A house’s facade insulation is essential for preserving cozy interior temperatures and cutting down on energy expenses. Plaster is one layer of material that is commonly and successfully covered with mineral wool. This method protects your home from inclement weather by adding an outer layer of protection to the exterior, in addition to improving thermal efficiency.
Because of its superior thermal and acoustic qualities, mineral wool is a highly recommended insulation material. It is made of recycled materials or natural rock and is very effective without harming the environment. It creates a seamless barrier under plaster that keeps your house cooler in the summer and stops heat loss in the winter.
Mineral wool insulation requires a few steps to complete. The facade is first made ready by leveling and cleaning the surface. The mineral wool boards are then firmly fastened, making sure there are no spaces between them. Plaster is then applied in a final layer, giving the facade a polished, completed appearance. This technique not only makes your home more aesthetically pleasing but also better at insulating.
It is a wise decision to use mineral wool under plaster to insulate the exterior of your house. It lowers utility costs, increases energy efficiency, and promotes more sustainable living conditions. It’s a smart decision for any homeowner because the additional protection to the outside of your house can also increase its lifespan.
Using mineral wool under plaster to insulate a home’s exterior can help save energy costs, minimize heat loss, and increase comfort levels. Using this technique, mineral wool insulation boards—which are soundproof, fireproof, and offer excellent thermal insulation—are fastened to the exterior walls. Plaster is applied on top of the mineral wool as the last step to create a long-lasting and visually beautiful finish. This method increases the building’s longevity and structural integrity in addition to assisting in the maintenance of a constant interior temperature.
- What is this process
- Advantages and disadvantages of insulating the facade with mineral wool under plaster
- Types of mineral wool for insulating the walls of a house from the outside and comparison with foam plastic – which insulation is better to choose
- What tools will be needed to perform external wall insulation work?
- Technology of facade insulation with cotton wool
- Preparation of the surface for plastering the facade
- Installation of profile elements
- Device of external lathing
- We prepare insulation material for the facade for plastering
- Equipment of the workplace
- Fastening the insulating material with dowels
- Strengthening the structure
- Applying primer before a layer of plaster
- Safety measures for thermal insulation
- Video on the topic
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- Insulation of a brick house from the outside with mineral wool under siding with your own hands video. Insulation of the house facade.
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What is this process
To improve thermal protection, comfort, and the maintenance of a stable microclimate within the building, cotton wool insulation is used to finish the facade portions of a house. Experts advise following the steps in order to produce a single multi-layer structure when working.
- heat-insulating;
- reinforcing;
- decorative (finishing).
Mineral water insulation comes in the shape of 0.6×1.2 or 0.5×1 m plates that are used to decorate exterior wall panels. Mineral wool can be as thick as 50–150 mm. The building’s fire safety features will be strengthened by facade finishing, which will also raise the building’s level of sound insulation.
The external insulation of the building will improve the house’s appearance before decorative plaster is applied. The strength of mineral wool ranges from 0.08 to 06 kg per square meter and is dependent on the brand of building material. Materials with varying density indicators (35-100 kg/cu. m) are available from manufacturers for use in a variety of building types and climate zones.
Advantages and disadvantages of insulating the facade with mineral wool under plaster
- high thermal insulation characteristics due to low thermal conductivity;
- increased sound insulation;
- increased fire safety;
- environmental friendliness of the composition;
- durability of the material (service life up to 50 years);
- resistance to fungus, damage by rodents, insects;
- increased vapor permeability due to non-flammability of chemical components;
- ease of installation;
- resistance to direct sunlight and external factors, temperature changes;
- material safety (harmful fumes are formed only when heating the wool above +300°C);
- availability of product varieties for surfaces made of different types of materials (brick, wood, concrete slabs);
- low shrinkage of the insulation, therefore, with prolonged use, the properties of sound insulation and fire resistance do not decrease.
- during operation, cracks appear on the insulation in the absence of a reinforcing layer;
- without treatment with a hydrophobic agent, thermal insulation parameters decrease over time;
- the material can change volume over time.
Types of mineral wool for insulating the walls of a house from the outside and comparison with foam plastic – which insulation is better to choose
- basalt;
- slag;
- fiberglass.
Is best applied prior to plastering building facades. The material is durable for outdoor use and has a low heat conductivity. Basalt mineral wool has a density of 130–150 kg/m³.
The substance is acknowledged as a traditional facade insulator for wooden buildings beneath a layer of plaster. Wool of the basalt variety, with a density of 90–129 kg/m³, is produced by manufacturers. It is advised to use lightweight composition on low-rise buildings and facade areas with minimal wind load.
Is formed from glass fiber that has been melted. Plastering materials are reasonably priced. But it’s important to consider the product’s low strength and propensity for mechanical deformations. The glass wool fiber has a thickness of 5–15 microns and a length of 15–50 mm. Even at temperatures between -60 and +450 °C, the material is heat-resistant and maintains its properties. Glass wool has a maximum density of 130 kg/m³.
Glass wool is frost-resistant, chemically resistant, and does not shrink significantly. 0.038–0.046 W/m.K. is the thermal conductivity. This particular kind of mineral wool doesn’t burn or smolder. The material is extremely durable, sound-absorbing, and resistant to frost. Because glass wool fibers are fragile, it is important to wear protective gear, including a respirator, when working with it. Compared to the basalt variety, the material has a lower heat resistance. At temperatures higher than +450 °C, the insulation starts to melt.
Is formed of molten slag from blast furnaces. The mineral wool is produced as mats or slabs on a synthetic binder. Slag wool fibers can be as long as 16 mm and as thick as 4–12 microns. The product has a density of 75–400 kg/m³. The material stands out for being inexpensive. Slag wool is heat-resistant to +300 °C.
Slag wool has a thermal conductivity of 0.46-0.48 W / m.K., which is less than that of a basalt slab.
The material has a limited service life of 10 to 15 years. Finishing building facades with slag wool is not advised in climates that experience frequent precipitation, high humidity, and temperature swings.
The fibrous structure of mineral wool varies depending on the production technology and raw materials utilized.
- horizontally layered;
- corrugated;
- vertically layered.
This mixture works best on brick and metal surfaces. The enhanced fire resistance of the product is its defining feature.
- Slabs with a basalt base are characterized by a low level of density. The products are recommended for use in places of increased loads, it is optimal to fix the slabs on concrete screeds.
- Mineral wool rolls and mats are characterized by an average density level, therefore they are optimal for insulating structures with small loads.
When it comes to shelf life, mineral wool is superior to polystyrene foam. Volcanic rocks, from which cotton wool is made, are unaffected by extremes in temperature or humidity. While mineral wool has fire-resistant qualities, polystyrene foam is combustible. These indicators suggest that mineral wool is a good choice for finishing facades because of its advantages.
Polystyrene foam is not used as an insulator for wooden buildings.The material prevents air from entering the space. The only insulation for wooden walls is mineral wool. Mineral compounds are also an ideal insulator for a variety of frame buildings.
What tools will be needed to perform external wall insulation work?
- profile guide elements;
- adhesive solution;
- spatulas;
- building level;
- metal mesh for reinforcement;
- composition for plastering walls;
- dowels, etc.d.
Technology of facade insulation with cotton wool
- preparation of wall panels for plastering;
- installation of profile elements;
- installation of external lathing;
- preparation of insulating materials;
- fixing mineral wool with dowels;
- strengthening the structure;
- application of a primer layer before plastering.
Preparation of the surface for plastering the facade
Preparing the surface is advised before beginning work. Dust and dirt are removed from facades, and irregularities are corrected. Metal components that are exposed to the elements will need to be removed because they can rust. The remaining metal components are required, and experts advise against using an acrylic foundation and instead to use a plaster composition. Using a spatula or solvent, old paint, plaster, and other finishing materials are removed.
Once the surface has been thoroughly cleaned, marking is done into zones using sag, or sturdy nylon ropes. After the job is completed, the components must be disassembled because the sag is pulled along the reinforcing pins. The points that are designated are followed in order to fix the pins both vertically and horizontally.
Installation of profile elements
The installation of profile elements is the following step. Installing a base profile serves as the foundation for the insulating layer. You can fix the structure and prevent the insulation from getting wet thanks to the aluminum element. The plaster layers will be tightly joined and the facades will not deform thanks to the profile.
Device of external lathing
Installing metal lathing and corners will be required for dependable insulation material fixation. Markings for insulation slabs, dowels, and corners must be fixed in the wall. Slabs of mineral wool are positioned using the brickwork principle, with fixation along vertical seams.
We prepare insulation material for the facade for plastering
Certain adhesives must be used in order to prepare insulating blocks. Processing mineral wool often involves the use of Ceresit CT 180 adhesive. Using a spatula, the composition is applied to the slab’s surface in thin layers. Point areas are then created and glued to the facade.
It is important to make sure that the opening’s edge does not touch the mineral wool joints where the insulation is attached to the window block. If the wool-laying technology is not used as intended, the structure might develop cracks. It will be necessary to cut out mineral wool blocks in non-standard configurations for some portions of the facade.
Equipment of the workplace
Experts advise erecting scaffolding in accordance with safety regulations to provide superior insulation for the building’s facade structure. It is advised to examine the ground beneath the supports. At the building site, fencing railings are also put in.
Fastening the insulating material with dowels
The mineral wool blocks are fixed at the following stage by the installation of dowels. To improve the facade structure’s safety, more reinforcement is used. Additional fixation is required by safety regulations because a cotton wool slab weighs twice as much as foam blocks. Twenty-four hours after the adhesive has dried, dowels are affixed. For one slab, at least eight fasteners are needed.
Holes for the anchors are drilled 1.5–2 cm deeper than the dowel length during the insulation preparation stage. After that, fasteners are put through the holes. In the middle of the mineral wool blocks and where there are extra connections between the elements, dowels are inserted.
Strengthening the structure
Patches are put in at the building’s insulation stage. The components let you support the facade structure where the walls and openings converge in the corners. For reinforcement, glue will need to be applied in areas larger than the mesh size. The mesh is mounted after the adhesive base is applied. The primary reinforcing mesh is installed after challenging areas are strengthened. Using a stapler, apply adhesive to the mineral wool to secure the reinforcing mesh.
Applying primer before a layer of plaster
Experts advise priming the insulating layer in order to ensure superior mineral wool and plaster mortar adhesion. To extend the structure’s service life, the treatment can be applied in two layers. After that, you can plaster the surfaces and use a varnish mixture to apply a finishing layer.
Safety measures for thermal insulation
- work is carried out in special protective gloves to prevent damage;
- fixation of stone facade material is carried out only in safety glasses so that sharp particles do not damage the eyes;
- when cutting mineral wool into blocks and then fixing them, it is recommended to use a protective mask;
- When working with glass wool, a protective suit made of dense fabric compositions is required.
Step | Description |
1. Prepare the surface | Clean the facade and fix any damage to ensure a smooth base. |
2. Install insulation boards | Attach mineral wool boards using adhesive and mechanical fixings. |
3. Apply base coat | Cover the insulation with a base coat and embed fiberglass mesh for reinforcement. |
4. Apply finish coat | Once the base coat is dry, apply a decorative plaster finish for protection and aesthetics. |
Using mineral wool under plaster to insulate your home’s facade is a very efficient method of increasing energy efficiency and preserving a cozy interior atmosphere. With the superior thermal insulation that this technique offers, your house will stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It also enhances sound insulation, which contributes to a calmer, quieter living environment.
The ability of mineral wool to withstand fire provides an additional level of safety to your house and is one of its main advantages. Additionally, the material breathes, letting moisture out and avoiding the growth of mold and mildew, which can harm your walls and be dangerous to your health. Your family’s living environment will be healthier as a result of this.
Even though it needs close attention to detail, the installation process is simple enough for people with minimal do-it-yourself experience. To achieve a smooth finish, a layer of plaster is applied after the mineral wool is fastened to the outside walls with fasteners. This not only enhances insulation but also gives your house a modern, clean appearance.
You are investing in the long term of your property when you decide to use mineral wool under plaster to insulate your facade. By improving your home’s energy efficiency, safety, and aesthetic appeal, this method raises its value. For anyone wishing to increase the functionality and comfort of their house, this is a useful and efficient solution.