Insulating a frame house with polystyrene foam - how to minimize negative consequences. How to insulate a frame house with polystyrene foam Insulate a frame house with foam plastic from the inside

A house made of polystyrene foam is far from being a figurative expression, as many beginners think. There are construction technologies that actually rely on the use of foam plastic as a wall material. I will talk about these technologies and introduce you to their advantages and disadvantages.

So, currently there are three technologies that can be called construction from foam plastic (expanded polystyrene):

Technology 1: frame construction

Features of the technology

Frame construction is far from new technology. However, in our country she received wide use only in the last two decades.

The essence of this technology is to build a house frame from wooden beam. In this case, the space of the frame is filled with foam plastic. On the outside, such walls are sheathed OSB boards, and from the inside with plasterboard, clapboard or other finishing material.

Thus, the foam in in this case performs the function of a wall filler, responsible for wall insulation and sound insulation.

Advantages and disadvantages

Go into details yourself frame technology We will not be constructing, since it has already been discussed several times on the pages of our portal. Therefore, further I will only talk about the pros and cons of insulation. frame house polystyrene foam.

Advantages:

• Efficiency. Due to the low thermal conductivity of polystyrene foam middle lane In Russia, an insulation layer thickness of 150-200 mm is sufficient. The housing will be warm and energy-saving;
• Economy. Foam plastic is one of the cheapest materials that can be used in frame construction;

• Environmental friendliness. This material is hypoallergenic and does not cause irritation upon contact with skin, unlike mineral insulation. Therefore, it is comfortable to work with him;
• Shape stability. Polystyrene foam does not shrink, which eliminates the appearance of cold bridges in the walls;
• Durability. If the insulation technology is followed, the material will last more than 50 years.

Flaws:

• Zero vapor permeability. For this reason, the walls from the inside need sealed vapor-waterproofing. Otherwise, all the moisture will accumulate in the joints between wooden parts frame and polystyrene foam, which will lead to rotting of the frame.
  Water vapor barrier, in turn, turns the home into a sealed “thermos”. Therefore, such buildings require high-quality ventilation;

• Fire hazard. Polystyrene foam manufacturers very rarely add fire retardants to their composition. As a result, the material burns well and at the same time releases dangerous toxic substances.

Polystyrene foam absorbs moisture, so sealed waterproofing of walls is required not only from the inside, but also from the outside.

For these reasons, polystyrene foam for home insulation frame type rarely used. Mineral wool is most often used.

It must be said that instead of polystyrene foam, you can also use penoplex in a frame house. This material is an improved version of polystyrene foam.

Penoplex is more effective in terms of thermal insulation, and is also stronger and more durable. In addition, penoplex usually contains fire retardants, which makes it a low-flammable material.

The disadvantage of penoplex is its low vapor permeability. In addition, the price of penoplex is 2-3 times higher than that of polystyrene foam.

Technology 2: construction of domed houses

Features of the technology

Unlike frame houses, domed houses are made entirely of polystyrene foam. Moreover, even the roof, if it can be called a roof at all, is made of foam plastic. The fact is that the walls of such buildings have an arched shape, i.e. smoothly transition into the roof.

For construction domed houses are used finished parts, which have recently been manufactured by various companies. The material for them is dense foam plastic of the PSB-S-50 brand. As a result, the house is assembled like a construction kit.

It must be said that the first such house was built in Alaska back in 1984. However, interest in such construction in our country has arisen only in recent years.

To make it clear to you what this construction technology is, we will now briefly consider the procedure for constructing a domed house:

Illustrations	Description of work
	Arrangement of the base. Manufacturers claim that a foam house does not require a foundation at all. However quality foundation never hurts.
	Assembly of the structure. The blocks are assembled like a constructor. They are connected to each other according to the tenon-groove principle. The joints of the blocks must be coated with adhesive foam. It is not advisable to use polyurethane foam, as it expands greatly.
	Finishing. This procedure is performed according to the standard procedure for polystyrene foam: The surface of the house outside and inside is covered with fiberglass mesh; Then additional thin layer glue.
	Decorative finishing: The surface is treated with soil; Then decorative plaster is applied; At the end of the work, the house is painted with water-dispersion paint.

You can decorate a domed house not only decorative plaster, but also other materials. For example, you can use decorative rock and flexible tiles.

The size of such a house can be from 6 to 12 meters in diameter.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Cheapness. This construction method is one of the most budget-friendly;
• Speed. You can build a house from foam plastic and finish it in a week, without taking into account the construction of the foundation;
• Seismic resistance. As tests have shown, the dome structure is not afraid of any earthquakes;

• Easy to assemble. Every beginner can build a house with his own hands.
• Minimum heating costs. Due to the low thermal conductivity of the material, such houses are very “warm” and energy-saving;
• Possibility of expanding the area. Extensions can be added as needed.

Flaws:

• Suitable for temporary residence only. Foam houses can only be considered as housing for temporary residence;
• Low strength. Walls made of foam plastic, even reinforced ones, are not able to fully protect a home from intruders.

Foam house can be used in agriculture, for example, as a vegetable storehouse, hangar, greenhouse, etc.

Technology 3: construction using foam formwork

Features of the technology

The essence of this technology is that hollow foam blocks are used to build walls. Reinforcement is installed into the space inside the blocks and concrete is poured. The blocks have standard sizes 950x250x250 mm.

Thus, at the construction stage, foam plastic acts as formwork, and after the walls are erected, it serves as insulation.

Construction of a house using this technology is carried out as follows:

Illustrations	Description
	Construction of the foundation. For such a house it is best to build an ordinary one strip foundation. It is being built using standard technology.
	Formwork assembly: The walls are assembled from blocks like a Lego set, i.e. are connected to each other in a tongue/groove lock. As the walls are erected, reinforcement is installed.
	Pouring concrete: After the first five rows are erected, concrete is poured into the space of the blocks. During the pouring process, to prevent the formation of air pockets, the foam blocks are tapped; Then the next five rows are installed, and the filling is done again. According to this scheme, walls are built on required height. Then the roof is installed and finishing is carried out.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Strength. Construction with foam plastic permanent formwork allows you to get a full-fledged monolithic housing that can withstand any load;
• Durability. A house built in this way can last more than 100 years;

• Simplicity and speed of construction. Compared with conventional formwork, the blocks are installed much easier and faster;
• Thermal insulation qualities. Unlike a conventional monolithic structure, the walls of a house built using this technology do not need insulation.

Flaws. The disadvantage of such construction is its high cost. The blocks alone cost about 1,000 rubles per square meter.

Conclusion

We've covered everything possible options building a house made of foam plastic with their advantages and disadvantages, which will certainly help you make your choice. Additionally, watch another video in this article. If any points raise questions for you, leave them in the comments, and I will be happy to answer you.

A frame house is the most affordable way build your own home. But such buildings are not warm. They definitely need additional thermal insulation.

Mineral wool or polystyrene foam is often chosen as insulation. Today we’ll figure out whether it’s possible to insulate frame house foam and if so, how to do it?

What is this material and its advantages

Polystyrene foam is produced by foaming and pressing polystyrene. The result is a slab that consists of many bubbles filled with air. Thanks to this structure, the material has gained popularity as insulation.

It has several positive characteristics:

• Little weight. The design does not load the main structure and problems rarely arise during transportation.
• Good level of thermal insulation. 1 cm of material transmits less heat to the outside than 7 cm of red brick.
• Affordable price. The cost of polystyrene foam is the lowest compared to other insulation materials.
• The material does not shrink even after prolonged use.

A close “relative” of polystyrene foam is extruded polystyrene foam (EPS), which is produced in an extrusion autoclave. It is also used to insulate buildings.

Workers who have specialized education do not recommend insulating the walls of a frame house with foam plastic. This is due to several disadvantages of the material:

1. Flammability. The insulation is easily flammable. For it to ignite, you need a continuous source of fire, which can be wooden elements house frame. Although manufacturers claim that the material is treated with special fire retardants and is absolutely safe in this regard. But here are the opinions of experts on fire safety are different. And by State standards Polystyrene foam is still considered a combustible material.
2. Toxicity. During operation, the insulation does not emit any caustic or harmful substances. But if the material begins to ignite, black smoke is released, which is very dangerous to human life and health.
3. Low vapor permeability. In the process of life, all living organisms emit steam. For comfortable stay indoors you need steam to escape outside. Otherwise, mold and mildew will develop on the surfaces in the rooms, which is also very dangerous for humans.

Resistance of polystyrene foam to chemical compounds

Since the material does not allow steam to pass through, it will accumulate between the wall and the insulation and this will lead to the wooden elements beginning to collapse prematurely. In addition, insulating a frame house with foam plastic creates the effect of a thermos. Heat is retained indoors at all times winter time and in the summer.

But if such an effect is simply necessary for the cold season, then in the summer it will be unbearable to be in the house due to the constantly high air temperature. It will be necessary to install air conditioning or fans.

If choosing a safer insulation does not allow family budget, you can use several tips from professionals:

• Before insulating a house with foam plastic from the outside, the material must be additionally treated with fire retardants (substances that resist fire).
• Forced ventilation will help remove environment steam.
• Foam insulation must be covered on both sides windproof film. On the side of the inner wall it will serve as waterproofing. Condensed steam will be removed using a ventilated gap. And the outside will be protected from moisture from the atmosphere and low temperatures.

Installation rules

If the building is being erected on your own, then with the question of how to properly insulate a frame house with polystyrene foam, you should turn to professionals. After all, if you do not adhere to technology, then over time the wooden elements of the frame will begin to rot.

Insulation scheme with curtain façade: 1 - interior decoration; 2 - vapor barrier; 3 - frame stand; 4 - expanded polystyrene; 5 - siding; 6 - vapor-permeable moisture-proof membrane.

1. In order to extend the service life of the main structural elements, they must be protected from moisture. To do this, they are covered with double-sided sealing adhesive tape. Before applying protection, you need to clean the wooden posts from dirt.
2. The next stage will be the installation of a vapor barrier. On the side of the premises, a vapor-proof membrane is laid to a length of 10–15 cm; the joints must be taped. This will make the layer airtight.
3. The wall on the side of the room is covered with boards or slabs.
4. Next you need to go to the side of the facade. There, between the frame posts, it is done. The slabs of material are laid tightly so that there are no gaps or cracks. It is advisable to treat the joints with sealant or polyurethane foam. It is necessary to ensure that the joints of subsequent rows do not coincide with the previous ones.
5. When the insulation is completely laid over the entire area of ​​the facade, it should be covered with a windproof membrane. A small amount of moisture that gets on the foam can destroy the material under the influence of low temperatures. The film will protect both the insulation and the premises from heat loss.
6. Insulated frame houses with polystyrene foam require additional decorative finishing. It will also perform the function of protection from external negative impacts. For this you can use siding, facade tiles and even decorative plaster.

Insulation of a frame house with extruded polystyrene foam is carried out using the same technology as polystyrene foam. The difference is that if penoplex is used, you do not need to buy slabs of maximum thickness. This insulation has a thermal conductivity coefficient even lower than that of polystyrene foam.

How to properly insulate a frame house with foam plastic

Foam insulation is one of the simplest and most well-known preparation methods for both temporary and permanent residence V country house. Let's try to figure out how to properly insulate a frame house with this inexpensive, popular material. and at the same time we will discuss some prejudices against its use, which currently exist among many developers and specialists.

Main characteristics of polystyrene foam

Frame-panel house – optimal design for the highest quality insulation. Thermal insulation material, which is laid between the racks frame block, provides maximum protection against freezing inner surface walls and protects them from destruction. When using polystyrene foam, in addition to a low price, the following are provided: important advantages, as convenient processing, resistance to moisture, ease of installation and lack of shrinkage.

Along with this, one can often find negative opinions regarding this insulation, which boil down mainly to the following statements:

• Mice eat him. In fact, no rodents feed on foam plastic; they make their nests and passages to them in it. In this sense, polystyrene foam is no worse (and no better) than other materials;
• It's flammable. For a frame house made of wood, this is not critical. In addition, the production technology of modern foam plastic involves the addition of special fire-resistant additives;
• He highlights harmful substances. This serious misconception can most likely be attributed to mineral wool, while foam plastic from this point of view is absolutely harmless;
• Insulate with foam plastic frame-panel house impossible, because it allows cold to pass through the joints. If handled ineptly, this is indeed the case. However, the correct placement of the slabs inside the walls and their processing at the joints will ensure a minimum of heat loss.

Thus, the effect that can be obtained from insulating walls and other cold-permeable parts of the house largely depends on compliance with the rules for handling this material and protecting it from harmful influences during its entire service life. We'll talk about this in the next section. In the meantime, take a look at the properties of polystyrene foam, which in the industry is more often called expanded polystyrene, and the features of its production:

Wall insulation

Most often, polystyrene foam in a frame house is used to insulate the surface of the walls between the studs and the sheathing on both sides. This is done as follows.

Pre-cleaning and sealing

Insulating a frame house with polystyrene foam always begins with processing the frame itself. If this is not done, then even the most careful styling thermal insulation material will not help to avoid thermal losses through the air channels remaining at the joints.

Despite the fact that foam insulation technology involves high speed processing even large areas As one of its main advantages, the preliminary steps must be carried out very carefully.

All bumps, nails and other protruding sharp objects must be removed. Existing gaps and cracks must be filled with polyurethane foam. If during the construction stage the wood was exposed to moisture, we treat the damp areas with a construction hairdryer.

As a result, the frame should be a dry, even and airtight structure, ready for laying insulation.

Waterproofing

The waterproofing layer is laid with outside walls and protects them from moisture and wind. Many experts claim that polystyrene foam does not absorb moisture at all, so it is possible to insulate a house with it without external insulation. However, dampness and humidity, which penetrates inside the frame at subzero temperatures, can freeze and destroy the insulation material and walls.

Typically used as waterproofing:

• glassine;
• plastic film;
• modern membrane coatings.

The waterproofing material must be laid with an overlap of one row over another (about 10 cm) and taped with a special tape.

Laying foam

Sheets of insulation are laid in the opening between the frame posts and secured in it:

• If internal or outside surface the walls are already ready, foam plastic is attached to it on a pre-treated adhesive composition impregnation This is done in order to avoid air gaps. For additional fastening of insulation, you can use plastic dowels.

Fastening polystyrene foam to dowels

To insulate a frame-panel house with maximum quality, it is better to use three layers of foam plastic, each 5 cm thick, laying them on top of each other and overlapping the joints in the previous one with the next layer. The joints between slabs within one layer must be coated with professional frost-resistant polyurethane foam.

One of the most important parameters that must be ensured when insulating walls with foam plastic is the size of the gaps between the plates. The fact is that the insulation of a frame house undergoes expansion and contraction as the outside temperature changes. Correct location the slabs will not allow them to warp when expanding and affect the outer cladding.

More details about laying insulation during heat treatment of walls can be found at:

Vapor barrier and wall cladding

WITH inside walls are being laid vapor barrier film. It protects the insulation layer from excessive moisture due to condensation. Most often, foil materials (penofol) or special membrane films are used for these purposes.

Please note - all seams must be foamed

External cladding can be installed directly over the waterproofing. A ventilated façade is not required when insulated with foam plastic. Interior decoration It is done in the same way; if it is necessary to pre-plaster the surface, a reinforcing mesh is used.

Floor insulation

In a frame house, the floor must be well insulated. The technology for constructing the “pie” here is the same: waterproofing at the bottom, then a base of bars nailed to the edge of the joists, foam plastic and a vapor barrier film. As the latter, you can also use penofol, laid with foil down. In this position he will protect floorboard from dampness and will not allow heat to escape from the room.

Insulation of the under-roof space

A frame-panel house most often has pitched roof, under which is cold attic. The easiest way to insulate the ceiling and roof is by placing sheets of foam plastic between the beams in the same order as for insulating walls. No less important here is the correct foaming of all joints - warm air always rises and tends to escape through all sorts of cracks.

The methods of working with foam plastic that we have described irrefutably indicate that insulating a frame house with your own hands is quite an accessible and interesting task. We hope that the above tips will help you make your home warm and cozy and calmly survive the most severe frosts.

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From quality insulation works the quality of life in a house depends on it. It should be quite warm in winter, and cool in summer. A frame house is no exception. The lightweight construction of the house makes the insulation the only barrier to cold.

The article describes in detail how to insulate a house with polystyrene foam, how safe and profitable it is compared to other insulation methods.

Features of insulation of a frame house

Frame construction Canadian houses provides a convenient solution for carrying out thermal insulation works. The insulation material is conveniently placed between the support rails of the frame, secured, insulated from the formation of steam, moisture, and sheathed decorative panels- that's all.

Carrying out insulation work does not require the use of special equipment and a large team of builders. A couple of ordinary Russian men can carry out the work to protect the future home from the cold.

When following the instructions and technological requirements, the lightness of the house’s construction is maintained, and thermal insulation properties superior to traditional brick, cinder block and concrete. There are few requirements for materials for insulating a frame house:

• The heat insulator must be safe for health;
• Be resistant to water and fire;
• Easy to install on any type of surface - ceiling, walls, roof and floor;
• Have the lowest possible thermal conductivity values;
• Be resistant to mechanical damage.

Polystyrene foam as insulation: pros and cons

Preparation for installation of a heat insulator

As mentioned above, you need to start with preparatory work all surfaces on which foam plastic boards will be laid:

• the gaps are filled with polyurethane foam;
• surfaces are carefully leveled;
• protruding objects are removed (nails, adhesion of construction debris, cement and polyurethane foam);
• areas that have been exposed to moisture are dried to prevent condensation from forming in the future.

Some experts are in a hurry to reduce the cost and simplify preparatory stage, and neglect waterproofing. As an argument, they cite the resistance of foam to water. But there is also the frame of the house, which, unlike thermal insulation, suffers from the formation of dampness. Having penetrated inside the structure during the off-season with precipitation, the moisture freezes in the cold season, when it is below zero outside, destroying the frame, which is sensitive to water and temperatures.

The moisture-proof layer is laid with outside– for walls, roofs. He will create additional protection from wind and precipitation. All surfaces are covered with waterproofing, leaving allowances of up to 10 cm. They are secured by gluing with construction tape.

To protect against water use:

• glassine;
• polyethylene;
• penofol and other membrane materials.

Subtleties of foam insulation of individual parts of a frame house

Technologies for insulating frame house walls, floors, ceilings and roofs are basically the same. We will consider each stage separately, indicating the nuances of laying foam boards.

Floor insulation

Let's start from the axiom that the foundation of the house is pile-screw - optimal type foundation for the construction of a frame cottage.

The foundation plays a role in the construction of a special structure designed to support all the insulating floor coverings. When pile-screw foundation there is a possibility that the house rises above the ground at a sufficient distance to make it possible to crawl under the floor. In this case, the waterproofing membrane is installed using a mounting stapler. To ensure tightness and avoid drafts, membrane sheets are laid with overlaps. After the membrane, also from below, a board is nailed - it will serve as a frame on which the thermal insulation will rest. It is optimal to lay the boards in increments of 40-50 cm - this distance is enough to hold the heat insulator.

If the installation is done from above, then the steps are simply swapped in order: first the plank frame is laid, and then the waterproofing is attached to it.

Logs are placed on the prepared base, between which sheets of foam plastic are laid. The pitch between the logs is calculated based on the size of the thermal insulation slabs - so that they fit freely into the niches. All gaps, as mentioned above, are carefully blown out with foam.

The height of the logs is selected depending on the thickness of the foam sheets. If the width of the lags turns out to be a little too wide, that’s okay. In this matter, the main thing is not the other way around. The whole point is that a vapor barrier membrane will be mounted on top. The vapor barrier should lie in an even layer on top of the thermal insulation. The vapor barrier sheets are hermetically sealed together with double-sided tape.

The last layer is laid board, chipboard, fiberboard or OSB board, and then finishing work for laying the floor.

Wall insulation

Both internal and external walls are subject to thermal insulation. The amount of material used is the same. The difference is that instead of waterproofing, soundproofing coating is used on the interior walls. its use is considered optional - polystyrene foam has good soundproofing properties.

Wall surface after preliminary preparation covered with impregnation, then with an adhesive composition. The foam is glued on top. Impregnation and glue will guarantee the absence of air gaps between the frame and the thermal insulation. After installation, the heat insulator is secured with plastic dowels.

To be sure whether it is possible to insulate the outer walls of a frame house with polystyrene foam alone without using other materials, it is better to use thin sheets and lay them in several layers in a checkerboard pattern. This means that the second layer overlaps the joints of the first layer of thermal insulation. For middle latitudes, it is recommended to lay the thermal insulation coating in three layers. One of the layers is blown with special foam that is resistant to low sub-zero temperatures. Better handle last layer- which is closer to the facade.

It is better to choose waterproofing with a special adhesive coating around the perimeter - this will make installation easier, and it is more likely that the waterproofing will be airtight. If the material does not have such a feature, then double-sided tape can be used instead.

Ceiling insulation

Covering the ceiling with foam plastic should be approached with the utmost responsibility. When heating, warm air rises to the top. Incorrectly installed ceiling insulation can cause warm air to escape through voids. The house will heat the street.

It is ideal to carry out installation before the roof is completely assembled - to make it more convenient to carry out work on laying thermal insulation.

• First, a vapor barrier is laid directly on the beams.
• A wooden or plywood frame is placed on top, which will support the foam boards.
• The next layer is polystyrene foam, covering the seams and carefully blowing out the gaps and voids.

When laying thermal insulation on the ceiling, the material is laid with overlaps on the walls, with their complete coverage.

If the roof is not intended to be thermally insulated, then the last layer is treated with frost-resistant polyurethane foam.

When insulating the ceiling from inside the house, all work is carried out in reverse order. In this case, the material must be securely secured with plastic dowels so that it does not sag over time.

Roof insulation

For creating warm attic or attic floor The roof is sheathed with polystyrene foam. All work is carried out according to the same principle as ceiling insulation. Required condition is laying waterproofing.

Finishing work

A prerequisite for completing the work is the installation of a vapor barrier. Polystyrene foam reacts little to moisture; however, the formation of condensation can have a bad effect on the frame and other layers of the structure of a frame house. For vapor barrier, a material or its analogues made from foil coatings is used. In addition, there are new membrane films on the market designed for vapor barrier specifically for frame houses.

Waterproofing is laid as the penultimate layer from bottom to top from the outside of the wall - to protect the thermal insulation, frame, and finish from moisture.

Immediately on waterproofing coating finishing can be installed. The choice depends on the wishes of the owner of the home - to use siding, facing brick, blackhouse or stone.

Polystyrene foam, or expanded polystyrene, is one of the the best materials for thermal insulation of a frame house with your own hands. It is produced in the form of sheets with dimensions from 0.5x0.5 m to 2x1 m and thickness from 10 to 100 mm. Polystyrene foam is very light, easy to use and harmless to humans. But most importantly - this material has a record low thermal conductivity coefficient. In this article we will provide reviews from those who worked with polystyrene foam, insulating a frame house with their own hands, and will also leave our comments on controversial issues. So,

Anton, Donetsk:

“There is simply no normal foam insulation technology for frames, because foam plastic is highly susceptible to changes in size with large temperature fluctuations. When the temperature drops, the foam shrinks in size, and in the summer it springs back into place. There is technology when finished frame pour something like polystyrene foam. I saw such an advertisement. This is where the foam plastic is fixed over its entire area to the sheathing and is not afraid of temperature changes. The best thing would be to replace all this with ordinary mineral wool with all the necessary layers of steam, wind, and waterproofing. It’s clear that it will cost a pretty penny, but everything else will have no effect.”

Our comment: Naturally, polystyrene foam, like any other insulating material, has a certain coefficient linear expansion. Accordingly, it contracts in the cold and expands when heated. At severe frosts In fact, gaps can form between the end of the foam sheet and the wooden stud. However, this problem can be solved very simply. Before installing the sheet into the space between the posts, it must be compressed by approximately 5 mm for every 500 mm of length. This preload compensates for the reduction in size foam insulation even in extreme frosts.

The “something like expanded polystyrene” that the author mentions is, apparently, two-component polyurethane foam. Its initial liquid components are mixed and poured into the finished frame. And already there the process of polymerization occurs with the formation of a porous insulating mass. So, such insulation will cost the developer a pretty penny much more than properly installed foam insulation.

Vladimir, Voronezh:

“Foam is hygroscopic. Therefore, it must be insulated from the housing side with a vapor-proof film. Without a vapor barrier, condensation will accumulate inside the foam in severe frosts. It’s not as bad as mineral wool, but the insulating properties of the foam will drop significantly.”

Our comment: Hygroscopicity is the ability of a material to absorb moisture. This property is based on the capillary effect. Accordingly, in order for any material to absorb water, it must contain capillaries. And polystyrene foam is foamed polystyrene. That is, dense polymer material, inside of which there is air or other gas in closed pores. And there are simply no capillaries in polystyrene foam. Therefore, the hygroscopicity of polystyrene foam is close to zero.

At the same time, it is the air (or gas) that is in the pores inside the foam volume that insulates heat. Therefore, the presence or absence of condensation does not in any way affect the thermal insulation properties of the foam.

Grigory, Novosibirsk:

“I built a frame house with my own hands and insulated it with polystyrene foam. And then the mice chewed him up.”

Our comment: Yes, unfortunately, mice chew foam. However, they gnaw to a greater or lesser extent on all types of mineral wool, ecowool, polyurethane foam insulation, etc. Note: they “gnaw” and not “eat”. For mice, the materials used to insulate frame houses are inedible. And they spoil the insulation for two reasons. First, mice need to get inside the house in search of food. Secondly, they make nests in the insulation. Therefore, it seems incorrect to us to say that polystyrene foam is bad because mice chew it. Just in order to protect the insulation of your home with your own hands, you should not forget about special design techniques. For example, protective fine mesh or ultrasonic rodent repellers.

Danila, Kaliningrad:

“With my own hands I built a frame house and a bathhouse next to it. I insulated 10 cm of PBS foam and added a layer from the inside basalt wool 5 cm thick. I’m afraid that when it’s hot, all sorts of nasty things will fly out of the foam.”

Our comment: Many people have serious concerns about the environmental friendliness of polystyrene foam. It is widely believed that all materials based on polystyrene, under the influence of sunlight, oxygen and ozone in the air, as well as water and especially heat, emit a very dangerous substance - free styrene. It causes serious illness even if its concentration does not reach the maximum permissible level. Indeed, one cannot but agree that free styrene is a very strong poison with a general toxic effect.

When styrene enters the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, it has an irritating effect, and when carried through the blood throughout the body, it causes changes at the genetic level and provokes cancer. But this is if we talk about styrene in its free form. And polystyrene foam is polymerized styrene, which has nothing in common with its poisonous progenitor. In order for any harmful substances to be released from polystyrene, it must decompose into monomers. And this happens in the only case - when it is heated to a state of softening, that is, to a temperature of 100 - 120ºС. Neither sunlight, neither water nor oxygen or ozone in the air contribute to the decomposition of polystyrene foam. And with more high temperature it ignites, releasing soot, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Thus, foam insulation can be toxic only if it is heated to 100 - 120ºC. It is unlikely that such a temperature can be found anywhere in a frame house, except perhaps heating devices and a kitchen stove. But in a bathhouse, and even more so in a sauna, the walls can warm up to a dangerous temperature. Therefore, it is really not recommended to insulate such rooms with foam plastic.

Semyon, Leningrad region:

“The main disadvantage of polystyrene foam is that it does not breathe. It's terrible to live in a house where the walls don't breathe. I made myself a studio using foam plastic with my own hands. I live and curse modern materials. Nearby there is a house with 70 cm walls made of brick that is 200 years old. There's always buzz in the house."

Our comment: This is another widespread construction legend that enthusiastically tells us about the magnificent atmosphere in houses with “breathing” brick, cinder block, etc. walls. The fact is that of all the diversity building materials Only glass, metal and glaze do not allow water vapor to pass through. ceramic tiles. All other materials allow steam to pass through to a greater or lesser extent. A natural question arises: how good? According to international standards, all materials have a steam resistance coefficient. This coefficient shows how much worse steam passes through a given material compared to air. The coefficient of resistance to the movement of steam in air is taken as unity.

So, if we compare, for example, foam plastic and brick, it turns out that the resistance coefficient of the first is 60, and the latter is 16. It seems that the difference is significant, almost 4 times. But let's look at the OSB-4 board, which is widely used as cladding for frame houses. So its coefficient of resistance to steam movement will already be 300. And this is already 5 times more than that of foam plastic. Consequently, the reason for a possible increase in humidity in a frame house is not foam insulation at all.

Of course, no one argues that the atmosphere in some brick houses can be very comfortable. But it’s also unlikely that anyone will argue that other brick houses are damp and musty. And the same can be said about frame houses. If buildings are designed and constructed in compliance with all requirements of building codes and regulations, including ventilation, the climate inside any home will be comfortable.

Semyon, Bykovo, Moscow region:

“My wife and I built a frame house with our own hands. A neighbor was building the same house and lined the outside of the house with foam sheets for insulation. I doubted it at first, but I was attracted good feedback my friend and most importantly the price. At first I was worried that the sound insulation would not be very good. But since I don’t live in an apartment, I don’t feel much noise from the city anyway. I’m happy with everything, it’s a good economical way to insulate a house.”

Our comment: We agree with Semyon's opinion. Polystyrene foam is a really good and inexpensive insulation material. Of course, like everything in this world, it has its drawbacks. But based on the sum of the indicators, polystyrene foam can be safely recommended to those who want to build and insulate a frame house with their own hands.