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Thermal insulation of the house is one of the most important aspects to keep in mind when moving into a new house or if you want to rehabilitate your apartment. This is the most effective way to reduce gas or electricity costs, as appropriate. According to specialists, you can save up to 40% of costs if you choose the right thermal insulation for your home.
It also improves your quality of life and gives you increased comfort. Whether it's summer or winter, properly executed insulation keeps proper thermal comfort inside - your home will be cool in summer and warm in winter. In today's article we will present which method of thermal insulation is the most effective.
Thermal insulation is a process that reduces the heat transfer between two environments or materials, so that the temperature in your home is kept at the optimum level.
If you want to insulate your home, you should know that there is both interior and exterior insulation. Both have specific advantages or disadvantages, but depending on your needs, you will know which one to choose:
1. EXTERIOR INSULATION:
more expensive;
it is a good waterproofing;
soundproof;
insulates very well thermally;
does not impact the interior space;
protects the home from outside temperatures;
2. INTERIOR INSULATION:
more affordable;
soundproof;
reduces the size of the room;
putting in interior insulation requires more effort such as removing the radiators, removing the paint;
According to experts, exterior insulation is more practical. That is why we are talking about materials used in thermal insulation. The most used construction materials on the Romanian market in terms of thermal systems are polystyrene and mineral wool.
Polystyrene is the most used thermal insulation material in Romania, especially due to its affordable price and the fact that it is relatively easy to install. The best known types of polystyrene used mainly for exterior insulation are expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene.
Expanded polystyrene can be used for new constructions, but also for renovations, being available in the form of plates with different thicknesses. Expanded polystyrene can be applied both to the outside of the building and to the inside.
Extruded polystyrene is harder than expanded polystyrene. It is often used indoors, especially for floor insulation - it is placed between the actual board and parquet. It has various advantages that make it a solution to consider such as water absorption, compressive strength, elasticity or vapor permeability.
3. MINERAL VAT
It is the second most used construction material for thermal insulation throughout Romania. Like polystyrene, mineral wool is of two types: glass mineral wool and basalt mineral wool. Both types can be used for the thermal insulation of a house (brick or BCA) or for the thermal insulation of blocks.
The common characteristics of glass wool and basalt wool are:
are incombustible (do not burn);
are water resistant;
are durable;
thermally insulates very well;
soundproof very well.
4. POLYSTYRENE OR GLASS MINERAL GLASS?
The comparison between the two types of construction materials suggests that mineral wool, due to its properties, protects better against noise and fire than polystyrene. Also, mineral wool allows the walls to "breathe" much better than polystyrene.
A great advantage of mineral wool is that it does not burn, unlike polystyrene, which is only fireproof, ie it is treated to delay the burning to a large extent. At the same time, mineral wool is more resistant to polystyrene over time. It may melt gradually over time due to exposure to heat.
The only aspect in which polystyrene is superior to mineral wool is the price (ie it is cheaper), but in the long run it is not a winning investment because, as stated above, polystyrene degrades much faster than mineral wool and needs to be replaced more often.
Finally, we can conclude that the most effective insulation for the house is based on mineral wool. Although it requires a greater financial effort than polystyrene insulation, the use of mineral wool has many more long-term benefits.
It also improves your quality of life and gives you increased comfort. Whether it's summer or winter, properly executed insulation keeps proper thermal comfort inside - your home will be cool in summer and warm in winter. In today's article we will present which method of thermal insulation is the most effective.
Thermal insulation is a process that reduces the heat transfer between two environments or materials, so that the temperature in your home is kept at the optimum level.
If you want to insulate your home, you should know that there is both interior and exterior insulation. Both have specific advantages or disadvantages, but depending on your needs, you will know which one to choose:
1. EXTERIOR INSULATION:
more expensive;
it is a good waterproofing;
soundproof;
insulates very well thermally;
does not impact the interior space;
protects the home from outside temperatures;
2. INTERIOR INSULATION:
more affordable;
soundproof;
reduces the size of the room;
putting in interior insulation requires more effort such as removing the radiators, removing the paint;
According to experts, exterior insulation is more practical. That is why we are talking about materials used in thermal insulation. The most used construction materials on the Romanian market in terms of thermal systems are polystyrene and mineral wool.
Polystyrene is the most used thermal insulation material in Romania, especially due to its affordable price and the fact that it is relatively easy to install. The best known types of polystyrene used mainly for exterior insulation are expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene.
Expanded polystyrene can be used for new constructions, but also for renovations, being available in the form of plates with different thicknesses. Expanded polystyrene can be applied both to the outside of the building and to the inside.
Extruded polystyrene is harder than expanded polystyrene. It is often used indoors, especially for floor insulation - it is placed between the actual board and parquet. It has various advantages that make it a solution to consider such as water absorption, compressive strength, elasticity or vapor permeability.
3. MINERAL VAT
It is the second most used construction material for thermal insulation throughout Romania. Like polystyrene, mineral wool is of two types: glass mineral wool and basalt mineral wool. Both types can be used for the thermal insulation of a house (brick or BCA) or for the thermal insulation of blocks.
The common characteristics of glass wool and basalt wool are:
are incombustible (do not burn);
are water resistant;
are durable;
thermally insulates very well;
soundproof very well.
4. POLYSTYRENE OR GLASS MINERAL GLASS?
The comparison between the two types of construction materials suggests that mineral wool, due to its properties, protects better against noise and fire than polystyrene. Also, mineral wool allows the walls to "breathe" much better than polystyrene.
A great advantage of mineral wool is that it does not burn, unlike polystyrene, which is only fireproof, ie it is treated to delay the burning to a large extent. At the same time, mineral wool is more resistant to polystyrene over time. It may melt gradually over time due to exposure to heat.
The only aspect in which polystyrene is superior to mineral wool is the price (ie it is cheaper), but in the long run it is not a winning investment because, as stated above, polystyrene degrades much faster than mineral wool and needs to be replaced more often.
Finally, we can conclude that the most effective insulation for the house is based on mineral wool. Although it requires a greater financial effort than polystyrene insulation, the use of mineral wool has many more long-term benefits.
