Insulation of the attic floor of a wooden house. Warming of the attic floor on wooden beams and reinforced concrete slab. Expanded clay attic insulation technology

Are you insulating your house for the winter and don't know how to insulate the attic floor along wooden load-bearing beams? Having gained experience in this matter, I will accurately convey the technical aspects of thermal insulation, and also describe step by step the procedure for carrying out the work.

Why insulate an attic

We must not forget that a significant part of the heat loss occurs through the roof. Therefore, when constructing buildings with cold attics, it is very important to pay attention to proper thermal insulation of the ceiling between the heated room and the attic.

Below I will try to explain in an accessible language how attic insulation affects the internal microclimate and general heat loss in the house:

Designation of the attic. Any unused attic under a sloping roof, in fact, is a buffer technical floor between the street and the living space. Its purpose is to smooth out significant fluctuations in air temperature inside the house and on the street;
temperature conditions. At any time of the year, during the day the air temperature inside the attic space will be several degrees higher than outside. Thus, in the winter in the attic there will almost always be negative temperatures, and on summer sunny days there will be intense heat;
Heat loss in winter. As the temperature of any substance increases, its density always decreases. Therefore, in heated rooms, heated air from household heating appliances always rises up to the ceiling. If the ceiling has insufficient thermal insulation, then in the cold season, all the heat from the room will go outside through the attic;

Too much heat in summer. On hot summer days, this process will occur in reverse. The air in the attic will be very warm from the roof heated in the sun, and then transfer its heat through the non-insulated ceiling to the apartment.
Reverse air circulation. After touching the uninsulated ceiling, the heated air quickly cools down, and due to the increase in density, it sharply settles down. In the room, this leads to excessive reverse air circulation and the constant formation of drafts, which have an adverse effect on the health of residents;
Increased humidity. When heated, moist air comes into contact with a cold, non-insulated ceiling, small drops of condensate may form under the ceiling. This will lead to an increase in air humidity in the house, as well as contribute to the appearance and development of mold on the walls and ceiling;

economic factor. Confirmed heat loss through an uninsulated roof is at least 20-30%. This means that competent insulation of attic floors on wooden beams will save up to 30% of fuel during each heating season. Air conditioning in the summer will also require lower costs;
Harm from a "warm" attic. Among other things, the penetration of warm air into an uninhabited attic, from time to time, can lead to unpleasant consequences:

As a result of mixing warm and cold air, condensation will begin to form in the attic. Drops of water will settle on all surfaces, which will lead to decay and destruction of the wooden supporting structures of the roof;
From the heat of the attic, the snow masses on the slopes of the roof will begin to gradually thaw. The thawed water, as it flows down, will freeze. This can lead to the formation of large icicles along the edges of the roof, as well as freezing of rain tides and downpipes.

All the factors described are typical not only for residential buildings. They should be taken into account when designing and building any outbuildings on the site in which the heating system will be used (for example, a garage, a bathhouse, a shed, etc.).

Stage 1: Choosing a heater

When choosing materials for ceiling insulation, several criteria should be followed. In addition to low thermal conductivity, attic insulation must have the following qualities:

Moisture resistance and mechanical strength. The material must not be deformed or destroyed under the influence of mechanical load, and must not change its properties in case of direct contact with water;
Thermal resistance. The insulation must be absolutely non-combustible, and must not collapse under the influence of high or low temperatures;

Light weight. In order not to create an additional load on the supporting structures of the building, the thermal insulation of the attic floor should be light enough, so you need to choose a heater with a low specific gravity;
Vapor permeability. To ensure the normal temperature and humidity conditions of air in residential premises, all finishing and building materials must freely pass air and water vapor;
Environmental Safety. Insulation for residential buildings should be hypoallergenic and chemically neutral. It should not contain harmful volatile compounds or toxic substances;
Lack of organic matter. I recommend using exclusively mineral or polymer based materials. They do not contain organic matter, therefore they are not susceptible to mold damage, and are not suitable for food for small rodents and insect pests.

Taking into account all these factors, several types of heat-insulating materials can be used to insulate attic floors:

Mineral wool. It is produced in the form of rolls or rigid mats, from intertwined frozen fibers of molten sedimentary rocks. Mineral basalt wool is characterized by all the qualities listed above, so it can be considered the most suitable material. Here are some tips for using it:

Basalt wool, in itself, is very soft. In order not to push it through and not to wrinkle while walking, it is necessary to lay a boardwalk on top of it in the attic;
When choosing a heater, I advise giving preference to rigid plates that are covered on one side with aluminum foil;
They need to be mounted with aluminum foil inside the room. It simultaneously reflects heat and acts as a vapor barrier.

Glass wool. It has a similar manufacturing technology, only molten glass is used as a raw material for its production. I do not recommend using this material for insulation of residential buildings for the following reasons:

Glass fibers are more brittle, so they can break under load;
The price of glass wool is much lower, however, after crushing or getting wet, it partially loses its heat-insulating properties;
Small particles of glass dig deep into the skin of a person, and cause severe irritation.

Expanded clay. This loose insulation is produced in the form of small round pellets of light brown or red color. Expanded clay balls are formed as a result of sintering special grades of red clay at high temperatures.

Expanded clay has the following characteristic qualities:

The internal structure of the material has many closed pores, so it has low thermal conductivity;
Cover each pellet from the outside with a dense vitreous layer of baked clay, so moisture practically does not penetrate inside it;
Small crumbly expanded clay pellets freely fill the entire volume, so they are conveniently used for warming hidden cavities and hard-to-reach places in building structures;
Due to the mineral base, this material is absolutely non-flammable, does not emit harmful substances, is not susceptible to mold, and is not suitable for rodent food.

Styrofoam. This polymeric thermal insulation material is made by hot molding, from small round granules of expanded polystyrene. It is usually produced in sheets measuring 1000x1000 mm, which can be from 10 to 150 mm thick. Polystyrene has the following features:

Of all the existing types of heaters, it has the lowest thermal conductivity;
There are no organic substances in the composition of the foam, so it is absolutely not afraid of water, does not rot and does not contribute to the formation of mold fungus;
By itself, the foam does not burn and does not support combustion, however, under the influence of high temperature, it can emit toxic gases and acrid dense smoke;
Due to the polymer base and the closed porous structure, the foam sheets do not allow air and water vapor to pass through. For this reason, it is not very good to use it for warming living rooms and rooms with high humidity.

Extruded polystyrene foam abbreviated as EPS. It has the same composition as polystyrene, but is made by hot extrusion, from a molten mass of foamed polystyrene. The technical characteristics of these two materials are also very similar, however, XPS still has some differences:

Expanded polystyrene has a porous homogeneous structure and a higher specific gravity;
Due to this, it has a higher thermal conductivity, but at the same time it is more durable, therefore it is able to carry higher weight loads;
For this reason, I advise using it to insulate exploited unheated attics that will be used to store seasonal items or household equipment.

Foil polyethylene foam. It is also called "Penofol" in another way. This roll material consists of a thick foamed polyethylene film, which is covered on one or both sides with a thin layer of aluminum foil. I recommend using it in combination with other types of insulation, because on its own, it has specific properties:

The porous structure of polyethylene foam provides a low heat transfer coefficient, so it acts as an additional insulation;
The polyethylene film does not allow air, moisture drops and water vapor to pass through at all, so Penofol can be used as a waterproofing;
Mirror aluminum foil reflects infrared waves of thermal radiation well. In other words, it does not allow radiant heat to pass through itself, and returns it back to the room.

sawdust. This cheap and affordable material is still often used to insulate ceilings in baths, heated sheds or small country houses. It is applied to the wooden floor from the side of the attic, in the form of a homogeneous thick mixture of sawdust with a liquid clay mortar. Despite the apparent primitiveness of this method, it has its advantages and disadvantages:

Sawdust or small shavings can be bought inexpensively, or even taken for free, at almost any large sawmill;
There can be no problems with clay either, so it’s easy to prepare such a heater at any time with your own hands in the right amount;
The mixture of sawdust and clay has a low specific gravity, and after hardening it becomes quite hard. Therefore, it does not exert a significant load on the load-bearing beams, and allows you to freely walk on it with your feet;
Due to the mineral components, such a coating is permeable to air and steam, however, due to sawdust, mold can form on it, or mice can chew it.

All mineral-based thermal insulation materials, to one degree or another, are able to pass water vapor and air out. To protect such heaters from the formation of condensate or the penetration of moisture from the outside, they must be mounted using a vapor-permeable waterproof membrane.

Stage 2: Preparation of materials and tools

In addition to insulation, for work you will need lumber, waterproofing, as well as the usual set of carpentry and carpentry tools:

Two hammers: one medium, weighing 200-300 grams, and one heavy, weighing 800-1200 grams;
Longitudinal and transverse hacksaw for wood. Instead of a crosscut saw, it is more convenient to use an electric cutting machine;
Carpenter's planer, large wooden mallet and a set of chisels;
From electric tools, you need to have an ordinary household drill, and it is desirable to have a cordless screwdriver with a set of interchangeable nozzles;

For fastening roll materials (waterproofing, vapor barrier), I advise you to use a construction or furniture stapler with a set of metal staples;
You will also need a metal straight ruler, a tape measure 3-5 meters long, a building level and a simple rope plumb line;
For work under the ceiling, it is most convenient to use a folding ladder. If it is not there, for this you can adapt a high, strong table or home-made goats from scraps of boards;
From lumber, you will need wooden blocks with a section of 62x62 mm, and planed edged boards with a thickness of 25-30 mm;

As a waterproofing layer, you can use a film of foamed polyethylene, and a vapor-permeable waterproof membrane;
To seal the joints of the panels, you will need metallized aluminum tape, which is usually used in ventilation systems;
Materials for finishing the ceiling, each homeowner chooses at his discretion. It can be a lining board, drywall, laminated OSB or plywood, or other finishing materials;

If you plan to use mineral or glass wool for insulation, then I recommend purchasing a special protective suit that is designed to work with these materials. Otherwise, from small glass fibers, severe irritation may appear on open areas of the skin.

Stage 3: Sub-ceiling filing

When building an attic floor or erecting a sloping roof, you can do without expensive and heavy concrete floor slabs. Instead, the entire load from the roof is taken over by wooden load-bearing beams made of logs or timber, with a section of at least 120x120 mm. They are usually laid on top of the two main exterior walls, perpendicular to the long side of the house.

Such beams serve as a supporting structure for the ceiling of the uppermost floor, and for the floor of the attic. The same beams will be used for the installation of insulation between a residential building and an attic. This type of ceiling is called hemmed, because both the draft and the finishing ceiling are hemmed from below to the supporting beams.

Before insulating the attic floor, you need to mount the draft ceiling:

Illustration	Description of works
	Draft ceiling installation. For filing the draft ceiling, use dry edged boards with a thickness of 25 mm, or plywood sheets with a thickness of 10 mm or more.
	Board lining. They must be fixed to the lower plane of the supporting beams and timber around the perimeter of the room. Hemming boards must be fastened without gaps and cracks, close to each other. For fastening use galvanized self-tapping screws 5-6 mm.
	Waterproofing. When the entire rough ceiling is hemmed to the load-bearing beams, panels of foil-wrapped polyethylene foam must be fixed to it from below. This can be done with a stapler. "Penofol" will perform the functions of heat and waterproofing. It should always be placed with a foil layer towards a warm room.
	Joint sealing. In order to prevent the ingress of moist air from the room into the insulation, the ends of the plastic film must be wrapped on the walls by 150-200 mm. The joints between the panels must be glued with metallized aluminum-based adhesive tape.
	Sheath fastening. From below, over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe draft ceiling, nail a counter crate of wooden slats 15-22 mm thick. It is needed in order to provide a ventilation air gap between Penofol and the finished ceiling. The distance between the rails should be about 400-600 mm. In the future, a finishing ceiling covering will be attached to them from below.

Before starting work, all wooden structural elements must be treated with antiseptic and flame retardant impregnations. Antiseptics are needed in order to protect the wood from decay and the development of mold. Flame retardants give dry wood flame retardant properties.

Stage 4: Installation of thermal insulation

After filing the draft ceiling, the transverse load-bearing beams will be from the side of the attic. In the intervals between them, a heater will be laid.

Depending on the heat-insulating materials used, further installation technology may have some differences. Therefore, below I will briefly talk about the use of the most common types of insulation.

Mineral wool lining. Mineral insulation when wet, partially lose their properties. To prevent condensation from forming in the thickness of the mineral wool, the entire heat-insulating cake of the cold attic floor must be permeable to air and water vapor:

Illustration

Description of works

Vapor barrier. First, a vapor-permeable waterproofing membrane must be laid on top of the draft ceiling.

Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it freely passes water vapor molecules, but does not pass bound liquid water molecules.

The membrane panels must overlap each other by at least 150 mm;

Heater installation. Lay sheets or rolls of mineral wool between the wooden beams. If it is very soft, then it does not need to be squeezed or squeezed hard.

Lay another layer of a vapor-permeable membrane over the mineral wool.

So that over time it does not move, it must be attached with a stapler to the beams and walls, over the entire area and around the perimeter of the attic.

Installation of foam. Polymer-based insulation does not have breathable properties, so they do not allow air and moisture to pass through. Using a waterproof membrane, in this case, there is no point:

Illustration

Description of works

Foam padding. Styrofoam or extruded polystyrene panels can be laid between the cross beams, directly on top of the sub-ceiling boards.

I advise you to lay them in two layers, so that the joints of the sheets are located in different places and do not intersect.

Mounting foam. So that the insulation sheets do not move to the sides, they can be glued to the draft ceiling using special glue for polystyrene foam or mounting foam.

Thus, it is necessary to fill the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe attic floor with insulation.

If there are gaps and crevices between the foam sheets, then they must also be blown out of the balloon with mounting foam.

Clay with wood shavings. Insulation of the attic floor with a sawdust-clay mixture does not require any additional materials, and is also quite simple:

Illustration

Description of works

Solution preparation. In order for the sawdust-clay solution to turn out plastic, the clay must be soaked in water 2-3 days before starting work.

To prepare the solution, you need to take 3-4 volume parts of sawdust, and 1-2 parts of dry red clay without large solid particles and impurities.

Soaked clay is mixed with water until a liquid fluid solution is obtained;

Add sawdust to the resulting mixture, and mix thoroughly until a homogeneous consistency.

To protect against the formation of mold, a small amount of copper sulfate can be added to the finished solution.

Laying sawdust-clay mixture. Load-bearing beams and boards of the draft ceiling, lightly moisten with liquid clay milk.

After that, fill all the gaps between the beams with sawdust-clay mortar, and leave for several days until the final drying.

Expanded clay backfill. I want to say right away that expanded clay does not have very good heat-insulating properties, therefore, in individual construction, such floor insulation is rarely used. At the same time, it is considered inexpensive, unpretentious and the easiest to install:

Illustration	Description of works
	Preparatory work. Expanded clay pellets do not absorb moisture, and accordingly, they are not afraid of water ingress or condensation. Therefore, they can be used with or without a waterproof membrane. To prevent condensate from seeping through the ceiling into the house, I still advise laying a waterproofing membrane under the pellets;
	Backfilling of pellets. Expanded clay pellets should be poured on top of the boards of the draft ceiling, and evenly distributed in a thick layer over the entire attic area. On top of expanded clay, no covering material is required.

In order to prevent expanded clay pellets from bunching up and spreading throughout the attic, a retaining plastic geogrid is used. It needs to be stretched in the gaps between the supporting beams, and then expanded clay is poured into its cells.

Stage 5: Arrangement of the floor in the attic

Many tenants use a cold attic in their private home as a pantry for storing long items, seasonal items, and any unnecessary trash. In order for a person to be able to safely walk on an insulated floor, a solid subfloor must be equipped in the attic.

The choice of material for installing the floor in the attic will depend on the type of insulation used:

Illustration	Application features
	Mineral wool and foam. These materials themselves are very soft. So that during walking they do not collapse and do not crumple, the upper floor covering must be sufficiently rigid. In such cases, sheets of OSB or plywood with a thickness of at least 18 mm should be laid on the load-bearing beams. You can also use unplaned edged boards with a thickness of 25 or 30 mm.
	extruded polystyrene. It has a higher rigidity, so it can withstand significant loads. In order for it not to be squeezed when walking, it is enough to put a light flooring from thin boards or plywood 5-9 mm thick on top of it.
	Under the weight of a person, they will spread in different directions. To prevent this from happening, sheets of plywood 10 mm thick, or light wooden ladders made of boards, must be laid on top of the ceiling from the beams.
	Sawdust-clay insulation. After the mortar hardens, it becomes hard like cement. On its surface, a person can move freely, even without installing additional flooring.

When installing a rough floor covering in the attic, between boards or plywood sheets, you should always leave gaps 15-20 mm wide. This is done so that moisture and condensate can freely evaporate from the insulation.

Conclusion

Using this algorithm of work, you can easily insulate the ceiling in the attic in your own house. More visual information on each method of insulation can be viewed on the attached video in this article, and I suggest leaving all your comments and questions in the comment form.

If you are finishing building a house, almost finishing work has already been done and you don’t know whether to take on the attic or whether this business can wait, and in general what is needed at this stage, this article will help you. Here we look at attic insulation with different types of materials, with step-by-step illustrations, expert advice and a helpful video.

We will also reveal many important points why insulation is so necessary and what the attic floor pie should actually be like on wooden beams and on a reinforced concrete slab - step by step.

What insulation is suitable for the attic?

It is necessary to insulate the attic floor when the attic space is not planned to be used for housing. Those. we are talking about a cold attic, the roof slopes of which are not insulated at all. And far from all the same materials are already suitable for overlapping, they are selected for slopes.

Mineral wool: no harmful dust

So, when insulating the attic floor with mineral wool, it is correct to use the so-called tension method. Its essence is that first the insulating material is laid - and so that it registers between the beams.

After that, a slab or rolled mineral wool insulation with a total thickness of about 150 millimeters is laid on it in three layers, and it is covered with a vapor barrier film on top. After that, plywood, which should be no thinner than 18 millimeters.

Expanded polystyrene and foam: ease of installation

High-quality insulation of the attic floor with expanded polystyrene is also obtained, the main advantage of which is that there is no need for vapor barrier, and all gaps are easily sealed with mounting foam.

Inflatable insulation: fashion and rationality

Recently, it has become especially popular to insulate the attic floor by blowing.

The main advantage of blown insulation is that it fills all the voids that exist by itself and creates an even continuous layer. In which there are no joints, no seams and no adjoining, and for which there is no need to cut separate small pieces of prickly insulation to plug something.

Today, for the insulation of cold attics in Russia, two types of blown insulation are mainly used: ecowool and blown wool.

Ecowool up to 80% consists of cellulose fibers, which are produced from ordinary waste paper, and 20% from additives such as snowstorm as a fire retardant and boric acid as an antiseptic. Such a heater has a high thermal conductivity.

But blown wool is obtained by grinding ordinary mineral materials for thermal insulation, which for some reason did not pass the product acceptance.

For example, they did not have sufficient density or the correct structure of the fibers. And such material is crushed and packed under high pressure, and therefore it is easy to transport it to the site of the facility, where everything will be loosened again upon arrival.

But still, ecowool is most often used as a material. The insulation itself in the process looks like this: one person must remain near the installation and monitor its normal operation, while loading the material. And the second person goes up to the attic with the hose, makes a cruciform incision on the vapor barrier (just between the beams), inserts the hose into this incision, and fills the cavity with material.

Plus, relatively inexpensive bulk materials are used to insulate a cold attic:

What parameters of the heater should be paid attention to?

In no case do we urge you to purchase the most expensive heat-insulating materials to insulate your attic floor. But note that the more and longer any well-known company produces materials for this purpose, the more it pays attention to quality, changing their bulk density, improving their products and increasing thermal insulation coefficients. And that already says something.

For the rest, always pay attention to such parameters of heaters that are important for a wooden floor, and have none for concrete - and vice versa.

Parameter number 1. Biostability

We are talking about the fact that in such a heater, which often remains open, bugs or some other living creatures do not start. This is especially true of mice, who love to live in a warm and dry (and, most importantly, deserted) attic.

Another important requirement for attic insulation is water resistance. Raindrops accidentally falling into it or simply moisture should not lead to the process of decay.

Glass wool is recognized as one of the most resistant heaters:

Parameter number 2. Thermal conductivity

The main requirements for insulation for the attic floor is the ability to maintain thermal insulation properties for a long time.

When buying a heater, also pay attention to such an interesting point: modern manufacturers of thermal insulation materials always indicate in the technical specification three coefficients of thermal conductivity of the material at once: in a dry state, at a temperature of 10 ° and 25 °, and humidity categories A and B.

You need to look at the coefficient of thermal conductivity in a dry state, or at a temperature of 10 degrees, because this is exactly the normal climatic situation in the attic. For a more accurate and detailed thermal calculation, you will need a SNiP table.

Now let's take a moment. When choosing a heater, you will probably be advised to take a heater with the lowest possible degree of thermal conductivity. But in fact, this only makes sense for residential attics, because when you have to insulate the roof slopes, then too thick materials cannot be laid between the rafters. Therefore, materials are needed here that will conduct heat as poorly as possible, but at the same time have a small thickness.

But for the attic floor, just the thickness of the insulation is not a critical factor, and you can save on this. Just take a cheaper insulation, but thicker, albeit with high thermal conductivity. You are all compensated by the height of the insulation itself.

Parameter number 3. Weight

Depending on the chemical composition, each insulation has its own volumetric mass. So, materials such as basalt, glass and any other inorganic and organic compounds are most often used as the basis for fibers. From their type, the heat-insulating material itself becomes either light or heavy. And the shape of all these materials is provided precisely by the elasticity of the fibers: how much they straighten between the floor beams.

Note that heavy insulation keeps its shape better due to the rigidity of its fibers. And foam insulation has the best stability for attic floor insulation, which in this parameter is equated to hard stone wool. But there is a moment: the same mineral wool insulation that was inserted between the floor beams can be easily straightened and pressed tightly against the wood, but the foam one will not do this, and voids form - the bridges are cold. Therefore, you will have to additionally use a can of foam to close all the cracks.

On the other hand, if the attic floor is insulated on a reinforced concrete slab with foam-based materials, then there will only be pluses. Not to mention the fact that the attic concrete floor itself already has a considerable weight and creates a serious load on the walls and foundation of the house, and the use of light insulation for it is only a big bonus.

And unlike the concrete floor, the attic floor is able to withstand a fairly limited load. Therefore, the weight of the insulation in this regard is also not the last moment. After all, there are already many variations here: the same cubic meter of thermal insulation can weigh as much as 11 kilograms, and all 350 - this is the norm.

One of the heaviest heaters is basalt wool:

Parameter number 4. Moisture resistance

Rain moisture or roof leaks accidentally getting into the insulation should not start the rotting process. It is bad if after six months or a year the new insulation begins to decompose from the inside, while emitting an unpleasant smell of dampness.

Therefore, attic floor insulation on wooden beams and on concrete is quite often done using polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam, which are known for their almost zero hydrophobicity.

Parameter number 5. Environmental friendliness

Another point: the attic insulation should not emit any toxic and pungent substances in terms of smell, despite the fact that, perhaps, no one will walk in such an attic.

It's all about ventilation: sooner or later, the insulation molecules are picked up by the air and brought into the living quarters, which can be unsafe for the residents of the house. Therefore, choose a heater that meets sanitary standards.

Parameter number 6. Shape saving

Another important point is the form stability of the selected insulation. So, special laboratory tests have shown that over time, heat loss through the gaps between the plates or the matte heat insulator can reach 40%. And this despite the fact that the material itself during the same time may not change its thermal conductivity at all, if at the same time it remained dry.

Therefore, the stability of the shape and dimensions of the material over time is very important. For the concrete floor of the attic, such gaps will not be critical, because here the floor itself is quite heat-insulating, which cannot be said about the attic floor.

But the problem is that in the technical information for modern heat insulators such a parameter as shape or stability cannot be found.

Parameter number 7. Fire safety

And the last point: attic insulation must meet all fire safety requirements. Take the same popular ecowool, which is not just made from ordinary waste paper and pieces of newspapers. It would seem that everything is simple and ingenious, why don't you cut the paper into smaller pieces too, and just fill the attic with it? Would it be worse? After all, the principle of friability is also involved here, like in animal hair, when air molecules get stuck between small elements.

Let's just say: yes, the insulating properties of this method will not be worse, but it is the old dry paper and wood that most often leads to an unexpected fire. That is why modern cellulose insulation is necessarily treated with special chemicals against fire.

If we are talking about the combustibility of materials, then it is important that the insulation not only does not burn, but also has attenuation. Just remember that everything burns at the epicenter of the fire, both iron and concrete, but if a spark falls on the attic floor, then the insulation should not light up. That's what it's all about.

This is what the attic insulation cake itself should look like:

Vapor barrier questions: how, on which side and is it necessary?

For the insulation of roofing made of wood and concrete, the vapor permeability of the insulation is of great importance. So, all heaters that are made today in the form of plates and rolls can be conditionally divided into "wool" and "foam", as building contractors like to do.

To "cotton" we will refer heat-insulating materials from organic and mineral fibers - these are mineral wool, stone wool and glass wool insulation. All these materials are formed by the hardening of plastic masses of very different chemical origins. And all these materials have approximately the same coefficient of thermal conductivity: within 0.04.

All these materials are made up of fibers that are intertwined with each other. They do not form any closed pores, and water vapor easily enters and escapes through them. Therefore, all wadded heaters are vapor-permeable materials. Why, under production conditions, their fibers are additionally coated with a special water-repellent substance, and the heaters also turn out to be hydrophobized: a water molecule from water vapor is not allowed to penetrate and wet the insulation. It can only cling to its surface, and when a critical mass accumulates, it transforms into drops and rolls down. It turns out that hydrophobized cotton wool insulation is not a wet vapor-permeable material.

Therefore, until now, scientists from all over the world cannot come to an unambiguous conclusion: the vapor permeability of building insulation is good or bad. Let's just say that if you equip the attic floor on wooden beams, you'd better lay vapor-permeable materials on it so that the wooden rafters, which have taken on moisture from the lower living quarters (and water vapor always rises), can freely give it to the insulation . And they will easily come out of the insulation - through ventilation alone is enough. But in terms of floor insulation on concrete, there is not much difference. But there is such a moment here: when using vapor-permeable heaters, it is important that the ventilation of such an attic is organized in accordance with all the rules, and a separate ventilation system will not interfere.

Note that there are no fibers in foam insulation, since such material is literally made from air. All foam insulation consists of a cellular structure, with closed bubbles and not closed, like a kitchen sponge. Therefore, such heat insulators can be both vapor-permeable and non-vapor-permeable. For example, extruded polystyrene foam, which is better known to us as polystyrene, passes water vapor between the balls, but extruded polystyrene foam does not.

Interestingly, you can use not only one type of insulation, but two at once to compensate for each other's shortcomings. But at the same time, a heat-insulating material with a lower vapor permeability must necessarily lie in front of a heater with a high vapor permeability. That is, first polystyrene foam, then cotton wool. Otherwise, in the opposite case, a material with a lower vapor permeability will become a certain vapor barrier for another material, it will simply begin to rot and there will be nowhere for moisture to go.

How to insulate a concrete attic floor

If we are talking about the insulation of the attic floor of concrete, then the thermal insulation must necessarily be in the form of two or three layers with overlapping joints of each lower layer. Moreover, it is very important that the entire surface be leveled so that there are no irregularities of more than 5 millimeters anywhere - this is not difficult to achieve with modern leveling compounds.

For concrete attic floors, extruded polystyrene foam slabs are ideal as thermal insulation. They don't need a vapor barrier, but if you put styrofoam - it's not extruded polystyrene foam, and then, of course, you need it.

Additionally, if you later need to walk on such a floor, you can make a cement-sand screed up to 4 centimeters and put two layers of drywall sheets. Just be sure to make masonry mesh paths for such a screed that you will walk along. Be sure to glue the joints between the foam polystyrene plates with tape so that cement milk does not leak between the plates.

The attic floor itself can be insulated both at the manufacturing stage and at almost any time during the operation of the house itself. Of course, for the attic it is much more correct to insulate the floor even before you move into your new home.

More details about the process itself:

How to insulate a wooden attic floor

So, there are two main ways to insulate the attic floor: laying a heat-insulating layer inside the structure of the attic floor, and laying insulation on top of it. For a cold and non-residential attic, it is not necessary to cover the insulation with something on top and build a full-fledged floor. But then be sure to leave the running ladders - separate paths from the sparse flooring throughout the attic area, this is necessary for roof maintenance.

Under the insulation, you need to put a vapor barrier, and in the form of a trough, so that it can protect the insulation from water vapor, which comes from the lower living quarters. But there is an exception to this rule: if the insulation was laid with good resistance, for example, it is foam or extruded polystyrene foam, then vapor barrier is not needed here. But if we are talking about an attic with a particularly wet regime, for example, above a kitchen or a sauna, then a vapor barrier layer must be installed here.

Another method is tension, when the vapor barrier only sags slightly between the beams. The disadvantage of this method is that in this way the insulation between the beams is not inserted tightly enough.

And if the overlap is also made from ready-made companies, then this option is not suitable at all, because such voids quickly become the so-called cold bridges. Therefore, in Russia the method is more popular, in which the insulation is first laid, then it is covered with a vapor barrier, and only then - with a finishing floor.

So, this is what the whole process of warming looks like:

Step 1. A vapor barrier is fixed between the beams using a construction stapler.
Step 2. Next, mineral wool slabs are cut so that their width is corresponding to the step of the beams.
Step 3. These plates are carefully inserted into the gap between the beams.
Step 4. For a while, while the ceiling is not yet ready below, so that the insulation does not fall between the beams, it is supported by draft bars or a strong thread stretched especially for this.
Step 5. Next, a diffuse membrane is quickly mounted on top of the insulation - so that steam can easily escape through it, and drops from above from the slopes do not penetrate inside.

But let us also note such a moment about the last step. Many experts believe that no diffuse membranes or windproof films are needed for insulation, because in a cold attic, thermal insulation will dry due to natural ventilation of convection air flows that easily penetrate through holes and dormer windows.

How to leave running ladders in a heater

If you use soft thermal insulation materials to insulate the attic floor, you need to make running ladders above them - but only so that cold bridges do not turn out. Therefore, it is better to take either rigid materials, or insert the legs of the ladders directly into the insulation.

That's all the tricks of warming the attic floor of various types!

One of the main places of heat loss in the house is the roof. This conclusion can be made thanks to practical observations and initial physics, because warm air tends to rise up. That is why the attic should be insulated. If you do not perform high-quality thermal insulation of the attic floor at the stage of building a house, in the future, when winter sets in, cold air can blow strongly from the ceiling. Suspended ceiling Armstrong is an excellent solution for a private home. The question arises, how to insulate the attic of the house. At the same time, the wishes of the owners of houses can be completely different: for some, the main thing is that it is cheaper, for others, that the work is easier, and someone wants to insulate with exclusively environmentally friendly or natural materials. In this article, we will talk about the general attic insulation technology and the materials that can be used for this.

Before proceeding directly to the materials for insulation, I would like to clarify a little why it is necessary to insulate the attic in a private house and what function it performs. Our ancestors were not stupid or ignorant, which is why old houses stand for more than 100 years, while the house is always warm, and the roof and wooden structures are always dry. What's the secret? The thing is that the ideal insulation is air. Free, natural, always present, and besides, it can also be changed depending on the time of year. Previously, the roof was always made gable, with such a slope that it was easy to linger on it. snow. It's also a cheap heater. Under the slope of the roof, an attic was made with one or two windows in the gables of the house. When necessary, these windows were kept closed, then the air trapped in the attic room acted as a heat insulator. In another situation, in the summer, for example, windows were opened at night to cool the air, and then closed before a hot day, thus controlling its temperature.

With the onset of winter, snow fell on the roof. Even in the most severe cold, this natural insulation was enough to ensure that the temperature in the attic did not fall below zero, even if it was -25 ° C outside. The air in the attic space and additional thermal insulation of the ceiling were necessary in order to provide a temperature of about +20 - + 25 °С in the house. At the same time, the roof slope was never insulated from the inside, so that the snow would not melt, and the rafters remained open for diagnostics and repairs. A heated attic with an insulated slope is no longer an attic, no matter what shape it has. This is an attic, with all that it implies.

In modern construction, these principles also work. Therefore, let's talk about how you can insulate the attic of a private house, what material to insulate the attic floor, i.e. attic floor or house ceiling.

How to insulate an attic

First of all, the material for attic insulation is selected taking into account what the floor is made of. If it is made of wooden beams, and a wooden floor is laid on top, then light bulk materials, rolls and slabs can be used. Those. the largest selection. If the ceiling is a concrete slab, then for its insulation it will be necessary to use dense slab materials or, in extreme cases, heavy bulk materials, since a cement screed can be made on top of them.

Bulk materials for attic insulation:

Sawdust;
Straw;
Reeds;
Buckwheat tyrsa;
Ecowool (cellulose wool);
Linen (loose waste of linen processing);
glass wool;
Expanded clay;
Seaweed;
Slag;
Sex from grain crops;
Styrofoam granules.

Roll materials for attic insulation:

Mineral wool;
glass wool;

Materials in slabs and mats:

Straw;
Styrofoam;
extruded polystyrene foam;
Seaweed;
Mineral wool in slabs.

When choosing the best way to insulate the attic, one should be guided by the thermal insulation characteristics of the material, availability in a particular region, its ability not to change its properties with temperature changes, ease of installation, and then use of the premises, and also, importantly, environmental friendliness, and better naturalness. For example, building a wooden house and insulating the attic with polystyrene would be at least stupid, because wood is a breathable material, but polystyrene is not. As a result, the house will be damp and disgusting, and over time, wooden structures will begin to rot and deteriorate. And, of course, the choice of insulation will depend on the financial capabilities of the owner.

How to insulate a cold attic with backfill materials

Insulation of the attic with backfill materials is the most ancient method that has proven itself for centuries. Most often it is used if the floors are wooden, then it simply falls asleep between the lags.

The general technology of this insulation is as follows: kraft paper or other similar material (glassine, loose cardboard) is laid on wooden floors, or the floor is smeared with clay, heat-insulating material is poured on top, a layer that is calculated taking into account the region of residence, boards are laid on top, along which you can will walk. The hatch leading to the attic is also insulated.

Rumors that natural insulation quickly caking are somewhat exaggerated. Therefore, without fear, you can choose the one that you like the most and will be available.

Attic insulation with linen

To insulate the attic with your own hands, you do not need special skills. Enough skill and basic knowledge of physics. The first step is to close up all the cracks in the wooden floor. They can be covered with clay, or with modern materials. Then kraft paper is laid on top or the entire surface of the floor is smeared with clay with a layer of 2 cm.

Bonfire- waste from flax processing. The material is very cheap in some regions, resistant to fungi and microorganisms, does not rot, light. Mice do not start in the fire, since it is impossible to make a mink (nest) in it, it immediately crumbles, filling up the passage. The material is caked, but it can always be topped up directly on top or replaced with a new one. The indisputable advantage of linen materials is that there are no problems with their disposal, it is enough just to remove them from the attic and then burn them, which cannot be said about glass wool.

The fire is filled with a layer from 180 to 350 mm. It is not covered with anything from above, for the convenience of walking in the attic, you can lay out the boards, but do not fill the entire space, do not make a full-fledged floor. This will allow the material to breathe, give off moisture. In the attic, ventilation is necessarily provided in the form of small or medium-sized windows. From time to time the material is checked if it is slightly damp, the windows are opened to dry the space and linen.

When wondering how to properly insulate a cold attic, many tend to the old grandfather's way - to insulate with sawdust. This is especially true in regions where wood processing is nearby, where you can buy sawdust for ridiculous money or even get it for free in any quantity.

To begin with, as in the case of linen insulation, all the cracks in the floor are smeared with clay. Top with a little sand. It is necessary so that if the clay cracks, the sand is poured into the gap. Next, sprinkle everything with slaked lime with carbide. This will be mouse protection. From above we fall asleep with sawdust with a layer of 100 - 200 mm. Since sawdust is a combustible material, they were usually sprinkled with slag mining on top. Especially in areas around chimneys or other hot objects. Instead of slag, other materials can be used, for example, sawdust can be treated with fire retardants. Nothing is laid on top of the sawdust, except for boards on which one could walk.

Instead of sawdust, you can use straw or chaff from cereals. Kraft paper or glassine is also laid under it, but you can smear the floor with clay with a layer of up to 5 cm. Straw is immediately poured with a layer of 200 - 500 mm, depending on the region and the severity of the winter cold. To reduce the combustibility of straw, it can be smeared with clay from above with a layer of 1 - 2 cm. Against mice, the same method is used as with sawdust, or any other folk remedy.

Ecowool- modern material, a product of processing newspapers and other waste paper with the addition of mineral binders and other additives that provide a low flammability class.

Due to the fact that ecowool can absorb moisture from the air in its fibers, it is not necessary to lay a vapor barrier material, but it is still worth laying some kind of film.

Ecowool is immediately laid directly on the wooden floors, this is done using a special blowing machine. This installation principle makes it possible to make the insulation layer monolithic, without a single gap, and it will also contain large amounts of air, which serves as a heat insulator. For many regions of Russia, a layer of ecowool of 250 mm is sufficient, but both 300 and 500 mm layers can be equipped.

Important! After about 1 - 3 weeks, a protective crust forms on top of the ecowool. This is lignin, which binds the fibers of the upper layer. Therefore, sometimes when installing this insulation, water spraying is used to speed up the process of lignin formation.

Due to the fact that ecowool is caking, its layer decreases, therefore, when blowing, 5 - 15% more than the planned amount of ecowool should be used.

Attic insulation with fiberglass

A fairly common way to insulate an attic floor is to fill in fiberglass with a layer of 150 - 250 mm. Although this material does not burn, does not rot, is not afraid of moisture, mice and microorganisms do not start in it, but it is quite toxic. When laying it on the floor of the attic, be sure to be dressed from head to toe in tight clothes, with gloves and with a respirator. After all the styling work, the clothes will have to be burned.

Once the material has dried, it must be replaced with a new one, and here some difficulties arise, since the material is not disposed of in the usual way. The biggest inconvenience arises when there are no windows in the attic through which it can be thrown out into the street, and it has to be carried through the house.

Attic insulation with expanded clay

Expanded clay is very well suited for insulating concrete floors. It is covered with a layer of about 200 - 250 mm, and a cement screed is poured on top with a layer of up to 50 mm. This allows you to make a floor in the attic, on which you can not only walk freely, but also on which you can arrange or spread out unnecessary things. The cement-sand mixture for the screed should not have a liquid, but a dense consistency, so as not to flow too much into the expanded clay backfill.

How to properly insulate the attic with roll materials

Rolled materials are good for insulation in that they can be laid in the space between the lags up to 180 - 200 mm high. Mostly materials are used that are easy to cut and quickly take the required shape.

Mineral wool is a modern thermal insulation material, ubiquitous. It is very often used for attic insulation, as it does not burn, does not rot, is not afraid of microorganisms and rodents, as well as moisture.

From below, a vapor barrier film is necessarily laid on the wooden floor, the joints of which are glued with special adhesive tape, because the cotton wool absorbs moisture, but practically does not give it away.

Mineral wool rolls can be laid on top of the film. During work it is necessary to be dressed in thick clothing, as is the case with fiberglass. Vata takes its full size within 15 - 20 minutes. From above it does not need to be covered with anything, but you can lay boards for walking. Waterproofing material to protect wool from leaks is laid only under the roof.

Attic insulation with algae ladders

Algae ladders are an excellent natural material for attic insulation. Thanks to sea salt and iodine, which are impregnated with algae, mice do not start in them, and they also do not rot and are not afraid of microorganisms. The ladders are sewn mats made of zoster sea grass. In terms of thermal insulation properties, this material is in no way inferior to modern synthetic materials. One of the main advantages is environmental friendliness, as well as the fact that the ladders practically do not burn, they only smolder slightly and do not emit toxic substances.

Algae are not afraid of moisture, so there is no need to vapor barrier the floor, you can immediately lay ladders on the floor with a layer of up to 200 mm or more. From above, you can equip a wooden floor or lay boards for walking.

The use of algae for attic insulation is very beneficial for the health of the inhabitants of the house, as they provide ideal conditions and indoor microclimate, and also release useful iodine into the air.

Attic insulation with linen insulation

Modern linen heaters are produced in the same rolls as mineral wool. Only their advantage is in absolute environmental friendliness. Linen is an excellent choice for insulating the attic of a wooden house or a house made of other environmentally friendly materials - adobe, for example.

Before laying the roll material, all cracks in the floor should be sealed with clay, no other vapor barrier is needed. Linen insulation is laid on top, neatly joining and leaving no gaps.

How to insulate the attic with slab materials and mats

It makes no sense to insulate a wooden floor with slab materials, although this is possible. Basically, such materials are used for thermal insulation of concrete floor slabs. With the subsequent arrangement of the floor in the attic.

Attic insulation with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam

Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene is not a very dense material, but it can be used to insulate the attic. But extruded polystyrene foam is ideal for these purposes, as it is much denser. Before laying foam or extruded polystyrene, the floor slab must be checked for unevenness. The surface must be leveled so that the thermal insulation boards can be laid neatly. A vapor barrier should be laid on the leveled surface.

Next, the plates are stacked in a checkerboard pattern, and the joints are sealed with mounting foam. After the foam dries, it is necessary to pour a cement-sand screed on top with a layer of about 4 - 5 cm. After the screed dries, it can be used as an attic floor.

Attic insulation with reeds

Reed slabs began to be made relatively recently, when the demand for environmentally friendly materials began to gain popularity. In terms of thermal insulation properties, reeds are no worse than modern materials. Even without their treatment with flame retardants, the flammability class is G2 - G3, and after treatment - G1. What can not be said about polystyrene and XPS, which burn and release toxic substances at the same time.

Reed slabs can be used to insulate both wooden and concrete floors. In this case, a vapor barrier is not required. And on top you can equip a wooden floor or flooring.

The modern market is replete with a variety of thermal insulation materials, and sellers are trying to praise them, attributing non-existent advantages. Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to say, when choosing material for attic insulation, be guided by the general concept of the house and life priorities. If your house is made of environmentally friendly wood, then the insulation should be natural, so you will not only save the wood, but also your health. If your house is made of foam blocks or other non-breathing material, you can also use mineral wool, it will not be worse.

Video: how to insulate the attic

Roof insulation from the inside is a must, even if the attic space is not used as an additional room. Attic insulation reduces heat loss - heating does not work to heat the environment.

Insulation options are quite simple, not requiring special qualifications from the performer. Therefore, thermal insulation work can be done independently. The main thing is to choose the optimal type of insulation and follow the technological process.

The need for attic insulation

Comfort and coziness in any living space largely depend on the feeling of warmth. Maintaining the optimum temperature with minimal heating costs is an important point in maintaining a private house. In order to minimize the heat loss of a dwelling, at the stage of building a house, it is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the ceiling between the attic and the upper floor. However, insulation of a cold attic can also be performed in an already operated house.

Attic insulation prevents condensation on the ceiling in living rooms. As you know, the humidity content in a warm room is greater than in a cold one. With insufficient insulation of the attic space, warm air in contact with the ceiling forms condensate. Over time, accumulations of moisture will appear on the ceiling and the joints of the floors, mold may form.

Basic requirements for roof insulation

Various materials are used as insulation. Choosing the right one is not difficult - the construction market is filled with similar heat insulators. It is important that the insulation meets the following specifications:

Attic insulation: mandatory preparatory measures

The order of arrangement of the heat-insulating layer depends on the selected material. However, in any case, before insulating the attic, a number of mandatory measures should be performed:

Technical and operational features of thermal insulation materials for the attic

Previously, rural houses were insulated with natural materials. Hay, straw, shavings, sawdust or dry leaves were laid out on the floor of the attic. Mice settled in such heat insulators. In addition, the materials could catch fire when the chimney was overheated. Subsequently, natural heaters were replaced with roofing material, expanded clay and glass wool.

Modern heat insulators are selected taking into account the functional use of the attic, the technical parameters of the material and the climatic conditions of the region.

Consider the technical characteristics and features of laying the most common insulation materials for the attic.

Attic insulation with mineral wool

Glass wool and mineral wool mats absorb water well, but the material is highly permeable to steam. Given the structure of the heat insulator, it is necessary to protect it with a hydro- and pao-insulating layer.

Characteristics of mineral wool:

non-combustible material - do not melt even at a temperature of +1000°C;
resistance to biological influences - microorganisms do not develop in mineral wool;
low thermal conductivity;
the material is produced in the form of rolls and mats;
mineral wool is characterized by high weight and increases the load on the load-bearing structural elements - before insulating, you need to make sure that the roof is reliable or provide for the use of insulation at the design stage of the house.

The recommended layer of mineral wool for attic insulation is 20-25 cm. The insulation is placed between the rafters. This material requires a ventilation gap (at least 3 cm) and a vapor barrier from the attic space.

Important! Wetting of mineral wool adversely affects the thermal properties of the material

Attic insulation with expanded clay

Expanded clay is the easiest way to insulate the attic floor. This option is usually used for concrete bases, as wooden structures may not be able to support the heavy weight of the heat insulator. Expanded clay is environmentally friendly, fireproof, moisture resistant and durable. The material is resistant to temperature fluctuations. The disadvantage of insulation is the difficulty of application on an inclined surface.

Insulation of a cold attic with expanded clay is carried out according to the standard scheme:

the first layer is a vapor barrier;
the second layer is an expanded clay mound (15-60 cm); insulation granules are poured into the created "frame";
the third layer is windproofing;
fourth layer - chipboard flooring, wooden floor.

To insulate the attic, a layer of expanded clay from above can be poured with a cement screed of dense consistency.

Insulation of the attic with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam

Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene are economical types of insulation produced in the form of pressed boards from foam granules. The thermoplastic is 98% air and 2% polystyrene. The strength of expanded polystyrene is higher than that of polystyrene.

Advantages of foam:

resistance to fungi, decay;
light weight of the material;
ease of processing and installation.

The disadvantages of polystyrene include:

the presence of cold bridges - the foam is a rigid material and it is difficult to lay hermetically end-to-end with the rafters;
when leaking and getting wet, the insulation may fail;
combustibility of the material - harmful toxic substances are released during combustion.

Styrofoam is used to insulate the attic ceiling. The heat insulator is placed between the rafters, adjusting the dimensions of the plates according to the width of the openings. From the inside, the use of a vapor barrier is mandatory. The protective film is attached to the rafters with a stapler. Separate pieces of the vapor barrier are overlapped and fixed with adhesive tape.

It is advisable to use external waterproofing between the rafters. At the same time, be sure to leave a ventilation gap.

Attic insulation with polyurethane foam

Spraying polyurethane foam provides sufficient vapor barrier. The formed layer is not afraid of water, heat-insulating foam closes up all joints and cavities.

Polyurethane foam has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, so the thickness of the insulation can be no more than 12 cm. As a rule, spraying is performed between the rafters on the crate.

The use of polyurethane foam has several advantages:

simplicity, ease of application of a heat insulator;
the formation of a monolithic insulating layer without joints and seams;
suitable for different floor materials: brick, metal, wood, concrete;
reliable protection of the house and attic from the formation of condensate;
low thermal conductivity allows the use of a small layer of insulation, which saves usable attic space.

Lack of material - high cost. However, most experts agree that subsequently the price of polyurethane foam pays off with a long service life and savings on vapor barrier materials.

Attic insulation in a private house: step by step instructions

To insulate the attic with mineral wool, the following materials and tools should be prepared:

mineral wool;
mounting stapler and staples;
mounting foam;
construction knife and tape;
waterproofing film;
personal protective equipment for hands and eyes;
glue for mineral wool.

Preliminary activities:

measure the area to be insulated - multiply the width of the surface by the length;
determine the number of layers of mineral wool - for the middle zone of the Russian Federation, the insulation layer in the attic should be at least 20 cm;
free the attic from unnecessary items, remove debris and cobwebs;
provide good lighting and raise the necessary tools / materials to the attic;
lay the floor logs with sheets of plywood - for the convenience of performing work.

The procedure for warming with mineral wool:

Installation of ventilation ducts is carried out in a cold attic. Under the roof, special ventilation troughs are fixed with brackets. If the attic space will be equipped as a living room, then it is not necessary to install such gutters.
Arrangement of waterproofing, which will protect the mineral wool from moisture. Stretch the film on the truss structure, leaving small overlaps. Fix the film waterproofing with a mounting stapler.
Placement of mineral wool. Laying is carried out in the direction from the bottom up:
- apply glue on the mineral wool slab on one side;
- press the canvas between the rafters;
- fix the insulation with screws or nails;
- according to the described technology, place the second layer in a checkerboard pattern relative to the first - this will reduce heat loss;
- insulate ventilation shafts and communications in the attic.
Installation of vapor barrier. Using a stapler, fix the film on the mineral wool slabs. Glue the joints with adhesive tape, ensuring complete tightness.
Arrangement of crates for finishing. A frame is mounted flush with the rafter system. Subsequently, drywall sheets or OSB boards will be attached to the crate.
Insulation of the attic floor is carried out by analogy with the described technology for insulating roof slopes. Logs are preliminarily installed on the floor, holding the entire heat-insulating structure.

How to perform insulation without access to the attic

If there is no access to a cold attic, then the insulation is carried out from the inside of the dwelling. In this case, you will have to reduce the height of the ceiling.

Warming sequence:

Using adhesive-sealant, the vapor barrier membrane is fixed to the ceiling.
A wooden crate is arranged under the ceiling - the slats are fastened in increments of 50 cm.
A heater (mineral wool, polystyrene) is installed between the rails.
The second layer of the vapor-tight membrane is fixed.

After arranging the draft insulated ceiling, a decorative ceiling made of plasterboard, PVC panels or stretch fabric is mounted.

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. Well, if it is used as a utility room (technical attic) or as an attic, but 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, the wall material of the house.

The attic floor insulation technology depends on the material chosen.

In this article we will consider the most popular heaters.

Mineral wool is a heater, the fibers of which are arranged in a certain way. Namely, this randomness leads to the fact that an air cushion is formed between the fibers, 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.

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.

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.

If insulation is made on wooden beams, then the film must 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.

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 has arisen, the beam must be extended with a wooden beam or an additional rail 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 protruding structural elements in the attic, 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 the roofing material is 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.

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

The advantages of these materials:

low cost;
ease of operation;
waterproof.

Among the disadvantages: flammability.

Attic floor insulation technology with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam

The process of installing rigid insulation based on 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.

Tip: carefully seal any seams, incl. joints with beams. Bypassing the obstacle, try to cut holes as accurately as possible. A homogeneous thermal insulation layer retains heat better.

Rough 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.

Sawdust is finely chopped wood.

Advantages:

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

The disadvantage is flammability.

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, sawdust will be compressed, and the concrete screed will 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

Expanded clay is obtained by firing clay.

Advantages:

low thermal conductivity;
naturalness;
environmental friendliness;
ease;
availability.

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 with 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.

Tip: when filling expanded clay, it is better to combine granules of different sizes (diameters). 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 the insulation of the attic wooden floor has some nuances:

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.

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

"Wrong" - to lay a special film without taking into account the marking or in general a regular film

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

Conclusion

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

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