Wall insulation: SNiP 3.03.01-87, manual P3-2000

Any building’s ability to remain comfortable and energy-efficient depends heavily on its wall insulation. In addition to keeping rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter, proper insulation lowers energy expenses all year long. To ensure proper installation, achieving effective insulation calls for more than just selecting the appropriate materials—it also necessitates adhering to set standards and guidelines.

In the field of wall insulation, the manual P3-2000 and SNiP 3.03.01-87 are two important sources of information. These documents include best practices and comprehensive instructions for designing and installing insulation in different kinds of buildings. The building code SNiP 3.03.01-87 establishes the requirements for construction, and P3-2000 provides helpful advice to make sure that these requirements are fulfilled in actual applications.

Anyone involved in building construction or renovation must comprehend and put these sources’ information to use. You can make sure that your wall insulation is not only safe and legal, but also effective by adhering to the guidelines in SNiP 3.03.01-87 and P3-2000. You can get the best results for your insulation project by familiarizing yourself with these guidelines whether you’re a professional contractor or a do-it-yourself enthusiast.

Understanding wall insulation is essential to preserving a building’s comfort and energy efficiency. Proper installation of this insulation is ensured by adhering to manual P3-2000 and SNiP 3.03.01-87 standards. These guidelines make it easier to achieve the best insulation performance while adhering to regulatory requirements by providing clear instructions on materials, techniques, and quality control measures. Knowing these standards can help you, whether you’re a professional or a do-it-yourself enthusiast, make wise decisions and steer clear of typical pitfalls when working on wall insulation projects.

Requirements for insulation

All feasible design options that can be used with locally produced materials are included in this SNiP guide. Thus, newly created plans and imported insulation materials can only be utilized if their specifications match those found in state regulatory documents. A technical certificate similar to the one in the picture must attest to this compliance.

At his construction site, a private developer is free to do as he pleases. However, imported thermal insulation materials can only be used at facilities built with state funding as well as various preferential loans and funds, in the event that there is no comparable option produced domestically.

Every project has a solution for the thermal insulation of structures that is clearly specified, and SNiP does not permit replacing anything without the client’s and designers’ consent. Furthermore, information from advertisements cannot be used to determine the technical specifications of materials. Upon delivery, a certificate from the manufacturer attests to the materials’ compliance with standard requirements.

Features of thermal protection systems for buildings

According to SNiP, a wall’s heat transfer resistance must abide by SNB 2.04.01 standards, Chapter 5.1, which offers coefficients for all kinds of walls and ceilings. Air and vapor permeability calculations also need to be done for external enclosures.

In multilayer structures, every material needs to function cohesively, systematically, and effectively in terms of strength and hydrophobicity when combined with one another:

• The selection of insulation by designers is preceded by performing heat engineering calculations. On their basis, not only the type of material is established, but also its brand is indicated.
• If a decision is made to use materials made on polymer bases: polyurethanes, polystyrenes, polyethylenes, which are impermeable not only to water, but also to steam, the project must provide for measures to ensure comfortable air exchange in the premises.
• The following requirements are imposed on slab materials. First of all, they concern the geometry of the slabs: their edge angles should not be broken or curved. The slab should be dense in structure, and unbound fibers and granules are a sign of poor quality.

The slab should have two rough surfaces, or one textured surface, to guarantee adhesion. It’s also nice that the slabs have grooves and tongues that allow them to be joined seamlessly.

Although monolithic insulation is rarely utilized for wall insulation, it is still important. As a result, slab insulation will be the main topic of discussion.

Types of insulation for walls

The following materials are regulated by SNiP thermal insulation of walls:

• Compressive strength – 0.07 MPa with a linear deformation of 10%.
• Tensile strength – limit 0.15 MPa.
• Bending strength – 0.12 MPa.

• PM (soft) are not used at all for external walls.
• If the building is low-rise, with lightweight walls made of brick or cellular concrete blocks, mineral wool PPZh60-PZh80 (semi-rigid) or PZh100-PZh140 (rigid) is used.
• In warm systems, where the surface of the insulation serves as a base for plaster, slabs of increased rigidity PPZh160-PPZh200 are used.

Hard slabs (PT220-PT300) typically have a textured surface, which is what makes them finishing.

Among them are:

• Foamed polyurethane, sprayed on the surface of the walls. This requires special equipment, so do not do such insulation yourself.
• Polystyrene concrete;
• Cinder block;
• Gas and foam concrete.

The final three options—which are typically used to fill voids in the masonry of lightweight walls—cannot be sprayed like foamed polymers (see Liquid thermal insulation for walls: features of use).

The layers’ tear strength—which needs to meet standard 17177*94—is crucial for mineral wool. The tensile strength limit, whose minimum value is shown in the table, is crucial for polystyrene boards.

Requirements for related materials

As you can see, external walls can only be insulated with three different types of insulation. Certain requirements for reinforcing materials are imposed by SNiP thermal insulation of walls because lightweight warm plaster systems are constructed using EPS and mineral wool.

Kindly take note! It is specifically advised to use a mesh made of resistant to alkalis glass fibers that is non-deformable for this purpose. In heavy systems, the insulation surface needs to be strengthened using a metal mesh that has a minimum 15 mm cell. These meshes are composed of 1-3 mm thick galvanized wire.

For lightweight plaster systems, fiberglass mesh Mesh made of galvanized plaster Use perlite in plaster Design for a warm plaster exterior

The following factors are critical to adhesive, plaster, and paint compositions:

• The curing time of the composition should not exceed 2 hours.
• To improve the insulation of the walls, compositions with a “warm” filler are used for plastering the surface of the insulation: perlite granules, foam glass beads.
• Both plasters and paints must be non-toxic, non-flammable and vapor-permeable. It is prohibited to use organosilicon enamels.

Fasteners

Speaking of fasteners now. Anchor dowels are fastened to the base using a pressure plate washer in order to provide a layer of slab thermal insulation.

Goods with a plastic core can be used for lightweight plaster systems. Only metal anchor cores are acceptable in heavy systems.

The dowel must have a load-bearing capacity of at least 0.3 kN. The wall material and the force needed to remove the dowel from the base are taken into account when calculating the number of fasteners per square meter. The handbook offers comprehensive guidance on this topic.

Kindly take note! Designers should use this formula to get the number of dowels per square meter of insulation: n = N in : R in, where N in is the anticipated wind load, R in is the force needed to remove the dowel from the base, and n is the desired number of fasteners.

The anchor embedment depth is also influenced by the final indicator (R in).

However, it must never be less than:

• 120 mm for walls made of hollow brick;
• 70 mm for walls made of cellular concrete and blocks with lightweight filler;
• 50 mm for walls made of wood, solid brick, heavy concrete;
• For walls made of multilayer panels, the depth of anchor embedment should be no less than the thickness of their outer layer.

The length of the anchors is chosen based on these data as well as the thickness of the thermal insulation boards.

Elements of warm plaster systems

When utilizing a ventilated facade system for insulation, components of the subsystem must be fastened to the base in addition to mineral wool or EPS boards. Plastic, nylon, aluminum, galvanized steel, or a combination of dowels can be used for this purpose.

Elements with installation and protective functions are also utilized in plaster insulation systems. The primary ones are displayed in the table:

The support profile needs to be at least two meters long. In the event that temperature deformation occurs, special pads are used to connect the profiles along their length.

Condensate drains through the U-shaped bend in the support profile on one shelf, known as a drip.

The project needs to cover each of these costs. Only stainless steel, plastic, and galvanized steel are used to make them. Along with the primary materials, warm plaster systems’ profiles and other components are supplied fully assembled. It is unacceptable that they are made there.

The design of the insulated ventilated facade

The ventilated facade device requires the frame to be installed beforehand. It uses modular, sheet, or long materials as a decorative layer. Additionally: lathing, substructures, subsystems, or whatever term you choose.

Two types of materials are used for its installation, and they can be combined:

• Wooden bars.

• Metal profile.

• The third option is combined.

Kindly take note! Typically, the base is covered with insulating material sandwiched between timber belts. A second frame, a profile counter-lattice, is then positioned on top of the first, and ornamental material is actually sewed or hung from it. They take this action because the supporting structure’s upper portion is more exposed to moisture from the atmosphere.

This two-level subsystem structuring generally means that a technological gap is created by distance lathing, which is necessary for the insulation’s ventilation. If not, brackets or direct hangers provide the required indent.

If double insulation is required, similar methods are also applied. It should be noted that a double or triple subsystem may be entirely made of metal or wood. Everything in this case is dependent upon the carefully chosen ornamental and insulating materials. A reduced cost for lumber is also significant to many.

• If in plaster systems the insulation must be fixed to the base, then in ventilated facades it can be attached both to the wall and to the frame.
• To avoid having to install a counter-lattice, the insulation is attached to the wall in the same way as under plaster – with glue and anchors.
• And the subsystem in this case only provides a ventilation gap (due to brackets), and also serves as the basis for installing decorative material.

• If a sheathing is mounted on the wall in two directions, then the pitch of its elements is correlated with the dimensions of the insulation boards. When marking, the distance between the axes of the belts is reduced by 1 cm. Then the insulation will sit tightly in the cells and will not go anywhere without additional fixation.
• As a last resort, you can put it on the leeward side with glue. But this is not necessary, because mineral wool or PPS slabs will be held on all sides by frame elements. There is definitely no need to use anchors in this case. In the complete set of metal systems, pressure rails are provided for fixing the insulation.
• In the working documentation of the designed buildings, a complete specification of the frame elements is required. If the substructure is metal, it will be made of either aluminum or stainless steel.
• Its elements must be attached to the base with screw anchors screwed into pre-drilled holes. It is not allowed to shoot profiles with ordinary dowels.

Only threaded fasteners can be used to join profiles and bars together. These may be bolts, screws, or threaded studs with washers, depending on the design of the system. It is not possible to use nails on a wooden frame.

Topic	Description
SNiP 3.03.01-87	This standard outlines the requirements for wall insulation during construction, ensuring durability and effectiveness.
Manual P3-2000	This guide provides practical instructions for applying wall insulation in accordance with the standards, helping builders achieve optimal results.

Effective thermal protection in buildings requires an understanding of wall insulation standards and guidelines. The handbook P3-2000 and SNiP 3.03.01-87 offer precise guidelines to guarantee that insulation is installed appropriately and satisfies all quality standards. Respecting these rules improves a structure’s overall durability and safety in addition to its energy efficiency.

Builders and homeowners can be sure that their insulation will function as best it can, minimizing heat loss and preserving a cozy interior atmosphere, by following these guidelines. In addition to reducing energy expenses, proper insulation also lessens the environmental effect of heating and cooling systems.

It is a wise investment to incorporate the standards from SNiP 3.03.01-87 and the useful guidance from manual P3-2000 into your wall insulation projects. In the long run, it benefits the property and its occupants by ensuring that your building stays economical, energy-efficient, and complies with regulations.

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