How to properly and how to insulate the attic floor. Insulation of the attic floor on wooden beams and on a reinforced concrete slab The better to insulate the attic of a house

Attic insulation will help achieve comfortable temperature inside the house, significantly reduce heating costs, as well as increase the usable area of ​​the building. The room after this procedure can be used as a living area. In addition, laying insulation will help solve another problem - the formation of condensate on the ceiling due to temperature changes. We will talk about all the features of attic insulation in this article.

Each styling technology insulating material has its own characteristics, but there are General requirements to this process. Works are performed in a certain sequence. Initially, a vapor barrier of a cold attic is provided, then a heater is installed, and at the final stage - a material that protects the thermal insulation from the wind.

Insulating materials are divided into three groups:

  • tiled - mineral wool, polystyrene foam, polystyrene, reeds;
  • rolled - flax, mineral wool, glass wool;
  • bulk - expanded clay, slag, ecowool, sawdust, straw.

Insulation of a cold ceiling: preparatory work

  1. Before proceeding with the installation of insulation, it is necessary to waterproof and heat-insulate the roof.
  2. If there is a previous insulation, you need to check its condition. If certain areas of the material are subject to the process of decay or mold, then they should be removed and treated with antifungal agents.
  3. It is necessary to make sure that there are no cracks in the ceilings, gables and truss system. If these defects are found, they are eliminated by filling or replacing damaged elements.
  4. You can get rid of cracks with the help of tow impregnated with lime mortar. For this purpose, sealant or building foam is also used.
  5. Wooden elements are treated with special means that protect them from fire.

Need to make sure it works properly ventilation system. In the event of a malfunction, condensation will accumulate on the surface of the ceiling. If the roof is covered with a material that does not allow air to pass through, it is necessary to provide ventilation products. Their size should be 0.001 of the floor slab area. If tiles or slate are used as roofing material, then it is not necessary to make air ducts, since such a coating has gaps. But this applies to those houses, under the roof of which there is no waterproofing layer.

Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool

Mineral wool is characterized by low thermal conductivity, resistance to high temperatures and chemical substances. In addition, this material has soundproofing properties, so its use will solve two problems at once. Features of laying mineral wool are as follows:

  1. First of all, a vapor barrier layer is laid on the ceiling. It can be a special membrane, foil or polyethylene film. The vapor barrier is overlapped, and the joint areas are treated with an adhesive.
  2. Next, rolls of insulation are laid over the laid layer. Mineral wool is placed between the elements of the truss system.
  3. From the side of the eaves, the material is placed horizontally, placing it on the edge. This will help create a barrier that will keep the wind out.
  4. If the attic space is ventilated, additional insulation is placed on top of the mineral wool rolls, which has vapor-permeable properties. For this purpose, you can choose isospan.
  5. On the sides of the mineral wool, the vapor barrier does not fit. If it is present, moisture will enter the insulation layer, and this will inevitably lead to the appearance of mold and the material will lose its performance.

Insulation of a cold attic with foam

The use of this insulation will allow you to get a monolithic heat-insulating coating without joints. Styrofoam can be used to insulate houses with floors made of brick, metal or wood. The low thermal conductivity of the material makes it possible to obtain a thin layer of thermal insulation, which makes it possible to save the usable area of ​​the room. This is especially true when using the attic as a living area. The foam does not allow moisture to pass through and thus protects the house from condensation.

Features of the foam insulation process look like this:

  1. This heater is laid on a flat surface. Therefore, before starting work, all overlap defects must be eliminated.
  2. A vapor barrier is initially laid on the prepared base.
  3. Further, the insulation boards are laid according to a checkerboard pattern.
  4. Joints are filled mounting foam.
  5. After it hardens, the material is poured with a layer of cement-sand mortar 5 cm thick. Such a screed can be used as an attic floor.

Insulation of a cold attic with sawdust

This method is less popular due to the fact that the material is inferior in performance to mineral wool or polystyrene. However, if you decide to insulate the attic with sawdust, you should follow these rules:

  1. First you need to eliminate the existing gaps. This can be done with clay or modern putty.
  2. A small amount of sand is poured on top. If cracks appear in the clay, its fine fractions will fill the cracks.
  3. Next, the base should be sprinkled with a mixture of slaked lime and carbide. This composition will help to avoid the appearance of mice.
  4. After finishing the preparation, you can proceed to sawdust. They are poured in a layer up to 20 cm. Sawdust is a combustible material, so they need to be sprinkled with slag mining on top.
  5. Particular attention should be paid to areas near hot objects, such as chimneys. As an alternative to slag, fire retardants can be used, which process sawdust.

This completes the insulation work. There is no need to lay any material on top of the sawdust. For ease of movement, you can put boards.

How to insulate a cold attic with straw

An alternative option for using sawdust is straw insulation:

  1. Initially, the base of the attic is covered with a layer of clay no more than 5 mm.
  2. Next, the straw is laid. The thickness depends on climatic conditions and can vary from 20 to 50 cm.
  3. When applied this insulation fighting mice is also topical issue. To do this, use slaked lime with the addition of carbide or another substance that can prevent the appearance of rodents.
  4. In order to prevent the ignition of the heat-insulating material, clay is applied on top of the straw with a layer of 2 cm.

Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with ecowool

Ecowool is recycled waste paper. To minimize the combustibility of the material, mineral binders are added to its composition. Ecowool fibers have the ability to absorb moisture, so when using it, it is not necessary to lay a vapor barrier. But experts still recommend laying the film base.

This insulation is installed by blowing installation. The advantage of this method is that there is no need to prepare a working base. As a result of using the installation, the insulation layer is homogeneous without gaps. In order for ecowool to cope with its task and provide the necessary thermal insulation effect, its thickness should be 25 cm.
But in the course of work, one should take into account the ability of the insulation to decrease in size after a while. For this reason, during the blowing process, a layer is formed that exceeds the recommended norm by 15% in thickness. After 1-3 weeks, a protective crust will appear due to the fastening of the upper ecowool fibers. This process can be accelerated by slightly moistening the insulation after installation is completed.

Insulation of a cold attic in a private house with fiberglass and expanded clay

Glass wool has a significant number of positive performance characteristics. It is resistant to fire, moisture and decay processes. Glass wool is an unfavorable habitat for rodents and various microorganisms, so pests do not start in it. However, this material has high level toxicity.

A prerequisite for using this insulation is the use of a respirator, gloves and tight clothing, which must be burned after installation. Glass wool is laid in a layer of 15 to 25 cm. It has the property of caking, so after a certain period of time the fiberglass will have to be replaced.
Another option for insulation is the use of expanded clay. It is mainly used for concrete floors. First, a layer of expanded clay with a thickness of 20 cm is poured onto the surface, which is poured from above by 5 cm with a cement mixture. This method will help not only to insulate the room, but also to get a full-fledged floor.

How to insulate a cold attic with reeds

The main advantage of reeds is environmental safety. It's comparatively new material, which in terms of thermal insulation qualities is not inferior to other heaters. Produced in the form of plates. In the event of a fire, the reed is able to contain the spread of fire. To reduce its combustibility, the material is treated with flame retardant compounds.

Reed is suitable for wooden and concrete floors. Installation of a vapor barrier in this case is not a prerequisite. To make it convenient to move around the insulated floor, you can lay wood-fiber boards on top.

The use of ladders made of algae and linen insulation

The ladders are made from zostera - seaweed. This natural material, which has high thermal insulation qualities, which is not subject to decay, as well as to the effects of microorganisms and mice. Iodine and sea salt allocate such properties of the ladder. When in contact with fire, they do not light up, but only smolder a little. It does not emit toxic elements. Algae are not susceptible to moisture. Therefore, during their installation, it is not necessary to lay a vapor barrier. The ladders are mounted directly on the floor surface with a layer of up to 20 cm.
Linen insulation is produced in the form of rolls. They are made on the basis of natural raw materials, which makes the material absolutely environmentally friendly. They are used in most cases for warming the attics of wooden houses.

The installation technology of such heaters is quite simple. Preparatory work are limited to the elimination of cracks in the ceiling, they are covered with clay. There is no need for vapor barrier. Then linen rolls are laid. When installing, make sure that there are no gaps.

Cold attic ceiling insulation

This method is used if access to the attic base is difficult. It has a certain drawback, the height of the ceilings in the room will decrease slightly. Warming involves the same actions as for the thermal insulation of the ceiling, only in reverse order. First, a vapor barrier film is laid, then a heater, which is covered on top with a vapor barrier material. This is the difference between this method. When thermally insulating the floor, a vapor-permeable layer is laid on the insulation.
The ceiling of a cold attic is insulated in the following order:

  1. A membrane is attached to its surface by means of a sealing adhesive.
  2. Then a crate of wooden slats is mounted in increments of 50 cm.
  3. The insulation is placed in the space between the frame elements.
  4. A vapor-tight membrane is fixed with glue.
  5. This completes the work.

Conclusion

Insulating the attic area will help keep the heat inside the room and reduce heating costs. Today, the construction market offers a significant selection of materials of natural and artificial origin, each of which has its own advantages. The process of their installation is quite simple and does not require special training. Some types of materials, in addition to thermal insulation, can achieve a soundproofing effect.

How to insulate the attic with your own hands:

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

Development of insulation attic floor mineral wool

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

1 Why is attic floor insulation necessary?

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

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

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

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

By itself, this technology is quite simple and understandable. Good 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 floor of the attic and insulating the roof of the house with your own hands, or rather the level of its quality, has a direct impact not only on the size of heat loss, but also on the duration of the operational life of the entire truss structure and roofing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If all work is carried out correctly, then in winter period 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 design features buildings.

1.2 Features of insulation of beam ceilings

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

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

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

On top of the beams, a subfloor covering is laid. It can be a 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 bar was used to create beams High Quality, Then finishing material creep directly on their surface.

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

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

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

2 Why is mineral wool used for attic insulation?

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

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

Attic insulation with mineral wool

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

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

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

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

2.1 Technology of insulation of attic floors with mineral wool

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

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

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

The 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 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 she is left without the necessary air supply and sun rays, then it will gradually shrink and, in the end, will lose all its heat-insulating qualities.

Attic cold interfloor overlapping 20 cm min.

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

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

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

Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool


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

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

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

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

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

The attic floor insulation technology depends on the material chosen.

Comparative characteristics of heat-insulating material with equal thickness

In this article we will consider the most popular heaters.

Attic insulation with mineral wool

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

Benefits of mineral wool:

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

Among the disadvantages: the ability to absorb moisture.

Mineral wool attic insulation technology

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

Attic insulation with mineral wool

First stage

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

Attic floor insulation technology with mineral wool If insulation is carried out according to wooden beams, then the film should go around all the protruding elements. Otherwise, the beams may rot.

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

Second phase

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

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

a) insufficient thickness of the heat-insulating material;

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

Useful tips for installing mineral wool

  • insulation with foil will increase the resistance of the material to heat loss. The sheet is laid with the foil side down.
  • the insulation should not protrude beyond the beam. If such a situation exists, the beam needs to be lengthened wooden beam or additional lath up to the thickness of the insulation.
  • a thin insulation laid in two layers retains more heat than one thick one. In this case, the plates must be laid in a checkerboard pattern.
  • if there are protruding structural elements in the attic, for example, a chimney pipe, you need to raise the insulation to a height of 400-500 mm. and fix it.

Third stage

Waterproofing is being laid if the attic is not supposed to be used, but rafter system not protected by waterproofing film. If the roofing material is separated from the attic with a film, then you can proceed with the final stage.

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

Insulation of the attic floor with foam

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

The advantages of these materials:

Among the disadvantages: flammability.

Attic floor insulation technology with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam

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

  • surface leveling. To ensure high-quality insulation, there should be no significant irregularities on the floor of the base. You can eliminate such differences by performing a screed with a sand-cement mortar.
  • slabs are laid butt-to-butt or between beams. The presence of a bar increases the strength of the floor.

Insulation of the attic floor with foam plastic Draft coating

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

Attic insulation with sawdust

Sawdust is finely chopped wood.

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

Attic insulation technology with sawdust

  • before proceeding with the insulation with sawdust, they need to be prepared. Namely, mix cement and water with sawdust in a ratio of 10:1:1.
  • Pour the attic floor with the finished mixture and level it. It is worth noting that it is possible to use sawdust as a heater without using a frame only in a non-residential attic. Otherwise, when walking on the floor, sawdust will be compressed, and the concrete screed will collapse.
  • build a cellular structure from a bar. Pour a solution with sawdust into each cell. The advantage of this method is that a subfloor can be laid along the timber. And the attic will be usable

Attic insulation with sawdust

Insulation of the attic floor with expanded clay

Expanded clay is obtained by firing clay.

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

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

Expanded clay attic insulation technology

The work is carried out in three stages:

  • the plate is inspected for cracks and cracks. They are sealed with mortar or covered with thick paper. The protruding elements do not create difficulties with backfilling of expanded clay.
  • mount a crate from a bar. A rough floor will be laid on it in the future.
  • loose insulation is poured onto the stove and leveled with a conventional rake. Layer thickness 250-300 mm. You can move around expanded clay without restrictions.

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

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

Please note that attic insulation hardwood floor has some quirks:

  • the tree is subject to decay, which means that the steam rising up must pass freely. Improper installation of films or the use of non-breathable materials, such as roofing felt, will lead to the destruction of wood in the future.
  • using foil insulation, you need to place it with the foil down. So the wood will be protected from water ingress and at the same time, it will not accumulate steam moisture.

attic insulation mistakes

  • "Correct" - use a superdiffusion membrane or vapor barrier film
  • "Wrong" - to lay a special film without marking or even a regular film

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

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

Conclusion

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

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


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

Thermal insulation of cold attic floors: materials and methods

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

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

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

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

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

Materials for insulation of the attic floor

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

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

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

Materials produced in the format of plates and mats:

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

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

Bulk materials for attic floor insulation:

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

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

How to properly insulate the attic floor with mineral wool

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

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

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

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

Insulation of attic floor slabs with extruded polystyrene foam

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

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

Thermal insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Stages of work

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

Floor insulation

Floor insulation can also be divided into several steps:

Stages of thermal insulation of the floor

Preparation of materials

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

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

Wood sawdust is an excellent natural insulation

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

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

Reed insulation mat

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

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

Penoizol is applied in liquid form

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

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

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

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

Expanded clay for floor insulation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Floor preparation

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

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

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

Example of laying mineral wool

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

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

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

Ceiling insulation with mineral mats

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

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

Fastening the vapor barrier with a stapler

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

Roof insulation

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

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

Stages of attic insulation

Preparation of materials

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

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

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

Treatment of rafters with an antiseptic

Roof preparation

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

  1. first of all, inspect the truss system for its integrity. If any parts are cracked or rotten, they must be replaced or repaired.;
  2. if the thickness of the insulation exceeds the thickness of the log, they must be increased. To do this, nail bars or boards of sufficient thickness to them;
  3. 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:

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

Fastening the vapor barrier to the rafters

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

Warming the space between the rafters with mineral wool

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

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

  • after laying the insulation, you need to fix another layer of vapor barrier on the rafters;
  1. at the end of the work, you need to complete the crate using slats or boards about 2 cm thick, to which finishing materials can be attached.

Warming of gables

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

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

Insulation work resembles the thermal insulation of ordinary walls:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Insulation of the house does not end with sheathing with insulating material of walls, ceiling and floor. As a rule, most private buildings have an attic. It must also be insulated depending on the desired temperature inside the room. There are two ways of sheathing the attic floor - warm and cold. In the first case, the entire circuit is isolated so that the air under the roof is heated from exhaust ventilation. The second method involves only covering the floor. It is the insulation of a cold attic that will be discussed further.

Most often, a cold attic is found in multi-story buildings. The quality of its insulation affects the overall heat loss of the room, as well as the durability of the roofing and truss systems. To improve heat conservation, you will need to place a heater between the vapor and waterproofing materials. The first prevents the mineral wool from getting wet, which occurs due to the rise of wet masses to the top of the room. The second eliminates the ingress of moisture from the roof of the house through cracks, holes, gaps in the roofing material.

Attic insulation work is carried out more often from the side of the floor than from the ceiling of the lower floor. The sequence of actions is different and depends on the selected insulation.

Many consumers opt for mineral wool - a soft, reliable, inexpensive heat insulator with high compressibility, which allows you to cover even an uneven surface.

It is sold in rolls or soft plates, and cut with a clerical or simple knife of sufficient size.

The positive properties of mineral wool are:

  • high fire resistance;
  • resistance to moisture;
  • the material is not afraid of rodents;
  • Ease of use;
  • price availability.

Despite the relative simplicity of the material, when working with mineral wool, you need to use protective gloves, goggles, thick clothes with long sleeves (covering your hands completely), and a respirator prone to allergic diseases.

Required tools and equipment

To fully insulate the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool, you will need:

  • vapor barrier (special membrane or polyethylene film);
  • waterproofing (a classic example is roofing material);
  • several rolls / slabs of mineral wool (the quantity is determined by the insulated area, the climatic conditions of the region, as well as the desired number of layers of insulation);
  • scotch;
  • tape measure, preferably from 5 m;
  • stationery knife;
  • construction stapler;
  • boards and sheets of plywood (to form the areas inside which the material will be laid);
  • spatula (for leveling / sealing insulation).

If everything you need is ready, it's time to move on to work.

Instructions for covering the attic floor

Proper insulation cold room involves the sequential implementation of the following steps:

  1. Laying vapor barrier material on the floor. They can serve as a vapor-tight membrane, plastic film or glassine. The first example is the most expensive, the last is the most accessible. The material is laid with an overlap, the joints are glued with adhesive tape or fixed with thin wooden slats using a stapler.
  2. Logs (horizontal sections) are formed from plywood or small bars. The distance between parallel boards should be a couple of centimeters less than the expected width of the insulation.
  3. Mineral wool fits tightly into the logs, compacted with a spatula so that there are no gaps. If it was necessary to lay two pieces of insulation, their joint is glued with adhesive tape.
  4. It is advisable to lay a waterproofing material on top of the cotton wool layer so that it does not allow the floor to get wet. Most likely, a layer of roofing material is already under the roof, but for greater peace of mind, it is recommended to perform this step when insulating a cold attic floor.
  5. After laying three layers of attic protection against freezing and moisture, even boards are laid over the lags to form the floor.

The implementation of the above plan is the key to a quality job. A flat floor laid on top of the insulation is the base surface for the final finish.

Features of working with the material

Compared to polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or similar insulation, mineral wool is an order of magnitude superior to them in terms of precautions. In addition to the clothing rules mentioned earlier, the following regulations must be observed:

  • cut pieces of mineral wool only on a horizontal flat surface;
  • lay it in a layer, the width of which is not less than 25 cm;
  • insulate mineral wool pipes, ventilation wells, beams and other areas protruding in the attic near the floor.

Obviously, the insulation of a cold attic with the considered material is an elementary process, which is complicated only by the properties of cotton wool. Compliance with the laying technology will give warmth to your home for many decades, and the applied insulation will perform its functions with high quality.

August 27, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works(laying the foundation, erecting walls, constructing the roof, etc.). Internal construction works (laying of internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobbies: mobile communication, high technologies, computer equipment, programming.

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

However, in country house or a country cottage (which I am currently building for my son), the under-roof space plays a huge role. Often there is an open expansion tank heating system, ventilation pipes, chimneys. And sometimes they equip living quarters - attic.

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

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

Thermal insulation materials

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

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

I won't tell you now what better option of the above, as I can offer more technologically advanced and efficient thermal insulation materials for attic insulation.

However, before that, I’ll note what technical characteristics a heat insulator should have in order to be used for the described work:

  1. Light weight. The material after laying 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.

  1. Safety. The material used for insulation should not harm human health.

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

  1. Ease of installation. The less effort you need to spend on the installation of heat insulators, the better, right?

In addition, there is not much space in the under-roof space of some houses, so working there is not very convenient. I always try to buy materials that do not require the use of sophisticated equipment.

  1. Low thermal conductivity. The better this indicator is, the smaller the layer of heat-insulating material should be used. Accordingly, the interior space of the attic will not greatly decrease.

Again, I consider this important, since I plan to make an attic in my son's dacha in the attic. But I think it’s not very interesting for you to lay thermal insulation with a thickness of 20-30 cm.

  1. hydrophobic properties. In attics, the air often has high humidity, which reduces the efficiency of the heat-insulating layer.

I advise choosing materials that are either treated with water-repellent compounds, or those that do not change their technical characteristics when wet.

  1. 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 action of open fire and do not support combustion.

Of course, I failed to choose the perfect insulation that 100% meets all the listed requirements. But still I will tell about those with whom I had to work.

So, I insulated attics:

  • polyurethane foam;
  • foam;
  • mineral wool;
  • expanded clay.

I'll tell you more about them.

polyurethane foam

The raw material for the manufacture of this heat insulator is plastic. Insulating the 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 you do not need to buy screws, adhesive mixtures, crates 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 rigid, 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, 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 simply need to be fixed to the pipelines with adhesive tape or plastic ties.

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

Styrofoam

This heater, as well as similar to it technical specifications expanded polystyrene, are widely used for warming rooms under the roof. I personally prefer the expanded polystyrene obtained by extrusion. It is more durable, does not burn, has a low coefficient of 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 construction tools and fastened with dowels.

Mineral wool

Fibrous heat insulators are a versatile material. Mineral fiber-based heaters 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 temperature melting. Therefore, this insulation can be used for installation on chimneys, the surface of which can become very hot.

There is one point here. The insulation is not waterproof and, when moistened, may lose its heat-shielding properties. To avoid this, when insulating, it is necessary to install hydro- 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 is 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, insulating his first cottage. Expanded clay has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity and weighs a little. However, it is loose, so it can only be used to insulate the floor of the under-roof space.

But the installation process itself does not require any tricks. You just need to pour it on the floor, and then properly protect it 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 coating.

Independent insulation of the attic space

We sort of decided on the most popular heat-insulating materials, now I’ll tell you how to properly insulate the under-roof space so that you can equip an attic there in the future.

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

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

The whole process of warming consists of several stages:

  • Preparation;
  • waterproofing;
  • laying a heat insulator;
  • vapor barrier;
  • arrangement of the crate and installation of decorative trim;
  • insulation of engineering communications;
  • floor insulation.

I will 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, in almost 100% of cases this room is used as a trash storage, where all unnecessary things are taken down (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 perform insulation before, then I advise you to get rid of any traces of this process. For example, remove sawdust, scraps of felt, construction debris, and so on from all cracks. Believe me, I have insulated attics more than once and I know how important it is.

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

Last moment. Take it to the attic necessary tools and provide lighting. It is unlikely that you have sockets there, so you will 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 electric, since not a single extension cord at the construction site reached from switchboard to the attic.

Waterproofing

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

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

Insulation laying

The heat-insulating material, as I said, must be mounted on a pre-mounted crate. However, if you want to save a little, you do not need to design a separate frame. The roof truss system will perfectly play its role.

In the latter case, in order to press the material and be able to mount the decorative sheathing, 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 insulation layer.

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

  1. Rolls of mineral wool must be cut so that their width corresponds to the distance between the rafter supports. After that, lay under the roof surface, gluing to the surface or temporarily attaching with wooden slats.

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

  1. The foam 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 insulation measures, so they need to be blown out with mounting foam.

vapor barrier

After laying the insulation, you need to install a vapor barrier membrane. It will protect the insulating material from the penetration of moisture to it, which is formed during the life of people.

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 building envelope. As a result, a microclimate comfortable for living will be formed in the attic, when viewed 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 crate). This should be done with a stapler, gently 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 only in one direction. Therefore, before installation, make sure that you have unfolded the membrane to the desired surface.

Control grille

Having finished with the films, you can begin to complete the operations for finishing the walls (well, or the roof, that's how you look). I will use it for this, but in the same way you can fix OSB boards, drywall, lining, and so on.

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

The material for the transverse frame can be a wooden rail or a galvanized profile. The essence of this will not change. The parts 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 skin does not sag under load.

Herself decorative trim also depends 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 sticking the wallpaper, do not forget to putty the seams between the plywood sheets and perform other necessary operations (priming, and so on).

Warming of engineering communications

If you do not provide for the creation of an attic, it is imperative to insulate the ventilation ducts in the cold attic, as well as, if available, pipes for heating, water supply and smoke exhaust (which term I came up with).

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

The cost of such insulators is low, so you definitely will not go broke.

Attic floor insulation

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 (styrofoam), I won’t buy expanded clay, I’ll limit myself to what I have at my disposal.

So, the attic insulation technology is as follows:

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

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

  1. Cotton wool is laid on the waterproofing layer. Choose a material that is specifically designed for insulating horizontal surfaces. For example, Izover KT37.

  1. From above, the vapor barrier membrane is stretched again, on which it is stuffed facing material. I used plywood, which I plan to cover with linoleum.

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

  1. Wood for lags and sheathing must be treated with hydrophobic, fire-fighting and antiseptic compounds in order to maximize its service life.
  2. To enter, 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 the ceiling from the side of the cold attic) has been completed in full. And in order to achieve maximum efficiency thermal insulation measures, I still advise you to make an insulated hatch with a ladder, as described in the video in this article.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is nothing terrible and heavy 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 perform attic insulation in a private house with your own hands.

August 27, 2016

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thanks!

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 can 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)

Up