Thermal insulation of the house pays off more than the best deposit in the bank. It provides comfort and lower heating expenses. However, as with the deposit, the benefits should be maximized. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to insulate your home to avoid losing heat and money.
Insulating a house is a series of decisions whose effects are felt for many years
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Insulating a house is a series of decisions and conscious choices, the effects of which are felt for many years. To avoid unnecessary losses, it is not enough to perform random thermal insulation. The key to success is to design and execute it in such a way that it performs its function for the entire life of the building - without corrections, replacements and costly renovations.
Adding to the knowledge of thermal insulation
Insulating a house is more than just preparing a budget and choosing a contractor. It's a good idea to start by gaining basic knowledge about thermal insulation. It is not necessary to complete specialized courses or study construction - it is enough to learn about the market and get an idea of what materials are available and how much they cost.
Other products are recommended for insulating foundations, others for walls, and still others for thermal insulation of sloping roofs, for example, those made of ceramic tiles (such as SIMPLA, KODA, NOMINA, TITANIA or RAPIDO) or cement tiles (KAPSTADT, KIOTO, GÖTEBORG, BREMA) by swissporTON.
Where to look for information? Websites and trade magazines, manufacturers' catalogs, visits to stores and building fairs are helpful. Conversations with friends who have already insulated their homes can also prove valuable. An energy audit can also be helpful. With all these sources, it is easier to plan the investment and avoid costly mistakes.
Trust the specialists with an informed approach
Having a basic knowledge of thermal insulation, it is much easier to talk to professionals: architect, salesman, customer advisor or contractor. It becomes possible to ask more precise questions, which helps in making accurate decisions and minimizes the risk of mistakes.
However, it should be remembered that although the advice and recommendations of specialists are extremely valuable, the investor ultimately makes the decisions and bears the consequences. Therefore, it is advisable to consciously use the knowledge of experts, while not giving up your own understanding of the subject.
Why is it worth knowing the standards? It is no coincidence that regulations specify how warm the walls, foundations, ceilings and other partitions in a building should be. Standards developed by specialists should not be treated as a hindrance, but as an aid to saving money in the long term. The standards are regularly updated - they can be found, among others, in the regulation on technical conditions to which buildings and their location should conform. The most important thing in them is the heat transfer coefficient U of partitions. The lower it is, the warmer the house in winter and cooler in summer.
Checking the parameters of materials
There are many thermal insulation materials available on the market. Each of them is characterized by certain parameters, such as the thermal conductivity coefficient λ, tensile and compressive strength or absorbability. Not every material is suitable for everything - insulating foundations requires different solutions than insulating walls or roofs.
Key parameters of polystyrene foam The most important parameter is always the thermal conductivity coefficient λ. The lower its value, the better the insulating properties of the material. For optimal energy efficiency, polystyrene with a λD value of 0.031 W/m-K, such as swissporLAMBDA MEGA WHITE, swissporLAMBDA WHITE or swissporLAMBDA MAX fasada, is the most favorable.
If the thermal insulation is made in an ETICS system, the tensile strength of the polystyrene is equally important - as it affects the durability of the insulation. The required value is a minimum of 80 kPa. In this role will work, for example, swissporLAMBDA PLUS facade. On the other hand, low-absorption polystyrene, such as swissporHYDRO LAMBDA, is used for thermal insulation of foundations.
Proper storage and installation are as important as purchasing the right thermal insulation material
© SWISSPOR
Proper storage and installation of materials
Buying the right thermal insulation material is only the beginning. Equally important is its proper storage and installation. Therefore, it is always worth reading the labels - this allows you to avoid mistakes resulting in the loss of money spent.
What conditions should be maintained? In the case of polystyrene foam, when carrying out insulation work, the outside temperature of the air, substrate and material must not be lower than 5°C and higher than 25°C. A common mistake during storage and installation is the failure to protect Styrofoam from UV radiation (it is in the sun), which degrades it, and too much heat.
Graphite polystyrene is particularly sensitive. To avoid losses, shields or double-layered polystyrene are used. An example of such a product is swissporLAMBDA WHITE. Its thicker part is graphite and has better insulation, while the white, thinner layer protects the gray core from the sun by reflecting heat radiation.
A reputable manufacturer and proven contractor
To insulate a house, you need a reputable thermal insulation manufacturer and a proven contractor. Experienced specialists will advise, suggest, match compatible materials with the right parameters and provide cost estimates. They will also help solve problems such as high groundwater levels or a green roof.
What is worth checking before choosing? Reviews of other builders, verification of certificates and review of completed projects are useful. It is a good idea to document purchases with invoices, and works additionally with a contract. In stores it is good to ask whether unused products can be returned - this can significantly optimize costs.
An investment that pays off
Successful thermal insulation is not only the feeling that every zloty was spent reasonably. It is, above all, greater comfort in everyday life - lower heating bills in winter and unheated rooms in summer. It's an investment that pays off over the years, providing savings and the pleasure of living in a well-insulated home.
For more information on the solutions presented in the article, visit: www.swisspor.pl (thermal insulation products) and www.swissporTON.pl (ceramic and cement roof tiles).
