Knives for cutting insulation
Insulation is often necessary in the home to reduce the cost of space heating and just a comfortable stay in the room. Any type of insulation is sold in rolls, so to carry out the work the material should first be cut into pieces, for which you will need to choose the right knife. About knives for cutting insulation and will be discussed in this article.
Knives for cutting insulation are classified into several types. Consider these.
Construction knife
The scope of this type of blade does not end at cutting cardboard, paper, leather and plastic. it can also be used for work with wires and foam plastic, mineral wool and other insulation materials. over, it is possible to change the construction knife blade for a certain material. However, it generally has a short blade, and when using this knife in the installation of foam must be understood that it can leave cracks, chips and other various defects on the material.
A wood or metal hacksaw
A hacksaw is also good for cutting insulation materials. It is especially good for cutting wide sheets of mineral wool. A good hacksaw has fine unsharpened teeth and sharpening. It will cope with the work, excluding any damage to the material.
Kitchen knife
Lack of professional tools is no longer a problem. Even a standardized kitchen knife designed for loaf or meat is good for cutting layers of insulation. However, before using it, you must not forget to sharpen it well with sandpaper.
Cutting machine
Machine tool great for large-scale construction. However, for independent domestic single or double use, this device is too expensive, and it will be completely inexpedient to purchase it.
Very specialized knife
There is a huge range of professional knives, including stainless steel electric tools, capable of cutting any material in seconds. Their length reaches 300 mm. Such knives are offered by manufacturers of insulation materials. The main thing is to carefully follow all instructions on the use of such tools and safety guides. In addition, when working, you should take into account the type of insulation.
How to cut mineral wool?
The material is distinguished by its fibrous structure, thanks to which very small particles of glass wool fly in the space during cutting. In this regard, it is necessary to eliminate the ingress of hazardous components into the skin and respiratory tract.
Before you cut the insulation material, the following conditions must be met:
- The room must be perfectly ventilated.
- During the work is imperative to use protective equipment and specialized clothing. It is a gloves, respirator, mask, suit and goggles for protection.
- When the material is cut, it is advisable to rinse your face and hands under cold water.
To get as little glass wool particles in the air as possible, it is necessary to use a well-sharpened tool.
Cut the insulation material without unrolling the roll
Tip! It is much better to cut the material crosswise.
In order to get strips of absorbent cotton, equal in width, you should cut the material directly on the roll. If the wool is in the form of boards, cut them one by one.
To ensure that the strips of wool, separated by your own efforts in domestic conditions, turned out perfect and similar, you should separate them clearly on the marks. It is also possible to use a ruler as a cutting line.
When cutting leave allowances on the edges. If it is a roll, the index must be 0.5 cm, and if the plate. 2 cm. This characteristic of cutting is necessary to ensure that the mineral wool component completely fills the required space.
Note that the slabs of min. Wool is cut one at a time, and the material in a roll is cut without unfolding.
The main characteristics of the material
Flammability class guarantees the safety of insulation
Materials that are used for internal and external insulation of residential buildings and structures, have certain requirements. Do the technical characteristics of insulation Tekhnonikol all necessary parameters?
Consider the two main insulators offered by this manufacturer.
Mineral wool insulation
The photo shows the correct location of wall insulation layers
Mineral wool in slabs or rolls is the most common external energy-saving cladding option for walls, foundations and roofs.
Although the price of this material is thirty percent higher than, for example, polyurethane or polystyrene foam, it is justified by the excellent technical characteristics:
- Fire safety. Thermal insulation companies Tekhnonikol are made on the basis of rocks of the gabbro-basalt group, so the fibers of rock wool. non-combustible material.
Important. In a fire, insulation holds high temperatures (up to 1,000 degrees above zero) and protects the building. And it gives extra time to evacuate people and valuables. The instruction to the material guarantees that at high temperatures the finish does not emit substances harmful to health.
- The thermal insulation produced by the company on the basis of rock wool, ninety-nine percent consist of air and one percent of stone fibers. This guarantees highly effective thermal insulation properties of the material;
Materials for thermal insulation of walls
LOGICPIR Wall insulation boards
This is a new generation of environmentally friendly and safe for the health of the thermal insulation.
are used for additional heat insulation of walls, balconies or loggias. The special structure does not absorb moisture, prevents the appearance of fungus and bacteria.
- Lightweight boards of thickness from 20 to 50 mm are suitable for various climatic conditions, withstand temperatures from 20°C to 60°C.65 to 110 C.
- The heat conductivity coefficient is 0,021 W/mK, which allows to save heat as much as possible.
- Due to its closed-cell structure, LOGICPIR absorbs no more than 1% of moisture, even when heavily soaked.
- Maintains physical and mechanical properties (density, water absorption, thermal conductivity) for more than 50 years without losing its operational characteristics.
- Quick and easy to install according to the instructions, even 1 person can cope with the installation.
TECHNOPLEX FAS extrusion polystyrene foam
Insulation boards with special milled surface.
Scope: The material is specially designed for insulation of facades, plinths, balconies, loggias and other structures where you want a more secure bond between the board and the base.
The board has a milled surface and special micro channels that enhance the adhesion of plaster or adhesive and reduce their consumption.
- easy installation;
- high adhesion of the board to the substrate;
- low water absorption
- high energy saving;
- durability.
- Boards with a thickness of 30 to 100 mm with high strength. No settling or mechanical destruction.
- Water absorption max. 0.7 %, therefore no swelling or moisture damage.
- Won’t need to be replaced for 50 years.
- The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.032 W/mK. Warm in winter and comfortable in summer.
Due to the special structure of the surface boards are easier to glue to the facade and faster coated with finish plaster.
What shall we cut with?
This can be done with different devices, depending on the thickness of the mineral wool.
- A kitchen knife with a serrated edge;
- special construction blade;
- office knife.
- special blades with a length of about 300 mm. They are often offered by manufacturers of insulation materials. Such a tool has teeth of different sizes for cutting mineral wool of different thickness and density;
- saws with undivided teeth;
- hacksaw for metal;
- sharpening machines. They are used when cutting elements of complex shapes. However, for independent construction of their own house, that is, for one-time use, to purchase such expensive equipment is not advisable. you will have to adapt to the capabilities of other tools.
Safety precautions when working with mineral wool
You should know that there is a special safety technique in the process of working with this material, which prevents its negative impact on human health: basalt mineral wool releases dust, extremely dangerous for people working with it.
When cutting and further installation of this insulation should observe the following rules:
- Use protective clothing made of thick fabric and construction gloves;
- When laying the boards on the eyes wear special goggles, face. a protective mask;
- After work, be sure to wash your hands, change clothes or thoroughly clean them.
Good ventilation at the workplace to avoid adverse effects of dust from mineral wool on human health.
Since the technical characteristics of mineral wool from different manufacturers can vary significantly, there are a few practical tips that make it possible for any initial data mineral wool to obtain quality insulation.
- When insulating a flat roof, mineral wool should be laid in two layers.
- To increase the level of sound insulation, it is recommended to use granulated mineral wool.
- boards with ventilation grooves are the most practical.
- When erecting a single-storey building, a three-layer wall may not have a ventilation gap.
- Exploited attics are most often insulated with two layers of mineral wool.
- Accurate cutting of mineral wool slabs guarantees the absence of gaps and the probability of “cold bridges.
The presence of discontinuous lines on the insulation boards facilitates the process of their measuring and subsequent slicing.
This can be done with different tools, depending on the thickness of the mineral wool.
- kitchen knife with serrated edge;
- installation building knife;
- office knife.
- special blades with a length of about 300 mm. They are often offered by manufacturers of insulation materials. Such a tool has teeth of different sizes for cutting mineral wool of different thickness and density;
- saws with undiluted teeth;
- Metal hacksaw;
- cutting machines. Used when cutting elements of complex shapes. However, for independent construction of one’s own house, i.e. for a single use, it is not reasonable to purchase such an expensive equipment. one has to adapt to the capabilities of other tools.
It is important to create a safe working environment
This is really important. As in any case, compliance with simple safety precautions will help to preserve health, to perform the work in optimal time and at a high level of quality. What you need to pay attention to:
- It is better to cut insulation in cool weather, because you must wear a protective suit of thick cloth to work, which will prevent skin contact with the fibers of mineral wool, and its irritation;
- to protect hands wear special gloves. with silicone or rubber coating on the palms;
- Special goggles are needed to protect the eyes;
- A respirator will protect the respiratory organs.
Such measures are necessary because when cutting insulation, particles of the material rise into the air from under the knives. Which can enter the eyes, respiratory tract, and cause skin irritation.
Как разрезать рулон утеплителя. Режем минвату. How to cut a roll of insulation. Cut mineral wool.
- when working with this type of insulation it is necessary to periodically arrange a break, during which to ventilate the room;
- it is necessary to shift the cut pieces gently, without throwing, in order to reduce the amount of fibrous particles in the air;
- at the construction site at this time should not be children, even in protective gear.
As can be seen from the above, there is nothing too complicated in cutting mineral wool. If you follow the designated rules to perform the work qualitatively and safely will not be difficult.
How to cut mineral wool insulation
Questions about what and how to cut the mineral wool, there are always quite a few. Especially those who are going to build housing on their own (for example, a frame, which involves the assembly of their own forces). After all, its structure is a fibrous material, in addition to having a certain thickness. Ordinary table knives or scissors, designed for cutting cardboard or thick fabrics, are not suitable for this task at all.
However, before you start cutting mineral wool, it is important to get it correctly to the place of construction. Otherwise the material, brought to a defective condition, will not be cut, but simply replaced by a new one. And this is an additional cost.
How to transport insulation correctly
The science is simple, but very important. So:
- Boards and mats are transported in a horizontal position;
- The truck must necessarily be with a protective tent;
- Shipping carried out only in a packed form;
- During transportation, loading and unloading work is important not to compress the insulation too much;
- Mineral wool is unpacked just before the beginning of insulation works.
What do we cut with?
This can be done with different devices, depending on the thickness of the mineral wool.
- special blades with a length of about 300 mm. Often they are offered by manufacturers of insulation materials. Such a tool has teeth of different sizes to cut mineral wool of different thickness and density;
- saws with undivided teeth;
- hacksaw for metal;
- cutting machines. Used when cutting elements of complex shapes. However, for independent construction of their own house, that is, for a single use, to acquire such expensive equipment is not advisable. you will have to adapt to the capabilities of other tools.
How to cut
Cutting mineral wool, it is important to maintain the shape and density of the material, not to get hurt and not too costly purchases. That’s why it’s important to follow these tips:
- in self-construction, when workers are not sufficiently experienced, it is advisable to consult with experts before starting to cut, especially if it is intended to have a piece of complex shape. This will help to prevent unnecessary consumption of insulation;
- the tool for cutting should be well sharpened so that mineral wool does not tear into fibers and less “dust”;
- when cutting insulation material it is necessary to take into account that in order to ensure a tight overlap of the insulation space with mineral wool it is necessary to leave an allowance of about 2 cm
- Cut rolled mineral wool better before it unfolds;
- mineral wool boards should be removed from their packages and cut one at a time;
- it is not recommended to cut mineral wool “in advance”. for the entire amount of work at once. This increases the risk of accidental damage to its shape by additional shifting from place to place or stacking pieces on top of each other.
It is important to create safe working conditions
It is really important. As in any case, compliance with a simple safety precautions will help to preserve health, work in optimal time and at a high quality. What you need to pay attention to:
- It is better to cut insulation in cool weather, because for the work it is necessary to wear a protective suit of thick cloth, which will prevent skin contact with the fibers of mineral wool and its irritation;
- To protect your hands wear special gloves. with silicone or rubber coating on the palms;
- to protect the eyes will need special glasses;
- a respirator will protect the respiratory system.
Such measures are necessary because when cutting insulation material particles rise into the air from under the knives. Which can get in the eyes, respiratory system, as well as cause skin irritation.
- when working with this type of insulation it is necessary to periodically arrange a break, during which the room should be ventilated;
- transfer the cut pieces carefully, without throwing them, to reduce the amount of fibrous matter in the air;
- At the construction site at this time should not be a child, even in protective gear.
As can be seen from the above, nothing too complicated in the slicing of mineral wool. If you follow the above rules it will not be a problem to perform work in a safe and high-quality manner.