Foil penofol: characteristics and application

Professional builders and people who follow changes in the market of finishing materials are the first to know about new products. Those who encounter them for the first time may have a number of questions regarding their features and areas of application. One of these materials is foamed polyethylene foam, also known as penofol.

This foil-clad building material has a significant advantage over others due to its double action: it prevents moisture penetration and retains heat with an aluminum insert. Composed of a foamed polyethylene layer covered with thin aluminum foil, penofol works on the principle of a thermos.

Foamed polyethylene, which is the basis of penofol, has a thickness of 0.2-1 cm and can have a different structure and density. A foil with a thickness of 20 microns is applied to such a base using heat sealing; the purity of this foil must be at least 99.4%.

The main technical characteristics of the material are:

• water absorption in 0.3–0.7% of the total volume;
• heat reflection 95–97%;
• depending on the variety, the thermal conductivity coefficient ranges from 0.31 to 0.51;
• the material retains its properties at temperatures ranging from -60 degrees to + 100.

The main function of this multi-layer material is to protect a certain structure or space from various environmental influences. This non-combustible building material has many advantages.

• Versatility. Penofol is used not only for keeping warm and protecting from moisture. It has high vapor and sound insulation, allowing you to reduce the use of a large number of different films. The product can be used both indoors and outdoors, as it is not afraid of moisture at all.
• Subtlety of the material. The thickness of penofol is several times less than many similar heaters. When installing even in the smallest room, you do not have to worry about reducing the living space.
• Wide choose. The material is presented on the market in a wide range of types. Therefore, it is easy to choose exactly the one that is necessary for the current job and taking into account specific conditions.
• Quality level. The material is made using the most modern technologies, which allows you to reduce heat loss by only 4%. In winter, it will be warm in a room decorated with penofol, and in summer it will be cool.

• Ease of installation. The material produced in rolls is light and flexible. This allows a person who does not have experience in the construction industry to cope with work even in the most difficult areas. This building material, unlike old heaters, does not need a frame. It can be glued directly to the rough wall, and can be cut with ordinary scissors.
• Environmental friendliness. Unlike mineral wool, you can even work with penofol with your bare hands, since it does not cause any irritation on the skin. Such insulation can be safely used even for installation in kindergartens and schools.
• Virtually does not burn. It can be described as flame retardant.

• No parasites. This insulation does not serve as food or a home for rodents or insects.
• Easy transportation. The weight of one roll of penofol is so small that you can easily carry it in your hands all the way from the hardware store to your home. The material is difficult to deform or break.
• Radiation protection. It is almost the only insulating material that can reflect radiation exposure. This effect is achieved with aluminum foil and is necessary for some industrial facilities.

Unfortunately, for all its positive properties, penofol also has some disadvantages. Due to the soft surface of the material, plastering is impossible, since it simply does not stick to it and it is easy to break it. Installation of such insulation with metal brackets will violate its integrity and may reduce the thermal and waterproofing characteristics. It is necessary either to purchase it on a self-adhesive base, or to plant it on a special compound, which is purchased separately.

Flexible insulation is presented on the market in various models, which are indicated by the letter marking A, B, C, ALP, R, M, AIR and Super NET. The first three types of penofol are considered the most popular.

• The letter a tells the buyer that the polyethylene foam is covered with foil on one side only. A-penofol is recommended to be combined with other heaters.
• B-penofol, unlike the first, double-sided and can be used without additional materials.
• Letter C written on a self-adhesive product. Moisture resistant glue allows you to lay the material on the rough surface without additional materials and tools.
• ALP marking applied to penofol, which is often called "laminated". Since aluminum is coated with a polyethylene coating, it is like a sheet of foil sealed in a clear coat. This material is used in non-aggressive environments and agricultural construction.
• R, M. The coating of the material is done on one side, but it itself is corrugated.
• AIR-penofol mounted in air-venting structures and rooms.
• Super NET used in the insulation of communication networks, as "NET" from the English "network".

Also on the construction market you can find a material called "Penofol 2000", which is much cheaper than conventional types. However, professionals do not recommend using this analogue, since in terms of characteristics it is significantly inferior to any marking of a standard material.

Rolls of such material may vary in size depending on the type.

• For all types of material, except ALP, the standard thickness is from 3 mm to 5 mm, as well as 8 mm and 10 mm. Their width of 1200 mm remains unchanged, and their length varies from 15 m to 30 m in one roll.
• ALP-penofol is produced with a thickness of 3 mm, a width of 580 mm and a roll length of 15 m.

Since this is a registered trademark, it is produced exclusively by the LIT plant. But this insulation in the construction market can be easily replaced. Materials such as Isolon, Tepofol, Magnoflex and Porileks can be used both to retain heat and prevent moisture penetration. Some materials may be even more economical than penofol, however, in terms of quality and quantity of properties, it surpasses all of the above.

The price of foamed insulation depends on the thickness of the material, markings and the length of the roll. Classic A-penofol has a cost of 160 rubles. per square meter, V-penofol costs from 180 rubles. for the same footage. And self-adhesive heat insulators are presented on the market in the price category from 230 rubles. per square meter and above.

Since the technical characteristics of the foamed heat insulator make it possible to achieve significant results, penofol is widely used to insulate various communications and industrial premises.According to customer reviews, it also copes well with tasks in ordinary houses and apartments.

Foil-coated polyethylene foam can be used to insulate the following structures and structures:

• wall insulation inside and outside the room;
• the creation of a warm floor, the organization of warm loggias and ceilings;
• thermal insulation of various boilers, expansion tanks and refrigerators due to a thick layer of foil;
• for installation from the inside of the roof when carrying out roofing works;
• thermal and water insulation in the construction of saunas and baths;
• protection of ventilation systems, air ducts and other utilities.

In order for penofol to reveal all its useful properties, it must be properly mounted. Each type of finish has its own installation nuances. For example, for insulation and insulation of internal walls, the sequence of work is one, and for external walls, another.

To insulate the walls from the inside, first of all, it is necessary to build a wooden rack frame. This design will save a small space (about 20 mm) in front of and after the insulation, which will help to show the technical characteristics of the foam insulator. Most often, foil foam foam with a thickness of up to 5 mm is used indoors, but if necessary, you can also glue more expensive material with a thickness of up to 10 mm.

The frame slats are mounted with a step exceeding the width of the foam foil roll by several millimeters in order to easily lay it into the resulting strips. However, the step should be no more than 1000 mm.

If there is no need for additional insulation, then you can immediately start fixing the material on the frame using a construction stapler. Do not overlap the polyethylene foam, as this can lead to the formation of steam and condensation flowing down the joint seams.

After the insulation is laid, it is necessary to mount the second frame, leaving a 20 mm gap of free space. You can sheathe such a frame with drywall, which is subsequently painted or covered with wallpaper with glue. Each roll also contains a small installation and operating instructions, which are also recommended to be studied. To insulate the floor inside the room, penofol can be mounted directly on the subfloor under the screed, which will allow you to lay any coating you like on top.

Insulation of external walls and communications is carried out using foam foam, which is set on a special glue. Beginners should use a more expensive type of self-adhesive insulation, which is easier to work with than with conventional types. Installation begins with preparatory work: the surface of the walls must be cleaned, the concrete must be lightly sanded, the wood must be treated with antiseptics. Installation is best done in dry, warm weather.

As with internal insulation, the installation of foam foam from the outside begins with the construction of a wooden frame. You can fix the slats to the rough wall with ordinary self-tapping screws, and the joints of the laid material should be glued with special aluminum tape for greater waterproofing.

When laying roll material, do not forget about the air space, which must be left behind and in front of the foam foam. If in the process of work the material turned out to be cut in the wrong place, it is easy to fix it using the adhesive tape that fastened the seams. For higher heat retention rates, penofol can be laid in two or three layers.

The next step is to mount the outer frame, on which various finishing materials are attached. Most often, siding or corrugated board is mounted on the insulated surface. Insulation of an open balcony or loggia is carried out according to a similar algorithm with the only difference that penofol in such cases is mounted with an overlap.

Summing up, we can say that the appearance of such a material on the market has greatly simplified the solution of many problems. With a thickness of only 5-10 mm, it has unique characteristics of heat, hydro, steam and noise insulation. Of course, the choice of insulation depends on the specific situation and the personal preferences of the buyer, but the presence of a large list of advantages today makes penofol one of the leaders in the building materials market.

For information on how to fix penofol to the wall, see the video below.