No matter how high the performance, thermal insulation qualities of the insulation, rats and mice can destroy all the efforts of builders. Rodents create passages, holes in materials. They are hard to stop. However, there are materials that are less susceptible to rodent attack. You can also apply additional methods of protection. What kind of insulation mice do not gnaw will be discussed in detail later.
Features of materials
When planning construction work, each owner of his own house must choose the most suitable type of insulation that mice and ants do not gnaw. The fact is that such pests can penetrate the insulation through the smallest cracks, cracks in the facade, foundation, etc. Having settled here once, they will not leave their cozy house. It will be extremely difficult to smoke them out of here.
If it happenssuch a nuisance, it will soon be necessary to carry out a major overhaul. The old insulation will only need to be dismantled. Otherwise, it will be impossible to get rid of rodents.
Mice and rats don't eat insulation. But in the material they gnaw through passages, create holes. Through these areas, heat quickly leaves the room, cold bridges are created. As a result, you will have to pay much more for energy in the winter. Due to improper functioning of thermal insulation, condensation will appear in the house. Other building materials will begin to deteriorate rapidly.
To prevent this, you need to know which insulation is not gnawed by mice and rats. Most of the modern materials on the market today cannot resist the attack of pests. When choosing thermal insulation, you need to understand what qualities it should have in order to be less attractive to rodents. Such materials are quite affordable.
It should also be said that there are methods that can protect even those heaters that are becoming a favorite option for mice and rats from pest attacks. When drawing up an estimate for future repairs or construction, these features must be taken into account so as not to redo the work again soon.
What qualities should the material have?
Studying what kind of insulation mice do not like, you should consider what qualities such a material should have. Rodents choose thermal insulation for nesting, which is characterized by low density. Such thermal insulation is easier to gnaw through. This material does notwater should accumulate. Inside such a "house" mice and rats should be warm and comfortable. It is these materials that pests choose. Also, some of them rodents are able to use as food. Therefore, when purchasing thermal insulation, you need to find out if the mice eat the insulation of this group.
To avoid trouble and additional costs, you need to pay attention to high-density materials. Their rodents can not hurt. Therefore, dense blocks are much preferable to soft roll materials.
It is also worth noting that mice do not start up in thermal insulation that has been impregnated with special antiseptic compounds. The concentration of such reagents should be minimal so as not to harm human he alth. However, it is better to purchase such heaters for external insulation. Indoor use is not recommended.
Another factor that helps to prevent the invasion of rodents is the flowability of the material. Here it is impossible to create a cozy mink, to gnaw through the passage. It repels mice and rats. They leave in search of another suitable nesting site. A number of heaters meet these requirements. However, not every material that is in demand among buyers today can boast of such qualities.
Where do mice like to live?
When choosing insulation that is not gnawed by mice, it is worth considering which varieties should definitely not be used in construction work if there is a high probability of infestation by mice. There are 3 groupssimilar thermal insulation:
- based on foam (including expanded polystyrene, penoizol);
- mineral wool;
- MDF, chipboard, fiberboard.
The listed materials differ in relatively low density. Styrofoam and polystyrene foam were especially fond of rodents. These are synthetic materials. Mice don't eat them. But the moves here they gnaw through easily. At the same time, they are comfortable in dry, warm polystyrene foam. Therefore, all types of foam should be excluded from the estimate. Up to 80% of this material is gnawed by pests within a few years after repair or construction.
It is worth noting that penoizol (liquid polystyrene), polystyrene foam mice also willingly spoil. Although these insulations are denser than Styrofoam, they are not able to resist the attack of rodents.
Some buyers wonder if mice gnaw on bas alt insulation. The answer to this question is positive. Rodents do not eat this material. However, they willingly make moves and nests in this material. It does not matter what type of mineral wool (glass wool, bas alt fiber, etc.) the owners of the house use. Mice ruin this stuff.
This is typical for fiberboard, chipboard, MDF. These mouse plates are able to gnaw through. But natural materials, such as straw, reeds or sawdust, they can even eat. Therefore, such a heater will become not only a cozy home for hordes of mice or rats, but also a dinner.
Ecowool
Almost all of the most popular heaters are not suitable for installation in areas where there is a largechance of attack by rodents. So what to do? What kind of insulation is not gnawed by mice and rats? There are several options that are not inferior to the listed materials in terms of thermal insulation. However, they will not allow pests to settle inside the walls.
One of these materials is ecowool. Its thermal conductivity is minimal, and the service life with proper installation reaches 80 years. In terms of performance, ecowool is not inferior to mineral wool, expanded polystyrene.
It is worth noting that the main part of this material is formed by cellulose. At the same time, ecowool is not subject to combustion, does not emit harmful substances into the environment. Noise insulation performance is 4 times higher than that of mineral wool. Ecowool is not afraid of moisture. Condensate does not accumulate in it.
Ecowool is applied manually or with the help of special pneumatic equipment. The second option is preferable. However, the equipment will require additional costs. Also, the heater itself is quite expensive. Therefore, ecowool has not yet received such distribution. Like other types of insulation. However, there are certain installation requirements. Within 2-4 days ecowool dries at normal humidity. Therefore, it must be protected from moisture.
Why is ecowool a heater that mice are afraid of? It contains boric acid, brown s alts. Their concentration is low. It does not harm human he alth. However, for mice, this becomes an insurmountable barrier. They run from this heater. Also in ecowoolfungi, microorganisms are planted. Therefore, the high cost of the material is fully justified.
Foamglass
What insulation don't mice eat? There is another option that is suitable for creating thermal insulation in a private house. This is foam glass. This material has not gained much popularity yet. However, it is gradually conquering the market. This material is made from waste glass industry. They are crushed and mixed with anthracite, coke, and other similar substances.
Blanks are placed in special molds and then fired. On sale is a bulk type of foam glass, as well as thermal insulation in the form of plates. This material is not affected by moisture. Even with prolonged contact with water, it does not lose its performance.
Under the influence of temperature, foam glass does not shrink, does not collapse. In this case, the plates can be sawn. They are glued with mastics. The service life of this material is 100 years.
This is a rather expensive material. However, it has a lot of weight. The foundation will need more powerful, which also entails additional costs. Various microorganisms and fungi cannot live in such material. This material is too tough for rodents, since foam glass is an abrasive. They are not able to live in the plates of this insulation. For obvious reasons, it is also impossible to equip holes in loose material.
Therefore, considering in which insulation mice do not start, this option should be considered as one of the possible ones. Its high cost pays off verylong service life.
Aerated concrete
You should also pay attention to materials such as foam concrete when choosing insulation for walls. Mice do not gnaw on walls made of this material. These are cellular blocks. Uniform distribution of bubbles is ensured by mixing. One layer of the wall is laid out from cellular hollow foam concrete. This will be enough to provide high-quality protection of the home from heat loss.
It should be noted that not all brands of foam concrete can be used as a heater. For these purposes, you need to purchase such varieties of material as D400 or D500. Blocks can be sawn, used for gluing mastic.
The advantage of this insulation is its incombustibility and durability. Bearing structures are not built from it. However, as a heater, foam blocks have proven themselves on the positive side. Their installation is fast. Even a non-professional builder will cope with this task. It is also an environmentally friendly material. It does not release toxins into the environment even when heated significantly.
The disadvantage of this material is exposure to moisture. It needs to be further protected from atmospheric precipitation. For this, a layer of plaster is created. In this case, a vapor barrier must be used. Under the influence of moisture, fungi can develop in the foam blocks.
This material is too tough for rodents. Therefore, you can safely build a layer of foam concrete insulation.
Expanded clay
Choosinginsulation that mice do not gnaw, you should pay attention to loose expanded clay. This is an environmentally friendly option for thermal insulation. It consists of granules of different sizes. Clay is included. It goes through a special treatment. The material is fired at high temperatures.
Depending on the fraction of the material, expanded clay sand, crushed stone and gravel are distinguished. The thermal conductivity of this material is higher than that of ecowool or mineral wool. However, its cost is relatively low. Therefore, this material is considered in the course of construction planning in the first place.
Expanded clay is difficult to use in the construction of large, tall facilities. However, among the advantages it should be noted that this material does not rot, does not burn. It is also not subject to corrosion. Rodents cannot live in it. This is a bulk material, it is impossible to lay tunnels in it. The material may lose its thermal insulation properties with prolonged contact with water.
Expanded clay differs in acceptable cost, and also long term of operation. It is comparable to the life of the building.
Pro Tips
Having considered what kind of insulation mice do not live in, it is also worth considering a few nuances. They must be taken into account when choosing a material. Of course, due to the low cost, expanded clay is the most attractive for buyers. However, experts say that its use is not always possible.
So, for a wooden house that needs reconstruction, expanded clay is not used as a heater. The fact is that the weight of such material will be significant. This will increasefoundation load. He can't take it. Therefore, light materials should be preferred.
Expanded clay is well suited for warming the floor and ceiling of a new home. Its weight is taken into account when developing the foundation.
It is advisable to use foam concrete, creating a layer of insulation in a brick house. This is essentially the second wall of the building. A non-standard solution is to insulate the house from the inside with the help of such blocks. This can be done even in a wooden structure. However, the interior space will be slightly reduced.
This material is relatively light, as the blocks have hollow chambers inside. They additionally accumulate heat. In winter, such blocks will give the accumulated energy back to the room. Therefore, it is more expedient to create such a layer inside the house. The load on the existing foundation will be minimal.
When can ecowool and foam glass be used?
Knowing which insulation mice do not gnaw, you should take into account the recommendations of builders about which material is better in a particular case. Foam glass can be used for different types of objects. This thermal insulation is applied to warming of both walls, and floors, ceilings. It can also be used for finishing facades, indoors.
The only restriction for the use of foam glass is rooms with high humidity. It is better to mount other types of materials here. Otherwise, the walls will start to rot. It should be noted that this material is quite heavy. It should not be purchased for the reconstruction of the building. The foundation of such a house is not designed for additionalweight.
For most construction work, ecowool is suitable as a heater. Its cost can somewhat confuse the buyer. However, its service life will be very long. Ecowool is suitable for both stone, brick and wooden buildings. At the same time, the material is characterized by high adhesion. Therefore, it can be applied to surfaces of any configuration. All cracks in the base will be filled with this insulation.
Ecowool is a lightweight material. No need to worry that the weight of the structure will increase. Moreover, this insulation can be applied both on vertical and horizontal surfaces, ceiling, attic walls, etc. Ecowool fits snugly to the base, preventing moisture from penetrating inside.
Professional builders say that ecowool is the most preferred option if thermal insulation is required. It is safe for human he alth, but rodents cannot live in it.
Other protection methods
Having considered what kind of insulation mice do not gnaw, you should consider ways to protect ordinary thermal insulation. You can cover the usual material with a metal mesh with small cells. So rodents will not be able to get inside. You can also use special chemicals. The most popular of them are Goliath, Rat, etc. They process the insulation in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Some hosts make a backfill of dry leaves. Sounds scare away rodents. However, this method is the least reliable of all.
Considering whichthe insulation is not gnawed by mice, you can choose the appropriate option.
