What is better to insulate the walls of the house from the outside - with polystyrene or polystyrene?
Styrofoam was recently considered the most popular insulation, but today an improved type of heat-insulating material, foam, has appeared on the construction market. Manufacturers recommend one and the other product for high-quality thermal insulation. To understand what is better to insulate the walls of the house from the outside - with foam or foam, you need to study their characteristics, properties and compare these two almost identical insulation.
to contents ↑Penoplex or expanded polystyrene - which is better?
In fact, both polystyrene (polystyrene foam) and polystyrene are not just similar, they are almost identical, in addition, both heaters have the following advantages:
- Easy styling.
- Light weight.
- Moisture resistance.
- Low chemical activity. Both heaters do not rot.
- Easily tolerate the effects of external negative factors.
- Fire safety.
- Low coefficient of thermal conductivity.
- Environmental friendliness.
In addition to the advantages, heaters have common disadvantages:
- Poor tolerance to aggressive chemicals and solvents like acetone.
- Low strength. As practice shows, heat-insulating materials are of low strength and require the need for external protection.
to contents ↑Important! Insulation materials differ in color: polystyrene - has a white color, and polystyrene - has a canary shade.
What is the difference between polystyrene foam and polystyrene?
Consider the full list of differences between the two heaters in order to understand what is better - polystyrene foam or polystyrene for wall insulation.
Production
Both heaters are made from polystyrene, but the technological process is completely different:
- Polyfoam is obtained by treating polystyrene granules with steam. The volume of granules increases by almost 50 times and they stick together. The result is an airy material with micropores and voids between the granules. Polyfoam is an insulating material consisting of 2% polystyrene and 98% air. This is what affects the price, since only 2% of raw materials are sufficient for the production of foam.
- Penoplex is made from extruded polystyrene foam. Under conditions of high pressure and high temperature, a material appears that has a uniform dense structure with good consistency. Penoplex is much denser than its ancestor, respectively - and it weighs more, which means it is able to withstand heavy loads.
Important! If you plan to perform the insulation with more affordable material, be sure to read about how to glue foam.
Thermal insulation quality:
- Polyfoam represents air bubbles in the hardened foam. Since the granules of the material do not adhere too closely to one another, its properties as a heat insulator are much lower than that of a foam complex. The coefficient of thermal conductivity of the insulation varies between 0.035-0.05 units at a temperature of 25 degrees.
- Penoplex is much more compressed, so it retains heat somewhat better. The thermal conductivity index is 0.028 units at a temperature of 25 degrees.
Important! For an equal degree of protection against cold foam will require 25% more than foam.
If you take a 25 mm polystyrene foam plate, then it will be identical in thermal insulation characteristics to a 20 mm foam plastic plate.On large areas, this option can result in good space savings.
Moisture and vapor permeability
In principle, both heaters have an extremely low degree of vapor permeability, but they both do not like water:
- Penoplex absorbs no more than 0.4% of water per month.
- Styrofoam, although impervious to steam, can absorb moisture up to 4% per month. As a result, the insulation can be slightly saturated with a small amount of moisture.
Important! Penoplex is more moisture-resistant and its vapor permeability index is practically reduced to zero, but this indicator is still present in polyfoam. No matter what material you prefer, you will have to finish the walls. The best option is paint coat for facade walls.
Strength
Polyfoam is more fragile than foam, since it consists of small particles interconnected. The material crumbles easily even with a little effort:
- If the foam is pressurized by compression, then the compressive strength parameter is 0.2 MPa.
- Penoplex is able to undergo a pressure of 0.5 MPa.
Important! Penoplex is almost 6 times stronger than its progenitor, so it is extremely difficult to break it.
Life time
Both heat insulators have a rather long service life, but foam has a longer service life, due to its structure. Polyfoam over time begins to crumble. For both materials to serve for a long time, they must be protected from direct sunlight and other atmospheric influences.
It should be noted that both materials feel great at low air temperatures (up to -50 degrees). However, at temperatures below -50 degrees, heaters begin to lose their properties.
Important! Performing wall insulation, one cannot ignore other factors provoking their freezing and leakage of heat from the building. To help you, we have prepared useful information on this topic, so that you take into account all the nuances and carry out repair and construction work correctly:
Price
Polyfoam is much cheaper than its counterpart. This is understandable, since a material with better quality characteristics cannot be cheaper. The price of polystyrene is almost one and a half times higher than that of polystyrene. This should be taken into account if the expensive part of your project is of great importance.
Important! Today, many consumers choose polystyrene for insulation, since the price is lower. In some cases, this choice can be justified, since the materials during thermal insulation of some structures differ little in properties.
Flammability
Both heaters burn well, however, polystyrene makes it slower, since it belongs to the G3 category. Penoplex belongs to the category G4 (numbers from 1 to 4 indicate the degree of flammability, from weak to strong).
Important! To solve problems with the flammability of materials, manufacturers impregnate them with flame retardants at the production stage. However, this does not mean that the thermal insulation does not light up at all, the material will still burn, but slightly worse, while releasing toxic substances from flame retardants.
The choice of material for the insulation of various structures
When answering the question, foam or polystyrene foam - which is better, you should consider the scope of this or that insulation, since it all depends on the material of the walls of the house. In principle, both heaters have a wide scope, for example, foam is used to warm any parts of the house except the floor.
But if the house is made of wood or other “breathing” material, then polystyrene foam can cause rot in the places between the wall and the insulation, since it practically does not allow moisture to pass through. About all the features of the use of this or that insulation we will tell below.
The outer walls of the building
The use of polystyrene for insulation of the facade of the house requires additional protection from ultraviolet radiation. In addition, this material requires the use of forced ventilation.Otherwise, the insulated part of the wall will become a place for the reproduction of bacteria. That is why polystyrene is not recommended to close wooden facades. It should not be forgotten that the foam is highly flammable, therefore, during construction, the building must be insulated from the outside with special care.
Important! Without a good protective coating, the foam will quickly fail, as it is easy to pierce or break through. Polyfoam is most often laid under plaster or siding. The material should never be coated with paint, as it is afraid of solvents.
Penoplex is increasingly used for exterior decoration, since it is more dense and will need less than polystyrene to warm the facade of the building. For example, a 3-4 cm thick foam board has the same effect as a 10 cm thick foam board. In addition, the foam is more resistant to external influences, including mechanical ones.
The interior walls of the house
To reduce heat loss in the house, it is necessary to thoroughly insulate the walls inside the building. When warming the internal walls, penoplex is simply irreplaceable, since it almost does not reduce the overall space of the room. The use of this material is especially important in small-sized rooms, since foam insulation will have to be applied much thicker to warm and create additional sound insulation.
Since expanded polystyrene is an inexpensive material and easy to install, it can be used to insulate a balcony, loggia. However, if the area of these rooms is small, then it is better to purchase penoplex for their insulation.
Floor
The floor is insulated in houses only with foam, since polystyrene is too fragile material and you can not put a screed on it. Penoplex, unlike its ancestor, can withstand high loads and makes the floor not only warm, but also durable. This material is used to create a “warm floor” system, where it performs a key function, reducing heat transfer in two directions at once (top and bottom).
Important! To achieve the maximum effect of energy saving, it will not be superfluous to equip a warm floor system. If you have a private home, then different options and technologies are available. Read our special review on our website. "Which is better - water or electric underfloor heating?".
Roofs and attics
Both materials can be used to insulate the roof, but if the floor in the attic needs to be warmed up, then penoplex is used.
To insulate the roof, foam foam slabs are more often used. Top material must be carefully coated with a waterproofing layer. However, if the roof is cold, it is recommended that the inside be insulated with foam, and the outside with foam, leaving enough space for the ventilation.
Choosing the right material for different purposes
Be sure to consider the features of different modifications of each of the insulation options:
- Penoplex 35 is used in construction, including housing, and
- Penoplex 50 is used for thermal insulation of road surfaces, railways and runways. It has increased compressive and bending strength.
Important! This brand of material can also be used to warm the foundations of buildings, basement floors, operated roofs, since it has increased resistance to wetting and has a longer service life, but the environmental requirements for this brand are lower.
- Penoplex Wall has a low density and is used for wall insulation under construction.
- Penoplex Foundation has increased strength and high waterproofing. The material is used to warm the foundations of buildings, as well as basements and wells.
- Penoplex Roofing is a very lightweight material with flame retardant impregnation. The material has high waterproofing properties.
- The most universal brand of insulation is Penoplex Comfort. The material is characterized by increased environmental control and is used for thermal insulation of internal walls, balconies, loggias, roofs, foundations, floors, as well as for warming garages and outbuildings.
Stock footage
If you are thinking about the issue of active energy saving, then use modern heaters to reduce heat loss in the house. Which of the materials to use depends on the purpose and budget. Penoplex, of course, has higher characteristics and is perfect for outdoor decoration, insulation of floors and roofs, but it is much more expensive. Therefore, in some cases it is more advisable to purchase an inexpensive and breathable foam, which also has excellent thermal insulation properties. We hope that our information has helped you find the right material for the insulation of your home, and now it’s warm and comfortable in your rooms.
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