If you pull the chill

Vladimir Mikhailov, Heat - the foundation of life in a country house. Agree, if the room temperature is uncomfortable, you are unlikely to decide to spend the winter, even in the most modern and equipped with the latest cottage. And to the house was warm and cozy, it is necessary to insulate it, and in the first place - the cellars and basements. Actually, before you do warming, should competently and technically flawless design and make a foundation, because this depends primarily on the house and longevity, and his appearance, and to a large extent the temperature in the rooms. Poorly done foundation of a country house will cause the moisture in the basement (in fact, its walls are often used as foundations), the strain due to frost heaving of soil, and of course, the cold, which is an insidious enemy will creep into your house from the bottom. However, we can provide the reverse version - not an attack of cold and heat utekanie of construction that technical language is called "heat loss". Heat goes away and through walls and through the roof, and through the chimney. But, as a share of the underground part of the house, in some cases one-fifth of the total heat loss, be sure to resolve the issue with the insulation of the foundation. Consider the case to start a heated basement. In the modern suburban housing construction in the basement every now and arrange billiards, saunas, gyms, workshops, etc. So, if the basement is heated, its safe operation can be achieved when all contact with the ground elements of the structure will be reliably insulated. Thermal insulation protects basement walls from freezing, will help prevent condensation, the appearance of dampness and mold development. In addition, the warming of the underground part makes it possible to eliminate or significantly reduce the impact on the foundation of the forces of frost heaving, which in our region, where the most common is heaving soils, is particularly important. It would seem to insulate unheated basement does not make sense, but it is not so. The fact is that at a depth of about two meters the temperature never drops below 10.5 degrees plus, so that the correctly executed pozvolyaett insulation in the winter to maintain a temperature in the basement with no additional heating. In addition, significant heat loss through the basement floor are marked, placed above unheated basements, and this, in the first place, does not give the opportunity to create a comfortable atmosphere in a residential area, and secondly, increases heating costs. Walking on the cold floor for good, as is known, does not, therefore, its temperature must differ from the room temperature no more than two degrees. This can be achieved only if there is insulation that meets modern standards. Therefore, the construction of the cottage, you must first pay attention to the first floor ceiling insulation and make sure that its heat-shielding characteristics were quite high. Technology insulation when insulation over cold basement floor should be aware that through them, and through all walling separating the zone of warm and cold air, the diffusion of water vapor. Since water vapor is moving from the warm upper space in the colder bottom, to protect the insulation from moisture on top of it to pave the steam insulating layer of material. To prevent moisture insulation covers, avoid moisture, mold and mildew, you need to ventilate basements. To do this, hold special openings and produhi through which water vapor is removed out from the ventilation air. Basement floors over cold cellars are beamed and Slab. As a rule, they use fiberglass insulation and mineral wool insulation materials. If the slab floor, the insulation on the trail bearing plate with a predetermined installation of any waterproof material. Insulation is laid on top of vapor barrier that prevents moisture insulation layer. This may be used, inter alia, foil materials, they put a shiny surface in the direction of the warm room, providing a small air gap between the vapor barrier layer and the base floor. For ventilation of basements around the perimeter of the building in the basement of 4-5 meters make the holes - usually square, approximately 100 x 100 mm, or slightly more. If overlap exists, and closed the floor, you can insulate it from the basement, attach insulation using an adhesive mastic, and then plastered on the grid. If the overlap beam, then the insulation is placed on the board or wooden boards. On the warm side of insulation should be protected vapor barrier material and the ends of wooden beams, based on the cap, wrap roofing material, plastic film or other waterproofing material (the ends of beams in this case remain open so that could leave the accumulated moisture in the tree). Again, in this case, if you have already laid the floor, it makes no sense to dismantle - provide better insulation from the basement. Namely: a binder basement ceiling with wooden slats attached vapor barrier material, and then set the pieces of wood with the step corresponding to the size of the applied insulating material. Slab insulation impose between the bars to perpetuate the slats or wire mesh, then either sheathe ceiling boards or plaster on the grid. In the warm basement practiced warming cap - the part of the foundation that rises above the ground. Cap constantly moistened: rain, melt water, water flows from the roof, and therefore for its insulation using materials that can store heat-shielding properties in a wet environment. At the same time arrange the horizontal insulation that prevents capillary rise of moisture, leading to wetting the walls and ceilings. At warming the cap insulation material installed on the outside. The thickness of this layer is determined by established methods, based on - snip requirements for resistance to heat, for the outer walls. It is clear that the insulating layer in such a case must always be protected, such as plaster on the grid. To avoid contact with the outer plaster layer wet ground, adjacent to the cap is removed the soil, plaster, located below ground level, to protect asphalt mastic, a recess formed gravel. Insulate basement walls, thermal insulation material is also set on the outside wall on top of the waterproofing layer. If the soil is very wet, it makes sense to pre-arrange a drain to divert water from the basement. Drainage pipes are laid at this lower level of the basement floor and gravel. Seeping through the gravel, water enters the drain, and then diverted into a special pit or sewage system. From the soil thermal insulation material is protected by special drainage tiles. Properly made heat insulation of heated basements can very substantially reduce heat loss and insulation unheated basements allows year-round to maintain them constant above-zero temperature and to eliminate condensation on interior surfaces. When the building is on heaving soils, there is reason to insulate the foundation around the perimeter to protect themselves from the many serious problems, such distortions of the building and cracks on the walls, which can appear in one day. To do this, first around the perimeter of the removed soil to a depth of 40-50 cm, there poured a layer of sand 20 cm thick and with a slight slope from the foundation laid slabs of heat insulating material. In our region, should be applied plate width from one to five feet, they are usually sufficient. Insulation is poured on top layer of sand thickness not less than 30 cm Such insulation basement, first, prevents soil freezing, and secondly, reduces the heat loss through basement walls. Universal insulation? For warming of basements and foundations used a number of different materials. Are proven fiberglass and mineral wool insulation, which in some cases are simply irreplaceable. The fact is that besides themselves basement walls and floors to insulate and communications that pass through the basement (usually heating pipes, hot and cold water). This is done not only to reduce heat loss, but also to increase the lifetime, as did right insulation greatly reduces the corrosion of metal piping. And then the most comfortable heat insulator is a cylinder made of fiberglass coated with foil, quickly and easily mounted on a pipe and has high thermal insulation. And yet, the palm in this area should be given to extruded polystyrene foam, which is increasingly used for insulation and basements, and walls, and any other parts of the country house. The author of these lines have already written about that universal heater (as, for example, universal waterproofing) does not exist, it must be chosen for each case. But the extruded polystyrene foam can with considerable grounds to claim a "title" as it applies extremely well everywhere. A feature of this material is the tightness of its pores size 0,1-0,2 mm. Because of this, he practically does not absorb moisture that basement insulation, which is often in contact with water - an extremely valuable asset. Thermal insulation properties of the material attached to the same air-filled pores, because the air - the best heat insulator. Finally, extruded polystyrene is very strong and durable due to special additives, it serves several decades, which is comparable to the life of buildings. That combination of qualities - lightness, strength, water resistance - to do this stuff is so popular with builders of suburban homes. High mechanical strength of extruded polystyrene foam allows you to use it in the above described perimeter insulation. In this case, if you remember, put a flat plate and poured a ground on which people will go and which will be fitted with heavy objects. This means that the heat insulator has at least tolerates mechanical stresses. Extruded polystyrene foam meets this requirement. By the way, experience has shown that products from these materials retain the properties and at a depth of bookmarks in the soil for up to seven meters! Again, if the soil in the locality being freeze-thaw cycles, if there is a lot of moisture, the use of polystyrene foam as a thermal insulator will be most welcome. Among other things, it does not absorb and pass water, even if it comes under pressure, which sometimes is also important.