Dreaming of a cozy country cottage that feels comfortable and welcoming all year round? Then it’s essential to choose the right insulation for your roof, basement and attic floors, exterior walls, and interior partitions.
Today, most developers prefer expanded clay. Its affordable price combined with excellent performance characteristics explains the growing popularity of this bulk material in the Russian construction industry.
Expanded clay consists of lightweight porous granules, usually round in shape, produced by melting and firing a specific type of clay — a process that ensures its eco-friendliness and health safety. Strict adherence to the manufacturing process guarantees high thermal and sound insulation, fire resistance, and frost resistance. Since expanded clay is a natural material, it offers strength and durability not found in synthetic alternatives.
Unlike other heat-saving materials such as wood, expanded clay has a much longer service life. Being made from clay, it does not rot and is unaffected by hot or freezing water, or extreme air temperatures. Many believe brick to be the best insulator, but when compared to the cost-effective and easy-to-use expanded clay, it falls short again.
What’s more, expanded clay is a universal insulator suitable for any part of a building — from the foundation to the roof.

1. Foundation Expanded clay can be used for both internal and external foundation insulation. Internally, it fills the voids beneath the ground floor slab; externally, it is poured under the blind area around the building. This allows for a shallower foundation depth while significantly improving floor insulation. In both cases, a waterproofing membrane must be used to protect the expanded clay from moisture.
2. Floors Many people dream of warm floors, but electric floor heating systems can be expensive. Expanded clay offers a budget-friendly alternative to achieve comfort. Depending on the floor’s construction, there are several insulation methods. For concrete floors, lay a vapor barrier membrane on the slab to protect against moisture, followed by a layer of expanded clay concrete (a mix of expanded clay, cement, and water). This method reduces the floor’s thermal conductivity by 2.9 times. For wooden floors, the principle is similar: a vapor barrier on the subfloor, a layer of expanded clay (no binding agents), and a final layer of floorboards. This ensures excellent insulation and also deters rodents from inhabiting the floor.
3. Walls The simplest way to insulate walls with expanded clay is through a three-layer construction. The first layer (up to 40 cm thick) is a structural wall made from expanded clay concrete blocks. The second layer (10 cm) is a mix of expanded clay and a cement slurry. The third layer, protecting the insulation from external effects, can be made of wood, facing brick, or panels.
4. Attics Insulating attic and inter-floor ceilings requires a lightweight material to avoid overloading the structure. Expanded clay is ideal in this case due to its low weight. To insulate an attic, lay a vapor barrier and then pour expanded clay on top, creating a walkable surface.
5. Roof Before insulating a roof, prepare the hollow space between the inner and outer battens. Place a vapor barrier between them, then fill the resulting cavity with expanded clay.