Insulation of a pile-screw foundation: methods and sequence of work. Insulation of the pile foundation of a wooden house Insulation of the facade of a house on stilts

Before you insulate the pile screw foundation of your own wooden house, you need to study the technology of work and the necessary materials. The design of the basement in the building performs several functions at once:

• decorative and aesthetic;
• protection of the underground from moisture and wind;
• rise in temperature under the structures of the house.

The last point allows you to get several advantages at once. First of all, this is a decrease in the thickness of the thermal insulation in the ceiling. At the same time, the construction pie becomes larger, the height of the rooms on the first floor is not eaten.

The second positive property of insulation is to reduce the effects of such a phenomenon as frost heaving. Insulation of a pile-screw foundation during wooden construction will help to partially prevent soil movements in winter.

Do I need to insulate

Currently, in the construction industry, much attention is paid to the work on the insulation of 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 a building, it is necessary to carefully consider the insulation.

Options for warming the basement of a house on a pile foundation

Heating costs can be up to 40% of the family budget. And these costs are permanent. Knowing the cost of utility bills and the amount of work on insulation, you can easily calculate when the measures taken will pay off.

It is also important to remember that a well-insulated structure is protected from condensation. Humidity is the main cause of mold and mildew. You can also easily encounter other microorganisms. Insulation of the pile foundation will help preserve 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.

Insulation options

Facing the basement can be of several types. The decision which one to use is made on the basis of aesthetic considerations, financial possibilities, as well as the qualifications of the workers who will perform the finishing.

Basement insulation can be carried out in two ways:

1. on a separate tape design;
2. along the crate, which is attached to the piles.

Tape construction

The first option is more difficult and also has a number of limitations. Shallow type tape construction can be made of concrete or brick. Most often, it rests on the ground or its small monolithic foundation (more on the device 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 brick plinth. In this case, the earth rises (swells) in winter. Moreover, the process is uneven. Having dug out the structure of the plinth from the snow, at some point you will have to see inclined cracks that indicate damage by frost heaving.

Tape base, on which, if necessary, you can even fix the insulation

This phenomenon can be prevented by eliminating one of the heaving factors:

It is impossible to fulfill the first condition in the manufacture of an unburied tape. The soil under the basement sheathing of the house will still freeze and deform. Moisture removal may also be inefficient.

It is reasonable to use tape sheathing only on those soils that are not prone to heaving. Such bases include coarse-grained soils, medium or coarse sand. Also, the option is suitable for regions with a warm climate, where negative temperatures are rare.

The insulation is fixed to the brick according to the standard scheme. Penoplex is best

The fixing of the insulation is carried out on a concrete or brick wall according to the type of thermal insulation of the external enclosing elements of the building. 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 be less expensive and easier. Insulation of the foundation on piles in this case can be performed using a variety of materials. An example is:

• basement siding;
• clinker panels;
• metal profile.

The choice among the options is based on financial possibilities and aesthetic considerations. All options are fixed approximately the same. Read a detailed article about finishing the basement of a pile-screw foundation. 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 with metal materials, it is more reasonable to use steel as a crate.

The frame is usually made of two longitudinal straps. If necessary, a larger number of longitudinal elements can be provided. It all depends on the height of the base. It is also possible to provide vertical frame members. The need for them depends on the chosen material for facing the basement of the house.

Before insulating the foundation on screw piles, it is required to provide for fastening the frame to them. The method depends on the material:

• When attaching the cladding to wooden slats and bars, it is required to foresee metal embedded parts in the upper part of the piles. They can be made from angle or other similar types of rolled products. Fastening to piles is carried out by 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 frost heaving do not destroy the finish and thermal insulation, it is worth raising the base above the ground. The damper gap can be from 5 to 15 cm. At the final stage, this distance can be closed with some kind of bar.

Air vents can be provided in the place indicated on the diagram or in the gap between the cladding and the blind area

Insulation for the basement of the house is attached to the same frame as the finish. Depending on the type chosen, a number of additional measures will have to be carried out.

When warming, it is important not to forget about the ventilation of the underground. For this purpose, special holes or vents are provided 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, a gap between the ground and the skin can serve. To do this, it is covered with a special mesh that prevents the penetration of rodents and insects, but does not interfere with the movement of air.

How to choose a heater for the basement of the house

For structures that are close to the ground, it is not recommended to use mineral wool. It is highly hygroscopic, and when wet, it ceases to perform its direct functions. Also, cotton wool can easily sag. It is not so easy to attach it to the frame using screw piles.

Insulation of the foundation on screw piles is best done using materials such as:

• Extruded polystyrene foam or Penoplex. The material has 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 foam, but will be the most affordable of all.
• Liquid penoizol, which is distributed by spraying. Helps to simplify the process of fixing the insulation.
• Foamed glass, which is available in blocks.

Penoplex can be attached both to the crate and to a solid base. The second option allows you to use glue and fasteners at the same time, guaranteeing greater reliability. Sheets of plywood, which are mounted on the crate, can serve as a base.

Another option is to attach Penoplex to the frame with DSP cladding and subsequent finishing
On heaving soils, it is also recommended to insulate the blind area - this will prevent the "bulging" of piles from the ground in winter

Read more about this in a special article about the insulation of the blind area.

For insulation, it is not recommended to use foam. This material is able to accumulate moisture between the styrene beads. This phenomenon leads to the fact that at low temperatures the foam crumbles into separate particles. The phenomenon is caused by the high pressure of freezing moisture on the balls of material.

How to insulate the pile foundation of a wooden house: the best ways

Insulation of the basement of a house on piles, including screw piles, is required for thermal insulation of the house and foundation. We will tell you how and what is better to insulate.

Warming of the pile foundation is carried out so that the floors are warm, and there is no dampness under the first floor of the house - these are necessary measures. Moreover, pile foundations do not have continuous surfaces, like strip foundations, and this causes certain requirements and methods of insulation. But for houses on pile-screw foundations, there are ways to insulate the floor without affecting the foundation, and yet the foundations are thermally insulated. Several reasons for insulating a pile foundation:

• Insulating the foundation, at the same time they protect engineering communications passing under the building from low winter temperatures, which in no way cancels the thermal insulation of pipelines;
• They insulate the foundation and equip the basement in a complex, and the building receives both facade protection and a presentable aesthetic appearance;
• About the need for a basement - snow and water will not accumulate under the floor of the first floor, and a house without a basement will receive protection from the external environment.

Insulation begins with arranging a blind area around the house, then they mount a crate for a fence (other options for its construction are possible - stone and brick walls, etc.), then the created frame is insulated and lined - for example, with basement panels.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a pile foundation

When choosing and preparing materials for insulation, it does not hurt to consider both budgetary and more technologically advanced modern heaters. Heat insulators are most in demand for insulation under the basement cladding:

• EPS (extruded polystyrene foam) - this modification of obsolete foams is not new, but a very popular insulation for basement walls and foundations. Rigid and durable slab insulation with excellent insulating qualities, XPS will last a long time; minus - it is not so easy to ensure the minimization of cold bridges. As an option, two layers of plates are fixed apart, and the seams should not fall one on top of the other. The use of special fasteners made of plastic, dowels made of anchor and disc elements is the main condition for the reliability of thermal insulation. In addition, be aware of the flammability of all polystyrene foams.
• Polyurethane foam insulation, applied using special installations, is sprayed with a continuous coating, the foam sets in a matter of minutes and gives high quality insulation - monolithic, durable and absolutely non-combustible. Cold bridges are excluded, since all technological gaps and slots are filled. The downside can be considered the high prices of this insulation, partly due to the impossibility of self-applying polyurethane foam without installation and experience.
• The combination of insulation and cladding, or a thermal panel, provides certain savings and an excellent appearance of the basement. Under the lining with thermal panels in cold areas, an additional layer of thermal insulation is performed.

To install a frame for insulation and cladding, you will need lumber - a board and a beam, and as a finish you will have to choose from a wide range of siding, insulated and non-insulated basement panels, asbestos-cement boards and slabs (aceid), etc. When cladding with thermal panels, there is no need for additional finishing.

The masters recommend performing the blind area before the main work on the insulation of the foundation - such a sequence of work will ensure that the basement thermal insulation adheres to the blind area heat insulator, and not to the ground surface, which will freeze in winter. Briefly, the stages of the blind area:

• An excerpt of a trench along the contour of the building, the width is according to the type of blind area (but less than 1 m in any case is impractical); depth - 0.30-0.45 m, according to the design and type of drainage;
• Sand bedding for water drainage and a shock-absorbing layer, height from 200 mm, is performed in layers of 10 cm and each layer is rammed; sand is backed up with crushed stone 50 mm, also with compaction;
• Waterproofing on a sand cushion, if films and rolled waterproofing agents are used, an overlap of at least 150 mm is required;
• Thermal insulation along the hydroprotective layer - EPPS is often used, hard and dense;
• Drainage - a special perforated pipe is laid with a recess below the blind area, around the entire perimeter of the house.

Heaving soils under the house (often paddle piles are used for foundations on heaving soils) require a special junction of the basement with the blind area, for example, expanded clay is poured into the junction areas, this will prevent breakage of the basement slabs when the base soils move.

The second stage is the crate, to which both heaters and finishing panels are further attached, so the frame must ensure the strength of the entire structure of the intake. To steel pipe piles, it is possible to mount the beam and the board of the batten on steel clamps. The boards of the crate frame are mounted along the contour of the basement in two or three belts, depending on the height of the basement and the weight of the facing panels. The boards are fastened to the extreme piles, it is possible to apply welding. To the horizontal bars welded to the pipes, the boards are fixed with bolts, through pre-drilled holes. Options for fastening the battens directly to the wall of the house require additional measures to ensure rigidity - the belts are reinforced with vertical jumpers on self-tapping screws.

Warming is performed according to the technology of the selected thermal insulator:

• XPS boards are fastened to the crate with plastic dowels with dish-shaped elements (umbrellas). It is necessary to fill with assembly foam all the joints of the slabs when laying in one layer, as well as areas of joints or fastening of the slabs to the wall. Plate heaters are mounted both outside and on the inside under the house, the latter option gives a plus in simplifying the installation of facing plinth panels.
• Sprayed polyurethane foam can be applied both before and after plinth cladding. The crate for sprayed thermal insulation is made continuous, with minimal gaps between the boards. According to the technology, polyurethane foam is simply sprayed onto an insulated plane using special installations. Thermal panels as an option for insulation give a big plus in reducing the time of work, since finishing is immediately obtained. Most types of thermal panels are fastened to a wooden crate with dowels or special complete fasteners. All wooden structures, including the frame of the crate and, if used, a beam of a wooden grillage, are protected with antiseptic and flame retardant impregnations. The final concrete layer of the blind area or tile coating is performed after the basement insulation has been installed. When using concrete, all work is suspended until the strength of the concrete pavement is cured.
• Complete the insulation on the pile foundation with the lining of the basement. When attaching the siding to the crate, one should not forget about the ventilation products for the subfloor. The installation of siding is carried out as standard: panels are attached to the starting profiles - by lowering them into the profile lock, fixing the upper parts to the crate with self-tapping screws. The verticality of the starting profiles is controlled, otherwise the lining will not be of high quality. The siding package allows you to mount the cladding beautifully and without problems, since there are all the extensions - a corner, a low tide for the base, framing the ventilation holes.

Types of pickups are not limited to cladding on an insulated frame. Strong and reliable cladding for cottages is made of brick, while a shallow foundation tape is required for the brick wall of the basement. Brick fences require high skill of a bricklayer. Another simple option is sheathing with sheets of aceid, on nails on a wooden crate, and then finishing with a plaster cement-sand mortar. But on asbestos-cement sheets, tiles, artificial and natural stone claddings are also possible.

The maximum effect of foundation insulation is impossible without floor insulation. On the draft floor of plywood filing, waterproofing is laid along the cranial bars. Its tightness is mandatory - the joints of rolled materials are overlapped and glued with construction tape. Of the whole variety of thermal insulation for the floor of a frame house, mineral wool basalt mats are most often chosen - non-combustible and warm material. It is necessary to have a tight fit of the mats to the floor joists so that the cold bridges are minimal. The second heat-insulating layer is made on top of the lower insulation, then - floor coverings. Floor insulation is essential for the comfort of living in the house and reducing energy consumption for heating in the winter season.

Each owner, before starting the construction of a house, draws up an expense plan for expenses. One of the most costly stages is the construction of the foundation. For small houses or outbuildings, suburban buildings do not need to fill a monolithic or strip foundation. It will be enough to drive in piles, which are tied on top with a grillage.

Why insulate

Indeed, the question arises: is it necessary to insulate the pile foundation? After all, he digs deep into the ground and he is not afraid of swelling. But there are vulnerabilities that require special solutions:

• If a reinforced concrete grillage is poured, this design in itself is a conductor of cold at low temperatures. It will absorb significant amounts of heat, which will have to be replenished by increasing the cost of heating the house;
• If the house is built on a metal or wooden grillage, everything would be fine, but there is a lot of space in the underground space that is not protected from blowing winds and frost. You can use multi-layer insulation, but it is better to completely cover the base with an insulated structure;
• If engineering communications are provided in the house, they will pass through the underground space under the house. Therefore, thermal insulation of the pile foundation is required to prevent freezing of the pipeline;
• Externally, the house will look much more spectacular. The closed basement can be beautifully finished from the outside, and get a single finished house design.

These reasons convince many owners of the need to properly insulate the pile foundation of their home. To do this, you first need to understand which material is best suited for this.

Types and features of heaters

Before you qualitatively insulate the foundation on screw piles, you must select the material to be used.

Since the place is open and the conditions are unfavorable, the choice should be taken seriously. Not every material can withstand heavy loads and hold back the cold in a quality manner. The best options would be the following materials:

Polyurethane foam

It lays down in a dense layer and is evenly distributed around the entire perimeter of the foundation.

Using foam as insulation

In terms of its heat-retaining characteristics, it surpasses other modern heaters. The main indicators of the thermal conductivity of polyurethane foam are the dimensions of the resulting cells or bubbles. Here, the thermal conductivity coefficient is in the range of 0.2-0.3 W / m K. The positive qualities include high adhesion. Thanks to this quality, PPU is able to lie down on anyone. Surface regardless of the configuration and structure of the structure. The lightness of the material does not weigh down the foundation. This avoids additional loads on the piles.

The only downside is the specialized equipment that is needed to apply the foam to the surface.

Penoplex

It is important to consider that in this case, foam for the foundation is required. The plates of this insulation are able to quickly and reliably cover the basement, basement and underground space from wind and cold.

The use of foam boards for pile foundations

The material not only insulates, but also reliably protects against the penetration of moisture and groundwater. Due to its lightness, it does not load the foundation, which reduces the load on the piles. It is able to withstand temperatures from -50 to +65, which makes it possible to use it in any region. The pluses include its low cost.

foamed glass

Insulation with foam glass blocks has both positive and negative sides. All of them depend on the technical characteristics of this material. The advantage is its durability. With proper installation, it can last hundreds of years. Works great as a waterproofing agent. This quality allows you to protect the metal structure from corrosion and rust and increase the reliability of the house.

Foamed glass as a foundation insulation

Foam glass plates do not burn, as the melting point of glass is 1000 degrees. This provides additional fire protection for wooden structures.

The disadvantages include its high price and complexity during installation. For fastening, dowels are required, which must be used very carefully, because the material is fragile and cracks easily.

Mineral wool

Warming the foundation with this material does not require special skills. It is lightweight and holds heat well. But for a comfortable stay in the house, high-quality protection against moisture is required, and with this, mineral wool has great difficulties. The material requires waterproofing, therefore it is not beneficial for use. In addition, it is short-lived and capable of deformation.

The use of mineral wool for insulation of the foundation

Penofol

It is this material that has the best combination of price with high characteristics of a heat insulator. Used in rolls. Made from the thinnest aluminum foil layer, it is able to cover large areas, and lays down on any surface. It boasts good thermal and waterproofing qualities. Penofol is able to dampen sound and is a good option for those living near railways and highways.

Penofol - modern insulation

The positive aspects include its resistance to temperature extremes, as well as ease of installation and lightness.

Since the surface of the insulation is foil, finishing materials in the form of putty or paint cannot be applied to it.

Natural heaters

These include: sawdust, tow, plywood sheets. They are environmentally friendly and breathable. But for reliable thermal insulation in scrap with permanent residence, these materials may not be enough. At the same time, they are a favorable environment for rodents and insects.

When choosing a material, the choice of material for insulation must also take into account the way the work is carried out: inside, outside and comprehensively. The piles themselves do not require insulation, only the grillage needs protection.

Do-it-yourself insulation work

The correct sequence and precise execution of all work will help to achieve maximum results.

To understand how to insulate the pile foundation yourself, you will need to carefully study all the stages of the work and prepare the tools:

• Spatula or brush for applying a protective layer on wooden structural elements.
• Hacksaw. It will be required when cutting the required size and amount of material.
• Drill or perforator for mounting insulation.
• Level for measuring the angle of inclination of the surface.
• material for insulation.

After all the preparations, you can proceed with the installation of the insulation. All work is carried out according to the following scheme:

The main feature of pile foundations is their ability to provide the building with a support of sufficient strength and reliability, which makes it possible to build residential buildings in difficult areas. Thanks to the complex of piles, the foundation can be based not on the surface layers of soil and soil, which are sometimes characterized by instability, excessive waterlogging, or washed away by groundwater inflows, but on denser layers located deeper. Thus, it is possible to obtain a support with high mechanical strength, which will not depend on the depth of groundwater at the construction site.

Expert opinion

Konstantin Alexandrovich

Ask an expert

The main disadvantage of structures of this type is the underground insulation of the pile foundation, that is, the piles themselves. Such features create conditions conducive to the formation of condensate drops on the outer parts of the supports, due to which the materials undergo corrosion processes and are gradually destroyed.

Do-it-yourself pile foundation insulation options

Proper thermal insulation of the basement lining can be done in several ways. The final decision may depend on the tastes of homeowners, their financial capabilities and the skill level of employees who will carry out all the finishing work.

There are two most popular methods of warming the basement zone:

1. Arrangement of a separate tape-type structure.
2. Mounting the crate and fixing the heat-insulating material on it.

Tape construction

The first option is structurally more complex and has some limitations. A shallowly recessed belt-type structure can be made of brick or be concrete. It will be based either on a layer of soil, or on its own monolithic base. It is important to consider that if construction is carried out on a site with a heaving type of soil from the bottom of the foundation, this option for arranging insulation is not recommended. Especially if the basement is planned to be built of brick. In this case, in winter, the soil will swell or rise, and this process will occur unevenly. Over time, if you free the base from snow deposits, you will see cracks located obliquely. Their appearance will indicate damage to the base by frost heaving processes.

To prevent phenomena of this kind, it will be necessary to exclude one of the causes that provoke heaving:

1. low temperature;
2. increased levels of humidity.

The first point is not feasible, provided that an unburied strip base will be equipped for insulation. The soil layer located under the finished basement of the building will still freeze and be subjected to deformation. The removal of excess moisture may not be too effective.

The use of a tape type sheathing can be effective and reasonable only on soils that are not prone to heaving. Such grounds include:

1. coarse-grained;
2. sandy soil types (medium or coarse fraction).

Warming in this way is also suitable for warm climatic regions, where winters are mild and frosts are rare.

The installation of the insulating material is carried out on top of a brick or concrete wall according to the principle of fastening the heat insulator of the enclosing elements of the building located outside. Insulation can be carried out on the crate or without an additional frame. The choice of method must be made taking into account the type of finish chosen.

Basement insulation on the frame

This type of building insulation is simpler and cheaper. In this case, it will be possible to insulate the pile foundation with various materials. These include the following options:

1. siding for the plinth;
2. clinker type panels;
3. profiled metal sheet.

It is recommended to select options based on the material possibilities and personal tastes of the owners of the residential building. The mounting methods for each of the options are almost the same. In order to ensure the lining of the plinth with a reliable base, it is recommended to assemble a special frame.

You can make a crate from wooden beams or rolled metal. If the cladding will be made using metal, it would be reasonable to create a crate from a similar material. Typically, the frame includes two longitudinal strapping, but if necessary, the number of longitudinal elements can be increased, depending on the height of the base. You can also provide for the presence of vertical elements of the crate. Their need may be due to the type of material chosen for finishing the basement space of the building.

Before starting work on the insulation of the screw pile foundation, it is necessary to foresee how the frame will be attached. The technique will depend on the material chosen for insulation:

1. If the cladding will be fixed on a base assembled from wooden bars and slats, it will be necessary to provide for the presence of embedded metal parts located at the top of the piles. They can be made from a corner or similar rolling elements. Attach such connections to piles by welding.
2. If you use metal steel elements to assemble the frame, no preliminary preparation is required. The metal profile will simply need to be welded to the structural elements of the base of the house themselves.

In order for moisture penetrating from the ground and frost heaving processes not to destroy finishing materials and insulation, the base should be slightly raised above the ground. The width of the gap can vary from 5 to 15 centimeters. At the final stage of work, this gap can be closed with a decorative strip.

The heat insulator for the basement zone of the building is fixed to the same frame as the finishing elements. Depending on the type of materials chosen, additional measures may be necessary.

When arranging insulation, it is important not to lose sight of the organization of underground ventilation. For the implementation of air exchange, it will be necessary to provide for the presence of vents - special holes. According to existing standards, their total area should occupy 1/400 of the underground space area. In addition, a gap located between the ground surface and the skin material can be used for ventilation. It should be closed with a special mesh that will not allow rodents and insects to enter the room, but at the same time will not interfere with air exchange.

The choice of insulation for the basement of the house

For structural elements located close to the ground surface, the use of mineral wool is not recommended. One of its key properties is hygroscopicity, and a wet material loses its valuable properties. In addition, mineral wool insulation tends to sag. It will not be easy to fix it to the frame on screw piles.

For thermal insulation of the foundation of a pile-screw structure, it is recommended to use the following types of materials:

1. Penoplex or extruded polystyrene foam. This insulation has high thermal insulation and is not afraid of high humidity. When using it, you can do without arranging waterproofing. This heater will cost more. than styrofoam or stone wool, but it is easy to install and can be a better solution due to its qualities.
2. Penoizol in liquid form, applied to the surface by spraying, retains heat well and is not difficult to work with, fills even the smallest gaps.
3. Foam glass produced in the form of blocks.

Penoplex fastening is possible both to a specially equipped frame, and directly to the base, if it is solid. In the second case, you can simultaneously use the adhesive composition and elements of additional fasteners - dowels, so that the adhesion to the base will turn out to be more reliable. The basis can be plywood sheets attached to the crate.

Experts do not recommend using polystyrene foam for insulation of pile-screw bases. This type of material has the property of accumulating excess moisture between the styrene balls that make up the insulation. This feature becomes the reason that when the temperature drops below zero, the foam sheet can crumble into separate granules. This phenomenon is associated with the influence of high pressure of moisture hardened by frost on the structure of the material.

The correct selection of material for insulation in combination with the observance of the technology of its installation can become a guarantee that the thermal insulation will be effective and not damaged during operation.

Finally

Before proceeding with the insulation of the foundation of a house built on a pile foundation, you need to decide on a way to implement the idea. There are only three most suitable methods. It is possible to achieve maximum thermal insulation efficiency by combining at least two of them.

Video about the insulation of the foundation of a wooden house

The foundation and basement of the house play an important role in the thermal insulation and waterproofing of housing. In order for your house to be cozy, there was no cold floor and drafts in it, it is necessary to perform a whole range of works on warming the foundation on screw piles and.

This article will present the technology of thermal insulation of a pile foundation - the arrangement of a basement fence - an element that closes the free space between the house and the soil.

1 Why insulate a pile-screw foundation?

The pile foundation is the optimal type of foundation for building houses in areas with problematic soil. In places where soils are prone to seasonal movements, and the groundwater level is high enough, neither a strip nor a slab foundation can guarantee the reliability required from the foundation.

The pile foundation, unlike other types of foundation, is not afraid of dynamic loads even without, which it experiences during the heaving of the soil, and since the screw piles are made of corrosion-resistant steel, groundwater also does not have a destructive effect on the piles.

Moreover, the pile foundation is a relatively inexpensive and prefabricated structure, which can be installed by specialists within one working day.

However, in addition to many obvious advantages, the foundation on screw piles has a design feature that negatively affects the thermal insulation characteristics of the house being built.

We are talking about the free space between the soil and the floor of the house, which is formed as a result of raising the grillage above the ground. In the cold season, cold air constantly circulates in the empty space, which cools the floor very much, which contributes to significant heat loss at home.

We solve this issue, however, to achieve the maximum effect, the insulation of the screw foundation must be carried out even at the stage of building a house, since an important part of the thermal insulation of the foundation is work with a grillage, which, upon completion of the construction of the house, cannot be fully insulated.

An obligatory stage of complex insulation is the arrangement of a false basement in - a fence that protects the free space under the house from the penetration of wind and precipitation.

The do-it-yourself thermal insulation technology described in this article allows you to get a warm, comfortable house for living even at extremely low temperatures with an optimal microclimate, in which thermal energy for heating is used as rationally as possible.

1.1 What thermal insulation materials are best to use?

The screw piles themselves, which are metal structures immersed in the ground, do not need to be insulated in any way. Thermal insulation is required only for the false base and grillage - elements that come into contact with the inner surface of the floor of the house, which can freeze through and transfer low temperatures to it.

To insulate the above elements with your own hands, the best option is polystyrene plate materials:

• extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex);
• ordinary foam.

Such materials are quite effective, and, not least, it is convenient to work with them.

It is recommended to insulate with foam plastic - this material does not have low thermal conductivity (0.029 W / mk, for comparison, for foam plastic 0.038 W / mk), it is durable, has good strength characteristics and is not afraid of precipitation.

2 Technology of insulation of pile-screw foundation

All work on the insulation of the foundation begins after the grillage of the house is covered with waterproofing material. As a protection against moisture, special membrane films are used, or, if the budget is limited, an ordinary roofing material.

Waterproofing covers both the upper part of the grillage, on which the walls of the building will be placed, as well as the lower and side parts, and the pile heads adjacent to the grillage.

To create an insulated false base with your own hands, you will need the following tools:

• Welding machine;
• Concrete mixer;
• Screwdriver as on ;
• Hammer, trowel, spatula, tape measure, clerical knife.

There are two options for arranging an insulated false basement: the first is the creation of a thin brick wall under the grillage of the house, the thickness of which is half a brick, the second is the use of already decorative panels that are installed on the grillage.

2.1 Creating an insulated brick base

The first option is more time-consuming, however, the result will be as reliable and durable as possible, while decorative panels are quite easy to damage.

To equip a brick basement under the grillage of the house around the entire perimeter of the building, it is necessary to dig a trench 20-25 centimeters deep, and a few centimeters wider than the size of the brick used.

The trench is poured with concrete, which, after hardening, will serve as the foundation for the brick plinth being created. Given that the depth of concrete is minimal, it is necessary to reinforce the base with reinforcement with a diameter of 10-12 mm.

After the time required for the concrete to completely harden, we begin to build a brick base. The wall must be laid in sections of 1-2 meters, so that foam panels can be conveniently installed on the inner surface of the basement.

2.2 Creating a plinth from decorative panels

Installing a false-panel base is much easier than building a brick wall. With the right approach to its arrangement, such a technology for insulating a pile-screw foundation will be durable and reliable.

First of all, you need to take care of the supporting structure to which the plinth panels will be attached. To do this, along the perimeter of the house, it is necessary to weld a guide frame made of a metal profile to the piles.

The step of the guides is determined based on the height to which the house is raised above the ground, as a rule, 2-3 longitudinal profiles are enough. Also, a wooden beam can be used as a frame, but it must first be impregnated with an antiseptic that prevents the wood from rotting.

Insulation plates (extruded polystyrene foam or foam plastic) are attached to the supporting frame. It is necessary to choose the thickness of the plates so that they do not protrude beyond the grillage, since a decorative panel will be attached to it.

Further, a decorative pick-up is installed on the grillage of the house with the help of an adhesive composition. It is important to choose the size of the panel so that its upper part, with which the panel is glued to the grillage, ensures reliable fixation of the structure, and the lower part enters the soil by 4-5 centimeters (you must first dig a small groove).

From the place where the pick-up and insulation are in contact with the soil, it is necessary to remove the soil to a depth of 10 centimeters, and add expanded clay sand.

Expanded clay has low thermal conductivity, and will not allow the structure to freeze in the cold season, as a result of which the heat exchange of the floor and the pile-screw foundation will be minimal.

The technology for arranging an insulated false base of a pile-screw foundation requires natural ventilation, which is necessary to prevent excessive dampness of the air under the house, moisture from which will condense on the inner surface of the floor, which can lead to decay of the wooden structure.

To ensure air circulation, it is necessary to create ventilation holes. On each side of the house, one outlet is enough. In the cold season, the vents are closed with heat-insulating material, or they are shut up with an ordinary rag.

2.3 Technology for arranging an insulated basement on screw piles (video)