Insulation of a brick house from the outside with polystyrene foam for siding. Insulating the walls of a house from the outside: the best insulation for siding. Opinion of portal experts

Laying heat-insulating materials under the exterior of the house significantly reduces heat loss, and therefore heating bills. In addition, if you know how to properly insulate a house under the siding, you can additionally count on improved sound insulation of the walls.

Scheme of a “pie” of siding with insulation Source repair-need.ru

Insulation under siding: types of insulation

When choosing insulation, take into account several indicators:

the material from which the walls are made;

weather;

insulator characteristics;

the financial side of the issue.

The cheapest material is not always the worst.

Manufacturers produce insulation materials, designed for various wall materials, operating conditions:

mineral wool;

Styrofoam;

expanded polystyrene;

polyurethane foam;

extruded polystyrene foam;

glass wool

When calculating the amount of insulation, take into account the thickness of the material and the number of layers of coating.

It is important to choose the right material from the large number of offers on the market Source in.pinterest.com

Basic requirements for insulation under siding

The main requirement for an insulator is low thermal conductivity. The lower this indicator, the more heat is retained in the building. Mineral wool and extruded polystyrene foam, in addition to low thermal conductivity, have good sound insulation properties.

When choosing a material for insulating a house, pay attention to:

moisture resistance;

susceptibility to fungal attack;

resistance to temperature changes;

durability;

fire hazard;

environmental friendliness.

Some types of insulation for the walls of a house outside under the siding are installed with special membranes that absorb moisture.

The manufacturer must indicate all characteristics of the insulation on the label Source kak-stroil-dom.ru

Advantages and disadvantages of materials

Towards positive qualities mineral wool include low cost. It has a low thermal conductivity, good noise insulation properties, but is not resistant to moisture and is easily flammable. To protect the material from getting wet, membranes that absorb liquid are additionally installed.

Cotton wool in rolls It is more often used on horizontal surfaces, since it does not protect the joints well and must be laid in 2 layers. Cotton wool in slabs has a denser structure, so it is used to cover walls in 1 layer.

Mineral wool is produced in slabs and rolls Source legkovmeste.ru

Styrofoam has a porous structure. This material is filled with gas bubbles. It retains heat well. Manufacturers produce slabs of various thicknesses. You can choose the material based on your needs. It is low cost, lightweight, and easy to install. The main disadvantage is that it is spoiled by rodents. It conducts air poorly, so a room with such insulation can accumulate moisture. In addition, polystyrene foam has a short service life - 12-15 years; it burns and at the same time releases toxic substances.

Foam boards of various thicknesses Source gidpokraske.ru

Video description

We will dwell in more detail on insulating a house with polystyrene foam. Find out how safe polystyrene foam is in our video:

On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer house insulation services. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.

Expanded polystyrene insulate the foundations of buildings. The material resists moisture well and conducts heat poorly. The main disadvantage is the high cost. Therefore, the use of the material is limited to the foundation of the house.

Sometimes polystyrene foam granules are used Source fasaddomstroy.ru

Polyurethane foam(PUF) has a liquid structure, low thermal conductivity, and is resistant to moisture, mold, and rodents. The material is applied using special equipment. Good sound insulator. Application in liquid form allows you to cover the surface without joining seams. The disadvantages are poor resistance to ultraviolet radiation. It is necessary to have skills in working with equipment for applying to the surface.

This is how polyurethane foam is sprayed Source buildes.ru

Extruded polystyrene foam resistant to moisture, mold, retains heat well. The big disadvantage is poor fire resistance.

Glass wool fire resistant, lightweight, easy to install, cheap. This is one of the most popular materials. The disadvantage is the need for special human protection during installation of the material.

Glass wool is available in slabs and rolls Source saucyintruder.org

How to insulate the wall of a house under siding

The covering of different walls requires their own insulating material. An incorrectly selected insulator can make the room damp; some of them have a short service life.

Brick house

For this type of wall, the best option is basalt insulation (a type of mineral wool) or expanded polystyrene. The material is easy to install, cheap, and has good insulating qualities.

Polyethylene foam has good thermal conductivity, but it is necessary to invite specialists to install this material.

Polystyrene foam is lightweight, easy to use, and cheap. This is the most popular insulation.

It is better to insulate the foundation of a house under siding with polystyrene foam. This material is most resistant to moisture and has a dense structure.

House made of foam blocks and aerated concrete

Aerated concrete walls have high vapor permeability. If you choose the wrong heat insulator, the wall may become moldy and begin to rot. The insulation should not disrupt gas exchange between the house and the environment.

Mineral wool is used on such a surface. It has high vapor conductivity and, in combination with aerated concrete, will preserve the microclimate in the room.

Polyurethane foam performed well on such walls. If you spray this material onto the surface, you can avoid joining seams. This will reduce heat loss.

You should not install polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene on walls made of aerated concrete and foam blocks. They have poor vapor permeability.

Insulation of walls made of aerated blocks Source besplatka.ua

Wooden houses

Wood has low thermal conductivity, but is not resistant to fire, moisture, or insects. When choosing which insulation is best for the outside walls of a wooden house under siding, take into account that it should eliminate these shortcomings. The optimal choice for wood is polyurethane foam. It is lightweight and retains heat well.

Spraying polyurethane foam on the wall of a wooden house Source remontik.org

For a wooden house, fiberglass and mineral wool impregnated with special fire-resistant compounds are used.

Preparing the surface for installation of insulation

Before installing the insulation, the wall is cleaned of cement deposits and water leaks. The cracks must be sealed with a special compound. Nails and pins are cut off. A smooth surface is covered with an antifungal mixture and allowed to absorb.

Technology for insulating a house under siding

There are 3 types of insulator installation: gluing roll materials to the surface and fixing them to the frame:

In the first case, glue is applied to the wall and covered with insulation. Leave for some time to set. The layer is secured with lathing.

The frame method is convenient for slabs. This material is more rigid; fastening to the wall is carried out with screws, nails, and glue.

Before installing the blocks, check the level. First, a profile is installed on which the plates are placed.

The installation direction is chosen by the wizard. It is more convenient for some to install blocks, moving from the corner to the center, for others it is easier to start work from the center of the surface. This is not of fundamental importance. The main thing is the quality of installation.

The third method of installing insulation under siding for a wooden house is installation along a cross frame.

Experts consider this method the most successful, although it is more expensive. The principle of the method is that first, insulation is installed on the frame in a horizontal direction. Then a sheathing is placed on it, and an insulator is placed on it in the vertical direction. This installation method minimizes heat loss.

If you plan to cover with a membrane, it must be applied from bottom to top. The sheets are fixed using a construction stapler. The spacing of the fastenings is 20 cm. The material is placed overlapping with an overlap of 10 cm. For complete insulation, the joints are sealed with tape.

Video description

For a clear overview of cross-insulation of a frame house, watch the video:

If you plan to install vinyl siding, you should use galvanized screws and nails. This will protect the metal from rust and the structure will last longer.

When choosing mineral wool, you should ask whether it is treated with a fire-retardant mixture.

The joints of the insulator blocks must be sealed to avoid moisture ingress.

If you plan to use mineral wool, it is better to install blocks on a vertical surface. They have a denser structure and therefore have better insulating qualities.

Membranes are laid on polystyrene foam and mineral wool. If you do not do this, condensation will begin to accumulate in the house. An additional ventilation gap is created by the sheathing.

Areas around windows and doorways require additional insulation. The insulator is also reinforced at the corners of the building.

When insulating walls, you need to pay special attention to windows Source myprofnastil.ru

To install the heat insulator, no leveling of the walls is required.

The calculated amount of material should be increased by 5 - 7%, since some will have to be cut off during installation.

To fix the insulator, dowels with disc-shaped caps are used. At least 5 dowels are used for each block.

When choosing how to insulate a frame house under siding, take into account the ability of the material to conduct moisture. Mineral wool is popular among consumers. It is cheap and easy to apply to the surface. Experts advise insulating such buildings using polyurethane foam.

How much does it cost to cover a house with siding?

The cost of insulating a house depends on several components:

material prices;

wall sizes;

insulation consumption;

use of additional materials (membranes, fasteners, surface pre-treatment);

the cost of the master’s work (the higher the qualifications of the specialist, the more expensive you will have to pay).

Various manufacturers set their own prices for insulators. The cheapest is polystyrene foam.

Since there are a lot of variables for determining the price, it is difficult to give an exact figure, even knowing the area of ​​the walls that will be insulated. The price can range from 200 to 800 or more rubles per square meter and any specialist will name the final cost only after inspecting the house and taking measurements. The average cost of insulating a house is 43,500 rubles.

Video description

About insulating a house with polyurethane foam and the cost of work, watch the video:

To insulate or not

Insulating the building under the siding is a necessary step. Despite the fact that the cost of replacing the facade of a house increases, such a measure pays for itself in savings on coolants. The correct choice of heat insulator will reduce heating costs by 30-40%.

Modern technologies for the construction of brick residential buildings involve lining brick walls with siding, which is plastic or metal panels that cover the outer walls of the building to give it an aesthetic appearance. Before covering the walls with decorative panels, a brick house is usually insulated from the outside.

1. Mineral wool with different densities. Mineral wool, which can be bought in building materials stores, where it is sold in rolls or slabs.
2. Glass wool, which is made from fiberglass. Due to its low cost, it is in high demand among owners of private houses.
3. Foam plastic, extruded polystyrene foam. This type of insulation is also often used to insulate a brick house.
4. Basalt wool (or stone) is made from minerals that melt during the manufacturing process and form a heat-resistant material.

Each of these insulation materials has certain properties, so before purchasing, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the physical properties of the insulation and its chemical composition.

Physical indicators include:

• Thermal conductivity coefficient, which has its own value for each insulation;
• Indicator of vapor permeability and moisture resistance;
• Heat resistance indicator.

Installation of insulation on brick walls

There are several options for installing insulation on vertical brick exterior walls of a house.

1. In the first option, only roll material is used, which is glued to pre-primed walls. Additionally, the insulation is attached to it using special fasteners. This option for installing insulation is less expensive and faster in time.
2. In the second option, a sheathing of slats with a cross-section of at least 4x4 cm is pre-installed on the walls. Insulation boards are placed in the cells of the sheathing and secured with screws to the wall.

On the left, the insulation is attached using a frameless method, on the right - using a wooden frame

Siding and its types

This building finishing material may vary. Basically today there are two types:

Vinyl siding. Optimal for finishing the facade of any house. It is reliable, durable and at the same time has a low cost. Due to its light weight, this material is easy to finish the surface. The surface is resistant to negative weather conditions and minor mechanical stress, which means that the siding does not have to be maintained or painted, which can save on repairs. The disadvantage of vinyl siding is that it can change its geometry when heated.

Typically this material is used for finishing industrial buildings. It is made of metal by rolling it. The surface is coated with polymers. The cost of this material is quite high. Its advantage: strength, resistance to mechanical stress and chemicals. The disadvantages include the fact that such siding is afraid of sub-zero temperatures, does not recover from damage and has increased weight.

Which material to choose when insulating a house depends on the choice of the owner of the building. But no matter what material is chosen, it is worth remembering that there must be a layer of insulation between it and the wall. This will help maintain the required climate in the house.

Installation of siding is usually done by specialists, but if you wish, you can do this work yourself.

Important! After choosing the type of siding, you need to decide what material will be used as insulation, since the features of installation and finishing work will depend on this.

How to insulate a brick house with mineral wool?

Mineral wool is a very popular insulation material, especially when finishing a house with siding. Typically, basalt wool is used (made from certain types of rock and metallurgical waste). All this is mixed during production in certain proportions. As a result, basalt wool is fire resistant, microorganisms and mold cannot grow in it, and it will also retain moisture well. Its property is also known to allow steam to pass through, but at the same time retain heat.

During installation, the wool can be given any shape. The service life of cotton wool is quite long, but it is worth considering that it can shrink over time.

Important! The sheathing should have cells such that they are no wider in width than the insulation itself. The bars can be of different sizes. The main thing is that the cotton wool can be securely fastened to them.

1. Insulation mats are placed in the sheathing. Laying should begin from the bottom, moving upward. At the joints the mats are laid overlapping. All mats are fixed to the wall with plastic dowels.
2. The entire structure is covered with a hydrobarrier film, which allows steam to pass through but prevents the penetration of moisture. The film is fastened with staplers to the slats.
3. On the walls prepared in this way, a sheathing is installed on which the siding panels will be laid.

Video instructions to help

Experts also note that the installation of a hydrobarrier can be done in another way, namely, the mats are initially packaged in film, and then the whole thing is attached to the wall.

The advantage of this method of insulation is that there is guaranteed to be a layer of air between the film and the mat, which will make it possible to carry out additional ventilation of the space and this will not allow moisture and dust to accumulate there. This will also affect the extension of the durability of the insulation.

Benefits of mineral wool

1. Environmentally friendly material that does not emit chemical fumes.
2. Mineral wool slabs allow steam and air to pass through, allowing the walls of the house to “breathe”
3. Has a long service life (up to 50 years).
4. Has good sound and heat insulation.

Such insulation will already be safe for humans, since it does not contain impurities. Cotton wool is not afraid of acid and various aggressive substances. It may resist water absorption if installed outside under siding.

Important! On the modern insulation market they can be presented in the form of rolls or slabs. If you choose insulation in a roll, then it is worth remembering that over time it can shrink and slide down.

Insulation of a brick house with polystyrene foam

This material is also easy to install, it does not allow moisture to pass through and is light in weight. Expanded polystyrene is absolutely safe for human health. The disadvantages include the fact that when burning it is capable of releasing negative substances that can have a bad effect on human health, it is quite fragile, it burns and can leak steam.

The outside of a brick house is insulated with polystyrene foam for siding according to a similar plan, namely:

1. Attach a film to the wall, which will act as a water barrier. You need to choose a special film that can allow steam to pass through. This can be purchased at a hardware store. You can mount it on the wall in different ways. The main thing is that the fastening does not interfere with subsequent work.
2. Frame installation. The size of the cells should not be too large or too small. Usually they are made 50x50 centimeters. If necessary, the size can be reduced or increased to match the size of the insulation boards.
3. The insulation is located between the slats and is attached to the surface with dowels. You can use 1-2 dowels per sheet.
4. You should lay another ball of film on top. It is fixed to the insulation using a stapler.
5. Next, another sheathing is installed, on which the siding itself will be mounted.

Insulating a house is a rather responsible process, and therefore it is important to initially select the right material for this, as well as carry out installation in accordance with the standards. This is the only way to achieve the required results.

In our country, siding is widely used in individual construction. This material is ideal for cladding the facades of private houses and cottages. Most often, developers choose panels made of metal and PVC, which give the facades an aesthetic appearance. A potential homeowner invariably has the question of what kind of insulation for the exterior walls of a house under siding is worth buying.

Finishing with siding has many advantages, but this cladding option requires increased attention to creating thermal insulation. In the conditions of frosty Russian winters, it is impossible to do without good insulation. Insulation of walls under siding is usually done from the outside. In this case, the facing panels cover the insulation and provide its reliable protection from the influence of the external environment.

What requirements must the insulation under siding for outdoor use meet?

The choice of insulation materials is quite diverse, and every year there are more and more of them. Clients are offered both quite expensive and cheaper materials. When choosing insulation for external walls under siding, it is necessary to take into account all the nuances so that the thermal insulation performed is reliable and lasts for many years.

A good thermal insulator for walls should have the following properties:

• low thermal conductivity and hygroscopicity;
• environmental Safety;
• resistance to chemical attack;
• biostability;

The degree of wear resistance of different coatings may differ, so the operating conditions of the material should be taken into account. By choosing durable insulation for the exterior walls of your home, you can subsequently avoid repeated costs for replacing thermal insulation.

The selected material must withstand temperature changes well, because in our climate this phenomenon cannot be avoided. Many insulation materials combine heat-protective and sound-proofing properties. An option with good sound insulation is preferable if we are talking about building a house within the city.

It should be understood that not all coatings are easy to install. Some types of insulation for external walls under siding are installed using special equipment, which is not always available in the arsenal of a home craftsman. If you plan to carry out renovations yourself, purchase heat insulators that are easy to install yourself.

When choosing a heat-insulating coating, you need to take into account the properties of the material used to build the walls and their thickness. Wood, concrete, and brick have different thermal conductivity values, so the thickness of the insulation layer will also vary. It is also worth focusing on the frequency of residence in the house. If it is planned to be used year-round, it is necessary to ensure conditions for maintaining a comfortable temperature regardless of the season.

What kind of insulation is used under siding?

If the structure is planned to be clad with siding, the developer has access to several types of thermal insulation materials that can be used during construction. They are conventionally divided into several groups:

• Extruded polystyrene foam (PENOPLEX);
• Fibrous materials in plates and rolls;
• Styrofoam.

Products differ in the composition of raw materials, appearance, method of application, and cost. We suggest comparing the pros and cons of each insulation in order to decide on the final decision.

Materials with a fibrous structure

Many developers choose mineral wool as insulation for external walls under siding. Mineral wool is a fibrous thermal insulation material made from minerals. The main types of mineral wool: glass wool and stone wool (the most popular type is basalt). Such materials have excellent heat-protective characteristics and are resistant to temperature changes and fire. Products are usually produced in the form of mats and slabs of different thicknesses. The cost of panels may also vary depending on the type of raw material.

As for the disadvantages, each material has them. For example, in mineral wool, this is the presence of formaldehyde additives and high hygroscopicity, due to which the heat-shielding properties of the coating are reduced.

Foam plastic for facade insulation

Foam plastic insulation for exterior walls of a house under siding is also very popular. The thermal insulation system can be installed independently, which makes this method attractive to many developers. If you have chosen to cover the facade of your house with siding, foam-based thermal insulation will be cheaper than other options due to its low cost. The panels weigh little, so they are easy to transport.

Inexpensive insulation does its job well, but it has many disadvantages. Foam plastic is fragile, so the panel easily breaks and deforms under mechanical stress. If care is not taken during transportation and storage of the material, it becomes unsuitable for use.

Sun rays are also dangerous for the polymer and lead to its destruction over time, so increased attention is paid to reliable protection from ultraviolet radiation. Polystyrene foam is easily damaged by rodents, so over time, holes may appear in the insulating layer through which heat can escape.

If you choose foam plastic to insulate the facade, you need to take care of ventilation to avoid condensation. You should also pay increased attention to creating a moisture barrier, which is used as special membranes.

Extruded polystyrene foam and its advantages

Extruded polystyrene foam is a popular insulation material for exterior house walls under siding. Thermal protection is presented in the form of ready-to-install slabs, and manufacturers offer ready-made solutions for insulating walls, roofs, and foundations. The advantages of the product include low hygroscopicity, strength, and high heat saving rates.

Insulation boards have a cellular structure, so the material is light in weight. It can be easily machined, allowing the panels to be adjusted to size. PENOPLEX is often compared to polystyrene foam. Both materials are produced from polymer raw materials, but the production technologies differ, which made it possible to obtain a material with higher technical and operational characteristics.

Installation work on installing insulation for the walls of a house outside under siding using extruded polystyrene slabs can be carried out in any weather conditions. This material has almost zero water absorption rates. Thermal insulation made of PENPOLEX can be single-layer or double-layer.

Technology for installing insulation for house walls outside under siding

Before you begin insulating the facade, it is necessary to prepare the surface and choose the most suitable method of installing the insulation. If the house is built from lumber, the outside walls must be cleaned of rotting areas and treated with fire-retardant compounds, as well as a vapor barrier layer must be provided from the inside of the building structure. Contaminants must be removed from the surface of walls made of brick, aerated concrete blocks or concrete, and then primed in two layers.

Laying insulation requires the installation of a wooden sheathing, on which the siding will be subsequently mounted. The sheathing elements are attached to the walls in increments of 50-60 cm using dowels or self-tapping screws. After laying PENOPLEX there is no need to use a special membrane, which has hydro- and windproof properties.

To avoid an unwanted increase in humidity levels, it is necessary to provide a ventilation gap between the façade cladding and the heat-insulating coating. The minimum gap size is two centimeters, but experts recommend starting from a value of 4-5 cm. To create a gap, an additional one is attached on top of the main sheathing, and then the facing panels are mounted.

When using PENOPLEX thermal insulation, you can install wall insulation using the frameless method. This option is suitable if the walls are perfectly smooth. In this case, the thermal protection is attached directly to the surface, and then the lathing is installed for subsequent fastening of the facing material. The advantages of the technology include saving time and lower consumption of components.

Photos of step-by-step installation of insulation

Insulation for facade under siding- which one to choose, you need to find out their technical characteristics, installation methods, as well as the material for making the walls. Siding is a common finishing material that has a lot of positive properties, but it does not provide sufficient thermal insulation qualities. Before installing it, the base must be properly prepared.

Figure 1. House covered with siding

There are a lot of insulation materials used to insulate a residential building: rolls, slabs. They have different costs and technical properties. You can choose the following façade insulation for siding:

1. Mineral wool. Silicate or basalt rock is used for its production. Small fibers combined into slabs under the influence of a press. They have different dimensions and density. It is better to use stone or glass wool for siding.
2. Expanded polystyrene boards. It is a thin sheet, the consistency of which forms a large number of closed cells filled with air. The product does not absorb moisture, but has varying degrees of flammability (depending on density).
3. Blown materials. They are applied to the facade using special installations operating under high pressure. The coating is seamless, so it retains heat well.

To choose the right facade insulation, it is necessary to take into account the nature of the climate, the presence and strength of wind. An equally important parameter is the constancy of residence in the house and the nature of the climate.

Mandatory characteristics of any heat insulator

It is necessary to choose insulation for the facade, if siding is used for cladding the building, taking into account the technical properties. They should be like this:

• low thermal conductivity, which will prevent heat loss through the walls of the building;
• resistance to temperature changes, since the product will be attached from the outside;
• environmental Safety;
• good vapor permeability;
• chemical inertness;
• mechanical strength and density (here you can choose any parameter, since under the siding the insulation is loaded only by its own weight);
• durability: the product must retain its shape and properties for a long time;
• resistance to biological factors: fungus, mold, damage by rodents;
• ease of installation;
• Fire safety.

Not has all these characteristics. facade insulation. It is also necessary to consider the installation method. The level of water absorption is not critical, since the siding protects the facade from direct exposure to precipitation.

Materials for thermal insulation of wooden structures

If the material for insulating a wooden facade is chosen incorrectly, the base will begin to rot and may become moldy. It is better to give preference to mineral or cellulose products. The following materials are attached under the siding to the wooden facade:

Installation facade insulation for siding in the form of slabs does not require special skills. But we need to prepare for work.

Material for thermal insulation of brick walls

Brick facades also require insulation before facing with siding. To do this, you can choose the following materials:

1. Mineral wool. Retains heat well, but can absorb moisture.
2. Fiberglass. Possesses chemical and biological inertness. Such insulation is attached to the facade under the siding carefully, since it contains microparticles of glass.
3. Styrofoam. It has an advantage over fibrous materials: it does not absorb moisture. It is cheap, characterized by low thermal conductivity and low weight. The disadvantage of foam plastic is the lack of vapor permeability, so condensation forms on the walls. It is easy to install, but the sheets have increased flammability and are also capable of releasing toxic substances during ignition.
4. Extruded polystyrene foam. It is better than foam plastic, as it has increased density and strength, zero hygroscopicity, excellent noise and heat insulation properties. This type of façade insulation is characterized by a long service life. But this material does not allow the walls to breathe; rodents can damage it.

You can choose polyurethane foam insulation for a brick facade. It is a foam-like mass filled with gas. It must be applied in liquid form.

What do you need to know for insulation under metal siding?

Metal siding is profiled panels of small thickness that imitate wood finishing. For their production, cold-rolled galvanized steel is used. To prevent corrosion processes, its surface is covered with a polymer layer. Since metal has a high level of thermal conductivity, the facade requires insulation.

For work it is better to use polyurethane foam. Initially it has a liquid state, but after spraying it hardens. Special equipment is used to apply insulation, which complicates its independent application. Compared to other heat insulators, polyurethane foam is more expensive.

Thermal conductivity coefficients of walls and insulation

It is not difficult to fix the insulation on the facade yourself if you do not need to install it in 2 layers. To do this, you need to know the thermal conductivity coefficient of the base. The parameters are:

As for facade insulation, the parameters are as follows:

To achieve maximum effect, several layers of mineral insulation of different densities can be fixed under the siding. This nuance will allow you to move the dew point further from the wall. In this case, practically no condensation is formed.

Technology of covering a house with siding with insulation: main stages

Before insulating the facade, you need to carry out technical calculations to find out what thickness and quantity will be required. Most often, slabs with a thickness of 5-10 cm are attached under the siding. Sometimes 2 layers of insulation are required. The arrangement process contains the following stages:

1. Facade preparation. It is necessary to dismantle all decorative elements, lighting fixtures, and drainage system. The wooden base is cleaned of rotten parts and treated with a fire retardant and antiseptic. Dirt and dust are removed from the brick wall, after which a deep penetration primer is applied to it.
2. Marking the base. It takes into account that the sheathing is installed at the top and bottom of the wall, at the corners, around window and door openings.
3. Installation of sheathing. It can be vertical or horizontal. The spacing of the bars is 50cm. Their thickness should correspond to the insulation layer.
4. Fastening the material. There must be a ventilation gap of at least 2 cm between the siding and the thermal insulation. A second one is attached on top of the first sheathing, on which the cladding is fixed. If the thermal insulation layer is more than 10 cm, it is better to make a cross base.
5. Fixing the insulation. The slabs are laid from bottom to top, close to each other. For fastening, dowels with a wide head are used. If polystyrene foam is used, the sheets are fixed to the brick wall with glue. The joints are filled with polyurethane foam. Polyurethane foam is sprayed between the beams.

A membrane is attached on top of the insulation, protecting the layer from water and wind. After the insulation process is completed, the siding is installed.

Methods for laying thermal insulation before facing with siding

There are several ways to install facade insulation under siding:

1. Fixation of rolled material with additional fastening with lathing.
2. Inter-frame installation. Suitable for rigid sheet insulation. They are fastened with screws, mastic or glue.
3. Fixation with cross frame.

The last method is considered the most expensive.

Types of lathing

Facade insulation under the siding is mounted on the sheathing. It is required if the base is not level. The lathing is made of wooden planks or metal profiles. For the arrangement of the first type, slats measuring 2.5x8 cm are used. Their thickness depends on the dimensions thermal insulation and its masses. All wooden elements are pre-impregnated with protective and antiseptic solutions.

Depending on the selected When installing siding, the sheathing can be horizontal or vertical. The distance between the slats is 35-40 cm.

Facade insulation under siding will save money on heating your home. You can install it yourself, but you must follow the fastening technology. The right choice of material will protect your home from the cold for many years.

Despite the natural attractiveness and durability of brickwork, building facades sooner or later require restoration and repair. Particularly relevant is the issue of wall finishing to improve the thermal insulation properties of structures, which helps to significantly reduce heating costs in the winter and increase the level of comfort in the summer. The best option is to insulate the outside walls of a brick house with polystyrene foam under the siding. This is a fairly economical and effective solution. It is most applicable specifically for cladding a brick building, but not for a wooden cottage, the thermal insulation of which is carried out with completely different materials.

Siding finishing: the need to insulate the walls outside

Siding finishing and insulation are quite often considered separately - as two processes independent of each other. In fact, installation of decorative coating cannot be carried out without high-quality thermal insulation of the walls outside, since the thermal conductivity of siding is quite high. As a result, warm air from the house will turn into condensation upon contact with a cold surface.

At sub-zero temperatures outside, drops of condensate will freeze and thereby increase microcracks in the walls. The result is premature destruction of them. That is why, when finishing with siding, it is better to insulate the walls from the outside in advance than to repair them later.

Features of insulation of brick houses

To significantly reduce heat loss and ensure comfort inside the building, it is important to choose the right insulation, its thickness, method of fastening and finishing. If we talk about finishing a brick house with siding, the features of the technology have been defined; it is only important to select the material and its parameters as accurately as possible.

Material selection: advantages of polystyrene foam

For effective insulation, the material must meet the basic requirements:

• have the lowest thermal conductivity: for example, this indicator for brick is approximately 0.5 W/m*K, for wood - 0.13 W/m*K, for expanded polystyrene - 0.036-0.041 W/m*K;
• water-repellent properties;
• resistance to the development of bacteria and fungi;
• must retain its properties under significant temperature changes.

Extruded polystyrene foam meets these requirements to the greatest extent. Thanks to the air enclosed in bubbles, this material has very low thermal conductivity. The material does not absorb moisture at all if all the bubbles are intact. According to manufacturers, such insulation is capable of extinguishing if a fire occurs, which is especially important when laying it under plastic siding.

It is important to know

Vinyl siding does not support combustion and when choosing materials it is recommended to use it.

It is recommended to insulate the walls of a brick house with expanded polystyrene, especially since it belongs to the middle price category.
In numerous debates about the choice between polystyrene foam and mineral wool, the former wins, since it has been experimentally proven that:

• Expanded polystyrene retains heat more effectively due to insulated air bubbles, while mineral wool slowly releases heat outward.
• Mineral wool, which is used everywhere, is inferior to foam plastic in its thermal parameters.
• Mineral wool is capable of absorbing moisture, which foam is not susceptible to at all.

Despite these disadvantages, mineral wool has its advantages. It is ideal for installing structures using ventilated facade technology.

Disadvantages of expanded polystyrene

To avoid unpleasant consequences after finishing the facades, the following nuances should be taken into account:

• Expanded polystyrene is a flammable material, so it is not recommended for use in structures with air access, for example in ventilated facades. In this case, the insulation may catch fire. (By the way, finishing with siding on a subsystem is just such a type of ventilated facade)
• Rodents often infest this type of insulation, but, as a rule, high-quality siding finishes prevent this problem from occurring.

Insulation thickness

When determining this parameter, it is important to take into account the properties of the main wall material, since the characteristics of the brick and the wall itself may be different. Hollow blocks and structures of significant thickness have lower thermal conductivity. Accordingly, such walls require a smaller layer of thermal insulation.

Considering the fact that a 120 mm layer of foam plastic is equal in its thermal properties to a 2000 mm brick wall, it is necessary to correctly calculate the insulation parameters in each specific case:

• with a wall thickness of a brick house of 250 mm, the thermal insulation layer must be at least 40 mm;
• to insulate a 500 mm wall, 30 mm thick polystyrene foam is sufficient;

The calculation of the thickness of the material also depends on the climate, since if the insulation layer is insufficient, severe frosts can lead to freezing of the main structures.

External brick wall insulation technology

Having chosen the material that is optimal in terms of cost and parameters, we begin to select the fastening technology:

• With dowels, when the slab is fixed at five points, and the umbrella-hat covers the joints of the slabs. At the same time, the process is quite labor-intensive, but reliable.
• With the help of an adhesive composition, the slabs are easily attached to the walls of a brick house, if a clear horizontal line is maintained and the surface is level.
• Using cement-based plaster mixtures. This fixation method is not recommended for use on brick walls, as the adhesion may not be effective enough. To increase adhesion, additional surface treatment is required, which increases labor costs and, accordingly, the cost and duration of work.

Any of the listed methods is used in conjunction with a frame, which is necessary for further installation of siding.
Which method of fastening will be better in each specific case is up to specialists who will take into account both the parameters of existing external structures and the characteristics of the load with the chosen method of fastening the insulation.

Stages of insulation

Often, when insulating a house on their own, owners skip such an important preparatory stage, at which specialists usually calculate the operating characteristics of the house and climatic conditions, the required thickness of the insulating material and the load on the load-bearing structures. This is necessary to minimize costs and ensure maximum comfort.
Therefore, it is better to pay more attention to the calculations than to waste time and money later.
Insulation of the walls of a brick house from the outside occurs according to the following scheme:

1. First of all, the sheathing is installed. Quite often, wooden slats are used for this, but for brick walls, metal profiles and brackets/hangers are considered optimal, although they are more expensive. Their cost is justified by their long service life without the additional processing that wooden structures require. They are attached exclusively to a dry surface that has been repaired in advance if necessary.
2. Foam boards are placed in the cells of the sheathing and attached directly to the wall using the chosen method. You can also use another technology, in which the entire surface is first covered with polystyrene foam, and the sheathing is mounted on top of the insulation, making holes for attaching profiles directly through the thermal insulation layer, but this method is not the most optimal option, since the amount of insulation waste increases.
3. Occasionally, two layers of insulation are used, which is justified in harsh climatic conditions.
4. A counter-lattice is mounted outside to install siding: for horizontal installation, the slats or profiles are laid vertically, for vertical installation of cladding - horizontally.
5. Next, the siding is installed. They start with corner, window, door and starting elements.

Obviously, the process of insulating a brick house from the outside is quite simple, of course, if you have the skills, tools and understanding of the features of the process during subsequent finishing with siding.

Service life of foam insulation

The question of the service life of any material is always relevant, because it determines the real cost of the work and the feasibility of any investment. According to research, high-quality foam plastic can last 50 years, of course, in ideal conditions - with minimal temperature changes, etc. Extruded polystyrene foam is credited with a service life of up to 80 years, in reality, one can expect adequate preservation of properties for up to 40 years and a little more. This will be facilitated by external protection of facades under siding.