The article will describe in as much detail as possible about the insulation of slopes of metal-plastic windows. Such designs can be found not only in private homes, but also in offices, industrial premises. In other words, the scope of plastic windows is quite wide. But, unfortunately, many homeowners only decorate the slopes, do not think that they need to be insulated. And this is a very serious mistake, since insulation is one of the most important procedures that you need to pay close attention to at the stage of installing metal-plastic windows.
Do I need to insulate?
Let's look at the reasons why it is necessary to insulate the slopes of metal-plastic windows. There are not very many reasons, but they are quite significant, so you should not neglect them:
- The window system is installed by creating a so-called assembly joint, which is filled with foam during installation. But after all, it has rather unstable properties, especially with increasing humidity ortemperature difference. Therefore, the mounting foam is gradually destroyed, a very large amount of heat begins to escape through the destroyed seam.
- The presence of voids is the very first sign that fungus and mold are about to begin to form. Of course, the entire surface can be treated with antiseptics, which will protect it from the appearance of fungi. But the condensate will still appear on the surface.
- If the insulation and sealing are not done correctly, then moisture will begin to enter the rooms through all the joints. Gradually, moisture will accumulate, and significant temperature fluctuations will lead to cracks and skew windows.
- In the event that slopes are installed without a layer of insulating material, a “play” of metal-plastic can occur. In other words, areas with voids will begin to buckle under any, even the weakest, impact.
It can be concluded from all of the above - the insulation of slopes is an important step in the installation work. This is what will help to avoid later various problems and unnecessary investments of funds.
Styrofoam is the cheapest material
It should be noted that warm slopes are a 100% guarantee that there will be maximum comfort during the operation of window systems in rooms. There are a large number of materials that can be used as insulation.
The most popular is foam. It is the one that is used for packaging household appliances. It has a very low cost, and problemsduring installation, it will not create any. But be sure to take into account that with constant temperature changes, the foam can collapse. Therefore, if you plan to make high-quality and reliable insulation for windows, you need to assess the likelihood of destruction due to the impact of these factors.
Mineral wool
The price of ecowool (mineral) is slightly higher than that of polystyrene. But her properties are much better. Mineral wool is an excellent material for high-quality insulation of slopes both from the inside and outside. This material can very well insulate the necessary section of the window, and most importantly, it is absolutely non-flammable.
So even if it's on fire, it won't ignite. Therefore, do not look at the price of ecowool (for 10 sheets you will have to pay at least 350 rubles), in practice it turns out to be much better than cheap foam plastic.
Penoplex
Extruded polystyrene foam (this material is better known as polystyrene foam). It has the best characteristics when compared with foam or mineral wool. But its cost is about twice as high as that of polystyrene. But the most important plus is that the material is strong enough and able to withstand fairly large loads. In addition, 50mm styrofoam is twice as efficient as styrofoam of the same thickness.
When insulating internal slopes on windows with any of these materials, you will need to carry out finishing. Of course, if your house is made of sandwich panels, work onfinishing is not required. And if everything is correctly installed, then there is no need to do insulation.
Varieties of insulation options
There are quite a few options for conducting insulation, all of them are carried out directly during the installation of window slopes. But in the event that the structure has already been installed and it suddenly turned out that the thermal insulation is insufficient, you will have to remove all existing finishes. And sometimes you have to buy new material to make a new cladding. Do not reject glass wool insulation - this is a fairly high-quality material that will last for decades. But you need to work with it as carefully as possible.
The most economical way
This type of insulation is based on the fact that the slopes will be made of insulating material. You will need the following set of materials for the work:
- Styrofoam.
- Putty.
- Liquid nails (or any suitable glue).
This method is suitable for warming the internal slopes on the windows. But you can safely do work outside the premises, but using a slightly different technology.
Outside trim
To carry out the work you will need a reinforcing mesh, as well as putty, trowels, dowels with washers.
The work procedure is as follows:
- First, you need to carefully trim the foam and level all surfaces to be processed as much as possible. All the cracks thatfind, be sure to cover with putty, the joints are also carefully sealed.
- All areas that you plan to insulate must be treated with a deep penetration primer.
- Cut into individual elements of the foam. All details must match the dimensions of the window slopes. It should be noted that all elements that are located vertically need to be made slightly smaller in size (by the thickness of the horizontal element).
- Styrofoam is a material with a smooth surface, so you have to rub it a little with emery cloth. This will ensure the most effective adhesion to the base.
- All elements must be smeared with adhesive and installed in their place. After that, you need to let the solution dry.
- Under the fixing dowels you need to make holes. A layer of putty must be laid on top of the material.
- Tighten the mesh for reinforcement and fasten it with dowels.
- Coat the entire surface with putty and apply 1-2 coats of paint (as needed).
Please note that all work on the insulation of internal slopes on windows is performed somewhat differently, now let's talk about this. But still, everything must be done as carefully as possible, otherwise even small irregularities will be visible after finishing the surface.
Insulation inside the house
Internal insulation of the slopes of metal-plastic windows can also be done using foam. The works are in many ways similar to those that we described a little earlier. But there are also such differences:
- Not required to usereinforcement mesh. Instead, you can use perforated corners.
- Styrofoam parts can be made up of several fragments at once.
- The thickness of the insulation should be selected based on how the hinges are located on the frame.
Thanks to the use of foam, you can do all the work as cheaply and quickly as possible. You can use this method of insulation in any premises, regardless of their purpose.
Combined insulation method
Very often used mineral wool for home insulation. It's much better than styrofoam. The problem is that it is difficult to cut the foam, and in some cases the slopes have a certain bevel. And it must be taken into account. And if plastic panels are used as cladding, then their shape will also have to be taken into account.
When using mineral wool, the insulation algorithm is as follows:
- First, cut the foam so that it does not protrude beyond the wall. All cuts must be sealed.
- Fix the guide profile on the frame, it will be required in order to fix the installed panels. It is recommended to fasten the panels almost to the very edge of the frame.
- A wooden rail must be installed around the entire outer edge. It is on it that the panel needs to be fixed. But it is not necessary to install a rail at all.
- All surfaces must be covered with putty and primed.
- Prepare the mineral wool while the surface dries. All work must be carried out with gloves, mineral wool is allowedtear or cut - this moment is not critical.
- Cut the panels and put them in the initial profile. A gap will necessarily appear between the base and the element, it is into it that the insulation material must be hammered. It is important that the material takes up all the space, but at the same time it does not interfere with the installation of the panels.
This type of insulation can be used for both external and internal work. Only the use of slopes needs to be considered.
The most reliable way to insulate
But if you use several materials for insulation at once, you can carry out the work as reliably as possible. To carry out the work, you will need not only a heat insulator, but also foil material. Three-layer sandwich panels are also useful. But you can also use two-layer panels if you carefully level the entire surface and protect the mounting seam.
The work algorithm is as follows:
- Prepare the surface as carefully as possible, eliminate defects and cracks, seal the joints.
- First, put a profile for the panels, after it, wooden slats along the outer part.
- The area where the mounting seam is located must be lined with insulation with foil. Moreover, the material should go to the adjacent walls.
- Preparing sandwich panels - they need to be cut into pieces of the desired size.
- The gap between the foil and the wood slats must be filled with mineral wool.
- Install the panels, to do this, press them firmly against the wooden beam.
- Now it remains to putty the corner gap and install the plastic element.
All work must be carried out as carefully as possible, according to all the rules. This is the only way you can get a good result.
