Correct insulation of the plinth

Recommendation points

• Danger from all directions
• Consequences of wetting the base
• Dampness and insulation
• Effective, biostable and environmentally friendly
• Specificity of basement insulation with PENOPLEX plates®

For insulation of the basement of buildings, extruded polystyrene foam is almost universally used. What is the reason for the popularity of this type of thermal insulation? Let’s figure it out in order.

Danger from all directions

One of the worst enemies of keeping warm is moisture, which affects the base from all directions..

Below ground water is dangerous. They are able to seep into the porous structure in various ways. First, by capillary suction. Secondly, through the joints of various elements of the building structure. Thirdly, through material defects: cracks, leaks, etc. Such an effect gradually leads concrete, brick, aerated concrete and other wall materials to destruction.

Precipitation falls from the air on the basement, in winter it is covered with snow, which thaws and greatly moistens the wall.

Consequences of wetting the base

Having penetrated into the structure of the base material, dampness reduces its strength. As a source of life, water immediately turns building material into a breeding ground for fungus and mold. We have all seen how the unkempt foundations and plinths of abandoned or unfairly maintained buildings are covered with moss and lichens..

Thus, due to dampness, the structures of buildings and structures are destroyed both mechanically, biologically, and chemically. The latter type of destruction means exposure to toxic waste products of the mentioned harmful microorganisms.

Dampness and insulation

Let’s get back to the idea of ​​water as the enemy of heat preservation. Even a damp room feels colder. But the numbers speak even more eloquently about this. The main indicator of the heat-shielding properties of a substance is the thermal conductivity coefficient. The higher it is, the better the substance conducts heat and the worse it stores it. For water, this parameter is 0.6 W / (m · K). For comparison, for PENOPLEX it is 0.033 W / (m · K). Water conducts heat 20 times better. When moisture permeates the heat-insulating material, its heat-shielding properties deteriorate significantly. Unfortunately, mineral wool, polystyrene and other insulation materials common today are not devoid of the ability to absorb water, and over time they lose their functions. The same cannot be said about extruded polystyrene foam and high-quality PENOPLEX thermal insulation^®, made of this material.

Effective, biostable and environmentally friendly

PENOPLEX^® possesses a unique combination of high heat-shielding properties and very low, practically zero water absorption. According to these two indicators, the material confidently occupies a leading position among most heaters.

PENOPLEX^® has other indisputable advantages. Zero water absorption of the material makes it impossible for new life to arise and fungus, mold and other harmful microorganisms spread throughout its volume. Also, it is not suitable for them as a nutrient medium. Biostability PENOPLEX^® proven experimentally – by mycological tests. Samples of the material were treated with a suspension of fungi and kept in an atmosphere with high relative humidity, favorable for their reproduction and development. After that, the samples were incubated at a temperature of 22–25 ° С. After 30 days, we checked how intensively the mushrooms would multiply. No growth of the fungal population was observed. The same test was carried out another 54 days later, that is, 84 days after the start of the experiment. The result was the same. There was no point in conducting the experiment further. PENOPLEX thermal insulation samples^® turned out to be persistent and did not allow the growth of fungi, although all temperature and humidity conditions were created for this.

PENOPLEX^® with good reason is considered an environmentally friendly material. In its composition, it does not contain particles harmful to health, which are present in many other insulation materials. We are talking primarily about phenol-formaldehyde resins. PENOPLEX^® also does not contain slags, soot, does not emit dust during operation. The raw material for its production is high-quality general-purpose polystyrene. In addition to the manufacture of thermal insulation, this polymer is used for the manufacture of products that are subject to strict sanitary requirements: toys, packaging for food and medical products, disposable tableware, jars for yogurt, etc..

Specificity of basement insulation with PENOPLEX plates^®

The building envelope can be thermally insulated in two ways from the outside and from the inside. For the base, the first option is preferable. Outside, the insulation is doubly useful, since it protects both the room and the enclosing structure itself from temperature effects. High-quality thermal insulation, even in severe frost, keeps the temperature of the protected structure above zero. This is very important, because freezing significantly reduces the service life of the building material..

Thermal insulation scheme for the basement and first floors of buildings

PENOPLEX^® effective where other heaters stop working.

Read how to insulate the base on the website: penoplex.ru.

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