Construction or renovation of an attic is one of the most complex work. We do not recommend trying to do everything yourself if you do not have experience in such construction.
Roofs that have too steep a slope experience greater loads from strong winds and require additional strengthening, which greatly affects the cost of work. A broken type of roof is well suited for this.
Such a roof copes well with strong winds and has quite a large space inside. The disadvantage of sloping roofs is considered more complex design, complicating installation.
Construction of an attic roof for a cottage country house includes installation of windows. We recommend paying attention to manufacturers such as Fakro and Velux. In the absence of additional ventilation, windows remain the only source of fresh air entering the attic space converted into an attic.
It is imperative to pay great attention to the strength of all structural elements, such as racks, rafters and crossbars. Building an attic on an older house can be a little more expensive and depends on the choice of materials. We list the main ones:
- Wooden beams for rafters. When choosing the exact parameters, you should focus on the design features of the roof (angle of inclination, height, area).
- Boards for making sheathing.
- Plywood or panels for building end walls.
- A large number of fasteners (nails, screws, corners, etc.).
- Insulation.
- Vapor barrier membrane.
- Waterproofing.
- Roofing covering (metal tiles, bitumen tiles, Ondulin, Ondalux, etc.).
- Materials for finishing the attic space inside.
How to properly convert the roof of a house into an attic - increasing the living space
Stylish and practical house with an attic in Art Nouveau style
As you know, “extra” square meters are never superfluous, and in modern realities there are only two ways to get them - buy or build. Not everyone can afford a purchase these days, and construction is not a “pleasure” that comes cheap.
However, our citizens still manage to build houses on their own, or at worst, remodel them to suit their needs, some in width, some in height.
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Extensions are basically a thing of the past, because any such “engineering masterpiece” occupies the Nth area of the site, albeit not a large one, without significantly increasing the housing area itself.
Therefore, the best solution Still, there remains an increase in residential squares with the help of add-ons and all kinds of alterations to the roof for an attic. It is the construction of an attic roof with all, as they say, “following” and additional work, and will be the topic of our today's correspondence conversation.
Where to start building a roof for an attic
First you need to imagine what exactly you want to build. Be sure to make a project or a detailed drawing in detail, according to which the installation will subsequently be carried out.
A work plan is also extremely necessary, where all stages of future work will be spelled out in detail. Do you think this is a waste of time? Not at all. This will allow you to avoid annoying mistakes and rework of what has already been done.
It will be enough just to adhere to a clearly thought out and written plan. In general, competent planning leads to minimizing risks, time and financial costs.
Therefore, think through everything to the smallest detail and transfer it to paper before starting work. The time you spent will be returned a hundredfold in financial savings and the absence of spent nerve cells.
Design project for the attic floor of an individual residential building
Removing the old roof
After the paperwork, it's time to dismantle. It does not matter what roofing material was used for the covering. Be it sheets of metal tiles, slate, ceramic or bitumen tiles - everything is removed extremely carefully.
Having completed the dismantling of the roofing, we proceed to dismantling the rafter structures, having first removed the insulation and waterproofing (if any). You can quickly and painlessly disassemble the rafters using a jigsaw, sawing the timber next to the place of the old fastening.
This way we save a lot of time and effort compared to working with a hammer and a nail puller. Good timber We immediately put it aside, it may still be useful. The next stage of dismantling work will be dismantling the gable of the house. As a rule (especially in old houses), the gables are bricked. There is no need to rush in such work.
We will give you practical practical advice on how to quickly, without much effort, and most importantly, without the risk of ending up under a pile of bricks, disassemble the pediment. This will require two people. One from the outside, standing on the stairs, and wielding a hammer and chisel, breaks off one brick at a time from the masonry (starting from the very top), and the second inside picks them up.
Believe me, the old brick gable of the house can be dismantled with a bang. By the way, dismantle wooden pediment It’s also not that difficult, but don’t try to speed up the process in either case and demolish everything in one fell swoop. The consequences can be very dire.
Dismantling the roof of a house is a very difficult, labor-intensive process.
Strengthening perimeter walls
After complete dismantling, carefully inspect the top of the wall around the perimeter. You understand that it is very undesirable to carry out installation leaning on the walls of the house if there are any defects. Therefore, if you find any, try to correct them. The most common defect is cracks at the corners of the house.
This occurs due to subsidence of the foundation as a result of initially incorrect pouring, flooding (and this also happens), or frequent vibration effects, which are mainly observed in residential buildings near the roadway. This shouldn’t be neglected, so let’s start strengthening the perimeter.
We will need a metal corner with a bar of at least 50 mm (more is possible). We lay it around the perimeter of the building, fastening it with welding. We weld dies in the corners. It turns out to be a kind of metal “belt” that holds the top of our house together and prevents the walls from collapsing further.
T-beams (I-beams) can also be used for the same purposes.
Metal screed of house walls to prevent further cracks
Preparing the material
It's time to move on to preparing the installation of the attic frame (or sloping roof, as it is also called). As a rule, it is made of timber - 100×100 mm (for the base and racks) and 100×50 mm for installing a broken (or flat) roof, and also as floor joists. Beam 50×50 mm is most often used as an auxiliary (binder). We will also need the following materials:
- hydro- and vapor barrier;
- insulation (can be rolled, or sheet);
- sheets of DSP or OSB in order to “sew up” the floor and walls (aka ceiling).
Frame of a sloping mansard roof
Roofing material can be completely different - from metal tiles to ceramics.
Therefore, the use of metal tiles is currently the optimal price solution. But this is not a recommendation, because there are a huge variety of roofing materials on the market at the moment and they vary not only in price, but also in the manufacturing method and, as a consequence, in service life. Of course, this entire set also requires consumables for fastening:
- self-tapping screws;
- metal corners;
- anchor bolts;
- staples for the stapler and other little things, without which our entire structure simply will not hold up.
When everything you need has been purchased according to the list, you can proceed directly to the installation of the attic sloping roof of our house (let's call it this way so that no one gets confused).
Despite the complexity of the design, broken roofs are very popular
Types of attic structures
We hope you have decided in advance what type of attic you will build. Installation of a sloping attic roof can be done in two ways - with or without going beyond the perimeter of the existing building.
In the first case, the area of the attic exceeds the area of the first floor due to the resulting “canopy” along the perimeter of the building or in any part of it. In this case, of course, we do not take into account extensions, if any.
In the second, the slopes of the broken roof lie on top of the walls of the first floor, and in this case the area of the attic itself will be significantly less than the area of the first floor of the house.
This design resembles several equal rectangles installed in series, inscribed in a virtual pentagon of the roof. The timber is fastened by cutting into each other (fastening into grooves) with additional fixation with metal corners.
Another common design option: short racks during installation are located closer to the external walls. Along with the upper (ceiling) beams of the attic, they serve as stiffening elements for the frame of a broken or flat, gable roof. It turns out to be a kind of hexagon.
There are also options for removing part of the roofing support to cover an extension or organize a balcony canopy. But this is a completely different story and we will tell about it another time. Now let’s take a closer look at roofing work and gables.
If you are planning to install dormer window In order for more natural light to penetrate through the roof, you need to think about this in advance. Detailed instructions You can also read how to install a roof window in an already finished roof on our website.
We sincerely hope that competent planning of work will still help you avoid various incidents. We will assume that translucent roof structures, if any were planned, have already been installed. It's time to start organizing the roofing.
Location of the attic depending on the roof configuration
Roofing and waterproofing
We have already mentioned roofing materials above. Let us describe only one example for now - metal roofing. This material is galvanized, press-processed metal, 0.5 mm thick, powder-painted or otherwise painted. Everything here is extremely simple.
Sheets of metal tiles are overlapped on the external lining and secured with roofing screws with a rubberized skirt, which prevents leakage at the fastening points. It is best to trim the protruding parts of excess material in place with a grinder. This is the easiest way to avoid markup-related errors.
The side and ridge parts are covered with corner overlays made of the same material.
Installing a roof using metal tiles as an external covering is an aesthetic and practical option that has many advantages
Metal tiles are a fairly lightweight and quickly installed material, easy to process, but very large and easily deformed, and this is perhaps its only drawback.
After laying the metal tile sheets, you can proceed to waterproofing. Using a construction stapler, we attach the protective membrane to the rafter legs and fastening cross members. The fabric is attached with an overlap.
And if we laid the metal tiles from the outside from the bottom up, then here we have to go from top to bottom using the same “ledges”.
Correct installation of metal tiles and attic insulation
Pediments
Having protected ourselves from what might drip from above, we proceed to the gables, so that subsequent work can be carried out in more time. comfortable conditions indoors. As a rule, the gables are “covered” with foam concrete or aerated concrete, whichever you prefer, a material that is relatively light in all respects. This also applies to weight and its mechanical processing.
Its thermal insulation characteristics also speak in its favor. Some people prefer to see not plaster on the pediment, but wood paneling, which is also not bad in our opinion. An important part of any pediment is translucent window and door structures.
Here you have your choice - you can order windows and doors for existing openings or organize them for ready-made, pre-ordered translucent structures.
Attic balcony with glass railing
Thermal insulation and vapor barrier
Installing thermal insulation for the future attic of a house is generally not a tricky matter. Whether rolled or sheet, it fits tightly into the spaces between the rafters along the entire internal area of the roof and must be at least 100 mm thick.
We also do not forget about the thermal insulation of the ceiling between the first and second floors of our, almost two-story house. Vapor barrier of a room is as important as waterproofing. It is mounted directly after laying the insulation using the same construction stapler.
All that remains is to sew up the interior with DSP or OSB sheets and remake an ordinary roof under residential attic almost completed.
Attic insulation scheme
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What remains are mere trifles - Finishing work. You can learn about this, as well as about electrical installation work when converting from an old attic into an attic room, from the articles on our website.
Proper insulation of the attic
Expanding the attic with an extension
By the way, a few more words about the extension to the attic. The question is often asked, but not as simple as it seems at first glance. It usually occurs after purchasing a country house with an existing attic.
The desire to increase residential squares is, of course, a good thing. But in this case, you should be prepared for costs comparable to the construction of a new attic, since the extension will require the demolition of part of the finished attic.
Therefore, calculate in advance how much these coveted square meters will cost you.
Extension of a house with an attic
Let's face it - adding an extension to an existing attic with an expansion of the square footage is technically quite possible, but it is a very complex and not cheap task. We will definitely give practical advice on bringing this “crazy” plan to life, but in another article.
Replacement old roof to the attic
Converting the roof of a house into an attic - reconstruction instructions
Converting the roof of a house into an attic is the most in a simple way expand the living space, because an empty attic space usually does not bring any benefit, but is only a warehouse for all sorts of unnecessary things. In most cases, houses are equipped pitched roof, the design of which allows you to create a spacious and roomy room, eliminating the need to waste time and money on building an extension.
Features of attic reconstruction
Many home owners are wondering how to convert the roof of a house into an attic. There are no difficulties in this, but you need to understand that attic reconstruction differs depending on the shape of the roof, therefore, the complexity of further work and its cost will depend on this.
The best option for renovation is a classic gable roof, which can also be raised without much effort by building up the walls of the house. And here hip roof has a significant drawback in the form of four slopes, which significantly reduce the total attic area, including the height of the room.
Based on the design rafter system, you can determine what the attic walls will be: inclined or vertical. The inclined option, unlike the vertical one, allows you to use the entire space of the attic, but at the same time limits the possibility of placing standard-sized furniture near the walls.
To better illustrate the interior of attic floors, we offer you a small selection of real houses with attics.
However, the following factors may force you to refuse to convert the roof of a wooden house into an attic:
- Small area or height of the attic, which makes roof reconstruction impractical. In this case, the optimal solution would be to demolish the old roof and install a new, enlarged one, or add a full second floor, if the bearing capacity of the foundation allows.
- The need to modify the roof or replace some of its parts, which entails additional significant costs. Often roofs are not initially designed for further reconstruction, which causes further difficulties in insulation or, over time, some of the structures become unusable. In this case, additional financial investments are required to repair or rebuild the roof;
- The total cost of all required materials and work, including, in some cases, the need to install roof windows into the roof.
Step-by-step modification of the roof into an attic
Before you build an attic on the roof of a residential building, you should make sure that all load-bearing structures are guaranteed to withstand the weight of building materials, furniture and residents. If necessary, the rafters should be strengthened with wooden or iron beams.
If there is any doubt that the foundation of your house is not designed to withstand such loads, you should abandon this idea, or strengthen the foundation. As an example, the strengthening of a strip foundation is shown.
To do this, formwork with additional reinforcing mesh is installed around the existing strip, which is rigidly connected to the foundation, and then concrete is poured into the formwork.
This will increase the foundation's support spot on the ground and thereby increase its load-bearing capacity.
The conversion process will vary depending on the type of attic roof. This instruction We give the example of a conventional gable roof.
Preparatory stage
At this stage, you need to make a layout of the future attic and determine where the attic windows and staircase will be laid. This is necessary to strengthen the roof trusses and interfloor covering Houses.
In addition, it is necessary to provide a plan for the electrical and heating systems that will need to be connected to the home systems.
And at the end of the preparatory stage, depending on the design of the engineering systems of your house, you need to think about the placement of exhaust and supply ventilation, as well as the placement of vent risers coming from the bathrooms. If there are no problems with this, you can move on to the next step.
Attic insulation
Insulation is one of the most important and critical steps when converting a roof into an attic. Due to the fact that the roof loses heat much faster than the lower floors, you should not save on insulation.
In a properly constructed roof (regardless of whether there will be an attic underneath in the future, or an unheated attic), under-roof waterproofing is laid under the roofing material in compliance with the ventilation gap necessary for ventilation. Roof rafters, as a rule, are installed with a pitch of 600 mm - this is a convenient size for laying insulation between them, getting rid of undercuts and thereby reducing its consumption.
All that remains to be done to install the correct roofing pie is to provide proper thermal insulation.
Thermal insulation occurs by laying insulation between the rafters, and the width of the material should slightly exceed the distance between the structural elements.
In addition, between the insulation and the sheathing it is necessary to make a small ventilation gap of 3-5 cm, which will protect the thermal insulation layer from the accumulation of moisture in it.
Insulation sheets, in most cases, are installed in two layers staggered (that is, the joint of the sheets of the first row should not coincide with the joint of the second) to prevent through ventilation.
When insulating an attic, you must understand that heat loss also occurs through end walls. In this regard, the insulation is mounted on them, forming a closed warm circuit.
In addition, if necessary, the floor is insulated. We have already discussed the insulation of a wooden floor earlier, so we will not dwell on it in detail here.
Installation of vapor barrier
After installing the insulation, the internal space of the roof is covered with a layer of vapor barrier. This is necessary in order to completely prevent the thermal insulation from getting wet (and, as a consequence, losing its properties). Thus, the insulation is protected from moisture from all sides and will work throughout its service life.
All joints between layers of vapor barrier are taped with special adhesive tape to achieve complete tightness.
After laying the insulation and installing the vapor barrier, finishing work is carried out. The material is selected solely based on the preferences of the home owner, but it is still better to give preference to lightweight options so as not to additionally load the structure.
Advantages and disadvantages of reconstructing a roof into an attic
As a rule, the main reason when deciding to install an attic on the roof of a residential building is the possibility of obtaining additional living space without the need to build an extension. However, against the backdrop of undoubted advantages, there are also some disadvantages of such a reconstruction, which should also be paid attention to.
The advantages include the following aspects:
- The appearance of an additional living room or even several rooms.
- Lower financial costs compared to building an extension or adding a full floor.
- Views from the mansard roof windows.
- Increase in price of your property.
The disadvantages include:
- The need to insulate the roof, cover it from the inside, as well as install special expensive roof windows, which leads to increased costs for remodeling.
- There is no heating and communications on the roof that need to be taken care of, which also requires expenses.
- The need to build a staircase to the attic, which will take up part of the space under the attic and add costs to the estimate.
- If necessary, it will be necessary to manufacture non-standard furniture of suitable size, which costs significantly more than standard furniture.
Thus, all the disadvantages of rebuilding the roof into an attic are based on the need for monetary costs. Despite this, arranging the roof of a house as an attic will cost less than expanding the living space by adding additional rooms or floors.
By getting rid of the unnecessary attic and spending a little time and effort, you can get a full-fledged living room, which will be a great place to relax regardless of the time of year. To confirm, we invite you to watch a video from interesting ideas for arranging an attic
How to remodel the roof of a house: turning an attic into a cozy attic
Converting the roof into an attic is the only way to cheaply expand the living space of a country house. After all, there is no need to build a second floor or build an extension next to the house, for which you will have to spend quite a lot of money.
And if the volume of the attic space allows, this mainly concerns the height, then the reconstruction process is reduced several times.
So, in this article we will tell you how you can remodel the roof of a house, what materials are used for this, and what technologies are used to carry out the entire process.
How to convert a cold roof into a cozy attic
Features of the conversion
Let us remind you once again that if the height of the attic allows, then the alteration comes down to minimum costs. If the height is small, then serious work, which practically boils down to reconstruction of the roof structure, cannot be done here. Therefore, we will consider both options separately.
The height of the attic allows you to organize an attic
What is cold attic. This is a rafter system on which roofing material is laid using lathing. Apart from the latter, nothing encloses the premises with the street.
In fact, the temperature outside is also present inside the attic. Therefore, the main task of the work manufacturer is to insulate the attic. Do everything so that heat loss through the roof structure becomes minimal.
Let's start talking about this.
Insulating the attic begins with choosing thermal insulation material. There is a wide range of it on the market, but literally two or three are chosen for the attic. More often it is either mineral wool slabs, or polystyrene foam boards, or polyurethane foam applied by spraying.
The height of the attic roof in accordance with human height
Which one to choose, everyone decides for himself. Let's just note that mineral wool in terms of thermal conductivity, the worst of the three indicated options.
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But by choosing the right thickness of the slabs, this problem can be solved. In addition, mineral wool is a non-flammable, environmentally friendly material with a long service life. In terms of flammability, polystyrene foam boards are inferior to everyone.
And polyurethane foam is an expensive material.
We will not go into the details of choosing insulation; let’s move on to other building materials that are used in the process of remodeling the roof of a house. There are two of them: waterproofing and vapor barrier films.
The first will protect the insulation from moist air vapors that penetrate into the attic from interior spaces Houses. The second will make it possible to remove moisture from inside the insulating pie.
Therefore, waterproofing is installed from the inside of the attic, and a vapor barrier is installed from the outside, that is, between the insulation and the roofing.
Insulation of the attic with polyurethane foam
It should be noted that the use of polyurethane foam and expanded polystyrene allows protective films refuse. Since both materials do not absorb moisture.
But according to construction canons, vapor barrier, also known as wind protection, is installed anyway.
Because in the design of any roof it functions as an additional protective layer that will resist leaks in case the roof covering is deformed or damaged for some reason.
Roof insulation
All processes are carried out from inside the attic.
- First along the rafters lay a vapor barrier film. If its width is not enough to cover the entire plane of the slope, then installation is carried out in strips with an overlap of 10-20 cm. In this case, installation begins from the floor, and the second strip is laid overlapping on top of the first. The joint must be covered with adhesive tape. Important point– a covering is formed on the inner plane of the slope so that it fits the rafter system, as shown in the photo below.
Vapor barrier laid on the rafter system
- Now between the rafters lay mineral wool slabs. This is also clearly visible in the top photo. Here it is important to choose the width of the slabs so that they fit tightly into the space between the rafters, pressing tightly against the ends of the boards. This is how you can ensure that cold bridges do not form.
- And the next stage of forming a thermal insulation cake is installation of a waterproofing membrane. It is simply pulled along the rafters and attached to them. You can’t pull too hard; you need to leave a little slack between the rafter legs. If laying is carried out in strips, then the process is carried out in exactly the same way as in the case of vapor barrier. That is, overlapped using self-adhesive tape.
- And one last thing. Conduct covering the rafter system with insulation installed in it. For this, plasterboard, plywood, plastic panels, OSB boards, chipboards, fiberboard, etc. are used.
Waterproofing the attic space
If polystyrene foam boards are used to insulate the attic, then the process is carried out in exactly the same way. They simply do not lay a layer of waterproofing on top of the insulation. The same applies to the use of polyurethane foam.
Formation of the floor
Converting a roof into an attic is not only about carrying out insulation processes. It is necessary to create a floor base that will be warm, reliable and beautiful.
The process of constructing the floor itself depends on what the floor of the house is.
It can be concrete (prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs or a single slab poured in the form of a reinforced monolith) or wooden, assembled along load-bearing floor beams.
In the first case, a joist structure is assembled, which is attached to a concrete base. Insulation is laid between the elements, a waterproofing film is placed on top, and the flooring is installed on top.
Attaching joists to a concrete base
It's almost the same with floor beams. There is just one point in this design, which concerns the formation of a base for laying insulation. This is as follows:
- Along the lower edge of the ends of the rafter legs, so-called tile bars. These are slats with a cross section of 40x40 or 50x50 mm, laid along the rafters.
- On them laying boards 20 mm thick or slab (sheet) material: plywood, OSB, chipboard.
- And into the cells already received lay insulation.
Forming an attic floor with mineral wool laying
The height of the attic will not allow you to organize an attic
This is the most difficult option for converting the roof of a wooden house into an attic and the most expensive, both in terms of monetary investment and time spent. Essentially, this is a roof reconstruction.
What are the stages of this remodeling process?
Design and carrying out calculations.
Acquisition additional required materials.
Dismantling roofing.
Dismantling rafter system with lathing.
Formation mansard roof.
Her insulation.
Installation roofing material.
Formation of the floor and interior decoration of the new premises.
Design
Here you choose the type of mansard roof. Let us immediately note that an attic can be organized under any roofing structure. It’s just difficult to organize living space under hip, multi-gable and tent roofs. There is little free space under them. Therefore, preference is given to three varieties, which are shown in the photo below.
Type of roofs that are optimal for an attic space
The simplest model is the regular one gable roof. But in order to increase the space, architects recommend raising it to a small height - up to 1 m. To do this, they additionally dismantle the old Mauerlat, raise the walls of the building, and install the Mauerlat and rafter system from above.
Pay attention to the photo below, where you can clearly see that the rafter legs are raised above the level of the walls of the house on support posts made of the same boards as the rafters. The racks rest against the Mauerlat and are attached to it. After installation is completed, the attic wall is sheathed and insulated, as is the rafter system.
Forming an attic wall using racks and wood sheathing
If the house is brick, then the walls of the attic are built from brick, raising the walls of the house itself to the required height. And the Mauerlat is already laid on them, followed by installation of the rafter system.
If a standard mansard roof project is created, then all calculations are carried out taking into account the structure of the structure. By the way, about calculations. It is important to carry them out correctly, taking into account the snow and wind load. In fact, these calculations are not simple. The strength and reliability of the roofing structure depends on them, so this stage is carried out by professional designers.
Purchasing materials
Firstly, it should be noted that during reconstruction they carry out defect detection. That is, they examine the exploited material for its quality condition.
If some parts and assemblies do not meet the requirements of the calculations performed, and this is usually the cross-section, thickness or length, then they will have to be replaced.
Although there are technologies, when, for example, lumber does not meet the length parameters, it is simply lengthened.
How to lengthen rafter legs
Having drawn up the defective act, they proceed to the completion necessary materials. It should be noted that when reconstructing the roof, they try to get rid of the roofing material.
If it has served enough time on the roof, then during dismantling there is a high probability of it breaking down. Therefore, roofing material is purchased in full in accordance with the design of the new roof.
Dismantling operations
As they say, breaking cannot be built. That is, this is the easiest process. But you shouldn’t be too zealous, because it is important to preserve the materials for future use.
The video shows how to dismantle an old gable roof:
Formation of a new attic roof
So, the basis for the construction is a project that specifies the type of roof, its dimensions and the materials used for construction. Look at the photo below and you will immediately understand what the frame of a traditional attic is. In essence, these are slopes consisting of two parts, which are supported by racks and purlins. The latter form the room.
Attic frame
In short, the frame assembly technology is as follows:
- Install vertical racks.
- Their tied with beams, which perform not only the functions of strapping, but also supports for roof rafters.
- Form the upper slopes roofing using a rafter system. The legs can be installed either layered (with the installation of a ridge girder) or hanging type, as shown in the top photo.
- Mount the rafters, which form the lower parts of the roof slope. Their upper ends rest against the upper trim of the attic, and the lower ends against the mauerlat.
In fact, the frame is ready, you can move on to other work. First of all, the gables are closed, in which dormer windows are usually installed. If a balcony is attached to the attic, then a door is inserted into the pediment.
Next, a windproof film is laid on top of the rafter system. They attach it to the rafters, lay them in strips from bottom to top, overlapping with an offset of 10-20 cm. The joints of the strips must be covered with self-adhesive tape. Then the counter-lattice, sheathing and roofing material are installed. After which all processes are transferred to the attic room.
From inside the attic, all the same processes described above are carried out. That is, insulation, floor formation and finishing.
In the video, a specialist reviews the attic roof, talks about materials, components and details:
Dormer windows
It should be noted that dormer windows installed on the gables of the attic do not provide daylight to the constructed room. Moreover, they are not present in all projects. The best option for the attic is the so-called dormer windows.
They are presented on the market in a large assortment from a huge number of manufacturers. And each brand of windows has its own installation technology. In general, all technologies are somewhat similar, but they also have their own distinctive features. In this article we will not dwell on the technology of installing roof windows, because this is the topic of a whole article.
I just wanted to note that today’s proposals are not just standard window designs. This a large number of additional options that increase the performance of windows. One of the new options is a roof window, which, when opened, forms a small balcony.
So that you understand what we are talking about, we suggest watching a video that shows how this window structure opens and closes:
Conclusion on the topic
Converting an attic into a second floor (living) is actually not the easiest process. Especially if a complete reconstruction of the roof structure is being carried out. This process will take more than one day. The costs will be significant, but it is still cheaper than building, for example, a second full floor with the construction of walls and ceilings, as well as the installation of a separate roof.
How to increase the usable area during the reconstruction of a house - adding an attic
It is not uncommon for a situation when, for one reason or another, a house that until recently seemed quite comfortable becomes cramped, or the dacha needs to be turned into permanent residence, while simultaneously increasing the area. Also, often the need for major reconstruction and expansion arises when purchasing a house with “experience”.
You can get an increase in square footage in two ways - by adding a room or building on it. For many, adding an attic floor is a more preferable option, since there is no need to additionally fill the foundation, and there is not always enough space on the site for an extension.
And among the craftsmen of the portal, the addition of attics is quite popular, and they share the experience gained with those who are just deciding what to do and what to do.
- What is an attic?
- Features of attic construction during reconstruction.
- Experience of portal participants.
What is an attic
By definition, an attic is understood as a residential or non-residential space in the attic space.
However, in practice, only cold attics remain non-residential, and the attic is a residential (all year round or seasonal) space, under an insulated roof of a special configuration.
Unlike a full second floor, part of the walls in the attic is formed by roof slopes, which somewhat limits its functionality. Nevertheless, attic floors have always been popular, have not lost it to this day and are unlikely to lose it in the future.
Modern technologies make it possible to organize rooms for any purpose in attics - these can be bedrooms, offices, children's or guest rooms.
Today it is not a problem to place a full bathroom in the attic if necessary, not to mention a bathroom with a shower.
Kitchens in attics are a rather rare phenomenon; they mainly appear in cases where two families live and have a separate entrance from the street.
The permissible minimum sanitary standards– 2.3 meters, although in practice other sizes are also found.
Features of the attic superstructure
Whether to build an attic is decided based on two factors:
- availability of technical capabilities;
- expediency.
The main question is whether the walls of a worn-out house will withstand the weight of the proposed structure, even if we are talking about the lightest, frame version.
Therefore, the first step is at least an approximate calculation of the load-bearing capacity of the walls and foundation. It’s not so much the type that will play a role here. wall material, how much is the condition of the walls.
Other log houses with half a century of history are much stronger than those of “youthful” stone buildings.
The feasibility of such a global reconstruction depends on the dimensions of the house - if it is too compact, then the attic, taking into account design features it will turn out tiny.
It is believed that if the width of the house is less than five meters, then there is no point in adding an attic floor.
However, in some cases, a small room upstairs is better than nothing, as long as the walls can hold up and the wallet can handle it.
When pouring the armored belt, fasteners for the Mauerlat (studs) are immediately placed into it, which will firmly fix the entire structure in place.
Without sufficient insulation, it is impossible to build an attic even for seasonal stay, since without insulation in the summer there will be a steam room in the room. The attic is insulated along the entire perimeter to form a closed loop - floors, inclined and vertical walls, pediments.
Today, insulation can be anything from typical slabs, rolls and mats to blow-in, fill-in and spray-on.
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However, regardless of the type, its thickness must be sufficient to ensure the standard thermal resistance coefficient of the wall (tabular data by region).
If we are talking about mineral slab heat insulators, which are used most often, then for most regions 150-200 mm is sufficient.
It is more efficient to lay this thickness in several layers with overlapping seams to minimize heat leakage.
Since the attic is a heated room, great importance is given to installing a vapor barrier to warm air did not provoke condensation in the insulation or roofing pie.
To freely remove moisture, which, despite all the barriers, will accumulate between the insulation and the roofing, a ventilation gap of at least 5 cm is required, and ideally a ridge aerator.
As for windows, the simplest option is vertical, installed in the gables, but for proper lighting, special dormer windows are also needed, mounted directly into the roof.
If you are planning skylights, then even when assembling the rafter system it is worth calculating the pitch of the rafters according to their dimensions, taking into account the seam.
In most cases, frame and timber attics are built on, since they are lighter, cheaper, and the construction process is faster. Considering that the house is residential, the sooner it is under the roof again after dismantling the old one, the better. If they choose a more capital, stone option, then they give preference to lightweight materials (gas block, foam block, expanded clay concrete).
Experience of portal participants
The house of one of our craftsmen with the nickname Soboleff underwent major reconstruction twice - first from summer cottage it was turned into permanent residence, and then an attic was added.
The arrangement of amenities and active redevelopment in order to increase the level of comfort have been carried out over the past few years.
Walls made of sand-lime brick They were put together somehow, the foundation also touched the technology sideways, so the craftsman decided not to take risks and make a frame superstructure.
Wall height – 1200 mm, from finished floor to ridge – 3500 mm, gable roof with a corresponding pie, metal tiles as a roofing covering.
According to the layout, there are a couple of children's rooms of 16 square meters each, a common corridor, a bathroom above the existing first floor and a storage room.
Dismantling revealed sagging, rotten beams and the deplorable state of the masonry in the upper rows; not only these rows were replaced, but also wooden beams above the window openings on the corner.
The perimeter lined with brick was filled with sheathing, reinforcement was laid, pins were inserted to secure the mauerlat, and an armored belt was poured.
The role of the jibs to impart rigidity is assigned to the slab sheathing - OSB 3, all joints of the slabs and the frame were foamed. The thickness of the stone wool insulation on the ceiling is 200 mm, on the walls - 150 mm, plus another 50 mm further along the perimeter of the entire facade.
For ventilation, a “cold triangle” was left at the very top. The craftsman applied four overlapping layers of insulation along this flat area of the ceiling. A roofing “pie” according to all the rules – with waterproofing, wind protection and counter-lattice.
A counter-lattice made of 50 mm timber was also placed on the outside walls with a pitch under the insulation sheet, the slabs were laid, and the contour was covered with a wind barrier. The slabs were fixed to the house using hangers and plastic disc dowels. On top of the wind protection is a galvanized profile 60x27 mm, creating a ventilation gap and a subsystem for siding.
External work, including not only dismantling the roof and adding an attic under the roof, but also insulating the entire perimeter using a ventilated facade system, was completed within the construction season. And already internal insulation and finishing work can be carried out slowly, in comfortable conditions, using the advice of forum members in one area or another along the process.
Sometimes the basis for the superstructure is not even a house, but a garage, like PavelCh.
There is an opinion that it is easier to demolish everything and build again than to reconstruct, but not everyone can afford this method.
The addition of an attic, of course, will require financial investments, but not comparable to construction from scratch, especially when it comes to frame technology.
Well, what to choose, as in any business, everyone decides based on their capabilities and in relation to their desires.
Details of the addition of a frame attic over a sand-lime brick house are in the Soboleff topic, a lot of useful topics about construction and reconstruction are in the section on warm roofs. One of the most popular materials used to decorate the facade so that the base and superstructure become one is vinyl siding. The video is about reconstruction country house with an attic floor.
Reconstruction of the roof into an attic - typical mistakes
Among all kinds of house designs, buildings with a mansard roof have long become commonplace. Their popularity is not declining for one simple reason: it is in houses where the roof slope consists of two parts that a voluminous room is formed in the under-roof space, in which literally every meter can be used as rationally as possible.
This architectural solution was popularized by the French architect François Mansard. In relation to current Russian conditions, the attic has come a long way, having undergone significant design changes.
We often experience temperature changes, snowfalls pile tons of snow on the roofs, so a reinforced rafter system is used.
Attic conversion
To convert a roof into an attic, you first need to determine its suitability. To create a living space under the roof, a gable roof is suitable, in which the rafters are located at an angle of 45 degrees to the base, or a broken (attic) structure.
There are other types of roofs in which the under-roof space can be used rationally. All are subject to SNiP requirements for the size of the resulting premises, and the main indicator is the height of the ceilings.
Minimum height for arranging rooms:
- 1.2 m – at 30 degrees of inclination;
- 0.8 m – at 45-60 degrees;
- not limited - at 60 degrees or more.
If the rafter structure allows you to create a room of the required size, the covering does not need to be dismantled.
All structural elements and connecting nodes should be carefully examined, and if the rafters are in order, you can proceed to the next stage. If rotten or damaged beams are found, they are replaced.
Next is removed interior lining rafter legs, the floor is laid, communications are laid. Roof windows are installed in specially made openings and the walls are insulated. Thermal insulating material is usually laid between the rafters. Before its installation, the windproof film is strengthened, and after laying the insulation, the vapor barrier is fixed.
And only then the interior decoration of the room is carried out. It is important not to forget about ventilation: without a gap between the roof and the insulation, the service life of the roof is sharply reduced.
What to pay attention to
The mansard roof has a number of features.
It performs not only the function of protection from atmospheric influences, but also prevents heat loss from the rooms. When a so-called cold attic is used, only the ceiling is thermally insulated. Here, both the ceiling and the gables will require insulation, and a heat insulator needs to be laid between the rafters - that is, the consumption of material increases greatly.
In addition, the roofing pie is affected by moisture, which is much more abundant in the living room than in a cold attic.
If the roof of the superstructure is steeply sloped, maximum attention should be paid to the choice of material and the quality of sealing work, ensuring water tightness and protection against heat loss. Any omission during roofing work can lead to unpleasant consequences.
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Note that there are mistakes that builders make only when constructing an attic roof or reconstructing it. But many basic mistakes are typical not only for the construction or reconstruction of attic roofs, but also for other types of roofs.
Let's look at the main flaws during the construction or reconstruction of the rafter system and roofing pie.
Selection and storage of lumber
If a decision has been made to build a new roof, then the wood intended for this purpose must be well-dried and impregnated with fire-retardant compounds.
Under no circumstances should you use trunks that have not been cleared of bark for rafters (some unfortunate installers do this, after which the rafters are quickly “dealt with” by woodworm larvae located under the bark).
Boards and logs should be stored stacked in a place protected from moisture. The use of damp wood has the most negative effect on the geometry of the slopes.
Mounting the Mauerlat
Just as a theater begins with a hanger, so a roof begins with a mauerlat. Unreliable fastening of this beam - and the roof is in literally flies away with the first strong wind, which has many sad confirmations.
Section of rafter legs and their pitch
These indicators are set by the project, the calculation is carried out taking into account the weight of the roofing, permanent and temporary loads and other factors.
Uneven roof slopes not only look visually unpresentable, but also entail additional troubles.
At the very least, if distortions in the rafter system prevent the installation of a window.
The cross-section of the main frame elements must necessarily correspond to the design. If it is less, then the rafters may not be able to withstand the load; if it is more, the weight of the roofing structure will create additional pressure on the walls and foundation.
Poorly executed fastening of the rafter legs to the mauerlat and to the wall (and such cases, unfortunately, are not uncommon) can lead to the destruction of the roof.
Arrangement of lathing and counter-lattice
The unevenness of the sheathing leads to the appearance of gaps between the sheets of material and the penetration of water into these holes. It will also be difficult to carry out locking connections– the two elements will not match.
By the way, when developing the hidden fastening of metal tiles, even the thermal expansion of the metal was taken into account.
But, of course, even the ideal material will not lie flat on a base of crookedly nailed boards.
Ventilation
Effective insulation is impossible without high-quality ventilation. Moisture that gets into the insulation destroys its thermal insulation properties.
In addition to the counter-lattice, when arranging ventilation it is also important to take into account all additional obstacles to free air circulation, especially on complex roofs.
Such obstacles, for example, can be skylights.
Insulation
Using a heat-insulating layer of the same thickness as the walls of the house, or even less, is a grave mistake. Due to the location of the attic - at the very top - it heats up and cools more strongly, which requires more powerful insulation.
The use of some types of insulation leads to their slipping over time, and the upper section of the roof will freeze.
To avoid such surprises, before purchasing you should definitely inquire not only about the thermal insulation characteristics of the material, but also about its resistance to deformation, shrinkage and slipping, weight, and fire safety - after all, we are talking about a residential building. For example, stone wool in slabs has all these qualities.
It is better to insulate gable walls from the outside.
Vapor barrier
We have already noted the importance of the vapor barrier layer.
But it happens that “specialists” install the vapor barrier film... with the wrong side inward.
Roof covering
The main advice when installing roofing is to strictly follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
For example, do not use a grinder to cut metal tiles - this will significantly extend the service life of the material.
During installation, builders may move on the coating, which leads to deflections or scratches of the surface. To prevent such situations, you need to step on the roof with extreme caution and only where there is sheathing underneath the covering, and also use soft-soled shoes.
Water disposal
Often, gutters are installed strictly horizontally, which leads to the accumulation of water and the formation of ice jams during the cold season.
Fasteners
Fastenings are subject to serious loads, and therefore must be of high quality - this is an immutable law. Products are selected for the material for which they are intended for fastening. It is ideal if the elements that come with it are used to fix the roofing.
The main enemy of metal fasteners is corrosion, which over time can destroy the material being attached.
Specialists must know all the nuances, even in small things: for example, disc-shaped dowels, often used to fasten insulation, become so-called cold bridges.
Dormer windows
The location of light openings must be carefully thought out. Residents of the attic will feel some psychological discomfort if, for example, a window is installed at a distance of 150 cm from the floor: then the view for a person sitting on a chair will be difficult. The optimal distance of the lower part from the floor is 90-110 cm.
The joints between the window and the frame must be carefully sealed. Some window models come with special insulating aprons.
Common mistakes include poor-quality connection of under-roof waterproofing to the frame, the use of polyurethane foam as an insulator, and unclear alignment of the sash relative to the frame, which leads to misalignment. The last problem can also arise as a result of shrinkage of the house.
Attic staircase
To access the under-roof space, converted from a cold attic into a living room, you need to make an entrance - most often this is a hatch with a sliding or folding ladder.
Quite often there is an incorrect approach to installation, or even more accurately, assembly of such a structure.
The hinges that connect the parts of the folding structure must be secured correctly, otherwise the staircase will simply open in the wrong direction. Also, sometimes buyers do not take into account the height of the ladder when unfolded.
Converting the roof into an attic is the only way to cheaply expand the living space of a country house. After all, there is no need to build a second floor or build an extension next to the house, for which you will have to spend quite a lot of money. And if the volume of the attic space allows, this mainly concerns the height, then the reconstruction process is reduced several times. So, in this article we will tell you how you can remodel the roof of a house, what materials are used for this, and what technologies are used to carry out the entire process.
Features of the conversion
Let us remind you once again that if the height of the attic allows, then the alteration comes down to minimal costs. If the height is small, then serious work, which practically boils down to reconstruction of the roof structure, cannot be done here. Therefore, we will consider both options separately.
The height of the attic allows you to organize an attic
What is a cold attic? This is a rafter system on which roofing material is laid using lathing. Apart from the latter, nothing encloses the premises with the street. In fact, the temperature outside is also present inside the attic. Therefore, the main task of the work manufacturer is to insulate the attic. Do everything so that heat loss through the roof structure becomes minimal. Let's start talking about this.
Insulating an attic begins with choosing a thermal insulation material. There is a wide range of it on the market, but literally two or three are chosen for the attic. More often these are either mineral wool slabs, or slabs of foamed polystyrene, or polyurethane foam applied by spraying.
Which one to choose, everyone decides for himself. Let’s just note that mineral wool is the worst of the three options in terms of thermal conductivity. But by choosing the right thickness of the slabs, this problem can be solved. In addition, mineral wool is a non-flammable, environmentally friendly material with a long service life. In terms of flammability, polystyrene foam boards are inferior to everyone. And polyurethane foam is an expensive material.
We will not go into the details of choosing insulation; let’s move on to other building materials that are used in the process of remodeling the roof of a house. There are two of them: waterproofing and vapor barrier films. The first will protect the insulation from moist air vapors that penetrate into the attic from the interior of the house. The second will make it possible to remove moisture from inside the insulating pie. Therefore, waterproofing is installed from the inside of the attic, and a vapor barrier is installed from the outside, that is, between the insulation and the roofing.
It should be noted that the use of polyurethane foam and polystyrene foam makes it possible to refuse protective films. Since both materials do not absorb moisture. But according to construction canons, vapor barrier, also known as wind protection, is installed anyway. Because in the design of any roof it functions as an additional protective layer that will resist leaks in case the roof covering is deformed or damaged for some reason.
On our website you can get acquainted with the most . In the filters you can set the desired direction, the presence of gas, water, electricity and other communications.
Roof insulation
All processes are carried out from inside the attic.
First along the rafters lay a vapor barrier film. If its width is not enough to cover the entire plane of the slope, then installation is carried out in strips with an overlap of 10-20 cm. In this case, installation begins from the floor, and the second strip is laid overlapping on top of the first. The joint must be covered with adhesive tape. An important point is that a coating is formed on the inner plane of the slope so that it fits the rafter system, as shown in the photo below.
Now between the rafters lay mineral wool slabs. This is also clearly visible in the top photo. Here it is important to choose the width of the slabs so that they fit tightly into the space between the rafters, pressing tightly against the ends of the boards. This is how you can ensure that cold bridges do not form.
And the next stage of forming a thermal insulation cake is installation of a waterproofing membrane. It is simply pulled along the rafters and attached to them. You can’t pull too hard; you need to leave a little slack between the rafter legs. If laying is carried out in strips, then the process is carried out in exactly the same way as in the case of vapor barrier. That is, overlapped using self-adhesive tape.
And one last thing. Conduct covering the rafter system with insulation installed in it. For this, plasterboard, plywood, plastic panels, OSB boards, chipboards, fiberboard, etc. are used.
If polystyrene foam boards are used to insulate the attic, then the process is carried out in exactly the same way. They simply do not lay a layer of waterproofing on top of the insulation. The same applies to the use of polyurethane foam.
On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer services roof design and repair. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
Formation of the floor
Converting a roof into an attic is not only about carrying out insulation processes. It is necessary to create a floor base that will be warm, reliable and beautiful. The process of constructing the floor itself depends on what the floor of the house is. It can be concrete (prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs or a single slab poured in the form of a reinforced monolith) or wooden, assembled along load-bearing floor beams.
In the first case, a joist structure is assembled, which is attached to a concrete base. Insulation is laid between the elements, a waterproofing film is placed on top, and the flooring is installed on top.
It's almost the same with floor beams. There is just one point in this design, which concerns the formation of a base for laying insulation. This is as follows:
Along the lower edge of the ends of the rafter legs, so-called tile bars. These are slats with a cross section of 40x40 or 50x50 mm, laid along the rafters.
On them laying boards 20 mm thick or slab (sheet) material: plywood, OSB, chipboard.
And into the cells already received lay insulation.
The height of the attic will not allow you to organize an attic
This is the most difficult option for converting the roof of a wooden house into an attic and the most expensive, both in terms of monetary investment and time spent. Essentially, this is a roof reconstruction.
What are the stages of this remodeling process?
Design and carrying out calculations.
Acquisition additional required materials.
Dismantling roofing.
Dismantling rafter system with lathing.
Formation mansard roof.
Her insulation.
Installation roofing material.
Formation of the floor and interior decoration of the new premises.
Design
Here you choose the type of mansard roof. Let us immediately note that an attic can be organized under any roofing structure. It’s just difficult to organize living space under hip, multi-gable and tent roofs. There is little free space under them. Therefore, preference is given to three varieties, which are shown in the photo below.
The simplest model is a regular gable roof. But in order to increase the space, architects recommend raising it to a small height - up to 1 m. To do this, they additionally dismantle the old Mauerlat, raise the walls of the building, and install the Mauerlat and rafter system from above.
Pay attention to the photo below, where you can clearly see that the rafter legs are raised above the level of the walls of the house on support posts made of the same boards as the rafters. The racks rest against the Mauerlat and are attached to it. After installation is completed, the attic wall is sheathed and insulated, as is the rafter system.
If the house is brick, then the walls of the attic are built from brick, raising the walls of the house itself to the required height. And the Mauerlat is already laid on them, followed by installation of the rafter system.
If a standard mansard roof project is created, then all calculations are carried out taking into account the structure of the structure. By the way, about calculations. It is important to carry them out correctly, taking into account the snow and wind load. In fact, these calculations are not simple. The strength and reliability of the roofing structure depends on them, so this stage is carried out by professional designers.
Purchasing materials
Firstly, it should be noted that during reconstruction they carry out defect detection. That is, they examine the exploited material for its quality condition. If some parts and assemblies do not meet the requirements of the calculations performed, and this is usually the cross-section, thickness or length, then they will have to be replaced. Although there are technologies, when, for example, lumber does not meet the length parameters, it is simply lengthened.
Having drawn up a defect report, they proceed to selecting the necessary materials. It should be noted that when reconstructing the roof, they try to get rid of the roofing material. If it has served enough time on the roof, then during dismantling there is a high probability of it breaking down. Therefore, roofing material is purchased in full in accordance with the design of the new roof.
Dismantling operations
As they say, breaking cannot be built. That is, this is the easiest process. But you shouldn’t be too zealous, because it is important to preserve the materials for future use.
Video description
The video shows how to dismantle an old gable roof:
Formation of a new attic roof
So, the basis for the construction is a project that specifies the type of roof, its dimensions and the materials used for construction. Look at the photo below and you will immediately understand what the frame of a traditional attic is. In essence, these are slopes consisting of two parts, which are supported by racks and purlins. The latter form the room.
In short, the frame assembly technology is as follows:
Install vertical racks.
Their tied with beams, which perform not only the functions of strapping, but also supports for roof rafters.
Form the upper slopes roofing using a rafter system. The legs can be installed either layered (with the installation of a ridge girder) or hanging type, as shown in the top photo.
Mount the rafters, which form the lower parts of the roof slope. Their upper ends rest against the upper trim of the attic, and the lower ends against the mauerlat.
In fact, the frame is ready, you can move on to other work. First of all, the gables are closed, in which dormer windows are usually installed. If a balcony is attached to the attic, then a door is inserted into the pediment.
Next, a windproof film is laid on top of the rafter system. They attach it to the rafters, lay them in strips from bottom to top, overlapping with an offset of 10-20 cm. The joints of the strips must be covered with self-adhesive tape. Then the counter-lattice, sheathing and roofing material are installed. After which all processes are transferred to the attic room.
From inside the attic, all the same processes described above are carried out. That is, insulation, floor formation and finishing.
Video description
In the video, a specialist reviews the attic roof, talks about materials, components and details:
Dormer windows
It should be noted that dormer windows installed on the gables of the attic do not provide daylight to the constructed room. Moreover, they are not present in all projects. The best option for the attic is the so-called dormer windows.
They are presented on the market in a large assortment from a huge number of manufacturers. And each brand of windows has its own installation technology. In general, all technologies are somewhat similar, but they also have their own distinctive features. In this article we will not dwell on the technology of installing roof windows, because this is the topic of a whole article.
I just wanted to note that today’s proposals are not just standard window designs. This is a large number of additional options that increase the performance of windows. One of the new options is a roof window, which, when opened, forms a small balcony.
Video description
So that you understand what we are talking about, we suggest watching a video that shows how this window structure opens and closes:
Conclusion on the topic
Converting an attic into a second floor (living) is actually not the easiest process. Especially if a complete reconstruction of the roof structure is being carried out. This process will take more than one day. The costs will be significant, but it is still cheaper than building, for example, a second full floor with the construction of walls and ceilings, as well as the installation of a separate roof.
