Influence of EPS, mineral wool and plaster layers on sound and thermal insulation of a wall: a case study

Different envelope solutions are used for the implementation of thermal insulation requirements, assuming that a solution that insures good thermal insulation will automatically insure good sound insulation. The use of External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) may be one of many solutions. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate how thermal insulation (EPS and mineral wool) and coating (plaster) layers of ETICS influence on sound and thermal insulation of a basic element (wall). The experimental results showed that added thermal insulation (EPS and mineral wool) and coating (plaster) layers of ETICS can influence the sound and thermal insulation of the wall differently. The addition of a thermal insulation layer of ETICS changes sound insulation (increases up to 4 dB) of wall with mineral wool, but in using EPS, has no significant influence. The addition of a coating (plaster) layer over the thermal insulation material layer allows an increase in sound insulation in both cases from 3 dB to 7 dB, but does not change the thermal insulation. The addition of a layer of thermal insulation changes the thermal insulation of basic wall – it increases up to 4.88 m2 K/W with EPS and up to 5.09 m2 K/W with MW, respectively. The influence on sound insulation depends on the type of thermal insulation material used, the presence or absence of a coating (plaster layer) and its thickness, while the influence on thermal insulation does not depend on these factors. It only depends on the presence of the thermal insulation layer.