One of the most important things you can do to make your wooden house comfortable and energy efficient is to insulate the walls. Mineral wool is among the best materials to use for this. Homeowners favor it because of its well-known superior thermal and acoustic insulation qualities.
This tutorial will walk you through the process of using mineral wool to insulate the exterior walls of your wooden house. We’ll cover every detail, from setup to installation, making sure you have all the knowledge required to complete the task correctly.
Mineral wool insulation is a great choice if you want to lower your energy costs or just increase the comfort level of your home. Together, let’s make your house a cozier and more functional place to live.
- Let"s look at the differences between external and internal insulation using the example of their advantages and disadvantages
- wall pie
- Choosing insulation for a wooden house
- Preparatory work
- Insulating the walls of a wooden house from the outside with mineral wool
- Installation of insulation from the outside using polystyrene foam as an example
- Vapor barrier
- Waterproofing
- Video on the topic
- Insulation of a wooden house with stone wool from the outside #2
- insulation of a wooden house from the outside part 1
- Insulation of a log wooden house with mineral wool
- Insulation of a house made of timber
Let"s look at the differences between external and internal insulation using the example of their advantages and disadvantages
Benefits of external wood wall insulation:
- External walls are additionally protected from dampness and solar activity, which increases their service life;
- Removing the dew point outside without the possibility of condensation;
- Providing highly effective thermal insulation;
- Preservation of room volumes;
- Possibility of sealing external holes and cracks;
Drawbacks:
- Changing the appearance of the building facade;
- high cost of work;
- dependence of work on the season and weather conditions;
Underneath siding, external insulation
Benefits of internal insulation
- low cost;
- the possibility of leveling the walls;
- independence of work from the season and weather conditions;
Drawbacks:
- Shift of the dew point indoors and the likelihood of condensation and mold formation;
- Reducing the volume of the premises;
- Possible change in the interior for the worse;
External insulation types include:
- Strengthening heat insulators to the wall surface using adhesive solutions and finishing with plaster;
- Unventilated walls in three layers. The insulating material is fixed with mortar and a single-brick external wall is installed, maintaining an air gap;
- Ventilated facade. The walls are protected with waterproofing material, on top of which insulating material is mounted. Then a wind barrier is installed, and the frame is sheathed with clapboard or any other siding. This method allows installation even in winter due to the absence of the need to use adhesive solutions.
The walls of the right house hold the key to its secrets. The longevity of the structure and a healthy microclimate are determined by the so-called wall "pie."
wall pie
The following components make up the wall’s "pie":
- Exterior decoration protects all subsequent layers from aggressive external influences, moisture and temperature fluctuations. It can be made of various materials. Siding, facade plaster, decorative stones, facing bricks – the choice depends only on your imagination;
- Waterproofing membrane located under exterior trim or wall cladding. It creates conditions for a favorable microclimate in the room and ensures the safety of wooden frame elements from moisture. Waterproofing releases water vapor out, but does not let moisture in;
- Insulation is one of the most important components. It is placed between I-beams – in cells formed using horizontally located connecting links;
- Vapor barrier membrane prevents the penetration of vapors into the interior of the walls. Its installation is carried out on a wooden frame from the inside of the walls. Its installation is necessary in places with high humidity (kitchen, bathroom, toilet).Waxed paper often acts as a vapor barrier.
- Interior finishing — the closing layer of the “pie”. The inner surface of the wall, if desired, can be covered with plasterboard, clapboard, etc..
Choosing insulation for a wooden house
Small blocks, concrete or ceramic stones, and facing bricks can all be used to insulate wood walls from heat. The only requirement is that an intended air gap be left between the cladding and the wooden wall’s surface. This gap is meant to keep excess moisture out of the wood.
Additional materials that can be utilized as thermal insulation include:
- Rock wool — this is a heat-insulating and sound-insulating material, which is made mainly from melts of igneous rock. It is a type of mineral wool. Gabbro-basalt rock is the raw material for making material fibers;
- Expanded polystyreneis an inexpensive, hygienically and sanitarily safe, lightweight but tough material. Its insulating properties fully satisfy common requirements, but the possibility of cracks forming due to thermal expansion to which the walls are exposed does not allow us to call it the best solution for insulation;
- Ecowool is an absolutely natural, environmentally friendly, ideal soundproofing material, which consists of cellulose and antiseptics based on borax and boric acid. The material is moisture-resistant, hypoallergenic, and can be installed without creating seams or voids. Does not require the use of a vapor barrier layer when insulating timber walls;
- Basalt wool is characterized by excellent vapor permeability. Basalt is a non-flammable material, which provides fire protection for a wooden log house. The material has good noise insulation characteristics;
- Foam glass is foamed glass made up of thousands of glass cells. The material is elastic, moisture-resistant, environmentally friendly, fireproof, very durable and can withstand any temperature fluctuations. It does not attract insects and prevents the formation of mold and mildew. Disadvantages include the lack of steam conductivity, high fragility and high cost of the material;
- In the case of wooden walls, mineral wool is ideal as a heat insulator. It meets almost all the requirements for insulation, namely, it has a high thermal insulation coefficient, a minimum thermal conductivity coefficient and low hygroscopicity. She is not afraid of high temperatures, fungus, mold, insects and rodents. It perfectly copes with the removal of vapors to the outside, is non-toxic, non-flammable, breathable and, importantly, durable and can last from 30 to 60 years, based on the declared characteristics of the material.
Additional materials that work well for insulation are as follows:
- Styrofoam;
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- penoplex;
- penofol;
- penoizol;
- polyurethane foam.
The selection of a heat-insulating material based on the technical characteristics of the room, the buyer’s requirements, and budget won’t present any special challenges because the range of contemporary insulation materials is so rich and varied.
Preparatory work
To improve the building’s protective qualities, the walls are first treated with antiseptic preparations that shield wood from rot, fungus, mold, woodworms, and firefighting agents.
Perform the following actions prior to installation:
- Now comes the time to seal cracks and gaps. They are sealed with sealants or jute fibers;
- Next, proceed to the installation of the sheathing. To do this, they are attached to the surface of the walls with self-tapping screws bars measuring 50×50 mm or 50×100 mm – they are selected according to the number of layers of insulation.
- The lathing is installed in the form of horizontally and vertically located guides with a distance between them almost equal to the width of the insulation – less by one cm, in order to more tightly join the material.
Filling in gaps with tow
Using sealant to seal cracks
Insulating the walls of a wooden house from the outside with mineral wool
Mineral wool works great for this kind of application, and insulating a wooden house’s exterior walls yourself is not as difficult as it might seem.
Vapor barrier membrane installation is required prior to insulation installation on sheathing. It will keep moisture entering the room from the outside and let indoor water vapor escape, keeping the insulating layer from absorbing it and preserving the layer’s thermal insulation properties.
- Having secured the vapor barrier, begin to lay slabs of insulating material using a construction stapler. In addition, the space between the slats is fixed to the wall using umbrella dowels.
- A waterproofing membrane is installed on top of the laid insulation, which will not let moisture in from the outside, but will remove a small amount of condensation that has penetrated the insulating layer;
- Further, slats are being installed for facing materials, which perform not only the role of frame and decoration of the facade, but also form ventilation gaps, necessary for ventilation of the thermal insulation layer;
- As cladding materials for wooden houses Siding, lining, blockhouse are often used.
Sheathing installation on wood
Techniques for insulating wood
Mineral wool insulation plan
Installation of insulation from the outside using polystyrene foam as an example
Starting from the bottom of the frame, expanded polystyrene sheets are adhered to using adhesive made specifically for this use. You can secure some sheets that don’t stay in place very well with foam wedges or regular nails.
Furthermore, a diffusion membrane is placed on top of the foam. It needs to be installed in horizontal strips from the wall’s base to its top, with a 10- to 15-centimeter overlap between the resulting polystyrene foam joints.
A stapler is used to secure the membrane, and adhesive tape is used to tape the joints.
The structure is covered once the membrane is attached. Siding, thin-layer plaster, and lining are used for these purposes.
Gaps should not be left between the sheets to avoid the formation of cold “bridges.”.
Vapor barrier
The purpose of the vapor barrier is to keep steam from penetrating the insulation from the wooden wall’s side. Only in cases where mineral heat-insulating materials are used and/or their exterior surfaces are facing the street is the installation of a vapor barrier membrane required on the wall.
The film is positioned in between the house’s load-bearing walls and the heat-insulating material. The vapor barrier’s job is to keep the layer that acts as a heat shield dry.
Accurately identifying the film’s mounting side is essential because improper installation could eventually result in uncontrolled moisture access.
As an illustration:
- The foam propylene membrane is attached with the rough side to the under-roof space. If the membrane is polyethylene, the question of which side to attach will not matter
- A two-layer membrane is laid with a smooth surface to the heat-insulating layer.
- One-sided laminated polypropylene film is also directed with the smooth side towards the insulating layer;
- The foil surface of the special film turns towards the heat-insulating layer;
Vapor barrier installation:
- Turn the film to the appropriate side and carefully, avoiding damage, secure it to the sheathing;
- Carefully glue punctures, overlaps, possible gaps and cracks;
- Install the sheathing using beams with a cross section of 3×5 cm to ensure ventilation;
- Cover the structure with finishing materials;
Waterproofing
- Waterproofing protects the walls of the house from the destructive effects of moisture, fungus, mold.
- It is strengthened between the insulating material and the siding.
- Installation of the waterproofing membrane is carried out by overlapping the fabric by 10-15 cm.
- The canvases are stapled to the surface of the sheathing, and the joints are sealed with special tapes.
- Ventilation gaps are formed using lathing with a 25×50 block;
- A protective metal mesh is installed below
Finally, it’s important to note that insulating a wooden house’s walls can be done on your own. Your patience and a small investment are all that are needed, and they will more than pay for themselves in the long run.
Step | Description |
1 | Measure the exterior walls of your house to determine how much mineral wool you will need. |
2 | Clean the walls thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris. |
3 | Install a vapor barrier if required to prevent moisture buildup. |
4 | Attach the mineral wool insulation to the walls using insulation anchors or adhesive. |
5 | Cover the mineral wool with a weather-resistant barrier to protect it from the elements. |
6 | Seal any gaps between the insulation and the wall to ensure an airtight fit. |
7 | Finish with exterior siding or cladding to complete the installation. |
Adding mineral wool insulation to the exterior of a wooden house is a useful way to improve comfort and energy efficiency. A barrier that keeps the interior warmer in the winter and colder in the summer is created by adding a layer of mineral wool insulation.
The efficiency of mineral wool in minimizing heat loss through walls is one of its main advantages as an external insulation material. Over time, this may result in lower energy bills since the heating and cooling systems will run more effectively and use less energy to keep the interior temperature comfortable.
Additionally, mineral wool is renowned for its ability to withstand fire, which gives your wooden home an extra layer of security. In addition to reducing noise transfer from outside, this kind of insulation helps to create a calmer and quieter interior atmosphere.
Proper sealing and weatherproofing are essential when installing mineral wool insulation to avoid moisture ingress, which over time can weaken the structural integrity of the wooden walls as well as the insulation’s efficacy. To get the most out of this insulation method, proper installation techniques and attention to detail are necessary.
In conclusion, mineral wool insulation for a wooden house’s exterior walls is a wise investment that raises comfort, increases energy efficiency, and creates a quieter, safer living space. You can successfully improve your home’s insulation and take advantage of the long-term advantages it provides by adhering to installation instructions and taking your home’s unique requirements into account.
Mineral wool insulation applied externally to wooden house walls is a good way to lower heating costs, increase comfort, and optimize energy efficiency. With the help of this guide, you will be able to install mineral wool insulation correctly and keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. By following these guidelines, you’ll enhance the overall durability and value of your wooden structure while shielding it from moisture damage.