Expanded clay, which is increasingly used as a bulk insulation, fills the gaps in the brickwork, or a layer is constructed from it to insulate walls made of blocks.
Types of masonry for filling
The construction of brick walls under expanded clay insulation is carried out by several types of masonry:
- Lightweight well. This method for wall insulation with expanded clay involves the construction of two walls, which are laid out in parallel with a thickness of half a brick with a gap between them from 14 to 34 cm. After the construction of the jumpers, which are laid across the walls through each row of height at a distance of 0.6 to 1.2 m, expanded clay is poured into the cavity wells. It should be carefully tamped and well spilled with "cement milk" every half a meter of the height of the walls being erected;
well masonry
- With embedded elements. Such masonry is also carried out by building two parallel brick walls with a gap filled with expanded clay insulation, but special embedded elements in the form of reinforcing brackets or fiberglass ties are used as a binder;
- Well with horizontal diagonals in three rows. The construction of two parallel walls is carried out with a clearance of 14 to 27 cm, and outer wall laid out in half a brick, and the inside - in a brick. After laying five rows, expanded clay and gravel are poured into the cavity, they are rammed and filled with "milk". Then a diaphragm is installed, consisting of three rows of overlaps. This type of masonry allows you to make the corners solid, without voids, which significantly increases the strength of the structure being constructed. In this case, wall insulation with expanded clay is the best option, since as a material for outer wall you can use silicate or facing bricks, stone, or concrete blocks, which are subsequently finished with plaster or even crushed stone, which has a variety of colors and is used as a decorative material.
Universal use of expanded clay
This loose insulation is used not only in the construction of brick buildings by the method of the above types of masonry with intermediate wells. Expanded clay is insulated internal walls, for the construction of which other materials were also used, for example, aerated concrete, foam concrete or expanded clay concrete blocks.
In this case, the front wall is constructed from facade material at a distance of at least 10 cm, and the resulting voids are filled with expanded clay. To prevent the insulation from fogging and dampening, it is necessary to leave gaps in the wall for ventilation.
tanya (expert Builderclub)See what happens. By sanitary standards the air exchange required for your home is 180 m 3 /h.
Hood. One exhaust duct with a cross section of 100 mm removes about 100 m 3 / hour of air from the room, and this is only with a constantly running fan. The air extraction with periodic switching on of the fan is considered natural, since it is almost always turned off and the air moves through it in a natural way (due to the pressure difference). For natural ventilation a 100 mm duct is not used, they have too much resistance to air movement, and without a constantly running forced fan, such ducts are considered inefficient. The following options for arranging the hood are suitable for your home:
2 ventilation ducts with a diameter of 100 mm with permanently operating forced fans, the power of which will be sufficient to remove at least 80 m 3 / hour of air. In the bathroom, in any case, the hood must be done, since without it all the smells from the bathroom will move to the only ventilation duct in the house, i.e. to the kitchen, which is contrary to sanitary standards and is simply not comfortable. So that constantly running fans do not interfere with their noise (fans) are often installed at the entrance to the ventilation duct, but in the attic.
1 ventilation duct with natural air movement (with a periodically operating fan or without it at all) with a section of 250x400 mm or a diameter of 350 mm. Such a ventilation duct removes up to 320 m 3 / hour of air. This is with a decent margin, but with natural ventilation (without a constantly running fan), as I wrote above, channels of a smaller cross section are simply not used. Anything less is just forced.
But it seems to me that the most comfortable and at the same time simple in execution will be the following option. In the bathroom, nevertheless, make an exhaust hood (why, I tried to explain above), but make it not mechanical, but natural, i.e. section 250x400 mm or diameter 350 mm. And leave the existing hood in the kitchen. With this option, the main air exhaust will be carried out through the bathroom, and during cooking, odors from the kitchen will be removed through the kitchen ventilation duct forcibly (by a fan).
inflow. Ventilation is considered to be working only if the amount of air removed by the exhaust is equal to the amount of air entering the room (inflow), and will be 180 m 3 / kg. In our case, the amount of incoming air through the building envelope is:
1.3 m 3 / hour through leaks in metal-plastic windows (this is the maximum, without reference to the manufacturer)
18 m 3 / hour through leaks in external doors (also maximum)
31 m 3 / hour through walls
Total: 50.3 m 3 / hour. Which is 2 times less than the amount of air that your kitchen hood. As a result, the room will high humidity and lack of oxygen. And if you make a proper exhaust in the house, then the inflow will be no longer 2, but almost 4 times less than the amount of exhaust air.
Therefore, in addition to arranging the hood, you need to take care of the proper inflow.
In order to increase the number supply air, it is necessary either to frequently ventilate (more in the article), or to install wall supply valves that compensate for the missing inflow, namely 180-50 = 130 m 3 / hour. Basically one valve delivers 50 or 100 m3/h fresh air. Those. You need to install, for example, 3 valves with a flow rate of 50 m 3 /h each. It is better to install them near the window opening in rooms such as the bedroom and living room.
All the recommendations that I wrote above apply specifically to your (vapor-permeable) walls. If, for example, they are insulated with foam, then the air flow will decrease by another 31 m 3 / hour. Accordingly, it will need to be compensated by installing another supply valve with a supply of 50 m 3 / hour.
answerExpanded clay is obtained by firing a mixture consisting of intumescent clay, sawdust, solar oil, sulfate-alcohol stillage and peat bog. Preliminary fusible raw materials are foamed, and then rolled in special drums, giving its particles a shape. As a result of their subsequent heat treatment are light and durable granules that have fractions of 2-40 mm.
On this basis, expanded clay is divided into three types: sand, gravel and crushed stone. Sand has the smallest fraction of 2-5 mm, gravel - 5-40 mm, and crushed stone is obtained by crushing gravel, its most used fraction is 10 mm. Slight deviations in dimensions within 5% are possible. The structure of the finished granules contains a large volume of air, which serves as an excellent barrier to the transfer of heat from the walls.
In addition to differences in fraction, the granular material is divided into 10 grades, the calculation of which starts with 250 and ends with 800. The grade indicates the specific gravity of 1 m 3 of bulk insulation and its density. For example, expanded clay M400 has a density of 400 kg / m 3. With its decrease, its thermal insulation qualities increase.
The heaviest bulk insulation must be stronger in order not to collapse under its own weight. In terms of strength, expanded clay has grades P15 - P400. The minimum strength of M400 granules should be P50, for expanded clay M450 - P75, etc.
A ten-centimeter layer of expanded clay in the wall is equivalent in terms of insulating properties to brickwork 1000 mm thick or wood paneling, having a corresponding size of 250 mm. Therefore, at a fairly low outside air temperature, the material is an excellent frost-resistant insulation, and in the summer heat it keeps the house cool due to its low thermal conductivity.
Compared to other types of insulation, wall insulation with expanded clay is much cheaper and more effective. She three times more effective than protection wood, and its cost is an order of magnitude lower than the price brickwork. The use of this material allows you to reduce heat losses in the house up to 75%.
Advantages and disadvantages of expanded clay wall insulation
A lot of requirements are imposed on the insulation of the walls of the house, the main of which is the environmental friendliness of the material used. This is expanded clay. It is made from natural raw materials and is absolutely safe for health.
In addition, the thermal insulation of walls with expanded clay has many more advantages:
- Loose insulation due to granules small size able to easily fill a cavity of any size.
- Expanded clay is quite affordable.
- Thermal insulation and sound absorption of this material has the best performance due to its porous structure, which makes it possible to successfully use granular backfill for insulating walls, floors, roofs and foundations.
- Due to the light weight of expanded clay, wall insulation gives a high-quality result with little effort.
- Thermal insulation of walls with this material can be performed in any climate zone, as it perfectly withstands temperature changes and humidity.
- The insulation is durable and fire-safe.
- Expanded clay does not rot, insects and rodents are indifferent to it, the material is resistant to chemical compounds.
- The installation of bulk thermal insulation does not require the use of construction equipment and can be carried out independently using simple tools.
Expanded clay wall insulation technology
To get the maximum benefit from the use of expanded clay as a heater, you need to know how to lay it. Most often, granular ceramic heat insulator is used in a three-layer rigid wall structure or in the form of an insulating backfill made in a brickwork cavity. To work using any of these methods of insulating the walls of the house with expanded clay, you will need the following materials and tools: cement, brick or blocks, expanded clay, concrete mixer, containers and shovels, trowel, plumb line and rammer, jointing, tape measure and square, building level, cord.
Three-layer wall insulation system with expanded clay
This is one of the most optimal options for thermal insulation using expanded clay. The first insulating layer of this design is considered to be a load-bearing wall erected from expanded clay concrete blocks, which in themselves are a good and durable insulator. In addition, such products are environmentally friendly and correspond to modern concepts of building construction. The thickness of the blocks used must be at least 400 mm.
The second layer of thermal insulation is made from a mixture of cement and expanded clay in a ratio of 1:10. The hardened mixture forms a rigid structure that transfers its load to the foundation of the house. The third layer serves as protection for the heat-insulating material and is made of wood or decorative bricks.
Installation methods for insulating expanded clay layer
There are three technologies for wall insulation with expanded clay using interlayers:
- well masonry. In order to perform lightweight well masonry, it is necessary to lay out two longitudinal walls of brick at a distance of 15-35 cm from each other, and then, along their height, through a row, make a ligation of brick longitudinal rows using transverse jumpers in increments of 70-110 cm. Obtained in this way way wells-cavities need to be covered with expanded clay. Every 200-400 mm of the wall height, the backfill should be compacted and poured with cement "milk" for impregnation.
- Masonry with horizontal three-row diaphragms. Using the laying method with horizontal diaphragms, it is also necessary to make two longitudinal walls, of which the inner one should be brick-thick, and the outer one -? bricks. The distance between them should be 15-25 cm. Expanded clay is backfilled after every fifth row is laid, then the insulation must be rammed and filled with cement "milk". After that, three three-row overlaps (diaphragms) should be laid out with a brick. The corners of the walls in the process of maintaining brickwork should be performed without cavities. This will increase the strength of the surface. For the outer layer of masonry, facing, silicate bricks or concrete blocks can be used, which should then be plastered.
- Masonry with embedded parts. This method for warming brick wall expanded clay provides for backfilling of granules between two longitudinal walls, and the entire structure is connected by embedded parts - staples made of reinforcement, or fiberglass ties.
Some restrictions are present when insulating expanded clay frame walls. The main problem here is that over time, bulk materials become caked and can settle, leaving a section of the previously insulated surface unprotected. This circumstance reduces the quality of the insulation of the entire structure. Therefore, when laying expanded clay in frame wall it must be carefully tamped, which exposes the skin to significant loads.
As for wooden walls, their insulation with expanded clay causes certain difficulties. For comparison: the thickness of the outer coating using mineral wool is 10-15 cm, and for backfilling expanded clay, it will be necessary to prepare cavities 20-40 cm wide, since its thermal insulation properties are noticeably worse than those of mineral wool. To support the weight of expanded clay, the load-bearing wall must have sufficient strength. It is problematic to hang such a mass on a log house, besides, a backfill thickness of more than 40 cm will not allow this to be done. Therefore, for insulation wooden wall expanded clay will have to make an additional foundation outside. If we take into account its cost and the amount of insulation, which will need 4 times more than mineral wool, we can understand that thermal insulation wooden house expanded clay will be much more expensive. Therefore, it would be better to choose another option for insulation that does not require strengthening structures and widening the foundation.
How to insulate walls with expanded clay - look at the video:
Lightweight, durable and strong expanded clay is made from natural raw materials and has high, but at the same time it costs much cheaper than similar materials. He also has some drawbacks, but subject to all installation conditions, they are reduced to nothing. We deal with the main properties of the material and the features of house insulation with expanded clay, the nuances of its use for thermal insulation of the floor, walls, roof and foundation.
No. 1. Expanded clay: production and fractions
For the production of expanded clay is used fusible grades of clay with a quartz content of 30%. They are processed in special chambers, where they are heated to a temperature of 1050-1300 0 C for 30-40 minutes, resulting in swelling and the formation of porous granules with a melted sealed shell, which gives the material the necessary strength. The more pores in expanded clay, the better.
During the production process, as a rule, granules of different fractions:
- expanded clay sand with granule size up to 5 mm;
- expanded clay crushed stone- granules resembling cubes in shape;
- expanded clay gravel- granules of an oblong shape.
Expanded clay of such fractions is distinguished by the size of the granules: 5-10 mm, 10-20 mm and 20-40 mm. 
No. 2. Advantages and disadvantages of expanded clay
Expanded clay won wide popularity not only thanks to low price but also at the expense of others benefits:
Among shortcomings:
No. 3. Physical and technical properties of expanded clay
When choosing expanded clay for home insulation, pay attention to its following properties:
Due to its properties expanded clay has a wide scope. It is used as a filler in production, as a decorative and drainage material, but still the main area is thermal insulation, and not only structures, but even soil. 
No. 4. Warming the floor of the house with expanded clay
Expanded clay is one of the most suitable materials for, especially if the budget is limited. Warming can be performed by one of several existing methods.
Classic variant provides for the following sequence of actions:
You can do without the time-consuming process of preparing the mortar and pouring the screed using simplified dry technology:
- a vapor barrier is laid on the surface of the main floor;
- expanded clay is poured over the beacons, for reliability it can, of course, be fixed with cement milk;
- dense gypsum-fiber sheets are laid on expanded clay, which are fastened with glue.
Similar to the dry method lag insulation option:
No. 5. Insulation of the walls of the house with expanded clay
For wall insulation with expanded clay is used three-layer masonry method, which is applicable only for newly built houses: the first layer is a load-bearing wall, the second layer is expanded clay with cement milk, the third layer is exterior finish. There are three technologies:
If they are insulated walls, then expanded clay insulation must be very carefully tamped. Walls the hardest thing to insulate with expanded clay. Since its thermal insulation properties are somewhat worse than those of its closest competitor, it is necessary to leave cavities 20-40 cm thick, and this is a significant load on the load-bearing walls, so an additional foundation will have to be made outside. The complexity of the technology and the cost of all additional manipulations practically negate the efficiency of expanded clay insulation, therefore, for wooden houses it is better to consider another option for wall insulation. 
The popularity of heaters in the form of mats or plates is understandable - they are easy to transport, it is convenient to work with them, while saving time. But often builders use another type of thermal insulation - backfill. It differs from foam or mineral wool boards in its structure. Perhaps, for some works, backfill thermal insulation will be more preferable.
Insulation is a low-density porous material, the granules of which are produced by firing foam raw materials at high temperature. Ease of manufacture is reflected in the low cost of thermal insulation, and the structure also saves on labor costs.
The disadvantages of filling heaters are:
- their shrinkage by 10-15% of the initial volume;
- loss of thermal insulation properties when wet.
Backfill insulation is used, usually for horizontal surfaces. The job seems simple, but requires careful preparation. For example, when insulating the floor in buildings without basements, the soil is pre-compacted and covered with a screed. Next, a waterproofing material is laid on the latter, and a heater is poured on it. It looks like the situation is with the insulation of the roof, only the screed is not required. Instead, a layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of the backfill material.
When sheathing walls, a frame is constructed in advance, consisting of durable sheet elements. After that, a heater is poured inside the resulting structure.
Types of backfill thermal insulation
Hundreds of years ago, when building wooden houses from timber or logs, the very first bulk insulation was used - sawdust. Like modern counterparts, they were quite good in terms of thermal conductivity, but they shrank or lost their properties when wet. Today's materials are more perfect in many respects. The most popular of them are discussed in detail below.
Insulation, the basis of which is clay. It is used as an independent heat insulator for premises of residential or industrial buildings, and in combination with concrete (expanded concrete is obtained). Today it is obtained by firing shale.
The production technology varies depending on the required dimensions of the final granules.
Having studied the marking of the filling insulation, you can understand what size granules of the material are and for which parts of the house it is suitable. For example, expanded clay sand is used as a heat insulator for the floor or acts as an integral element of the concrete cladding. Granules with a diameter of 5-10 mm are suitable for pitched and flat roofs, floors, attics; larger than 15 mm - for warming the basement or foundation.
Expanded clay inevitably settles during operation, therefore, during the initial installation, it must be strongly tamped to minimize shrinkage. The material is recommended to insulate walls only in regions where the temperature in winter does not fall below -20 degrees.
The insulation is made from silicate volcanic rocks using the same technology as expanded clay. When heated to 1000-1200 degrees, moisture evaporates from the surface of the stones, leaving air inside them. The result is white or gray granules with a diameter of 1 to 10 mm. The density of perlite ranges from 75 to 150 kg / m3, and for its color it is also called "glass insulation".
The smallest granules (1-2 mm) form perlite sand used in such areas:
- insulation of residential buildings;
- production of acoustic materials;
- production of insulating plaster;
- creation of fire-resistant concrete.
Granules filled with air weigh less than expanded clay, therefore they are suitable for thermal insulation of walls. In addition, the material will remind mineral wool, because in addition to preserving heat, it will prevent the penetration of extraneous noise into the room.
Expanded material made of hydrated mica, increased in volume by 15-20 times by heat treatment. It has increased fire-resistant properties, due to which it is used in the installation of chimneys. Ideal for floors and walls.
A thin layer of vermiculite 5 cm thick will retain up to 70% of the heat of the room. This is enough to insulate the roof. For walls, floors and foundations, it is recommended to make a double layer of material.
The density of vermiculite is lower than that of expanded clay or perlite - the largest bulk density is 100 kg/m3. This filling insulation is supplied in bags of a certain volume, and is used in almost all areas of a residential building.
The benefits of vermiculite include:
- low coefficient of thermal conductivity (0.04-0.06), comparable to polystyrene foam and mineral wool;
- no likelihood of voids and seams;
- high melting point (1400 degrees);
- absence of toxic materials;
- biological resistance (prevents mold, fungus, is of no interest to rodents);
- good sound insulation;
- lightness of the material, allowing it to be used in frame houses, on load-bearing systems or foundations;
- ease of insulation work and time saving.
Relatively new material, which appeared on the market only 10 years ago. It is produced from recycled paper raw materials, flame retardants (substances that prevent ignition), antiseptics. Safe for humans, resistant to decay, is not a fire spreader. It is more often used for thermal insulation of walls, attics or roofs of complex construction.
Scope of filling insulation
Since the material in question is light and almost does not weigh down the structure, it is usually used when sheathing a sloping roof. It also finds application in the insulation of such sections of houses:
- attic floors;
- attic;
- frame structures (walls);
- floor, foundation;
- horizontal partitions between floors;
- brick walls.
The optimal combination of prices, qualities, as well as the combination of lightness with reliable thermal insulation contributed to the growth in demand for the considered bulk insulation. If the house needs good protection from the cold, and there is little time to work, expanded clay, perlite, vermiculite and ecowool will be excellent helpers in the implementation of the plans.
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