home ceilings

How to insulate an attic and make it habitable. How to insulate an attic: tips. Insulation of the attic floor in a private house - effective ways to keep warm

Insulation of the attic floor makes it possible to save thermal energy inside the room, thereby preventing the cost of heating a cold attic. Still nothing if the attic is used as a utility room or attic, but what if not? Of course, it makes no sense to spend money on heating it in this case.

For this reason, it is desirable to cover the attic floor with the use of thermal insulation materials. This can be done both outside and inside. Ideally, insulation should begin at the stage of building a house or, alternatively, right before finishing the premises. However, even while living there is no reason not to take care of the insulation of the ceiling from the attic.

Note! The thickness of the insulation layer is stated in SNiP. In addition, there you can find all the necessary calculations of the heat transfer resistance of various insulating materials, taking into account the average annual temperature, the material used in the construction and the length of the heating season.

But before proceeding directly to the insulation, you must identify the type of attic floor. In the private construction of residential buildings (regardless of whether wood is used, bricks or blocks), it can only be of two types. But both must be built according to certain rules and have a well-defined design.

Basic requirements for attic floors

The main quality that any attic floor must necessarily have is strength. If a we are talking about mansard roof, then the entire structure should not sag or deform under the weight of furniture or equipment located in the attic. There is such a thing as the norm of deflection. For attic structures, it is 1/200 of the entire span. The maximum load per square meter is 105 kilograms. Another equally important parameter of the floor is fire safety, which is more true for wood structures. So, fire resistance has such limits:

for concrete or reinforced concrete structures it is 1 hour;
for wooden structures (in the absence of additional protection) - five minutes;
for wooden floors along beams, with backfill and plaster - about 45 minutes;
for wooden floors with only one plastered surface - 15 minutes.

Features of the overlap device

It is often the beam ceiling that is encountered, which is explained by the simplicity and low cost of installation, so we will focus on it. Often they are found in wooden buildings, and elements of both wood and metal can serve as beams. According to experts, option number 1 is preferable, because:

wood is cheaper than metal;
it has excellent thermal insulation performance;
it is easier to handle.

Insulation of the attic floor, if there are beams, consists in laying insulating material between them. If the height of the beams is not enough for this, then the bars are additionally stuffed from above. Before proceeding with laying, a vapor barrier layer should be laid (only not a plastic film, since the vapors that leave the room will not be able to penetrate outside). And if the film is still used, then the level of humidity in the house will increase markedly, especially if ventilation system works poorly. For this reason, it is preferable to purchase a modern vapor barrier, which can be laid in such a way that the air leaves the room, but does not penetrate into the house from the attic. And if such material is with foil, then it must be laid “face down”.

But how to choose the right insulation so that the resulting “sandwich” is as effective as possible? We will talk about this now.

Types of insulation for the attic

There are a lot of such materials, but we will consider only the most popular of them. Here they are:

mineral wool;
Styrofoam;
sawdust;
expanded clay.

Let's take a closer look at each of the options.

The use of mineral wool

Mineral wool is an effective insulation, the fibers in which are arranged in a special way. Due to such randomness, an oxygen “cushion” is formed between the fibers, due to which the material acquires its properties. But because of the same feature, mineral wool or absorbs moisture. In order to prevent this, the installation must be carried out properly.

The advantages of this material are undeniable:

density;
ease of installation;
long service life;
fire safety;
finally, if the cotton wool is installed horizontally, then it does not slip and does not cake (read: cold bridges do not appear).

But there is also a drawback that we talked about - it absorbs moisture.

Mounting technology

Mineral wool can be laid in three possible ways:

into cells;
into furrows;
continuous.

The first method is the most efficient. The laying technology itself is as follows.

Step 1. First, lay the vapor barrier material - this is necessary to remove the steam that rises from the premises. For proper styling it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the marking on the film made by the manufacturer.

Note! Do not forget to observe the obligatory overlap of 10 centimeters.

If thermal insulation is made along the beams, then the vapor barrier must go around each element that protrudes, otherwise the beams will soon rot.

Step 2 Where the film joins with walls and other surfaces that protrude, lift it to the height of the insulating material + 5 centimeters, then wrap it behind the material plates or glue it with adhesive tape.

Step 3 After that, proceed to laying the insulating material. This procedure is extremely simple, since strips and plates can be easily cut with a construction knife.

Step 4 When laying, pay attention to the fact that the insulation is not squeezed and there are no gaps. You can see common mistakes in the image below.

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In the first case, the thickness of the thermal insulation is not enough; in the rest, the same parameter of the attic floor is incorrectly selected.

Foil material will increase resistance to heat loss. But the material itself should be laid down with foil.
If there are protruding structural elements in the attic, then the insulation should be raised by 40-50 centimeters and fixed.
If a thin insulation material is laid in two layers, then it will be more effective than one thick layer.
Do not allow material to protrude beyond the beams. But if this still happened, extend it with a rail or beam to the thickness of the material itself.

Step 5 If the rafter system is not protected by a waterproofing layer, and the attic space will not be used, then it is necessary to lay waterproofing.

Step 6 It remains only to make a rough floor. To do this, lay it on a heater - this will be the basis for the final finish.

Use of Styrofoam

Insulation of the attic floor with polystyrene foam is in many ways reminiscent of a similar procedure with the use of polystyrene foam. Moreover, the advantages of these materials are common - here they are:

cheapness;
water resistance;
ease of installation.

Mounting technology

Installing foam for attic insulation is extremely simple - you can easily handle the procedure on your own. All work is divided into several stages.

Step 1. Level the surface. In order for the thermal insulation to be of the highest quality, no irregularities should remain on the base. And if you need to eliminate the recesses, then fill everything with a cement screed.

Step 2 Lay the insulation boards - between the bars or end-to-end. What is characteristic, if there are bars, then the strength of the structure will increase significantly.

Note! All joints (between the bars inclusive) must be carefully sealed. When avoiding obstacles, cut holes as accurately as possible. Finally, it is a homogeneous layer that saves thermal energy best of all.

To protect the foam in a non-residential attic from destruction, you can use a film. But if the attic is used often and people move along it, then the foam must be covered with a subfloor - it can be like a screed of cement and sand or OSB boards.

Using sawdust for attic insulation

Who does not know, shredded wood is called sawdust. We are talking about this material now, because it also has significant advantages, including:

availability;
naturalness;
light weight;
absence of any harmful or toxic substances.

The minus is the same as that of polystyrene - flammability.

The procedure for warming with sawdust

Step 1. First, prepare the sawdust, that is, mix it with water and cement in a ratio of 10-1-1.

Step 2 Pour the attic floor with the resulting mixture, and then carefully level it. Note that it is possible to insulate the attic with sawdust without a frame only if it (the attic) is non-residential. Otherwise, the sawdust will be pressed while walking, and the screed, respectively, will collapse.

Step 3 Using timber, build a honeycomb structure. Next, fill each cell with the mixture described above. The main advantage of this technology is that it will be possible to lay a subfloor on top of the timber, and the room itself can be actively used.

The use of expanded clay for insulation

Sufficiently high-quality insulation of the attic floor can be made using expanded clay. Who does not know, this material is obtained after firing clay. The main advantages of expanded clay include:

availability;
low thermal conductivity;
light weight;
environmental friendliness;
naturalness.

But there is also a minus, which lies in the difficulty of raising the material to the height of the attic.

Note! Often this material is used when it is required to insulate the ceiling over the slabs.

Instructions for insulation with expanded clay

The whole procedure can be conditionally divided into the following stages.

Step 1. First, inspect the plates for cracks or gaps. If any are found, seal them with mortar and cover with thick paper. What is characteristic, even with protruding structural elements, there are no difficulties when backfilling.

Step 2 Using a beam, build a crate. A subfloor will subsequently be laid on top of this grating.

Step 3 Pour the material onto the slab and level it with a rake. The thickness should be approximately 25-30 centimeters. It is characteristic that you can walk on expanded clay - no restrictions in this case no.

Note! Falling asleep expanded clay, try to combine pebbles of various fractions (sizes). This will prevent voids from forming.

At the end, fill everything with a concrete screed or mount a subfloor.

The main nuances of the procedure

The tree rots, therefore, the steam rising from the house must pass freely. If you install a vapor barrier or use a material that does not "breathe" for this, then soon the tree may collapse.
Insulation with foil should be laid with it (foil) down to protect the wood from moisture.

You can see examples of correct and incorrect installation in the image below.

But the universal scheme is the insulation of the attic floor using any of the materials.

Video - thermal insulation of the attic floor

As a result, we note that the thermal insulation of the attic floor will be as effective as possible if the attic itself is reliably protected from the penetration of moisture from the outside. In other words, you also need to properly equip the roof. Good luck with your work!

Salvation from the harsh Russian climate for many people is a warm home. It is not always enough to insulate the foundation, basement and walls: if the roof of the house is cold, you need to properly insulate the attic. This procedure has a number of features that must be considered before starting work. Otherwise, all the means and efforts will be wasted, the result will not justify the efforts made.

Peculiarities

Regardless of the type of building and its number of storeys, work with floors must be carried out according to strict rules.

It is required to provide a margin of safety covering its own weight and design load.
Under full design load, no deformation or deflection should occur.
It is necessary to ensure the level of sound insulation prescribed by the regulations or special recommendations for building projects.
It is supposed to maintain the fire resistance limit established by regulatory documents.

When insulating attics, any of these requirements may be violated due to ignorance, carelessness or deviation from standard technology. The rest of the nuances already belong to one group of floors.

Types of floors

From the attic, the main part of the house can be separated by attic and interfloor floors. The difference lies in the fact that in the first case the upper part of the building is not heated, and in the second it is turned into a residential attic.

By design, the bearing segments of the floors are beamed and beamless. The former are formed by beams and filling, the latter are homogeneous, made in the form of slabs or panels.

Beam ceilings in a private house are created in such a way that the main elements are at the same distance. The main structural material is wood. Metal and reinforced concrete are practically not used.

Wooden blocks are quite light, but have a serious disadvantage - the maximum length is limited. In the interfloor version, they can be used if the span is not longer than 5 m. For an unused attic, you can increase the allowable value by 1 m.

Sometimes you need to make the span even bigger. Then you need to apply metal constructions. In the summer country house this solution is not used for obvious reasons. Most often, the flooring that is placed on top of the beams simultaneously acts as a ceiling (for the lower floor) and as a floor (for an attic or a simple attic).

In addition to the beams and flooring, they also install a run-up and a layer of insulation.

Houses resembling a rectangle in shape overlap parallel to the shortest wall. Strictly defined distance and section of the structure help to avoid deflection of beams in a loaded state. These indicators are interrelated.

Under cold roof it is required to lay beams with a gap greater than under the attic(this is due to the difference in load). Regardless of the specific option, it is necessary to insulate the ceiling in such a way as to guarantee the protection of the rafters from water ingress. On top of the protective layer, it is required to create a vapor-tight material.

materials

Proper insulation always begins with drying the attic by opening the windows. It is important to take into account the nuance: they work with the floor of the attic, and not with the ceiling of living rooms.

The range of heaters is large, in any hardware store you can find a lot of varieties. They are divided into three main groups - bulk, rolled and made in the form of plates. Each of the varieties is suitable for solving strictly defined tasks.

Bulk products optimally combined with wooden beam ceilings, helping them to "breathe". But mounting polystyrene foam is not very convenient.

Roll options are highly environmentally friendly.

Plate, despite its heaviness, it is well combined with concrete ceilings (for example, foam concrete), which themselves differ in density.

Insulation from the inside of the room (from the side of the ceiling) is rarely practiced in a cold attic, which is associated with several problems:

lowering the level of the room;
invariable violation of the already created finish and the need for its repair;
different environmental and sanitary safety of heat-insulating materials.

Installation of thermal protection from inside the room can be done cheaply or with maintaining the proper level of comfort. We have to abandon mineral wool, keep the gap from thermal insulation to exterior finish(this is for ventilation). Internal insulation is an the best option heat preservation when arranging a false ceiling.

If the insulation is carried out with extruded polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene, pre-installation of the crate is necessary, on top of which drywall is fixed. The thickness of the timber is selected 0.2 - 0.3 cm more than that of the insulating layer itself, the installation step is 0.1 - 0.2 cm narrower than the foam. It is recommended to use mineral wool only in the most extreme cases: it is highly toxic.

Much better ecowool, obtained from cellulose with the addition of substances reducing the risk of ignition. Such material perfectly restrains extraneous sounds. If you use reeds, you can not be afraid of fire.

It's time to figure out what features each of the coating groups has, and what other materials belong to them.

Bulk

The use of bulk type of heaters began in ancient times. Their main options are:

expanded clay;
sawdust;
linen fibers;
reed stems.

Each variety has its own differences and performance characteristics. Ease of obtaining, availability and almost zero price of sawdust have a downside (they have a number of serious drawbacks).

Mice easily settle in sawdust. This can be prevented by adding slaked lime and carbide. To keep warm, a layer of 10 - 20 mm is enough, but this impressive quality is crossed out by high combustibility.

Expanded clay is compatible with wooden and concrete floors: when it is covered, a full-fledged flooring. The thickness of the layer ranges from 20 to 25 mm, under it there should be a concrete screed of about 5 mm.

in rolls

The undoubted advantages of any roll insulation are the convenience of its use and the ease of accurate installation of blocks. This allows you to do the work yourself.

In most cases, despite all its shortcomings, mineral wool is used. Before laying the material, you will have to make a high-quality vapor barrier with glued seams for greater tightness.

If algae is safe, you can't say that about glass wool. Water resistance is devalued by a serious inconvenience during work: you have to protect yourself from small, prickly and dangerous fibers. After some time, the material becomes caked and largely loses its positive qualities..

In the form of mats and plates

Slab insulation is distinguished by reliable blocking of air intake. It should not be used in houses natural material . More often in the manufacture of plates using expanded polystyrene, reeds, ecowool. seaweed.

The technology provides for installation strictly on flat surfaces with preliminary placement of vapor barrier films. Even the smallest irregularities need to be eliminated. It is easy to make a full-fledged floor above the stove, which allows you to create residential attics even from the initially coldest attics.

sprayable

A real technological breakthrough was the use of sprayed heaters. It is important to carefully approach their selection and take into account all the features, including the advantages and disadvantages of the coating being created.

Main positive aspects when used for insulation with penoizol, are:

exceptionally high level of thermal protection;
excellent absorption of extraneous sounds;
solid vapor permeability (absence of condensate);
the possibility of application in places that are inaccessible or inaccessible for other insulation products;
ease of installation over all existing building materials.

The last point does not mean that careful surface preparation can be neglected.

Only careful degreasing of the base guarantees decent adhesion and stable performance of the material of its main function.

Regardless of the option chosen, the preparatory work is more or less the same.

Preparation for work

Before work begins in the attic wooden house you need to check the joints of the ceilings. It is important to consider: there should be no gaps and cracks on the base. Any gap is blocked using lime mortar and tow.. Frame elements are impregnated with antiseptic compounds and flame retardants.

If ventilation products have not been created before, the time has come to make them.

If you plan to make insulation according to a roll scheme, you need to equip the floor slabs with logs (special bars). To fix them, screws for concrete or dowels can be used.

When it is planned to turn the attic into an attic, the heating pipes must be insulated. The following types of technical wool are best suited for them:

glass;
mineral;
slag;
stone;
basalt.

For your information: the cheapest options should be used in areas with mild winters. If the frosts are hard enough, you will have to buy a more expensive and reliable insulation.

It is necessary to clean the surface as much as possible from the slightest traces of dust and other contaminants. All sections of heating systems are overlapped with protective materials at least twice.

Features of the combination of heat and vapor barrier

Vapor barrier in combination with thermal insulation is always made extremely tight. The rolls are overlapped up to 0.2 m, glued. Required condition- lapping on the wall with subsequent pressing with plaster. Preference should be given to materials that have a foil surface that effectively reflects infrared rays.

Floor cleaning

This moment cannot be underestimated. It is worth using the house for several months without visiting the cold attic, as an amazing amount of dust, dirt, and cobwebs accumulate there. It is necessary to remove all things, even the smallest and most insignificant, remove all debris before starting work.

Warming

It will not be possible to disassemble the laying technology of all possible coatings. You need to stop at one option. For example, such as mineral mats.

First you need to remove the board run and attach a vapor barrier layer to the beams. For fastening membrane films, it is worth using staples 14 - 16 mm, driven into the base with a stapler. The gaps of the structures are filled with mats, which are fixed with the help of transverse rails with a section of 20x50 mm. These slats will help hold the extra vapor barrier.

Then you need to make a boardwalk with your own hands and equip the ceiling. Materials that form a kind of shell (for example, penofol) are better suited to protect ventilation pipes from the cold. It is better than polyethylene foam, it does not so much absorb dust, which is inevitably present in any room.

If a ventilation tube passes through the main wall, it must be placed in a heat-insulating sleeve. When ventilation duct goes through the room, you need to lay the material where freezing begins to be felt. Ventilation protection is done before covering the rest of the building.

A typical pie involves stacking:

solid board 25x100, 30x100 mm;
a two-layer membrane that protects against wind;
timber 5x5 cm across the overlapping beams (the distance between the blocks should be 59 cm);

beams based on a double beam 5x20 cm;
new timber 5x5 cm;
vapor barrier (best with aluminum foil);
boards on the overlaps of the vapor barrier.

In attics, one has to deal with the problem of a freezing wall or even several walls at the same time. Only the simultaneous insulation of the structure both outside and inside the building will help eliminate this trouble. The minimum thickness of the inner layer should be from 20 cm. This is the rare case when there is nothing better than a simple mineral wool.

To reduce heat loss in a private house, one effective heating system is not enough - to minimize them, it is necessary to insulate all elements of the building. The same applies to the roof. If it is not planned to equip the attic, insulation of the cold attic floor will be required.

A bit from the history of roofing

Since ancient times, people have built private households with such high quality that they could stand for 100 years. At the same time, it was not cold to live in them, and the natural wood roof frame was always dry. As for the shape of the roofs on such buildings, they were most often built with two slopes, and had a slight slope.

This choice was explained by the fact that the snow that fell in winter had to linger on the roof and act as a natural insulation. In the attic of the building, one, less often two windows were made. They were closed for the winter and then the air in the under-roof space played the role of a heat insulator.

AT summer period windows were opened at night to cool the temperature in the attic. In the heat they were closed, and the air did not heat up. So in the attic they regulated the temperature.

In winter, when snow fell, it covered the roof with a continuous carpet and thus was a roofing natural heat insulator. Even in severe frosts, the temperature in the under-roof space did not drop below zero. As a result, the house was warm in cold weather.

At the same time, the roof slopes were not insulated so that the snow on them would not melt. The rafter system was left open, thereby allowing it to be inspected and current repair. Therefore, in such attics, only floors were thermally insulated.

If a roof slopes insulate, then the attic becomes a heated attic, which has a different functional purpose.

Building materials for floor insulation - the better to insulate

Presented on the domestic market big choice building materials. To decide how to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic, it is necessary to take into account the conditions in which the heat insulator will be operated.

There are a number of requirements for a heater:

preservation of its original qualities at temperatures from -30 to +30 degrees;
in hot weather, the material should not emit substances harmful to people and freeze in severe frost;
you need to choose a fire-resistant heat insulator if lighting is planned in the attic;
products must be moisture resistant so that when wet, their original properties do not decrease.

Before you purchase materials for insulating the floor of an unheated attic in a private household, you need to consider what the floor is made of. If these are wooden beams, then bulk, roll or slab heaters are used. When the ceiling was created from concrete slabs, bulk or slab insulators that are heavy in weight can be used. Often a cement screed is poured on the floor.

In the form of plates and mats they sell:

mineral wool;
extruded polystyrene foam;
Styrofoam;
straw;
seaweed.

In the form of rolls are made:

mineral wool;
stone and glass wool;
algae ladders.

One of the most popular options for arranging thermal insulation is the insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool.

To bulk materials relate:

expanded clay;
sawdust;
straw;
reeds;
ecowool;
granular foam;
slag.

When is insulation installed in the attic? wooden house, you need to use natural, environmentally friendly and breathable materials.

Mineral wool attic insulation

This modern and popular insulation is produced in rolls or mats. Mineral wool does not burn, does not rot, various microorganisms and rodents are not dangerous to it.

Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool is carried out in stages:

First lay the lining material on the floor. In the case of an economy option, inexpensive glassine is laid on the floor. A more expensive and high-quality device will be a flooring device made of a vapor barrier film, which is mounted with an overlap.
At the same time, the joints of the segments are glued with adhesive tape or fastened with wooden slats, fixing them with a stapler.
The width of the thermal insulation material is selected taking into account the technical standards for a particular region. The mineral wool between the lags is laid out tightly, leaving no gaps. Tape is used to seal the joints.
After the installation of the insulation is completed, even boards are placed on the logs and this is how the floor in the attic is formed.

The above solution on how to insulate the attic of a private house with mineral wool gives the material the ability to "breathe" and ventilate when moisture gets on it. To prevent the penetration of moist air into the insulation, waterproofing is mounted under the roof.

When working with mineral wool, you need to use protective equipment, such as a respirator, goggles, gloves and overalls.

Application of extruded polystyrene foam

Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) refers to loose materials, so it is used if it is necessary to insulate a floor made of logs and beams. For thermal insulation of plates, extruded polystyrene foam is used, which is denser than conventional foam.

Before laying it, the surface of the base is leveled. On the warm side of the floor, vapor barrier is not needed, since concrete slabs have practically no vapor permeability. A vapor barrier film is laid out on the prepared base. Then, slabs of extruded insulation are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Mounting foam is blown into the joints.

After it dries and becomes hard, the thermal insulation slabs are poured with a concrete mixture about 4–6 centimeters thick. After hardening, the screed becomes suitable for use as an attic floor. If desired, you can lay the final coating on the screed.

Insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

Ecowool is a lightweight and at the same time loose heat insulator, consisting of cellulose, it also contains flame retardants, such as boric acid and borax. Before starting work, a film is laid on the floor. For laying ecowool, a special blowing machine is used.

The heat-insulating layer is applied continuously, without leaving even the slightest gaps. Ecowool contains a large volume of air, so a layer of 250-300 millimeters is enough. When performing insulation, it should be remembered that shrinkage of this material occurs over time. Therefore, a layer of ecowool is applied with a margin of 40-50 millimeters.

Then the insulation must be moistened with water or with a solution. It is prepared from 200 grams of PVA glue and a bucket of water. The broom is moistened in the solution and the cotton wool is well moistened. After drying, lignin is formed on the heat-insulating layer - a crust that prevents the insulation from moving.

Which method of attic insulation from the above options to choose depends on the specific situation.

Insulation of the attic floor refers to a greater extent to cold rooms that are not used as residential, that is, with an uninsulated roofing system and natural ventilation. In such cases, the attic floor becomes a kind of boundary between heat and cold, where the likelihood of condensate moisture is especially high. Interestingly, with such a responsible job, you can quite simply handle it yourself.

Why you need to insulate the attic

To install a roof slope, you need to adhere to a certain angle of inclination. It is formed between the rafters and the floor beams located on the upper part of the walls of the house. They form the floor of the attic. For technical work, a boardwalk is installed under them.

Timely insulation of the attic floor of the house is necessary for the following:

Reducing heat loss through the top floor. Warm air rises, so the ceiling of the last floor of the house should be as isolated as possible from the effects of air from an unheated attic space. Good thermal insulation allows you to keep the temperature in the living quarters of the order of the dew point. The result of any violations will be condensation formed on the ceiling, and in just a few weeks there will be a need to repair it.
Waterproofing. The correct configuration of the heat-insulating layer implies mandatory installation waterproofing materials. If a roof leak occurs, moisture should not penetrate into the living room.
The difference in temperatures in the areas where floors and walls adjoin becomes a decisive factor for the occurrence of mold and microscopic fungi - the causative agents of various allergic diseases.

In fact, this is the arrangement of a durable and durable coating of a material for thermal insulation with low thermal conductivity.

Attention

Material of dubious quality or non-compliance with technology can lead to sad consequences.

Attic insulation requirements

Insulation of the attic floor of the house, its quality, significantly affects not only heat loss, but also durability truss system and roof coverings. Water vapor from internal warm rooms diffuse intensively into the attic, but, as you know, in order for the insulation to provide the calculated efficiency of thermal insulation, it must be dry. Therefore, it is protected from moistening by warm air vapors by laying a vapor-tight material on the “warm” side.

Good steam and heat insulation, in addition to thermal protection, contribute to the durability of the roof structure. Indeed, in the absence of vapor barrier, water vapor penetrates through the ceiling into the attic, condenses from the side of the attic on the surface of the roof covering and drains onto the rafters. As a result, metal coatings and parts corrode, wooden rafters and roofing cake are destroyed.

The thermal insulation properties of the structure are also reduced due to a violation of the tightness of the vapor barrier layer.

Drying the layer and removing moisture from the attic space helps its ventilation through the vents: ridge, cornice, as well as slotted and dormer windows. To ensure optimal ventilation intensity, the total area of the ventilation openings should be about 0.2–0.5% of the attic floor.

Competently carried out work prevents the intensive formation of icicles on the roof. After all, how do icicles appear? If it is poorly insulated, the heat, having passed through it, begins to heat the roof, melting the snow lying on it. The resulting water, flowing down the roof, freezes and turns into icicles.

Insulation of the attic floor is almost always carried out not from the side of the living quarters, but from the floor of the attic. Performed in several ways. The choice of technology depends on the constructive solution of the structure and the used insulation.

Insulation of beam ceilings

An option for preserving heat in a similar design is between the beams. Usually, their height is enough for this, in case of shortage, you can stuff a bar on top. The ceiling from below is sewn up with molded material, say, clapboard or sheets of drywall, and the subfloor of the attic is laid on top of the beams: sheets of plywood, OSB, MDF, etc.

The insulation must be laid on a layer of special vapor barrier or polyethylene film.

On a note

If the material is foiled, then lay it down with the shiny side.

The gap between the beams is then filled with insulation of the required thickness. It is recommended to lay an additional layer of insulation on top of the beams, so it will be possible to avoid "cold bridges" and reduce possible heat losses.

If high-quality, well-crafted timber is used for the beams, then the finish, say, a massive board, is laid directly on the beams. Insulation is placed between them, and the attic floor is laid on top. This technology is quite common in houses made of logs or timber.

Lightweight fibrous materials are blown through by air currents, drafts, that is, heat is removed from them. These troubles, of course, can be avoided if protection is provided with windproof vapor-permeable materials. Thus, the thermal protection of the attic is improved. Moreover, the insulation is protected from moisture droplets. let's say the roof has minor damage and minor leaks.

The insulation must be protected from the wind and from the side of the eaves. For this, high-density mineral wool slabs or a wooden board left by the rib are usually used.

It will ensure the full preservation of heat at home by a partial entry of thermal insulation on the outer wall.

What heaters are most often used

The installation technology is practically no different from the traditional floor for residential premises. It is important to choose the right material for the manufacture of a heat insulator. AT recent times most often they make the insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool.

Why mineral wool?

This is a heat-insulating material made from basalt rocks of volcanic origin. They undergo heat treatment in a special drum-type furnace. During this process, the molten mass swells and is pulled into fibers. To form a dense material, they are processed with special binders.

As a result, a material unique in its properties is formed, which is successfully used for warming the attic floor. For an objective analysis, it can be compared with other types of heat insulators - and.

Thermal insulation. The heat transfer coefficient for mineral wool is 0.035 W/m*K. In polystyrene, it is slightly higher - 0.04 W / m * K. Expanded clay has the worst performance - 0.4 W / m * k.
Hygroscopicity. The foam does not allow moisture to pass through, so if the joints are insulated during installation, you can not use an additional waterproofing layer. Mineral wool is hygroscopic - it absorbs moisture. But this does not lead to its swelling. Expanded clay also slightly absorbs moisture.
Flammability. In this regard, basalt insulation is an ideal option. It does not burn, and the melting of its structure occurs when exposed to a temperature of 700°C. This quality is very important - a chimney passes through the attic, the surface temperature of which can reach high values. Styrofoam, when burned, releases substances harmful to humans.

Mineral wool can be used to insulate almost any surface, even uneven ones. It is produced in soft slabs or rolls. It is desirable to use a material having a metallized heat-reflecting surface. Mineral wool is cut with an ordinary knife. It is laid tightly between the beams, without jamming, without cracks. This is an inexpensive, but durable and effective option.

Work requires some precautions: goggles, gloves, and allergy sufferers are advised to use respirators.

Layers are laid in the same sequence:

vapor barrier;
mineral wool;
vapor-permeable waterproof membrane.

The floor film is overlapped, and the joints must be either glued or fixed through wooden slats with staples using a construction stapler. The thickness of the layer is selected based on the heat engineering standards for each specific region.

On a note

Warming and soundproofing the floor with cotton materials is considered the simplest and most effective solution.

stone wool

Mineral wool slabs today are often replaced with stone wool. Unlike mineral wool, which is often made from low-grade slag-basalt using bituminous binders, stone wool is an environmentally friendly material.

This insulation is distinguished by excellent characteristics - both technical and operational. The unique structure of the internal structure of stone wool: a chaotic arrangement of fibers, provides an effective thermal conductivity of 0.036-0.045 W/m*K. It significantly surpasses insulators of its class in these indicators, perfectly protects against temperature changes and guarantees microclimatic comfort.

Thermal insulation of tiles

The principle of insulation of precast concrete slabs or monolithic floors similar to the same process in the case of beam type. True, since the vapor permeability of reinforced concrete slabs is quite low, it is not necessary to perform vapor barrier on the "warm" side. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer is calculated taking into account the type of carrier board. Tiled, having a flat surface, is able to carry a large load.

How best to insulate

To begin with, wooden beams can be installed on the slabs and insulation can be placed between them. It can be backfill materials or mats of various types.

Mounting technology

To install mineral wool, you will need to first prepare the attic. To do this, remove everything superfluous from there. The surface of the subfloor is cleaned from dust and dirt. If this wood flooring- it is recommended to install a layer of waterproofing.

It is best to use rolled polyethylene foam for this. This film for floor insulation, in addition to thermal insulation properties, has almost zero moisture absorption. A slight thickness (2-4mm) will not affect the increase in the insulation layer.

It is important to choose the right thickness basalt wool- it should not exceed the height of the log, taking into account the waterproofing layer. Often, models with a thickness of 50 mm and a density of up to 30 kg / m³ are used.

The installation technology consists in the implementation of the following stages of work.

Preparatory work. Before installation, the chimney pipe must be insulated. This is necessary to prevent direct contact of its surface with the heat insulator. The best option is to make a small circular masonry of refractory bricks around the pipe.

Installation of insulation on the floor should be carried out only after the installation of thermal insulation on the inner surface of the roof slope. This additional measure will significantly improve the rate of conservation of thermal energy not only in the attic, but also in the whole house as a whole.
Installation of waterproofing protection. As mentioned above, it is best to use polyethylene foam for attic waterproofing. It should be located on the entire surface of the subfloor, including on the floor beams. The joints are isolated with a special adhesive tape.

For fastening, you can use double-sided adhesive tape, but you can not use a construction stapler or nails. This may lead to leakage.

Installation of a heat insulator. Proper insulation of the floor of a cold attic begins with a miscalculation of the amount of material. The main indicators are the total area of \u200b\u200bthe room and the distance between the beams. The latter is necessary to select the optimal model of insulation. The width of standard plates is 600 mm.

If the distance between the floor elements is greater, you need to use a roll type of mineral wool. Depending on the manufacturer, its width can reach 1 m.

Having calculated the required amount of insulation, you can proceed with its installation.

Roll material is installed from the roof. The edge of the heat insulator should slightly go to the surface of the slope - this will help to avoid the appearance of gaps between the various layers of the heat-insulating layer.

The material is firmly pressed against the floor surface. Additional fastening is not required for it. When the entire surface between the beams is insulated, the roll is cut with a knife.

The rest of the attic floor is installed in the same way. After that, a technological wooden flooring can be installed on top of the beams. These can be ordinary boards, the thickness of which can withstand the weight of an adult.

Backfilling of thermal insulation material

Backfilling of insulation can be performed without a lag device. Expanded clay or slag is poured in a layer of 25–30 cm, leveled and poured with a thin layer of screed. It is recommended to stick roofing material on the slabs.

It is also possible to insulate without an overlap lag using a rigid insulation. The most effective, but also expensive, is foam glass. Sometimes foam concrete is used, however, it is somewhat heavy and the estimated height of its layer should be approximately 40 cm. In this case, a screed is not made.

Proper insulation of the attic floor is the main factor in keeping the heat in the house. It is important to observe the sequence of installation of all materials of the heat-insulating layer. You should also worry about the safety of operation - a protective structure around the chimney must be equipped.

A warm attic is not only a place to store inventory, but also a 20% reduction in heat loss at home! Do-it-yourself attic insulation in a private house will save a lot of money, especially since the whole process does not require special building skills.

Warm and moist air from the lower floors of the house, according to the laws of thermodynamics, rises. From the correct insulation of the attic will depend on whether all the heat goes outside, or stays in the house. Hydro and vapor barrier films will help to solve the problem with excess moisture.

First of all, you should decide on the further operation of the attic. If you plan to make it heated, you do not need to insulate the attic partition, as well as organize vapor barrier from the lower floors. In this case, it is necessary to insulate only the roof.

Roofing cake from inside to outside will look like this:

vapor barrier - a vapor barrier film for rooms with forced ventilation or a vapor barrier membrane with a minimum vapor permeability to remove excess steam from the room;
insulation - can be anything, but with vapor permeability higher than vapor barrier;
waterproofing - a simple waterproof film for non-hygroscopic insulation or a windproof film with one-way vapor permeability for moisture-accumulating insulation.

If the attic is non-residential, it is necessary to insulate the attic floor itself. To reduce the level of humidity in the house, do not use impervious films and insulation, allowing moisture to evaporate through the attic. And so that moisture does not spoil the rafters, condensing on the inside, you need to choose anti-condensate waterproofing for metal roofs and ensure good ventilation of the cold attic.

Private construction is increasingly characterized by the use of mineral wool rolls or basalt slabs. All thanks to:

easy installation thanks to different density, mineral wool can be wrapped around pipes, rolled out on the floor or installed in a wall frame;
high vapor permeability - steam-saturated air calmly passes through the mineral insulation, without lingering in it and providing natural ventilation at home;
good sound insulation - dense basalt slabs perfectly muffle sounds;
accessibility - you can buy mineral wool at any hardware store, and the variability of shapes and sizes will allow you to choose a heater for any need.

There are also disadvantages - mineral wool loses its properties when wet, therefore, a dew point should not be allowed to appear in the insulation and moisture can be unhindered from evaporating from the thickness of the plates and mats.

Foam insulation is also quite popular, because it:

relatively inexpensive;
easy to install;
does not lose properties when wet;
has low thermal conductivity.

But due to the lack of vapor permeability, houses insulated with polystyrene foam get the effect of a greenhouse and must be equipped with forced ventilation. If between the foam and wooden elements condensation forms, this leads to rapid decay of the tree.

Sprayed heaters are convenient for quick and dense filling of hard-to-reach places. Ecowool, made from cellulose, is vapor permeable and allows wooden structures breathe. It is convenient to use for warming small attic spaces.

But ecowool is afraid of getting wet, and for its use you will need special equipment for blowing.

Polyurethane foam is a strong and durable material that is not afraid of moisture, suitable for warming large rooms. But like any polymer insulation, does not pass steam and air, so it is not recommended for wooden houses. Thanks to the development of the construction industry, PPU insulation now does not require the use of special equipment, since cylinders have appeared that work from a construction gun on the principle of mounting foam.

Attic insulation technology

Depending on whether the attic will be habitable, the technology of its insulation also depends. For warm attic only the roof is insulated, for cold weather - only the attic floor.

Insulation of a residential attic with mineral wool or foam plastic

If the house has already been built and you don’t want to disassemble the roof, this can be done from the inside:

After that, you can start finishing the attic and begin to settle in!

A cold attic in a wooden house can be insulated with a minimum of cost and effort using ordinary sawdust. This method will improve the microclimate in the house due to natural ventilation. To do this, it is important to ensure maximum vapor permeability of the attic floor:

cardboard should be laid on the subfloor - just to prevent sawdust from falling through the cracks;
a layer of sawdust 15-20 cm thick is poured;
in no case should sawdust be covered with waterproofing - they should be freely ventilated;
the floor is laid with a small gap between sawdust and boards.

How to properly insulate reinforced concrete attic floors is described in detail in the video: