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Author: krystian

In Interior Design
Posted

Let’s revisit the concrete trend! Concrete Plaster is a fashionable decorative coating that makes a wall look indistinguishable from real concrete. Its appeal lies in its uniqueness—no two applications will ever be identical. But where should you use it to captivate rather than overwhelm? How can you highlight its qualities? Here are some tips and ideas

Concrete Plaster: Endless Design Possibilities

Authentic Natural Concrete Imitations

By applying Concrete Plaster skillfully, you can achieve not only a raw concrete look but also other textures, such as the effect of wooden formwork, concrete panels, or industrial molds. It can be finished in a matte or satin look, with smooth or rough surfaces. Using pigments, you can create various shades, giving you extensive creative options.

From Living Rooms to Everywhere: Concrete Takes Over

Concrete walls are one of the hottest trends in modern interior design, continually evolving. Initially confined to industrial and loft-style spaces, it’s now found everywhere—living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms—bringing originality and a chic rawness to interiors. Lightweight decorative Concrete Plaster is often used as a substitute for heavy, real concrete.

Concrete Plaster works perfectly in minimalist designs, where individual elements define the room’s character. It also complements more traditional interiors.

The concrete effect offers a cool and somewhat austere aesthetic. If it feels too stark, you can warm it up with natural materials like wood. The warmth of wood tones balances the coolness of concrete. Pairing a concrete wall with light, smooth walls enhances its visual impact.

For those who prefer cooler aesthetics, amplify the concrete effect with metal, glass, and complementary fabrics. Concrete walls also look stunning alongside various shades of gray, classic black, and bright white.

Increasingly, concrete plaster is being applied to ceilings to create a bold, loft-inspired look. This approach adds a unique, avant-garde atmosphere reminiscent of old factories.

Concrete Plaster for Architectural Details

Decorative Concrete Plaster is ideal for finishing architectural features such as bay windows, niches, or even fireplace surrounds. This ensures the texture draws attention without overwhelming the space.

A Bedroom with a Concrete Wall

Concrete isn’t just for living rooms—it’s also a great choice for bedrooms, spaces meant for relaxation and calm. Subdued, neutral colors create a tranquil environment, and a concrete wall can add visual interest. For example, using it behind a bed’s headboard emphasizes the furniture and provides a perfect backdrop for selected accessories.

Lighting is crucial in a bedroom with a concrete wall—well-placed lights will highlight the texture beautifully while creating a restful ambiance.

A Bathroom with a Concrete Wall

Concrete Plaster is a standout choice for bathrooms. What makes it so appealing? Its universality. Like black and white, concrete complements any color scheme and remains timeless. It lends a modern, elegant look to bathrooms. Plus, it’s cost-effective compared to tiles.

A Concrete Wall in the Hallway

The hallway is often overlooked in interior design, but it’s the first impression of your home!

If you choose a concrete wall for the hallway, ensure the texture is accentuated with proper lighting. Adding large mirrors with frames that match your home’s style can enhance the effect. For industrial designs, exposed pipes or metal details can complete the look.

Your hallway should set the tone for the rest of the home, seamlessly tying the spaces together.

Concrete Plaster in Kitchens and Kids’ Rooms

Concrete Plaster isn’t just for main areas—it works beautifully in kitchens and children’s rooms too. A concrete wall above the kitchen counter or as an accent in a kids’ room can look stunning. The final result depends on your creativity!

Concrete continues to captivate with its versatility and charm in various applications. This is why we so often turn to its alternatives to recreate the raw, striking effect it offers.

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In External Wall Insulation, Uncategorized
Posted

Modern building insulation solutions provide both thermal and humidity comfort as well as an aesthetically pleasing effect. However, an important yet often overlooked aspect is the durability of the achieved results.

Insulation: A Way to Save Energy and Money

High heating bills are often caused by heat escaping from buildings. This happens because the structure lacks proper sealing and insulation. By insulating exterior walls, ground floors, foundations, and roofs, heating bills can be reduced by up to 50%. Styrofoam is one of the most efficient insulation materials, offering a very low thermal conductivity coefficient at a relatively low cost compared to alternative methods.

Why Styrofoam?

Insulation is subjected to various factors from the moment it is applied. These influences can be categorized as:

  • Physical: temperature changes, moisture, UV radiation.
  • Chemical: air pollution, acid rain.
  • Mechanical: direct damage or stress-related wear.
  • Biological: microorganisms, mold, and fungi.

Styrofoam is highly effective for insulation due to its resistance to biodegradation, mold, and fungi. Additionally, its expanded polystyrene structure resists water absorption, with only minimal water penetration occurring in spaces between granules. However, like many other building materials, Styrofoam requires adequate protection from external factors to maintain its technical properties.

Grey Styrofoam Insulation

Graphite-infused Styrofoam has become increasingly popular in recent years among investors and contractors due to its numerous advantages.

Thanks to the addition of graphite granules, grey Styrofoam has improved thermal insulation properties. Its reduced thermal conductivity allows for excellent insulation performance even with thinner panels. Grey Styrofoam meets regulatory standards and is ideal for energy-efficient and passive houses.

However, exposure to UV rays can cause grey panels to expand under heat or melt slightly. The enhanced thermal properties, combined with the dark color, make these panels heat up faster. To mitigate this, installation should be performed using scaffolding covered with protective nets—a practice recommended for all insulation work.

White Styrofoam Insulation

With white Styrofoam, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause yellowing and, over time, surface erosion. Before continuing with further work, any affected surfaces should be sanded down.

The durability of expanded polystyrene (EPS) depends on its structure and application. Proper installation requires the addition of protective layers to shield the material from external factors.

The outermost layer of the insulation system, a thin plaster coating, is especially vulnerable to damage due to its direct exposure to the environment. Regular inspections and the use of biocide-containing plasters and coatings are advisable.

Advantages of Styrofoam Insulation

Styrofoam insulation offers numerous benefits:

  1. Mechanical Resistance: Ensures stability and retains its shape throughout its use.
  2. Lightweight: The low weight of EPS panels does not significantly stress the building’s structural framework.
  3. Ease of Handling: Styrofoam is easy to cut and shape, making it user-friendly during application.
  4. Compatibility: It works well with most materials used in insulation processes. However, it should avoid contact with organic solvents, bitumen, asphalt, tar, gasoline, and diesel.

By using high-quality materials and ensuring proper application, Styrofoam insulation will retain its insulating and durability properties over time. Maintenance will typically involve only minor repairs and general upkeep, resulting in long-lasting efficiency and aesthetic appeal.

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In savings
Posted

As the heating season begins, we are seeking all possible ways to save energy, given the current circumstances. In households, the majority of energy consumption is used for heating. Heat escapes through walls, windows, doors, and roofs. However, significant heat loss can be reduced by properly insulating walls and other critical areas such as foundations, floors, and attics. Installing modern windows and doors can also help mitigate the effects of rising energy costs, making these investments highly beneficial.

Thermal Insulation – The Foundation of Effective Energy Savings

The primary cause of high heating costs is often leaks and building designs that allow heat to escape easily. Thermal insulation is the solution. Walls require additional insulation, typically using a layer of polystyrene, as external insulation is more effective. Proper thermal insulation can generate substantial savings.

Modern, energy-efficient homes not only save energy but also protect the environment. Reduced energy demand means less consumption of solid fuels and gas, leading to fewer emissions being released into the atmosphere.

Insulating the Roof to Save Energy

A poorly insulated roof is another major source of heat loss. Up to 40% of the heat escaping from a building can be lost through the roof. Mineral wool is an excellent solution for this issue. Choosing high-quality mineral wool is a worthwhile investment that pays off in just a few seasons. Mineral wool has impressive properties:

  • Hygroscopicity: It does not absorb moisture, maintaining its excellent insulating parameters.
  • Vapor permeability: Prevents the growth of microorganisms, fungi, and mold.
  • Acoustic insulation: Effectively dampens noise from outside.

Ask about such mineral wool at ANT BM Limited branches in London and Manchester.

Additionally, insulating an attic with mineral wool is relatively straightforward and can often be done without hiring professionals. Particularly for unused attics, the work can easily be completed independently.

Floor Insulation for Lower Bills

Energy savings also involve insulating floors, which is just as important as insulating walls or attics. Properly insulated floors offer everyday comfort—warmer and more pleasant surfaces—and reduced heating bills over time. Floor insulation is beneficial for both new and older buildings.

A well-executed floor insulation process includes multiple layers:

  1. A sublayer (a mix of gravel and sand).
  2. A concrete screed (light, base-level concrete).
  3. Thermal insulation (a thick polyethylene sheet, followed by polystyrene or extruded polystyrene).
  4. Another layer of polyethylene and a screed base before laying the final flooring.

Floor insulation on ground-level buildings is relatively simple, but it requires following specific steps to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

Insulating Foundations

Properly insulating foundations is crucial for a building’s functionality. Thermal insulation prevents heat from escaping into the ground. Before starting foundation insulation work, ensure careful waterproofing, both horizontally and vertically, to protect against moisture, which could compromise the insulation’s effectiveness.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is commonly used for foundation insulation. However, it is not suitable in areas with high groundwater levels. In such cases, extruded polystyrene (XPS), also known as styrodur, is a better option despite being more expensive. It is highly resistant to moisture and maintains its properties even with prolonged water contact.

Insulating materials are mounted to the foundations with polyurethane adhesive, which provides a stable bond within minutes. The insulated foundation walls should also be covered with a dimpled membrane (or thick construction foil) and backfilled with soil.

Modern Windows and Doors

Old, leaky windows and exterior doors contribute significantly to energy loss. Replacing them with energy-efficient models and ensuring proper installation is an effective solution. For example:

  • Triple-pane windows provide excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. Their low heat transfer coefficient reduces energy consumption during the heating season.
  • Light transmittance coefficient should be 70% for energy-efficient homes, while the total solar energy transmittance coefficient should be 50-60%.

Investing in high-quality entrance doors with an insulating layer (commonly polyurethane foam or polystyrene) is another step toward minimizing heat loss. Properly sealing the threshold is also critical to prevent water accumulation at the bottom of the door frame.

High-quality doors typically have a thermal transfer coefficient below 1.7 W/(m²K), while passive house models boast coefficients as low as 0.71-0.73 W/(m²K). These parameters should be certified.

If replacing windows and doors is too costly, consider installing new seals. Aging seals often significantly reduce thermal performance. Many seal options are available, including rubber and foam varieties.

Conclusion

The above methods of energy savings significantly reduce a building’s heat energy requirements. Combined with responsible purchasing and use of household appliances and lighting, they can substantially lower monthly bills.

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