How to insulate a cold attic: the choice of materials and installation instructions. Insulation of the attic in a house with a cold roof: the choice of material and stages of work Which insulation is better for the attic of a private house

When providing insulation of a private house and insulation of the roof along the rafters, one must not forget that Special attention should be given to such a place as an attic.

Development of attic floor insulation with mineral wool

Warm air tends to rise to the top, and therefore, in a temporarily unheated room, heat can escape through the space of a cold attic. Therefore, the issue of attic insulation must be addressed without delay.

1 Why is attic floor insulation necessary?

Insulation of the cold floor of the attic with stone or mineral wool, by and large, is necessary in little used premises, which are properly equipped with special roof ventilation.

The attic, or rather its ceilings, perform the function of a kind of boundary between heat and cold. In such places, attic floors are exposed to intense moisture due to the formation of condensate.

However, it is possible to properly insulate the floors in the attic of the house with mineral wool with your own hands. The very process of insulating the floor in the attic with mineral wool is the creation of a durable thermal insulation coating, which will have a low degree of thermal conductivity.

The very technology of mineral wool insulation of floors in the attic, as well as Energoflex thermal insulation for pipes, implies strict adherence to its stages and requirements.

By itself, this technology is quite simple and understandable. Good attic floor insulation with mineral wool helps close unwanted gaps.

To do this, the insulation must be laid tightly. In most cases, mineral wool is used to insulate the attic of a house.

The presented insulation is the most suitable for this type of work, it can also be used to insulate the floor surface in the living quarters of the house.

With the organization of good insulation with mineral wool, the most optimal temperature will be maintained in the living quarters.

If the procedure is not performed correctly, then moisture rising from the floor of the house will lead to the formation of condensate.

It will accumulate on the ceiling, and then seep through the floors. The resulting temperature difference in those areas where attic floors adjacent to the walls of the house, initiates the formation of mold and microscopic fungi, which can be the causative agents of allergic diseases.

1.1 Attic insulation requirements

The process of insulating the floor of the attic and insulating the roof of the house with your own hands, or rather the level of its quality, has a direct impact not only on the size of heat loss, but also on the duration of the operational life of the entire truss structure and roofing.

The fact is that the water vapor inside the heated room diffuses to the attic of the house. In order for the applied insulation to provide a high degree of calculated efficiency of the heat-insulating layer, it must always be dry.

Based on this, the insulation must be protected from excessive moisture by vapors of ascending heated air using a special vapor-tight material.

If the attic is well insulated, then it will not only provide high-quality thermal insulation, but will also help to increase the operational life of the entire roof structure.

If there is no vapor barrier, then steam will penetrate through the unprotected floors of the attic and condense on the surfaces of the floor.

This will lead to the fact that moisture will drain onto the rafters, which, under its influence, will slowly begin to rot from the inside.

As a result, the probability of destruction of the entire roofing pie increases. The thermal insulation performance of the structure is also reduced due to the fact that the tightness of the vapor barrier layer has been broken.

Before you insulate the attic, you need to drain the layer and remove moisture from the entire attic space. To do this, ventilation should be done through windows. They can be:

In order to ensure maximum ventilation intensity, the indicator of the total area of all ventilation openings should be equal to 0.2-0.5% of attic floors.

If all the work is carried out correctly, then in the winter, icicles will not form on the roof. The process of warming the attic space is carried out not from the living quarters, but from the floor of the attic.

So it is most convenient to lay insulation, the choice of which depends on the technology used and design features buildings.

1.2 Features of insulation of beam ceilings

When implementing such an insulation scheme using mineral wool, heat is stored in the space between the beams. Their usual height is almost always enough for this, however, if necessary, several bars are stuffed on top.

Insulation of the ceiling with mineral wool from the side of the attic

The lower part of the ceiling is sewn up with molded material, as when insulating the attic of a private house. For this, lining or drywall sheets can be used.

On top of the beams, a subfloor covering is laid. It can be a grooved board, plywood sheet or OSB board. Mineral wool is adjusted to a special vapor barrier prepared in advance.

An alternative to it can serve as an ordinary film made using polyethylene. If the vapor barrier material is foiled, then it is laid with a shiny surface down.

The intermediate distance between the beams is filled with mineral wool with the desired thickness parameters. The surface of the beams must be equipped with an additional insulating layer.

This will block the so-called cold bridges and significantly reduce the overall level of heat loss. If a high quality beam was used to create the beams, then the finishing material will spread directly onto their surface.

Mineral wool is placed between them, as when insulating the roof with PPU, and the attic floor is laid on top. The use of this technology is especially important in houses that are made of logs or beams.

It is important to protect the mineral wool with a high degree of reliability from the ingress of the smallest drops of moisture, this is especially true if the roof has minor coating defects, due to which leaks occur.

The layer of mineral wool must be reliably protected from the effects of wind from the side of the eaves. For this, mineral wool slabs with a high degree of density are used.

2 Why is mineral wool used for attic insulation?

In most cases, when insulating attic floors, the choice of the consumer falls on mineral wool. Its advantage lies in the fact that its installation does not require special skills.

Mineral wool has excellent thermal insulation properties. Its structure consists of thin vitreous fibers, the length of which ranges from 2 to 60 millimeters.

Attic insulation with mineral wool

High soundproofing characteristics are provided due to the presence of a large number of air pores.

These pores are located in the space between the fibers and can occupy 95% of the total volume of the insulation. Mineral wool is presented in three varieties, it can be basalt glass and stone.

Basalt wool is made using molten basalt rocks, to which binders are added.

This may be a carbonate-type rock, which regulates the level of acidity of the substance, which entails an increase in the service life of the insulation. Glass wool exhibits high heat-resistant properties and is able to withstand temperatures up to +450 degrees Celsius.

2.1 Technology of insulation of attic floors with mineral wool

During work related to mineral wool, it is important to comply with all safety requirements and regulations.

This is due to the fact that in the process of cutting and laying such material, the air is filled with tiny particles that can enter the respiratory organs and thus cause harm to human health.

When carrying out installation, be sure to take care of the availability of personal protective equipment. Goggles, a respirator and thick rubber gloves should be available.

The process of warming attic floors begins with the selection of the necessary tools and additional materials.

The essence of the insulation technology lies in the fact that the insulation must be carefully laid in the space between attic floors or beams.

To enhance the thermal insulation qualities, reliable vapor barrier should be used. Warm and moisture-saturated air will continuously rise from the living rooms and go up through the ceiling.

There, in the roof space, he will collide with a layer of insulation. Due to the fact that mineral wool is generally recognized as a vapor-tight material, it will take all the outgoing moisture into itself.

If it is left without the necessary access of air and sunlight, it will gradually shrink and, in the end, will lose all its heat-insulating qualities.

The attic is cold interfloor overlap 20 cm min cotton

In order to avoid such destructive consequences, it is necessary to lay a vapor barrier material under a layer of mineral wool.

Before starting the main work, it will be necessary to carefully calculate the required amount of insulation.

The amount of wool purchased depends on how many layers you plan to use when covering the attic. In addition, the thermal insulation thickness parameter directly depends on the climatic conditions in the region.

Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool

Warming the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool - advantages. Features of warming the floors of cold attics with mineral wool.

Insulation of the attic floor in a private house - effective ways to keep warm

Warming the attic floor of the house allows you to save more heat inside the room, and not spend it on heating a cold attic. It's good if it's used like utility room(technical attic) or as an attic, and if not? Then it is pointless to spend resources on heating an unheated attic space.

That is why it is worth making the insulation of the cold attic ceiling using heat-insulating materials. You can perform insulation from the side of the attic or from the side of the room (inside / outside). It is best to do this during the construction period of the building, or immediately before the final finishing of the room. But even during the operation of the house, there is no reason not to insulate the ceiling from the attic.

The thickness of the attic floor insulation is standardized using SNiP II-3-79 "Construction Heat Engineering". This manual contains detailed recommendations on the choice and formulas for calculating the resistance to heat transfer of various thermal insulation materials. The calculations take into account not only the type of material, but also the average annual temperature, the duration of the heating season, wall material Houses.

The attic floor insulation technology depends on the material chosen.

Comparative characteristics of heat-insulating material with equal thickness

In this article we will consider the most popular heaters.

Attic insulation with mineral wool

Mineral wool is a heater, the fibers of which are arranged in a certain way. Namely, this randomness leads to the fact that between the fibers is formed air bag, which informs the insulation of its properties. However, the same feature of cotton wool increases the ability to absorb moisture. To avoid this, you need to know how to properly install mineral wool.

Benefits of mineral wool:

high density;
long service life;
Fire safety;
ease of installation;
the use of mineral wool for insulation of horizontal surfaces does not lead to its caking, slipping and, as a result, the formation of cold bridges.

Among the disadvantages: the ability to absorb moisture.

Mineral wool attic insulation technology

There are three main ways to lay cotton wool: continuous, in grooves or in cells (see photo). The choice of method depends on what load will fall on the floor in the future. The most stable frame is obtained in the latter case.

Attic insulation with mineral wool

First stage

It starts with laying the vapor barrier film. The film will allow you to remove the steam that rises from a warm living space to a cold attic. To lay the film correctly, you need to carefully read the markings applied to it. Be sure to observe an overlap of 100 mm.

Technology of insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool If insulation is made along wooden beams, then the film should go around all the protruding elements. Otherwise, the beams may rot.

At the junction of the film and walls or other protruding surfaces, it is necessary to raise it to a height equal to the thickness of the insulation plus 50 mm. and glue it with tape or wrap it on the insulation plate.

Second phase

Insulation (wool) is being laid. This is a fairly simple process. Slabs or strips are easily cut with a construction knife to the desired size.

When laying the sheet, make sure that there are no gaps left or that the mineral wool material is not strongly squeezed. Both will lead to a decrease in the quality of insulation. Typical mistakes in the photo.

a) insufficient thickness of the heat-insulating material;

b, c, d) the thickness of the attic floor insulation is incorrectly selected.

Useful tips for installing mineral wool

insulation with foil will increase the resistance of the material to heat loss. The sheet is laid with the foil side down.

the insulation should not protrude beyond the beam. If such a situation exists, the beam needs to be lengthened wooden beam or additional lath up to the thickness of the insulation.

a thin insulation laid in two layers retains more heat than one thick one. In this case, the plates must be laid in a checkerboard pattern.

if there are speakers in the attic structural elements, for example, a chimney pipe, you need to raise the insulation to a height of 400-500 mm. and fix it.

Third stage

Waterproofing is carried out if the attic is not supposed to be used, and the truss system is not protected by a waterproofing film. If roofing material separated from the attic with a film, then you can proceed with the final stage.

Draft floor. It is laid over the insulation and serves as the basis for the final finish.

Insulation of the attic floor with foam

The process according to the installation technology is similar to the insulation of the attic floor with polystyrene foam.

The advantages of these materials:

Among the disadvantages: flammability.

Attic floor insulation technology with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam

The process of installing rigid foam-based insulation is more than simple and can be done by hand. The work can be divided into two stages:

surface leveling. To ensure high-quality insulation, there should be no significant irregularities on the floor of the base. You can eliminate such differences by performing a screed with a sand-cement mortar.

slabs are laid butt-to-butt or between beams. The presence of a bar increases the strength of the floor.

Insulation of the attic floor with foam plastic Draft coating

Styrofoam must be protected from destruction with a film in a non-residential attic. In a frequently used or residential attic, you need to somehow move, so it is better to equip a subfloor from OSB or a sand-cement screed over polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam.

Attic insulation with sawdust

Sawdust is finely chopped wood.

naturalness;
no toxic impurities;
light weight;
material availability.

Attic insulation technology with sawdust

before proceeding with the insulation with sawdust, they need to be prepared. Namely, mix cement and water with sawdust in a ratio of 10:1:1.

Pour the attic floor with the finished mixture and level it. It is worth noting that it is possible to use sawdust as a heater without using a frame only in a non-residential attic. Otherwise, when walking on the floor, the sawdust will be compressed, and concrete screed collapse.

build a cellular structure from a bar. Pour a solution with sawdust into each cell. The advantage of this method is that a subfloor can be laid along the timber. And the attic will be usable

Attic insulation with sawdust

Insulation of the attic floor with expanded clay

Expanded clay is obtained by firing clay.

The disadvantage is associated with the difficulty of lifting expanded clay to the height of the attic.

Expanded clay is usually used if it is necessary to insulate the attic floor over the slabs.

Expanded clay attic insulation technology

The work is carried out in three stages:

the plate is inspected for cracks and cracks. They are sealed with mortar or covered thick paper. The protruding elements do not create difficulties with backfilling of expanded clay.

mount a crate from a bar. A rough floor will be laid on it in the future.

loose insulation is poured onto the stove and leveled with a conventional rake. Layer thickness 250-300 mm. You can move around expanded clay without restrictions.

Insulation of the attic floor with expanded clay Advice: when filling expanded clay, it is better to combine granules different size(diameter). This way you can avoid the appearance of voids.

At the end, a subfloor is mounted or poured with a sand-cement screed.

Please note that attic insulation hardwood floor has some quirks:

the tree is subject to decay, which means that the steam rising up must pass freely. Improper installation of films or the use of non-breathable materials, such as roofing felt, will lead to the destruction of wood in the future.

using foil insulation, you need to place it with the foil down. So the wood will be protected from water ingress and at the same time, it will not accumulate steam moisture.

attic insulation mistakes

"Correct" - use a superdiffusion membrane or vapor barrier film

"Wrong" - to lay a special film without marking or even a regular film

The scheme of insulation of the attic floor for heaters of various types is given below.

Attic floor insulation scheme - 1
Attic floor insulation scheme - 2

Conclusion

In this article, we focused on the main stages and features of warming the attic floors of a private house using heaters various kinds. We hope that this information will be useful to you.

Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool, polystyrene foam, sawdust, expanded clay

How and how to insulate the attic floor with your own hands. Overview of insulation and installation methods. Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool, sawdust, polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene, as well as expanded clay

Thermal insulation of cold attic floors: materials and methods

To understand why it is necessary to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic, let's clarify a little why an attic is needed in a private house and what its purpose is. Our ancestors built houses that could stand for more than 100 years, while it was warm inside, and the wooden structure of the roof always remained dry.

In the past, they mainly built gable roofs with a slight slope. This was done so that in winter the snow could remain on the roof. Thus, snow was used as a natural insulator. One or two windows were made in the attic and kept closed in winter so that the compressed air acted as a heat insulator. In the summer, however, the situation was somewhat different. Attic windows were opened at night so that the air cooled down, and during the day, in hot weather, they were closed so that the air would not get too hot, thus regulating its temperature.

When snow fell in winter, it lay down in a continuous cover on the roof, becoming at the same time natural insulation. Even in severe frosts, the temperature in the attic did not fall below zero. Thus, the air in the attic and the insulation of the ceiling made it possible to maintain the temperature in the house at the level of +20-25 °C. The roof slopes were not insulated so that the snow lying on the roof would not melt. The truss system remained open, making it possible to inspect and repair it if necessary. Therefore, in a cold attic, only the ceiling is insulated.

If the roof slopes are insulated, then the attic becomes a heated room, i.e. attic, which has a completely different functional purpose.

Now it remains to figure out how to insulate the attic floor in a private house, and what materials are used for thermal insulation.

Materials for insulation of the attic floor

There is a wide range of insulation materials on the market. To make a choice, it is necessary to take into account the conditions in which the heat-insulating material will be used:

The material must retain its properties at temperatures from -30 to +30 °C. Should not freeze in severe frosts and should not emit harmful substances in hot weather.
It is necessary to choose a fire-resistant insulation if there is electrical wiring in the attic.
It is better to choose a material that is moisture resistant so that when wet it does not lose thermal insulation properties.
The insulation should not quickly caking in order to fulfill its purpose as long as possible.

Before deciding on the type of material for insulating the floor of a cold attic in a private house, it is necessary to consider what material the ceiling is made of. If the attic floor is made of wooden beams, then slab, roll and bulk insulation can be used. In the case when the attic floor is made of concrete slabs, then they resort to the use of heavy bulk or dense slab heat insulators. Their use makes it possible to make a cement screed on the floor.

Materials produced in the format of plates and mats:

mineral wool (mineral wool) in mats;
Styrofoam;
extruded polystyrene foam;
seaweed;
straw.

mineral wool;
glass wool;
stone wool;
algae ladders;

Bulk materials for attic floor insulation:

expanded clay;
ecowool;
reeds;
sawdust;
straw;
slag;
buckwheat tyrsa;
foam granules.

Attic floor insulation wooden house must be made with ecological, natural and breathable material.

How to properly insulate the attic floor with mineral wool

Mineral wool is a common and modern heat insulator. Available in rolls or slabs (mats). It does not rot and does not burn, rodents and various kinds of microorganisms are also not afraid of it.

Warming the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool begins with laying the lining material on the floor. For a budget option, glassine is laid on the floor, but more expensive and quality option- flooring made of vapor barrier film. The film is laid with an overlap, and the joints are glued with adhesive tape or fixed with wooden slats, which are fixed with a construction stapler.

The width of the insulation is selected based on the requirements of thermal engineering standards for each region. Mineral wool is laid between the lags tightly and without gaps. The joints are glued with adhesive tape. After the insulation is laid, even boards are simply laid on the logs, thus forming the floor in the attic. Such a simple solution for creating a floor allows the mineral wool to "breathe" and ventilate normally if moisture gets on it. To prevent moisture from entering the mineral wool, waterproofing material is laid under the roof.

Mineral wool is laid in personal protective equipment: tight clothing, goggles, gloves, respirator.

Insulation of attic floor slabs with extruded polystyrene foam

Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene are not very dense materials, so they are used when the attic floor is a construction of logs and beams. If it is necessary to insulate the plates, use the insulation of the cold attic ceiling with extruded polystyrene foam. This material is stronger and therefore denser than conventional foam. Before laying it, the surface of the plates should be leveled. On the warm side of the floor, vapor barrier is not required, since concrete slabs have almost no vapor permeability.

A vapor barrier film is laid on the leveled concrete slabs. Next, slabs of extruded polystyrene foam are laid in a checkerboard pattern. Joints are blown out mounting foam. After the foam dries and hardens, the thermal insulation boards are poured concrete mortar 4-6 cm thick. When the screed dries, it is already suitable for use as a floor. Although you can go further and put any floor covering on the screed.

Thermal insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

Ecowool is a cellulose, light and loose insulation, consisting mainly of waste paper and newspapers. Other components - borax and boric acid are used as flame retardants.

Before insulation, it is necessary to put a film on the floor. The procedure for laying ecowool is carried out using a special blowing machine. A layer of insulation is applied as a continuous cover, without creating gaps. Since ecowool contains a large number of air, then a layer of 250-300 mm is usually enough.

Do not forget that over time, shrinkage of the material will occur. Therefore, apply a layer of ecowool 40-50 mm more.

After the insulation of the cold attic ceiling with ecowool is completed, it must be moistened. You can do this with ordinary water or prepare a solution of 200 gr. PVA glue on a bucket of water. Soak a regular broom in this solution and moisten the cotton well. After drying, a crust is formed on the surface of the cotton - lingin, which will not allow the cotton to move.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to insulate the floor in the attic. Which one to apply depends on each specific situation. The main thing is to follow the correct technology for laying thermal insulation! Then your house will always be warm, and the materials used will last for many years.

Warming the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool, how to insulate the floor of the attic

How to make floor insulation in a cold attic. Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool and extruded polystyrene foam. How to properly insulate the floor in the attic.

How to perform attic insulation in a private house with your own hands as efficiently and inexpensively as possible

I decided to dedicate this article to those people who want to insulate the attic of the house on their own without large financial costs. Next, we will get acquainted with heat-insulating materials suitable for these purposes and the nuances of their installation.

Stages of work

Insulation of the attic in a private house is conditionally divided into:

Floor insulation

Floor insulation can also be divided into several steps:

Stages of thermal insulation of the floor

Preparation of materials

First you need to decide on the choice of thermal insulation material. There are quite a few options. However, our task is to insulate the ceiling with minimal financial costs.

sawdust - thermal conductivity is 0.07 - 0.095 W / mºС. The main advantage of sawdust is that if there are woodworking enterprises nearby, they can be purchased very cheaply or even for free.

Wood sawdust is an excellent natural insulation

The only thing to keep in mind is that before using the sawdust, it is necessary to dry it and also treat it with an antiseptic composition. Also, slaked lime mixed with carbide can be used to protect sawdust from biological influences.

If sawdust has traces of fungus damage, they cannot be used for insulation;

Reed insulation mat

reed is another natural material which can be obtained for free. The thermal conductivity of the reed does not exceed 0.042 W / (m.K).

Reeds for thermal insulation are harvested late autumn with the onset of the first frost, when the stems remain almost completely without foliage. Moreover, only mature plants can be used. Such stems are easily identified by a light yellow tint.

Penoizol is applied in liquid form

penoizol - is a modified foam that is applied to the surface in the form of foam. Within a few days, the foam hardens.

Penoizol has a lower thermal conductivity than all the materials described above - 0.028 - 0.040 W / (m * K). In addition, penoizol is not subject to biological influences, does not burn and is not afraid of moisture.

The disadvantage of this material is that the insulation of the attic with foam insulation requires certain equipment. Accordingly, it will not be possible to cope with the work on your own. The cost of the material with the work of specialists is 1450-1500 rubles per cubic meter.

True, you can use dry penoizol in bags, but in this case its price will increase to 2000-2300 rubles per cubic meter;

Expanded clay for floor insulation

expanded clay is an environmentally friendly and fireproof natural material that is sold in the form of durable granules. The cost of expanded clay starts on average from 1000 rubles per cubic meter, which allows it to be classified as budget heaters.

The disadvantage of expanded clay is a higher thermal conductivity of 0.1 - 0.18 W / (m * K). That's why for high-quality thermal insulation of the ceiling, expanded clay must be poured with a layer of at least 20 cm.

mineral wool is also an environmentally friendly and fireproof material with low thermal conductivity (0.038 to 0.055 W / m * K). As a rule, mineral wool is sold in the form of mats or rolls. Its main disadvantage is the rather high cost - from 2300-2500 rubles per cube of basalt mats.

True, you can use stone wool in rolls, the cost of which starts from 1500 rubles per cubic meter. But, this material is less environmentally friendly than basalt wool.

IN Lately cellulose-based insulation - ecowool - has become widespread. This material is treated with an antiseptic and flame retardant, therefore it is fireproof and not subject to biological influences. The cost of ecowool is 1200-1500 rubles per cubic meter.

Everyone should choose the best way to insulate the attic in a private house, depending on the needs and availability of a particular heat insulator.

In addition to thermal insulation, you will need other materials:

vapor barrier membrane;
boards, OSB sheets or other material that can be laid on floor beams;
antiseptic impregnation for wood.

Floor preparation

It is possible to start warming the attic floor only after the following preparatory work has been completed:

if there is flooring on the floor beams, it must be dismantled;
then wooden beams be sure to treat with antiseptic impregnation. Instructions for the use of such compounds are available on the packaging;
if there is no roll-up (filing) of the overlap, it must be done. To do this, boards can be nailed to the beams from the inside, i.e. from the side of the room.

This completes the preparation.

Floor insulation

Insulation of the attic floor is carried out as follows:

a vapor barrier membrane must be laid on the logs and the roll. The stripes should overlap each other. For reliability, the joints should be glued with adhesive tape;
Now the insulation is being installed. Mineral mats must be positioned so that they fit snugly against the floor beams and against each other. The same applies to roll material;

Example of laying mineral wool

on top of the floor beams and thermal insulation with their own hands, another layer of vapor barrier is laid and glued with adhesive tape;
then boards or other material are laid on the floor beams. If the attic will be used as a living space, you can install logs to level the surface and lay a subfloor on top.

If the house has a concrete floor, to insulate the attic, you need to lay mineral mats or extruded polystyrene foam on the slab, and pour the screed. At the same time, the insulation on both sides must be covered with a waterproofing film, especially if mineral mats are used.

I must say that the ceiling can be insulated not only from the outside, but also from the side of the room. True, in this case, the choice of insulation is limited, since it will not work to use bulk materials.

Ceiling insulation mineral mats

As an example, consider how to insulate the ceiling in a private house with an isover, i.e. mineral mats:

First of all, you need to dismantle the reel. In this case, it is desirable to lay boards on top of the beams and fix them;
then a vapor barrier membrane is attached to the beams and boards. To fix it, you can use a stapler;
now mineral mats should be laid in the space between the beams. To fix them, you can use slats located across the beams. Also, nails are often nailed to the beams, between which threads are pulled;

Fastening the vapor barrier with a stapler

after that, you need to attach another layer of vapor barrier to the beams;
at the end of the work, you need to roll up, after which you can deal with the arrangement of the ceiling.

Roof insulation

In most cases, roof insulation is not required. But, if you are going to use the attic as a living space, then this procedure is indispensable.

Do-it-yourself roof insulation in a private house can also be divided into several stages:

Stages of attic insulation

Preparation of materials

Since it is inconvenient to use bulk materials for roof insulation, you can use mineral mats. To save even more, you can make mats from reeds.

In addition to the insulation, you will need the following set of materials:

vapor barrier;
nails and threads;
wooden slats;
antiseptic impregnation.

Treatment of rafters with an antiseptic

Roof preparation

Before proceeding with the insulation of the roof, you need to perform some preparatory work:

inspect first truss system for its integrity. If any parts are cracked or rotten, they must be replaced or repaired.;
if the thickness of the insulation exceeds the thickness of the log, they must be increased. To do this, nail bars or boards of sufficient thickness to them;
then all wooden structures must be treated with an antiseptic composition to protect them from biological influences.

Roof insulation

Do-it-yourself roof insulation in a private house is carried out as follows:

The vapor barrier membrane must not touch the roof waterproofing. To provide space between these materials, nails must be nailed to the rafters, and threads must be pulled in a zigzag pattern between them;

Fastening the vapor barrier to the rafters

then fix the vapor barrier membrane to the rafters with a stapler or small nails. Let me remind you that the smooth side of the vapor barrier should face the insulation. Glue the joints of the film with adhesive tape;

Warming the space between the rafters with mineral wool

now you need to lay the insulation in the space between the rafters. To ensure that there are no cold bridges in the thermal insulation, place the mats close to the rafters and to each other . If the cracks are nevertheless formed, they need to be filled with scraps of insulation..

To fix the thermal insulation between the rafters, you can also nail carnations and pull threads between them;

after laying the insulation, you need to fix another layer of vapor barrier on the rafters;

at the end of the work, you need to complete the crate using slats or boards about 2 cm thick, to which finishing materials can be attached.

Warming of gables

Now it remains only to insulate the gables, if, of course, they are available. I must say that it is more expedient to insulate them from the outside in parallel with the insulation of the entire facade. However, if the facade is not insulated, then thermal insulation must be made from the inside.

To do this, we need the same materials as for finishing the roof. The only thing besides them is to prepare bars or boards. Their width should correspond to the width of the insulation.

Insulation work resembles the thermal insulation of ordinary walls:

to provide a ventilation space between the walls and the insulation, you need to fix the slats on the gables in a horizontal position. The vertical step should be about half a meter, and horizontally - a few centimeters.

Scheme of mounting rails on the gables for arranging the ventilation gap

Keep in mind that the slats must form an even vertical plane. Therefore, if the gables are uneven, the rails must be aligned during installation;

further, a vapor barrier membrane is attached to the rails. During installation, make sure that the film does not sag;
then installed vertical racks(bars or boards). To fix them, you can use self-tapping screws and metal corners. Make the distance between the racks a couple of centimeters less than the width of the mats;

An example of laying mineral mats in the space between the uprights

now the space between the racks must be filled with insulation. If the racks are installed correctly, the mats will go in tightly, and their additional fixation will not be required;
then attach a vapor barrier to the racks;

at the end of the work, mount the crate.

Now all that's left is finishing. Choice finishing materials depends on the purpose of housing and the attic itself. If, the house is used for permanent residence, and the attic will be heated, you can sheathe it with drywall and use any finishing materials.

Finishing a cold attic should be done with materials that are not afraid of low temperatures. Therefore, from the use of wallpaper and plastic panels better to refuse.

Insulating your own attic, as you can see, is not at all difficult. Therefore, you can safely get to work, the only thing I recommend is also to watch the video in this article. If you don't understand any of the nuances, please contact me with questions in the comments, and I will be happy to help you » width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">

Insulating your own attic, as you can see, is not at all difficult. So you can safely get to work.

Do-it-yourself attic insulation in a private house: the better to insulate, video and photo

Every child from a school physics course knows three things: distance is equal to speed multiplied by time, a photo actually draws light on paper, and warm air is much lighter than cold air and, accordingly, in a room will rise up anyway. And at the top of a private house, under the very roof, of course, there is an attic. If you do not insulate the attic on time, then as soon as the autumn-spring cold sets in, the residents of the house will feel that a chilly wind is blowing from the ceiling, and the heat is lost to no one knows where. But this is the case if the attic is not insulated.

Surely, many people remember this problem of modern architecture: buildings that were built in the 20-21 centuries are fragile and short-lived, while stone churches, cathedrals, old mansions stand for centuries, millennia, and at the same time it is always dry and warm inside. The fact is that earlier, in the absence of modern materials and technologies, such tasks had an architectural solution: the air itself maintains the desired temperature and humidity in such places. This idea has been well implemented in many modern materials, for example, in ecological wool. The roofs of buildings, in the old days, were most often made gable, so that in winter the snow lingered longer on the surface and prevented the penetration of cold air into the rooms; attic spaces were made with special small windows on the sides - with their help they controlled the temperature in residential premises both in winter and in summer. There was no need to insulate the roof slope. But in the 21st century, relying on the thermal insulation properties of snow alone (very weak, although there were enough of them at that time) is unreasonable, and the need for comfort in humanity has increased significantly since then, so the temperature of +15-20 degrees in the room in winter is no longer considered acceptable.

The price, quality, time of work will directly depend on what material the owner of the house chooses for thermal insulation. With scientific progress, it has become possible to synthesize many new materials, some with specially enhanced thermal insulation properties. And someone, in the old fashioned way, prefers to insulate the attic with straw or environmentally friendly reeds. There is room for fantasy.

Almost always, thermal insulation is laid in three layers: the first is the processing of floors - sometimes it is required to lay, sometimes just smear a layer of clay; the second is a layer of heat-insulating material, the thickness of which can vary from two to five centimeters; the third, optional, layer may be a cement-sand screed, on which the floor will then be laid.

It is already difficult to call an insulated attic space an attic, it is quite suitable for the title of an attic. The one who decided to insulate the ceiling will no longer have an attic, but there will be an attic, a warm room that can eventually be turned into a guest room, a bedroom for a child or a cozy winter garden in which the whole family will gather in the evenings. Attic spaces are a good find for creative people and just for those who like to surround themselves with a cozy atmosphere.

Material classification

Before the owner, who thought for the first time how to insulate the ceiling of the attic, there is another difficult question. ? It is not enough to lay the material, it is also important to choose it correctly. After all, there are a huge number of materials on the market today, and it is not always clear whether they are suitable for the area in which the house is located; in some areas the temperature is lower, in some it is higher.

Often, if the owner uses bulk materials, he encounters difficulties afterwards if he decides to turn the attic into a full-fledged attic and lay the floor. With plate and roll materials, such problems, as a rule, do not arise.

The choice is wide enough, so you can choose the material of the desired price category, affordable and high quality. In terms of importance, the first factor is thermal insulation properties, the second is resistance to temperature extremes, and the third is ease of use. In addition, each material has a number of additional properties that must be considered when choosing.

It costs nothing to pick up eco-friendly or even natural material, the use of such materials, which is important, will not adversely affect the health of residents, which cannot be said about toxic substitutes. In addition, the same foam will contribute to the rapid decay wooden roof. The material must be chosen carefully.

Many dishonest sellers strive to sell as much material as possible and at a higher price, without caring whether this type of thermal insulation is suitable for a particular owner, which is why you should be careful when choosing a material.

Insulation of the ceiling from the attic is a rather simple process, even a non-professional can handle it on their own.

Warming with bulk materials

The oldest method of insulation is considered to be backfill material. Suitable if the floors are made of wood.

As bulk materials, you can use sawdust, straw, reeds, glass wool, expanded clay, flax. They are inexpensive and widely available. Ecological wool will cost more. Sometimes algae, slag, polystyrene are used as bulk materials for insulation. On top of bulk materials, as a rule, the floor is not laid; for ease of movement, several boards can be laid.

Sawdust is one of the cheapest materials, you can even get it for free if there is a working sawmill nearby. Sawdust as a heater was used hundreds of years ago. A significant disadvantage is that mice often like them, and they arrange their holes in the sawdust, so when working, you should first pour a layer of slaked lime with carbide or use some other folk remedy. Sawdust is poured in a layer of 1-2 cm. Sawdust is a material so combustible that in order to prevent the layer from igniting, it should be sprinkled with slag processing or similar material on top. Be especially careful when using sawdust near chimneys and other heat sources.

Bonfire (flax) is a cheap material, resistant to decay, light, loose. Linen is not liked by rodents and insects, since it is inconvenient to move in linen layers - the material quickly crumbles. Warming the ceiling in the attic with a fire has a number of disadvantages, for example, this material sometimes cakes, but you can always fill up a new layer! Also, the material is highly flammable, which is both a plus in disposal and a minus in operation. Flax is covered with a layer of 1.5-4 cm. If the owner decides to insulate the attic with a fire, then it will no longer be possible to make a full-fledged floor there, but you can lay boards for ease of movement. Linen needs drying, so it is suitable if ventilation is provided in the attic.

Straw is poured in a layer of 2-5 cm. On top, in order to avoid fires, before pouring the material, the floors should be smeared with a layer of clay. Straw, like sawdust, is prone to attack by rodents, so it will also need protection.

Eco-friendly wadding is made from recycled cellulose (recycled paper) and additives that reduce flammability. Ecowool is the most reliable and fireproof material among bulk ones, its soundproofing properties will be a nice bonus. In general, soundproofing is never superfluous in the house. Owners of private houses can sometimes hear, in windy weather, how loudly something falls and rolls somewhere upstairs, in the attic. In fact, these are just wind games, a frequent coincidence. Ecowool is laid on a vapor barrier film, so that there are no gaps left, with a layer of 2.5-5 cm. On top of the ecowool, soon, after two weeks, lignin appears, a protective crust.

Glass wool is an old proven way to insulate an attic. Glass wool has many advantages: safety, moisture resistance, etc. and one significant disadvantage: high toxicity. Laying should be done only in tight clothing, a respirator. After laying, the clothes are burned. In addition, glass wool quickly caking, and it will often have to be replaced. Glass wool is laid in a layer of 2-2.5 cm.

Expanded clay, although bulk material, is also suitable for insulating concrete floors (read also: ""). It is convenient in that after laying it, it is possible to make a full-fledged floor in the attic, which is difficult to achieve with most bulk materials. Expanded clay is laid in a layer of 2-2.5 cm, placed on top cement-sand screed layer of 0.5 cm.

How to insulate the attic ceiling with bulk material, technology:

Lay kraft paper on the floors. As a substitute, you can use cardboard, glassine or something else like that. The second preparation option: smear the overlap with clay 2-3 cm and sprinkle with sand - so that in case of cracks in the clay, the sand fills them up.
Fill up the material. The thickness of the layer depends on the material itself and the expected temperatures of the area.
It is best to produce thermal insulation not in one, but in two layers.
Lay boards on top of which you can move around.

Do not forget that the hatch to the attic also needs to be insulated!

Mineral wool is no less toxic than glass wool, so work should be carried out with similar precautions.

Algae practically does not burn, and with the help of special treatment, flammability can be reduced to almost zero;

algae are environmentally friendly.

Algae have the same thermal insulation properties as synthesized materials. Algae ladders are laid with a layer of 2-3 cm. It is quite possible to lay a real floor on top. Perhaps algae are the most environmentally friendly and most useful material for thermal insulation, such a coating will positively affect the health of residents mainly due to high content iodine, styling is simple, algae will last a long time and with benefit.

Linen insulation

Linen insulation outperforms mineral wool by the fact that it is much more environmentally friendly than the latter. It is perfect if the house is built from natural materials, such as wood, etc.

Laying the material is very easy. Before laying linen rolls, the gaps of the ceilings are covered with clay, after which the material itself comes. There should be no gaps at the joints.

Insulation of the ceiling with sawdust, more on the video:

Insulation with board materials

The slab material will completely block the access of oxygen to the ceilings, so it makes no sense to use ceiling insulation from the attic side with the help of slabs if the house is built from natural materials.

As board materials polystyrene foam, mineral wool in slabs, straw, algae, reeds are popular.

Lay slab materials only on a flat surface, if there are flaws, it is better to fix them. A vapor barrier film is placed on top of the ceilings. After laying the slab material, it will be possible to lay a real floor in the attic.

Dense extruded polystyrene foam (otherwise polystyrene) is well suited for attic insulation. A significant disadvantage is flammability and toxicity. When laying the gaps at the joints of the plates, it is necessary to fill with mounting foam. A cement-sand screed is placed on top of the slabs with a layer of 4-5 cm. The screed is quite capable of replacing a full-fledged floor, but if you wish, you can lay boards, etc.

Reed is an eco-friendly natural material that has appeared on the market of heaters quite recently. It is absolutely non-toxic, of course, safe, burns weakly, after processing, you can achieve complete fire safety. Reeds are one of the few board materials that are suitable for insulating houses made of natural materials.

The choice of material for thermal insulation is a serious matter, it is better not to be mistaken in it. After all, the temperature in the house, the quality of life of the family living in it, and the life of the building as a whole depend on the thermal insulation, so the insulation of the ceiling from the attic is an important and necessary thing.

Even if the winter has dragged on, and the weather is not happy, the conversion of a cold attic into an attic should not be postponed until better times. But, given our difficult climate, insulation will have to be given maximum attention.

A cold attic is an untapped potential, a space that works at best as a repository of forgotten and unnecessary things. Attic - the potential realized as you need: a romantic bedroom, a cozy living room, a games room, a bathroom with a stunning view of the surroundings. There are other differences as well.

How to turn an attic into an attic?

A large-scale alteration of a private house or cottage is regarded by law as a reconstruction requiring approval. Reconstruction is considered to be such actions that change the parameters of the house as a whole - volume, number of storeys, height, appearance. Without agreeing and making changes to the documents, you can only insulate the roof, it is permissible to insulate the floor and ceilings of a cold attic. The installation of windows is also considered a reconstruction, as is the replacement of load-bearing structures.

An obligatory stage is a preliminary check of the possibilities of the house. Only project documentation and the expertise of a construction company will make it possible to say with confidence that the foundation, walls and truss system will withstand the increased load.

Attention:

arrange a full residential attic it is possible if the height of the attic exceeds 1.8 meters. Otherwise, you will have to change the roof truss structure. A compromise option for a low attic that does not require restructuring is a children's playroom or a bathroom without a shower.

How to properly insulate a cold attic?

If your intentions are serious, easy installation Batteries in the attic won't help. You will have to start with a large-scale inspection of the entire roof and floors. Only complete and high-quality insulation and thermal insulation of a cold attic will turn an abandoned floor into a favorite attic.

A cold-type roof, conceived when building a house with a non-residential attic, differs in design from a warm one. In fact, it is a rafter system, on top of which waterproofing and the roof itself are laid. The air in the attic in this design plays the role of a buffer that reduces heat loss at home. When converting an attic into an attic, the roof must be brought into line with the changed requirements.

In a warm roof with full slope insulation, there is a so-called “roofing cake” of layers:

External coating. Metal tile, slate, ondulin, corrugated board, ceramic, cement-sand, slate, bituminous, composite tiles. Sheet materials cost less and are easier to install, but they serve less, piece materials, like tiles, better insulate the house, serve for a long time, but at a higher cost.

Waterproofing. Protects the entire structure and the insulation layer from rain, snow, moisture.

Ventilation gap. Provides natural roof ventilation and removes moisture.

Thermal insulation. Retains heat, reduces heat loss.

Vapor barrier. Protects insulation and rafters from moisture from the room. Especially if you are planning a kitchen in the attic.

Interior decoration. Lining, timber, plywood, other materials.

Attention:

in order for the microclimate in the attic to be optimal in any weather, all surfaces are needed - the floor, ceiling, walls and slopes. This is also important from the point of view of sound insulation: the noise on the upper floor should not interfere with the inhabitants of the lower one, and the sound of drops on the roof should not wake those sleeping in the attic.

How to choose material?

All heaters are divided into several groups according to physical properties:

Monolithic or massive stacked on the ceiling in large blocks. Reliable option, fewer joints, but abduction excess moisture from the air is blocked, condensation may occur.

Fibrous or porous. The spaces of the internal structure are filled with air bubbles that retain heat. A classic example is mineral wool, the most common insulation material for private homes.

Bulk insulation- for example, expanded clay and sawdust; create a dense heat-insulating layer, allowing surfaces to "breathe". But expanded clay is heavy, and it is difficult to work with sawdust.

Important parameters of all heaters that need to be taken into account are the cost and ease of installation, weight, which does not give a significant load on the supporting structures, resistance to moisture, fire and environmental friendliness. Let's compare the pros and cons of the most common heaters.

Material
	Lightweight, cheap, environmentally friendly.	It rots and flammable. Used in ceilings.
Expanded clay	Does not burn, does not rot, perfectly retains heat.	Very heavy. It is applied in flat roofs and overlappings.
Expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam	Lightweight, retains heat, protects from noise, moisture resistant, does not shrink	Expensive and difficult to install. It is applied in overlappings, facades and flat roofs.
Mineral wool	Inexpensive, easy to install. Resistant to fire, rodents and mold. Protects from noise and retains heat. Weighs little.	Humidification leads to a decrease in thermal insulation qualities. It is used in walls, partitions, ceilings and pitched roofs.
	It retains heat well and protects against noise. Contains borax to kill mold. "Breathes" because it is made of eco-friendly cellulose. The thermal conductivity when moistened changes much more slowly than that of mineral wool.	Moisture changes properties. combustible material. Used in walls and ceilings.

Attention:

in most cases, in terms of price-quality ratio, mineral wool is the most reasonable option for insulation for a cold attic.

Insulation technologies

The method and sequence of actions depend on the selected insulation. For example, ecowool is laid in a “dry” way, directly on the floor surface, or “wet”, spraying a special adhesive mixture using equipment. Insulation of a cold attic with foam plastic involves mounting the material with glue or screws and strengthening it with a frame made of profiles. Sawdust is mixed with cement, poured into cells from antiseptic-treated beams and left to dry.

The general sequence of warming a cold attic:

All major work goes along with the installation of insulation.
Windows are placed after laying waterproofing and before installing insulation and vapor barrier.
First, waterproofing is laid on the internal planes of the roof, walls and floor.
Then the truss system is covered with waterproofing material.
Thermal insulation is mounted, fibrous materials are covered with vapor barrier.
Then the attic windows are insulated, paying special attention to the space under the windowsill and slopes.
Finally, it's the turn finish coat surfaces.

Attention:

the laying of communications takes place at the stage of rough insulation work. It is important to take into account two points: the fire hazard of the selected material and the importance of urgent access to communications. So, when choosing fire hazardous materials like polystyrene foam and ecowool, it is reasonable to make the wiring external. And if you have chosen short-lived sewer pipes, which you may have to change after some time, access to them will be easier if the attic is insulated with sheet and soft materials.

Heating and attic decoration

Laying thermal insulation is not enough if you plan to operate the attic all year round. Additional heating will be required, the installation of stairs from the lower floor and, of course, the installation of windows for constant access to natural light.
If the house has a heating system, you can connect to it while warming the attic. Do not forget to check how much power the boiler is designed for and whether it can withstand an increase in load, especially if a room is planned upstairs, such as a bathroom, laundry room or kitchen.
Electric batteries and infrared heaters do not require installation, they can be moved from place to place.
Heated floors warm the attic well over the entire area, unlike radiators and heaters. Electric floors consume electricity, but are easier to install. Water heated floors are more difficult to lay, but they are less expensive to operate. Both options are suitable for wooden houses with attic.

Do not forget to arrange a staircase that is comfortable for permanent use, allocating a sufficiently large area below, in the corridor or hall. The optimal slope of 30-40 degrees will provide a step depth of 20-25 and a height of about 15 centimeters. The height of the ceiling above the stairs must be at least two meters, the width of the stairs must be at least one meter.

What can go wrong?

Even if you have thought through the reconstruction, from legal aspects to careful selection of material, the process itself is always unpredictable. Keep your finger on the pulse of repairs, if not always, then at least at checkpoints.

Vapor barrier:

The vapor barrier membrane is laid differently depending on the design of the ceiling.

If the roof does not have a high-quality vapor barrier layer, or it is made carelessly, with breaks, any evaporation will inevitably completely or partially get into the thermal insulation layer of mineral wool and turn into water there. In winter, moisture will freeze, and then appear again in the form of leaks. Isolation will be required.

Insulation installation:

It is impossible to lay mineral wool without a vapor barrier; it is important to leave a gap to remove excess moisture between the thermal insulation and the roof, installing the crate;

The main errors when laying fibrous or monolithic insulation are usually associated with an incorrectly selected width or thickness of the material.

The gaps between the insulation and the beams will become "cold bridges". If the material is inflexible, like polystyrene, the joints are filled with mounting foam during the insulation of a cold attic.

Windows installation:

Roof windows require good qualifications of installers.

Windows need to be insulated: otherwise, all efforts for thermal insulation will be nullified.

Instructions for warming a cold attic

1. If insulation occurs with the installation of windows, the transfer of load-bearing structures, the alteration of the roof, it must be coordinated. Simple insulation of the attic does not need to be coordinated. If the height of the attic is less than 1.8 meters, its full use will be difficult.

2. Check if the house is ready for attic renovation. Will the foundation withstand the additional load? Is the heating boiler prepared for heating new rooms?

3. When choosing a heater, pay attention not only to its cost and ease of installation, but also to weight, environmental friendliness and durability. Perhaps the best solution for you is a combination different materials on the ceiling, floor and ceilings of a cold attic.

4. Don't forget to choose skylights and additional equipment for them, for example, the possibility of automatic closing in the rain.

5. Choose a way to heat the new attic and think in advance how the stairs to the attic floor will be installed.

6. Flaws in attic insulation can lead to drafts, leaks, high humidity in the room. Finding the source of problems is more difficult than preventing problems in advance at the stage of attic repair.

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 proper insulation the attic will depend on whether all the heat goes out into the street, or lingers 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:

simple installation - due to different densities, 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;
availability - you can buy mineral wool in any hardware store, and the variability of shapes and sizes will allow you to choose a heater for any needs.

There are also disadvantages - mineral wool loses its properties when wet, so 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 condensation forms between the foam and the wooden elements, this leads to the rapid decay of the wood.

Sprayed insulations are convenient for quick and dense filling 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 its use will require 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, it does not allow steam and air to pass through, 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 operating from construction pistol according to the principle of mounting foam.

Attic insulation technology

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

When installing the roof of a private house, a space is formed between the ceilings of the roof and the ceiling of the room, which is called the attic. It can be used as a pantry or arrange a living room or office there. In any case, it is worth paying attention to the insulation of the attic space in order to avoid heat loss and the safety of wooden roofing.

Useful insulation

In practice, no building innovation in the field of insulation can compete with mineral wool, which has already been proven over the years, which is ideal for insulation. country house. Due to the fact that mineral wool is made from hard rocks, its abilities reflect the heat-insulating properties of the stone. The meter-thick stone walls were replaced by brickwork,. It has the following characteristics:

thermal insulation;
soundproofing;
fire resistance;
vapor permeability;
environmental friendliness.

The thermal insulation coefficient of the insulation is 0.038–0.045 W / km, which is a rather low indicator. So the protective layer of mineral wool with a thickness of 100 mm can be compared in terms of thermal insulation with brickwork 1170 mm thick. In this case, the sound insulation coefficient is 0.95 with a maximum value of 1.

Insulation of housing with a fibrous insulator meets all fire safety requirements, since it does not burn at all and withstands high temperatures.

For wooden house A very important indicator is the vapor permeability of the thermal insulation material.

In this case, you can not do without mineral wool. It has good vapor permeability and is used for the installation of ventilated facades. And the last property of cotton wool is its environmental friendliness: the materials used in production do not have a harmful effect on humans and the environment.

If it is planned to install mineral wool in the attic, then before starting work, you need to decide on its type (glass wool, mineral wool, basalt slabs), material density (varies in the range from 30 to 200 kg / m3) and the required amount.

All this must comply with the requirements for the attic thermal insulation device.

Nuances for work

The floor in the attic is also the ceiling of the house, through which heat is lost from the room. moisture from warm air from below constantly penetrates into the attic and has a negative effect on the fibrous insulation.

When wet, it loses its thermal insulation properties, and with prolonged exposure to moisture, it quickly collapses. Negative influence moisture is noted on structural elements roofs. Condensed water on the inner surface of the roof flows onto the rafters and beams. This leads to the destruction of load-bearing structures.

To protect mineral wool and internal surfaces roofs from water vapor use a vapor barrier made of moisture-proof material. It is placed between the ceiling and the insulation. It is important that no violation of the integrity of the waterproofing is allowed.

To avoid further formation and accumulation of moisture in the attic, ventilation must be properly organized. It is arranged through air vents placed on skates and eaves, as well as through slotted and dormer windows. Ventilation will be sufficiently intensive if the ratio of the sum of the areas of the ventilation openings is from 0.2 to 0.5% to the area of the attic.

isolation process

Working with insulating wool requires compliance with safety rules and the use of special PPE. If the attic space will not be used as a living room, then it must be made ventilated. Before starting the insulation with mineral wool, ventilation ducts must be installed. They are fastened under the roof with brackets to the roof frame.

If insulation is roll material, then laying the vapor barrier is optional, since the cotton wool is in a polyethylene cover. Strips of mineral wool should be tightly packed, and the edges glued with tape.

In the case of using plates, the insulation is carried out on a pre-laid waterproofing coating.

You need to start warming with cotton wool from the point farthest from the door, gradually moving towards the exit. If obstacles arise, the canvas or sheet must be cut off, and in the next part of the insulation, make a cutout according to the shape of the obstacle. It cuts beautifully with a utility knife. If there are gaps, then they need to be insulated with residues and scraps of material. Try not to be zealous when compacting and bending mineral wool, as this will negatively affect its heat-insulating ability.

If built into the attic floors lighting, then they must be closed with special caps. Although the cotton wool does not burn, the device heats up during operation, and conditions may be created for the ignition of the wooden floor. Then it remains only to close the thermal insulation by mounting the floor in the attic. It can be plywood, drywall, chipboard or OSB board.

Arrangement of the attic

The roof of the finished attic looks like a puff pastry. The outer covering is a roofing material designed to protect the house from rain. From the point of view of thermal insulation, it does not give any effect. The upper waterproofing barrier is a roofing material or a special film that is capable of retaining water, but vapor permeable. It is laid in such a way that water flows through it to the outside. Next comes a layer of insulation, which forms a heat-insulating barrier.

The vapor barrier is designed to completely protect the installed insulation layer from moisture and steam. This polyethylene film really completely vapor and waterproof. Everything ends decorative coating to give aesthetic appeal and protection against mechanical damage.

The greatest difficulty in insulating the attic is the installation of a waterproofing layer on a heater of complex shape. The difficulty lies in bypassing all load-bearing elements roof and organization of its exit under the roof for water discharge. It is very important to maintain the integrity of the layer here. Joints and attachment points must be glued with adhesive tape, and between the rafters fastened to brackets or to vertically nailed slats.

The insulation fits tightly between the rafters and, together with the hydrobarrier, is fixed with slats, which will later be a support for the finishing. It is recommended to insulate with mineral wool formed into sheets or slabs, as it is more resistant to caking and shedding during operation compared to rolled wool.

Final finishing

As a material for the final finishing of the attic, any sheet material that can protect the insulation from damage can serve. Most often, drywall, chipboard or OSB boards are used, as well as wooden lining or plastic.

Installation is carried out on rails that fix the thermal insulation on the roof. You can select a separate metal carcass from profiles, but this will require additional space in the attic, and once again violate the tightness of the waterproofing.

Properly installed thermal insulation of the attic will not only help save heat, but also protect the elements of the roof and ceiling from premature aging.