Before warming the pile screw foundation of your own wooden house, you need to study the technology of the work and the necessary materials. The construction of the basement in the building performs several functions at once:
- decorative and aesthetic;
- protection of the underground from moisture and wind;
- temperature rise under the structures of the house.
The last paragraph allows you to get several advantages at once. First of all, this is a decrease in the thickness of the insulation in the floor. At the same time, the construction cake becomes larger, the height of the ground floor premises is not eaten.
The second positive property of warming is to reduce the effects of such a phenomenon as frosty heaving. Insulation of the pile-screw foundation in wooden construction will help partially prevent soil movement in the winter.
Is it necessary to insulate
Currently, in the construction industry, much attention is paid to the work of warming the walls, basement and other structures of the house. This is due to the fact that energy resources are limited, and their cost is quite high. To increase the energy efficiency of the building, it is necessary to carefully consider the insulation.
Heating costs can be up to 40% of the family budget. And these costs are constant. Knowing the costs of utility bills and the amount of insulation work, you can easily calculate when the measures taken pay off.
It is also important to remember that a well-insulated structure is protected against condensation. Humidity becomes the main cause of mold and mildew. You can also easily come across other microorganisms. Warming the pile foundation will help to maintain the health of the inhabitants of the house, as well as reduce the frequency of repairs and replacements of the flooring on the ground floor.
Warming options
Facing the basement can be of several types. The decision which one to use is made on the basis of aesthetic considerations, financial capabilities, as well as the qualifications of the workers who will be finishing.
The basement insulation can be carried out in two ways:
- on a separate tape design;
- on the crate, which is attached to the piles.
Strip design
The first option is more complicated, and also has a number of limitations. The shallow-type tape structure may be made of concrete or brick. Most often, it relies on the ground or its small monolithic foundation (more about the construction of a shallow strip foundation). But when building on heaving soils, it is strongly not recommended to use this option. Especially when it comes to the brick base. In this case, the earth rises (swells) in the winter. Moreover, the process is uneven. Digging out the basement structure from the snow, at some point you will have to see inclined cracks that indicate damage by frost heaving.
This phenomenon can be prevented by eliminating one of the heaving factors:
- low temperature;
- moisture.
It is impossible to fulfill the first condition in the manufacture of a shallow tape. The soil under the sheathing of the basement of the house will still freeze and deform. Moisture can also be ineffective.
It is reasonable to use tape casing only on those soils that are not prone to heaving. Such bases include coarse soil, medium or coarse sand. Also, the option is suitable for regions with a warm climate, where negative temperatures are rare.
The insulation is fastened to a concrete or brick wall according to the type of thermal insulation of the building's external enclosing elements. It can be performed both without an additional frame and with its use. The method depends on the type of finish chosen.
Basement insulation on the frame
This option for the home will become less costly and easier. Warming the foundation on piles in this case can be performed using a variety of materials. An example is:
- basement siding;
- clinker panels;
- metal professional sheet.
The choice among options is based on financial capabilities and aesthetic considerations. All options are mounted approximately the same. Read a detailed article about the finishing of the pile screw base. To provide a base for facing the basement of the house, it is necessary to provide a frame.
The frame can be made of wood or rolled metal. When facing metal materials it is more reasonable to use steel as a lathing.
The frame is usually made of two longitudinal strands. If necessary, you can provide a larger number of longitudinal elements. It all depends on the height of the base. You can also provide vertical frame elements. The need for them depends on the material chosen for facing the basement of the house.
Before insulating the foundation on screw piles, it is required to provide for the fastening of the frame to them. The method depends on the material:
- When attaching the cladding to wooden battens and bars, it is required to foresee metal embedded parts in the upper part of the piles. They can be made from a corner or other similar types of rental. Fastening to piles is carried out for welding.
- When using steel frame elements, there is no need to carry out preliminary preparation. The metal profile is welded directly to the foundation elements.
So that ground moisture and frosty puffing do not destroy the finish and thermal insulation, it is worth raising the basement above the ground. The damper gap can be from 5 to 15 cm. This distance at the final stage can be closed by some bar.
The insulation for the basement of the house is attached to the same frame as the finish. Depending on the type selected, you will have to carry out a number of additional activities.
When warming it is important not to forget about the ventilation of the underground. For this, special openings or vents are provided for in the design of the finish. According to the standards, their total area should be equal to 1/400 of the underground area. Also, for ventilation, there may be a gap between the ground and the casing. To do this, it is closed with a special mesh that prevents the penetration of rodents and insects, but does not impede the movement of air.
How to choose a heater for the basement of the house
Mineral wool is not recommended for structures that are close to the ground. It is highly hygroscopic, and when wet it ceases to fulfill its direct functions. Also, cotton wool can easily sag. It is not so easy to attach to the frame along screw piles.
Warming the foundation on screw piles is best done using materials such as:
- Extruded polystyrene foam or Penoplex. The material is characterized by good thermal insulation performance and is resistant to moisture. In most cases, when using it, there is no need to apply thermal insulation. This option is more expensive than mineral wool or polystyrene, but will be the most affordable of all.
- Liquid penoizol, which is distributed by spray. Helps simplify the process of fixing the insulation.
- Foamed glass that comes in blocks.
Penoplex can be attached both to the crate, and on a solid base. The second option allows you to simultaneously use glue and fasteners, guaranteeing greater reliability. As the basis can be sheets of plywood that are mounted on a crate.
Read more about this in a special article about the insulation of the blind areas.
For insulation, it is not recommended to use foam. This material is able to accumulate moisture between styrene balls. This phenomenon leads to the fact that at low temperatures the foam disintegrates into separate particles. The phenomenon is caused by high pressure of freezing moisture on the balls of material.
A competent choice of insulation and adherence to recommendations will guarantee good thermal insulation and prevent damage.