Warming of the blind area and foundation with expanded polystyrene

The reliability of any structure depends on the foundation. It must have the characteristics of strength and resistance to external influences. The blind area protects the base while draining the melted and rainwater. It has one more function - it acts as a comfortable concrete path around the building.

Necessity of thermal insulation and foundation

If the house is erected on the territory with a ragged soil, then it is recommended to insulate the blind area and the foundation. These manipulations allow eliminating the problems expressed in the destruction of the walls. If you do not work on the thermal insulation of these building components, the heat will leave the space of the premises, the walls will form condensate, leading to the appearance of fungus and mold.

Some house masters believe that the insulation of the blind area and the basement need not be produced if the house does not live all year round. But this is not so for several reasons. The first is that, as a rule, country houses do not have such an impressive weight, the strength of the frost heave raises and lowers the base, leading to the appearance of cracks. Over time, these small errors can cause complete destruction of the building.

Why choose expanded polystyrene

Warming of the blind area and the foundation by means of expanded polystyrene has gained quite wide popularity. This heat insulator is characterized by zero capillarity, mechanical strength and low water absorption. This heater is environmentally friendly and demonstrates a long life.

Work on the thermal insulation of the blind area should be carried out by the method of laying the cloths of the material in one layer. Use sheets with a thickness of 100 mm. However, you can use an alternative solution: mounting sheets of 50 mm in two layers. The process will not be accompanied by too much effort. It is important to remember that over the expanded polystyrene layer should be covered with waterproof polyethylene, which has an impressive density. They can become a planter or a goldsmith. Such manipulations are necessary to protect the joints of the insulation.

Preparatory work

Warming of the blind area and the basement for houses that are heated in the winter, although it may not be produced, but recommended. In order to protect the socle, a trench with a depth of 30 cm should be dug around it. It is necessary to get rid of the root systems of plants, if this rule is ignored, then the germinated grass will destroy the blind area. According to technology, the width of the trench is equivalent to the depth of soil freezing, but, as a rule, this figure is made equal to the width of the thermal insulator web, that is, about 100 cm. This will reduce the amount of material waste. Digging is necessary so that the trench adjoins the house.

Backfilling the pillow

At the bottom should lay sand, the thickness of the layer is 10-15 cm. The resulting cushion should be well spilled and compacted. Then follows a 10 cm layer of rubble, which must also be compacted. Only now it is possible to install a heater, if necessary, then reinforcing mesh is attached over it.

Technology of thermal insulation

The space between the insulation sheets and the walls of the building must be filled with a mounting foam, which has the qualities of moisture resistance and is designed for outdoor work.

On the edge of the trench, a formwork should be installed, which should be at the base of the board. The structure should be given a height of 10 cm above the surface of the soil. This is necessary in order to fill the solution, providing with its help a slope of 10% of the building walls. If a concrete mix is used, then every 2.5 m, you need to make temperature seams that are made of vinyl flexible tape, you can replace it with thin slats. As soon as the mixture begins to gain strength, it is necessary to get rid of the pieces of wood. The resulting seam should be filled with a liquid glass or a hot-melt bitumen filled in a hot condition. You can leave the boards in concrete, but they are recommended to be treated with bituminous mastic. If instead of concrete asphalt is used, then it is not necessary to make temperature seams.

The solidification of concrete indicates the possibility of making iron surfaces, for this, as a rule, plaster coatings are used.

On the edge of the blind area there must be a drainage system. This can be done by laying asbestos-cement pipes close to the stand , for which a layer of sand or crushed stone is preliminarily prepared. Pipes Ø100 mm must be sawed in advance in half.

Thermal insulation of the foundation

Warming of the blind area and foundation is made almost by the same technology. If the house is deprived of a blind area, then the original foundation is digging, its surface is freed from the soil. The trench should have a width equal to 1 m. Then the base is put in order, its integrity is checked, cracks are eliminated.

Warming of the foundation and blind area with penoplex means waterproofing. To do this, you can use a ruberoid, which fits after the surface is smeared with mastic.

Fixing insulation is made by two types of fasteners. In the lower area, the heat insulator can be glued to the mastic, whereas in the upper zone it is to be strengthened with thermo-dopes. This will eliminate the damage to the waterproofing, which protects the system from the effects of groundwater. Begin to fasten the sheets from the corner of the building. Once the first layer of insulation has been completed, you can begin to fix the second one. It is also worth starting from the corner, however, the first sheet should be cut in half, this will allow the dressing to be seamed.

Warming foundation, plinth, blind area with expanded polystyrene is very effective. This allows you to extend the life of materials at the base of the building walls. With the thermal insulation of the foundation, the final row of insulation should be attached using a thermo-cable. However for them it is necessary preliminary to prepare apertures. On one canvas will need to spend about 4-5 pieces of fasteners. The joints of the locks of the canvas are protected with cold bitumen. In the corner zone, the walls of the foundation must be treated with an additional layer of insulation.

Finishing the basement of the building

The blind area around the house with a foundation warming by its own hands will be well protected, but at the last stage it is necessary to finish the socle. For this, polystyrene sheets should be coated with non-combustible material. In the role of such may be a cement or facade plaster. Use it in a tandem with a reinforcing mesh. If you want to get a socle of a more attractive appearance, it can be laid out using brick.

Tools and materials

If you do not want to face the premature need to repair the base, you should make a thermal insulation of the foundation and the insulation of the blind area. Defend the foundation of the house by preparing some of the following tools and materials:

• sand;
• shovel;
• Heater;
• Crushed stone;
• Mounting foam;
• Vinyl flexible tape;
• plaster.

Disadvantages of insulation with expanded polystyrene

Warming foundation and blind area with their own hands using expanded polystyrene requires the use of non-combustible materials. This is due to the fact that the described thermal insulator is afraid of the impact of fire. He has another drawback: the insulation of the blind area and the base with expanded polystyrene can attract to the system of rodents. But this issue can be solved by installing a reinforcing mesh. In view of the fact that expanded polystyrene is able to absorb moisture, it can eventually break down, which will negate the work on insulation. That is why, especially in areas where underground water is located, the structure should be waterproofed qualitatively. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the material does not have too much mechanical strength, this indicates the need to be careful when backfilling with soil. Soil often has solid inclusions. In order to prevent damage to the canvas, it is necessary to protect them by means of steel shields.

Work on the insulation of the foundation and blind area is recommended before the beginning of the cold. Thus, although it will not be possible to create a house that will have a less impressive expenditure on heating resources, you will be sure that there will be no cracks on the basis of the building, and that the internal surface of the walls will not be covered with putrefactive formations and mold. Use for the process can be and other insulation materials, but before acquiring them you need to familiarize yourself with their qualities and features of the work.