Insulation of non-residential attic of a private house. Insulation of the attic with mineral wool: technology for lovers Insulation of the attic of a private house with cardboard

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

Why you need to insulate the attic

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

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

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

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

Attention

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

Attic insulation requirements

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insulation of beam ceilings

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

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

On a note

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

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

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

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

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

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

What heaters are most often used

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

Why mineral wool?

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

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

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

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

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

Layers are laid in the same sequence:

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

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

On a note

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

stone wool

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

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

Thermal insulation of tiles

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

How best to insulate

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

Mounting technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Backfilling of thermal insulation material

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

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

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

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

Peculiarities

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

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

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

Types of floors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

materials

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

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

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

Roll options are highly environmentally friendly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bulk

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

• expanded clay;
• sawdust;
• linen fibers;
• reed stems.

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

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

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

in rolls

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

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

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

In the form of mats and plates

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

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

sprayable

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

The main positive aspects when using penoizol for insulation are:

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

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

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

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

Preparation for work

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

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

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

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

• glass;
• mineral;
• slag;
• stone;
• basalt.

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

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

Features of the combination of heat and vapor barrier

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

Floor cleaning

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

Warming

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

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

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

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

A typical pie involves stacking:

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

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

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

The main requirement for any home is that it must be warm. To achieve this, it is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the attic. Professional craftsmen will insulate the attic efficiently and quickly, but their work is expensive. So if you want to save money, get ready to do it right yourself.

materials

Most often, attic insulation is carried out using polyurethane foam, mineral wool or expanded clay.
Each of these materials has certain advantages and disadvantages.

Polyurethane foam (PPU)

This material is a type of plastic. With its help, the attic floor, roof, gables are insulated. PPU has many advantages:

• strengthening the strength of the roof (after application, the PPU layer turns into a single structure without cracks and cracks);
• low thermal conductivity;
• durability (service life of at least 30 years);
• excellent adhesion with any building materials (no need to use additional fasteners when applying);
• lightness, small layer thickness (which saves attic space and reduces the load on supporting structures);
• moisture resistance (PPU, due to its properties, protects itself from moisture, so there is no need to create moisture and vapor barrier layers);
• resistance to mold, penetration of rodents and insects;
• possibility of operation at any temperature (not afraid of drops from -200° to +200° С).

Such a heater is made right on the spot from a minimum number of components. Polyurethane foam is an excellent protection for the attic of a private house from cold, moisture and heat loss.

PPU is afraid of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, so it must be protected with a layer of plaster or paint, covered with various panels. Polyurethane foam is a slow-burning material, but under the influence of high temperature it will begin to smolder. Do not use it in places where there is strong heating.

Mineral wool

With it, you can completely insulate the attic in a private house. Since the structure of the material is such that it perfectly passes steam, it must be protected from the inside with a vapor and waterproofing layer.

Mineral wool is a non-combustible material, at a temperature of +1000 ° C it does not even melt. It is resistant to biological effects (microorganisms do not multiply in it). It has low thermal conductivity.
Mineral wool is produced in the form of mats or rolls. It is laid between the rafters and lags.

The weight of the material is considerable, which increases the load on the supporting structures. Before proceeding with the insulation of the attic, you need to make sure that the roof and all supporting structures are reliable. Or, provide for the use of this type of insulation at the design stage of the house and strengthen the supporting structures.

The ingress of moisture adversely affects the thermal properties of mineral wool.

Expanded clay

Expanded clay can be used to insulate the attic of a private house. This, moreover, it is lightweight, fireproof, environmentally friendly. Expanded clay is strong and durable, moisture resistant, not afraid of temperature changes. Most often they insulate the floor of the attic. Applying the material indoors, you need to create a vapor barrier coating.

When insulating a cold attic with expanded clay, a frame is created (a special “box” on the floor, into which insulation granules are poured, a wooden floor is laid on top of it). This "eats" a certain amount of space.

When insulating the attic of a house, it is better to choose several types of heat insulator. used for horizontal surfaces, mineral wool or polyurethane foam - for vertical ones. Such an arrangement will be cheaper, and installation is more convenient.

Warming technology

Before insulating the attic, for example, with mineral wool, it is necessary to prepare the following tools and materials:

1. mounting stapler (with staples 5-7 mm);
2. special tape;
3. mounting foam;
4. construction knife;
5. waterproofing film;
6. vapor barrier material;
7. glue for mineral wool (nails and screws);
8. eye and hand protection.

Before starting work, it is necessary to measure the area to be insulated: for this, the width of the surfaces is multiplied by their length. Then you need to decide how many layers of insulation will be used. For central Russia, a layer of mineral wool for warming the attic of a private house should be at least 20 cm.

Room preparation

It is necessary to completely free the room from foreign objects. Remove all seals from the slots, construction debris, cobwebs. All surfaces must be properly cleaned. It is necessary to provide good lighting in the attic. Then bring the necessary tools and material.

For convenience, you can put several sheets of plywood on the logs of the attic floor. Seal all cracks in the roof, near the ventilation ducts with mounting foam.

In the event that an attic is not planned in the attic, it is made ventilated. To do this, special ventilation troughs are attached with brackets under the roof.

If a cold attic is insulated in order to create an additional room, then it is not necessary to install such gutters.

Installation of a waterproofing layer

A waterproofing film is needed to protect the mineral wool and the entire room from moisture. This layer is especially important if the attic of a house with an old roof is insulated.

The film must be tightly stretched onto the truss structure of the entire roof with small overlaps. So the waterproofing layer will become airtight. Fix it with a mounting stapler.

On the one hand, mineral wool slabs are treated with glue (it is applied with a spatula) and pressed tightly into fragments between the rafters. You can fix the insulation on nails or screws. Laying is carried out along the slope from the bottom up in two layers. The joints of the plates should be staggered: this will reduce heat loss. Often, mineral wool slabs are simply inserted into sections of the truss structure.

If mineral wool is used in rolls, then its installation is carried out directly from the roll in order to avoid taking the necessary dimensions and cutting the material. If necessary, you can cut off the mineral wool with a clerical or construction knife, after placing a plank under it.

Be sure to insulate communications in the attic, ventilation shafts.

Installation of a vapor barrier layer

So that moisture does not affect the life of mineral wool, it is necessary to fix the vapor barrier layer. The film is fixed with a stapler on the plates. For tightness, the joints are glued with special adhesive tape.

Making a crate for decorative trim

You can sheathe the attic space with OSB boards or drywall. To do this, you need to properly make the frame. To save money, you can install the crate flush with the truss system.

The rafters are the basis of the frame, between them you need to lay the crossbars. If this option is not suitable, you can create a full-fledged frame from a metal profile.

Floor insulation

When insulating a cold attic with mineral wool, logs are laid on the floor that will hold all the material. Then they perform work similar to the one described above: first waterproofing, then insulation and vapor barrier. After that, strictly according to the level, for example, an OSB plate of 10-12 mm is laid and varnished.

It is possible to insulate the attic with your own hands correctly and quickly if you correctly approach the choice of heat-insulating material and carefully study the technology of its installation.

To ensure comfortable living conditions and save on heating at home, it is necessary to take care of the competent insulation of all its structures. A competent choice of materials and compliance with the installation technology can protect the house from the penetration of cold at minimal cost for a long time. One of the important stages in the implementation of measures for the thermal protection of the building is the insulation of the attic in a residential private house, which can be done by hand.

Why is insulation necessary?

We all know from high school physics that warm air rises. That is why the main amount of heat loss of the building occurs through the overlap of the last floor or the roof pie. When building a house, it is necessary to calculate not only based on the cost of materials, but also take into account the further costs of operating a private lady, which insulation will significantly reduce. So how do you insulate an attic?

In order to properly insulate attic structures, it is necessary to understand in which cases additional measures are required. When insulating with your own hands, all responsibility rests with the owner, so you need to carefully study the issue.

Types of lofts

When carrying out work, it all depends on the method of using the under-roof space. There are three of them:

1. Cold attic. Such an attic is not heated, and air from the premises does not enter it. In this case, the temperature in the room is taken according to the norms of +5 degrees Celsius.
2. Warm loft. The presence of a warm attic is typical for multi-apartment residential buildings. All ventilation ducts with heated air open in the attic space, increasing the temperature in the room.
3. Attic. The under-roof space becomes a full-fledged living space and is heated, like all rooms in the house. In this case, we recommend that you read the article about attic insulation.

In a wooden or any other private house, it is correct to use the first or third option.

This is how you can transform the attic, turning it into a residential attic:

The choice of insulation

For thermal protection measures, it is better to use modern efficient materials. They will provide good insulation with a minimum layer thickness.

When insulating the floor and roof of the attic in the house, they use:

• mineral wool;
• extruded polystyrene foam;
• polyurethane foam.

Details about attic insulation with polyurethane foam are described in the article. It deals not only with floor structures, but also with walls and roofing.

Styrofoam is popular due to its fairly low price, but at the same time, thermal conductivity indicators are close to mineral wool. Its use in floor construction is complicated by low strength, but it suits very well for walls.

If you have enough money, it is better to give preference to the closest relative of the foam - extruded polystyrene foam. This material is devoid of the main disadvantages of the previous one, and has the following positive characteristics:

• high strength;
• low water absorption;
• incombustibility;
• excellent thermal insulation properties;
• resistance to low temperatures.

For wall insulation, it is preferable to use foam or extruded polystyrene foam, but mineral wool is more often used for laying between rafters.

To provide thermal insulation in the house with your own hands, you can lay thermal insulation material both above and below the ceiling. It is better, from the point of view of heat engineering, to perform work from above. You can learn more about protecting the attic floor in a wooden house in the article. "Insulation of the attic floor on wooden beams".

Attic wall insulation technology

Depending on the material of the walls, different ways of carrying out thermal insulation measures with your own hands are possible. The most common ones are listed below:

• construction of multilayer brick walls;
• wet facade technology;
• ventilated facades.

All these options involve external insulation. If necessary, the material can also be fixed from the inside, but this is less efficient and can lead to high costs.

Layered walls

With this method of erection, a layer of insulation is laid between the outer and inner mile, due to which the walls of the entire building, including the attic (attic), are thermally insulated. It is important to prevent the risk of subsidence of the material, otherwise a “bare” area will appear in the attic.

Wet facade technology

In this case, the insulation is attached to the wall with your own hands and covered with plaster on top. For durable materials, the layer of plaster can be 20 mm. If it is necessary to prevent damage to the heat insulator, a 40 mm plaster layer is applied along the reinforcing mesh. This option of insulation is quite simple, but does not provide reliable protection of the heat-insulating layer.

Ventilated facades

In this case, the heat insulator is attached to the wall, and the facade decoration is hung on top. Between the insulation layer and the decorative layer, an air-ventilated layer is arranged to remove condensate. Mineral wool materials are used for this type of construction; for expanded polystyrene and foam, the technology can be the same, but they do not require a layer of air.
Do-it-yourself decoration can be done with siding, hinged panels, porcelain stoneware, wood.

To insulate the attic roof with your own hands, heat-insulating material is laid between the rafters. The most commonly used rigid slabs of mineral wool. They provide reliable protection and ease of installation. The distance between the rafters in cleanliness is taken 2 cm less than the width of the plate and it is held by friction.

From below, for reliable fastening, a crate is made, along which finishing work is carried out. Above the insulation, it is necessary to provide an air gap to remove the formed moisture. The value of such a layer is 3-5 cm. It is provided due to the height of the rafters or the installation of the counter-rail.

Proper insulation of the attic and attic space with your own hands can reduce heat loss and maintain the strength of structures for a long time, so it is so important to pay attention to both the floor and walls, and the roof.

A wonderful example of how you can turn an attic into a comfortable living space with the help of insulation:

When providing insulation for a private house, one should not forget that special attention should be paid to such a place as the attic.

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

1 Why is attic floor insulation necessary?

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

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

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

The very technology of insulating the floor with mineral wool in the attic, as well as implies strict adherence to its stages and requirements.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1 Attic insulation requirements

The process of insulating the attic floor and, more precisely, the level of its quality has a direct impact not only on the size of heat loss, but also on the duration of the operational life of the entire truss structure and roofing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Skating like;
• eaves;
• slotted;
• Auditory.

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

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

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

1.2 Features of insulation of beam ceilings

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

The lower part of the overlap is sewn up with the help of molded material as with. For this, lining or drywall sheets can be used.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Why is mineral wool used for attic insulation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.1 Technology of insulation of attic floors with mineral wool

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

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

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

The process of warming attic floors begins with the selection of the necessary tools and additional materials. Can't do without:

insulation

• Boards and plywood;
• vapor barrier film;
• Mineral wool (excellent);
• Waterproofing;
• adhesive tape;
• Roulettes;
• Knife;
• Construction stapler;
• spatula.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.2 Proper insulation of the attic floor (video)