What is stone wool, what types of this insulation exist, its technical characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, how to choose the right material and do-it-yourself installation features.
Advantages of stone wool
Stone wool is considered one of the most popular among other mineral fiber heat insulators. Among its advantages are the following:
- Excellent thermal insulation … Stone wool can be used even in harsh winters. It is used to insulate walls, facades, floors, roofs, pipelines and other elements for both domestic and industrial purposes.
- Good sound insulation … In a house insulated with stone wool, you will not be disturbed by sounds from the outside. Any acoustic waves can be damped by this material. It also dampens vibrations well.
- Fire safety … Modern types of stone wool do not lend themselves to combustion and do not spread fire. Fibers can only melt, sinter, and even then, if the temperature reaches above 1000 degrees.
- Versatility … It is possible to insulate with this material buildings that have already been erected for a long time or have just been built. In this case, the presence of high-quality supply ventilation does not matter. Stone wool does not interfere with air microcirculation.
- Resistance to chemicals … The material is not afraid of exposure to aggressive alkalis, acids, oils, solvents.
- Water resistance … Due to the processing of fibers with special hydrophobic compounds, stone wool will not absorb water and therefore lose its quality. Therefore, the material withstands short-term contact with water perfectly.
- Long service life … Stone wool does not lose its insulating qualities for a long time - up to 50 years or more.
- Low specific gravity … This heat insulator is easy to transport and install even on your own.
- Fast installation … It is especially convenient to lay stone wool in slabs. They are large and cover a significant area at a time.
- Environmental friendliness … The material is harmless both during installation and during operation. It almost does not generate dust, like other types of fiber insulation, and it can be laid without the use of a large number of protective equipment and devices.
Disadvantages of stone wool
There are not so many disadvantages to this insulation. Basically, they appear in cases where you purchase poor quality stone wool from unscrupulous manufacturers. Then the material can get wet, which means it can lose its hydrophobic properties, be brittle and even release toxic elements into the air. In general, the following disadvantages of stone wool can be distinguished:
- Relatively high price … This cost differs the material from well-known brands, which guarantee that the insulation is made of pure basalt rocks, is environmentally friendly and will last a long time.
- Small amount of dust … Fibers of stone wool practically do not prick, in contrast to glass or slag wool. However, shaking the basalt insulation leads to the appearance of small clouds of dust. Inhaling them is definitely not recommended. Therefore, it is worth using a respiratory mask during work.
- The presence of seams at the joints … The so-called cold bridges occur in places where slabs or mats of stone wool do not touch tightly enough. Therefore, in order to avoid heat loss, during the installation process, it is necessary to seal these holes with polyurethane foam.
Criteria for choosing stone wool
It is necessary to choose stone wool based on your goals and the place of use of the insulation. When purchasing material, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- If you are going to insulate the roof, which is built with a slope, then buy a heat insulator that has a thickness of 15 centimeters and a density of up to 40 kilograms per cubic meter. Otherwise, over time, the insulation runs the risk of sagging.
- To insulate interior partitions, use stone wool with a density of up to 50 kg / m3… Such an indicator will provide the necessary sound insulation.
- It is recommended to insulate load-bearing walls from the outside. This will bring the dew point, where condensation will appear, outside. It is advisable to use stone wool with a thickness of about 10 centimeters and a density of at least 80 kilograms per cubic meter.
- To insulate a ventilated facade, choose cotton wool, which consists of two layers, or lay the material in two layers. Moreover, each will have a different density: loose - near the walls, dense - outside.
When choosing a heater, pay attention to its packaging. Most manufacturers use shrink wrap for their products. If it has breaks, parts of the material are exposed, then you should refuse to purchase, since it can get wet during storage and lose its thermal insulation qualities.
Stone wool price and manufacturers
It is recommended to choose stone wool from several of the most famous brands. These manufacturers ensure that the quality of their products is of the highest standard. The most popular brands are:
- Knauf … The product line includes stone wool for any application. Thermo Roll is suitable for insulation of horizontal and vertical surfaces, the price of a roll is from 1, 2 thousand rubles. Thermo Slab 037 is perfect for thermal insulation of floors, partitions, floors between floors, external walls. The package contains 12 to 24 slabs. The price of stone wool ranges from 1000 to 1400 rubles. LMF AluR are foiled basalt slabs that provide not only sound and heat insulation, but also fire safety. The cost of a roll is about 1000 rubles.
- Ursa … Offers materials for thermal insulation of civil and industrial buildings. There are several lines of stone wool. Pure One is a new generation material. Absolutely non-flammable, environmentally friendly, with high levels of thermal insulation. One roll costs about 1,500 rubles. XPS boards are intended for insulation of facades, external walls, interfloor ceilings. The cost of packaging is from 1,500 rubles.
- Rockwool … The most popular stone wool lines from this brand are Caviti Butts and Ruf Butts. It is a material in slabs for insulation of exterior walls, facades and roofs. The price of products ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 rubles per package.
- Isover … This French manufacturer produces a huge range of basalt fiber based insulation. The most popular types are: Isover Classic, Isover KT-37, Isover KL-37. The first is produced in the form of rolls of two mats. The price starts at 1,500 rubles per package. The second and third are the material in the slabs. It is preferred when handling rolls is difficult. The cost ranges from 900 to 1200 rubles per pack.
- TechnoNIKOL … This manufacturer of stone wool has such a range of products by series: Basalite, Technofas, Rocklight. Basalite is basalt wool in slabs that can be used for thermal insulation of roofs, facades, pipelines, floors, partitions. A pack of 10 pieces will cost 1,300 rubles. Technofas are lightweight basalt fiber slabs. The package contains 4 pieces. Its price is from 800 rubles. Rocklight is a versatile tile material. A pack of 12 items costs from 800 rubles.
Brief instructions for installing stone wool
To install basalt insulation on the facade or external walls, you will need special glue and dowels with a large cap. It is not recommended to attach the material only to glue, since it can fall off in case of gusts of wind or mechanical stress. Also, in the process of installing stone wool, you will need a construction knife, a metal or wooden profile (slats). With their help, it will be necessary to equip the crate. If the slabs have a high density - from 100 kilograms per cubic meter, then a hacksaw for wood will be needed for cutting. We carry out the work in stages:
- We attach a vapor barrier film to the wall.
- We install the profile or beams vertically with a step that slightly exceeds the width of the roll or insulation plate. The material must be positioned so that it can adhere independently between the profiles.
- We fill the finished cells with basalt wool, which is pre-lubricated with glue. Slightly press the insulation to the surface.
- We begin to collect the layer of thermal insulation from the bottom up.
- After you assemble one row of stone wool, you need to fix the slabs or mats with dowels. To firmly fix the material on the wall, you will need 5-6 fasteners per square meter.
- The gaps formed between the slabs or mats of stone wool are filled with scraps of insulation, and covered with polyurethane foam on top.
- After covering the entire surface with material, place the windproof membrane on top. At the joints we glue with tape.
As a rule, high-density slabs are used to insulate facades and external walls, therefore, immediately after completing their installation, you can start applying plaster on top of them. This is called “wet” insulation. We pre-glue the corners of the building with a reinforcing mesh. Also, siding, artificial stone can act as a facing material. Watch a video review of stone wool:
Basalt fiber insulation is a material that is widely used in the field of thermal insulation. The excellent characteristics of stone wool and many varieties allow it to be used for insulating roofs, facades, external walls, partitions, floors, pipelines. And a simple installation is within the power of even non-professionals.
