How to insulate a ceiling in a private house with mineral wool

Price for ceiling insulation

from 500 ⃏per square meter

There are two options for insulating ceilings in a country house - indoors and outdoors. These methods bring the required result; they keep the house warm and help save energy resources. Their differences are not only in technology, but also in the correct selection of materials, since a lot depends on them.

Building materials can be divided into two groups: vapor-permeable and vapor-tight.

It is this feature that distinguishes insulation materials. Vapor-tight insulation is used to insulate the outside of the room, and vapor-permeable insulation is used inside the house. Our company performs ceiling insulation from the inside and outside, the cost of such work is below market prices.

How to insulate a wooden ceiling with mineral wool in a private house

When it is necessary to insulate the ceiling from the inside in a private house, the use of mineral insulation is allowed. They are made in the form of plates and rolls. If you use a suspended plasterboard ceiling in combination with mineral wool, you can get rid of the cracks through which heat escapes.

All work can be divided into the following stages:

Assembling a frame, wooden or metal, using dowels and a punch; Insulation is glued between the profiles into the free space; for this it is advisable to use tile adhesive, because it almost immediately glues the insulation to the ceiling; At the final step, the ceiling is sheathed with plasterboard sheets.

And what is important to know: the insulation cannot be compressed, as it will lose its properties.

Features of installation of mineral wool

Modern types of mineral wool are completely safe and do not emit any harmful substances during operation. But during installation you must follow certain rules.

With any type of mineral wool, microscopic fibers are separated during installation. They can get into a person's eyes and lungs, and penetrate under clothing. Glass wool is especially harmful to health, since the smallest glass needles do not dissolve in the lungs and can provoke the development of complex pulmonary diseases.

Therefore, it is recommended to work with mineral wool in a closed suit, gloves, goggles and a respirator. At the end of the work, you need to take a shower, throw away your clothes or wash them thoroughly.

External insulation

If a good renovation has been done in a country house, but the premises still need to be insulated, then thermal insulation of the ceiling is an excellent option. And insulating the attic will help in this matter; besides, there is no need to install a suspended ceiling as with internal insulation.

Foam insulation method:

It is necessary to clean the attic space, remove all rubbish and debris, because you will need a clean surface; Take measurements of the entire surface. After this, you will need to buy the required amount of polystyrene foam; The entire space of the attic is covered with sheets of foam plastic; If the attic is to be used as a warehouse, then you should make a screed, because when walking, the foam can break.

For insulating the attic ceiling with polystyrene foam, our company’s prices are more than affordable.

If the ceiling will be insulated with mineral wool, then the following steps must be taken:

You will need to clean the surface of unnecessary things and debris;

Take the required measurements;

Assemble a frame for the future floor covering (mount logs);

Lay a layer of vapor barrier - it is recommended to use glassine for this. It should be cut with a margin; the excess parts will be attached to the floor joists;

Mineral wool sheets are laid between the joists without gaps and not very tightly - the mineral wool cannot be compressed too much;

Next, a beautiful floor or a regular floor covering is assembled, it all depends on what the attic space will be used for.

You can insulate the ceiling with sawdust, but this method is not practical and ineffective nowadays. It will be much warmer if you lay mineral wool on the ceiling in two layers. You can also use boards to lightly press the insulating layer: this will guarantee the integrity and solidity of the insulation.

If, for example, you need to insulate the floor of a bathhouse, the photo in our gallery will help you decide on the appropriate option. However, just one call to our company will help quickly: professional craftsmen will insulate ceilings and everything that needs to be insulated, quickly, efficiently and cheaply!

Ceiling insulation with mineral wool has found application in the construction of frame houses using Canadian and Scandinavian technologies. If we consider the R-value - a measure of thermal resistance for materials (insulation) and floors (walls, ceilings) in buildings, industrial structures, then the higher this value, the better the thermal insulation properties of the material or floor.

Of the materials with high R-values, mineral wool stands out for insulating ceilings and walls. It is divided into three types according to the composition of the fibers from which it is made: slag, fiberglass, fiber from rocks.

About mineral wool

Insulation with mineral wool in the Russian Federation is breaking all popularity records: the material is inexpensive and easy to work with.
This is explained primarily by large reserves of easily accessible raw materials and production technology that has been developed over many decades. The disposal of blast furnace slag in the USSR had to be taken care of even during the industrial leap of the first five-year plans, and for a breakthrough into space, thermal protection for return capsules was developed based on fibers from melted heat-resistant rocks. So “modern” methods of producing slag wool and stone (especially basalt) wool are actually not that new. Professionals especially like mineral wool: it does not require expensive special equipment, but there is a wide range of special fasteners and accessories for it on sale. As a result, the ceiling area is up to 20-25 square meters. m can be insulated in less than 1 work shift, or even in 2-3 hours, it depends on who knows how. How it looks technologically can be seen in the video below.

Video: example of ceiling insulation with mineral wool

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_rdfDyEej6w

After reading what follows, you may have a question: where is the membrane between the insulation and the ceiling? It is quite possible that in this case it is not needed if the attic and roof are already insulated; Why do the owners have to shell out too much?

More attention should be paid to the following precautions when working with mineral wool:

• The standard electrical wiring is rolled into a coil and hangs on the wall.
• Judging by the fact that a temporary light bulb is used for working lighting, the room is completely de-energized, and its wiring is disconnected at the nearest junction box or at the input panel - this is absolutely correct and absolutely necessary.
• The master puts on a full set of personal protective equipment (PPE): special overalls, gloves, goggles, and a respirator. For an amateur master, this is an important point, because... Quite expensive PPE will have to be used once.

It is already clear here that mineral wool is not without its drawbacks: it is a group 3 allergen and carcinogen, i.e. Suitable for residential premises, but it is necessary to work with it using PPE. In addition, which all manufacturers and sellers without exception are wisely silent about, under the influence of even insignificant amounts of moisture vapor and its own weight, mineral wool shrinks irreversibly, as a result of which its thermal conductivity drops by 50% in 3 years: air gaps in the insulation are the same thermal bridges , like metal jumpers, only based on microconvection. Gaps between slabs in 5% of the insulated surface area increase heat loss by 30-35%

This leads to another unpleasant circumstance: the simplicity of working with mineral wool is apparent. When cutting slabs/rolls to size, you need to give an overlap (usually 20-40 mm) so that the slabs fit tightly into the openings without sticking out, as on the right in the figure, but also so that further cracks do not appear due to shrinkage. Perhaps this is only based on experience, because... the properties of the material vary significantly from batch to batch.

Correct and incorrect installation of thermal insulation

Finally, the thermal conductivity of brand new mineral wool significantly depends on its humidity - in the direction of deterioration. An increase in air humidity in a room insulated with mineral wool from 60% to 85% leads to an increase in heat loss by 10-12%. Therefore, in further presentation, we, still focusing on mineral wool as the most popular insulation, will give, where possible, recommendations for replacing it with something better.

Note: Also take a closer look at the mounting jig (circled in green on the left in the figure). If you use a propylene linen cord instead of a fishing line, the conductor can be left permanent. Then there will be no need for special fasteners and, when installed on the ceiling and surfaces with a negative slope, sagging in the middle and corners of the slabs will be eliminated.

What layer of mineral wool is needed to insulate the ceiling?

The quality of mineral wool is determined by the condition of the material fibers, density, and thermal conductivity coefficient, which for slag wool is in the range of 0.046-0.48 W/ (m °C). When you buy mineral wool, there may be an R-value, which is defined as the ratio of the thickness of the material layer to the thermal conductivity coefficient: R = d/k.

For example, for slag wool with a thickness of 0.25 m we obtain R = 0.25/0.046 = 5.4 m2 °C/W, and the R-value of sand-lime brick with a thickness of 0.25 mm is 0.3 m2 °C/W, which is 18 times lower than that of mineral wool.

Properties and application features of the material

The main property that determines the effectiveness of a particular insulation is the thermal conductivity coefficient.

It characterizes the heat loss occurring through a layer of material 1 m thick in an area of ​​1 m2 for 1 hour with a temperature difference on opposite surfaces of 10 ° C.

For various forms of mineral wool, this figure is 0.03 – 0.045 W/(m*K).

A distinctive feature of fiber insulation is the dependence of their thermal insulation properties on moisture content.

When wet, droplets of water envelop the fibers and gradually penetrate into the volumetric structure, gradually displacing air from there.

An increase in the amount of water inside, between the fibers, leads to a sharp drop in thermal insulation characteristics. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that water that gets inside is extremely difficult to remove outside.

The insulation can absorb up to 70% of its mass in water. Naturally, under these conditions, the efficiency of its work will tend to zero.

Despite the criticality of getting wet, the scope of application of mineral wool is extremely wide. When building a house, its use is possible almost everywhere where direct contact with water is excluded:

• Hollow walls (frame and brick, made using well masonry technology);
• External surface of wooden or brick walls;
• Internal partitions;
• Floors;
• Interfloor ceilings;
• Roof.

Thickness of mineral wool for ceiling insulation

It is not surprising that this material began to be used for insulating structures. This led to savings in building materials and cheaper construction.

Usually they produce standard sizes for material thickness: 50 mm, 100 mm.

As can be seen from the example above, a thickness of 200 mm is enough to insulate a room for the harsh climatic conditions of the Russian winter. You need to focus on the material of the walls of the house. If these are wooden walls made of timber 150 x 150 or 200 x 200 mm, then one 50 mm layer of mineral wool is enough.

House-building factories produce ready-made panels, where the thickness of the mineral wool insulation is 200 mm in two layers of 100 mm, which corresponds to SNiP 2.11.02-87, in which the R-value for walls is 2.1 - 5.6, for ceilings and floors 2, 8 – 7.3. They also take into account the installation technology and all the structural elements of the walls or ceiling: add the external cladding, the internal and vapor barrier layer, and even air gaps, then you get R above 7.3.

Insulation procedure

If you plan to install mineral wool in the attic, then before starting work you need to decide on its type (glass wool, mineral wool, basalt slabs), the density of the material (varies in the range from 30 to 200 kg/m3) and the required quantity.

All this must meet the requirements for attic insulation.

Nuances for work

The floor in the attic is also the ceiling of the house, through which heat is lost from the room. Moisture from the warm air below constantly penetrates into the attic and has a negative effect on the fiber insulation.

When wet, it loses its thermal insulation properties, and with prolonged exposure to moisture it quickly collapses. The negative impact of moisture is also noted on the structural elements of the roof. Condensed water on the inside surface of the roof flows onto the rafters and beams. This leads to the destruction of supporting structures.

To protect mineral wool and the internal surfaces of the roof from water vapor, a vapor barrier made of moisture-proof material is used. It is laid between the ceiling and the insulation

It is important that the integrity of the waterproofing is not compromised

To avoid further formation and accumulation of moisture in the attic, you need to properly organize ventilation. It is arranged through vents placed on the ridges and cornices, as well as through slatted and dormer windows. Ventilation will be quite intense if the ratio of the sum of the areas of the ventilation openings is from 0.2 to 0.5% of the attic area.

Isolation process

Working with insulating wool requires compliance with safety rules and the use of special PPE. If the attic space will not be used as a living room, then it must be made ventilated. Before you start insulating with mineral wool, you need to install ventilation gutters. They are attached under the roof with brackets to the roof frame.

If insulation is carried out using rolled material, then laying a vapor barrier is not necessary, since the wool is in a polyethylene cover. The mineral wool strips should be laid tightly and the edges taped.

You need to start insulating with cotton wool from the point farthest from the door, gradually moving towards the exit. If obstacles arise, the canvas or sheet must be cut, and in the next part of the insulation a cutout should be made in the shape of the obstacle. It cuts perfectly with a utility knife. If gaps appear, they need to be insulated with leftover material and scraps. Try not to be overzealous when compacting and bending the mineral wool, as this will negatively affect its heat-insulating ability.

If lighting fixtures are installed in the attic floors, they must be covered with special caps. Although the cotton wool does not burn, the device heats up during operation, and conditions may be created for the wooden floor to catch fire. Next, all that remains is to cover the thermal insulation by installing the floor in the attic. It can be plywood, plasterboard, chipboard or OSB board.

Which mineral wool to choose for ceiling insulation

Standard mineral wool insulation sheets have a width of 565, 600, 619 mm, and rolls - 1200, 1220 mm.

These dimensions are suitable for installation between joists; The roll insulation is cut in half. A margin of 2-3 cm in width is needed for tight installation between the joists. The best mineral wool is the one with a higher R value and greater density.

According to this indicator, the best mineral wool from ISOVER manufacturers, thermal conductivity, according to GOST 7076-99λ > 0.038 W/(mK), where λ is the thermal conductivity coefficient (can be designated k). This should not be confused with the R value - a measure of thermal resistance.

The smaller λ or k, the better the insulation, and for the R value - on the contrary, the higher, the better. Pay attention to this when purchasing. Select the density depending on where the insulation is located: for walls and roofs 80 kg/m3 is suitable, for light ceilings a lower density is suitable - up to 60 kg/m3.

Based on ease of installation, glass wool causes itching on the skin, while slag wool has prickly fibers. Stone wool is free from these inconveniences; moreover, unlike slag wool, it is used indoors. Mineral wool for external ceiling insulation is selected based on a density of 80 kg/m3 or more, as well as ease of installation, roll or sheet material

Ceiling insulation with mineral wool is best done from the attic side. Correct laying of mineral wool - 2-3 layers to cover the joints of the sheets in order to eliminate cold bridges during laying. Select the required thickness of the material and lay the sheets between the floor joists, leaving a gap between the insulation and the membrane vapor barrier film.

This is a visual diagram of how to properly insulate a ceiling with mineral wool.

Attention! The distance between the floor joists is 57-59 cm, this distance is accepted as a standard for frame construction. The walls are made using the same principle.

Look at the diagram to see how the membrane-type vapor barrier film is located.

Shown here is the insulation of the ceiling from the outside. Using this scheme, it is not difficult to imagine insulating the ceiling with mineral wool from the inside when there is no access to the attic. This is possible if the roof is pitched or flat.

A sheet of mineral wool is placed between the floor joists.

To fix it in this position, make a frame from thin twine. Simply fasten it to the joists with a stapler. This is necessary so that when stretching the vapor barrier and attaching it to the joists, the mineral wool does not slide down. Then a 20 x 30 mm lath and sheets of plasterboard, lining, and other material are stuffed.

Insulation technology

You can insulate the ceiling using several technologies:

• on top of the concrete floor;
• from inside the premises;
• from above onto the rough ceiling;
• between beams;
• underneath there is a flooring made of boards.

Insulation of concrete floors from the outside

The easiest way to retain heat escaping through concrete ceilings is to insulate it from the attic side. The step-by-step instructions are as follows:

• the surface of the overlap is treated with a primer twice;
• the concrete is covered with roofing felt overlapping and extending onto the walls by about 15 cm. The joints are glued with bitumen mastic;
• the first layer of basalt mats is laid. The slabs are stacked tightly to each other. In this case, the transverse seam of the second row should not coincide with a similar seam of the first row. The mats do not need to be fixed to the ceiling at all, but can be fixed with glue or special dowels with a large plastic cap;

Attention: lathing is required under glass wool and slag wool.

• a second layer of basalt wool is laid. In this case, the mats over the entire area should cover the joints of the first layer;
• the insulation layer is covered with a windproof membrane, the smooth side facing the insulation, with an overlap of at least 10 cm and overlapping the walls;
• The joints are taped with a special frost-resistant tape. The membrane is attached to the walls with a stapler or tape;
• roofing material is laid on top of the membrane in two layers or straight slate is laid. As a last resort, you can lay down several wide boards on which you can walk around the attic.

Note that savings on lathing and counter-lattice, as well as the mandatory flooring over glass wool or slag wool insulation, compensate for the higher cost of basalt insulation.

Insulation from below over concrete floors

Insulation of the ceiling with stone wool from below the concrete floor can be done using the “wet” method and over the lathing. Glass wool - only on the sheathing. Slag wool is not used.

Insulation using the “wet” method

To insulate a ceiling without lathing, use the following procedure:

• prepare glue from the dry mixture “CERESIT CT190” or “EK THERMEX - EK Chemical”;
• the adhesive mass is applied in a thin layer on the ceiling;
• mats 10 cm thick are pressed against the glue and smoothed over the entire surface so that the glue adheres to the basalt fibers. Hold for a couple of minutes, after which the next mat is pasted;

The rows of wool should be fastened with an offset.

• the second row should be offset relative to the first. To do this, cut the first slab of the second row in half or use the remainder from the first row. But it must be at least 15 cm wide;
• After the glue has dried, which is about 24 hours, the insulation is additionally attached to the ceiling with dowels. The mounting diagram is shown below;

Mat fastening scheme.

• The second layer is glued onto the first layer, but with mats 5 cm thick.

This is enough for a suspended or suspended ceiling. Before painting, the mats are reinforced on top with a reinforced serpyanka mesh and then puttied. You can see how to perform this operation in the work “Wall insulation with stone wool”.

Top of the rough ceiling

Insulation of the ceiling between the beams on the rough ceiling is carried out in the following sequence:

• Perpendicular to the beams, the ceiling is waterproofed under basalt wool (roofing material) and vapor barrier is carried out with polyethylene film under glass wool or slag wool. Sometimes roofing felt is laid under the film, which is unnecessary. Some experts recommend laying hydro- and vapor barrier along the beams, forgetting that wood perfectly absorbs and releases moisture. And this is detrimental to glass wool and slag wool. Roofing felt and film are laid overlapping, overlapping the walls. The seams of the roofing material are glued with bitumen mastic, and those of the film with tape;

Properly performed vapor barrier.

Roofing felt and film should go onto the walls.

Improperly performed waterproofing.

• mineral wool insulation is laid. The mats should lie flat, but at the same time fit snugly to the base, without bending (see picture);

Scheme of ceiling insulation with mineral wool.

• basalt wool is covered with a windproof film, other types of mineral wool are covered with a vapor barrier film;
• OSB boards or sheets are laid on top of the vapor barrier (for walking). If the ceiling space on the attic side is sewn up tightly, then there should be a ventilation gap of about 5 cm between the film (membrane) and the flooring.

Another option for insulating the outside of a rough ceiling: laying insulation on boards, plywood or OSB sheets laid on beams. A diagram of such insulation is shown in Fig. below.

Insulation diagram for a rough ceiling laid on beams.

This method is used only for basalt wool. The technology completely repeats all insulation operations on a concrete floor without a frame.

Do-it-yourself ceiling insulation with mineral wool

If it is necessary to insulate a ceiling that has a ceiling in the form of concrete slabs or a solid ceiling, then a sheathing made of either wooden blocks or metal profiles is attached to the ceiling.

First, a horizontal wall beam is attached to the wall along the perimeter of the room. The beams are attached to the ceiling surface with anchors or corners in increments of 57-59 cm.

The height of the timber is at least 70 mm for one layer of mineral wool sheet. If 2 layers are required, then instead of timber, a 40 x 150 board is attached edgewise to the ceiling with the same pitch. Then the vapor barrier is sewn on with staples. A lath for the air gap is nailed onto the beam, and then drywall.

Benefits of using mineral wool

When choosing insulation for a residential property, first of all, you need it to be an environmentally friendly, durable and fire-resistant material. The range of heat insulators on the market is huge, but mineral wool meets all of the above requirements. It is ideal for insulating ceilings, walls, flooring and loggias.

Before insulating the ceiling in a house with mineral wool, you need to take into account its main advantages:

• environmentally friendly material that does not emit harmful components;
• insects and rodents do not settle in cotton wool;
• it is not subject to rotting processes;
• excellent fire resistance;
• excellent heat and sound insulation qualities;
• affordable price, so it is available to all categories of consumers.

There are also disadvantages. If you choose stone wool or mineral wool for the ceiling, you need to take into account that these heat insulators strongly absorb moisture, and when they get wet, they will lose their original qualities.

In this case, it all depends on how correctly the installation was done. If the ceiling is improperly insulated with mineral wool in a private house or apartment, it loses up to 40% of its thermal insulation properties during the first year of operation. Therefore, it is important to know how to attach insulation to the ceiling so that you don’t have to redo everything later.

If you use a device called a thermal imager, you can easily and clearly determine whether the thermal insulation is done correctly and whether the installed insulation has already sagged. If the mineral wool has lost its qualities, all heat loss will be shown on the screen in red.

Among the wide range, it is not easy to determine which mineral wool is better for the ceiling in an apartment, and which one is better for insulating a private house. In fact, the easiest way to navigate is by taking into account the type of packaging and layer thickness. Mineral wool in cylinders is used for thermal insulation of ventilation pipes, mats are used for external insulation of foundations and floors in basements, and for residential properties, rolls are the best choice.

As for the required thickness of mineral insulation, it will be different for private houses and apartments. In the first case, this figure should be at least 15 centimeters. For apartments, the thickness of mineral wool for ceiling insulation can be only 5 centimeters, but the material must be purchased with greater density.

Insulation of a suspended ceiling with mineral wool

First, they make a metal profile lathing for the suspended ceiling. Buy materials from one seller so that all profiles and accessories come in one set. There is a gap between the ceiling profile and the ceiling where mineral wool sheets and vapor barrier are placed.

First, mineral wool was laid on the sheathing, and then a vapor barrier film was glued to the sheathing.

Then the sheets of drywall are sewn on. Here, the distance to the ceiling allows you to lay the insulation in only one layer of 50 mm. If there is ventilation between the ceilings, then a vapor barrier is not needed.

Ecowool insulation

The name of this insulation contains the prefix “eco”, meaning that it is an environmentally friendly material. 80% of ecowool for the ceiling consists of natural cellulose, and the remaining 20% ​​consists of various additives. For example, lingin imparts stickiness to the structure of the heat insulator, and antiseptics and boric acid protect against rodents, fungus and rot.

Ecowool contains fire retardants that prevent the material from burning; it only smolders under the influence of flame and high temperature. The thermal conductivity of this insulation is 0.038 W/(mK).

There are two ways to insulate the ceiling with ecowool - dry and wet. The first option involves laying the material in pre-prepared cells on the ceiling surface, but in this case its thermal insulation qualities do not exceed 60-70% of the possibilities.

When using the second method, special equipment is used - it moistens the ecowool and then sprays it under high pressure. As a result of contact with water, the insulation becomes sticky, as a result of which it adheres tightly to the ceiling surface. For wet application, special equipment and the services of craftsmen will be required.

Step-by-step instructions on how to insulate a glass wool ceiling externally:

The ceiling surface is protected and leveled in order to rid it of debris and dirt. A sheathing similar to that intended for installing mineral wool is assembled from a wooden beam. This step can be skipped, but in this case it will be impossible to use the attic. Lay the vapor barrier film in one layer

If necessary, it is used to protect the sheathing elements. Using a blowing machine, the space between the slats is filled with material, paying special attention to hard-to-reach places and crevices. The minimum thermal insulation layer of ecowool is 25 centimeters, but in regions with very low temperatures in winter it should be from 40 to 50 centimeters. A waterproofing film is overlapped over the insulation, securing the seams with special tape.

How to insulate a ceiling with mineral wool without installing a frame

In cases where it is necessary to insulate the ceiling from the inside without a significant loss of height, mineral wool sheets are attached directly to the ceiling using glue, adhesive putty, dowels with long rods and plastic caps in the form of umbrellas. For insulation with a thickness of 50 mm, dowel-nails 10 x 120 mm will do.

Advice: When installing a sheet on the ceiling, it is recommended to use dowel-nails with a plastic rod, but before purchasing all the fasteners, take 5-10 pieces of each and try it on the first slab. The fact is that plastic rods are either fragile or too soft. The first ones break, and the second ones are difficult to hammer in and do not expand the dowel tip well; metal ones are better, but choose stainless steel nails. Procedure: Preparatory work, cleaning the ceiling surface from the old coating, sealing unevenness and cracks with cement mortar. Apply a primer with a brush or spray gun and let it dry.

Make two layers. Using a notched trowel, apply adhesive putty to one side of the slab with a layer of 5-8 mm. Attach the slab to the ceiling and press. It’s good if you have an assistant who will fix the slab in the center and then along the edges. After installing the slabs, wall profiles for the suspended ceiling are attached; a vapor barrier can be omitted if there is ventilation between the ceilings.

Dowel-nail, 2. Mineral wool, 3.

Concrete ceiling. The work can be made easier if you apply glue like liquid nails to the surface of the slab. There are many manufacturers of mineral wool and it is difficult to single out one in particular, and it is not worth it. Quality is visible to the touch: if it is dense, then more material was spent on its production . Also pay attention to the composition: fiberglass, slag (the cheapest), or basalt mineral wool, the most popular today. It is recommended for insulation both from the inside and outside; glass wool is best used outside; mineral wool from slag is used for insulation of communications: pipelines, sewers. Thermal qualities are determined by the value of thermal conductivity or thermal resistance R. Basalt wool is a non-flammable material, it can be placed in the passage chimney box, from which sandwich chimneys for sauna stoves are made.

Advantages of mineral insulation

Why do most people choose mineral wool? This is explained by the fact that this insulation has more advantages than disadvantages. Positive qualities of mineral wool include:

1. Affordable price;
2. Convenient use;
3. Not afraid of pests (mice and rats);
4. Does not rot or mold;
5. Fireproof material;
6. Has soundproofing properties;
7. Good vapor permeability;
8. Environmentally friendly material;
9. Has increased strength;
10. The thickness of mineral wool may vary.

Because of these qualities, mineral wool is the optimal material for ceiling insulation. But, like any material, it has its drawbacks:

1. It must not be crushed or compacted. This reduces its thermal insulation properties;
2. Mineral wool is afraid of moisture. When wet, it completely loses its properties.

This type of insulation is used in combination with other materials - polystyrene foam and polyethylene film. Thermal insulation with this design will be reliable.

Useful video

Below we will watch a video on how to properly insulate a ceiling with mineral wool in a private house:

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Insulation of premises

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Thermal insulation of the ceiling surface with mineral wool makes the home warmer and also reduces the risk of fungus and mold appearing on the ceiling.

The comfort of any home depends on how cozy, dry and warm the home is. A properly installed roof prevents cold air from entering the room.

In some cases, it is necessary to additionally insulate the ceiling. This is especially important for private housing construction with a cold attic. Thermal insulation of ceiling surfaces in such dwellings has long been carried out using mineral wool. This material is characterized by the following advantages:

1. Resistance to aggressive environments, exposure to fungi and microorganisms.2. High efficiency of thermal protection (high-quality insulation of the ceiling with mineral wool is achieved with a relatively small thickness of the material).3. Sufficient strength of the heat insulator.4. Invariance of the shape of mineral wool with temperature fluctuations.5. Excellent noise insulation potential.6. Fire safety, fire resistance.

Mineral wool has high thermal protection efficiency

The disadvantages of mineral wool usually include its tendency to absorb moisture, which reduces the heat-shielding properties of the material, and a certain complexity of installation due to the large mass of the insulation.

The greatest difficulty is caused by the installation of mineral wool from the side of the living room. In such cases, securing the material can be quite difficult. But from the side of the cold attic, cotton wool is installed without any serious difficulties.

Important point! The described heat insulator must be laid taking into account the characteristics of its structure. Mineral wool is made from small fibers.

They can come off a piece of material and land on a person’s body, as well as penetrate into their respiratory system. This should be avoided by performing all installation work in overalls, a mask and gloves. It is prohibited to lay the material of interest to us without using the specified protective equipment.

The described insulation is manufactured in different forms. It is sold in the form of semi-rigid or rigid slabs, easy-to-use mats and special cylinders. Plate products are characterized by high strength indicators.

For this reason, they are often used for floor insulation. The mats are less durable, but their installation causes minimal problems for a self-taught master. Products in cylinders are designed for thermal protection of pipelines.

Also, when planning to insulate the ceiling with mineral wool, you should take into account the type of heat insulator used. Cotton wool is made from various raw materials. Based on this feature, it is divided into:

glass; basalt; slag.

Slag wool is used quite rarely in everyday life. It is made from open-hearth, blast furnace and other slags, which determines its low environmental friendliness. But basalt and glass products are widespread.

The former are usually produced in the form of slabs with a high rigidity index. Glass wool is made in the form of mats. You can also find it in the form of semi-rigid slabs.

Ceiling insulation can be internal, external, or combined.

We will talk about this in more detail below, describing each thermal insulation method. But before that, we will give one piece of advice.

Using basalt rigid products, it is best to insulate the ceiling from the attic side (that is, from above). And mats are most often used inside the house. They have less weight, due to which the process of their installation and fastening is simplified.

This technique is recommended for private housing construction with a cold attic. Insulating the ceiling of a private house with mineral wool from the attic side is done as follows:

1. Place glassine (an inexpensive and effective vapor barrier) on the attic floor.

The material must cover the entire available area. In this case, gaps between individual glassine strips are unacceptable. The vapor barrier sections should be laid overlapping (8–10 cm), gluing the joints with construction tape or regular adhesive tape.2. Place the sheathing on the ceiling.

This design is made from boards with a cross section of 3–4x10–20 cm. The width of the products is determined by what layer of insulation is planned to be laid. Important! For external thermal insulation, in most cases, mineral wool is installed in a layer of 10–20 cm.

Keep the distance between the boards within 0.5–0.6 m. Fix the sheathing elements with self-tapping screws or nails of suitable length.3. Place the insulation between the boards of the constructed frame. Here you need to ensure that there are no gaps between the mineral wool and the sheathing beams.

It is easier to install insulation from the attic side

If you use regular mineral wool, you need to cover it on top with a layer of waterproofing (roofing felt, any other material). The products are laid with an overlap, glued with tape, and additionally secured with thin wooden slats. If you purchased mineral wool that has a foil layer on the outside, additional waterproofing of the insulation is not required.

The last step is to install the plank flooring with mineral wool and waterproofing.

This structure can be made from OSB boards, particle boards, and ordinary wooden boards. Some experts advise laying a five-centimeter layer of polystyrene foam before installing mineral wool. In this case, you can achieve maximum protection of the ceiling from steam.

Laying insulation from inside the room onto the ceiling is recommended for apartments in high-rise buildings and for private housing construction with 2–3 floors. The technology for installing mineral wool will be approximately the same as in the case of external thermal insulation, but with some features.

First, make lathing on the ceiling surface from boards of the previously specified section. Instead of wooden slats, you can mount a metal profile. They are fixed to the ceiling with self-tapping screws.

Then cut out strips 0.6–0.7 m wide from the mats, place them between the frame parts and attach the insulation to the ceiling surface previously coated with glue. It is allowed to fix mineral wool with staples using a construction stapler. Choose the option that is more convenient for you.

The installed thermal insulation requires vapor protection. It is usually made from the already mentioned glassine. The vapor barrier is fixed to the mineral wool with a stapler.

To lay mineral wool on the ceiling from the inside, you also need to install a lath

The final fastening of the heat-vapor barrier structure should be done with self-tapping screws if a metal profile was mounted, or with counterbattens when the sheathing was made of boards. This completes the internal insulation operation. You can do the final finishing of the surface, install a suspended ceiling, plastic panels, sheets of plasterboard or other types of cladding.

The combined scheme for insulating the ceiling surface involves laying mineral wool both from the attic and inside the room. This technique is rarely used in residential buildings. It is necessary for buildings where there is a need to maintain high air temperatures for a long time (saunas, baths).

To insulate the ceiling surface with mineral wool as efficiently and competently as possible, take into account several useful recommendations:

1. Fastening the lathing from metal profiles must be done with self-tapping screws made of hardened steel.

They guarantee reliable fixation of thermal insulation.2. Do not press or tamp the mineral wool during installation. Such actions significantly reduce the heat-protective capabilities of the material.3. If the width of the sheathing made is less than the thickness of the insulating material, add additional wooden blocks to the main boards.4. After installing the metal profile and attaching the mineral wool, be sure to blow foam into all corners of the ceiling surface. This will eliminate the risk of cold air currents penetrating through the ceiling.

Let your home always be warm and comfortable!

Mineral wool for ceiling insulation is a reliable and affordable material that allows you to create a comfortable microclimate in your home. Installing mineral wool helps prevent the formation of fungus and condensation due to temperature differences. You can do the installation of mineral wool yourself; the only requirement is compliance with technical regulations.

Cottage: insulating the attic

Given: above our heads we have rafters and a roof laid on them. How to properly insulate a ceiling under a cold roof?

Let's see what the attic insulation will look like.

Waterproofing

A layer of waterproofing must be present directly under the roof. The reason is that in winter moisture will condense on the cold inner surface of the roof. The waterproofing layer in this case will create a barrier that will prevent water from getting onto wooden structures and causing them to rot.

Mineral wool itself does not rot; however, the thermal insulation qualities of wet wool are much worse.

It is highly advisable to leave a gap of 2 - 3 centimeters between the waterproofing and the roof itself for ventilation. The condensation will need to drain and evaporate; For this you need at least some air movement.

There are now many materials available for waterproofing; the most reliable and durable of them is ordinary polyethylene film. It is absolutely impermeable to moisture and has a service life of at least 50 years.

The waterproofing strips are attached with an overlap, with an overlap of 10 centimeters. The lower strips are attached first, the upper ones overlap them so that water cannot flow under the material (see Insulation for the ceiling - types of insulation, methods of attaching to the ceiling).

Laying wool

On sale you can find mineral wool packaged in two main ways:

Mineral wool with a thickness of 50 millimeters or less is sold in rolls. They are unwound, the wool is cut in place with an ordinary knife and attached between the rafters.

The method of fastening depends on the density of the wool and the distance between the rafters: it can simply be placed apart; can be fixed to the rafters with a stapler; as an option, a sheathing of slats can be assembled from below, under a layer of cotton wool, or a mesh of nylon rope can simply be stretched.

Mineral wool 10 centimeters or more thick is sold in mats and placed spaced between the rafters. At the same time, sufficient rigidity is ensured in order to retain the thermal insulation until the filing (see Insulating the ceiling from the inside: choosing a material and the main stages of work).

The ideal option is when the distance between the beams is equal to the width of the thermal insulation mat.

Vapor barrier

A vapor barrier layer is needed to ensure that the inevitable indoor humidity does not affect the thermal insulation properties of mineral wool.

Ideally, a vapor barrier should have two contradictory properties:

• Retain water vapor;
• Let air through, providing ventilation of the heat-insulating layer.

A popular and cheap vapor barrier material is glassine; It is usually attached to the rafter system with a conventional stapler. It is advisable to additionally glue the strips of material with double-sided tape to ensure maximum tightness of the layer.

There are now a lot of materials for vapor barrier. A film with a foil layer will further reduce heat loss due to radiation.

Selection of mineral wool according to technical parameters

Insulating the ceiling in a private house with mineral wool means choosing the right material. Experts consider the answer to the question of which mineral wool is better based on its characteristics.

Insulation has two classifications:

By form:

Mats have low strength indicators. Sold in rolls for ease of transportation. Plates - increased strength, two types - rigid and semi-rigid. Cylinders - special material for insulating pipelines.

According to the raw materials used for production: basalt wool, glass, slag.

It is basalt fiber that has become widespread.

Stone wool (the second name for basalt slabs) is highly durable and is used to insulate ceilings and walls subject to intense loads, including mechanical ones.

The material is produced from crushed and molten basalt resulting in a fibrous structure. The fibers are then pressed and heated under high temperatures. It produces basalt wool, including in the form of slabs.

Required materials and tools

Insulating the ceiling in a wooden house with mineral wool, just like in an apartment, will require the purchase of basic and auxiliary materials, as well as a set of tools. Need to buy:

• mineral wool;
• vapor barrier (windproof) membrane (type A or AM);
• vapor barrier film (type B or C);
• tape for gluing vapor barrier seams;
• polymer twine - necessary for additional fixation of fiberglass when performing insulation from below;

• strips for temporary fixation of sagging insulation;
• wooden beam for sheathing or a set of metal profiles;
• slats for counter-lattice;
• special dowels for fastening basalt wool;
• glue (each type of cotton wool has its own type);
• polyurethane foam.

The list of tools includes:

• stepladder;
• perforator;
• construction knife for cutting glass wool;
• a jigsaw or a sharp wave-shaped knife for cutting basalt slabs;

Special knife for cutting basalt wool.

• wood screws;
• screwdriver;
• stapler

Advantages and choice of slab thickness

Mineral wool has the following advantages:

light weight; elasticity; fire resistance; low price; long service life.

The thickness of mineral wool is an important parameter when choosing a material. This indicator depends on the ceiling covering. It also takes into account which method will be chosen to insulate the ceiling with mineral wool.

So, for concrete floors, choose wool with a thickness of at least 10 cm. If there is a heated attic space, insulation with a thickness of 8 cm is used. A pitched type of roof requires the installation of mineral wool 30 cm thick.

Varieties of mineral wool

Mineral wool, depending on the material of manufacture, comes in three types:

• Glass wool

Glass wool is popular because it has the lowest cost. Quartz sand or cullet is used in production. Therefore, glass wool contains small glass fibers that are harmful to human health. Today, glass wool is practically not used for indoor insulation. Most often used for thermal insulation outside the room.

• Slag

In the production of slag wool, waste from blast furnace metallurgy is used. It contains brittle and thorny fibers that adversely affect human health. Of all types, it has the lowest thermal conductivity. It absorbs moisture well, but is short-lived: its service life is no more than 15 years. Of the advantages of this material, only one can be named - low price.

• Basalt

Basalt mineral wool has unique technical characteristics. Molten basalt is used in production. This is a material of volcanic rocks that has technical characteristics valuable for insulation. Basalt mineral wool is rightfully considered the best thermal insulation material for insulation. This insulation can be used both outside and indoors.

To achieve high-quality and maximum insulation, it is recommended to choose insulation material from well-established and well-known manufacturers.

Preparatory stage before insulating the ceiling with mineral wool

Properly insulating a ceiling means that you need to carefully prepare the surface.

The first priority is to make the ceiling perfectly level. The surface is cleaned of old finishing materials. If there are bumps and protruding parts, they are eliminated using a hammer and chisel.

Ceilings in old rooms are often diagnosed with potholes, cracks and significant depressions at the joints.

They are sealed using putty. If there are seams on the surface between the panels, then they are cleared and sealed with polyurethane foam. When you plan to install or replace old wiring, these activities are paramount.

If there are differences in level on the ceiling of less than 1 cm, leveling is carried out in 2 layers of putty. The first is necessary for rough work, because

it is necessary to achieve a smooth surface. After application, the solution is allowed to dry for 24-48 hours. The final leveling is carried out with finely dispersed putty. Then the surface is completely dry and sanded. For installation, you will need the following tools: screwdriver; hacksaw; screwdriver; water or laser level; plumb line; roller or paint brush; hammer; construction stapler; stationery knife; stepladder. List of consumables: mineral wool ;metal corners; screws for wood and metal; Isopan for vapor and moisture insulation; putty; polyurethane foam and a gun for it; construction tape; timber made of metal or wood; paste; disc dowel. If you plan to install a suspended ceiling after insulation, you will need additional tools and materials.

Preparatory work

Ceiling insulation with mineral wool should be carried out on an already prepared base. For concrete floors with insulation from below, the following work must be done:

• remove the lighting, insulate the wires using terminals or electrical tape;
• remove finishing: whitewash, paint or liquid wallpaper;
• tap the joints between the floor slabs. Remove loose plaster;
• prime twice and then seal the seams with gypsum plaster;
• repair cracks and chips with repair mortar;
• remove dirt, soot and volatile fats;
• prime the ceiling twice. The first layer of primer, diluted by 30-40%, is applied generously, in 2 passes. The second time the surface is primed after a day - it takes time for the first layer to set;
• a sheathing made of wooden slats or a metal profile is installed.

You can see how to properly mount the frame in the article “Do-it-yourself suspended ceiling made of plasterboard.”

A metal profile sheathing is installed.

The scope of preparatory work when insulating a concrete floor is reduced to cleaning the surface from debris and dust, eliminating the sharp ends of nails and screws of the rafter system and applying a primer in 2 layers.

Preparing to insulate a wooden ceiling is easier. During new construction, beams are treated with a fire-retardant solution. When carrying out repair work:

Fire protection.

• overhead lighting is being dismantled;
• old finishing is removed;
• dirty and sooty stains are removed. Fatty areas are treated with acetone or gasoline;
• the wood is treated with antiseptics and fire retardants;
• the bottom of the ceiling is primed;
• if necessary, the lathing is filled or a frame made of metal profiles is mounted.

Attention: many experts consider vapor barrier work to be a preparatory operation. In this article they are classified as the main technology, which does not change the essence.

Types of fasteners and technology for fastening mineral wool indoors

Installation of insulation indoors is usually carried out in an apartment. Fastening of mineral wool is carried out in several stages:

Construction of the frame. To do this, you need to install a metal sheathing for the suspended ceiling. The profile of the metal sheathing has standard parameters.

For a wooden frame, boards of 30×100 mm or 40×200 mm are used, based on the weight of the slabs. That is, the heavier they are, the more massive the sheathing will be. The slats need to be fixed with dowels with hangers, in increments of 55-60 cm.

This distance is optimal when laying mineral wool in slabs. Installation of waterproofing material. The film is cut into strips of 65-70 cm, i.e.

slightly more than the width of the intervals between the slats. Nails are used for fastening to a wooden frame, and self-tapping screws for a metal frame. The insulation is laid using two methods - using a construction stapler or using a specialized paste. In parallel, a vapor barrier is installed as the top layer.

The result of high-quality work is a consistently strong “pie” of three layers without gaps between the mineral plates. Drywall is placed on the lower profile, which covers the thermal insulation. After this, you can install lighting fixtures and decorate according to the project.

Technology of internal insulation of floors in the house

Knowing how to properly insulate the ceiling in a house with mineral wool helps to properly perform thermal insulation and successfully retain heat in the coldest weather. If you plan to insulate the ceiling surface in your own home with your own hands, then it is better to use mineral wool made in the form of slabs.

The use of insulation together with a metal frame and sheathing made of plasterboard sheets makes it possible to create an insurmountable barrier to heat flows rushing upward to the ceiling.

Thermal insulation work is carried out in several stages:

1. Laying waterproofing
   . For this purpose, special film, glassine or other materials are used.
2. Frame assembly
   . You can make either a metal or wooden frame, the elements of which are assembled and fastened using a hammer drill and dowel nails.
3. Installation of mineral insulation
   . It is glued to the ceiling from the side of the room; it is better to use tile adhesive for this, since it is able to ensure rapid adhesion of the surface and the heat insulator. Depending on the decision made about which mineral wool to choose for the ceiling, it may be necessary to lay a second layer of insulation.
4. Re-installation of waterproofing material
   . It is laid on top of the installed thermal insulation.
5. Insulation sheathing
   . To do this, use plasterboard or plank flooring.

Self-tapping screws made of hardened steel are ideal for cladding, as they are highly durable and can withstand significant loads.

Mineral wool cannot be compressed, since its ability to retain heat lies in the fact that the air bubbles hidden inside it interfere with the heat exchange between the attic and the rooms.