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About PENOPLEX / Insulation of walls / Additional insulation

History in a nutshell

During the Khrushchev Thaw, in 1955–1966, over 13,000 residential houses called khrushchevkas were built. They were designed and constructed according to the decree of the Communist Party, "On Eliminating Embellishments in Design and Construction", which goal was to design look-alike "projects" in order to cut construction costs. Initially, the decree implied that the five-story project houses would have a life span of 25 years and would be demolished by 1980s.

The old thermal insulation regulations (such as SNiP II-A.7-62 and II-3-79) were by far not as strict as those introduced in 1995-2000. When compared to new buildings, khrushchevkas lose heat up to 2–3 times faster! And this is not even taking into equation the fact that the thermal insulating properties of the walls of khrushchevkas have deteriorated with time (up to 25%). For this reason, it is cold in the winter (because the walls freeze all the way through) and hot in the summer in these houses. Specialists from PENOPLEX SPb, Ltd. have found a solution that allows for improving thermal insulation of the wall in khrushchevkas, eliminate the freezing of the walls in the winter and overheat in the summer, and match thermal properties of the walls of your apartment to contemporary standards as much as possible.

Insulate your apartment inside with 20-30 mm-think PENOPLEX^® 35 boards along with Drywall or Sheetrock. Using PENOPLEX^® will help you match thermal properties of the walls of your apartment to contemporary standards as much as possible. This means you will save on heating your home with electrical space heaters in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.

Advantages of PENOPLEX^® boards:

1. Thin insulating layer. Due to their superior insulating properties, you only need 2–3 cm-thick PENOPLEX^® boards for interior insulation, which allows for great cost saving when purchasing our materials, while the living area of the room will remain virtually unchanged.
2. Low vapor penetration of PENOPLEX^® in most situations will eliminate condensation inside wall structures and prevent exterior decor from becoming wet.
3. Easy to install.

Installation:

1. Smooth the wall to eliminate local unevenness in their surface.
2. Temporary secure PENOPLEX^® boards to the wall with adhesives or anchors (two anchors per sheet). Make sure that the PENOPLEX^® boards are evenly and firmly touch the adjacent partitions or wall. Fill in any gaps with extrusion coatings (such as Macroflex). Use a handsaw to cut PENOPLEX^® boards. Stagger joint PENOPLEX^® boards.
3. Seal the surface formed by PENOPLEX^® boards with a vapor insulating film (for example, polyethylene film with a thickness of 160-200 µm) with 10–15 cm overlaps. Use adhesive tape to secure pieces of film with one another and where it meets the walls.
4. Lay Drywall or Sheetrock boards firmly to PENOPLEX^® boards and secure the entire structure to the wall with anchors.

Attention!

In winter, moisture may form inside walls when installing interior insulation for support walls. PENOPLEX^® boards significantly reduce condensation of vapors (unlike mineral cotton), providing a good moisture barrier, but do don eliminate it completely. This is because when installing interior insulation without vapor insulation it is virtually impossible (except in rare situations when walls are made of aerated concrete) to avoid condensation. Use a vapor insulation layer from 160–200 µm-think polyethylene film on the warm side of PENOPLEX^® boards. For interior insulation we recommend thinner PENOPLEX^® boards – 20-30 mm. Following these guides will help you avoid moisture condensation that causes mold growth.