loose. With an excess of phosphoric acid, the insulation usually burns out and crumbles in the finished form in the hands.
In addition, if the proportions of the Penoizol working mixture are violated, formaldehyde, a poisonous substance, is released. But if the dosage was done correctly, toxic elements will not cause any harm to health. From the above, it is easy to conclude: when working with Penoizol, extreme accuracy or the presence of an intelligent specialist is required.
Pros and cons of floor insulation with Penoizol
One of the main advantages of Penoizol is the possibility of its preparation and filling directly at the facility, which significantly saves the costs of transportation and storage of the material. After applying liquid foam to the surface to be insulated, unlike polyurethane foam, it does not increase in volume at all and, on the contrary, shrinks slightly.
The air permeability of Penoizol is very low and amounts to 0.4%, the material is not hygroscopic, it is not in demand among rodents and prevents the formation of fungus and mold in the floor. Urea insulation of the latest developments has a moisture absorption of less than 0.3% of the filled volume, previously this figure reached 20%.
The manufacturers of Penoizol claim that a 10 cm thick slab cast from this material is not inferior in its heat-shielding properties to a 297 cm thick concrete layer, 170 cm thick brick masonry, 30 cm mineral wool and 20 cm foam plastic. And although this is a very average data, the thermal insulation characteristics of this insulation are still excellent.
The use of Penoizol as a floor insulation is fire safe. The material, despite its organic basis, does not support fire. From the action of an open flame, it can only char and lose weight during evaporation, without forming a melt.
The structure of Penoizol does not change with sharp fluctuations in humidity and temperature of the environment. At the same time, the insulation has a unique durability. Studies of the material in laboratories have determined its service life for 60-80 years. This is confirmed by the analysis of samples taken from the walls, which were insulated with Penoizol during the first experiments of its use 60-70 years ago. There were no obvious signs of its destruction.
The low weight of the insulation practically does not create a load on the foundation of the house. This is due to the low density of the material, which is 5-75 kg / m3, a similar indicator of conventional foam - 15-35 kg / m3.
The soundproofing properties of Penoizol allow 65% to absorb noise from the upper floors and the street. This is facilitated by a monolithic and sealed layer of insulation, which reliably insulates the abutment of the floor to the walls.
Thermal insulation with liquid foam minimizes insulation waste for trimming and labor costs for its installation.
The cost of Penoizol is quite affordable. By insulating the floor with this material, it is quite possible to save not only at the construction stage, but also on the organization of heating during the operation of the building, since it has the best thermal insulation characteristics among materials of this class.
However, warming floors with liquid foam, in addition to undoubted advantages, has some disadvantages. One of them is its shrinkage during polymerization. After pouring, the insulation does not expand like polyurethane foam, but reduces its volume to 5%.
If low-quality raw materials were used for production, the finished insulation may smell bad. Usually, during hardening and drying, Penoizol, together with moisture, releases a small amount of formaldehyde into the air, but after the process is completed, after a few weeks, the indicator of gas contamination with this substance does not exceed the MPC.
Another disadvantage of Penoizol is its rather low tensile and compressive strength. Therefore, the insulation needs to be protected from external damage. In addition, it should not be left exposed to sunlight for a long time to avoid deterioration of its thermal insulation performance.
Open exposure to water is harmful for Penoizol, especially if it is prolonged. In this case, the material can be highly moistened, which will lead to a significant decrease in its insulating properties. However, moisture evaporates rather quickly due to the special structure of the material.
Many of the above disadvantages of liquid insulation are eliminated by technical means: Penoizol can be protected from climatic and mechanical influences with an external facing coating, shrinkage of the material for its entire service life can be eliminated by reinforcing the mixture with mineral fibers, which will bind it throughout the entire volume and provide a monolithic insulating layer …
Penoizol floor insulation technology
Penoizol can be applied to concrete and wood substrates. Despite the fact that it has excellent adhesion to many materials, the floor surface needs a number of procedures before insulation.
Preparatory work before installing Penoizol
Liquid insulation should only be applied to a clean substrate. Therefore, before pouring it should be cleaned of debris, dirt and grease stains. There is no special need to level the floor.
The logs must be dry before the start of thermal insulation work. Otherwise, after pouring with Penoizol, they can rot in a few years, and the entire floor will have to be changed, which can significantly affect the family budget. A warm utility room can be used to dry the lumber.
Wooden parts of the structure must be protected from moisture from below. This can be done using ordinary polyethylene film, which is inexpensive, and in terms of its insulating characteristics, it is no worse than expensive foreign-made membranes.
Liquid insulation contains chemically harmful substances. Therefore, before working with Penoizol, you should stock up on protective equipment: glasses, overalls, gloves and a respirator. After its polymerization, poisonous vapors will evaporate, but for this it is recommended to ventilate the room.
Filling the floor with Penoizol
There are two options for floor insulation with liquid foam. In the first case, the space between the joists is filled without flooring. In the second, the floor is insulated with Penoizol through the drilled holes in the coating.
Before installing the flooring, Penoizol is poured between the logs over the entire area of the room. This requires a foam generator that produces and pours in the carbomide-formaldehyde liquid foam. An example of such equipment is the IZOL norm apparatus, which is actively sold in Russia.
The installation allows for the dosage of components and the supply of the finished mixture to the place of placement in electronic mode. In case of voltage drops in the network, the device stabilizes the flow of elements in automatic mode. As a result, the performance of the machine and the density of the material do not change during pouring. The dosage of the components of the mixture is carried out by pumps with a collector drive.
The installation kit includes a special hose with a pair of outlet valves for alternate filling of material. A spare set of hoses allows you to lift liquid foam to a height of 50 m, which is important for insulating high-rise buildings. The device, when operating from a 220 V network, has a capacity of 250-350 liters of Penoizol per minute.
The density of the liquid foam is regulated by a knob located on the control panel of the unit. In addition, the device implements the possibility of wireless radio control. This allows you to cope with the work with the forces of one person. The equipment measures 480x440x290 mm and weighs 25 kg.
Installation "ISOL norm", consuming water for 1 m3 the mixture is 3 times less than the usual rate, allows you to get Penoizol of the highest quality. The material is homogeneous at any density value. In addition, the device can produce liquid foam with a density of 5 kg / m3… There was no other way to achieve this.
After filling the space between the wooden logs to their upper level with liquid foam, the apparatus should be turned off and the mass should be allowed to polymerize. When Penoizol hardens, you can fill a boardwalk on the beams or mount another topcoat.
If the floor already has a flooring, for its thermal insulation with liquid foam, in addition to a foam generator, you will need: a pencil and a tape measure, an electric drill or perforator, a 25 mm drill, a chisel, a spatula and a mixture for embedding holes in the floor.
Before pouring Penoizol in the surface, it is necessary to make holes in a staggered manner and with a step of 1, 5-2 m. Then, liquid foam must be pumped through them using a foam generator until the material fills all the free internal space in the structure and all the cracks. The end of the pouring can be determined by Penoizol, which will flow through the drilled holes to the outside.
After the liquid foam has polymerized, its excess on the floor surface should be trimmed with a chisel or knife, and the holes should be sealed with wooden plugs, mortar, putty or other suitable material.
Useful tips for floor insulation
When insulating the finished floor with Penoizol, it is necessary that the height of the internal space of the structure be 50-150 mm. If it is smaller, liquid foam, coming in under pressure, will not be able to fill it efficiently.
The thickness of the board of the existing floor when insulating it through the holes should not be less than 40 mm. This is due to the fact that the liquid foam is supplied into the underfloor space under a pressure of 5 atmospheres, and in such conditions, the strength of the flooring can only be ensured by lumber of the specified thickness. Otherwise, the flooring may deform.
If there are things in the insulated room, it is recommended to take them out during the production of work in order to avoid damage from splashes of liquid material.
How to insulate the floor with Penoizol - watch the video:
When using Penoizol for floor insulation, you should pay attention to the fact that the positive qualities of this material outweigh its disadvantages. Low thermal conductivity, durability and reasonable price make liquid foam an excellent thermal insulator. Therefore, it is not in vain that it is recommended for use as insulation not only for floors, but also for other enclosing structures of any buildings.
