HOW TO INSULATE THE HOUSE CORRECTLY DURING CONSTRUCTION TO SIGNIFICANTLY SAVE ON UTILITIES

We decided to write this article to help you monitor your contractors during the construction of your home. After all, there are clear rules, requirements, solutions, standards, strict compliance with which gives an impeccable result - an insulated or energy-efficient house.

The main advantage of this article is practicality. "RDZ" company talks about its own experience. We suggest you read the history of the construction of one of the energy-efficient buildings with a geothermal heat pump[1].

Let's start with the fact that insulation does not equal an "energy-efficient house", because the purpose of the latter is to reduce the consumption of energy resources. And ideally, you can completely abandon gas or solid fuel and use only electricity by installing, for example, a geothermal heat pump[2].

However, even if you stay with traditional energy sources (gas, coal, firewood), properly conducted insulation during construction will significantly reduce your future expenses for heating the house in winter or cooling it in summer.

Below we will focus on those stages of construction, during which it is worth remembering about insulation.

The garage is a weak link in the insulation of the house.

Already at the design stage, you will decide on the location of the garage relative to the main building. The option when the garage has a common door with the house looks attractive. But in this case, heat loss will increase, because we will not be able to fully insulate the garage, and especially the garage door. Therefore, the advice of the RDZ company is to simply put a shed instead of a garage, or build a separate building for it, or isolate it well from the house itself.

Warming the house begins with the foundation.

The foundation has just been built - start immediately with its waterproofing and insulation. It is important to remember that the stairs, terrace and other external concrete structures at the point of connection with the foundation must be "torn" through the insulation. We recommend extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of two by 50 mm. in the ground and additional 50 mm. above the ground - the so-called leveling layer for decorating the plinth.

Building a house box.

The main criterion for the construction material is the ability to "hold" heat. From our experience, the best solution is full-bodied bricks of the 120-150 brand. We note that laying in one brick (25 cm) will make the walls sufficiently strong. But the insulation of the house depends on the correctly selected thickness and type of external insulating materials. In addition, you will save on the number of bricks and the thickness of the foundation.

Before warming the facade, be sure to plaster the walls. This will make it possible to get rid of longitudinal air filtration - cold streams will not get under the insulation.

The shape of the roof that retains heat in winter.

Among existing structures, a single-slope roof is easy to install and one of the best in terms of energy efficiency. Because during construction, we avoid bridges of cold, and in winter, snow additionally preserves the heat of your house.

To insulate the roof, we use foam with an open (vapor-permeable) cell.

Facade insulation: responsible and important.

The insulation is mounted on the pre-plastered facade (in particular, on the comb to the wall).

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that since 2017, the "RDZ" company has abandoned mineral wool in favor of the "Velit" thermal insulation system, with a thickness of 200 mm.

All concrete and metal structures adjacent to the building must be insulated.

Warm installation of windows and doors.

It is advisable to install windows and doors after decorating the facade, screeds and plaster. In this way, the maximum tightness of connections is achieved and cold bridges are broken.

If your windows start from the floor, install the skirting boards so that you can install the floor screeds before you start installing the windows.

It is necessary to stick a waterproofing tape on the inside of the windows. For the outer part, use UV-resistant psul.

Direct connection of ventilation with insulation.

The supply-exhaust ventilation system with recuperation is an integral part of an energy-efficient house. With its help, filtered air circulates with minimal heat loss.

Is your house well insulated?

Fortunately, there are objective ways to check the quality of the work done by your contractors.

1. Thermal imaging. Inspection of the building with a thermal imager in winter will show you all the gaps and cold bridges through which heat "escapes" from the house. Commonly vulnerable areas are the foundation, the perimeter of the windows and the space under the roof.
2. Leakage test Blower Door Test (air doors). A special device pumps air and it seems like a powerful wind blows into the house. Next, with the help of a smoke generator, you can see the places that are blown through, and thereby evaluate the quality of insulation. Let's add that this test is a mandatory operation within the energy audit of the building.
3. Indicator of payment for electricity or other energy carriers. After perfect insulation, your expenses will be much lower.
4. Order an energy audit from the RDZ company. Yes, we can do an audit, but to be honest, we don't do that much. Because if you have doubts, then, obviously, there are some problems. We will be able to identify them, but it is practically impossible to eliminate them 100 percent after the construction of the house. After all, insulation begins with the foundation and you need to monitor the work "during" and not look for a solution "after".

Live in warmth and comfort.

The "RDZ" company will be happy to support you during the construction of an energy-efficient house. Our advice will help you avoid unnecessary steps, unnecessary expenses and unscrupulous contractors.