Do-it-yourself insulation of a pile-screw foundation. How to insulate a pile-grillage foundation How to insulate a pile-grillage foundation

In modern construction there are many types of foundations. Each of them has its own characteristics and main functions. But the most universal foundation, suitable for almost any climatic conditions, is considered to be the pile-screw type. This foundation is a metal, pile-beam structure. It protects the building from groundwater, soil deformation and transfers the load to dense soil layers.

Why insulate a pile foundation?

In areas with problem soil, where there are areas with floating layers of soil, the optimal solution for building a house would be a pile-screw foundation. It will provide reliability in places with high level groundwater, in contrast to strip monolithic or prefabricated foundations.

The pile-beam structure and dynamic loads are not afraid. It is very durable and resistant to soil heaving. It is also not afraid of the destructive effects of groundwater, since the screw piles are made of anti-corrosion steel.

Another advantage of this type of foundation is its relatively low cost, as well as the speed and ease of construction. Installation of one pile foundation It will take only one working day for a team of experienced specialists.

But, despite a number of positive qualities, the pile-screw foundation has a number of negative features. The house, built on stilts, does not have a basement, and also has poor thermal insulation parameters.

There is a space between the floor and the ground that is easily blown through. This is precisely why precious heat leaves the house very quickly. This is especially noticeable with the onset of cold weather. Radiators don't do their job because warm air always rises and the floors remain cold.

To solve this problem, you need to think about it at the stage of designing a house - thermal insulation. Pile insulation screw foundation occurs at the stage of working with the grillage in order to completely isolate it from external air flows. Finished houses can also be insulated, but it will not be as effective as thermal insulation during the construction stage.

Also, for high-quality and effective insulation of a pile-screw foundation, it is necessary to install a false base. It should prevent wind and precipitation from entering the free space between the soil and the house.

Materials for foundation insulation

When insulating a pile-screw foundation, it is necessary to pay attention to the false base and grillage. These elements come into contact with the surface of the house and, when frozen, can transfer low temperatures to it. The screw piles themselves, immersed in the ground, do not need to be insulated.

When insulating a false base, it is necessary to select a material that is not afraid of water and retains its thermal insulation properties even in a damp state. After all, a large amount of moisture comes from the ground, which means that the insulation will be in a very humid environment. It must also be resistant to various salts and minerals found in the soil. It is better to use when insulating a pile-screw foundation sheet materials high density or liquid heat-insulating mixture.

The most popular materials for insulating a pile-screw foundation are:

  • Styrofoam;
  • liquid penoizol;
  • foam glass blocks;
  • extruded polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam.

Penoplex and foam plastic have the same thermal conductivity and also do not allow vapor to pass through. Penoizol also has similar thermal conductivity, but allows moisture to pass through. Mineral wool and it is better not to use basalt insulation, since they are not very convenient for installation.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a pile-screw foundation

You should start insulating the foundation only after the grillage of the house has been waterproofed. Waterproofing membranes are perfect for this. Most budget option may be roofing felt or similar bitumen-based materials.

Attention! It is necessary to cover with waterproofing not only the upper surface of the grillage on which the walls of the house will be built, but also all its other parts along with the pile heads.

For the manual construction and insulation of a false base, the following tools are required:

  • welding machine;
  • trowel, spatula, hammer, tape measure, knife;
  • low speed drill or screwdriver;
  • concrete mixer.

The false base of a pile-screw foundation does not bear any load, since its main task is to isolate the free space under the house from external factors.
The first option is to build a brick wall under the grillage. Its thickness should be half a brick. The second option is to cover the free space with decorative panels that are attached to the grillage.

Creating a brick plinth

This option is more labor-intensive, but the effort will not be in vain. Since the brick base is as reliable as possible and has greater durability, while the decorative alternative is easily damaged.

Before erecting and insulating the basement, it is necessary to dig a trench around the house under the grillage. The depth of the trench should be 20-30 centimeters, and the width should be slightly larger than the brick.

The trench should be filled with concrete mixture and allowed to harden. This will be a kind of foundation on which the brick plinth will be laid. Due to the shallow depth of concrete, reinforcement with a reinforcement diameter of 10-12 mm should be used.

After the concrete has completely set and hardened, you can begin building walls brick plinth. It should be placed in small areas 1-2 meters long. This is necessary in order to simplify the insulation on the surface of the base.

To secure the material chosen for insulation, you will need specialized adhesive compositions that should not contain organic solvents.

Advice! A good option for fixing the material to the surface of the base is Ceresit CT83 glue.

After insulating the base, you need to close brick wall decorative plug. There is a huge selection of materials to suit everyone’s preferences. You can also use plaster.

Creating a plinth with decorative panels

A much simpler way to construct and insulate a false base, as opposed to constructing a brick partition, is to install decorative panels. If you approach this issue seriously and competently, then this method will provide durable and reliable insulation pile-screw foundation.

First, you should start choosing a supporting structure on which the decorative panel of the false base and the material chosen for insulation will actually be installed.

Advice! A good option when constructing a false base would be a frame made of metal profile, welded to the screw piles of the foundation.

The distance between the guide profiles depends on the height of the free space between the floor of the house and the ground. Usually two or three longitudinal profile frames are sufficient.

A wooden beam will also do a good job as a frame, but it must be treated with an antiseptic or mastic in advance. The main thing is to protect the tree from rotting and insects.

Next, the frame cavities are filled with insulation. Foam plastic, penoplex or any other insulation. Do not forget about the thickness of the slabs if penoplex is used for insulation. If it extends beyond the grillage, it will greatly complicate the installation of decorative panels.

After installing the thermal insulation material, a decorative fence should be installed on the grillage of the building using an adhesive mixture. The size of the decorative panels is also an important aspect. To ensure reliable fixation, it is necessary that the lower part goes into the ground to a depth of about 5 centimeters, and the upper part fits tightly to the grillage. In the place where the lower part of the panel contacts the ground, you need to dig a small ditch 10-15 centimeters deep and fill it with expanded clay.

Expanded clay filler has low thermal conductivity, which will eliminate the possibility of the structure freezing at subzero temperatures. Consequently, this will also help reduce heat loss from the floor of the building.

The choice of this false base option for a pile-screw foundation with vapor barrier materials (penoplex) implies the presence natural ventilation. It is needed to prevent moisture from accumulating in the internal space. Because of it, condensation will settle on the inside of the floor of the house, which can negatively affect the wooden structure. In order to allow air to circulate freely, you need to make special holes for ventilation. With the onset of cold weather, the holes should be closed with a plug or any heat-insulating material.

Insulation of a pile foundation must occur in accordance with all existing regulatory requirements. If we consider the installation features of this foundation, in most cases it is installed on heaving soil. Such soils are typical for unstable climatic conditions, therefore there is a need for a thermal insulation process. This action will have a beneficial effect on the health of the residents of the house, as it will ensure the circulation of warm air in the space between the ground and the base. In our article we will discuss all the features and nuances of such work.

Features of the foundation structure

The foundation for a house on stilts is built on special soil - heaving soil, which is affected by seasonal climate fluctuations. For this reason, it is necessary to strengthen the base structure. This can be done by connecting the piles to each other with special elements - grillages. The following materials can be used as this part:

  • Metal beams;
  • Wooden block;
  • Bulkheads made of bricks or concrete.

Attention! The pile-grillage foundation is by far the most used and versatile foundation for a house.

Everyone knows that pile type the building has a fairly cold floor, which can reach sub-zero temperatures in winter period. It is for this reason that there is an urgent need for its insulation. Today there are a huge number of ways to accomplish this task. The most popular option is to insulate the outside of the house. This process is based on the construction of a base.

Reasons for thermal insulation

There are a number of reasons that indicate that insulation is required not only for the building, but also for its foundation. Let's look at them:

  • One of the main reasons is the need for heat in the building. Thermal insulation creates an additional heat flow in the room.
  • If you insulate the basement, it will add space for the home, which can be used for domestic activities;
  • In the case of thermal insulation of the basement, you will get rid of the condensation that appears with the arrival of spring.

Necessary materials

By doing installation work When constructing a house or other construction project, the specialist’s activities must rely on his personal experience. The debatable question in this process remains what material to use.

Insulation of a pile-screw foundation can be done with expanded clay, polystyrene or mineral wool. It is worth noting that this action for the grillage should be provided for at the stage of installing the piles. If cotton wool is used, it must be waterproofed.

Attention! For construction sites on heaving soils, protection from moisture is mandatory.

Thermal insulation options

The process of insulating a house is quite simple to perform, so it can be easily reproduced with your own hands. There are a huge number of materials and methods for performing this task. All thermal insulation options can be combined into three groups:

  • Insulation outside the house. The method involves building small walls and insulating them on both sides.
  • Floor insulation. The floor also requires more heat, but this option is used in areas with a risk of flooding. The most popular way to carry out this process is to insulate it from the outside, which requires less cost, but also has a lower level of productivity.
  • A complete home insulation system. The process includes: insulation of the floor, base walls, as well as performing these works indoors and outdoors.

Process steps

It is worth noting that the preliminary task is to perform calculations and select all necessary materials. When performing thermal insulation, it is very important to simultaneously carry out the action on the outside of the floor. Considering this process, we can say that it is enough to complete it in the following basic steps:

  • Insulation of piles made of metal or concrete;
  • Construction of a frame for the ground floor;
  • Installation of hydro- and thermal insulation materials inside the basement space;
  • Filling the space at a given level with expanded clay;
  • Thermal insulation of the floor outside the basement of the house;
  • Installation work on the creation of decorative panels and their finishing.

Let's look at each stage separately.

Waterproofing works

This process for the foundation must be performed to protect the wooden material of the house and the piles. This will ensure the strength and durability of the structural elements. Water is also dangerous for metal, which is susceptible to corrosion, so it also needs to be insulated. To do this, you can use roofing felt, which must be mounted at the joints between the wall and the base. To protect the columns, they need to be wrapped with roofing felt on a surface coated with mastic - this will improve its contact with the metal.

Before you begin insulating the floor, you need to treat the entire surface with an antiseptic, which will protect the wood from mold and insects. It is worth considering that it is additionally better to treat the frame elements with a fire-fighting agent. Modern impregnations give wood the ability not to burn, but to smolder, which will give time to save your home in the event of a fire.

Attention! There are expensive liquid or membrane materials that can repel moisture.

We are building a basement

After completing the waterproofing of the grillage, you can begin sheathing and creating a basement level. The choice of method for its construction depends on the type of soil on the site and the individual preferences of the customer. The most popular of them is the base made of bricks. To implement this method, an additional foundation is needed, which is why a ditch is dug for the reinforcement. The depth for such a foundation can be up to 20 cm.

The trench needs to be filled with mortar and left to dry - this will create a support belt for the walls. The wall thickness is not important; it is enough to stick to half brick masonry. It is necessary to take into account the mobility of the soil, which requires additional reinforcement.

Benefits of thermal insulation

Despite the high popularity pile foundation, its huge disadvantage is the need for insulation. But, performing thermal insulation for the foundation gives it a large number of advantages:

  • Heat flooring in the house;
  • Proper implementation of waterproofing and insulation processes will make it possible to improve the appearance of the building;
  • If moisture protection is carried out, the amount of water entering the building is reduced;
  • Has a beneficial effect on the health of residents;
  • Protects construction materials from corrosion and other negative influences;
  • Extends the life cycle of the house.

The process of thermal insulation for the foundation of a building is a very important and necessary construction stage. It is worth considering that if you live in an area with constant above-zero temperatures and low humidity, then you will not need insulation. In other cases, it is necessary. You can choose the method by which you can perform this action, taking into account your liking.

No structure can be built without laying a foundation. The foundation is the foundation of the building and to retain heat in the premises it also needs to be insulated. In this article we will talk about the insulation of a pile foundation.

Reasons for insulating the foundation of a house

There are a number of reasons that indicate that insulation is required not only for the building, but also for its foundation. Let's look at them:

  1. As mentioned above, one of the reasons is the heat of the building itself. Insulating the foundation of the building will create additional warmth for the building; in addition, you can create a cozy cellar here and store wines and canned foods in it every year. Also on the ground floor you can arrange a garage, a swimming pool or, for example, install billiards;
  2. Insulating the basement will add additional space to the house, which can be used for domestic purposes;
  3. Insulation of the foundation will not allow ground floor freeze during the long winter, and with the onset of warmth, condensation will not form here.

Insulation of the pile foundation of a house

In buildings with a columnar foundation, the floors often freeze during the cold season. This is due to the open space under the building. In this regard, the question arises: how to insulate a pile foundation? It is very difficult to choose the appropriate type of insulation for this type of foundation. Here it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the constructed building, namely the height of the foundation pillars and their material. However, there are only two options.

  • One option involves installing a frame around the entire perimeter of the building, which needs to be sheathed facing material. This way you can organize the insulation of the pile foundation from the outside. The resulting object can be adapted for economic needs. The disadvantage of such insulation is that it will require a large amount of time, financial costs and material, especially if the floor is located quite high in relation to the ground. But this is the most best option insulation of the foundation, if the distance between the floor and the ground is not particularly large.
  • The second option involves insulating the floor with a pile foundation, and not the foundation of the building. This option is suitable for buildings where there is a very large space between the floor and the ground. You can use polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene) as insulation. The most important thing is to secure the material correctly. It should dock closely with adjacent layers. If necessary, you can lay the foam in two or three rows. Between each layer it is necessary to lay waterproofing.

It is best to insulate the base of a building from the outside of the building, but if this is not possible, in this case it can be insulated from the inside. The optimal solution is to insulate the base of the house on both sides, but not every construction project can afford this.

Insulation of the foundation of the exterior of the house

It is better to insulate a strip foundation at the initial stage of building construction. It is very difficult to insulate a built house, since it will be necessary to open everything and clean the foundation from the soil. When opened, you can damage the foundation, which is extremely undesirable. To insulate the base you will need the following materials:

  • Bitumen mastic;
  • Polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene);
  • Cement;
  • Fasteners for securing insulating products.

First of all, you need to cover up all existing cracks and crevices. Bitumen mastic is applied to a flat surface. It is processed about 20 cm from the ground upward. After the mastic has dried, it will be possible to attach the insulation. The best option is polystyrene foam insulation. It is strong and durable, and also retains heat well. For fastening, you can use a certain mixture to fix the material or fixatives - fungi.

The resulting seams can be covered with a painting net and covered with a layer of mortar mixed with cement. Treating the surface of the walls with mastic will help protect the outer layers of the base from moisture.

To create heat in the basement, it is recommended to lay a concrete floor.

Method of insulating the base of a wooden house

Some people think that wooden houses there is no need to insulate the foundation. But no matter what kind of wood was used to build the house and what treatments it was subjected to, it must be protected from all possible influences on it. To insulate this kind of house, polystyrene foam is used. Alternatively, the base can also be covered with brick.

Pile foundations are used in cases where the soil is quite weak and cannot withstand heavy loads. For the construction of modern buildings, screw piles are more often used. At the end of the construction process of such a foundation, it must be insulated.

What needs to be insulated?

When insulating the foundation of a house, it is necessary to comply with all norms and rules.

Insulation of a pile-screw foundation is a kind of external insulation of the grillage. It is important to ensure that building insulation products have not absorbed moisture.

Any material can be used as insulation. On the market today building materials We offer a wide range of thermal insulation products. They differ from each other only in the brand, characteristics and thickness of the building product.

You can choose a material that has water-repellent properties. If a material that can absorb moisture is used, then it is recommended to cover it with a certain moisture-proofing layer.

What happens if you don’t protect the insulation with a moisture barrier?

Insulation that is not covered with a moisture barrier will deteriorate over time, and the foundation of the house will gradually deteriorate.

The main enemy of spoilage is corrosion. Due to the constant moisture content on the insulation, the reinforced concrete structure will eventually begin to become covered with a corrosive layer, which will subsequently lead to the destruction of both the foundation of the house and the building itself. This applies not only reinforced concrete structures, but also other material made of metal.

Insulation process

Stages of insulation of the base of a building:

  • Insulation of a pile-screw foundation begins with waterproofing the grillage, which will help to provide roofing material. It should be laid in the gap between the top of the grillage and the bottom of the house structure. It is also laid between the lower part of the grillage and the end of the pile. Moisture-repellent mastic is applied to the open surfaces of the piles and grillage.
  • At the second stage, the thermal insulation material is covered. It is used to cover between the lower part of the grillage and the first floor of the building.

If for some reason it is not possible to cover the base with insulating material, you can fill the soil around the entire perimeter of the base of the house. This kind of thermal insulation is not effective enough, and the insulation process itself requires a lot of time and effort. In this way, only external insulation of the foundation can be done.

External insulation of a pile foundation can be done with your own hands using a profiled sheet. The corrugated sheet is able to retain heat and protect the insulating material from various influences on it. The corrugated sheet must be attached to the frame fixed at the top of the piles.

Materials used for insulating piles

Polystyrene foam is often used as insulation. It is easy to fix, and most importantly, it has a fairly low cost, which is important for any construction.

To attach the foam, a special adhesive solution and bitumen mastic are used. It is applied in a measured layer to the surface of the grillage.

Insulation materials with moisture-proof properties

If you turn your attention in time to insulation materials that can repel water, you can save a lot on foundation insulation. Waterproof materials include:

  • Airgel;
  • Foam glass;
  • Extruded foam (polystyrene).

By covering the base of the house with such insulation in a timely manner, you can not only save money, but also avoid unpleasant surprises in the form of corrosion on the foundation structure or gradual destruction of the building.

Insulation of a pile-grillage foundation is not only the comfort and coziness of your home, but, above all, the health of you and your family. As follows from the laws of physics, all the heat of the house always accumulates under the ceiling, therefore, the floor is already always cold, not to mention the foundation made of screw piles. By approaching the construction and insulation of your home more seriously, you will not only preserve your health, but also extend the life of all its inhabitants.

The disadvantage of such a foundation– cold floor due to the large open space under the house and soil. The only solution to this problem will be to insulate the pile foundation, which will not only provide a warmer house, but also additional space under the house for household needs.

How to insulate a pile-screw foundation?

Before insulating the foundation screw piles It is worth considering a number of features of the building, its location, the height of the pile pillars above the ground and the material from which they are made. Based on these conditions, insulation can be done in several ways:

  1. External around the perimeter of the house.
  2. It consists of erecting a base frame from the ground to the beginning of the walls of the house along the entire perimeter. Then, depending on the climate and financial capabilities of the owners, it is insulated and faced from the outside. This method is the only correct one if the floor is low from the ground.

  3. External from the floor.
  4. In some cases, when it is not possible to insulate the foundation using the first method (the floor is very high from the ground level due to the location), only the outer side of the floor is insulated.

  5. Complete.
  6. This is an ideal method and involves insulating the foundation frame both outside and inside. This method of insulation can be divided into several stages:

  • waterproofing work on the grillage and the metal piles themselves;
  • construction of the base frame;
  • installation of insulation inside the base;
  • securing decorative panels to the base;
  • insulation of the inside of the base with expanded clay or soil;
  • insulation of the floor from the basement side.

Waterproofing works

Waterproofing works carried out in order to prevent moisture from entering the joints of the grillage and piles. If this is not done, then the metal elements of the structure will corrode over time, and the wooden elements will rot, which will lead to the destruction of the entire house. To do this, a waterproofing material, for example roofing felt, is placed at the junction of the ends of the piles with the grillage and on the upper edges of the grillage itself at the point of contact with the wall.

Then for the whole metal structure A special mastic is applied to the foundation, and the wood is treated with impregnation with antiseptics. After the mastic and impregnation have completely dried (about 6-7 days), you can proceed directly to insulating the pile foundation.

Insulation

Base of a pile-screw foundation

The base frame can be erected and insulated at the same time two ways:

  1. Construction of a brick wall.
  2. For such a base, a small shallow reinforced foundation made of cement mortar is poured into a pre-dug trench, which in itself will serve as additional insulation for the base. After the foundation has completely dried, a light wall of half a brick is laid out.

  3. Installing metal guides for fastening decorative panels.
  4. Metal guides are bolted or welded to the foundation piles, onto which decorative panels, siding or corrugated sheeting are then hung. The panels are also secured with special fasteners or tile adhesive, depending on the design and material of the panels. Elements and drips covering the panel joints are installed in the corners.

    For any insulation method Don't forget about the ventilation holes, which will prevent the accumulation of moisture inside the foundation space. It is recommended to place the holes on opposite sides of the base.

Expanded polystyrene

Extruded polystyrene foam, due to its heat-insulating and noise-absorbing characteristics, is most preferable for insulation various foundations, especially piles. And the small thickness of the sheet (3 cm) allows you to save the internal space of the basement.

Insulation of a pile foundation with polystyrene foam is carried out as follows:

  • On the surface of the basement wall, if this brick wall or concrete, eliminate all cracks. After this, the wall is treated with a primer to better secure the insulation sheets.
  • The polystyrene foam sheets are glued from the inside of the basement wall using foam glue or an adhesive composition. When using adhesive foam, polystyrene foam is temporarily fixed with special umbrellas to prevent deformation of the sheet when the foam swells.
  • The joints of the sheets are carefully foamed to eliminate cold “bridges.”
  • For better insulation foundation sheets are glued in two layers.
  • To protect polystyrene foam sheets from mice and rats, a special metal mesh is installed on them.
  • To completely eliminate the possibility of blowing out the space under the house, it is advisable to add a little expanded clay or soil to the inside of the insulated base.

Paula

Insulation of the floor on a pile foundation directly under the house inside the basement space produced in several stages:

  • a vapor barrier material is fixed to the floor on the outside of the house over the entire area;
  • Insulation, for example, polystyrene foam, is installed on the vapor barrier;
  • the insulation is covered with plank sheathing.

This floor can be used both as a finished basement ceiling and as the only option for insulating a pile-screw foundation if it is impossible to use other methods.

Thus, by thoroughly insulating the pile-grillage foundation, you will finally eliminate the problem of cold floors and significantly save on heating. Correct adherence to the stages of work and careful installation of insulation will help significantly increase the reliability and durability of your home.

The foundation is one of the most expensive and labor-intensive structures of a building. Its share in the construction estimate is up to 50%, which is why it is so important to avoid mistakes and technical miscalculations during its construction. Moreover, the above-ground parts of the house can be repaired, rebuilt or improved, but this is very difficult to do with the foundation. When constructing a pile foundation, repair and restoration work is easier to carry out, but difficulties cannot be avoided. One of the most important technological operations that determine the durability of operation and reliability of the structure is the insulation of the pile foundation and waterproofing of the pile supports.

Reasons for insulating a pile foundation

Design advantages:

  1. Possibility of building a house on waterlogged and weak soils, prone to heaving, as well as on areas with a large slope or with difficult terrain. Since the pile screw is buried below the freezing point of the soil, heaving does not threaten to push the support out of the ground, and by adjusting the height of the piles, the grillage can be horizontal;
  2. Construction and insulation costs much less, the same operations for other types of foundations;
  3. You can drive or screw in piles both in winter and in summer - this work does not depend on weather conditions;
  4. The construction of a pile foundation is carried out in the shortest possible time, due more to preparatory work than to the main working operations;
  5. To arrange such a foundation, there is no need to use special equipment - you can get by with manual or mechanical devices;

There is an opinion that due to the small area immersed in the ground, piles do not need to be insulated or protected from moisture, and this is a wrong opinion. Anti-corrosion protection alone is not enough to ensure long-term operation of piles, and insulation of a screw foundation plays an important role in this matter. Without insulation, the following operational problems remain unresolved:

  1. When pouring a reinforced concrete grillage, it is in winter time becomes a powerful low temperature capacitor. That is, the mass of concrete grillage takes heat from the load-bearing walls and floors of the house, creating huge heat losses, and therefore increasing heating costs;
  2. If a concrete grillage blocks the space under the house from wind and precipitation, then a grillage made of metal or wood leaves this space drafty and unprotected from moisture. Thus, in winter, the walls and floor of the first floor of the house will always be cold and waterlogged. The false panel helps a little to eliminate this shortcoming, but it is still better to do full insulation of the pile-screw foundation using special elements;
  3. Not a single house can do without at least minimal amenities: sewerage, running water, etc. But such engineering Communication exposed to the risk of freezing in the open space under the grillage. Insulation eliminates these risks, as well as the risks of mechanical damage to the routes;
  4. The exterior of the building is also important, and an open underground space will not add beauty to the house. Insulation with decorative finishing eliminates this problem as well. In addition, every season you will have to remove accumulated garbage and dirt from under the open underground;
  5. In addition to insulation, it is recommended to make a blind area that will remove moisture from the foundation and walls, insulate the soil layer adjacent to the house and improve the space adjacent to the walls of the house.

Insulation of a pile foundation with a reinforced concrete grillage

Insulating a grillage is a rather difficult task, since it is necessary not only to insulate the underground space from wind and negative temperatures, but also to thermally insulate the grillage structure itself, which will protect it from destruction and also prevent the formation of cold bridges. Optimal insulation of a pile-screw foundation is shown in the figure below:


  1. No. 1 – soil layer;
  2. No. 2 – pile support with which the reinforced concrete grillage(No. 3). The walls of the house rest on the grillage (No. 4);
  3. No. 5 - external insulation made of extruded polystyrene foam, heavy loads that do not resist the influence of moisture - ground and atmospheric. EP is preferred due to its high thermal protection coefficient;
  4. No. 6 – horizontal insulation, which must be attached to the thermal insulation of the grillage. This layer protects the soil around the grillage from freezing and frost heaving, which, in turn, protects against frost destruction;
  5. No. 8 – facade thermal insulation. It is mounted with an overlap to prevent the formation of cold bridges in the places where the base and load-bearing walls are connected.

It is also necessary to insulate the floor of the first floor:

  1. No. 9 – a layer of sand 40-50 mm thick is poured onto the surface of the subfloor and covered roll waterproofing– roofing felt or polyethylene (No. 10);
  2. No. 11 - a reinforced concrete screed is poured onto the waterproofing, on which insulation is laid (No. 12). A finished floor 50-80 mm thick is poured onto the thermal insulation layer, in the body of which a heated floor can be installed - electric or water. This multi-layer cake provides maximum protection for the walls and grillage from the cold.

How to insulate a foundation on screw piles if the house design includes a basement? In this case, insulation is carried out according to a different scheme - with the installation of a floor slab:

  1. As in the first option, the pie first contains soil (No. 1) and a pile foundation (No. 2), on which a reinforced concrete grillage (No. 3) is equipped. Further, the scheme is different - basement bricks are laid on the grillage (No. 4), and the load-bearing walls of the house rest on them (No. 5);
  2. The vertical layer of basement thermal insulation is mounted from slabs of extruded polystyrene foam (No. 6). In addition to the vertical, horizontal insulation of the lower part of the grillage is installed with a crushed stone cushion (No. 7 sand (No. 8), and insulation (No. 9). This cake is recommended to be installed before the construction of the grillage strip, so that the horizontal insulation from EP serves as the lower part of the formwork;
  3. External basement and facade walls are lined with siding, lining, panels made of artificial stone or other suitable materials (No. 11), for example, a layer of decorative plaster “Bark beetle”;
  4. No. 10 is a cold blind area, although it is recommended to insulate it in order to increase the service life of the structure by preventing freezing of the soil under the blind area;
  5. No. 12 is a reinforced concrete slab that is laid on a grillage. The space under the stove will serve as an underground (No. 13). The insulation of the floor is done in the same way as in the first option - a layer of waterproofing (polyethylene or roofing felt - No. 14), a layer of thermal insulation (No. 15), a finished concrete floor or a “warm” electric / water floor;

Before insulating the grillage concrete strip, it is waterproofed with coating materials and a layer of roofing material. The slab insulation is attached to the concrete using a special thermal insulation adhesive, which is produced both as a dry building mixture and as a paste - in tubes.

EP panels are equipped with special lamella locks to facilitate a tight and reliable connection. Possible cracks and gaps between the heat-insulating boards are filled with polyurethane foam or the same glue, and then all seams are covered with mastic based on bitumen or tar. In addition to adhesive fastening of panels, you can use “quick installation” umbrella dowels. In the underground part of the grillage, the panels are attached only with glue, since they will be pressed tightly to the concrete by the weight of the soil.


In order to insulate the blind area, you need to dig a trench along the wall of the grillage, 30-40 cm deep and 40-50 cm wider than the blind area. The bottom of the trench is covered with a layer of sand and crushed stone, which is moistened and compacted. Expanded polystyrene slabs with bandaging and vertical insulation are laid on a sand-crushed stone bed.

Then a reinforcing grid with cells of at least 10 x 10 cm is laid on the polystyrene foam. Formwork is assembled in the trench and concrete mortar is poured. A layer of concrete must be poured so that across the width of the blind area there is a slope with a height difference of 3-5 cm. This is necessary to drain rain and melt water from the grillage. It is recommended to cover the brick base with decorative slabs or plaster - in addition to giving a beautiful appearance, you get another layer of insulation.

It remains to calculate the thickness of the horizontal and vertical insulation layer so that the work is not in vain due to insufficient insulation thickness. The calculation of this value is carried out based on reference data on the resistance to thermal transfer of structures for each geographical region. These parameters can be found in SNiP II-3-79 and SNiP 2.11.02-87. There are also special heat maps indicating these parameters.


Knowing the thermal conductivity coefficients of building and insulating materials and the thickness of the foundation tape (grillage), it is easy to calculate the required thickness of thermal insulation. We will not give calculation formulas, but rather suggest using a convenient calculator:

Calculator for calculating the thickness of vertical insulation


Other materials that can be used as a layer of thermal insulation include ordinary polystyrene foam (foam), polyurethane foam in the form of panels, or applied by spraying. All this is also taken into account in the calculator. The resulting value is rounded and reduced to standard thicknesses of insulating materials.

How to insulate a foundation on screw piles updated: February 26, 2018 by: zoomfund

24.08.2017