Photo: Pexels PixabayHow to keep warm this winter and save money is one of the main issues that is currently bothering not only the citizens of Serbia, but also a large part of Europe. However, before starting to save, experts advise installing thermal insulation, which will reduce your electricity bills, but also be an investment that plays a key role in protecting the apartment or house.
Installing thermal insulation can save 30 to 40 percent of electricity.
"If you have an apartment of about 50 square meters and you paid about 150 euros per month for heating during the coldest months, with good insulation your bills can be twice as low." Therefore, you will set aside around 75 euros every month. A well-insulated house, which means that the joinery has been replaced and the insulation has been made with quality materials, can save energy consumption by as much as 50 percent," says mechanical engineer and expert in the field of designing heating and air conditioning systems Ivan Lukić for Biznis.rs
He points out that due to inflation, as well as procurement problems, the prices of materials jumped by about 30 percent, but that this did not affect demand because people became aware of how much insulation means in preserving heat.
When it comes to materials used for thermal insulation, Styrofoam or Styrodur are generally bought in Serbia, which are also the cheapest.
"It is better to insulate with styrofoam of the smallest thickness, because you will definitely save money." It should be emphasized that the insulation of the external facade provides thermal insulation both in winter and in summer. A well-made facade protects the house from possible fire, but also from noise coming from outside. The attic space of the house, which is not heated and not used, should be insulated by placing Styrofoam or a roll of stone wool on the floor", explains Lukić.
Styrofoam is expanded polystyrene foam. As insulation on the market, it is most often found in plates, that is, in the form of boards measuring 100x50cm. According to its purpose, it is divided into facade styrofoam, styrofoam for roof insulation, styrofoam for sandwich walls and styrofoam for floors and flat roofs. Accordingly, the thicknesses of the boards are different, as well as the price.
The cost of installing heat insulation from styrofoam for a 50 square meter apartment according to current prices is around 26 euros per square meter, including scaffolding and assembly. This means that a total of around 3,500 euros should be set aside.
The best material for thermal insulation, and at the same time the most expensive, is stone wool, the price of which is around 44 euros per square meter.
"The thermal conductivity of stone wool has shown excellent results, which makes it a good thermal insulator, but it is also used as sound insulation. As a material, stone wool has high compressive strength and fire resistance, as it is considered a non-combustible material that does not age. It is vapor permeable and allows the walls to 'breathe'", he says.
He adds that even five centimeters of insulation that we put on the walls brings significant savings to the household budget. According to the new law on energy efficiency, the house should be insulated with styrofoam thickness of 12 centimeters, and this brings three times greater savings in energy consumption for heating the house.
"Unfortunately, what we often see in the field is that households, especially those who live in houses, do not heat all rooms in winter, but it comes down to the living room or the room where you spend the most time, while the rest of the house or apartment is cold. According to some data, most citizens heat from 25 to 50 square meters of living space during the winter. I always advise people to set aside funds and even take a loan to install insulation because it will certainly pay off through their electricity bills in the first winter," concludes mechanical engineer and expert in the field of designing heating and air conditioning systems Ivan Lukić.
Source: biznis.rs
