Penofol is a combined material made of foamed polyethylene and aluminum foil with a thickness of 4-10 mm. It prevents heat loss in three directions - through convection, conduction and in the infrared spectrum.
Most other insulators have only one of these properties. This means that a thin sample can replace insulation materials of much greater thickness. There are several modifications of polyethylene foam, which differ in the placement of aluminum foil on one or both sides and the presence of an adhesive layer.
The scope of use of the material is quite wide. It does not have pores and does not allow air to pass through, so it is often used to insulate the floors of saunas and baths. The product copes with the insulation of concrete and wooden flooring. Penofol is also present in the structure heated floors.
Installation of insulation is always carried out on the sheathing. It is necessary to create a gap above the foil. The air passing through it will remove accumulated moisture.
In most cases, Penofol is used with other insulation materials. It interacts well with polystyrene foam, penoplex, mineral wool and other products. It is also used as an independent heat insulator.
Advantages and disadvantages of floor insulation with Penofol
The material has gained wide popularity among users due to its many advantages:
- Aluminum foil does not allow moisture and steam to pass through, so the product can be laid in damp areas, for example, in basements. When creating an insulating layer, special membranes for hydro- and vapor barrier are not required.
- Penofol is multifunctional. After laying on interfloor ceilings it not only retains heat, but also soundproofs the apartment.
- When used together with other insulation materials, it enhances their heat-insulating properties. For example, in steam rooms, the aluminum layer reflects thermal energy and helps maintain a high temperature.
- The material is highly environmentally friendly and does not emit fumes harmful to humans.
- The canvas is thin; after laying it on the floor, the ceiling height changes by an insignificant amount. A 4 cm thick product replaces mineral wool with a 10 cm layer. This property allows you to insulate foundations in rooms where changing the size of the flooring is unacceptable.
- The insulator is sold in rolls and is easy to spread and cut, which reduces installation time.
- The product does not burn and can be used in fire hazardous areas.
- Rodents don't like him.
Penofol floor insulation technology
The insulator can be used to insulate surfaces made of any material. Before laying Penofol on the floor, stock up on glue to fix it to the base and reinforced tape for sealing joints. They will improve the quality of the heat-insulating layer.
Selection of materials for floor insulation
Along with the canvas, they always buy a means for securing it to the base and a tape that prevents the formation of cold bridges at the joints of the material. Right choice components will reduce heat loss in the apartment.
Penofol on the floor is available in various designs. For insulation, rolls with special letter designations are used:
- Type “A” - with a foil layer on one side;
- Type “B” - with a metal layer on both sides;
- Type “C” - with foil on one side and a sticky surface on the other;
- Type “ALP” - foil layer covered with polyethylene.
- There is permission to use the product indoors. The degree of toxicity is indicated in the certificate of conformity.
- Withstands big differences temperatures
- Has antiseptic properties.
- Does not lose its characteristics throughout the entire life of the house.
- For the best fixation, special solvents are added to the glue, and they are different for each material. If this factor is not taken into account, the substance may damage the sample.
Adhesive tape is a metallized (aluminum) reinforced tape designed to seal and insulate surfaces. The main indicators that it should have:
- High degree of adhesion. It depends on the thickness of the adhesive layer, the minimum value is 20 microns.
- Ability to resist water, dust, bacteria.
- High strength and wear resistance.
- Maintains characteristics for a long time in the range from -20 to +120 degrees.
Laying Penofol on a concrete base
Let's look at some ways to insulate a cold base. As a rule, to insulate a concrete floor, the product is used together with another type of heat insulator.
Features of the work:
- Clear concrete surface from dirt and add a layer of expanded clay.
- Prepare cement laitance and pour the mixture onto the base. The solution will ensure that the granules set and cover them with a film. Stop working for a day to allow it to harden. After hardening, you can move freely on the insulation.
- Fill the expanded clay with a screed and level it to the horizon.
- Roll out a roll on the floor with a 10-15 cm overlap on the wall. Cut off the excess with scissors. If there is no adhesive layer on the insulator, secure it special means to the base. The use of a retainer is optional, but it will prevent the insulator from moving when installing the finishing coating.
- Before gluing, thoroughly clean, vacuum and prime the concrete surface. Apply the product to the entire canvas, on the side without foil. Coat the edges especially carefully.
- After applying the solution, do not touch the material for a couple of minutes so that the glue hardens a little. Place the sheet on the concrete, smooth it out and hold it until it sets.
- For insulation concrete base, instead of expanded clay, you can use polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam high density 5-10 cm thick. In this case, it is better to lay Penofol type “C” on it, which is easily fixed with a sticky layer.
- Place the second strip next to it end-to-end, and glue the connection of the blades with aluminum tape.
- Install the slats on the base in increments of 35-40 cm along the entire length of the room and secure with dowels. Set the surface of the beams to horizontal plane using a hydrostatic level. If you plan to fill the space between the beams with other insulation, for example, foam plastic, mineral wool, their height should be 5 cm greater than the thickness of the insulator to organize a ventilated space.
- Buy beams in sizes 100x100 or 100x150 mm, where 150 is the width. The length of the beams should correspond to the size of the room so that they do not have to be extended. Modification of the slats negatively affects the stability and strength of the frame.
- Cover the main insulation with a second layer of Penofol with the foil side facing towards the room.
- Place 12mm thick boards or plywood on top of the beams to create a finished deck. As flooring Linoleum or laminate is suitable.
All lumber must be treated with antiseptic agents or drying oil.
Installation of Penofol on a wooden surface
Thermal insulation of wooden floors is usually performed in private homes. Let's consider two options installation work- by removing the old covering and placing the product on top of the existing flooring.
In the first case, the canvas is spread under the boards. The sequence of operations when insulating a floor with Penofol is as follows:
- Remove the boards from the joists. Inspect the lumber, replace rotten and damaged elements.
- Impregnate new ones with products to protect against insects, fungus, and dampness. Place newly installed beams in increments of 30-40 cm and secure them to the base with anchors.
- Place shims or wedges under sagging beams.
- Make sure that there is a gap of 1-2 cm between the beams and the walls. Check the position of the upper ends of the beams in the horizontal plane.
- Nail boards or panels to the bottom surfaces of the joists to create a subfloor. If this is not possible, secure them to the cranial bars.
- If the main insulation absorbs moisture well (for example, mineral wool), place Penofol on the subfloor.
- Install thermal insulation blocks between the joists. It is advisable to lay them in several layers, with overlapping joints.
- Make sure that there are no gaps between the slabs and joists. If necessary, seal them with foam or sealant.
- Place Penofol on top of the mineral wool with an overlap of 10-15 cm on adjacent sheets, on joists and on walls.
- Secure the product with an industrial stapler or foil tape. Make sure that after laying the finishing coating there is a 4 mm gap above the insulator for ventilation.
- After laying Penofol on the floor, attach finishing boards or chipboard sheets, leaving 1.5 cm gaps between the lumber and the wall.
- Install the flooring on top.
- Before insulating the floor with Penofol, inspect the boards and replace damaged elements.
- Place the roll marked “C” with the sticky side down and glue it to the boards. Fix other samples to them with special glue.
- Mount a sheathing on top that will provide a gap between the foil and the finished floor.
- Attach 12 mm thick hardboard or chipboard to the joists.
- Install the flooring.
Use of Penofol in the "warm floor" system
The use of this material in warm floors allows you to increase the heat transfer of the system by 15-20%.
Arrangement methodology similar system indoor heating looks like this:
- Fill the floor concrete screed with the addition of expanded clay.
- After the cement has completely hardened, cover the surface with a product of grade “A”, “C” or “ALP” with foil facing up. In this position, the heat will be reflected into the room.
- Place the sheets end-to-end, without gaps, with an overlap of 10-15 cm on the wall, which allows you to isolate the floor from impact noise.
- Glue the joints of the sheets for waterproofing and vapor barrier with reinforced tape.
- Put it on Penofol heating elements(cables or water tubes).
- Cover the heating system elements with metal mesh.
- Screed the floor. Level the surface in a horizontal plane.
- After the solution has hardened, trim the edges of the Penofol.
- To make the solution dry faster, it is allowed to turn on the heating elements little by little. It is not recommended to heat the base for a long time; cracks may appear in the screed.
- Install the floor covering.
Cloth marked “ALP” is used when the insulation is poured with concrete, which can destroy other modifications of foamed polyethylene.
How to insulate a floor with Penofol - watch the video:
The work of forming a heat-insulating layer using Penofol is quite complex, and deviations from the installation technology can cause constant heat loss. Therefore, first study the features of the process and take the task seriously.
Expanded polystyrene was first produced in 1928. And in the Soviet Union it began to be produced in 1939 and was initially used as thermal insulation material, which is also water-repellent. Periodically they forgot about him, then again he was in favor. Nowadays this material is popular again.
First you need to understand what expanded polystyrene is - it is foamed polystyrene. It is manufactured using special equipment, and quite simply, and this building material itself is a cheap and affordable heat-insulating material.
Expanded polystyrene is often called polystyrene. Essentially, these are the same polystyrene foam materials, with almost the same physical and chemical properties, but there are still differences.
All these building materials are insulation materials that are actively used in construction or renovation. But let's look at each material separately, understanding that there is a difference between them. Expanded polystyrene (this material is often called polystyrene foam) is not the official name. What is polystyrene foam? It is the same polystyrene material as penoplex. Expanded polystyrene or foam plastic is foamed polystyrene, but without the use of compression. In other words, the cells inside the material remain large and the density is low. The material is very fragile and breaks easily in your hands. But it is very light and convenient and is needed for work - it can be easily cut with a knife. An excellent heat insulator, but this material is not suitable for floor insulation. It is often used when transporting fragile materials - household appliances, glass, mirrors, as well as during transportation to long distances. Available in plate or crumb form.
IN Lately A new product has appeared on sale - foil-coated polystyrene foam. This is the same foam, but covered with metal foil. It is produced in the form of a roll 5 m long, 1 m wide and about 3 cm thick. The price is set for 1 m2, useful for installing a water heated floor. The metal foil backing works to shield the heat that is radiated from the screed of a hydronic floor heating system.
Advantages of foil polystyrene foam:
- Thermal insulator;
- Heat-resistant to temperature changes;
- Excellent sound insulator;
- Non-toxic when heated;
- Moisture resistant;
- Not subject to rotting.
A roll of foiled polystyrene foam is spread over the entire area of the room and secured together with sealant or a special adhesive foil tape. This material has an excellent ability to save energy (thermal, electrical). The fact is that polystyrene foam 3 cm thick replaces 65 cm in thermal insulation brickwork or 125 cm of concrete.
Foam or polystyrene for the floor: making a choice
It is clear that heated floors are when the heating system is hidden under the floor. It should be noted that this system is not a new invention of our designers and builders. Back in the days Ancient Rome This heating system was very popular. But for many centuries it was forgotten and now it is remembered.
This floor heating system is very economical and comfortable for humans. Since the highest air temperature is near the floor surface, and the most cold air accumulates near the ceiling. With the current heating system - radiators - the distribution of air temperature in the room is completely different. With a radiator heating system, air from high temperature is located under the ceiling, and the coldest is near the floor. If the room is still high, then even with good heating, the air near the floor will always be cool.
This is especially true for private houses or first-floor apartments, which are located immediately above cold and damp basements.
Heated floors can be electric or water. The coolant in the water tank is hot water, which flows through flexible pipes under the floor and heats the floor itself and the room. The source of water heating can be a gas boiler. Such floors are most often installed in private houses, since in apartments multi-storey buildings the installation of such a system is extremely problematic due to the possible burst of pipes under the floor and further flooding of neighbors or the basement.
Installation technology for water heated floors:
- Floor cleaning – removal of old floor covering, removal of old screed;
- Installation of rough screed and leveling the floor with cement-sand mortar;
- After the rough screed has dried, lay the waterproofing film;
- Laying a damper tape around the perimeter of the room is a heat insulator, and it compensates for thermal expansion.
Installation is simple, since the tape looks like wide tape and is simply glued on. Installation of heat insulator on bitumen mastic it is necessary to make polystyrene foam boards or you can choose foil polystyrene foam. Next, the flexible heating pipes need to be secured using special clips. The heating system must be connected to the boiler and the system must be tested - start up hot water into the system. The top of the pipes must be filled with a special screed for heated floors. Ready cement mixture can be found in a specialty store building materials, and prepare a cement screed according to the instructions. Thickness cement screed must be at least 4 cm. The screed will be ready only after 1 month. Then you can glue the plywood sheets, ceramic tiles or lay a special laminate for heated floors. Most often, foam plastic slabs are produced in sizes 800x700x45. It should be noted that placing mats or carpet on top is not recommended as the temperature of the floor will decrease and the efficiency of the floor will be low.
Laying heated floors on penoplex
Penoplex is a rigid foam plastic with grooves, but only denser and very hard. The industry produces penoplex in the form of sheets that are orange in color. Penoplex flooring is good when installing an electric heated floor.
Electric heated floor installation technology:
- Rough screed;
- Insulation (penoplex);
- Installation of an electric heating cable and fixing it to the floor;
- Connecting the cable to the power supply system;
- Heating system testing;
- Filling with special cement mortar for heated floors;
- Laying ceramic tiles.
It should be noted that electric heated floors can be installed not only in private houses, but also in apartments on any floors, if, of course, the power allows electric cable who enters the apartment. When installing a warm electric floor, it is necessary to make calculations to purchase the necessary heating cables. The most the best option– get advice from specialists and entrust them with the installation as well.
Economical extruded polystyrene foam for heated floors
Extruded polystyrene foam (EPS or extruder) is a new product among floor insulation materials. What is the difference between extruded polystyrene foam, it is fragile and cannot serve as a sound insulator. This type of polystyrene foam is popular, especially with bosses to better secure pipes or cables. After installing the cable, it is optimal solution With decorative coating and installation of floor tiles. New products on the heat insulator market are technoplex and penopremium.
Penoplex is the same foamed polystyrene, but pressed. It has greater density and stability, and has smaller cells than expanded polystyrene. And they release it in the form of sheets of saturated orange color. In fact, this color is the main visual difference between polystyrene foam and penoplex.
Use of polystyrene foam for heated floors (video)
Thermal insulators have recently entered our lives, but these days, they have become an integral part of technology in construction and repair. Using them is very beneficial.
The cold season is accompanied by low temperatures and the desire to turn the heating up to maximum. However, the cost of heating is quite high, but there is a way out. It consists in insulating the premises with appropriate materials. Among others, foil polystyrene foam should be highlighted.
It has the ability to reflect heat and provides waterproofing, because the outer layer is a moisture-repellent material. With the help of such insulation you can isolate the room from the outside negative impacts. Using thermal insulation is quite simple. It is easy to install and has high efficiency thanks to the cellular structure. The formed layer absorbs noise, which means it allows you to achieve silence in the premises and reduce the amount of noise coming from outside.
Why choose foil insulation
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The material is safe from an environmental point of view. He doesn't provide harmful effects per person and does not allocate hazardous substances. Foiled polystyrene foam is durable. It can serve for a long time, effectively resisting corrosion, rotting and rust. Among additional benefits Elasticity should also be highlighted. This means that the material is easy to shape into the desired shape.
To make the indoor climate as comfortable as possible for living, Special attention attention should be paid to high-quality thermal insulation of enclosing structures. A poorly insulated floor can cause significant heat loss and the formation of condensation, which is an ideal environment for the growth of fungi and mold. Today, expanded polystyrene for underfloor heating is considered one of the most modern and reliable methods of thermal insulation.
Thermal insulator good quality must have a number of the following qualities:
- Ecological cleanliness,
- Resistance to moisture,
- Ease of installation,
- Maximum seamlessness,
- Resistance to temperature changes,
- High-quality sound insulation,
- High resistance to compression and cracking,
- Non-flammability.
Modern insulation materials can be divided into two groups:
- Insulation materials consisting of mineral fibers (glass wool and mineral wool). They are manufactured in the form of mats, slabs and rolls.
- Insulation materials consisting of foam materials (foam plastic, polyurethane foam, polypropylene foam, polyethylene foam and polystyrene for heated floors). They are manufactured in the form of panels, blocks and slabs.
Polystyrene underfloor heating system - brief description
Expanded polystyrene for heated floors, in most cases, is colored slabs with a perfectly smooth surface, which when broken look like foam rubber - with many small pores. This material is a type of foam that was obtained by combining carbon and hydrogen atoms. It is obtained by foaming granular extruded material using volatile petroleum products. To obtain the desired effect, water vapor is used. Thanks to this, it is possible to produce a lightweight substance with a cellular structure, high strength, as well as excellent thermal and waterproofing properties.
Extruded polystyrene foam for underfloor heating is simply an excellent material for thermal insulation.
It has high strength and heat retention, its chemical and physical qualities remain unchanged at temperature fluctuations from -180 to 180 °C. Naturally, it provides excellent thermal insulation of the floor (due to the fact that it consists of almost nothing but air bubbles). This material is characterized by a high coefficient of moisture resistance, due to which polystyrene slabs for heated floors do not swell and do not absorb excess moisture. When using this material, it is necessary to lay an additional fireproof layer (for example, aluminum foil).
Polystyrene heated floor - installation features
- Before laying the insulation, it is necessary to carry out all the necessary preparatory work, which include leveling the floor using a cement screed.
- To achieve as much as possible high-quality sound insulation A special thermoacoustic film should be spread over the cement.
- After this, a polystyrene foam plate for a warm floor is laid, the edges of which must be joined so that it is in a free position.
- To ensure waterproofing of the floor, polystyrene foam must be covered waterproofing film. For these purposes, it is recommended to choose a film with a thickness of about 0.2 mm or more, since it is too thin material won't be very effective. Where the edges of the material join each other, the film must be overlapped so that the overlap width is at least 10 cm.
- To reliably strengthen the structure, an additional layer of cement screed should be applied with a height of 5 cm.
- The final stage is laying any flooring, such as parquet or linoleum.
How to choose polystyrene foam for a warm water floor?
If it is necessary to insulate the floor, then polystyrene foam from almost any manufacturer is perfect for this purpose. The modern building materials market offers a large assortment of fairly high-quality materials, among which the greatest demand is for extruded polystyrene foam for underfloor heating of the types “Penoplex 31 Standard”, “Penoplex 31”, “Penoplex 35 Standard”, “Penoplex 35”, “Technoplex 35 Standard” , "Technoplex 35" and "Termite 35". For floors, shallow foundations, fire tanks and swimming pools, Penoplex 31 is most often used.
As for expanded polystyrene for heated floors “Penoplex 35”, this material has high fire resistance. For this reason, it is often used in the construction of many enclosing structures (roofing, flooring, walls). "Technoplex" is able to maintain its performance characteristics at temperature changes from -50 to +75 ° C, which allows it to be used for insulating loggias, balconies, plaster facades or roofs. “Termite” - expanded polystyrene for heated floors, the price of which is slightly higher than others, has the lowest water absorption rate, due to which it is successfully used when laying foundations in swampy areas.
In addition to extruded polystyrene foam, there are roll and sheet cork, which are also often used in construction. To prevent overheating of the room, you should choose foil-coated polystyrene foam for heated floors.
