Insulation of the attic floor in a private house is an effective way to keep warm. Do-it-yourself attic insulation in a private house: technology Floor insulation in the attic of a brick house

To understand how to make the correct roof insulation, you need to understand its types. The most common types of roof structures are cold loft and attic. In the first case, insulation of the floors of the upper residential floor will be required (the air in the attic space does not warm up, which is where the name comes from). In the second, the installation of thermal insulation along the rafter legs of the roof. In today's article, we will analyze in detail the process of insulating the roof of a cold attic.

The cold loft is the most common, time-tested roofing structure in use around the world for decades. It has become widespread due to its simplicity, availability of materials and ease of installation. In addition, in the cold attic there is access for inspecting the supporting structures of the roof, so possible leaks are easily localized and eliminated with improvised means.

Rice. 1. Insulation system of a cold attic: 1. Floor beams 2. Insulation with stone wool 3. Vapor barrier film 4. Superdiffusion membrane 5. Sparse lathing 6. Internal lathing

As the basis for the attic, wooden floor beams and reinforced concrete slabs are most often used. The insulation system will differ depending on the selected flooring material for the residential floor. Wood is one of the best building materials that has a number of undeniable advantages: lightness, strength and flexibility. However, wood is sensitive to moisture: waterlogged wood during use can bend in an unpredictable way if it picks up moisture and then dries out. Therefore, wet wood is not used in construction, and dry wood is carefully insulated from possible waterlogging during operation.

The wood's ability to absorb moisture influences the choice of all cold loft materials. So, when choosing a heater, you should give preference to a vapor-permeable material based on mineral wool: this material will let all the wet steam through itself, leaving the beams dry. When choosing between glass wool and stone wool, one should remember the latter's ability to protect the entire structure from the effects of open fire. The sintering temperature of glass wool fibers is only about 600 ° C, and this temperature is reached within 5 minutes after the onset of ignition. Therefore, only stone wool is able to protect load-bearing structures, extend the life of a house and, in the event of a fire, give more time to save people and property.

Here it is worth recalling that any organic insulation (foams, polyurethanes) burns, so it is better not to use them in the construction of a wooden or frame house. The combustion of some of them is also accompanied by the release of poisonous vapors into the atmosphere, the "splashing" of the melt, which poses an additional danger to people. The use of organic insulation in the construction of the floor requires mandatory protection with a cement-sand screed.

The use of various construction films raises many questions in the insulation system. Due to their incorrect location in the structure, the floor beams can begin to rot, which is why they will subsequently lose their bearing capacity and collapse after a few years. To prevent this, when arranging a classic cold attic with wooden beams, it is customary to use two types of construction films, which we will conventionally call "Internal" and "External".

The "inner" film is laid from the inside of the heated room and prevents water vapor from entering the insulation from the room. This film is called vapor barrier. When installing it, it is necessary to carefully glue all overlaps with butyl rubber tape, achieving tightness over the entire area. Interior finishing is carried out with a technical gap of at least 3 cm - to exclude local moisture condensation on the vapor barrier.

Rice. 2.1. Cold attic ventilation scheme

The "outer" film performs other tasks: it protects the insulation from moisture from outside (snow, rain, fog), allows water vapor to be released from the system (if it suddenly appears there) and prevents heat from blowing out of the insulation. Some of these functions can be entrusted to ordinary plastic wrap, but it will not work to complete all tasks at the same time. Most films either have low vapor permeability - and therefore must be mounted with a second ventilation gap, or low water resistance - and therefore do not protect against water ingress into the insulation. The only type of film that can solve all the tasks at the same time is called a "superdiffusion membrane". Such a membrane has a vapor permeability that significantly exceeds the parameters of the insulation, which allows it to be mounted close to it. And high water resistance allows you to protect the system from the ingress of external moisture in any form.

Thus, the insulation must be protected by a vapor barrier film from the inside and a superdiffusion membrane from the outside. It is considered a good practice to lay a sparse sheathing of boards on top of the "upper" membrane to prevent damage to the film or crumpling of the insulation when walking in the attic.

Figure 2.2. Consequences of lack of ventilation (1 year, Minsk region)

Figure 2.2. Consequences of lack of ventilation (1 year, Minsk region)

Concluding the consideration of the design of a cold attic, it is imperative to pay attention to the issue of ventilation. A properly organized roof ventilation system (Fig. 2.1), despite the possible variety of designs, must have three mandatory components: entry point, ventilation ducts and exit point. The entire volume of the attic will serve as a ventilation channel in the cold attic. For normal operation, the temperature inside the cold attic should be equal to the outside temperature. For these purposes, the binder provides for the entry points of cold air - the so-called "air vents". And in the upper part of the attic, you need to complete the air outlet using dormer windows, ridge or point aerators.

Most often, in practice, one has to deal with a situation where ventilation is disrupted: all air vents are filled with insulation, and air from the street does not get inside. The second common mistake is the lack of dormers or aerators in the roof covering. When arranging ventilation, it is worth remembering that the area of the outlet openings should be 10% larger than the area of the inlet openings. In this case, sufficient thrust will be created. If the ventilation of the roof is disturbed, then the rafter system is exposed to waterlogging, and the roofing material is subjected to additional excess pressure from inside the room. This can lead to rotting of the rafter system and the loss of its bearing capacity (Fig. 2.2.), Premature destruction of the roofing. Therefore, efficient ventilation is a prerequisite for the normal operation of the cold attic system.

In the case of installing a cold attic on a base of reinforced concrete slabs, the system can be simplified. Since reinforced concrete is vapor-tight and is not afraid of exposure to open fire, insulation can be made from organic materials. Here you have to choose from two types of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. Polyurethane foams are increasingly appearing on objects, but the sprayed compositions do not always have the declared stable properties after solidification, and their strength is sometimes insufficient for the dynamic effects of pedestrian loads. The well-known expanded polystyrene (EPS) granules are still used in construction today. However, it has already been replaced by a more modern extruded (extrusion) expanded polystyrene (XPS), which is characterized by a lower thermal conductivity (which reduces the required insulation thickness by 25%), a 5 times lower water absorption and increased strength. When arranging a cold attic on reinforced concrete slabs using XPS, there is no need to spend money on the purchase and installation of construction films: the material firmly transfers all external influences, is not afraid of blowing and even soaking.

To determine the required thickness of thermal insulation, we will use the method, which is described in detail in TCP 45-2.04-43-2006 “Construction heat engineering. Building design standards ". According to this document, the minimum requirements for the thermal resistance of the structure are established. For the roof, it is taken at least six, and is calculated by the ratio of the actual thickness of the material of the structure (in this case, thermal insulation) to its thermal conductivity. Thus, the answer to the question "How to insulate the roof of a house?" - obvious: the required thickness of the insulation is calculated by multiplying the thermal conductivity of the material by six. This simple mathematics will allow you to create a cold attic that fully meets all applicable standards. For full-fledged insulation in our climatic zone, 25 cm of stone wool will be required. And when using extruded polystyrene foam, 20 cm will be enough. In a similar way, you can calculate the required thicknesses and other thermal insulation materials. For comparison: to get a similar indicator with expanded clay backfill, a layer more than half a meter thick is required!

In the next part we will tell you about the device and proper insulation of the attic (warm attic).

Text: Andrey Povarnitsyn

The under-roof space is one of the risk zones, therefore, attic insulation is a mandatory and necessary process to maintain a comfortable temperature in the premises of the house, save energy spent on heating, and extend the life of the entire residential building.

According to statistics, up to 20% of the heat from the lower space can go through the cold attic, and this is 1/5 of the family budget. It is all the more important to insulate the attic space, that the bulk of the hot air always rushes upward, which means that all joints, cracks, surfaces must be carefully insulated. A natural problem arises of how to do this so that the insulation of a cold attic in a private house does not become an empty undertaking and a useless waste of money. Mineral wool insulation

What insulation technology, method or technique is most in demand and cheap, we will consider in the article below, relying on the use of environmentally friendly and natural building materials.

Varieties of attic structures

Starting the insulation of an attic in a private house, it is necessary to choose one of three areas of operation of this space, the implementation of which will help to maintain the desired temperature and humidity:

Unheated attic, where the temperature in winter must be maintained (due to properly carried out thermal insulation measures) within 5-10 0 C.
A comfortable temperature is provided by the inflow of hot air through the ventilation ducts from the living quarters of the house. Such an attic (warm, but without an attic) is typical for low and multi-storey buildings.
Heated attic space in the attic: works like a normal living space with heating, like the rest of the rooms in the building. To insulate such a room, fewer layers of insulation are needed without laying a vapor barrier layer, but the sealing of joints and gaps in the joints of structures must be complete.

How to choose the optimal insulation material

Before deciding how best to insulate the attic of a private house, it is necessary to outline the range of proposed insulation operations. Some people refer to insulation as the need to insulate only ceiling and roof ceilings in order to reduce heat loss without insulating the under-roof space. A group of owners has also been designated, which believes that it would be more correct to insulate the attic of a private house only from the inside along the slopes of the roof, and leave the floors partially insulated, for example, lay a layer of clay. But construction trends are increasingly leaning towards warming the entire attic so that you can live in it, and here the choice of materials is much wider than in the two previous options. But let's start with how to insulate a cold attic inexpensively. This can be done by using materials such as:

Expanded clay and blocks from it.
Waste from the woodworking industry (wood chips, sawdust, shavings).
Mineral wool in various designs - glass wool, basalt or stone wool (rolls, slabs, mats).
Foamed polymers: extruded polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, NPE, etc.

Which of these insulation materials are the best and what can be successfully used for sloped attic surfaces? We will discard expanded clay immediately (it is suitable only for horizontal surfaces), therefore, first of all, plate heaters (polystyrene and expanded polystyrene) remain. These are fairly cheap materials, but due to their flammability, they will have to be protected with other layers that prevent the main heaters from igniting.

According to the flammability group, it is best to choose mineral wool, although it must also be covered with a layer of durable rough or decorative materials. In addition, mineral wool absorbs moisture faster, so a layer of steam or waterproofing is simply necessary to preserve the main insulation.

Glass wool is not an entirely optimal material; it should not be chosen for insulating an attic, if only because glass microparticles quickly enter the air and harm people.

Sawdust or shavings must be laid so that they can be replaced - over time, a layer of such insulation is compressed, losing its insulating qualities.

Insulation stages

The process of insulating an attic in a private house can be divided into several stages:

Laying of heat-insulating materials on the surfaces of the floors.
Internal roof insulation.
Insulation of roof gables, installation of insulation and finishing. In this case, the insulation can immediately act as a decorative surface, for example, a sandwich panel.

Preparation of materials for insulation

Briefly about what materials can be used for insulation, based on their characteristics:

Wood shavings or sawdust have a thermal conductivity of 0.05-0.095 W / m 0 С if they are laid in a layer not thinner than 20 cm.
The folk method of warming is with reeds, its thermal conductivity is 0.042 W / m 0 C.
Penoizol is a liquid insulation, excellent for any surfaces, has a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.028-0.040 W / m 0 C. In practice, installation is done by spraying.
Expanded clay is the most common of environmentally friendly and fireproof insulation materials, thermal conductivity is 0.1-0.18 W / m 0 C. The expanded clay layer for good insulation should be ≥ 0.2 m, but only the floor surface can be insulated with it.
Mineral wool has a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.038-0.055 W / m 0 C.
The most modern material is ecowool. It does not rot, does not burn, does not attract rodents and insects, but on top of the ecowool it is required to make protection from mechanical damage.

Auxiliary materials for insulation:

Vapor barrier membrane.
Sheet material for flooring - boards, chipboard, fiberboard, OSB, etc.
Antiseptic for wood impregnation.

Mineral wool insulation scheme

Floor surface preparation

The old flooring on the floor must be removed.
Soak the beams with an antiseptic.
Collect the overlap roll - the boards are nailed to the beams from the side of the house, that is, from below.

Floor insulation

Before insulating the floor in a private house, a vapor barrier layer with an overlap of 10-15 cm is laid on the beams and the boardwalk.
Thermal insulation is placed on the vapor barrier layer, for example, a mineral wool slab or EPS sheets. Plates, sheets, rolls or mats are placed close to each other.
The next layer of vapor barrier is laid on top using the same technology as in the first case.
On the logs, a roll is assembled from boards or any sheet material, on which the rough floor of the attic will be equipped.

In an attic with a concrete floor, insulation is carried out using mats of mineral heat-insulating material or EPS, and a concrete screed is made on top with a layer of 5-10 cm.

A layer of thermal insulation on both sides is covered with waterproofing, especially if mineral insulation is used, which can absorb moisture faster than other materials.

The overlap of concrete slabs and wooden beams is recommended to be insulated on both sides - outside and inside, but not all materials are suitable for such a multiple purpose - expanded clay and other bulk materials cannot be used, since they can only insulate the attic on the floor.

To make the process clear, consider the installation of Isover mineral mats:

The existing roll is removed from the boards.
A vapor barrier layer is attached to the beams. The membrane film must be fixed, and the easiest way to do this is with a stapler and staples of 14-16 mm.
Mineral mats are placed in the space between the girders and fixed with transverse wooden slats with a cross section of 2 x 5 cm.
Another layer of membrane vapor barrier is attached to the slats.
A boardwalk is mounted on top, after which the ceiling is arranged.

Roof insulation in a private house

Before insulating an attic in a private house, it is prepared:

They check the integrity of the rafter system, if necessary, repair or change parts and elements.
If the insulation is thicker than the logs, they are built up to the required size with bars or slats. This will fill the entire space between the rafters.
All wood elements are impregnated with an antiseptic. Such work will extend the service life of materials and structures.

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

The vapor barrier membrane in rooms located in the attic space must not come into contact with the roof waterproofing. To maintain an air gap between these layers, nails are driven into the rafter legs, between which thick synthetic threads are pulled.
The vapor barrier membrane is attached to the rafters with a stapler, while the smooth surface of the material is laid on the insulation, and the joints of its strips are fastened with construction tape.
Thermal insulation fits tightly into the space between the rafters. To prevent the formation of "cold bridges" mineral mats must be laid close to the rafter legs and to each other. When gaps appear between the layers, they are clogged with the same material. Such a layer of insulation is fixed by thick threads again stretched between the rafters.
On top of the laid insulation, a vapor barrier layer is applied, which is fixed with tape.
On top of all the layers of the pie, a wooden crate is made of beeks or bars with a cross section of 2 x 5 cm. Decorative finishing materials will be attached to the crate on one side.

Vapor barrier installation

conclusions

In practice, the number of new and traditional materials and technologies for insulating the floor and walls of the attic is much greater, but those described above in the article are easiest to implement with your own hands. Today mineral wool and polystyrene are the most popular and affordable heaters.

When insulating a private house and insulating the roof along the rafters, one must not forget that special attention should be paid to such a place as the attic.

Development of attic floor insulation with mineral wool

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

1 Why do you need insulation of the attic floor?

Insulation of the cold floor of the attic with stone or mineral wool, by and large, is needed in little-used rooms that are properly equipped with special roof ventilation.

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

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 insulation with mineral wool overlap in the attic, as well as thermal insulation Energoflex for pipes, implies strict adherence to its stages and requirements.

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

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

The presented insulation is the most suitable for this type of work, it can also 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, moisture rising from the floor of the house will lead to the formation of condensation.

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

1.1 Requirements for insulation of the attic

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

The fact is that the water vapor inside the heated room diffuses to the attic of the house. In order for the insulation used 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 humidification by the vapor of the rising heated air using a special vapor-proof material.

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

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

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 likelihood of destruction of the entire roofing cake increases. The thermal insulation performance of the structure also decreases due to the fact that the tightness of the vapor barrier layer has been broken.

Before insulating the attic, you need to drain the layer and remove moisture from the entire attic space. For this, ventilation should be carried out through the windows. They may be:

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

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

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 warming beams

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

Insulation of the ceiling with mineral wool from the attic side

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

On top of the beams, the sub-floor covering is laid. This can be a grooved board, plywood sheet or OSB board. Mineral wool is installed on a previously prepared special vapor barrier layer.

An alternative to it can serve as an ordinary film made with 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 required thickness parameters. The surface of the beams must be equipped with an additional insulation layer.

This will lead to blocking of the so-called cold bridges and significantly reduce the overall level of heat loss. If high quality timber was used to create the beams, then the finishing material should be laid directly on their surface.

Mineral wool is placed between them as if the roof is insulated using polyurethane foam, 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 from the smallest drops of moisture with a high degree of reliability, 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 wind from the eaves. For this, mineral wool slabs with a high degree of density are used.

2 Why is mineral wool used to insulate the attic?

In most cases, when insulating attic floors, the consumer's choice falls on mineral wool. Its advantage lies in the fact that no special skills are required for its installation.

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

Insulation of the attic with mineral wool

High sound insulation 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. Minvata is presented in three varieties, it can be glass and stone basalt.

Basalt wool is made using molten basalt rocks, into which binding elements are added.

It can be a carbonate type rock, which regulates the acidity level of the substance, which entails an increase in the operational 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

When carrying out 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 the smallest particles that can enter the respiratory organs and thus harm human health.

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

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

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

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

There, in the under-roof space, he will collide with a layer of insulation. In view of the fact that mineral wool is generally recognized as a vapor-proof material, it will take all the outgoing moisture inside itself.

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

Attic cold interfloor overlap 20 cm min cotton wool

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, you will need 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 parameter of the thickness of thermal insulation directly depends on the characteristics of the climatic conditions in the region.

Insulation of the ceiling of the cold attic with mineral wool

Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool - advantages. Features of insulation of floors of cold attics with mineral wool.

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

Insulation of the attic floor of a house allows you to save more heat inside the room, and not spend it on heating a cold attic. It is good if it is used as a utility room (technical attic) or as an attic, but if not? Then it makes no sense to waste resources on heating an unheated attic space.

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

The thickness of the attic floor insulation is standardized using SNiP II-3-79 "Construction heat engineering". This manual contains detailed recommendations on the selection and formula for calculating the heat transfer resistance 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, and the wall material of the house.

The insulation technology of the attic floor depends on the selected material.

Comparative characteristics of heat-insulating material with equal thickness

In this article we will look at the most popular insulation materials.

Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool

Mineral wool is a heater, the fibers of which are arranged in a certain way. Namely, this randomness leads to the formation of an air cushion between the fibers, which informs the insulation of its properties. However, this 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 thermal insulation of horizontal surfaces does not lead to its caking, slipping and the formation, as a result, of cold bridges.

Among the disadvantages: the ability to absorb moisture.

Technology of attic floor insulation with mineral wool

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

Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool

First step

It starts with the installation of a vapor barrier film. The foil will help remove steam that rises from a warm living space to a cold attic. To lay the film correctly, you need to carefully read the markings on it. It is imperative to observe an overlap of 100 mm.

Technology of attic floor insulation with mineral wool If insulation is performed on wooden beams, then the film should bend around all protruding elements. Otherwise, the beams can rot.

At the junction of the film and walls or other protruding surfaces, you need 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 an insulation plate.

Second phase

Insulation (cotton wool) is being laid. This is a fairly straightforward process. The slabs or strips are easily cut with a construction knife to the required dimensions.

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

a) insufficient thickness of thermal insulation material;

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

Useful tips for installing mineral wool

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

the insulation should not protrude beyond the beam. If such a situation arises, the beam must be lengthened 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 secure it.

Third stage

Waterproofing flooring is carried out if the attic is not supposed to be used, and the rafter 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.

Rough floor. It is laid on top of the insulation and serves as the basis for the final finishing.

Insulation of the attic floor with foam

The installation process is similar to the insulation of an attic floor with expanded polystyrene.

The advantages of these materials:

Among the disadvantages: flammability.

Thermal insulation technology of the attic floor with foam or expanded polystyrene

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

leveling the surface. To ensure high-quality insulation, there should be no significant irregularities on the base floor. It is possible to eliminate such drops by performing a screed with a sand-cement mortar.

the laying of the slabs is performed butt-joint or between the beams. The presence of a bar increases the strength of the floor.

Insulation of the attic floor with polystyrene Rough coating

Polyfoam 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, therefore, it is better to equip a subfloor from OSB or perform a sand-cement screed on top of polystyrene or expanded polystyrene.

Insulation of the attic floor with sawdust

Sawdust - finely ground wood.

naturalness;
lack of toxic impurities;
light weight;
availability of material.

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 ready-mixed mixture and level it. It is worth noting that sawdust can be used as insulation without using a frame only in a non-residential attic. Otherwise, when walking on the floor, the 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 sub-floor can be laid over the timber. And the attic will be serviceable

Insulation of the attic floor with sawdust

Insulation of the attic overlap with expanded clay

Expanded clay is obtained by firing clay.

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

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

Attic insulation technology with expanded clay

The work is carried out in three stages:

the slab is inspected for cracks and cracks. They are sealed with a solution or covered with thick paper. The protruding elements do not create difficulties with filling expanded clay.

mount a lathing from a bar. In the future, a rough floor will be laid on it.

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

Insulation of the ceiling of the attic with expanded clay Advice: when backfilling expanded clay, it is better to combine granules of different sizes (diameters). In this way, voids can be avoided.

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 that rises up must pass freely. Improper installation of films or the use of non-breathable materials, such as roofing material, will lead to the destruction of the 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, will not accumulate steam moisture.

Attic insulation errors

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

"Wrong" - to lay a special film without taking into account the markings, or even ordinary film

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

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

Conclusion

In this article, we focused on the main stages and features of the insulation of the attic floors of a private house using various types of insulation. We hope this information is helpful to you.

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

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

Insulation of cold attic floors: materials and methods

To figure out why the insulation of a cold attic floor is needed, let's clarify a little why an attic is needed in a private house and what is its purpose. Our ancestors built houses that could last for over 100 years, while inside it was warm and the wooden roof structure was always dry.

Previously, they mainly built gable roofs with a slight slope of the slopes. This was done so that in winter the snow could remain on the roof. Thus, snow was used as a natural insulation. One or two windows were made in the attic and kept closed in winter so that the trapped air would act as a heat insulator. In the summer, a somewhat different situation took place. The attic windows were opened at night to cool the air, and during the day, in hot weather, they were closed so that the air would not get too hot, thus regulating its temperature.

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

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

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

Materials for insulating the attic floor

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

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

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

Materials produced in the format of slabs and mats:

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

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

Bulk materials for insulation of the attic floor:

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

Insulation of the attic floor in a wooden house must be carried out with an ecological, natural and breathable material.

How to properly insulate an attic floor with mineral wool

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

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

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

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

Insulation of attic floor slabs with extruded polystyrene foam

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

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

Thermal insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

Ecowool is a cellulose, lightweight and friable insulation, consisting mainly of waste paper and newspapers. Other constituents - borax and boric acid - are used as extinguishing agents.

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

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

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

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

Insulation of a cold attic floor with mineral wool, how to insulate an attic floor

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

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

I decided to devote this article to those people who want to insulate the attic at home on their own without large financial costs. Next, we will get acquainted with thermal insulation materials suitable for these purposes and the nuances of their installation.

Stages of work

We will conditionally divide the insulation of the attic in a private house into:

Floor insulation

Floor insulation can also be divided into several steps:

Stages of floor insulation

Preparation of materials

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

sawdust - thermal conductivity is 0.07 - 0.095 W / m ºС. The main advantage of sawdust is that in the presence of nearby woodworking enterprises, they can be purchased very cheaply or even free of charge.

Wood sawdust is an excellent natural insulation

The only thing, keep in mind that before use, the sawdust must be dried and treated with an antiseptic composition. Also, slaked lime mixed with carbide can be used to protect sawdust from biological effects.

If the sawdust has traces of fungal infection, they cannot be used for insulation;

Reed insulation mat

Reeds are another natural material that can be obtained for free. The thermal conductivity of reeds does not exceed 0.042 W / (m.K).

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

Penoizol is applied in liquid form

penoizol is a modified foam that is applied to the surface in the form of foam. The foam hardens within a few days.

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

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

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

Expanded clay for floor insulation

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

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

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

True, you can use stone wool in rolls, the cost of which starts from 1,500 rubles per cubic meter. But, this material is less environmentally friendly than basalt wool.

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

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

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

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

Floor preparation

It is possible to start insulating the attic floor only after completing the following preparatory work:

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

This completes the preparation.

Floor insulation

Insulation of the attic floor is carried out as follows:

a vapor barrier membrane must be laid on the logs and roll-over. The stripes must overlap each other. For reliability, the joints should be glued with tape;
thermal insulation is now being installed. The mineral mats must be positioned so that they fit snugly to the floor joists and to each other. The same goes for roll material;

Example of laying mineral wool

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

If the house has a concrete floor, mineral mats or extruded polystyrene foam should be laid on the slab to insulate it, and the screed should be poured. In this case, the insulation on both sides must be covered with a waterproofing film, especially if mineral mats are used.

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

Ceiling insulation with mineral mats

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

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

Attaching the vapor barrier with a stapler

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

Roof insulation

In most cases, roof insulation is not required. But, if you are going to use the attic space as a living space, then you cannot do without this procedure.

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

Stages of attic insulation

Preparation of materials

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

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

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

Antiseptic treatment of rafters

Roof preparation

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

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

Roof insulation

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

the vapor barrier membrane must not touch the waterproofing of the roof. To provide space between these materials, you need to nail nails to the rafters, and pull the threads between them in a zigzag manner;

Fastening the vapor barrier to the rafters

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

Warming the space between the rafters with mineral wool

now you need to put the insulation in the space between the rafters. So that there are no cold bridges in the thermal insulation, place the mats close to the rafters and to each other ... If the gaps are still formed, they need to be filled with scraps of insulation.

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

after laying the insulation, another layer of vapor barrier must be fixed on the rafters;

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

Warming of gables

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

For this we need the same materials as for finishing the roof. The only thing, besides them, beams or boards should be prepared. Their width should correspond to the width of the insulation.

Insulation work resembles the thermal insulation of ordinary walls:

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

Installation diagram of rails on gables for arranging a ventilation gap

Keep in mind that the slats should form a flat vertical plane. Therefore, if the gables are uneven, it is necessary to align the slats during the installation process;

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

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

now the space between the racks must be filled with insulation. If the racks are installed correctly, the mats will fit tightly, and no additional fixation is required;
then attach the vapor barrier to the racks;

at the end of the work, mount the crate.

Now all that remains is to complete the finishing. The choice of finishing materials depends on the purpose of the home and the attic itself. If the house is used for permanent residence, and the attic will be heated, you can sheathe it with plasterboard and use any finishing materials.

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

Insulating the attic yourself, as you can see, is not at all difficult. Therefore, you can safely get down to work, the only thing, I recommend that you also watch the video in this article beforehand. If you do not understand any of the nuances, please contact me with questions in the comments, and I am happy to see you "width =" 640 "height =" 360 "frameborder =" 0 "allowfullscreen =" allowfullscreen ">

Insulating the attic yourself, as you can see, is not at all difficult. Therefore, you can safely get down to work.

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

There are dozens of ways to insulate an attic floor, in which hundreds of insulation models are used, but mineral wool is still the most popular material.

The only problem is that not all amateurs know how to properly insulate an attic with mineral wool in a private house. Therefore, further we will analyze the technology and important nuances of the process.

Preparatory part

This includes:

choice cotton wool and related materials;
payment the required amount of material;

Choice of mineral wool

Stone or mineral wool is the name of a whole trend, in which there are dozens of different models. If you start from the name, then this includes all soft insulation made from rocks, the most famous option is basalt wool.

A number of sources also include glass wool and slag wool here. In the first case, glass is taken as a basis, and slag wool is made from blast-furnace slag (a by-product of blast furnace production).

All materials are good, but which one is better is a moot point. I must say right away that if you take material from a well-promoted brand, then there is not much difference in quality.

It is much more important to choose the type of material.

There are 2 types of such insulation:

Soft mats, which are sold rolled into rolls.
Dense slabs.

Theoretically, the insulation of the ceiling from the side of the cold attic can be carried out with both options, but from experience, it is better to give preference to dense slabs.

The price of slabs is slightly higher, but this material does not shrink over time, plus, when wet, some models of slabs can be dried without loss of volume and quality.

As for the soft mats, here you buy a pig in a poke, well-known manufacturers make a good product, but it's not a fact that you won't buy a fake.

Such mats are inexpensive, but in an attic space, they lose volume in a couple of years.

Related materials

With related materials, this is the case. Any cotton wool is afraid of moisture, in order to protect it, a vapor barrier membrane is needed.

It is a canvas that allows steam to pass in only one direction; neither steam nor moisture passes from the back side.

Important! Steam moves from the room to the street or to the attic, so the membrane is laid with a vapor-permeable side to the room, i.e. way down.

Material calculation

With attic floor area it's simple - the length is multiplied by the width. Plus 5% for shrinkage and trimming.
Material thickness depends on the climatic zone. In central Russia, for warming the attic floor with mineral wool, the thickness of the slabs is 100 mm, the mats are taken 150 mm. Accordingly, the farther north, the thicker the layer.

Advice! If you expect to lay slabs, for example, 100 mm thick, then it is better to take 2 slabs 50 mm thick and lay them with a shift. So the joints overlap and there will be no cold bridges.

Insulation of the attic of the house with mineral wool

In a private house, the ceiling can be concrete and wood (along the beams). The insulation technology of these options is similar, but there are still differences.

Insulation of the attic along the beams

The instructions for insulating the beam floor are similar to the arrangement of roofs with an inclined rafter system, so if you wish, using this technology, you can completely insulate the attic.

Laying technology:

The first layer is a vapor barrier membrane(rough side down). Rolls are rolled across the beams and overlapped by 100 mm; with such an overlap, it is not necessary to glue the joint of the canvases with tape. The material is fixed with a stapler.

The slab or roll of mineral wool is cut 20 mm wider than the distance between the beams. This tolerance will allow the material to be laid without gaps. As already mentioned, it is advisable to lay the insulation apart to cover the joints.
When insulating with stone wool from the upper edge of the material a gap of 30–50 mm is left to the edge of the beam. It is necessary for arranging ventilation ducts.
The next layer is vapor barrier, it is placed in the same way as the lower one (with a vapor-permeable layer down). If you mix it up, then condensation will accumulate under the membrane and the insulation will get wet. The membrane is attached with slight sagging between the beams.

Photo of the arrangement of the ventilation duct under the vapor barrier

A counter-rail is stuffed on top of the beams and the floor is mounted on it. Often times, the subfloor in the attic is stuffed directly onto the joists.

The video shows the process of insulation on beams:

Insulation of the attic by floor slabs

Insulation of the attic floor over a concrete floor is somewhat similar to the previous version.

Only the choice of materials is slightly different:

Liquid waterproofing. The concrete floor is cold and condensation can settle here. To prevent the cotton wool from pulling moisture from the concrete, instead of a vapor barrier, the slab is covered with waterproofing.

Lags. Further, wooden logs are attached to the floor slab. You select the thickness of the timber according to the thickness of the insulation, plus the ventilation gap.
Insulation. After that, insulation is laid between the lags, just like along the beams.
Vapor barrier. From above, the cotton wool is covered with a vapor barrier - it is needed so that excess moisture can go up.
Rough floor. Now the subfloor can be laid on the logs.

Output

Mineral wool for insulating attic floors with your own hands is excellent. Both options presented above have been tested in practice. The main thing is to take into account all the nuances that were mentioned.

August 27, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works (laying of foundations, erection of walls, construction of a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying of internal communications, rough and final finishing). Hobbies: mobile communications, high technologies, computer technology, programming.

If you live in an apartment building, then you hardly ever thought about insulating an attic. Moreover, you hardly knew about the presence of such a technical room in the building, unless, of course, you ran to the roof as a child.

However, in a country house or a country cottage (which I am currently building for my son), the roof space plays a huge role. An open expansion tank of the heating system, ventilation pipes, and chimneys are often installed there. And sometimes they equip living quarters - attics.

Therefore, I will not talk for a long time how important thermal insulation measures are for this room, but I will just tell you how to insulate the attic of a private house using the example of a country house of my own son.

I think the described technology will be useful to everyone who builds with their own hands or is going to build a dwelling outside the city.

Materials for thermal insulation

The attics have been insulated for as long as I can remember. My great-grandfather and grandfather used for this purpose hay and straw, sawdust and shavings, and some in their village - and dry leaves from trees.

Dad was already a more "advanced" builder and was cold - in a private house and in the country, he insulated the attic with expanded clay and old soldiers' blankets. By the way, expanded clay granules are also used in modern construction.

Now I will not tell you which is the best option from the above, since I can offer more technological and effective thermal insulation materials for warming the attic.

However, before that, I will note what technical characteristics should be inherent in a heat insulator so that it can be used for the described work:

Low weight. After installation, the material should not exert a large load on the attic floor, roof rafters and load-bearing walls.

Otherwise, even during construction, more durable building materials will have to be included in the project, which increases the amount of the final estimate.

Security. The material used for insulation should not harm human health.

Therefore, both the floor of the cold attic and the roof must be insulated with heat insulators that do not emit hazardous chemical compounds into the air. Especially if you plan to equip a living room there in the future.

Easy to install. The less effort you need to spend on installing heat insulators, the better, isn't it?

In addition, there is not a lot of space in the under-roof space of some houses, so it is not very convenient to work there. I always try to buy materials that do not require complex equipment to be installed.

Low coefficient of thermal conductivity. The better this indicator is, the smaller the layer of thermal insulation material needs to be used. Accordingly, the interior space of the attic will not diminish much.

Again, I think this is important, since I plan to make an attic in my son's dacha in the attic. But you, I think, are not very interested in laying thermal insulation with a thickness of 20-30 cm.

Hydrophobic properties. In attics, the air is often humid, which reduces the efficiency of the thermal insulation layer.

I advise you to choose materials that are either treated with water-repellent compounds, or those that do not change their technical characteristics as a result of wetting.

Fire safety. The roof is where there is a risk of fire due to improper installation or blockage of the chimney.

Therefore, when choosing a material, I would give preference to those varieties that do not ignite under the influence of open fire and do not support combustion.

Of course, I failed to choose the perfect insulation that meets all the listed requirements 100%. But still I'll tell you about those of them with which I had to work.

So, I insulated the attics:

polyurethane foam;
foam;
mineral wool;
expanded clay.

I'll tell you about them in more detail.

Polyurethane foam

The raw material for the manufacture of this heat insulator is plastic. Insulating an attic with polyurethane foam is a pleasure, but this requires special equipment. The fact is that the insulator is applied by spraying, for which compressors are used.

But there is no need to buy screws, glue mixtures, lathing, and so on. And the polyurethane foam itself is applied very tightly, leaving no gaps through which cold air can penetrate into the under-roof space.

After hardening, the insulation becomes tough, therefore it additionally strengthens the structure. The material has antiseptic properties, mold, fungus and other microorganisms do not multiply on its surface.

If you need to insulate the ventilation pipe in the attic, then you can also use polyurethane foam. Only not sprayed, but in the form of ready-made shells with a protective layer of aluminum foil. They just need to be secured to the pipelines with adhesive tape or plastic ties.

The biggest drawback of the material in question is the high price. However, if we consider the total cost of the work, then it is possible to save money, because in this case additional hydro and vapor barrier is not required.

Styrofoam

This insulation, like expanded polystyrene similar to it in terms of technical characteristics, is widely used for insulating premises under the roof. I personally prefer the expanded polystyrene produced by the extrusion method. It is more durable, does not burn, has a low thermal conductivity and is not damaged by rodents.

The cost of insulation is quite affordable, and anyone, even the most inexperienced summer resident, can lay it in the attic. Polystyrene is processed with hand-made construction tools and fixed with dowels.

Mineral wool

Fiber heat insulators are a versatile material. Heaters based on mineral fibers are rolled, slab, in the form of a dry mix, and so on. They are great for insulating attic floors and roofs.

Basalt fiber, from which mineral wool is made, has a very high melting point. Therefore, this insulation can be used for installation on chimneys, the surface of which can be very hot.

There is one point here. The insulation is not waterproof and can lose its heat-shielding properties when moistened. To avoid this, when insulating, it is necessary to install waterproof and vapor barrier membranes. Or buy those varieties of mineral wool that are treated with special water-repellent compounds.

The bottleneck of some types of mineral insulation is environmental friendliness. In the manufacture of basalt mats, a certain amount of formaldehyde resins are used, which can be harmful to human health. Especially during the installation process.

Expanded clay

Granules of this material, as I already told you, were also used by my father when insulating his first summer cottage. Expanded clay has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity and weighs a little. However, it is free-flowing, therefore it can only be used to insulate the floor of the under-roof space.

But the installation process itself does not require any tweaks. It just needs to be poured onto the floor, and then thoroughly protected from moisture with a moisture-proof membrane. If you are going to equip the attic later, you can cover it with a screed on top, and then lay a decorative covering.

Self-insulation of the attic space

It seems that we have decided on the most popular thermal insulation materials, now I’ll tell you how to properly insulate the under-roof space so that you can equip the attic there in the future.

Let's take up the question of how to lay insulation under the crate, because this method will allow you to fill the decorative material of your choice on top without any problems in the future.

In my son’s attic, I decided to use mineral wool, but I’ll tell you about foam plastic right away, since the work technologies are similar, and foam plastic is easier to work with if you are a novice builder.

The whole process of warming consists of several stages:

preparation;
waterproofing;
laying a heat insulator;
vapor barrier;
arrangement of lathing and installation of decorative sheathing;
insulation of engineering communications;
thermal insulation of the floor.

I'll tell you about each stage in more detail.

Preparatory activities

Let's start, as usual, with preparation, because it is unlikely that your attic is already ready for construction work.

After all, this room is used in almost 100% of cases as a rubbish storage, where all unnecessary things are demolished (and sometimes they are taken from the apartment). In the attic of my son's dacha it was clean, since the house is new, but in my home, when sorting out the rubble, I found old books, clothes, several family heirlooms (which my wife did not consider as such) and much more.

In addition, if you have tried to carry out insulation before, then I advise you to get rid of any traces of this process. For example, remove sawdust, felt scraps, construction debris, and so on from all cracks. Believe me, I have insulated attics more than once and I know how important this is.

By the way. And drive all the spiders out of the attic, and then clear the room from the cobwebs. After all, you will build an attic for yourself or your children, and not for any insects.

Last moment. Bring the necessary tools into the attic and provide lighting. It is unlikely that you have sockets there, so you have to stretch out an extension cord with a light bulb. Although these measures seem obvious to you, since I had to return to the city for an electric one, since not a single extension cord at the construction site reached from the switchboard to the attic.

Waterproofing

A waterproofing membrane is needed in order to protect the insulation layer itself and the room under the roof from excessive moisture. This is especially important if the roof was laid for a long time (for example, you are insulating the attic of an old house) and the roofing materials were not used the most modern.

The moisture-proof film is installed directly on the rafter structure. It must be stretched and overlapped so that after the end of the work, an airtight layer forms. You can fasten the material with a construction stapler with staples.

Insulation laying

The thermal insulation material, as I said, must be mounted on a pre-assembled lathing. However, if you want to save some money, you do not need to design a separate frame. Its role will be perfectly played by the roof truss system.

In the latter case, in order to press the material and be able to mount the decorative cladding, it will only be necessary to equip a light counter-lattice at a certain distance from the surface of the heat insulator. Then you get a small ventilation gap that removes excess moisture from the insulating layer.

So, the scheme of work on laying the insulation is as follows:

The rock wool rolls must be cut so that their width matches the distance between the rafter supports. Then lay it under the roof surface, gluing to the surface or temporarily attaching it with wooden battens.

To make installation easier, you can use mineral mats... Their width should slightly exceed the distance between the rafters, so that after installation they snap into place and do not fall out.

Styrofoam must be cut as accurately as possible so that it comes close to the installation site... The gaps between the insulation panels will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the insulation measures, therefore they need to be blown out with polyurethane foam.

Vapor barrier

After installing the insulation, you need to install a vapor barrier membrane. It will protect the insulating material from the penetration of moisture formed in the process of human activity.

For vapor barrier, special films are used that do not allow the heat insulator to be moistened, but do not prevent air infiltration through the enclosing structures. As a result, a comfortable microclimate for living will be formed in the attic, if you look at it from the point of view of humidity.

So, after installing the insulation, it is necessary to attach a vapor barrier to the rafter supports (which act as a lathing). This must be done with a stapler, carefully pulling the film.

The edges of the material overlap each other to prevent the mineral wool from getting wet. To further insure yourself against surprises, I recommend gluing the seams with adhesive tape.

Vapor barrier films allow air to pass through only in one direction. Therefore, be sure to unfold the membrane to the correct surface before installing.

Counter grill

Having finished with the films, you can proceed to the completion of wall finishing operations (well, or the roof, it depends on how you look at it). I will use it for this, but in the same way you can fix OSB plates, drywall, lining, and so on.

Here, too, there is an opportunity to significantly save on the purchase of materials and reduce the time for carrying out all the work. The fact is that the main details of the lathing will be powerful rafter legs, and you will only have to make crossbars, which will serve as additional stiffeners for the sheathing.

The material for the transverse frame can be a wooden lath or a galvanized profile. The essence of this will not change. The details just need to be screwed from above to the rafters so that they are located at right angles to them. The step between adjacent elements depends on the decorative finish, I made 30 cm so that the sheathing does not bend under load.

The decorative finish itself also depends only on your imagination. I'm going to glue the wallpaper on top for now to save money, and then I'll come up with something prettier. You can do the same.

Just before gluing the wallpaper, do not forget to putty the seams between the plywood sheets and perform other necessary operations (priming and so on).

Insulation of engineering communications

If you do not envisage the creation of an attic, it is imperative to insulate the ventilation ducts in a cold attic, as well as, if available, heating, water supply and smoke exhaust pipes (which term you have invented).

Of course, you can use mineral wool for this, wrapping it around the pipes, wrapping it with roofing material and securing it with wire. But why complicate your life if you can buy ready-made shells for pipes of the required diameter (made of foamed polyethylene, polyurethane foam, polystyrene, and so on). They just need to be snapped onto the pipe and fastened with tape for fidelity.

The cost of these insulators is low, so you definitely won't go broke.

Insulation of the attic floor

The floor is a horizontal surface, so it can be easily insulated with bulk material. For example, expanded clay. But since I started working with mineral wool (foam), I will not buy expanded clay, I will limit myself to what I have at my disposal.

So, the technology for insulating the attic is as follows:

First, you need to clean the surface of dust, accumulated debris, foreign objects, and so on.
Then install the support beams. I make them from wooden blocks with a section of 20 by 10 cm. You can select the height of the logs based on the thickness of the thermal insulation material you have.

The entire surface is covered with a layer of waterproofing agent. Be sure to monitor the tightness so that the mineral wool does not get wet, as this may affect its technical characteristics.

Cotton wool is laid on the waterproofing layer. Choose a material that is specifically designed to insulate horizontal surfaces. For example, Isover KT37.

The vapor barrier membrane is again pulled from above, onto which the facing material is stuffed. I used plywood, which I plan to cover with linoleum.

If you do not plan to operate the attic as a living space, then you can not insulate the roof, but only the floor can be insulated. In this case, you need to pay attention to some features:

Wood for logs and sheathing must be treated with hydrophobic, fire-fighting and antiseptic compounds in order to maximize its service life.
For the entrance, it is better to use an insulated hatch to the attic, since it is this structural element that is often the source of large heat losses.

Now we can say with confidence that the insulation of the floor (or ceiling from the side of the cold attic) has been completed in full. And in order to maximize the effectiveness of thermal insulation measures, I still advise you to make an insulated hatch with a ladder, as described in the video in this article.

Output

As you can see, there is nothing terrible and difficult here. If you liked the material or have any questions, you can ask them in the comments. I would also be grateful for stories about how you carry out the insulation of an attic in a private house with your own hands.