First of all, you need to understand what this thermal insulation material is. Ecowool is modern material, which is designed for insulation of a wide variety of rooms. This is a loose, warm, cellulose and fibrous insulation, which contains eighty-one percent cellulose processed by a special method and nineteen percent other additives, such as, for example, anti-foam and boric acid.

When constructing non-residential and residential structures, ecowool is often used. This material is used as insulation in many warehouses, hangars and commercial premises. For rooms with high humidity and condensation is present, ecowool fits perfectly. At necessary control Ecowool is also used for temperature conditions. This is explained by the operating properties of this material.

The only option when choosing materials for construction is to identify the shortcomings, since any material has advantages, but each has its own disadvantages and they vary depending on the characteristics.

There was a lot of talk about the advantages of ecowool and for a very long time everyone turned a blind eye to the disadvantages. There are no ideal products and ecowool is no exception. Ecowool is the most suitable and modern option for thermal insulation of various rooms and numerous disadvantages can be eliminated if this material is used correctly.

Lack of uniform GOST requirements

Ecowool often judged by its manufacturer, and not the opportunities it gives. Manufacturers who do their job poorly spoil the reputation of ecowool. Since there are no uniform standards and legislative requirements for the production of ecowool, this allows fraudsters to use materials that do not meet the characteristics of ecowool. Saving on some essential components raw materials - waste, products reduce their insulating, fireproof, structural and antibacterial properties.

Until ecowool is subjected to uniform standards, consumers will buy the product blindly. Recommendations when purchasing ecowool:

You need to collect all possible information about the company producing ecowool. This information available on forums dedicated to construction, where many users devote more than one topic to this issue, they criticize and praise different companies. Based on the experience of others, you can draw appropriate conclusions and make a choice.
It is necessary to visually examine the material before purchasing it. Externally, ecowool should look like fluff, there should be no fractions or large impurities, and ecowool should not resemble cut paper or, for example, dust.
The fire protection characteristics of ecowool should be excellent. When she is exposed to fire, ecowool should smolder slowly, and when contact with fire ends, it should immediately die out.
The ecowool packaging must be intact and undamaged, and the material should not be wet to the touch.
High-quality ecowool has a grayish tint; the presence of yellow or light color- these are indicators of low-quality raw materials during manufacturing.
When shaking the ecowool, sand should not appear. The presence of finely dispersed fractions means that most of the boron components were introduced into the structure of the material incorrectly.

Low strength and low rigidity

One of the disadvantages of ecowool is the presence of moisture in the insulation when it is applied to the surface using the adhesive method. Moisture can have a negative effect on the insulated surface, so before proceeding finishing works, it takes some time to dry the layer.

Installation tips ecowool using the glue-wet method:

Complete drying must be coordinated with other construction work.
It is advisable to carry out the work in the spring or summer, when it is warm.
You need to choose the right surface on which the ecowool will be placed. It is not recommended to use materials that are poorly permeable to moisture, such as lining.

Shrinkage of ecowool during installation

Shrinkage is another disadvantage of ecowool. It must be remembered that shrinkage occurs only if the installation was done incorrectly; professional workers never forget about this feature and distribute the load evenly.

To prevent shrinkage from occurring, you must remember:

hollow coverings must be filled to excess, and the cotton wool must be lightly compacted
if backfilling is done in an open way, the layer must be formed ten percent thicker than the width originally planned.

High price of ecowool

A significant drawback in the eyes of buyers is high price for ecowool. In the absence of skills and all necessary tools It is impossible to do installation using the wet-glue method on your own and clients pay for the work of specialists installing ecowool. IN in this case t the cost increases several times.

This disadvantage is conditional, because if you have experience or minimal theoretical knowledge, then it is quite possible to make excellent styling with your own hands.

With a density of ecowool of thirty-five, a layer thickness of one hundred and fifty millimeters, insulation for one cubic meter will cost about nine hundred rubles, and for one square meter - about one hundred and thirty rubles.

Flammability of ecowool

This insulation there are no ideal indicators fire safety. This is quite normal, since it is a product of wood origin. However, ecowool does not burn, but simply smolders at high temperatures; this insulation does not allow the spread of fire.

All ecowool defects are nominal. You need to choose the right product and then the insulation will meet all the properties that are declared for this material.

Ecowool is often used to insulate wooden houses, ecowool is not recommended for houses made of foam blocks.

Ecowool also has the disadvantage of low rigidity and low compressive strength. However, this drawback is revealed if there is no flooring or if the backfill is dry. If platforms or bridges are organized before direct insulation, then the deficiency will not be identified. The insulating layer should be below the platforms or bridges. If problems arise with low rigidity during self-insulation, when the floor is screeded, a frame that forms cells will easily solve this problem.

Despite the fact that ecowool is an excellent thermal insulator, after a certain time these properties are greatly reduced, and thermal conductivity increases. On this the following factors influence:

ecowool becomes smaller in volume during operation, losing approximately twenty percent of its original mass. In this regard, when laying it is better to use twenty to twenty-five percent more insulation, this allows you to cover a volume that will become smaller in the future.
A lot of moisture is absorbed into ecowool, from nine to fifteen percent, and during the year about one percent of moisture accumulates inside. Every time moisture increases, thermal conductivity increases by one to two and a half percent. Based on this, it is necessary that the thermal insulation layer is ventilated and can release this moisture to the atmosphere.

When comparing ecowool and polystyrene foam boards, the first significantly loses in rigidity, this does not make it possible to use it for frameless thermal insulation independently when installing floor screeds.

Experts do not recommend using this insulation close to open sources of fire, for example, near stone pipes or chimneys. Despite the fact that it is simply smoldering, it is worth making additional protection. This is done as follows: install special fences consisting of basalt fire-resistant mats and asbestos-cement slabs. The surface must be foil-coated, then it will reflect heat.

If you are building your own house, then you have probably thought more than once: what is the best way to insulate my house? In each situation, you need to choose a specific insulation: ecowool, mineral wool (glass wool), expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam.

But for me, in 80% of cases, the modern and environmentally friendly ecowool material wins. That is why I insulated my own house with ecowool.

What is ecowool

Ecowool- This is cellulose insulation, that is, it is made entirely of paper. Why is ecowool called that? I don’t know why they called it ecowool, I would call it eco-paper. Or just cellulose, cellulose insulation. But apparently it doesn’t sound as cool as ecowool. After all, marketers are cunning. But it’s easy and quick to remember.

Moreover, you can’t say that ecowool is a super environmentally friendly insulation. Yes, it is more environmentally friendly than all other insulation materials on the market: basalt, glass wool, polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam. But still there is boric acid and antiprenes.

This is not linen insulation, in which everything is environmentally friendly except the price. But at the same time, ecowool contains no substances or components capable of releasing volatile harmful substances during operation, unlike Basalt, polyurethane foam and polyurethane foam. Unlike Basalt, ecowool does not contain dangerous hazardous particles of 2-3 microns in size that can penetrate into the room even through the vapor barrier - not the most pleasant neighborhood.

On the other hand, what is the furniture in our house made of? What is our decoration made of? And this is all inside the house, and ecowool is outside, and all this does not penetrate through the films. So what's the environmental friendliness of ecowool There's definitely no need to worry.

What is ecowool made of? Ecowool composition simple: cellulose, borax and boric acid. Pleasant to the touch, soft and fluffy.

Ecowool is packaged in 15 kg bags. It is very convenient to carry it from the car to the house, and then pour it out of the bag directly into the barrel, from where it is taken by a blowing machine or a garden vacuum cleaner. We do this in a few hours.

Pros and cons of ecowool insulation

Pros of ecowool as insulation:

- Ecowool is not limited by geometric dimensions
- Ecowool provides better sound insulation by covering all cracks and even small places
- Ecowool is warm, as it does not leave cracks
- Ecowool is more environmentally friendly than other insulation materials (there is only boric acid against pests and antiprenes against rotting)
- Kills mold on the wooden parts of our house. Protects wood
- Ecowool does not make a person itch
- Ecowool releases moisture well and tolerates waterlogging well. Ecowool absorbs moisture into the fiber, causing a slight change in thermal conductivity, while the insulating air inside it remains dry.
- Ecowool does not burn.

I have photographs in which the frame of the house burned down, and the ecowool lay untouched. If you're interested, I'll look for it, write in the comments

Cons of ecowool as insulation:

- The price of ecowool is not affordable for everyone
- Installation of ecowool is not so simple
- Not all ecowool installers are equally professional. Finding a good installer is a matter of time.

That's why I work only with the most the best specialists in your area.

A little more should be said about the price. It's not such a disadvantage. If we look, rockwool costs 1,800 per cube, and here it’s 2,000 per cube with installation (dry installation) and 3,500 rubles per cube (wet installation). If you select only ecowool without installation, then the price of a cube will be 1,575 rubles per cubic meter. It turns out that it is also cheaper.

This is where the disadvantages of ecowool end (with proper installation).

What is better ecowool or mineral wool

Why ecowool is better than mineral wool - mineral wool:

Noise insulation
No cracks
Environmentally friendly (no pharmaceuticaldehydes)
After it, your whole body doesn’t itch (but mineral wool does the same, especially cheap ones)
Does not melt or drip in case of fire
Does not emit acrid smoke in case of fire
Kills mold on the wooden parts of our house
Does not lose its heat-insulating properties when moistened.
There is no waste during installation.
More technologically advanced material. For example, there is no need to comply with all dimensions and millimeters when building a frame house. Allows the use of curved boards, etc. Faster installation.

Why is mineral wool better than ecowool?

Cheaper
Installation is easier (with your own hands)
There are more proven manufacturers on the market. True, many manufacturers in Russia make basalt not from mineral stone, but from steel production waste (slag).

The issue with the manufacturer is resolved simply. We need to look at the reviews. For example, we only take ecowool from Kazan from a new plant. She's always good. Do-it-yourself installation is more difficult. It is possible to blow ecowool “into the horizon” yourself, but into the walls with your own hands it is virtually impossible or ineffective.

Insulation of a frame house with ecowool

Frame houses are in first place in terms of the frequency of insulation with ecowool. I also insulated my frame with ecowool. The secret of its popularity is simple: you don’t need to be tied to the pitch of wooden elements, you don’t need to immediately bring a truckload of insulation (it fits in a gazelle), you can insulate any amount (in depth) from 30 mm to 500 mm, it makes it easier to maintain the microclimate in the frame, etc. .P.

Insulating the frame is one of our favorite tasks. Although hangars should also be insulated interesting task, but much more complex.

Insulation of a log house

Separately, it is necessary to say about the insulation of log houses. There are no alternatives for such houses (not counting polyurethane foam). We can easily insulate logs with ecowool, both outside and inside, and then cover them with some kind of finishing.

A big plus in this case is that you don’t need to put a film inside and don’t trap moisture there, since the ecowool will let it out. The house seems to be “breathing,” although I don’t like that word.

Insulation of a block house (aerated concrete, gas silicate, foam concrete)

How to insulate aerated concrete or gas silicate houses with ecowool? Block houses are usually insulated from the outside. The sheathing is placed vertically in increments of 600-1000 mm and insulated using the wet-glue method. The concept of a breathable house also works in this case, and a vapor barrier film is usually not installed in them.

The main thing is that before insulating a block house, you need to calculate where the dew point will be in such a wall pie, since it may remain in the insulation. And although ecowool is okay with waterlogging, it is not endless.

Now let's talk about specific insulation units.

How is insulation carried out?

This video talks in detail about wet and dry insulation.

I think after watching you will have no questions left about how to insulate a house with ecowool. It is better to do it with the hands of masters. I initially wanted to insulate my house with ecowool with my own hands using a garden vacuum cleaner, but the deeper I delved into the topic, the more I realized that it’s not worth insulating the walls using the dry method - it will settle. But it’s impossible to do it with wet hands.

So at the same time I ordered ecowool from a specialist using both the dry and wet methods, why spend money on a vacuum cleaner that costs 5-10 thousand and waste months of time manually blowing it into the floor.

Floor insulation

Insulating the floor with ecowool is the simplest of all activities, if done with professional installation. I insulated 200m2 of floor and attic flooring in just 5 hours! Here's the result:

The photos turned out a little cloudy because the process is quite dusty. But if you have a high-quality respirator, there will be no problems.

Many people simply spread ecowool from a bag onto the floor onto some kind of covering, and then fluff it up with a drill attachment or blow it out with a garden vacuum cleaner. It is very long and painful. Is it worth it? Let's do the math.

Regarding floor insulation with your own hands and installers.

Here's an example. 1 cube with insulation costs 2000 rubles. 1 cube alone will cost 35*50, where 35 is the price in NN, and 50 is the density and equals 1750. There is no mysticism. Professional installation allows you to achieve a density of 40 kg per cubic meter. As a result, the difference is 250 rubles. Now Let 100 sq.m. at 200 mm. This is 20 cubes. 250*20=5000 rubles difference. In terms of time it takes 1.5 hours to install and 30 hours manually.

Floor insulation

See previous paragraph. Floor insulation is no different from floor insulation.

Ecowool insulation outside and inside

In the photographs above, we insulated a frame house from the outside. It turned out very good and warm.

The process of insulating the floor and covering the attic can be seen in this video:

When not to use ecowool

Are there options when it is contraindicated to use ecowool? There are two such options:

In floating floors.
Around hot pipes and other surfaces.

Calculation of the amount of ecowool for home insulation

Let's calculate the amount of ecowool for an average house of 100 m2 and one floor. The house measures 9 by 11.

Ecowool calculator:

We have (9+11)*2 = 40 sq.m. walls Multiply 40 by a wall height of 3 meters = 120 sq.m. walls

Wall insulation thickness 200 mm (150 + 50 cross). Now we multiply the area of all the walls by the thickness: 120 * 0.2 = 24 cubic meters. The density of ecowool blown into the wall is about 65 kg per cubic meter. meter. In total, we need 24*65=1560 kg of ecowool for wet insulation of our external walls.

Internal walls. Let's imagine that we have 100 sq.m. internal walls 100 mm thick. Then it turns out 100*0.1*65=650 kg of ecowool.

Total for all walls we need 1560+650 = 2210 kg needed for walls.

We count ecowool for floors. Our floor area is 9*11=99 sq.m. The thickness of the floor insulation is 200 mm. 99*0.2=20 cubic meters (trimmed a little for beauty). Don't forget that we also have an attic ceiling. We want to put 300 mm there. 99*0.3=30 cubic meters. In total, we need 50 cubic meters for both floors. The density of dry blown ecowool “to the horizon” is 35 kg per cubic meter. Total 30*35=1050 kg.

Total for insulating a one-story frame house with a floor insulation thickness of 200 mm, a wall insulation thickness of 200 mm and an attic insulation thickness of 300 mm, we need 2210 + 1050 = 3260 kg ecowool.

Divide by the number of 15 kg bags. 3260/15 = 218 bags of pennies. We take 230 with a reserve. It will cost about 115,000 rubles. If something is not enough, you can pour 270 mm into the attic, not 300. In total, a house of 100 square meters It will cost 115,000 rubles to insulate one floor with ecowool without work. Now you understand how to calculate the amount of ecowool for your home.

But ecowool without wet insulation is not the same ecowool and loses half of its advantages.

Therefore, he calculates the price of insulating this house with professional installation: 34 cubic meters per 3500 (wet installation) = 119,000 rubles. 30 cubic meters per 2000 = 60,000 rubles (dry installation in the floor and ceiling). Total 179,000 rubles. Insulation of a 100m2 house with ecowool.

Installation. Reviews. Installation foreman

Ecowool is installed using the dry or wet-glue method. In the first case, you can do it yourself. In the second case, you definitely need to hire a specialist or expert in installing ecowool. I must admit that there are not as many professionals in the blowing and installation of ecowool as we would like.

Do-it-yourself ecowool insulation

Yes, of course, it’s possible to insulate a house with ecowool yourself. This is especially true for dry blowing into horizontal ceilings. Moreover, this can be done with a garden vacuum cleaner. Garden vacuum cleaner and ecowool - there is such a topic on the forum https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/26958/.

FAQ (FAQ) on the topic of ecowool:

How long does it take to insulate a house?

We insulate a house measuring 100-200 square meters in two days. That is, we will arrive on Saturday morning, and on Monday morning your house will already be insulated. If you insulate a house of this size with your own hands and without professional equipment, it may take one or two weeks. I hope that now the question of how long it takes to insulate a house with ecowool is closed for you.

How much does it cost to insulate a house with ecowool?

I already wrote, but I’ll say it again. 2000 rubles per cubic meter (!cube, not square) of dry insulation and 3500 rubles per cubic meter of wet insulation (it is more technologically advanced and more complex).

Is there some kind of calculator?

Only manual! Here I have given you a calculation method, everyone can easily and quickly calculate the volume of ecowool they need!

What is the wet insulation method?

The wet method (more precisely, the wet-glue method) of insulation consists of using a special machine in which ecowool, water and glue are mixed, and then it delivers it with a jet under pressure into Right place. In my opinion, cotton wool can only be applied to the walls using the wet method, since if you use the dry method, the ecowool will definitely shrink over time.

Does ecowool shrink?

Does not give! But there is one thing. Ecowool does not shrink with proper installation: with wet insulation of vertical coverings (the horizon can be done dry), as well as with the direct hands of the installer (so call people with experience, for example, us).

What should be the density of ecowool for blowing?

If we are talking about flooring, then the density should be about 35 kg per cubic meter, if we are talking about wall insulation, then the density of ecowool should be 65-75 kg per cubic meter.

Is it possible to insulate a house with ecowool in winter?

If the perimeter of the house is closed, then in winter it can be insulated down to -15.

How much water should there be in ecowool? (humidity)

It takes 30 liters of water per cube of cotton wool.

Ideal wall and floor pie under ecowool

The ideal pie: ventilated facade - MDVP - ecowool - kraft vapor-limiting paper (or PE) - lathing - plasterboard.

How to plaster the outside using ecowool?

Plastering will not work. But you can plaster using MDVP

What is the durability of ecowool?

During the entire period of using ecowool (and it has been used abroad for quite some time) it was not noticed that anything happened to ecowool. So you don’t have to worry about its durability as insulation.

How much does a 15 kg bag of ecowool cost?

A bag of ecowool comes out current prices approximately 450-500 rubles. You can buy ecowool at special factories. But many factories make very low-quality raw materials, so you also need to know where you can buy and where not.

What is the sufficient thickness of an ecowool layer in mm for a permanent residence house?

For a permanent residence house, the thickness of ecowool is sufficient: 200-250 mm for the floor, 200 for the walls, 250-300 for the attic or attic. Media is becoming more expensive, so it’s better not to skimp on insulation.

For a dacha, the thickness of ecowool is sufficient: 150 mm in the floor, 100 mm in the walls, 150 mm in the attic.

Is a ventilation gap (vent gap) necessary in a wall with ecowool?

A ventilation gap in a pie with ecowool is optional, but it depends (as with other insulation materials) on the complete wall pie and especially on the facade materials. If there is siding on the outside, then a ventilation gap is not needed. If it’s wooden, then you can’t do without a ventilation gap. That is, there are no special rules regarding ecowool, unlike the same mineral wool or glass wool, all “pies” are classic.

Is it possible to insulate foam blocks from the outside using the wet method?

Yes, sure. Typically, foam blocks (aerated concrete and gas silicate blocks as well) are insulated with ecowool on the outside with a sheathing about 100 mm thick. After which the facade is made from siding (which is most convenient).

How much does it cost to insulate a 200m2 house with ecowool?

Depends on the area of the walls and floor, here I have given the calculation for a house of 100 m2. But if it’s difficult for you, please contact us in the comments, by email or by phone - we will calculate it for you.

Do you need a moisture-proof film for ecowool on the outside?

Yes, of course, as with any other insulation, a moisture- and wind-proof film is needed on the facade after the ecowool. The fact is that it protects a wooden or other facade and insulation not only from moisture, but also from blowing, and this is no less important.

Do you need a vapor barrier film with ecowool inside?

Here opinions differ. Many insist that PE is not needed inside, but I am still in favor of having it installed. Classic frame house pies all contain a vapor barrier film, and I am against inventing bicycles.

Is it possible to insulate a bathhouse?

Yes. It is not as afraid of moisture as basalt and mineral insulation and easily removes it both outside and inside. The only thing is that you need to install the vapor barrier very well in this case.

Does ecowool burn?

According to the certificate, ecowool is classified into group G2 (moderately flammable), as well as B2 (moderately flammable) and D2 (with moderate smoke-generating ability) and T2 (moderately toxic).
In practice, ecowool does not burn at all; there are many experiments on the Internet with attempts to set it on fire, all unsuccessful. She only burns a little and nothing else. Ecowool does not burn due to special additive: Borax five or ten water. When ecowool is ignited, water is released from the borax, thereby helping to lower the temperature in the hearth and attenuate it. After this, a ceramic layer is formed on the surface of the ecowool, which prevents the fire from spreading deeper. In addition, ecowool is poorly blown by the wind, which also gives it a better chance of fighting fire.

And here are photos from the real object. I found it, as promised at the beginning of the post. Bottom line - ecowool does not burn:

Plywood and ecowool

How do plywood and ecowool combine? The situation with it is the same as with OSB-3 (I described above how best to get out of this situation)

How much ecowool should there be in mm?

Ceiling, floor: 200mm or 250mm
Walls: 150mm or 200mm
Attic: 200mm or 250mm
Loft: 250mm or 300mm

Is ecowool toxic?

During the use of ecowool, no consequences for human health were identified. The fact is that both the antiseptic (boric acid) and the fire retardant (borax) are natural, sparingly soluble minerals that cannot release anything into the air during operation. Even allergy sufferers can live in a house insulated with ecowool.

The fastest insulation method. Which?

Most quick method insulation is a wet-and-cool method. If you need to insulate your house very quickly, then hire specialists and everything will be done very quickly.

Is it possible to use drywall with ecowool?

Drywall with ecowool can be used. The only thing is that I would first give the ecowool a month to release excess moisture into environment, and then I would sew it up with gypsum board (plasterboard). It is also possible to successfully sew up walls insulated with wet ecowool material GSP and DSP.

What about ecowool with mice and insects? Do mice grow in ecowool?

Mice do not eat ecowool; it is inedible for them. True, there are rumors that they can still make passages in ecowool if they are allowed into it. But this can be said about any known insulation material: basalt wool, glass wool or polystyrene foam.

The main thing in the fight against mice: do not let them inside, and for this purpose steel mesh is used at the points of access to the wall (in the ventilation gap), as well as closing the access to the ceiling from below. It is also advisable to have a cat, this eliminates all possible problems.

Films and ecowool

If your house does not have rigid slab cladding, but simply a film stretched on the outside, then insulating it from the inside with ecowool will be unrealistic. Ecowool must stick to something and this something must be hard: board, MDVP, etc.
If you want to make a vapor barrier film between the main layer of insulation and an additional cross layer, then you also cannot make a cross layer of ecowool. It is better to move the vapor barrier inside the house, up to both layers of insulation. Moreover, you can also hide pipes and communication wires under the film.

Is it possible to use kraft paper in ecowool pies?

Indeed, kraf paper is very often used with ecowool. It is used by adherents of the “partial vapor barrier” method. That is, kraft paper holds back some of the steam, and lets the rest into the ecowool. And the ecowool releases it further out. Plus, kraft paper retains dust from ecowool (if it suddenly wants to dust).

The main thing is not to use kraft paper in a pie with OSB on the outside. Then the steam will not be able to escape from the ecowool and will remain in it. So the option of using kraft paper in a pie without OSB is possible.

Is ecowool hazardous to health?

In fact, in modern construction market Almost all products are dangerous in some way. Therefore, it is normal not to trust, but to check and investigate. As far as I could understand from my research - ecowool is not hazardous to health.

Boric acid does not get into the air (especially if we install a vapor barrier on the walls, but I still recommend installing it) plus the pores of ecowool are large and there are no small particles that can get into a person’s lungs (unlike basalt insulation).

So the answer to the question is: “ Is it dangerous to inhale ecowool?" - No. But it’s still better to work with it wearing a mask, as with any other material, such as putty and other similar materials. It is better not to inhale anything unnecessary, even harmless.

A good video about ecowool that addresses this issue:

And this is a video about what ecowool looks like after 10 years (nothing has settled). So the answer to the question: does ecowool settle - no.

Negative reviews of ecowool

I researched about 300 pages on the forum before insulating the house and found no negative reviews. Only criticism of competitors. And in 8 years of insulation, my ecowool installer has not heard any negative feedback from clients.

The only disadvantage of ecowool is the price. Soon it will grow, since there is less and less paper and most of it is taken over by drywall workers.

Update August 3, 2016: Found one negative feedback: low-quality ecowool without a vapor barrier smells something unpleasant for a decent amount of time. But the quality of raw materials varies, you first need to find a master ecowool installer who you can trust, and then he will buy you normal ecowool from a normal supplier.

So, if you want to order ecowool insulation for your frame house in any region of Russia, contact me, I will introduce you to excellent installers with extensive experience.

Cellulose insulation has mixed reviews; this construction technology appeared in Russia after 1992 and is only beginning to gain momentum. The basis is made up of recycled products, antiseptics and fire retardants, the material has a loose structure. The scope of application includes residential, commercial, public and industrial premises; operation in conditions of excess humidity is allowed. Thermal insulation of ecowool structures is carried out on your own, manually or using special equipment (by dry and wet spraying). The cost of services depends on the complexity of the object, the density and thickness of the insulating layer.

81% of this building material consists of wood cellulose (recycled cardboard), up to 12% is boric acid, which protects the insulation from biological influences and rotting, the remaining 8% is borax (insecticide and fire retardant). These components are non-toxic, non-volatile and natural substances, they make ecowool non-flammable and safe. When the temperature exceeds 90 °C, it releases moisture, stopping the combustion process. It is important that the composition includes boron-based antiseptics and fire retardants; any others reduce the quality of cellulose insulation. A clear sign The marriage is caused by an unpleasant smell.

An important and taken into account property is hygroscopicity. As an insulation material, it has no analogues; it is the only one capable of absorbing excess moisture in the air and releasing it back without the risk of fungus formation. Provided that condensate is removed correctly, the thermal insulation characteristics remain virtually unchanged. The absorption limit at which cotton wool retains them is 20%. In practice, this means that ecowool should not be used in areas in contact with groundwater or covered with impermeable materials. But when backfilled into wooden or brick structures, combined with gypsum or breathable films, it has no equal.

To the main technical specifications include:

Thermal conductivity is in the range of 0.032-0.041 W/mK.
The recommended density of wool insulation is 35-70 kg/m3.
Vapor permeability – 0.3-0.35 mg/m·h·Pa.
Sorptive moistening – up to 16% in 72 hours.
Sound absorption with a thickness of 5 cm – 63 dB.
Flammability group – G2.

The nuances of using cotton wool

Depending on the type of insulated structure, one of the methods for installing cellulose wool is selected:

Manual laying - suitable for working with small volumes; a prerequisite for the technology is “beating” the insulation. It is not enough to simply buy and fill with cotton wool: its density in the package is at least 120 kg/m3, and the optimal range of thermal insulation layer is 35-70. This method should be chosen when insulating horizontal floors.
Mechanized dry laying - blowing wool through a flexible hose. The best option for insulating frame structures and already in use layered masonry. The use of special equipment allows you to control the density of the insulation.
Wet-adhesive application - spraying wet ecowool with adhesive additives onto the prepared base. The material is wetted as it comes out of the hose and is firmly attached to the surface with any slope; the thickness of the thermal insulation layer is 5-7 cm; if necessary, the process is repeated after drying.

The scope of application includes wooden and reinforced concrete floors and ceilings, limited spaces between the wall and plasterboard, multi-layer and box-shaped structures, ventilated facades under siding, internal surfaces walls of residential and production premises, attic. Installation of vapor barrier films is not always necessary, but windproof films when insulating roofs and facades are required, as is the organization of condensate removal.

Reviews and opinions about insulation

“I ordered a service for wet spraying of ecowool for thermal insulation of an extension to a private house. I prepared the walls myself: I removed large debris, covered them with a primer and attached wooden guides in 50 cm increments. The work was carried out in the warm season, the insulation was left to dry for a day, after which the excess was cut off with roller knives. The result was a smooth and dense surface for the cladding. A year later I checked the condition - there is no fungus, the insulation provided suits me.”

Anton, Kazan.

“I insulated the attic floor with cellulose wool 2 years ago using the dry method. At the end of blowing, the floors there rose by 35 cm; I did not observe any significant shrinkage of the material, perhaps due to the selected layer density (55 kg/m3). The method is good for everyone, I didn’t find any disadvantages except for high prices and weight (in my case it didn’t play a role, but still).”

Roman, Ekaterinburg.

“I used ecowool for thermal insulation of frequently used outbuilding, with all its advantages, I can’t imagine its use in living rooms. The smell from it is not very unpleasant, but noticeable and does not completely disappear. A definite plus is the absence of fungus and mice, condensation does not accumulate in the room.”

Vitaly, Moscow.

“For thermal insulation of the roof and walls of the attic, I used cellulose wool; it was applied wet from the outside under breathable vapor barrier films with a density of 65 kg/m3 and a layer thickness of 25 mm; in total, this stage cost 30,000 rubles. I chose this type of insulation for several reasons: fire safety, lack of seams with good permeability and low thermal conductivity. All these properties have been confirmed, I consider the investment justified.”

Andrey, Rostov-on-Don.

“I blew cellulose insulation dry into the interstitial space of an old brick house. Before that there was only air, but over time the house began to lose heat through the cracks. The process took several days, most of which was spent preparing the holes and checking the condition of the masonry. I am pleased with the result: the first winter showed a reduction in gas consumption by a third. Didn't notice any changes in internal environment Houses".

Leonid, Nizhny Novgorod.

Summary: feasibility of application

The characteristics of insulation are far from universal, but with proper installation and operation it shows good results. TO beneficial properties include safety, absence of toxic substances, the ability to normalize the level of humidity in the room, resistance to harmful microorganisms and rodents, good noise absorption and a fairly low thermal conductivity coefficient. This is one of the few insulation materials that does not form cold bridges and fills all the cracks. The material is consumed without a trace, the cut off excess is reused.

Disadvantages include the need for special equipment for blowing or wet application. Manual backfilling is used only at the stage of building a house or thermal insulation of floors and ceilings along joists, and it is extremely difficult to achieve uniform distribution of the layer and the same density. Reviews note such a disadvantage as significant shrinkage during dry installation - up to 20%, it is even taken into account when performing work.

The material itself does not have load-bearing capabilities; for application to ceilings, open or inclined structures, only the wet-adhesive installation method is suitable, which is more expensive and limited in terms of use. Feedback from builders is clear: wet ecowool should dry well before covering it with sheathing at above-zero air temperatures indoors and outdoors. A minimum of 12 hours is allotted for this.

Manufacturing technology and added additives play an important role in the quality of the material. Companies that provide services for blowing in cellulose insulation use their own raw materials; it is difficult for the owner of the premises to control its composition. The same applies to the density and uniformity of the thermal insulation layer. It’s not difficult to buy cotton wool yourself, but finding a company that operates at a loss or provides equipment for rent is almost impossible.

Price

Type of service	Recommended insulation thickness, mm	Insulation density, kg/m3	Price per 1 m3, rubles
Insulation of floors and attic using joists, dry installation	20 – for the floor 30 – for the attic	35	1950
Blowing ecowool under drywall	From 10	65	3600
Dry installation in walls, inclined and complex structures, attic insulation	25	65	3650
Thermal insulation of layered masonry during building construction	From 10	65	2200
Wet spraying on walls	From 5	65-70	From 400 per 1 m2 with a thickness of 5 mm

The average price of a bag weighing 15 kg is 500 rubles; when whipped with a construction mixer and manually filling it between joists or masonry, at least 3 packages are needed per 1 m3. The cost of spraying ecowool depends on the complexity of the insulated structure and the density of the layer formed; the most expensive are inclined surfaces, ceilings and suspended elements (due to the introduction of adhesive adhesive additives into the composition).

How to choose ecowool suitable for roof insulation?

The main mistakes when choosing suitable insulation for your home

Thermal conductivity of ecowool - features and characteristics

Insulation of a log house with ecowool

Pros and cons of ecowool

Insulation such as appeared on the domestic construction market quite recently, but has already managed to collect a lot positive feedback and earn a good reputation. This material has many advantages, but there must also be disadvantages.

First of all, you should pay attention to this important quality insulation, noted even in its name as environmentally friendly. Essentially, ecowool is a combination of 81% cellulose fibers, 12% boric acid, and 7% tetraboric acid salts. All these components have long been known and are widely used in a variety of fields, including medicine. Today, in matters of environmental friendliness, ecowool is the undisputed leader and is used for the walls of residential premises. the best option thermal insulation. When exposed to high temperatures, this insulation does not emit any harmful substances. What can't you say about existing alternatives. In particular, expanded polystyrene not only releases about a hundred different toxic compounds when exposed to fire, but also actively supports combustion.

Fire safety is the second big plus. Ecowool often becomes an effective cut-off barrier that stops flames. This is also facilitated by the structure of the material - when exposed to high temperature boric acid begins to release water, and the material itself releases when exposed to fire carbon dioxide. As a result, the use of ecowool often saves people’s health and lives.

Ecowool copes perfectly with its immediate task of providing high-quality thermal insulation. In any case, this material is in no way inferior to its analogues.

At the same time, ecowool is not without certain disadvantages that limit its scope of application. In particular, low moisture resistance does not allow the use of this material in a number of situations. Due to its low value, the use of this material as floor insulation is also impractical.

Another disadvantage of ecowool is the difficulty of self-installation. When insulating large areas, this material requires special installations, which means that only professionals can do everything as it should. Craftsmen, of course, try different variants, including the use of a vacuum cleaner. But the result in the end is not the best.

In recent decades, among insulation materials there has appeared new material– ecowool. It is similar to such popular insulation materials as expanded polystyrene and mineral wool, combining some of their qualities. At the same time, ecowool has its own characteristics that distinguish it from the general range of heat-insulating materials.

1. General requirements for insulation materials

Insulation materials used in modern construction must meet certain standards. The experience of builders allows us to determine the basic general requirements for insulation and the factors by which they differ:

Level of thermal conductivity and heat saving
Vapor permeability
Fire safety
Environmental friendliness
Ease of installation
Combination with other building materials
Compliance with certain construction technologies
Durability while maintaining basic properties
Resistant to chemical and mechanical influences
Consumption and cost

2. Composition and structure of ecowool

In order to evaluate how ecowool differs from other insulation materials, let’s first consider its composition and structure.

IN general case ecowool is a loose, fine-fiber material gray, externally similar to mineral wool, but differing from it in flowability, since its fibers are connected only due to micro-adhesion of particles and electrostatic attraction.

Ecowool contains cellulose from paper waste. The higher the quality of the waste, the higher the quality of the resulting ecowool. Grinding is carried out to particles several millimeters in size.

In principle, this is a ready-made material for insulation. Lightweight, able to fill any gap, poorly conductive of heat due to its loose structure. The thermal conductivity of ecowool is about 0.03-0.04 W/m*C, which is comparable to the thermal conductivity of mineral wool and expanded polystyrene (0.06 and 0.04, respectively).

However, such material must be given antiseptic properties, since cellulose is an excellent breeding ground for them for bacteria and microorganisms. To do this, up to 7-10% boric acid is added to the ecowool composition.

About 7-10% of additives also contain sodium tetrabonate, which gives the material fire-fighting properties.

Due to the composition and properties of cellulose, its fibers bind when wet, which facilitates the installation of ecowool.

3. Humidity and vapor permeability of ecowool

Like wood, which is actually used to make paper, ecowool is a material with high humidity. It can hold up to 20% humidity in upper layers, however, this does not affect the thermal insulation properties. Thanks to its loose structure, ecowool allows air to pass through freely, and water vapor can freely escape from the thickness of the material.

In other words, ecowool dries quickly enough and has excellent vapor permeability. This property is very important in the construction of thermos-type houses, when the insulation enclosed between the sheathing sheets easily removes excess moisture.

When using ecowool, it is not even necessary to install a vapor barrier film in the “frame cake”, which must be used with mineral wool insulation.

4. Eco-friendly ecowool

Cellulose, the basis of ecowool, is absolutely harmless to human health. This makes ecowool stand out from a number of other insulation materials. Thus, even the most modern samples of expanded polystyrene contain substances that can release harmful volatile substances when heated. The same applies to mineral wool, which contains a binder of formaldehyde resins.

However, as mentioned above, ecowool contains up to 20-25% antiseptic and fire-retardant (flame retardant) additives. Ammonium sulfates and phosphates are added to some types of ecowool, which can give the material an unpleasant ammonia odor. The developer should choose ecowool using borax (boron sodium salt) as a fire retardant.

In addition, domestic varieties of ecowool are made from waste paper, often of dubious quality, which may also contain harmful impurities.

In short, it is better to purchase a proven product famous manufacturers, which concerns, in fact, any building material.

5. Durability, fire safety, preservation of properties

The durability of ecowool is almost equal to the durability of its main component – cellulose fibers. As for the antiseptic and fire retardant in its composition, their properties change over time. This is especially true for fire safety. Ecowool does not burn, but is prone to smoldering when heated - it is advisable to install it under other coverings.

The thermal insulation properties of ecowool practically do not change over time.

6. Combination of ecowool with various insulation technologies

There are two main technologies for insulating houses:

Installation of an additional layer of insulation to the base material from which the shell of the house is built
Incorporation of insulation into load-bearing structures.

Essentially, there are two options for building houses - from a monolithic material, such as brick, wall block or wooden beams, and from composite materials of walls and ceilings.

Monolithic materials are a good conductor of heat and, accordingly, do not retain heat well in the house. Additional insulation of monolithic walls is carried out by installing insulation from the inside or outside of the walls and ceilings.

It is obvious that insulation of monolithic materials with ecowool is possible only for horizontal surfaces - since ecowool in dry form does not hold on vertical surfaces, such as walls or roof slopes.

However, for this case, a roll-adhesive method of applying ecowool has been developed, which will be discussed below.

A different situation is observed in frame buildings. The insulation here serves as an element of frame blocks that ensure the structural stability of the frame.

In the very general view the frame consists of hollow frames into which the insulation is mounted and where it is held in place by sheathing sheets. Obviously, retaining bulk material between two partitions is quite possible. This has long been one of the ways to insulate panel houses, when loose insulation - from sand to expanded clay - was poured between two panels.

In general, it can be noted that ecowool insulation is possible for both technologies.

7. Methods of using ecowool

Basic methods of installation of ecowool:

Manual method
Automatic dry
Automatic wet-glue method

In the first case, ecowool is simply scattered on a horizontal surface or poured between sheets of sheathing. Before this, the cotton wool needs to be loosened, since it is transported in bags, where it is quite compacted. It is clear that the manual method has a number of disadvantages - it is difficult to make a horizontal surface level, and backfilling large vertical blocks makes it difficult to control the uniform distribution of the material.

These disadvantages are overcome by using blow molding machines that spray ecowool. The ecowool is distributed evenly, and the air pressure during spraying allows the ecowool to penetrate into the most difficult to reach places. However, only horizontal surfaces can be sprayed using the dry automatic method.

Most the best way ecowool application – automatic wet-glue. Ecowool is supplied to blow molding machines in a moistened state, in the form of a water suspension. In the liquid state, cellulose (due to the lignin content in it) has the ability to stick to each other and to the surface where ecowool is sprayed.

Note that it is better to apply ecowool in several layers - this way its attachment to the base will be stronger.

It is the use of the wet method that allows you to apply ecowool to vertical surfaces. Thus, ecowool can be used in wall insulation and in monolithic materials.

8. Ecowool noise insulation

This property of ecowool can be highlighted, since this material is significantly superior to other insulation materials in this aspect. Ecowool is even used for soundproofing recording studios.

9. Pros and cons of using ecowool

Having considered the main properties of ecowool, we can determine the positive and negative sides its use.

The advantages undoubtedly include:

Good thermal insulation properties, even superior to those of the most popular insulation materials - mineral wool and expanded polystyrene.
Can be used in any construction technology
Good vapor permeability and ability to retain its thermal insulation properties when moistened
Enough high degree environmental friendliness
Durability of the material - the service life of mineral wool without loss of heat-insulating properties is estimated at 50-60 years

Low cost - after all, 80% of ecowool consists of waste

The disadvantages of using ecowool include:

Limitation of its use for application to vertical surfaces
Fragility of attachment to vertical surfaces even when applied using a wet-adhesive method
A high-quality insulation layer can only be installed using expensive equipment and with sufficiently qualified builders
The quality of ecowool very much depends on the quality of the source material, usually waste paper, which is difficult to control even for the manufacturer

The use of ammonium sulfates and phosphates as fire-fighting additives leads to an unpleasant ammonia odor

Ecowool can smolder even at 50 degrees Celsius, and it must be protected from sunlight and not installed near sources of high temperature (furnaces, heaters, etc.).

10. Conclusion

In general, it can be argued that ecowool has good prospects as an insulating material. Improving spraying technologies and improving the composition of ecowool, it seems, will give impetus to development this method insulation.

Today, if you decide to use ecowool, you must first carefully select the material on the market and be prepared to spend some money on installation using blow molding machines.

K-Dom specialists will be happy to advise their clients on which insulation method is optimal when building a house - both as part of any turnkey installation and construction work, and in services for the reconstruction and repair of existing buildings.