XPS Insulation: Description and Specifications

The modern market offers customers a rich assortment of heaters of various types. The material is used not only in regions with severe winters and capricious weather conditions. This is a practical tool for creating comfortable temperature conditions in various types of premises: residential buildings, government offices, warehouses and much more.

The extruded polystyrene finish, which is abbreviated to XPS, is very popular. On the characteristics and use of the material talk more.

Insulation is used for cladding:

• balconies and loggias;
• cellars;
• facades;
• foundations;
• highways;
• blind area;
• runways.

The material is used for cladding horizontal and vertical surfaces: walls, floor, ceiling.

Experts working in the field of repair, note that XPS plates are one of the most common insulation. In the popularity of products played an important role wide scope of use and technical features.

On how to use extruded polystyrene foam in a residential environment, you will learn further.

Standard color XPS - white. This is the most common option. However, the warming finish may have a silver color. The color changes due to the inclusion of a special component - graphite. Such a product is designated a special marking. Silver plates have high thermal conductivity. The characteristic is achieved by adding nanographite to the raw materials.

XPS insulation may have different dimensions. The most common sizes are 50x585x1185, 30x585x1185, 20x585x1185, 100x585x1185, 1200x600x50 mm. Choose the appropriate option depending on the size of the structure. If necessary, the canvas can be easily cut.

Extruded polystyrene, made by all the rules, should have a uniform structure. Be sure to appreciate this during the purchase of finishing material. On the canvas should not be voids, grooves, seals and other defects. Flaws talk about low quality products.

The optimal cell size varies from 0.05 to 0.08 mm. This difference is invisible to the naked eye. The XPS heater of the lower grade has enlarged cells in the size from 1 to 2 mm. Microporous structure is required for the effectiveness of the material. It is the key to minimal water absorption and high efficiency.

There is an opinion that reliable and durable insulation should have a high density, which is denoted as weight per m³.Modern experts consider this a mistake. Most manufacturers use low density extrusion polystyrene foam, while maintaining the quality of the material. This is due to the cost of the main raw material XPS - polystyrene, which is more than 70%.

In order to save raw materials (stabilizers, foaming agents, dyes, etc.), manufacturers deliberately make slabs more dense to create the illusion of quality.

Outdated equipment makes it impossible to manufacture durable XPS insulation, the density of which is less than 32-33 kg / m³. This indicator is not able to improve the insulating properties and does not improve performance. On the contrary, creates extra pressure on the structure.

If the material was made from carefully selected raw materials on innovative equipment, then even with low weight it will have a high density and excellent thermal conductivity. To achieve this result, it is necessary to comply with the production technology.

Assessing the form, you can also say a lot about the quality and effectiveness of the material. The most practical XPS boards have an “L” shaped lip.Due to her installation is faster and easier. Each individual sheet is mounted overlap, excluding the possibility of the formation of cold bridges.

When using plates with standard flat ends, it will be necessary to perform foaming. This is an additional repair process that requires not only time but also financial investments.

The main characteristic of the material is thermal conductivity. In order to verify this indicator, it is recommended to require the relevant document from the seller. Comparing certificates for the goods, you can choose the highest quality and reliable insulation. It is practically impossible to evaluate this characteristic visually.

Experts identify the optimal value of thermal conductivity, which is about 0.030 W / mK. This indicator may vary in a smaller or larger direction depending on the type of finish, quality, composition and other aspects. Each manufacturer adheres to certain criteria.

The next important quality that you should pay attention to is water absorption. This characteristic can be visually assessed only if you have a small sample of insulation with you.By eye it will not work. You can conduct an experiment at home.

Place a piece of material in a container with water and leave for a day. For clarity, add some dye or ink to the liquid. After you evaluate how much water is absorbed into the insulation, and how much has become in the vessel.

Some specialists use the injection method when evaluating a product. With a conventional syringe, some liquid is injected into the web. The smaller the spot size, the better and more practical the XPS finish.

Quality insulation XPS boasts excellent strength, even with an average weight value. This feature is important in the styling process. Strong plates are easy and convenient to cut and fix on the structure. Such material does not create problems during transportation and storage. High strength allows you to keep the shape of the plates for a long time, without fear that the material will turn into dust.

Extrusion polystyrene of the highest grade is environmentally friendly and completely safe for the health and the environment. In the domestic market, there is only one type of XPS material on sale that has been awarded the Leaf of Life certificate. The document officially confirms the environmental friendliness of products. Material safe not only for people, but also animals and the environment.

The use of XPS insulation is fully consistent with the norms of SNiP 21-01-97. This regulation refers to the section "Fire safety of buildings and structures". SNiPs - approved rules and regulations in the construction industry.

Summing up the article views on the insulation XPS. The Internet has collected a lot of feedback on products, both laudatory and negative. It is safe to say that most of the reviews are positive. Buyers note such qualities as environmental friendliness, simple installation, excellent operational characteristics and much more.

Customers who were unhappy with the acquisition, said that in the domestic market, you can find more efficient and practical insulation.