Expanded clay layer for the floor. Expanded clay as insulation: the right choice of weight and fraction. Technique of carrying out works of warming of expanded clay mill

Today, there is a large selection of modern materials in implementation; in terms of their heat-saving performance, they meet the requirements of current regulatory acts. Expanded clay is not considered a new insulation; it has been used in construction for many decades.

This is the only insulation that can be placed on any base, including the ground. Do not put mineral wool or foam on the ground, this is strictly prohibited by the recommended technologies.
Expanded clay has the highest values of physical strength. According to these indicators, it is much ahead of the widely used modern counterparts.
Environmental friendliness. Expanded clay is made from clay, does not emit any harmful chemical compounds into the air.
Non-flammability. The fire brigade is approved for use without restrictions, it is allowed to use it as an open fire barrier.
Low cost. This is the cheapest insulation for universal use. It is used to insulate floors, ceilings and walls. It can be used in both residential and industrial or commercial buildings.

Depending on the size, expanded clay is divided into several fractions: sand (5–10 mm), crushed stone (10–20 mm) and gravel (20–40 mm). Expanded clay is obtained after firing low-melting intumescent clay grades, has a porous structure. The production technology allows the use of various special additives to improve performance. According to the characteristics of the bulk density, the material is divided into ten grades, designated by numbers from 250 to 800, indicating the weight of one cubic meter in kilograms.

The technology consists of several stages, each with its own characteristics and requirements of building codes and regulations. A floor screed with expanded clay is made of three layers: dry expanded clay, concrete mixture with insulation and a clean cement-sand screed. How to make insulation?

Important. To increase the efficiency of insulation, it is recommended to use several fractions of expanded clay at the same time. Small fractions will fill the air chambers and make the insulation denser and more resistant to stress.

Step 2. Prepare the base surface. If the insulation is to be used on the ground, then it must be leveled, a layer of crushed stone with a thickness of ≈ 5 cm should be poured, a layer of sand approximately 5 cm thick on top. The base must be thoroughly tamped.

If the insulation is used on a concrete base, then you need to remove the old coatings and construction garbage... If large cracks are found, they must be sealed with any solutions.

Expanded clay allows you to insulate inclined surfaces, leveling the surface is done with insulation. This greatly speeds up and reduces the cost of construction work.

Step 3. Make waterproofing. One of the disadvantages of expanded clay is a significant decrease in heat saving characteristics when increasing relative humidity... The material is porous and absorbs water. The presence of water in the granules significantly increases the thermal conductivity coefficient. But not all thermal insulation materials can be used for waterproofing. Granular insulation, creates significant point forces on waterproofing materials. In these places, there are great risks of damage to film waterproofing materials: plastic film, nonwovens, etc.

If the base is concrete, then it must be insulated with mastics based on modified bitumen. The brands do not really matter, they all perfectly fulfill their tasks. Professional builders recommend applying at least two layers of mastic, carefully treating the most problematic areas. Expanded clay can be poured only after the mastic is completely dry, the specific time depends on the brand.

It is a little more difficult to do waterproofing on the ground. The finishing base is compacted sand, it can give uneven shrinkage under load. The most durable materials should be used as waterproofing materials on such bases. Roofing material with two layers of coating with modified bitumen is considered optimal.

Step 4. Pour a layer of expanded clay. Marks should be made around the perimeter of the room using a hydro level or a laser level. One mark is the height of expanded clay, the second is the height of the cement screed and the third is the height of the final flooring. The thickness of the layers must meet the requirements of the design documentation or self-made calculations. Using a long strip (rule), level the surface of the poured insulation.

Practical advice. Walking on the surface of expanded clay during other construction work is very inconvenient, it falls through underfoot. In order to facilitate further work and to improve the bearing performance of the screed, it is recommended to put a reinforcing mesh on dry expanded clay. The specific parameters of the mesh are selected taking into account the possible maximum loads.

Check the position of the insulation, if necessary, level out large elevations or fill in the grooves.

Step 5. Prepare the sub-screed mortar. It must be done from two or three parts of expanded clay and one part of a cement-concrete mixture of the usual composition. This layer serves to fix the coating and additionally insulates the floor. The thickness of this layer is within 5–8 centimeters.

The screed laying technology has its own characteristics

For lighthouses, you need to take special metal elements with a wide base, strips should be purchased at hardware stores. If this is not possible, then you will have to make them yourself from slats or boards. The length of the lighthouses is approximately 1.5–2.0 meters, the slats should be as even as possible. Knock down the boards with the letter T, the base must be put on expanded clay.
Do not try to make the fill perfectly even, the slats are loose, it is impossible to keep the rule at a constant height. The final leveling is done with a second layer ≈ 2 cm thick. If the volume of the solution is large, then to walk on expanded clay, put several boards, make a temporary path.
Try to take a long rule, work as far away from the lighthouses as possible, this will help reduce their wobbling.
Along the perimeter of the room between the wall and the screed, special gaskets are used to dampen the thermal expansion of the screed.

The first lighthouse should be done at a distance of 30 centimeters from the wall, the distance between the next depends on the length of the rule, they should be located about thirty centimeters closer.

You can additionally fix the lighthouses with gypsum or cement mortars. This will make the work somewhat easier, but they should still be done very carefully. Install the lighthouses below the level, if there is a laser device - great. It is very convenient to work with it, the performance of all construction works is much faster and their quality is increased.

Do not rely too much on floor insulation with a solution made using expanded clay. During preparation, the granules of the insulation are filled with water, the conductivity of heat increases significantly, the effectiveness of such a heater is quite low. Use the prepared solution only for fixing the top layer. This method is used to strengthen the top layer of insulation and facilitate the final leveling of the screed.

After pouring, you need to give time for the solution to harden. If for ordinary screeds a day is enough to continue to carry out work on the installation of floor coverings, then in the option of using expanded clay, the waiting time increases to at least seven days. The fact is that the cement slurry does not have a continuous support area, and individual expanded clay granules are very mobile.

Simplified technology of floor insulation with expanded clay under the screed

Among the advantages of expanded clay insulation, one more should be called - the ability to hide all engineering communications in the insulation. This increases the safety of operation, minimizes the likelihood of accidents due to mechanical damage or violation of the recommended operating conditions. In addition, it does not restrict access to pipelines or electrical cables, if necessary.

The main difference is that this method does not require making a leveling finish screed. Expanded clay is mixed with a cement-sand mortar in a ratio of 1: 5, this mass is simultaneously used for insulation and a screed.

Advantages - the work is accelerated several times, the presence of waterproofing is not critical. Expanded clay granules are protected from the penetration of additional moisture by a cement composition. Another plus is that the insulation is not afraid of cyclic static and dynamic loads. To increase the bearing capacity, it can be poured in two layers, and a reinforcing mesh can be laid between them.

Disadvantages - reduced properties of thermal insulation, the need to increase the minimum thickness of the insulation and an increase in loads on the supporting bases. The method is recommended to be applied during floor insulation on the ground.

To increase the strength of the expanded clay screed, it is recommended to wet it with water twice a day. This must be done carefully, do not fill with water, do not allow dry expanded clay to get wet. Watering greatly improves physical indicators read the screeds, chemical reactions cement slurry flow in a favorable mode. You need to water the screed for two to three days, the exact time depends on the weather. At high temperatures, the number of soakings increases; complete drying of the top layer of the screed must not be allowed.

If the operating conditions of the building require an increased height of the expanded clay insulation layer, then it can be stacked in bags. Plastic bags increase the stability of the position of the granules, expanded clay does not crumble under the feet of the master, there is no need to use special additional devices and devices. For the final leveling of the surface of the filling, a layer of fine fractions with a thickness of 2-3 cm is added from above. This technology allows to reduce the time by 30%.

If possible, do not use expanded clay floor insulation technologies using cement milk. The strength of the base will increase, but the heat saving effect will be significantly reduced. There are many other building techniques for increasing the load-bearing capacity without compromising the thermal performance of the floor.

Warming with expanded clay is very beneficial to do in outbuildings or garages. Especially if the construction site is uneven and preparatory work not possible for various reasons. Expanded clay will independently even out the differences in the base in height up to ten centimeters, an increase in the amount of material does not have a noticeable effect on the change in the initial estimated cost of the object.

The tangible effect of floor insulation with expanded clay can be achieved with a layer of insulation of at least 15 centimeters. This must be borne in mind when choosing the type of base for the screed. Not all rooms allow flooring due to such a significant reduction in the height of buildings.

The more airtight the top waterproofing, the higher the thermal insulation performance. It increases due to the absence of air convection, waterproofing serves as a reliable obstacle to the movement of warm and cold air masses... The optimal method for the upper waterproofing of the floor screed is ordinary plastic wrap.

Video - Insulation of the floor with expanded clay under the screed

Expanded clay is a free-flowing material in the form of small light granules obtained by firing clay.

The raw material is low-melting clay. It is loaded into a special heating apparatus, where it softens to a doughy state. After that, the raw material is quickly heated to a temperature of 1000-1300 degrees Celsius. This provokes a swelling reaction. Because of this, voids are formed in the material. After solidification, they remain, and the clay fractions are porous granules.

The thermal insulation properties of expanded clay are the better, the more pores in the granules. The sizes of the latter can range from 3 to 45 millimeters.

Expanded clay as a heater belongs to the class of environmentally friendly materials that under no circumstances emit harmful compounds. Therefore, it is widely used for thermal insulation of residential private houses. Since the material is free-flowing, it is relevant to use it on horizontal surfaces.

Most often, expanded clay can be found on the floor, roof, attic, interfloor ceilings. However, it is also allowed to use it as a heat insulator for walls at the stage of their construction. In addition, this natural material insulates the soil for planting seedlings.

The main types of expanded clay

The classification of expanded clay is carried out, first of all, by the size of its fractions. The material is divided into the following groups:

5-10 mm... It is used when equipping floor screed, as well as for the manufacture of expanded clay concrete blocks.
10-20 mm... Used for thermal insulation of interfloor ceilings, floors.
20-40 mm... Such expanded clay insulates roofs, basements, heating mains, floors in garages.

It is worth noting that if you use the last two types of expanded clay for installation under a screed, this will significantly increase its thickness.

In addition, there are several varieties of this material, depending on the structure and shape.

Expanded clay gravel... It has the form of rounded grains with a porous structure. The size can range from 5 to 40 millimeters.
Expanded clay sand... It is obtained as a result of crushing large fractions of expanded clay or by firing the remains of clay, which was used for the production of gravel. The sand has a particle size of no more than five millimeters. It can be used to insulate floors and interior partitions. It is also used for the manufacture of ultra-lightweight concrete and as a filler for cement mortar.
Crushed stone... This material has an arbitrary shape (usually angular). Its dimensions are about the same as gravel. Expanded clay crushed stone is made by crushing large pieces of matter. It is commonly used as a filler for lightweight concrete.

In addition, there are about a dozen brands of expanded clay on the construction market. The classification is made according to the bulk density (from 250 to 800). It, depending on the size and shape of the fractions, is determined in special measuring containers. Larger granules have the lowest bulk density.

The 700 and 800 brands cannot be found on the market. As a rule, they are produced on an individual order, since they have not received widespread use.

Technical characteristics of expanded clay

The properties of this insulation are established by domestic GOSTs, which regulate the quality of building materials with a porous structure. Consider the main characteristics of expanded clay:

Strength of expanded clay... This indicator for the material is different and fluctuates depending on the type and brand. For example, for gravel with a density of 100, the compressive strength is 2-2.5 MPa. And for crushed stone with the same density, this indicator is 1.2-1.6 MPa. It is also worth noting that the strength increases as the density of expanded clay increases.
Compaction factor... This value for a quality insulator should not exceed 1.15. It should be taken into account during transportation and long-term storage of material.
Thermal conductivity of expanded clay... This indicator for the material is 0.1-0.18 W / (m * 0С). A layer of this insulation of 25 centimeters is equivalent to a layer of expanded polystyrene with a thickness of 18 centimeters. And an expanded clay mound of 10 centimeters retains as much heat as a meter-long brickwork or 25 centimeters of wood. The higher the density of the material, the lower its thermal insulation qualities. This is because the number and size of pores are reduced. Namely, they contain air - the main heat insulator.
Moisture absorption... Expanded clay is a relatively water-resistant material. The water absorption coefficient is 8-20%. However, this only applies to insulation, which has a burnt crust. It is she who does not allow moisture to pass into the pores. If there is no such "protection", then expanded clay absorbs water very well, increasing its weight and losing its insulating properties.
Soundproofing... This insulation has good sound insulation and noise suppression performance. The material optimally copes with the absorption of sounds when laying on interfloor floors. If there is someone running or making noise on the top floor, you are unlikely to know about it. True, soundproofing with expanded clay will be effective only if the floor surface does not touch the insulation layer, since the friction of the material granules is not at all silent.
Fire resistance... Expanded clay is, in fact, burnt clay. Numerous tests have proven that the material does not burn in a fire and does not emit any harmful substances into the air when exposed to fire.
Frost resistance... Expanded clay is not afraid of low temperatures, as well as their fluctuations. It is based on a frost-resistant material - clay, and thanks to a special production technology, it absorbs water very poorly, which means it will not collapse when water expands in its pores.
Chemical resistance... Clay is a chemically inert substance, and therefore does not react with most building materials and solutions of acids, alkalis, and alcohols.
Biological resistance... Mold, fungus do not multiply in expanded clay. Also, this material does not attract rodents and insects. In it, they do not arrange nests and holes.
Environmental friendliness... Expanded clay is a pure natural insulation that does not emit any toxic compounds during installation and operation.

Advantages of expanded clay

This insulation has been used for many years and does not lose its popularity, since it is difficult to find equals in terms of price-quality ratio. Consider the main advantages of expanded clay:

Excellent thermal insulation properties... Clay is classified as "warm" natural materials, and due to the presence of air in the structure of expanded clay granules, thermal conductivity decreases. This heat insulator is able to save up to 80% of heat loss.
Light weight of expanded clay... The material is 10 times lighter than concrete. Only foamed polymers have less weight among heaters. Therefore, it will not exert too much load on the floors, the foundation, the roof.
Relatively low price... Expanded clay is cheaper than many other heaters. And for its installation, no special tools and a team of professional builders are required. All work can be done independently.
Environmental friendliness... Expanded clay is an absolutely natural insulation. It is recommended for use in residential buildings that are built using the "green house" or "eco-house" technology.
Incombustibility... The material does not burn, does not support combustion, and does not emit toxic smoke when released into an open fire source. It is absolutely fireproof.
Ease of installation... Even a beginner can make expanded clay mound. And since the heat insulator is relatively lightweight, it is quite possible to cope with it alone.
Long service life... It is possible to use expanded clay as insulation for a very long time (100 years or more), but only if it is correctly installed.

Disadvantages of expanded clay

Despite the abundance of advantages, expanded clay also has certain disadvantages. They are especially manifested in the event that a poor-quality insulation was chosen or the installation was carried out incorrectly.

Disadvantages of expanded clay:

Requires underlay when laying horizontally... This is due to the fact that the material is quite dusty. This is especially true when installing expanded clay on wooden floors.
Absorbs moisture in the absence of a protective "crust" on the granules... When wet, such expanded clay becomes unsuitable as insulation. The material dries up for a long time. Therefore, it is recommended to put a special waterproof layer on top of the hygroscopic insulator.
A thick layer of insulation "eats" the height of the room... In order for heat and sound insulation to be of high quality, it is necessary to lay expanded clay with a thickness of at least 10-15 centimeters. Ideally, up to 40 centimeters.

Criteria for choosing expanded clay

It is necessary to choose this insulation, focusing on certain properties and quality. You can judge the characteristics of the material by the markings on the packaging. The bulk density of expanded clay and the grade are usually indicated there.

In addition, when buying insulation, consider the following recommendations:

Contact either the plant where the expanded clay is produced, or an official representative. Don't buy goods from dubious sellers, tempted by a low price. Its quality can be very low.
Ask the seller to provide quality certificates for the insulation. Expanded clay is manufactured in accordance with GOST 9757-90. Only in accordance with this standard, high-quality clay is used and all firing standards are observed.
Pay attention to the conditions in which the material is stored. It should be kept in a warehouse indoors, but not outdoors, where it can become damp and lose its properties.
Check the integrity of the expanded clay fractions. A high-quality heat insulator should have as few broken granules, crumbs, sand as possible. In general, the amount of spoiled material should be no more than five percent.
The color scale of high-quality expanded clay should be the same for all fractions: a shell of a dark brown hue and a dark (almost black) break.

Price and manufacturers of expanded clay

There are a large number of factories in Russia that produce expanded clay. Material of different fractions is manufactured by Keramzit CJSC (Moscow Region), Stoilensky GOK OJSC (Stary Oskol), Beskudnikovsky Building Materials Plant OJSC (Moscow), Kushvinsky Keramzite Plant CJSC (Sverdlovsk Region), Keramzit CJSC ( Leningrad Region), Yakovlevostroydetal LLC (Belgorod Region), KSM Enemsky CJSC (Republic of Adygea).

These enterprises received good feedback from consumers. The price of expanded clay is approximately the same for all manufacturers. It differs depending on the size of the granules .:

0-5 mm... Placer - from 2300 rubles per cubic meter. In bags - from 2500 rubles per cubic meter.
5-10 mm... In bulk - 1800 rubles per cubic meter. In bags - 2200 rubles.
10-20 mm... Scattering - from 1300 rubles. In a bag - from 1,500 rubles.
20-40 mm... Placer - from 1300 rubles per cubic meter. In bags - 1,500 rubles and more.

Brief instructions for the installation of expanded clay

The technology of insulating the floor, foundation, ceiling or roof with expanded clay is generally similar. Let's consider it step by step:

We align the base. If this is a floor, then you can fill in a not thick layer of cement mortar. We are waiting for complete drying.
We lay the vapor barrier. This can be, for example, glassine. We glue the joints with tape.
We install logs from wooden beams. We observe horizontalness using a building level.
We fasten the bars with self-tapping screws in 50 centimeters increments.
Pour expanded clay into the space between the logs with a uniform layer. We make sure that the insulation is flush with the surface of the lags.
Next, we cover the structure with waterproofing, for example, a polyethylene film.
On the finished surface, you can lay boards, slabs, gypsum board, pour the screed.

In the process, it is allowed not to build a structure from lags, but it will be more difficult to check the evenness and uniformity of the expanded clay layer.

Watch a video review of expanded clay:

Expanded clay is a natural eco-friendly insulation, which is widely used in private and industrial construction. With its help, you can carry out high-quality thermal insulation of floors, roofs, roofs, interfloor floors and even walls. The material has high thermal insulation properties and is resistant to external influences.

Expanded clay, as a rule, is used for. This is its main purpose. A lot says in favor of choosing expanded clay, starting from the price. It is easy to install, and the level of thermal insulation is traditionally high.

When comparing expanded clay, for example, with a tree, a difference in efficiency was noticed by about three times. The heat is retained better. If we compare it with brickwork, then expanded clay will cost ten times cheaper. The savings are immediately visible.

The production of expanded clay is based on clay compounds. This means that such insulation is resistant to temperature extremes. It does not burn in a fire and does not collapse at a record low temperatures... In addition, it will not be damaged by rodents, for them this material is not attractive.

Expanded clay has sound insulating properties. In addition, it is recommended for use in absolutely any climatic conditions... Including even the most extreme ones. An important factor can be called such an advantage of expanded clay as environmental friendliness. IN modern conditions this is especially true.

The main function of expanded clay is. The advantages of expanded clay are its not expensive price, it is considered a natural and ecological material and will last a long time. It is much better to insulate the floor or ceiling with expanded clay than to insulate with wood or bricks. Let us give an example: one layer of expanded clay 10 centimeters long will insulate it in the same way as brickwork or a 25 centimeter board.

Expanded clay has thermal conductivity, which makes it possible to insulate roofs, walls, floors, attics, concrete floors. To do this, you need to use expanded clay gravel, sand and crushed stone.

The floor has been insulated with expanded clay for several decades. Installation of such floors is very quick, and most importantly, it does not incur high costs and installation work.

Where to use expanded clay?

The most common use of expanded clay can be seen in the improvement of floor coverings. It is scattered in a thin layer, but so that there are no gaps anywhere for the penetration of cold air. Expanded clay is also used as a lining under cement or, it is not excluded that it can be used under wooden floors. Wall insulation with expanded clay is rare. This process is more laborious, but the result is usually amazing. IN winter time the house insulated with expanded clay almost never cools down.

You can often find warming of attics and expanded clay. Thus, this material is ideal for almost any area of the building. After all, it is very lightweight, practical, fireproof, and a number of other indisputable advantages can be named.

But in order for all these advantages to bring only benefit, it is necessary to follow the technology. Otherwise, as you know, you can get not only benefit, but also harm. At best, the material will be simply useless.

In fairness, I must say that laying expanded clay does not require certain skills. Anyone without a building education can make their home warm.

Expanded clay insulation technology

First you need to prepare. This requires removing all old floor coverings, including linoleum. If, then all fastening structures are removed. Leave only the logs and only if the degree of wear allows them to be used.
After the completion of the dismantling, a sand cushion is formed, about ten centimeters thick. The sand must be carefully compacted. And only after that, you can start laying all the other layers.
The device of such a floor resembles a layer cake. Expanded clay is poured in such a way that there is an optimal layer thickness. An accurate calculation is already needed here. It is important to remember that adherence to the flooring technology will lead to the correct results.

The first step to insulating the floor with expanded clay

First you need to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of the structure, the floor of which is to be modernized. Next, examine the condition of the floor itself. Most important indicator here will be the resistance of the structure to heat, in general.
This indicator should correspond to 4 mS / W, in rooms where there is no heating. If it is planned to use only expanded clay concrete, then the overlap will reach 2 meters.
For convenience in the calculations, you can make such a comparison, such as, for example, ten centimeters of expanded clay will retain heat in the same way as 25 centimeters of wood. or 60 centimeters of expanded clay concrete slab will give as much heat as a meter thick brickwork.
The loads will require special attention. After all, the floor is usually subjected to the greatest loads and here you need to immediately know what layer height must be taken into account.
If you find it difficult to determine what layer thickness you need to make, then be sure to contact a specialist. A high-quality calculation will save you many problems in the future. Don't miss this most important step!
The next important step to pay attention to is waterproofing. It doesn't matter what you insulate, expanded clay is laid on top of the waterproofing layer. You can use plastic wrap as waterproofing. It is desirable that this is a solid canvas. The edges should protrude 10 centimeters around the perimeter and extend onto the walls.
It should be added that the thermal insulation qualities of expanded clay are fully manifested with a layer of 15 centimeters. If the layer is less than the specified value, then we can say that all the efforts were in vain.

When it is not only pleasant, but also comfortable. At the same time, one should not forget about beauty. What makes a floor beautiful? Of course, the flooring must be even, then it will look beautiful. To complete this task, you need to choose the right faction. It will be good if it will be a combination of several factions. The main size is approximately ten millimeters. But any other size is possible.

When different fractions are used, then there is a guarantee that the floor will be even for a long time, since subsidence is excluded. When backfilling, jamming occurs, which excludes the movement of material in the future.

After the floor height level is selected, beacons are placed around the perimeter. Pay attention to how you place these beacons. They should not fit snugly against the wall and should be placed parallel to each other.
When all measurements are made, it is worth checking everything carefully again. The parallelism of the beacons should not be in doubt, this will need to be checked using a level. Extra checking won't hurt. When everything is done, you can fill up the insulation.

The last stage of work

Expanded clay scattered with an even layer should be aligned with the beacons. To do this, check the top layer with a stretched fishing line. When you are sure that everything is even and correct, you can pour a layer of cement or concrete. This work requires skill and precision.
The solution must be applied in such a way that a strong jet does not make potholes on the expanded clay surface. In addition, you need to pour it in an even layer, without damaging the structure of the insulation layer. Any defect formed at this stage will be very noticeable later. This will entail additional work for leveling the floor.
Before applying cement or concrete mortar, it is sometimes recommended to moisten a layer of expanded clay with a solution of cement and water. It is also called cement milk. This will be a kind of adhesion layer. It will help to bind the expanded clay balls together, and the insulation layer will be bonded to the concrete mortar.

Expanded clay is also used for wall insulation

Expanded clay is also used for wall insulation. This has already been discussed. He has proven himself quite well in this capacity. The only inconvenience is the laborious installation process itself. Perlite or mineral wool is often used instead.

Among the advantages of expanded clay as insulation is the possibility of free ventilation. This distinguishes it from other heaters. First of all, this quality should be used in closed rooms, because where there are no problems with ventilation, a person is always comfortable to be.

A good level of thermal insulation is achieved by layer thickness. When it is placed inside a wall, there is a threat of rubbing it with material. Additional reinforcement may be required for the wall. Therefore, most often they try to choose other materials for the walls.

According to the general opinion of experts, expanded clay is excellent for floor insulation, but when walls are insulated, it can create problems. Which entail additional design solutions. As a rule, not in favor of square meters indoors. Therefore, it is better to choose other materials for the walls that allow you to keep warm.

Insulation of roofs using expanded clay

Roofs have been insulated with expanded clay more than half a century ago. Since then, a lot of modern materials have been invented, including insulation. But it has not yet been possible to replace expanded clay. It turned out to be indispensable for roof insulation. Here all its advantages were fully manifested.

One of the most important advantages is that there are practically no condensation problems. In addition, a phenomenon called "dew point" was not found in expanded clay.

Needless to say, what an important part of any building is the roof. The house is unprotected without a roof. The quality of the roof will provide warmth and comfort in all areas of the building. Expanded clay helps to achieve a high level of security and thermal insulation. This material is unique in nature. In addition, the desired effect will persist for quite a long time. How to correctly and efficiently make a roof will be described in another material.

Indeed, expanded clay for roof insulation is simply irreplaceable. With its help, roofs have been equipped for a long time, and considerable experience has been accumulated in this matter. Expanded clay allows you to achieve the required level of warmth and comfort.

Roof arrangement sequence:

When insulating roofs, apply:

gravel,
rubble,
sand.

These are the types of expanded clay that are most common for these types of work. To fill all small crevices and potholes, expanded clay gravel is often used. There is even a way to improve the already high thermal insulation performance. Expanded clay is mixed with expanded polystyrene crumbs.

Work on roof insulation with expanded clay does not present any particular difficulties.

It is simply poured into an even layer on a reinforced concrete slab and in the cavity. Thus, a first level surface layer is created.
Next, roofing material is laid. This layer resembles the spread of carpet.

It is best when the roofing material is in the form of rolls. Roofing material should press down with its weight a layer of friable expanded clay.

Tiles or tiles are laid on top. But in general, you can put any other material. It happens that a live lawn is made as the top layer. But this is not in our country.

This is how a roof that is simply assembled from layers can become a reliable protector of the whole house. By the way, as experience shows, such roofs are much more durable than those made using all modern technologies.

IN European countries no one doubts the insulation of roofs with expanded clay. This is the norm. In addition, the cost of such a roof is minimal, the technology is simple, and the effect is maximum and durable. Not a single modern development has been able to squeeze expanded clay from Olympus of insulation materials.

A little about expanded clay

This material is truly versatile. The list of merits can stretch a lot. But still, it will be fair if we talk about the shortcomings. The most important of them is the fragility of the material. To work with expanded clay, you need to be extremely careful and accurate. Sudden movements during installation can damage the insulation elements. Damage leads to a partial loss of indisputable qualities, which means that insulation will no longer be fully achieved. If you follow all the rules when working with expanded clay, then the results will delight for a very long time. After all, this is the cheapest and most effective insulation.

Expanded clay is produced from clay. From the most ordinary. Like any ceramics, it is fired, after which it becomes hard. Its elements most likely resemble balls of not very regular shape or ovals. There is a technology for the manufacture of expanded clay, similar to the preparation of sand. Many manufacturers use it. Expanded clay does not give up moisture, which it accumulates very actively. It absorbs even small drops of water. This fact can be viewed as both an advantage and a disadvantage.

Therefore, it is best to use it only dry. In no case should you add it to concrete or cement mortars. There will be no benefit.

You don't need to have any special experience or skills to make your home warm and cozy with expanded clay. Almost everyone can do this, listening to our recommendations. Compliance with the rules and technologies allows you to achieve excellent results in any business. They will also help when working with expanded clay.

Laying expanded clay on the floor

Laying of expanded clay on the floor is carried out on a surface covered with roofing material. The thickness of the expanded clay layer depends on the thermal conductivity of the base. In order for your surface to be even, the floors are leveled with expanded clay.

To choose the right layer of expanded clay, you need to take into account the thermal resistance of the building structure. Your expanded clay heat insulator will work under conditions if the layer of material is at least 10-15 centimeters.

The ceiling is the most important part of the room, which provides heat loss of fifteen percent. This happens most often if there is an attic or roof above the room. In order to significantly reduce heat loss, it is necessary to insulate the ceilings with polystyrene, mineral wool, expanded clay and other materials intended for insulation.

How to properly carry out work on the insulation of the ceiling with expanded clay

The best option to carry out high-quality insulation of the ceiling is to arrange it at the stage of building a house, because the process of replacing the coating and installing insulation can take a lot of time and effort. And it is not so easy and quick to make ceased coatings, to equip insulation and ceilings, this will require special knowledge and skills, experience with arranging a ceiling. It is better to trust such work exclusively to specialists in order to achieve the appropriate quality in work. By the way, pay attention to the article about ceiling insulation in the house. She is the best in the entire Russian Internet.

Ceiling insulation is designed not only to retain and retain heat in the house, but also to significantly increase sound insulation. All this contributes to the formation of a stable and healthy microclimate. After carrying out all the insulation measures in the house, condensation and mold cease to form. All this provides comfort for living in a room.

Expanded clay is one of the best insulation materials, because it has a number of advantages over other materials. It is an environmentally friendly material, it is an ideal insulation, among other things, it has a fairly low price.

Expanded clay is most often used for warming premises; it is a fairly lightweight porous material consisting of round granules. Expanded clay is used for insulation of premises. It is made from baked clay and is an environmentally friendly material, completely safe material.

Expanded clay gravel

Expanded clay gravel is a grain size of five to forty millimeters. It is very effective for insulating all surfaces: ceilings, walls, floors. Expanded clay gravel is also used to create concrete. For concrete filling, expanded clay sand is used, which has grains up to five millimeters. It is ideal for powders that have thermal insulation properties with insulation up to fifty millimeters thick.

Expanded clay in comparison with other heaters has a number of advantages. Many insulation materials are made from materials that are subject to complete decomposition. As a result of this process, toxic substances are released that are extremely harmful to the human body.

One of the very useful qualities of expanded clay is that rodents cannot live in it. It is an extremely fire-resistant material that has a fairly high degree of sound insulation and water resistance. It is also a very economical option that allows for high quality thermal insulation.

The process of insulating the ceiling with expanded clay

The process of insulating the ceiling itself is an extremely responsible process, which has an average complexity. This means that it can be performed by an ordinary person who has the skill of working with his hands. Insulation of the ceiling with expanded clay begins with the installation of steam and waterproofing. To carry out this process, a layer of special material with vapor barrier properties is first laid on the previously prepared ceiling, which will also play the role of waterproofing.

The most optimal are modern materials such as "Izospan" series B or C, similar to them are possible. They can be purchased at any specialized hardware store. With a lack of funds, you can use ordinary plastic wrap, aluminum foil, it is also possible to use roofing material.

In order to get started, you must:

roll out a roll of material on the floor, cutting it into strips having a width that is ten centimeters greater than the distance between the ceiling beams;
with a large ceiling area, the material is laid on the walls of the room in separate strips with an overlap of ten to twelve centimeters. If the material of the "Izospan" type is used, then in order to improve the properties of the coating, the seams must be glued with a special tape;
using roofing material, the seams must be glued with rubber bitumen mastic. If you need to use foil, then use aluminum foil tape. When applying the film, use ordinary tape;
rafter beams also need to be overlaid with a vapor barrier, like a chimney;
it is necessary to adhere to the rule that the height of the fastening of the vapor barrier material by its level is higher than the layer of expanded clay backfill;
using masking tape or a construction stapler, you can fix the canvas;
having placed a vapor barrier layer, a layer of pre-crushed clay should be laid on top, after which it is necessary to start laying expanded clay;

Experts advise to lay out a layer of expanded clay with a thickness of twelve to sixteen centimeters. To accomplish this mission, two types of expanded clay fractions should be used, large and small particles.

In order to use this method, the density of expanded clay is increased. And this will help to significantly reduce the subsidence of granules along the layer thickness. All this provides a uniform layer of backfill throughout the entire area of the room, which is insulated.

A cement-sand screed must be applied to the expanded clay layer so that the created layer of insulation could not undergo various damage.

Laying the floor is the final operation to insulate the entire ceiling.

If the attic space is not needed as a living room, this process can be canceled. But if the owner plans to arrange living quarters there or store things there, then it is necessary to lay the floors. The simplest option is:

special flooring made of boards that are laid across the beams,
a distance of two to three centimeters is left between the boards.

You can also use other materials to create the floor, taking plywood, laminate, chipboard and some other materials.

After the work carried out, it is necessary to arrange a quality check of the ceiling insulation.

In order to make sure of the quality of insulation, check the room's capabilities for heat loss. This is done as follows:

the insulated room is warmed up, the air temperature is measured in it;
the next stage - the room is closed, so it must be left for several hours.

If the temperature in it quickly drops to a temperature mark that corresponds to the temperature of other rooms, it is obvious that there is a place from which heat leaves.

The cause of the heat leak must be found and eliminated. If there is an attic in your house above the living room, then it is necessary to equip the roof insulation, which was not done during the construction of the building. If all processes are carried out in strict accordance, then such a ceiling will retain heat in the house for a long time.

In order to create comfort in your own home and fill it with warmth in the cold season, you need to pay special attention to the thermal insulation of the premises in the house. Expanded clay, as a heater, in this case is the most suitable option. It can be used to create an insulating layer in walls, floors and ceilings. This material, like any other, has its own characteristics that you need to know about before equipping the thermal insulation layer in the house with it. Of course, it has its pluses and minuses. All the features are detailed below. of this material, having understood which you can decide whether it is worth insulating the house with expanded clay.

Expanded clay is resistant to cold and heat, as well as flame resistance.

First of all, it should be noted that expanded clay is one of the most popular thermal insulation materials in our country. This is due to its low cost, excellent performance and widespread adoption in construction oriented markets.

What does expanded clay insulation consist of?

This material consists of small granules with a low mass, which is achieved thanks to the ubiquitous pores. Expanded clay is a heat insulator that meets environmental standards. It has the following performance properties:

sound insulation;
thermal insulation;
resistance to cold and heat;
flame resistance;
sufficient safety margin;
serves for a long time.

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How is expanded clay made?

This type of insulation has a high margin of safety, therefore, this property significantly distinguishes it from other heat insulators. And due to the low cost, the material becomes one of the best options for insulating your own home. If you are building a house from scratch, it is recommended to choose expanded clay as a flooring insulation, since floor screed with this type of heat insulator is quite simple.

Such insulation is made in several stages. It is based on fast melting clay. It is placed in a special thermal chamber and held there until it acquires the structure of the dough.

After that, the material heats up under the influence high temperature at high speed, after which the base of the clay boils and swells. This becomes the reason for the formation of pores in the material, which, after solidification, turn into ubiquitous granules on expanded clay.

By following all the manufacturing requirements, you can get a high quality and environmentally friendly thermal insulator. The measure of quality in this case is the amount of pore formation on the coating of the material. The more pores, the higher the quality of expanded clay.

The heat insulator coating melts itself in the heat chamber. This process results in a sealed surface with excellent safety margins and wear resistance.

Based on this insulation production technology, it is clear that it is harmless to humans. After all, all its components are environmentally friendly and do not contain artificial chemicals.

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Scope of expanded clay

With the help of this heat insulator, the flooring in private buildings is most often insulated. Expanded clay is a good alternative " warm floor". It is used if there are not enough material resources for arranging warm floors. Depending on the type of flooring, expanded clay in some cases is completely an uncontested means of thermal insulation.

For arranging the material in reinforced concrete floors, a proven method is used, which is described below. First of all, steam insulation (for example, polyethylene with a thick structure) is arranged in the floor, serving as a barrier to contain moisture. After that, it is poured with expanded clay concrete mixture, which provides the floor structure with a low degree of thermal conductivity. This increases the safety margin of the floor, while simultaneously insulating it.

To equip the material in wood-based floors, you first need to lay a plastic wrap on the floor surface, which serves as a vapor barrier material. On top of the film, you need to fill in a dry expanded clay mixture, which is covered with a wooden covering. This will not only insulate the floors, but also protect them from rodents.

When equipping the base of the house, thermal insulation can be placed both inside the foundation and outside. In the first case, expanded clay serves as a filler for the empty space under the overlap of the 1st floor of the building. In the second case, the free space is filled under the blind area from the street side. With this method, it is possible to reduce the depth of its laying, while increasing the thermal insulation properties of the floor structure. Remember that expanded clay needs good waterproofing, so you should also take care of a moisture-resistant barrier.

To equip a heat insulator in the walls, the three-layer laying method is used. The structure of the bearing layer includes blocks of expanded clay and concrete with a thickness of 200-400 mm. The main layer is capsimet - a mixture based on expanded clay and cement. The last layer serves as a protection, it can consist of panel tiles, facing bricks and wood.

To reduce heat loss in wooden house, high-quality thermal insulation of floors, walls, ceilings and even floors will be required. The modern market offers a large selection of practical and durable insulation materials, one of which is expanded clay.

It belongs to the category of environmentally friendly insulation of natural origin. Thermal insulation of a wooden house with expanded clay is an excellent way to ensure maximum protection of the structure from adverse factors.

What is expanded clay?

Expanded clay is a free-flowing porous material in granular form. It is produced by high-temperature firing of intumescent clay or shale to obtain oval porous granules of various sizes.

Also, the feedstock can be added:

peat,
sawdust,
fractional diesel oil,
alcohol stillage.

The finished material has excellent thermal insulation properties, high strength and low weight.

Insulation parameters

Expanded clay comes in 3 fractions, depending on the size of the granules obtained:

crushed stone - granules with a diameter of 0.5 to 1 cm,
gravel - granule sizes from 1 to 4 cm,
sand - granules do not exceed 0.5 cm.

According to the thermal insulation characteristics, a 12 cm layer of expanded clay is equal to a brick masonry up to 100 cm thick or a wood floor 30 cm thick.

The main operational parameters of the material include:

environmental Safety,
air throughput,
fire resistance,
noise insulation,
durability,
resistance to biological contamination,
low thermal conductivity,
resistance to temperature extremes,
strength,
light weight,
affordable cost,
ease of installation.

High hygroscopicity is the main drawback of the insulation. Granules are susceptible to the rapid absorption and retention of excess moisture, which can lead to a decrease in the thermal insulation properties of the material.

House thermal insulation technology with expanded clay

Arrange thermal insulation yourself various designs a wooden house with expanded clay is within the power of any homeowner.

Floor

Warming of the floor with expanded clay in a wooden house can be done in 3 ways:

Dry screed.
Insulation under the concrete screed.
Expanded clay concrete pouring.

If for frame or panel houses it is optimal to equip lightweight floors with a dry expanded clay screed, then for houses made of logs or timber it is necessary to perform thermal insulation of floors with concrete.

The simplest insulation option is a dry screed, which is performed according to the following scheme:

The soil under the floor is carefully rammed. A mixture of sand and gravel up to 15 cm thick is poured onto the base.
Next, a waterproofing layer of dense polyethylene is laid so as to fill all the available space. The joints of the strips are glued with tape. The edges of the waterproofing cover fit into the walls.
Rough beams are laid on the waterproofing, which are used as a base for logs. Boards are mounted between the beams to create sections for filling insulation.
The floor base is covered with expanded clay (granule diameter up to 8 cm). The height of the layer is 15 cm. Logs are mounted on top.
A moisture-proof membrane is laid on top of the log, after which a finishing floor is installed.

Important! When insulating the base, it is imperative to leave a minimum technological gap from below under the expanded clay layer, which will provide additional air exchange in the floor structure.

Walls

Thermal insulation of walls with expanded clay is used for three-layer structures, when the first layer is a load-bearing wall, the second is insulation with the addition of cement milk, and the third is a facing material to protect the structure from external factors.

Cement milk acts as a binder to create a durable thermal insulation layer.

In fact, it is technically difficult to insulate wooden walls with expanded clay. Often, mineral wool is used in slabs 10-15 cm thick to protect wood, and when using expanded clay, this indicator should be increased by 3 times. This will lead to an increase in the mechanical load on the load-bearing walls and the need for an additional foundation foundation.

The complexity and labor intensity of the technology will affect the increase in the cost of building a wooden house. Therefore, for such structures, it is recommended to use more practical and functional insulation.

Overlapping

Insulation of the ceiling with expanded clay is carried out using the following technology:

The attic floor is thoroughly dried and treated with a primer mixture.
The first layer is covered with plastic wrap, which serves as a vapor and waterproofing barrier. Be sure to take into account 20 cm overlaps on the walls.
Expanded clay is poured into the space between the beams and evenly distributed over the entire area of the base.
The second layer is equipped with a moisture-insulating material that prevents moisture from penetrating into the insulation.
Walkways are mounted on the floor beams. The minimum gap between expanded clay and walkways is 1.5 cm.

Ceiling

The technology of thermal insulation of the ceiling in a wooden house provides for the use of additional vapor barrier protection. The cheapest and most affordable option is dense polyethylene.

You can insulate the ceiling with expanded clay in a private wooden house as follows:

The vapor barrier is laid on the joists to provide maximum protection to the ceiling. The material is cut into strips and laid with an overlap of 5 cm. The joints between the strips are glued with tape. If roofing material is used as a vapor barrier, the joints are treated with bitumen mastic.
Beacons are mounted under the insulation backfill. For this, self-tapping screws or wooden blocks of equal length are suitable. Lighthouses are set by level.
Next, expanded clay is poured. According to building codes, the thickness of the insulation backfill for the ceiling of a private house should be 20 cm. To ensure a high density of thermal insulation, it is better to use material of different fractions. After backfilling expanded clay, the lighthouses should be located at a level with insulation.
The final stage is the installation of waterproofing. To do this, you can use roll materials or perform a cement screed.

Expanded clay is one of the most environmentally friendly and demanded thermal insulation materials. However, for all its availability, it can hardly be called a universal insulation. It is suitable for thermal insulation of floors, ceilings and ceilings in a wooden house, but it is absolutely not economical for protecting wall structures.

It is quite simple and easy to work with expanded clay, and its operational life is impressive, so many homeowners choose it as the main insulation material for the house.