What is the best way to insulate an attic? Insulation of a cold attic in a private house

To reduce heat loss in a private house, one effective heating system is not enough - to minimize them, it is necessary to insulate all elements of the building. The same applies to the roof. If it is not planned to equip the attic, insulation of the cold attic floor will be required.

A bit from the history of roofing

Since ancient times, people have built private households with such high quality that they could stand for 100 years. At the same time, it was not cold to live in them, and the natural wood roof frame was always dry. As for the shape of the roofs on such buildings, they were most often built with two slopes, and had a slight slope.

This choice was explained by the fact that the snow that fell in winter had to linger on the roof and act as a natural insulation. In the attic of the building, one, less often two windows were made. They were closed for the winter and then the air in the under-roof space played the role of a heat insulator.

During the summer, the windows were opened slightly at night to cool the temperature in the attic. In the heat they were closed, and the air did not heat up. So in the attic they regulated the temperature.

In winter, when snow fell, it covered the roof with a continuous carpet and thus was a roofing natural heat insulator. Even in severe frosts, the temperature in the under-roof space did not drop below zero. As a result, the house was warm in cold weather.

At the same time, the roof slopes were not insulated so that the snow on them would not melt. The rafter system was left open, thereby allowing its inspection and maintenance. Therefore, in such attics, only floors were thermally insulated.

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

Building materials for floor insulation - the better to insulate

A large selection of building materials is presented on the domestic market. To decide how to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic, it is necessary to take into account the conditions in which the heat insulator will be operated.

There are a number of requirements for a heater:

preservation of its original qualities at temperatures from -30 to +30 degrees;
in hot weather, the material should not emit substances harmful to people and freeze in severe frost;
you need to choose a fire-resistant heat insulator if lighting is planned in the attic;
products must be moisture resistant so that when wet, their original properties do not decrease.

Before you purchase materials for insulating the floor of an unheated attic in a private household, you need to consider what the floor is made of. If these are wooden beams, then bulk, roll or slab heaters are used. When the ceiling was created from concrete slabs, bulk or slab insulators that are heavy in weight can be used. Often a cement screed is poured on the floor.

In the form of plates and mats they sell:

mineral wool;
extruded polystyrene foam;
Styrofoam;
straw;
seaweed.

In the form of rolls are made:

mineral wool;
stone and glass wool;
algae ladders.

One of the most popular options for arranging thermal insulation is the insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool.

Bulk materials include:

expanded clay;
sawdust;
straw;
reeds;
ecowool;
granular foam;
slag.

When laying insulation in the attic in a wooden house, you need to use natural, environmentally friendly and breathable materials.

Mineral wool attic insulation

This modern and popular insulation is produced in rolls or mats. Mineral wool does not burn, does not rot, various microorganisms and rodents are not dangerous to it.

Insulation of the attic floor with mineral wool is carried out in stages:

First lay the lining material on the floor. In the case of an economy option, inexpensive glassine is laid on the floor. A more expensive and high-quality device will be a flooring device made of a vapor barrier film, which is mounted with an overlap.
At the same time, the joints of the segments are glued with adhesive tape or fastened with wooden slats, fixing them with a stapler.
The width of the thermal insulation material is selected taking into account the technical standards for a particular region. The mineral wool between the lags is laid out tightly, leaving no gaps. Tape is used to seal the joints.
After the installation of the insulation is completed, even boards are placed on the logs and this is how the floor in the attic is formed.

The above solution on how to insulate the attic of a private house with mineral wool gives the material the ability to "breathe" and ventilate when moisture gets on it. To prevent the penetration of moist air into the insulation, waterproofing is mounted under the roof.

When working with mineral wool, you need to use protective equipment, such as a respirator, goggles, gloves and overalls.

Application of extruded polystyrene foam

Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) refers to loose materials, so it is used if it is necessary to insulate a floor made of logs and beams. For thermal insulation of plates, extruded polystyrene foam is used, which is denser than conventional foam.

Before laying it, the surface of the base is leveled. On the warm side of the floor, vapor barrier is not needed, since concrete slabs have practically no vapor permeability. A vapor barrier film is laid out on the prepared base. Then, slabs of extruded insulation are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Mounting foam is blown into the joints.

After it dries and becomes hard, the thermal insulation slabs are poured with a concrete mixture about 4–6 centimeters thick. After hardening, the screed becomes suitable for use as an attic floor. If desired, you can lay the final coating on the screed.

Insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

Ecowool is a lightweight and at the same time friable heat insulator, consisting of cellulose, it also contains flame retardants, such as boric acid and borax. Before starting work, a film is laid on the floor. For laying ecowool, a special blowing machine is used.

The heat-insulating layer is applied continuously, without leaving even the slightest gaps. Ecowool contains a large volume of air, so a layer of 250-300 millimeters is enough. When performing insulation, it should be remembered that shrinkage of this material occurs over time. Therefore, a layer of ecowool is applied with a margin of 40-50 millimeters.

Then the insulation must be moistened with water or with a solution. It is prepared from 200 grams of PVA glue and a bucket of water. The broom is moistened in the solution and the cotton wool is well moistened. After drying, lignin is formed on the heat-insulating layer - a crust that prevents the insulation from moving.

Which method of attic insulation from the above options to choose depends on the specific situation.

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

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

What insulation is suitable for the attic?

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

Mineral wool: no harmful dust

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

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

Expanded polystyrene and foam: ease of installation

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

Inflatable insulation: fashion and rationality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What parameters of the heater should be paid attention to?

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

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

Parameter number 1. Biostability

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

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

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

Parameter number 2. Thermal conductivity

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

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

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

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

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

Parameter number 3. Weight

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

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

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

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

One of the heaviest heaters is basalt wool:

Parameter number 4. Moisture resistance

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

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

Parameter number 5. Environmental friendliness

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

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

Parameter number 6. Shape saving

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

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

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

Parameter number 7. Fire safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to insulate a concrete attic floor

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

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

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

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

More details about the process itself:

How to insulate a wooden attic floor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to leave running ladders in a heater

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

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

The under-roof space is one of the risk areas, 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.

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

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

Varieties of attic structures

Starting attic insulation in a private house, you need to choose one of the 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 influx 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 high-rise buildings.
Attic space in the attic of a heated type: 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 best insulation material

Before deciding how best to insulate the attic of a private house, it is necessary to identify the range of proposed insulation operations. Some refer to insulation as the need to insulate only ceilings and roofs to reduce heat loss without insulating the under-roof space. A group of owners has also been identified, 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 building trends are increasingly leaning towards insulating the entire attic so that you can live in it, and here the choice of materials is much wider than in the previous two options. But let's start with how to insulate a cold attic inexpensively. This can be done using materials such as:

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

Which of these thermal insulation materials are the best and which can be successfully used for sloping attic surfaces? Expanded clay will be discarded immediately (it is only suitable for horizontal surfaces), therefore, first of all, slab heaters (foam plastic and polystyrene foam) remain. These are fairly cheap materials, but due to flammability, they will have to be protected with other layers that prevent the main heaters from igniting.

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

Glass wool is not quite the best material, it should not be chosen for attic insulation, if only because glass microparticles quickly enter the air and harm people.

Sawdust or shavings must be laid in such a way that it is possible to replace them - over time, a layer of such insulation is compressed, losing its insulating qualities.

Stages of insulation

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

Laying heat-insulating materials on the surfaces of floors.
Roof internal insulation.
Insulation of roof gables, installation of insulation and finishing. In this case, the insulation can immediately play the role of 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 chips or sawdust have a thermal conductivity of 0.05-0.095 W / m 0 C, if they are laid in a layer no thinner than 20 cm.
The folk method of insulation is reed, 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, laying occurs by spraying.
Expanded clay is the most common of environmentally friendly and fireproof insulating 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 they can only insulate the floor surface.
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 ecowool it is required to make protection against mechanical damage.

Auxiliary materials for insulation:

Membrane for vapor barrier.
Sheet material for flooring - boards, chipboard, fiberboard, OSB, etc.
Wood preservative.

Mineral wool insulation scheme

Floor surface preparation

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

Floor insulation

Before insulating the ceiling in a private house, a vapor barrier layer with an overlap of 10-15 cm is laid on the beams and boardwalk.
Thermal insulation is laid on the vapor barrier layer, for example, a mineral wool slab or EPS expanded polystyrene 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 draft floor of the attic will be equipped.

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

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

Overlapping 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 loose materials cannot be used, since they can only insulate the attic on the floor.

To make the process itself clear, consider the laying of Izover mineral mats:

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

Roof insulation in a private house

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

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 increased to the required size with bars or slats. Thus, all the space between the rafters will be filled.
All wooden elements are impregnated with an antiseptic. Such work will extend the 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 roof waterproofing. To maintain the air gap between these layers, nails are hammered 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 cracks appear between the layers, they are clogged with the same material. Such a layer of insulation is fixed again with thick threads stretched between the rafters.
A vapor barrier layer is applied on top of the laid insulation, which is fixed with adhesive tape.
On top of all layers of the cake, a wooden crate is made of inlays or bars with a 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 the easiest to implement with your own hands. To date, mineral wool and polystyrene are the most popular and affordable heaters.

Over time, every owner of a private house thinks about attic insulation. After all, every year the materials lose their original qualities, which leads to the loss of heat that escapes through the attic.

Thermal insulation of the house is a priority that must be addressed before the onset of cold weather. So, as everyone knows, a warm house is far from one that is well heated, but one that does not let all this heat through.

It should also be noted that the insulation of the attic of a private house with polystyrene foam or any other insulation will make it possible to significantly reduce heating costs.

That is why the question of how and with what to insulate the attic becomes as relevant as possible.

As a standard, this kind of insulation is necessary in underused rooms. It is also important to note that they must necessarily be equipped with properly equipped roof ventilation.

The attic, together with its ceilings, performs a very important function, namely, it acts as a boundary between heat and cold. A large amount of condensate accumulates here and this happens as a result of the intensive effect of moisture on the attic. And this must be taken into account when warming your private house.

Many firms and companies offer similar services, but it often happens that the prices for their services are too high and many people think about insulating the house on their own. You can insulate your house with your own hands. However, for this it is important to take into account all the features of the installation of a particular insulation.

The following describes in more detail all the materials that can be used as insulation for the attic. Here, all the advantages will be considered, as well as their disadvantages, and everything so that in the end you can choose the best option for yourself.

But first you need to determine the main types of heaters:

bulk;
slab;
roll;
sprayed.

It should be noted that each of the options has its own characteristics and can be used as a heater for the attic. It is important to understand that only the main materials that have received the most positive feedback are listed here.

Warming with mineral wool, ecowool

Mineral wool, perhaps, is by far the most popular material for warming the mountain. This is a classic in the construction industry. After all, it is used by both professional teams and people who decide to deal with the issue of insulation on their own.

Such a wide popularity of mineral wool was achieved due to its excellent performance characteristics. Especially if you take into account basalt mineral wool. It is non-flammable and easy to install.

It is also worth considering some of its other advantages, which include:

Simplicity in the process of operation, while working with mineral wool, there are absolutely no problems, even for those who insulate the attic on their own.
It has a "breathing effect" and it is due to this that a good microclimate is created.
Not amenable to combustion.
Allows you to create good sound insulation.
Environmentally friendly material.
Many note its property not to lose shape even over a long period of use.
It has a relatively small weight, which in no way affects the main structure.
Rodents and other pests will not be able to spoil it.
The minimum level of thermal conductivity.
One of the cheapest materials that is suitable for insulating the attic of a private house.

It should also be said that mineral wool is sold both in rolls and in slabs. And this makes it possible to choose the most suitable option, which will be easier for you to lay.

Important! If you decide to insulate the attic with mineral wool, then you should take care of both waterproofing and vapor barrier. This is due to the fact that this material is afraid of moisture. And if you ignore this moment, then after a while the mineral wool will lose its original appearance and its performance characteristics.

Attic insulation with polystyrene foam

Everyone who is wondering how to insulate the attic has the idea to use polystyrene foam. And this is not at all accidental, since this material is even more common than mineral wool. It is also used by professional builders in their work, and it is perfect for independent work.

The main feature that polystyrene has is an acceptable price. It is actually the cheapest building material that can be used as attic insulation.

It is also important to note that expanded polystyrene is much denser than cotton wool, and therefore it is a pleasure to lay it, since it is an “obedient” material. It can be easily processed and laid in the right place.

In addition, there are a number of other advantages:

Perfectly keeps its original shape.
Not affected by moisture.
Low thermal conductivity, an order of magnitude lower than that of mineral wool.
The ability to create excellent sound insulation.

But along with a large number of advantages, this material also has significant disadvantages, which include the following indicators:

Highly flammable, just one spark is enough for the foam to begin to smolder.
It does not let steam through, and therefore it is impossible to achieve the effect of "breathing walls" with this insulation.
If you do not additionally protect the polystyrene foam, then the rodents will gnaw it “with pleasure”, and therefore you can end up without attic insulation.

Despite all its shortcomings, polystyrene still remains one of the leaders in the field of attic insulation. After all, fires do not happen so often, additional protection of the material can be used from rodents, but the "breathing effect" is not so important on the mountain.

Therefore, we can conclude that for such a low price, this is just a great option.

Insulation for the attic

A similar method of warming the mountain in a private house is the most fashionable today. It is used by almost all companies that offer such construction services.

The main advantage that this attic insulation has is that it independently fills all the space, voids and at the same time creates a uniform and continuous layer. You no longer need to cut blocks in order to close up all the holes.

In Russia today, two blown heaters are used: blown wool and ecowool.

The latter consists of 80% cellulose fibers. They are also made from the most common waste paper, but the remaining 20% are a wide variety of additives, which can be boric acid, which acts as an antiseptic, and snowstorm as a fire retardant.

Blown wool is completely composed of standard mineral substances, which are designed for thermal insulation. It is important to note that it is highly crushed.

Insulation with bulk materials: expanded clay

If you are still thinking about how to insulate the attic in a private house, then you should pay attention to expanded clay. This is one of the easiest ways to insulate the attic without resorting to specialists.

Expanded clay is balls that are poured onto the floor, trying to distribute them as evenly as possible. As you already understood, they can only insulate the floor, the ceiling will not work, in no way.

The advantages of the material include the following:

Not flammable.
Resistant to low temperatures.
Has high strength.
Creates excellent sound insulation.
Environmentally friendly material that does not affect human health in any way.
Has a long service life.
Provides good thermal insulation.

The material is poured on top of the roofing material, the minimum layer must be at least 15 cm. In order to be able to walk in the attic, you will need to make a concrete screed.

Sawdust as insulation for the attic

The technical characteristics of this material are in no way inferior to modern synthetic insulation.

Important! Sawdust for insulation is used extremely rarely, since there is a large selection of other materials on the market that are much easier to work with.

Sawdust Benefits:

Sawdust is an environmentally friendly material.
Low cost.
Long service life.
Low thermal conductivity.
To create such a heater, you do not need any special equipment or a special tool.

polyurethane foam

This material occupies a leading position in the table of environmental safety, and therefore it can be safely bought.

Important! This material shows excellent adhesion, and therefore can be used with absolutely any materials.

Characteristic properties of polyurethane foam:

not susceptible to moisture;
high level of sound insulation;
practically incombustible.

Stages of attic insulation

In order for the insulation to serve for a long time and there are no problems with it, it is necessary to strictly observe the technology. This is the only way to be sure of the quality of the insulation.

Attic preparation

The first stage is the preparation of the attic.

And first of all, it is necessary to put things in order in it, by this we mean:

cleaning of all unnecessary items;
all wooden parts should be pre-treated with a special compound that protects the material from decay, as well as from the formation of fungus;
if there are metal surfaces, then they should be taken care of, or rather, treated with a special primer or anti-corrosion compound;
old insulation, rags, and sawdust should be removed from all cracks.
if cracks are found in the attic, then they need to be sealed with mounting foam.

The second stage - waterproofing

When insulating the mountain, this stage is one of the most important, since many materials do not tolerate moisture well and may even lose their original characteristics. That is why it is necessary to take care of the good. Also, waterproofing helps to avoid the appearance of corrosion on metal floors.

The third stage - laying insulation

Depending on the chosen insulation, we begin to distribute it evenly over the floor, as well as the walls and ceiling, unless, of course, it is expanded clay or sawdust.

It is important to ensure that all layers are the same, and there is no gap between the heaters. At this stage, you need to be as careful as possible.

Fourth stage - vapor barrier

Vapor barrier is a prerequisite, both for and for reinforced concrete. It must be laid directly on the ceiling, only in this way can it protect the insulation from the resulting vapors that can accumulate in the heat insulator, passing through the ceiling.

Fifth stage - counter-lattice

After the previous stages have been completed, you can begin to complete the wall (roof) decoration. To do this, you can use various materials: lining, drywall or plywood.

The sixth stage - insulation of engineering communications

To do this, you can purchase mineral wool and wrap it around the pipes, and then wrap everything with roofing felt and secure it with wire. This is the easiest way to insulate communications.

As you can see, there are no special difficulties in warming the attic. The main thing is to carefully follow the instructions and do everything consistently, and then you will be able to do this procedure no worse than professionals.

After all, now you can independently choose the most suitable material as a heater.

A warm attic is not only a place to store inventory, but also a 20% reduction in heat loss at home! Do-it-yourself attic insulation in a private house will save a lot of money, especially since the whole process does not require special building skills.

Warm and moist air from the lower floors of the house, according to the laws of thermodynamics, rises. From the correct insulation of the attic will depend on whether all the heat goes outside, or stays in the house. Hydro and vapor barrier films will help to solve the problem with excess moisture.

First of all, you should decide on the further operation of the attic. If you plan to make it heated, you do not need to insulate the attic partition, as well as organize vapor barrier from the lower floors. In this case, it is necessary to insulate only the roof.

Roofing cake from inside to outside will look like this:

vapor barrier - a vapor barrier film for rooms with forced ventilation or a vapor barrier membrane with a minimum vapor permeability to remove excess steam from the room;
insulation - can be anything, but with vapor permeability higher than vapor barrier;
waterproofing - a simple waterproof film for non-hygroscopic insulation or a windproof film with one-way vapor permeability for moisture-accumulating insulation.

If the attic is non-residential, it is necessary to insulate the attic floor itself. To reduce the level of humidity in the house, do not use impervious films and insulation, allowing moisture to evaporate through the attic. And so that moisture does not spoil the rafters, condensing on the inside, you need to choose anti-condensate waterproofing for metal roofs and ensure good ventilation of the cold attic.

Private construction is increasingly characterized by the use of mineral wool rolls or basalt slabs. All thanks to:

simple installation - due to different densities, mineral wool can be wrapped around pipes, rolled out on the floor or installed in a wall frame;
high vapor permeability - steam-saturated air calmly passes through the mineral insulation, without lingering in it and providing natural ventilation at home;
good sound insulation - dense basalt slabs perfectly muffle sounds;
accessibility - you can buy mineral wool at any hardware store, and the variability of shapes and sizes will allow you to choose a heater for any need.

There are also disadvantages - mineral wool loses its properties when wet, therefore, a dew point should not be allowed to appear in the insulation and moisture can be unhindered from evaporating from the thickness of the plates and mats.

Foam insulation is also quite popular, because it:

relatively inexpensive;
easy to install;
does not lose properties when wet;
has low thermal conductivity.

But due to the lack of vapor permeability, houses insulated with polystyrene foam get the effect of a greenhouse and must be equipped with forced ventilation. If condensation forms between the foam and the wooden elements, this leads to the rapid decay of the wood.

Sprayed heaters are convenient for quick and dense filling of hard-to-reach places. Ecowool, made from cellulose, is vapor permeable and allows wooden structures to breathe. It is convenient to use for warming small attic spaces.

But ecowool is afraid of getting wet, and its use will require special equipment for blowing.

Polyurethane foam is a strong and durable material that is not afraid of moisture, suitable for warming large rooms. But, like any polymer insulation, it does not allow steam and air to pass through, so it is not recommended for wooden houses. Thanks to the development of the construction industry, PPU insulation now does not require the use of special equipment, since cylinders have appeared that work from a construction gun on the principle of mounting foam.

Attic insulation technology

Depending on whether the attic will be habitable, the technology of its insulation also depends. For a warm attic, only the roof is insulated, for a cold attic, only the attic floor.

Insulation of a residential attic with mineral wool or foam plastic

If the house has already been built and you don’t want to disassemble the roof, this can be done from the inside:

After that, you can start finishing the attic and begin to settle in!

A cold attic in a wooden house can be insulated with a minimum of cost and effort using ordinary sawdust. This method will improve the microclimate in the house due to natural ventilation. To do this, it is important to ensure maximum vapor permeability of the attic floor:

cardboard should be laid on the subfloor - just to prevent sawdust from falling through the cracks;
a layer of sawdust 15-20 cm thick is poured;
in no case should sawdust be covered with waterproofing - they should be freely ventilated;
the floor is laid with a small gap between sawdust and boards.

How to properly insulate reinforced concrete attic floors is described in detail in the video:

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