Do-it-yourself attic insulation from the outside. Insulation of the attic from the inside: possible problems and ways to solve them

Such a desire is natural, this is a great opportunity to increase the area and living space of your home. In addition, this gives the building a special charm, brings a certain amount of romanticism to its appearance.

Attics are located almost under the roof. What are the usual requirements for them? It is important that it is cool enough in summer and dry and warm in winter. In order for the room to meet the indicated requirements, it is important to know what processes take place in it, to understand the essence of competent insulation.

It is not difficult to do all the necessary work with your own hands, their technology is quite simple. The main thing for this is a conscientious partner and the availability of the necessary tools. If everything is done technologically correctly, they will not get wet or rot, but will serve for a long time and reliably.

Housing under the roof is a special place. Its walls are close to the surface, while the gaps are only 10-15 cm in size. A characteristic feature of the room is connected with this - it instantly cools in winter, and literally heats up in front of our eyes in summer. Such valuable heat for housing escapes through the roof in winter, while in summer it, on the contrary, heats up a lot, significantly raising the temperature of the room.

The ongoing processes depend on the quality as well as the thermal conductivity of the materials used for manufacturing.

In winter, the heat rising from the radiators spreads under the roof arch, and then disappears due to the heat transfer of roofing materials. The snow lying on the roof begins to melt and, turning into ice, destroys its coating.

In summer, it heats up, heating the entire structure, which makes the air in the room also very hot. If the building has a familiar cold attic, then everything happens differently.

The function of a heat insulator in such housing is performed by the air in the attic, and the snow on its roof in winter.

Backfill materials on, together with air, delay the heat coming from below, from housing.

Thanks to this, even in very frosty winters, t in the attic is kept at about 0 degrees. The snow does not melt outside, being another, additional insulator. In summer, t is regulated by vents on the gables, which play the role of a kind of system. How to insulate an attic?

The room must be properly insulated: carefully selected material, the required parameters, and in full compliance with the technology.

Attic insulation: materials

The choice of the optimally suitable material is a very responsible task. After all, a lot depends on its type - the thickness of the insulation “pie” itself, the number of minimum layers in it.

It has special requirements:

• Low thermal conductivity. A material with a coefficient of no higher than 0.05 W / m * K is best suited.
• Ease. The weight of the material matters, it should not overload the roof.
• Low moisture permeability. If suddenly the roof leaks, it should not get wet and lose its qualities. Or it should be well insulated to avoid getting wet.
• . It is extremely important that the material is non-combustible and does not support combustion.
• Elasticity, keeping the shape. Due to their location, lightweight mineral-based materials can sort of slide off, leaving voids. That's why it's so important that it can keep its shape.
• Resistant to sudden temperature changes.
• Strength and durability.

Of course, all these points are ideal, but this does not happen often.

In each case, the required thickness is calculated strictly individually. If you select this indicator approximately, then most likely 25 cm will be enough.

glass wool

This is perhaps the most successful solution for roof insulation from the inside. This is a plastic material that fits compactly between the rafters, covering all the free space. does not support combustion and does not burn itself. It is extremely lightweight and has excellent insulating properties.

Basalt wool in slabs remarkably retains its shape. Its disadvantage is that it easily absorbs steam and water, and therefore needs additional water. This is very important: if mineral wool gets wet, it will irretrievably lose more than half of its useful qualities. If this happens, you will have to change it.

Despite this disadvantage, it is one of the most suitable materials for roof insulation from the inside. It is easy to work with her, she has an affordable price. Strict adherence to technological instructions when working with it eliminates possible shortcomings.

Styrofoam

This is a very popular and sought-after material. But the use of attic insulation should be considered in more detail.

The material has certain characteristics that can be considered virtually unique.

These are its extremely low thermal conductivity, minimal weight, low moisture permeability, ideally rigid shape.

But along with these wonderful positive qualities, it also has obvious disadvantages. Different grades of material have different degrees of fire resistance. And for insulation, its combustible varieties are often used. And this is extremely dangerous. When ignited, the fire rises, and if the insulation catches fire, it will be almost impossible to survive in such a flaming attic.

It is not very convenient for work, because when cutting, cutting and installing it crumbles quite a lot. When using it, there are gaps between the rafters, and they have to be repaired somehow. From time to time it collapses, and begins to crumble even more. Based on all of the above, we can conclude that using foam in this case is not very reasonable.

Expanded polystyrene extruded

This is a wonderful material for insulating the attic from the outside, for laying under the roof, on the rafters. It is quite durable, perfectly retains its shape, it is not afraid of high humidity and, very importantly, it does not burn. Special attention deserves the fact that for warming a not very thick layer is required - 5-10 cm.

polyurethane foam

This is a new generation material. With the help of a special installation, it is blown into the voids of the insulated material, leaving no gaps or holes. This coating prevents the formation of cold bridges.

This material is not afraid of fire and water, it is light, durable, holds its shape well. But he also has a minus - he has an extremely low rate of vapor permeability: he almost does not breathe. Consequently, without the arrangement of forced ventilation, there will always be high humidity in the attic.

Ecowool

Perhaps this is one of the most suitable materials for insulation from the inside, and its use is actually ideal.

He, like the previous one, penetrates into the smallest holes, filling all the gaps.

It is also extremely lightweight, moisture resistant, completely flame retardant and breathable.

In addition, its fundamental difference from other materials is that it is completely harmless to health and absolutely environmentally friendly. Neither the smallest particles, nor even the evaporation of ecowool can cause, unlike the same mineral wool.

Attic roof: how to insulate from the inside

When choosing how best to insulate the attic roof, one should pay attention not only to the performance characteristics of the insulating material, but also to the specific features of its application. It is most convenient to carry out the insulation of the room from the inside: if there are no contraindications to it, and space allows.

Various types of heaters are used for this - both mineral wool and extruded polystyrene foam, ecowool or polyurethane foam is blown in. The key to the reliability and durability of materials is the observance of a competent combination, or "pie" of roof insulation. This will also ensure the comfort of living under it, that is, in the attic room.

Warming cake - from the inside out

When using wadded materials for insulation, a vapor barrier film is required. With its help, mineral wool will not be exposed to moisture coming from the living room with steam.

If glass wool is replaced with polyurethane foam or ecowool, there is no need for a vapor barrier.

Regardless of the chosen insulation, it will be required in any case. Its purpose is to protect the wooden parts of the roof structure. The role of waterproofing is played by special super-diffuse membranes, which are distinguished by special qualities.

They can release steam to the outside, but at the same time not let moisture in. A gap must be left between the roof and the waterproofing membrane for. Its size can vary from 4 cm to 10, depending on the material and type of roof. Through it, excess steam will be removed from the insulation.

Attic: roof insulation from the outside

It is more convenient to do this while construction is still underway. If it is already completed, you will have to remove the roofing material. The external method of roof insulation keeps all the available living space safe and sound. The solutions of some designers also involve playing with roof rafters as decorative elements of the interior).

He is not afraid of moisture, and he does not need vapor barrier. "Pie" for external insulation with polystyrene foam looks like this:

• Extruded polystyrene foam boards;
• Waterproofing membrane;
• Ventilation gap with crate;
• Roof material.

An obvious plus of such insulation- free access to the rafters, at any time, facilitating their inspection and even repair. The method of insulation with Penoplex on top of the rafters is different in that it allows you to equip the heat-insulating protective layer completely, preventing the creation of cold bridges.

It is customary to insulate the front part of the attic along with the facade of the building, that is, from the outside. How to choose the right material for this? It depends on what was used in the construction of the house and, of course, the preferences and desires of the owner.

If a special hinged system is used for insulation, glass wool with waterproofing and vapor barrier films can be taken as insulation. And under the planned wet facade, you can successfully put a regular one. The main thing for success is strict adherence to technology.

September 7, 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.

Some time ago, I completed an order for attic insulation for winter living. While doing the work, I thought that the technology I used is quite simple and even an unprepared person can make thermal insulation with their own hands from the inside.

In today's material I will tell you what is better and how to properly insulate the attic from the inside with your own hands. This guide will help you avoid the same mistakes that I had to make in the beginning of my career as a builder.

I assure you that at the end of the work, the attic floor of a wooden house will turn from a useless trash storage into a cozy and comfortable room, for which all your household members will fight to live.

Features and methods of insulation of the attic room

Before talking about ways to insulate the under-roof space from the inside, I want to note that this is a must, even if you are not going to live in a house in the winter. The fact is that the attic, due to its location, is very warm by the sun in the summer, so without a reliable insulating layer, the temperature inside will be uncomfortable (or you will have to install a very powerful air conditioner).

If you have already insulated ordinary living quarters and think that you know how to insulate the attic, I have to disappoint you. The thermal insulation of a room under the roof (not an ordinary room on the second floor, namely the attic) has some features that I simply have to mention:

1. The geometry of the attic room follows the contours of a pitched roof, therefore it is far from a standard cube or parallelepiped. Insulation will have to be installed on inclined surfaces, so the choice of heat-insulating material will have to be approached with great care. For example, the use of too soft and flexible products is completely excluded.
2. The roof truss system and roofing are always made of lightweight materials so as not to exert a large load on the load-bearing walls of the house. Consequently, the heat-insulating cake should weigh as much as to only slightly weight the structure, otherwise the roof may collapse with a significant snow load.
3. In addition to the roof slopes, the attic has two more gables and a floor (it is also an attic floor). If you do not perform thermal insulation of these surfaces, all efforts to install insulation in the rafters will not lead to any significant result.

1. Roofing material, no matter how reliable it may be, can pass atmospheric moisture, which, in turn, can damage the insulation layer or significantly reduce its technical characteristics. Therefore, during installation, it is necessary to reliably protect the thermal insulation from moisture.
2. When buildings catch fire, the fire usually moves to the upper part of the dwelling, where the attic is located. Therefore, to ensure the possibility of evacuating people from this room for thermal insulation, I personally recommend using non-combustible or poorly flammable heaters. After all, the matter is further aggravated by the fact that the roof truss system is made of wood, which cannot be classified as NG.
3. And last but not least, environmental friendliness. Care must be taken to ensure that the insulation does not pose a danger to people living in the attic, regardless of the conditions of its operation - heating, moistening, freezing, and so on.

First, let's decide on the method of thermal insulation. There are two options:

1. Insulation of attic walls. This method is resorted to in the case when the roof slopes are not the walls of the attic. The role of the latter is played by additional partitions made of wood, drywall, plywood, and so on, which should be insulated.
   The advantage of this method is the presence of additional ventilated space under the roof. Minus - a decrease in the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room.

1. Insulation of roof slopes. In this case, the heat insulator is installed in the truss system, after which you can divide the spacious attic with thin partitions, without worrying about cold or heat. The advantage is that the entire under-roof space will be insulated. And with the help of partitions, you can divide it into several separate rooms, arranging an additional pantry in the attic room.

I prefer the second method of insulation, so it will be discussed further.

Choice of materials and tools

It's time to decide how to insulate the attic room from the inside. To do this, you can use expanded polystyrene, expanded clay, polyurethane foam, ecowool and many other heat insulators that domestic and foreign industries offer to purchase.

But I am insulating the attic with basalt wool. This material, in my opinion, best meets the requirements for the heat-insulating layer of such a room.

I will briefly list the most important advantages of basalt mats:

Characteristic	Description
Low thermal conductivity	The material retains heat indoors so well that for effective thermal insulation it is enough to install a layer 10 cm thick.
Hygroscopicity	Basalt fibers do not absorb water and have hydrophobic properties, so moisture that has got inside is quickly removed through the gaps without reducing the operational properties of the material.
Vapor permeability	The material does not prevent air infiltration, normalizing the humidity in the attic and extending the life of wooden parts.
Incombustibility	Basalt wool does not ignite in a fire and contributes to the extinction of the flame, giving time for the evacuation of people or the elimination of the source of ignition.

I could talk about the advantages of mineral wool for a long time, but this is not the topic of today's article. Therefore, he simply noted the better it is to insulate the attic from the inside.

I prefer to use TechnoNIKOL Technolight Extra basalt mats 10 cm thick, 120 by 60 cm in size. It is not advisable to buy a denser material, since it will not experience load between the rafters.

It is very important to pay attention to the dimensions of the material. I chose TechnoNikol mats because their width is 60 cm, namely, this is the distance between adjacent rafters in the case I am describing.

In addition to direct thermal insulation, other materials are also needed:

1. Wooden bars with a section of 30 by 50 mm, with the help of which a counter-lattice will be formed for ventilation gaps that help remove moisture.
2. Super diffuse vapor permeable hydro- and windproof membrane. These films are of especially high quality from Strotex and Juta, so I recommend buying them.
3. Penofol. A thermal reflective material that I'm going to use in place of the standard vapor barrier film that keeps the mineral wool from getting wet from inside the room.

1. Antiseptic primer. She needs to process the roof trusses to prevent the appearance of mold and fungus. You can buy a composition with fire retardants, thereby increasing the fire safety of the building.
2. OSB boards. They will be needed to construct the crate, on which flexible tiles are laid on one side and eurolining on the other. If you are going to use other materials, then a solid crate may not be needed.
3. Polyurethane mounting foam. Useful for sealing joints between mineral mats.
4. U-shaped perforated brackets for mounting galvanized lathing. For me, they will hold the installed mineral mats in place until they are sewn with decorative material.

Well, now you can safely move on to how to insulate the attic from the inside with your own hands.

Arrangement of insulation

The whole process of warming can be conditionally divided into several steps:

So, I will explain how to do the work correctly with my own hands in each of the mentioned stages.

Step 1 - Laying waterproofing and roofing material

Let's start with the installation of the waterproofing membrane, since it is installed outside the room before fixing the roofing. Only in this way can the insulating layer be reliably protected from the ingress of atmospheric moisture into it.

I must say right away that the entire roof truss system in the case I am describing was installed. However, the roofing material and the crate on it have not yet been laid.

The process consists of the following steps:

1. I roll out the first layer of hydro- and windproof membrane. You need to start work from the bottom of the roof slope, gradually moving up. The membrane is fixed with staples and a construction stapler or wide-head nails. It is necessary to install the film not tight, but with a slight sag (about 2 cm per meter), so that when the air temperature decreases, it does not tear.

1. I lay the second and subsequent sheets of waterproofing film. You need to act in the same way as in the previous paragraph. But there is one point here. The edge of the upper membrane must overlap the edge of the lower one by 10 cm to ensure complete impermeability to moisture.

1. I seal the seams of the membrane. For this, adhesive tape is used. It just needs to be glued to the joints of adjacent waterproofing membranes.
2. I install a control panel. Its role is played by wooden bars, which are fixed with self-tapping screws over the waterproofing membrane on the rafter supports. Previously, I recommend impregnating them with an antiseptic and flame retardant in order to extend the life of the roof structure.
3. I fix the boards of the additional crate. They are installed perpendicular to the rafters and fastened with self-tapping screws to the counter-bar. The step between adjacent parts is about 40 cm.

1. I install OSB base plates. They are attached to the boards with self-tapping screws. Here it is necessary to monitor the length of the fastening fittings so that too long screws do not tear the hydro- and windproof membrane located below.

1. Installing a flexible roof To do this, a lining carpet is glued to the slabs, after which shingles of flexible tiles are fixed on it.

If you are insulating the attic with a finished roof, then the waterproofing membrane will have to be installed from the inside. This method has two disadvantages:

• the labor intensity of the work being carried out increases;
• waterproofing film will not protect the wooden roof trusses.

It is necessary to fix and seal the film so that it wraps around the rafters and adheres to the roofing sheathing. Thus, peculiar baths are formed, in which insulating material will be invested.

But before that, it is necessary to prepare the under-roof space for the installation of mineral mats.

Step 2 - Preparing the truss system

The space under the roof, namely the truss system, is being prepared for thermal insulation:

1. I clean wooden parts from dust and debris, remove objects that interfere with the installation of mineral mats. It is best to clean the rafters with a vacuum cleaner, which will remove dust, sawdust and shavings left after the installation of the roofing material. You should also check if the sharp ends of screws, nails, and so on do not stick out from somewhere. They can cause injury or damage insulation materials.

1. I install engineering communications and insulate them. Ventilation and chimney pipes can be installed on the roof, as well as electrical wiring necessary to connect household appliances in the attic room:
   • Ventilation pipes, if they are laid in the non-insulated part of the attic, must be thermally insulated with mineral wool or foam shells.
   • For a chimney, a box should be designed to pass through the attic floor and roof. They must be filled with heat-insulating material (most often perlite or expanded clay), which will increase the fire safety of the room.
   • Electrical wiring should be placed in polymer flexible or rigid cable ducts that will prevent the rafters and insulation layer from igniting in the event of a short circuit.

1. I prime wooden surfaces. For work, it is better to use a universal composition that has both antiseptic and fire-fighting properties. For example, the composition for wood BS-13 or Fire protection Strazh-2. It must be applied to wooden parts with a roller or sprayer, after processing in two layers with intermediate drying for 3 or 4 hours.

1. I install U-shaped brackets on the side surfaces of the rafters. It is not necessary to use them, since with the correct installation of the rafters, the mineral mats become tight by surprise. But I'm used to playing it safe, and their acquisition does not hit hard on the budget planned for insulation. But if you use cotton wool in rolls, you can’t do without it.

Step 3 - Installation of thermal insulation

Insulation of the attic from the inside continues. Let's move on to the main part:

1. I do cutting mats. Mineral wool is cut into the required pieces with a sharp knife or saw with very fine teeth. If the distance between the rafters corresponds to the width of the insulation, there is practically no need to trim.

1. I install mats between the rafters. To do this, you need to slightly bend the material in the middle, and then insert the insulation in the right place. Having straightened, the basalt mat will take its place and will not fall out of the inclined surface.

1. I fix the mats with brackets. You just need to bend part of the bracket so that its edge is on the surface of the mat and holds it in place. Instead of brackets, you can use galvanized perforated tapes that are attached directly to the lower edges of the rafters.
2. I seal the seams of the material with polyurethane mounting foam. Gaps must be filled with a gun. Moreover, act in such a way that the composition is inside the entire gap, and not just on its surface. If you make a mistake at this stage, cold bridges may form at the joints, which will reduce the effectiveness of insulation.

To increase the reliability of the heat-insulating layer, you can install not one, but two layers of insulation. Just take mineral mats with a thickness of not 10, but 5 cm. Then the individual layers are installed so that the joints are apart. And cold bridges can not be feared at all, although it is still worth sealing the seams.

Step 4 - Finishing coat

Decorative finishing of the enclosing structures of the attic room is carried out as follows:

1. I install a heat-reflecting and vapor barrier layer. As you understand, penofol will serve me for this - foamed polyethylene with a reflective layer of polished aluminum foil. It is mounted as follows:
   • The first sheet of penofol is installed with a foil layer towards the living quarters, after which it is aimed at the rafters using a construction stapler.
   • The second and subsequent sheets of material are installed so that between the individual elements there is an overlap of 10 cm.
   • Penofol joints are glued with double-sided adhesive tape (inside the joint) or metallized tape (which is glued on top of the joint). It is necessary to make sure that a completely homogeneous and sealed layer is formed.
   • If the thickness of your rafters is such that the edge of the insulation does not reach the cut of the tree, then penofol must be laid on the surface of mineral wool, fixing it on the side surface of the roof support beams. Otherwise, it may rustle when air passes through the ventilation gap.

1. I mount the bars of the control battens for arranging the ventilation gap. It is necessary to fasten the planks with self-tapping screws to the rafters on top of the foam. These details create a gap between the finish and the heat-reflecting surface, which is necessary to remove condensed moisture.

1. Installing OSB boards. They are attached to the counter-lattice with self-tapping screws. Everything is standard here, with the exception of some small nuances:
   • It is necessary to install the sheets so that at the edges (at the gables and the floor) there is a gap of 1-2 cm thick. It is necessary to remove excess moisture and compensate for possible changes in the size of the material.
   • The seams between adjacent slabs should be staggered (staggered) and be 2-3 mm thick to avoid warping of the surface during thermal expansion of the base.
   • It is necessary to fix the plates so that their edges are located on the bars of the counter-lattice. The distance between the screws is no more than 20 cm.

You can later install eurolining or other decorative material on the plates. And we have ahead of the insulation of the gables, which form two of the four walls of the attic room.

Step 5 - Warming the gables

I strongly advise these parts of the attic to be insulated from the outside, using dense mineral wool for this, which can be covered with cement plaster on top. The scheme of work is as follows:

1. Preparing the surface for work. To do this, you need to clean the surface of the walls from the remnants of mortar, debris, dirt and dust. After that, the following operations are performed:
   • Damage repair. If gaps and cracks are found in the masonry, they must be sealed with cement mortar or blown out with mounting foam.
   • Surface priming. To do this, you need to take a primer for bricks or (not the one with which you processed the rafters), and then cover the pediments with it in two layers with intermediate drying.

1. I mount the start profile. This is a perforated galvanized part on which the insulation layer will rest. It is fixed at the bottom of the wall strictly horizontally. If several of these parts are needed, then install them with a small gap to compensate for the thermal expansion of the metal.

1. I glue the first row of mineral mats. Let me remind you that you need to use dense mineral wool, which is intended for subsequent finishing with cement mortar. The sequence of actions is as follows:
   • The surface of mineral wool is pre-reinforced with cement glue, which is evenly distributed over the slab with a spatula.

• A bead of cement glue is applied to the mineral wool at a distance of 5 cm from the edge. Several lumps of glue are also placed in the middle of the mat so that at least 40% of the sheet surface is covered.
• The part is attached to the wall. at the same time, its lower end must be supported on a pre-installed starting profile. Using a water level, it is necessary to check that the basalt mat is installed strictly vertically in all planes.
• Behind the first layer, other mats are glued to the wall in the same way. It is necessary to follow the verticals, and that the seams between adjacent parts are minimal.

1. I glue the second and subsequent rows of mineral mats. There are no differences compared to the procedure described in the previous paragraph. You just need to make sure that the vertical ones go sideways. That is, the seam of the upper row fell in the middle of the insulation sheet of the lower row (as in brickwork).
2. After the solution hardens, I fix the insulating layer with dowels - “fungi”. They are installed as follows:
   • A hole is drilled directly through the mineral mats in the wall using a perforator, the depth of which in brick or concrete should exceed 2 cm.
   • A dowel is inserted into the resulting hole, after which the core is installed inside.
   • Using a hammer, the core is hammered into the dowel so that its cap is slightly recessed into the surface of the insulation.
   • It is not only mineral mats that need to be fixed. "Fungi" should be installed in the seams of the insulating material so that the heat-insulating layer does not come off under load.

1. I seal the seams of the material. To insulate the joints, polyurethane foam is used, which glues the fibers of the insulation together, preventing the formation of cold bridges at the junctions of adjacent mineral plates. It is necessary to fill the seam with a gun as tightly as possible.
2. I reinforce the surface of the insulation with an alkali-resistant fiberglass mesh. To do this, mineral mats are covered with a reinforcing compound, after which a mesh is placed on it and pressed into the mortar with a plaster trowel. Then a little more solution is applied on top so as to completely hide the mesh inside.
3. I do surface finishing. The reinforced insulated surface of the gables is plastered, after which it is decorated with the selected decorative material. In the simplest case, you can simply paint the gable with facade paint.

That's all. Some still resort to thermal insulation of the interfloor ceiling, however, with such powerful insulation that I have described, I consider this procedure unnecessary.

Summary

Now you know how to independently perform the correct insulation of the walls in the attic floor and the floor with your own hands using mineral wool at the lowest cost. However, there are other options.

For example, sprayed polystyrene foam, with which it is easy to perform thermal insulation of complex areas, including the Mauerlat in a heated attic. You can learn how to spray PPU yourself from the video in this article.

If you have any questions - ask them in the comments!

September 7, 2016

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

Internal insulation of the attic is one of the most difficult construction tasks. And all because the result is important here: how the roofing pie will behave in winter, whether there will be smudges, whether there will be a smell of dampness and whether it will be necessary to disassemble it all later. Why such difficulties? The fact is that no matter how carefully the budget for building a house is planned, it, as a rule, is still not enough for everything. Up to the fact that even the owners of the future family nest decide to buy a laminate cheaper - just to finish the repairs and just start living. And the most popular item of expenditure, which is immediately reduced as soon as the lack of funds becomes clear, is the insulation of the attic. “Later, in the future,” the owners promise themselves, especially since warming the attic from the inside is not a problem at all, and you can start it at any time, even in winter.

In fact, there are a lot of subtleties and nuances, and therefore, if you have already taken up this matter, carefully study this article. And everything will work out!

Why are there problems?

There are statistics: up to 30% of attics have to be redone after the first winter. Roofing, interior trim and films are removed, and the insulation is dried. A lot of materials have to be thrown away, and this is another unplanned cost. Even if you hired a professional team of builders, this is still not a guarantee of the well-being of the future attic, especially if the roofing pie is thought out without taking into account the local climate.

Why it happens? So, in Russia, dampness, cold and round-the-clock negative temperatures are not uncommon. And the lower the ambient temperature, the greater the volume of steam that penetrates through the vapor barrier - all due to an increase in the partial pressure drop. And at the same time, the migration of moisture through the cold membrane slows down significantly, although it does not stop. Bottom line: the situation is even worse than under standard proven conditions. And therefore it is impossible to test the vapor permeability of a roofing pie in European conditions, and at the same time expect the same good result in the Siberian regions.

Here is a simple illustration to help you understand what we are talking about here:

Note that the maximum pressure of water vapor on the roofing pie is in the residential attic. And the point is not even that there is a person in such a room much more often than in an ordinary cold attic - it’s just that the pressure of warm air is additionally added to the vapor pressure. Moreover, these processes are so clear that they can be observed in the form of real leaks!

The fact is that wet insulation loses its properties very quickly. And the more humid the air that gets to it, the faster the thermal insulation decreases. For example, a basalt insulation with a moisture content of only 5% already loses its heat by 20% than a dry one.

For example, just one cubic meter of air space, if its relative humidity is 100%, at a temperature of 20C contains 17.3 grams of water - just in the form of steam. And the lower the temperature, the more difficult it is for air to hold water in a bound state. And when the temperature drops to 16C, there will already be only 13.6 grams of water vapor in the same air, and the rest will settle in the form of water in the heater. We conclude: moisture in the insulation appears due to the condensation of excess water vapor from the air in the process of lowering the temperature. And she needs to actively fight. And this is not the only problem - now we will deal with all.

Let's start warming - work technology

Let's start with the first problem - the insufficient thickness of the log if you insulate the attic after the construction of the whole house and the installation of the roofing. Why is that? Let's look at this issue in detail.

So, attic insulation can be divided into basic and additional. Basic - this is insulation, which is carried out even during the construction of the roof of the house and involves the use of light insulation directly into the truss structure. But additional insulation already turns a non-residential attic into a full-fledged attic.

With basic insulation, the main task is to minimize the heat loss of the house through the roof, and such basic insulation may well replace additional internal insulation, if only you correctly approach the choice of insulation, do not spare its thickness and think over the truss system well. This is often done by those builders of their own home who understand that even 20 rooms may not be enough in the future, and an additional room for a billiard room, a library or a sauna cannot interfere. And therefore, it is initially better to build it completely residential, and not to finish something later.

But, if during the construction of your house you decided to get by with elementary thermal insulation and now you have enthusiastically taken up the arrangement of a residential and cozy attic, then the only option for you is additional internal insulation with all its nuances, the main of which is the insufficient thickness of the rafters, which were not originally designed for dense internal insulation. But the problem is completely solvable, as proof of which we have prepared a detailed master class for you:

And now we move on to more insidious moments that are no less important: proper vapor barrier and waterproofing, which you may need to redo.

No - dampness and smudges!

It is extremely important for any insulation to create the right conditions, otherwise the material will quickly become damp and instead of a heat source it will become a source of dampness, mold and cold. What are these conditions? Let's find out more!

What is dew point?

The first and most important quality of any insulation is low thermal conductivity. Thanks to it, the insulating layer rigidly separates the warm air inside from the cold outside. It would seem that they inserted a heater into the rafters, fixed it - and everything else is needed? It wasn't there!

Firstly, from the outside, this whole thing must be carefully waterproofed from rain and damp air, because. such a roofing cake in this regard is a real sponge. Secondly, any insulation also has a second quality - vapor permeability, i.e. "breathes". And now let's remember the physics: warm, moist air inside a room under a roof (always humid!) Without finding an obstacle, it easily passes inside the insulation and collides with its colder part, the one closer to the roofing pie. And there this air condenses, settling in the form of droplets, which is called the dew point. And then what's the point of external waterproofing? Mineral wool heaters are especially susceptible to this phenomenon, we note.

Therefore, our first task is to ensure that as little steam as possible passes through the insulation, because even super-diffuse membranes in the cold do not cope well with the removal of water vapor, due to a significant slowdown in moisture transfer processes. And this is already a question of the correct vapor barrier of the attic insulation.

Here is a clear example of the unpleasant consequences of ignoring the concept of dew point:

Vapor barrier: warm European winters and Russian frosts

In fact, in Western Europe, where winter has always been mild, there is no need for a vapor barrier with special properties - simple packaging films are quite similar. So they just sometimes end up in Russia, although their vapor barrier properties are not high. These are roll films of LDPE, which stands for "low density polyethylene". In such films, non-uniformity in thickness and microdefects are noticeable. Their main purpose is product packaging.

Slightly better are reinforced materials, which are made by hot pressing a film to a mesh of twisted thread. In production, such films are injured by mesh nodes, and as a result, low vapor barrier properties are further reduced. Although the film itself is much stronger than usual, of course.

More reliable can be called bag fabrics made of polypropylene yarns and spunbonds. The former are additionally laminated with molten HDPE, but a uniform and continuous film is still not obtained, however, the strength pleases. And the latter are made from non-woven polypropylene fiber, but its vapor permeability is still in the range of 15-25 g / m2 per day, and this is a very low figure.

And aluminum foil boasts the best vapor barrier properties, which is suitable even for arranging steam rooms, in which the pressure and volume of water vapor are the highest. The only point: such a vapor barrier additionally creates the effect of a thermos in the attic, simultaneously reflecting invisible heat rays back into the room. And therefore it is better not to insulate a small attic room like that, but for a spacious one - that's it.

Therefore, if you want to save heat as much as possible, or in the attic you plan to make a good sauna, then you need such a vapor barrier:

Or immediately purchase a heater with an aluminum side:

Close access to water vapor

But remember that a good vapor barrier film is still important to properly lay and waterproof, otherwise water vapor will still find its way.

The joints of the vapor barrier sheets are usually sealed with a special butyl rubber adhesive tape, but even in this case it is impossible to guarantee complete tightness. The thing is that over time, the adhesion of the sticky layer decreases, and with an additional load, the canvases become unstuck. That is why, when installing an exterior finish, when you can attach the same drywall directly to the vapor barrier, many put an additional crate. Its task is not so much to ensure that the finish is fixed more evenly (which is also important), but to press the tape or sealant with slats.

In addition, this crate (usually with slats up to 3 cm thick) additionally allows you to lay electrical wires directly under the sheathing, and not through the insulation, as many do and which can hardly be called a technically competent solution.

But the places where the vapor barrier adjoins passing pipes and brick walls must be insulated with special sealants or tapes.

Another important point: never stretch the vapor barrier - fasten with a small margin. The fact is that all wooden structures, which is what the truss system is, naturally dry out and become a little smaller. The frame itself becomes mobile, and under the roof outside and under the sheathing inside, there is a risk of ruptures. And then - a surprise!

Does external waterproofing "breathe"?

So, on the warm inner side of the insulation we put a vapor barrier, which does not allow moist air to flow from the room. And on the outer, colder side, we are already fixing waterproofing, which will protect the insulation under the roofing pie from external accidental leaks of melt water or rain.

And the further development of events already depends on how “breathable” the upper waterproofing film will be. So, if you purchased the most common roll of inexpensive waterproofing, things are bad, moisture from the roofing pie will evaporate for a long time and hard, as a result - dampness and gradual destruction of the insulation. But modern vapor-permeable membranes are called “smart” for a reason: they do not let moisture in, but take water vapor out. It's all about their unusual, well-thought-out structure. Why does it turn out that when using cheap barrier films, even expensive insulation does not last long, and repairs are not far off.

Please note that the diffuse membrane should fit as tightly as possible to the insulation, without any gap, like with a conventional film. Otherwise, the membrane material will cool more strongly, and the temperature will become lower than the steam migrating through the insulation. You will see the result in the form of ice right on the membrane, which will make it lose its vapor-permeable properties even more.

When should the roof be removed?

Quite often, during the construction process, roofing material or reinforced films are installed as roof waterproofing. And after a couple of years, when the attic turned out to be very necessary and all the households enthusiastically began to repair it, it turns out that nothing will work without a complete analysis of the roof.

What's the matter? The fact is that such waterproofing does not “breathe” at all, and any insulation under it will completely bend. That is why, if the roof of your house is still under construction, but you are thinking about how to postpone attic insulation for the future, immediately use a good super-diffuse membrane as waterproofing.

But how can something get into the insulation if we have already installed a vapor barrier? The fact is that not a single film in the world is capable of 100% retaining water vapor - they are very small. And no matter how hard manufacturers try, there is no absolute barrier. And even more: modern vapor barrier films, in fact, do not even half do their job, and only the highest quality ones are able to retain steam by 75-80%. Everything else, unfortunately, gets inside the roofing pie.

let's sum it up ogi. You should end up with a roofing pie with two films that have absolutely opposite properties: the inner one does not let steam into the insulation, and the second saves it from a small amount that accidentally got there.

Thermal insulation of complex structural elements

If you have decided on a heater and insulating materials - congratulations! Prepare everything carefully, calculate everything you need and boldly proceed. Most importantly, do installation work only in a well-ventilated area. And, finally, when working with modern heaters, many manufacturers advise using a vacuum cleaner before insulating the attic roof from the inside, and at the end.

It is not difficult to insulate pitched and straight attic walls, and the first difficulty you will encounter is windows and other complex structural elements. It is also important to properly insulate them, leaving no chance for moisture or water vapor to seep through. Do you know what are usually the most problematic places in attic rooms that “please” with mold and smudges? Therefore, take this question seriously:

Here is another tricky moment when the attic floor is not made of logs, but with a solid slab. You need to warm it up like this:

And, finally, after insulating the attic, make sure that snow does not accumulate later in the drains and on the ridge - the entrance and exit of the movement of under-roof air. For this, it is more rational to install ventilation pipes along the entire roof ridge, and make the ridge itself non-ventilated. That's all the difficulty!

If you decide to settle in the attic space, you need to take care of its comfort. To do this, the attic should be insulated from the inside. How to do it efficiently and what materials to choose: tips and tricks, as well as detailed instructions - in our article.

The attic room, unlike other rooms in the house, is colder, because it is most exposed to the effects of the environment and bad weather. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively insulate the attic floor. Having correctly selected the materials, as well as having studied the technology of their installation, this work can be done by hand.

What is the best insulation for the attic?

The difficulty of choosing a heat-insulating material lies in the fact that attics come in different architectural forms, their surfaces are often uneven. Therefore, for each type of housing, there are different recommendations for warming the attic floor from the inside.

What is the best way to insulate the attic from the inside? The choice of material depends on many factors:

To insulate the attic floor, various heat insulators can be used. Consider their main characteristics.

Insulation options

Thermal insulation with sawdust is economical, it allows you to fill even hard-to-reach places. In combination with cement (gypsum) and antiseptic - sawdust forms a mixture that does not burn and does not attract pests.

Attic floor insulation with sawdust

Affordable, inexpensive and lightweight insulator that can be used on flat loft surfaces. But attic foam insulation has a number of disadvantages: due to the low vapor permeability of the foam, dampness can occur, and drafts can occur due to gaps between the insulation plates. A significant drawback of this material is that mice often make their holes in it. Also, foam plastic, like its other analogues, emits toxic smoke when burned.

Styrofoam

More preferable is the insulation of the attic floor with polystyrene foam. This material practically does not form joints during laying and does not attract rodents, provides good heat and sound insulation.

Another type of foam is extruded polystyrene foam. Insulation of the attic floor with extruded polystyrene foam provides high-quality heat and sound insulation, lack of moisture. The material is light and durable, but has disadvantages: flammability, fear of UV radiation.

Penofol insulation provides excellent heat, noise and waterproofing of the room, protects against radioactive rays, but the material is not strong enough.

Using penofol to insulate the attic floor

polyurethane foam

Insulation of the attic floor with polyurethane foam is carried out by spraying the mixture onto the surface. Among the advantages of polyurethane foam: quick installation, good thermal insulation, resistance to moisture, does not attract rodents. Disadvantages: low resistance to high temperatures, concentrated acids, esters.

Good tightness is ensured by attic insulation with polyurethane foam, consumer reviews are an excellent confirmation of this.

Mineral wool

Insulation of the attic floor with basalt mineral wool meets all the parameters of high-quality insulation. The material is not combustible, does not absorb moisture, retains heat. Due to its elasticity, mineral wool fills voids well and stays in place.

This material consists of processed cellulose. It is supplied in crushed form and applied using a special tool. Advantages of attic insulation with ecowool: environmental friendliness, seamless insulation, high heat and vapor barrier, easy installation, resistance to moisture, microorganisms, fire.

The disadvantages of ecowool include the fact that certain qualifications are required to work with it.

With such a variety of building materials, the question arises: what kind of insulation to choose for the attic? The main indicator to be guided by is the coefficient of thermal conductivity. It is indicated on the packaging of the material, or in the quality certificate. Based on these data, a calculation is made whether it will be enough to lay one layer of insulator, or whether it is necessary to do double laying in order to avoid possible heat losses.

Tip: For high-quality and reliable thermal insulation of the attic floor, choose a heater with a thermal conductivity coefficient of no higher than 0.05 W / m * K.

In order to choose the right insulator, there is a certain method for calculating its density.

Wall heat transfer resistance formula (R req). It looks like this: Rreq=(1/А1) + (L/k)+(1/А2)

Where A1 is the heat exchange index of the attic floor wall from the inside (8.7 W / m 0C).

A2 - an indicator of heat exchange at the outer plane of the wall (which is 23 W / m 0C).

L - denotes the thickness of the wall material (meters), and its thermal conductivity coefficient - k.

How to insulate the attic floor: methods of thermal insulation

The main ways to insulate the attic:

• outdoor - requires special equipment and additional labor;
• internal - you can do it yourself.

Internal insulation of the attic floor is carried out in several stages:

How to properly insulate the attic from the inside: the roof

There are many materials for attic roof insulation. The process of thermal insulation can be carried out in several ways:

• between the roof rafters;
• over the roof structure;
• under the rafters.

The most effective option is combined insulation.

To perform thermal insulation work on any surface, the technology for mounting materials must be observed.

Attic floor insulation scheme - pie (insulation)

First, waterproofing is laid along the rafters.

Important: At the same time, a gap is left between the roof and the material - an air gap necessary for high-quality ventilation and protection of the roof structure from decay.

The thickness of the air gap depends on the material of the roof covering. If it is wavy, then it should be at least 2.5 cm, if flat - twice as much.

Then comes a layer of insulation, and finally - a vapor barrier film.

Important to know: For tightness, the material of the vapor barrier is overlapped, and the joints are sealed with adhesive tape.

To form a plasterboard ceiling, profiles are attached.

Step by step roof insulation

After the roof of the attic is insulated, the thermal insulation of the gable should also be carried out, otherwise the attic floor will not become a full-fledged warm room.

Insulation of the pediment of the room is best done from the outside. But, since it is rather problematic to insulate the walls of the attic from the outside, in a wooden house, a house made of foam concrete or brick, laying a heat insulator is also possible from the inside.

To insulate the pediment of the attic floor, foam plastic, mineral wool, light fiberglass-based insulation are used. Particularly effective is the insulation of the pediment with mineral wool. If the premises will be used as residential, the material must have a thickness of at least 250 mm, for non-residential premises 100-120 mm is sufficient.

The order of insulation is as follows: first, slats are fixed to the walls for laying a heat insulator (at a distance of 60 cm from each other). Next, cotton wool is laid at random between the racks of the crate.

Laying mineral wool by surprise

A vapor barrier membrane is stretched over the crate and finishing material is attached - drywall, lining, wood panels.

Sheathing of the attic floor with drywall after insulation

To keep the heat in the attic floor, you should choose the right windows. Window blocks for installation in the pediment must have a two- or five-chamber double-glazed window. This will ensure high-quality thermal insulation of the roof space.

In order to reduce heat loss in the attic to a minimum, the floor of the room should be insulated. The method of thermal insulation depends on the type of flooring of the floors of the house.

So for the wooden floor of the floor, two layers of a vapor-tight membrane are laid, between which an insulator is mounted.

Insulation of wooden floors between floors with cotton wool

If the attic has a ceramic or self-leveling floor, then the insulation for it must be heavy-duty (for example, isoflor). On top of it is a film that is overlapped, finding on the walls.

Thermal insulation of the self-leveling floor

For reinforced concrete flooring of the floor, wooden flooring along the logs can also be used.

Do-it-yourself insulation of the attic from the inside - floor

Logs are installed on soundproof pads, and when installing heat-insulating plates, ventilation gaps are made in the corners.

Insulated attic floor ready for finishing, photo

Since this room borders on the external environment, the highest requirements are imposed on the insulation of the attic floor, because with improper thermal insulation, heat will leave the house.

Properly performed insulation of the attic floor of the house will significantly reduce heating costs, create a favorable microclimate in the house and increase the service life of structural elements.

Examples of attic insulation, video and photo instructions on the best way to insulate the attic from the inside: foam, mineral wool, polyurethane foam, choice of insulation

How to make attic insulation from the inside with your own hands? Detailed photo and video instructions on how to insulate the attic floor, comparison and advice on choosing heaters: mineral wool, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, penofol

How to insulate the attic from the inside and which insulation to choose?

Proper insulation of the attic from the inside allows you to use the room all year round, in addition, it helps to significantly save on heating and electricity costs for heating the building as a whole.

Options for insulating the attic depend on at what stage of the construction of the house the attic floor was laid. In the article, we will figure out how to properly perform thermal insulation, the better it is to insulate the premises, and we will offer step-by-step instructions on how to do the attic insulation from the inside with your own hands.

If the attic was planned at the design stage of the house, then all rooms are insulated in a complex, in this case, the type of insulation is initially correlated with the specifics of the attic room. If the attic floor is cold, it is planned to use it only in warm weather, then it is enough to insulate the floor.

If the attic is to be used as permanent housing, then multi-layer insulation of the attic from the inside is assumed, it is important to pay attention to the insulation of not only the roof, but also the floor, walls, if any, then the ceiling. Also, attic heating will have to be integrated with the heating system of the house.

Features of attic insulation

Insulation of the attic floor will prevent the cooling of the house and significantly save money on heating all rooms. From the course of physics, it is known that warm air rises, so the temperature under the attic ceiling is on average 2 o C higher than in other rooms. And under the same conditions of insulation, heat loss through the attic increases significantly. As you can see, the attic is a specific room, which is why more serious requirements are put forward for the insulation of this room. Of course, you should start insulating the attic floor from the roof. There is an algorithm for creating a thermal cake for insulating an attic roof, in which each layer has its own fundamental significance:

• roofing material;
• counterlattice;
• waterproofing;
• a gap for free air flows for ventilation of thermal insulation;
• insulation;
• vapor barrier membrane;
• crate;
• clean finish.

But besides the roof, the attic also consists of gables - vertical walls, the floor, which is the floor and ceiling of the lower floor. Sometimes a ceiling is hemmed on the attic floor, which provides additional insulation of the building as a whole, since an air gap is formed between the roof and the premises.

Please note: If icicles form on the roof of the house, then the thermal insulation of the attic is made in violation of the technology. Warm air flows out into the street, the snow on the roof melts, and freezes again from the cold outside temperatures.

How to insulate the vertical walls of the attic floor

Before insulating the attic floor, seal all large gaps with jute or soft insulation. Special requirements are imposed on the insulation of the pediment - the vertical wall of the attic. Ideally, the attic gables, made of foam concrete, timber, brick, should be insulated from the outside of the building. A layer of thermal insulation is laid between the outer part of the wall and the facing layer of the house: decorative brick, clapboard, blockhouse, siding panels, leaving an air gap for ventilation. But if this opportunity is missed, or you need a warmer residential attic for permanent residence, then you can insulate the gables from the inside.

The vertical wall insulation scheme is identical to the attic roof insulation:

• facade material;
• a counter rail that forms an air gap and holds the waterproofing layer;
• waterproofing - a membrane, perforated films that let steam out and do not let moisture in; for cold and damp areas, it is recommended to use an anti-condensation film - a waterproofing film, which on the one hand resembles a fleecy material, it absorbs moisture, which in turn prevents the formation of drops and wetting of the insulation;
• insulation;
• vapor barrier, "breathing membrane", non-perforated films, polyethylene films reinforced with an aluminum layer, which will protect the insulation from getting wet;
• finishing material.

Step-by-step instructions for insulating attic walls:

Wall insulation should begin with their treatment with fire-fighting and antifungal compounds.

Along the perimeter of window openings, it is necessary to make a structure of bars for joining the heat-insulating cake with skylights. After that, a layer of waterproofing is attached to the walls with the help of a counter-lattice (slats with a section of 20 * 20, 20 * 40 mm). The slats will create the necessary clearance to ventilate the heat-insulating cake. Perhaps the pediment in your case consists of beams or rafters, then the waterproofing layer is fastened with staples close to the beams, and the thickness of the beams will serve as a gap between the insulation and the wall. Be sure to overlap the waterproofing by 150-200 mm.

Further, if the wall is straight, with the help of mushroom dowels, a slab insulation is attached, tightly to each other, it is desirable to seal the joints with mounting foam. If a soft material is chosen as a heater - mineral wool, then it is necessary to make a frame from a metal profile, with a step of 500 mm. The frame should move away from the wall by 100-200 mm, it depends on the thickness of the insulation layer. The thickness of the attic insulation is calculated for each house individually, and depends on the selected thermal insulation material, its density and heat transfer coefficient. Mineral wool is placed in the resulting gap.

How to fix the insulation

If the attic is intended for permanent residence, and the house is located in a cold climate zone, then combined attic insulation is recommended. In this case, the first layer of insulation is covered with a vapor barrier, then the second layer is laid, which is clamped with a crate of metal profiles or timber. And again, a layer of vapor barrier is laid.

Attic insulation, photo of a thermal insulation layer made of mineral wool, soft materials are attached to the wall with a crate

Then the insulation is sewn up with a vapor barrier membrane, as well as an overlap, like a waterproofing material, and you can proceed to finish the attic floor.

How to insulate the attic floor

How to properly insulate the floor on reinforced concrete floors

To insulate the floor, first we clean the slab from debris and dust, close up cracks and irregularities with a cement-sand mortar. Next, we carry out waterproofing of the slab, by coating it with bituminous mastic for 2 layers, or by laying roofing material, the joints must be overlapped and hermetically glued with a blowtorch - this will protect the insulation from condensate.

We lay insulation on the floor, it can be mineral or basalt wool, expanded clay, polystyrene, polyurethane foam, expanded polystyrene, etc. Pore insulation is laid on the insulation, then a reinforcing mesh with a cell of 600 * 600 mm or more, from reinforcement with a cross section of up to 6 mm.

The fittings are poured with a cement screed, after which you can start finishing the floor, the material is selected depending on the design of the attic.

Photo of floor insulation in the attic, the insulation layer should fit snugly against the logs

How to make floor insulation on a wooden floor

Before insulating the wooden floor in the attic, be sure to treat the old coating with a refractory compound and antiseptics. Further, for insulation, logs are stuffed from a bar of 100 * 100 mm, in increments of 500-600 mm. The logs are sheathed with a waterproofing membrane, and on top of it, a heater is laid very tightly between the beams, all gaps should be sealed with mounting foam. The insulation is covered with a vapor barrier, always overlapping by 150 mm. On top, you can attach sheet material: plywood, chipboard, OSB, on which the fine finish is laid, or cover it with a floorboard for painting.

How to insulate the ceiling in the attic

The ceiling in the attic is extremely rarely hemmed, since this is already a low room. But if such a need arose, in view of severe frosts, or this is required by the features of the attic interior, then, first of all, it is necessary to stretch the vapor barrier membrane around the perimeter of the future ceiling. Next, we install a crate of wooden bars or metal profiles, with a cell of 600 * 600 mm. Inside the crate we place a heater, mineral wool. The crate is sewn up with another layer of vapor barrier, then you can hem the ceiling with facing materials.

Crate for insulation of the attic ceiling

What insulation to choose for the attic

The question of how best to insulate the attic from the inside is very acute, and see, reviews on the forums vary dramatically, each material has its undeniable advantages, as well as disadvantages.

Extruded polystyrene foam

Insulation of the attic floor with extruded polystyrene foam, as a rule, is performed outside the building. Despite the fact that many consider this material to be foam, their chemical composition is very different. Expanded polystyrene tolerates chemical influences well, has a thermal conductivity lower than that of polystyrene, and practically does not allow moisture to pass through. Even if water has penetrated the surface of the insulation, the material will retain its thermal insulation characteristics during freezing and thawing. Expanded polystyrenes have different densities, the higher this indicator, the heavier the insulation, the lower the density, the better the heat and sound insulation properties. But extruded polystyrene foam is destroyed upon contact with complex carbohydrates, it is also deformed by ultraviolet rays, therefore, when arranging a residential attic, it is not recommended to use nitro-based paints.

Insulation of the attic with penofol is financially costly, relative to polystyrene. This is a new roll insulation, which is a competitor for mineral wool. It has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, a good thermal insulator, and is resistant to moisture. The huge advantage of penofol is that it protects the room from the effects of radioactive substances, but does not tolerate mechanical loads well, and requires skills when laying the heat-insulating layer, a violation of the technology leads to a deterioration in the heat-insulating characteristics of the insulation.

Polyurethane foam spraying

Thermal insulation, made by spraying polyurethane foam, has no joints, and, therefore, cold bridges. Such insulation does not require the cost of preliminary preparation of the attic for thermal insulation, the material is poured to the thickness of the attic rafters and more. The insulation is sprayed directly on the walls, floor, ceiling with special equipment. PPU is resistant to fungi, and practically does not allow moisture to pass through, but it does not tolerate the effects of esters and concentrated acids.

Ecowool consists of 80% cellulose, and 20% of antiseptics and flame retardant additives. When using this material for attic insulation, it is necessary to take into account the volume, since the insulation is greatly loosened. To perform high-quality attic insulation with ecowool, a layer about 200 mm thick should be applied. This is an eco-friendly insulation, lays on the surface like papier-mâché, manually or mechanically, does not form joints. It has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, is resistant to fungi and bacteria, and practically does not burn. The installation of a heat-insulating layer requires knowledge of the application technology and professional skills.

Warming with ecowool, this method of thermal protection requires skills and knowledge of the technology of applying material to the surface

Mineral wool

Using mineral wool for insulation is the most popular way to keep warm in the attic. Depending on the composition and density of wool, it can be placed in a spacer or in a special frame. Mineral wool does not rot, but absorbs moisture, because of this, its thermal insulation characteristics decrease, and the moisture-saturated insulation becomes noticeably heavier, which places significant loads on the rafters and the attic roof. When insulated with mineral wool, there is practically no waste left, it is easy to cut. To insulate the attic floor, a layer 100-200 mm thick is required, depending on the design features of the building. When working with mineral wool, wear a protective suit and goggles.

I would like not to leave the old grandfather's and almost free way of warming. The device of a heat-insulating cake using sawdust. This is an environmentally friendly way of warming, time-tested. Sawdust is mixed with lime and an insulating layer 100 mm thick is laid. Such thermal insulation is several times inferior to modern heaters, in addition, it is a fire hazardous method of insulation. But if this is a country house, and according to the attic project, a cold unheated room, then this method of insulation is fully justified.

To insulate the attic, you can use both traditional materials and modern heaters, the main thing is to correctly calculate the thickness of the heat-insulating layer

The subtleties of insulation and hydro-vapor barrier of the attic

How to properly install insulation?

Thinking about how to insulate the attic floor, we often lose sight of important things. For example, a large role in the effectiveness of insulation is played by how correctly the material was laid.

• The material should be laid in two layers, where the second overlaps the seams and joints of the first.
• The thickness of the rafter legs and the first layer of insulation should be the same. Otherwise, the plates of the second layer will get bends, which leads to a loss of joint density.
• The width of the insulation should be equal to the distance between the rafter legs. So the plates will lie flat, with full adjacency, the insulation of the attic floor from the inside will turn out to be complete.

The second layer of insulation does not stay in place, what should I do?

With the insulation of the attic with slab materials, there are usually no problems - they stand between the slats of the counter-batten by surprise. Roll types are soft, they sag and, as a result, fall out of their place. A logical question arises: how to properly insulate the attic with your own hands so that everything is securely fixed? The problem is solved with nails and a synthetic cord:

• We fill small nails along the edges of the rails of the counter-batten.
• The cord is tied to the topmost nail.
• The material is inserted into place and secured with a cord, overlapping from one rail to another.

We work like this until we finish the insulation of the attic with our own hands.

How to insulate walls under roof slopes?

If the internal walls of a residential attic under a sloping roof are made vertical, in addition to choosing how to insulate the walls of the attic from the inside, you have another task: the placement of insulating material. You do not need to do this directly along the bevels of the roof. The insulation is placed on the shields that will serve as the walls of the future room. And so that the material does not fall into the space under the roof, on the reverse side, the shields are hemmed with scraps of boards. Wall insulation from the inside, the photo of which you see below, is performed in this way.

Is it possible to replace the steam protection of the floor with moisture protection?

Usually, the attic floor insulation cake in the country house consists of a layer of waterproofing, insulation and vapor barrier. The idea of ​​installing moisture protection instead of vapor protection seems logical - protecting the floor from spilled water. Not so simple. The heater works as long as it is dry. Thermal insulation performance decreases with increasing humidity levels.

If we fill the floor with a vapor barrier, the water will sooner or later evaporate, and the insulation will restore its properties. When moisture protection is on top, and water somehow gets inside the ceiling, there will be no way out for moisture. We get: the lack of floor insulation in the attic floor and the presence, over time, of mold under it.

How to properly install a vapor barrier?

Insulation of the attic floor from the inside is never complete without the installation of vapor barrier membranes. This process has its own nuances:

• Foil membranes are installed with the shiny side into the room.
• The positioning of ordinary fiberglass sheets is determined by touch - with the smooth side towards the insulation, the rough side - into the room.
• Installation of any vapor barrier cloths is carried out in strips, in a horizontal direction, from bottom to top.

These rules apply to the insulation of the attic floor both along the bevels of the roof and along the gables.

How wide should the ventilation gap between the roof and the insulation pie be?

The width of the ventilation gap depends on the type of roofing material, and not on how you are going to insulate the attic from the inside:

• Bituminous tiles, rolled materials, asbestos-cement sheets, galvanized steel - there must be at least 50 mm under them.
• Any corrugated sheets such as metal tiles, profiled galvanized steel - from the roofing material to the attic insulation layer from the inside, we leave a gap of 25 mm.

How to avoid mistakes during attic insulation with polystyrene foam?

• You can not use dowel-mushrooms during the insulation of the attic with foam. Reviews usually do not reflect this, but the multiple cold bridges resulting from the process increase heat loss.
• When thinking about how to insulate the attic with foam, remember that this material is not suitable for wooden surfaces.
• The use of mounting foam to fill gaps between foam boards should be avoided. It is better to choose a material that has a tongue-and-groove connection. If you need to put together the cut parts - just fit them with a knife.

Which is better, basalt wool or slag?

Many are at a loss as to which insulation is best for the attic. This is especially true of slag and basalt mineral wool - they are called in one word, they look similar. The latter is better already because it has a lower thermal conductivity coefficient - 0.12. For slag wool, this indicator is 0.48. Another advantage of basalt insulation is the absence of formaldehyde in the composition. Therefore, when deciding how best to insulate the attic from the inside, it is preferable to stop at basalt wool.

What to do if the thickness of the insulation turned out to be greater than the height of the crate?

If, while insulating the attic gable from the inside, you find that the insulation is too thick and protrudes above the crate, in no case should it be crushed. The heat-preserving properties of the material directly depend on its density: the smaller it is, the greater the effect of the insulation.

By crushing, for example, slag wool, we compact it, worsening its properties. How to insulate the pediment of the attic without redoing the crate? Just increase its thickness by stuffing the slats of the desired section on top. They do the same with the bevels of the roof, increasing the rafters in width.

Is it possible to do without insulation of the insulated attic floor?

When deciding how to insulate the attic for winter living, we often doubt whether it is necessary to take care of the hydro and vapor barrier of the floor. In theory, if the floor is well insulated and insulated along the walls and roof, this can be omitted. However, do not forget that warm air tends to rise up, and moisture also rises with it. That is, the floor of the last floor receives moisture from the whole house. Therefore, in the winter version of the attic, the insulation layers must be enclosed in water and vapor barrier membranes.

Options for insulating the attic from the inside, the choice of materials: polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, mineral wool, photo examples of how to insulate the attic floor

Do not know what is the best way to insulate the attic from the inside? Review of heaters: polystyrene foam, mineral wool, foam plastic and polyurethane foam, which is better? Photo and video materials for do-it-yourself attic insulation.

Attic insulation and materials used

Loss of heat energy is an extremely common problem in many old and new private homes, which in turn leads to increased consumption of electricity or other types of heating energy, which is best avoided. It is for this reason that the insulation of the attic, walls, basement and ceiling is an extremely relevant topic, for which a certain scheme is used.

Arrangement of the attic floor allows you to create additional places for recreation in your home.

In rather old residential buildings there is a small attic space, which is used by the owners quite rarely and which needs to be insulated. Newer and more modern buildings have mansard roofs that allow you to equip additional living space in the attic, which must be insulated.

How to insulate the attic?

Insulating material is the main part of all thermal insulation work, and its choice should be taken extremely responsibly. The choice of the right insulation for each individual house has striking differences and depends on the characteristics of the house itself, the climatic conditions of the region where the building is located, which needs to be insulated.

Most inexperienced developers give their preference to such insulation material as polystyrene, believing that it is better. But it is worth noting right away that such material does not have high-quality and acceptable characteristics, except for the extremely low cost, and this is the only good characteristic.

Mansard roof insulation scheme.

Styrofoam is not able to pass a sufficient amount of moist air, which causes increased humidity inside the attic residential floor. Do not forget that after the drying of the truss system, an empty space is formed between such insulation material and the rafter system, in which cold air will circulate, which is best avoided. Do not lose sight of rodents who prefer polystyrene to other insulating materials. In other words, you should not opt ​​for such a material that can insulate the house.

Similar in composition, but having differences in use, is expanded polystyrene, the installation of which should be considered in more detail, which will allow you to make the right choice. The peculiarity of this insulation material is that it must be laid under the rafters, which, in turn, prevents the formation of gaps between the material and the rafter system.

In order for the laying of such a heater to be of the highest quality, its plates have special grooves or spikes, with the help of which the plates are connected closely.

Insulation system on the truss system

The most popular and sought-after insulation material in private construction is mineral wool, the availability and quality of which are suitable for any type of internal insulation of an attic residential floor. Among the positive characteristics of this insulation, it is worth noting the low level of flammability, moisture resistance and extremely high strength and durability. The analogue of this insulation is glass wool, which is often used for this type of insulation of the attic residential floor. This type of insulation has some differences from mineral counterparts:

Scheme of insulation of the truss system.

• due to the longest possible fibers, this material has higher sound insulation, strength and elasticity, which is quite important in this matter;
• special attention should be paid to the extremely low hydrophobicity, which has a positive effect on the entire process of saving thermal energy;
• and the last difference from mineral wool is that this insulation material can be used at fairly low temperatures, which is ideal for cold regions.

Modern insulation with ecowool material

Ecowool is a fairly new insulation, with which you can reduce the heat loss of almost any building. The peculiarity of this material lies in the fact that initially it is in a liquid state and is blown into the gaps between the rafter system and the finishing material under pressure.

After drying, this insulation forms a high-quality insulating layer that does not conflict with wood and ideally retains heat inside the room. It is worth considering the fact that ecowool is made of paper, which is ideally combined with the wooden truss system of the attic.

This insulation contains a natural type antiseptic, which allows you to count on maximum protection against harmful insects, fungus and harmful mold. In addition, this material has high sound insulation, which is ideal for the attic.

The entire operational period, this material is in its primary state, without settling or sagging. In other words, the use of such a heater can be considered the most acceptable if the cost of installation work suits the developer.

Scheme of insulation work

Scheme of single-layer insulation.

The design of the attic depends on many factors, the first of which are the design and projection characteristics of the roof itself. This suggests that attic insulation should be approached as individual work, which can have striking differences. The first thing to disassemble is the method of warming the frame structure of the attic, of which there are 3:

• insulation over the frame structure;
• insulation under the frame structure;
• insulation of the frame structure from 2 sides.

The first floor insulation scheme can be used in the case when the general insulation of the house is carried out along the entire facade, which implies that the frame structure of the floor belongs to its walls. In this embodiment, it is necessary to insulate not only the inside of the attic floor, but also its outer part. The second scheme of insulation of such a floor implies the presence of balcony canopies, where only the inner part of the walls is subject to insulation.

It is possible to apply the latest scheme for warming the supporting frame only if it is made of lumber, because metal beams in this embodiment will freeze through, which will cause condensation and damage to the roofing system.

Do not forget about the high-quality insulation of not only the frame, but also the walls, floor and ceiling. This is necessary in order to organize the most comfortable living environment, while maintaining the maximum amount of thermal energy inside the residential floor. You should not start such warming in a chaotic manner, because for this there is a pre-designed procedure. So, in what order should the work described above be performed?

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the insulation of the attic floor, for which it is necessary to use the correct thermal insulation. If the room has not been used at all before, then such actions will not cause complications, because the interfloor ceiling already acts as an excellent basis for warming the floor structure.

Scheme of insulation of the attic floor.

Almost any insulation material can be laid between wooden logs, among which it is preferable to use mineral wool. The laying of the insulation fiber should be carried out in such a way as to exclude the presence of cracks and gaps between the insulation plates, which will increase the level of thermal energy safety on each of the floors.

After that, you can proceed to the insulation of the ceiling, which to some extent acts as a finish for the supporting frame of the attic structure. You can achieve high-quality insulation of the ceiling using the same mineral wool or expanded polystyrene boards.

Only after that it is worth starting to insulate the walls, which will subsequently be finished with any available finishing material. For such work, you need to choose the highest quality insulation material that will not be harmful to the health of residents, and will also be able to last as long as possible and with maximum quality.

Common mistakes during insulation work

Insulation of the ceiling, floor or walls of a residential attic can have many errors, which subsequently lead to a violation of the integrity and performance of the insulation material itself. It is worth starting a description of such errors with damage to the material by moisture, which can come from both inside and outside the attic.

External penetration of moisture can cause poor-quality installation of roofing material, the organization of ventilation holes or the installation of horizontal windows. In other words, all these stages of construction should be given maximum attention, which will save time and money that will be required to repair the entire floor.

Scheme of insulation of the attic wall.

In order not to expose the insulation material to moisture from inside the room, it is necessary to protect it from all sides with a special membrane film, which acts as a vapor barrier. Such a film has 2 sides, which indicates the care of the developer during its installation. Incorrect arrangement of the membrane will lead to even greater damage to the insulation material, and as a result, to the supporting frame of the mansard roof.

The second mistake developers make when insulating a mansard roof is the lack of attention to wind protection. If such protection is not provided for in the design, then in the winter season with strong winds, cold air will circulate between the insulation material and the roof, which will cause internal discomfort, as well as cause condensation under the roof. To avoid this, it is necessary to lay a special windproof film on the outside of the insulation material, which has excellent air permeability resistance.

When insulating the walls or ceiling of such a room, it is necessary to isolate the insulation material from mechanical damage. To insulate walls and ceilings, mineral wool is most often used, which has good resistance to mechanical stress. But if polystyrene foam material is used for such work, then it must be protected from the formation of dents and cracks, which, in turn, will increase its functionality and service life.

So, the wall and ceiling insulation scheme does not have any particular difficulties if all the conditions for such work are met correctly. The methods of this type of insulation work have some similarities and imply extreme caution when working with the selected material. In order to properly insulate a residential attic space, any described scheme will do, but it is better to choose the option that is ideal for a particular house design. Using all the recommendations presented, we properly keep the heat in the house.

The better to insulate the attic: scheme

Preparing for the winter period, many developers are asking an important question, what is the best way to insulate the attic? There are many materials for insulation: this is polystyrene, and mineral wool, etc.

Saving money is good, but not paying a lot for heating is even better! Proper insulation of the attic of a private house will save up to 30% of heat and make the room suitable for living. For the sake of this, it is worth spending a little time and getting acquainted with the correct modern insulation of a country house from the inside.

How to insulate and how to choose the right materials?

If you have already become a little familiar with the construction market, then you have probably seen dozens of insulators with different thermal conductivity coefficients, mechanical properties, and chemical compositions. Now we will figure out how to insulate the attic and what to use at the same time in order to get a positive effect and not overpay.

Styrofoam . "Cheap and cheerful." The plates are very light, easy to use, they are loyal to moisture, they tolerate periodic roof leaks well. Thermal conductivity of the material - 0.032 W / m 2 * K. This is an excellent indicator if we compare the cost of insulation and its effectiveness. There are also disadvantages: it is almost impossible to lay it down without “bridges” of cold, it is subject to attacks by rodents and the steam conductivity is very weak, almost zero.

Mineral wool . Many builders advise to insulate the walls of the attic with cotton wool, since it can be laid tightly and the cold will not pass through the insulation layer. Its cost is also democratic - from 60 rubles per 1 sq.m. 5 cm thick. The thermal conductivity of the material is 0.038 W / m 2 * K, which is slightly larger than that of polystyrene, but the main advantage of cotton wool is good aeration. It allows air to pass through and significantly increases the properties of the insulation. The disadvantage is that it is afraid of moisture and can crumble, cause irritation, get into the air.

Styrofoam . With its help, roof insulation is often carried out, it is laid on top of the rafters. It is not used for internal insulation, since the material is quite expensive and it is difficult to maintain the integrity of the layer. Thermal conductivity - 0.035 W / m 2 * K with a density of only 15-20 kg per 1 cubic meter. It does not make the structure heavier, it can be used in every building, it complies with SNiP.

polyurethane foam . Expensive, very expensive, but effective and practical. It is applied by means of installation on any surface, after which it hardens and isolates perfectly. Thermal conductivity - 0.028 W / m 2 * K, which is much better than most insulators on the construction market. The monolithic layer of insulation does not have cold bridges, it is not afraid of moisture, biological corrosion - it is not afraid of anything at all, even mechanical damage. The only drawback is the cost and complexity of its application. You won’t be able to do the insulation of the attic ceiling on your own, you will have to hire a team with the necessary equipment.

Ecowool . It costs a little less than polyurethane mixtures, but it also has to be injected with special equipment. Its physical properties are very similar to ordinary wood, only heat conduction is much better - 0.037 W / m 2 * K. It is blown into a sealed crate, mixed with an antiseptic and does not undergo biological corrosion. Cotton wool is afraid of moisture, it can sag over time.

Ecowool is injected by the installation

Choosing a heater for the attic is quite simple, if you focus on the cost of the material. High thermal conductivity can be compensated by the thickness of the layer. Having carried out simple mathematical calculations, you can determine how much one or another insulation is needed for a roof or floor. Insulation rate - 5.2 W / m 2 * K. That is, we divide the thickness of the cover by the coefficient of thermal conductivity (0.05 m / 0.038 W / m 2 * K) and get 1.3 W / m 2 * K, which is 4 times less than the norm. That is, mineral wool needs 5x4 = 20 centimeters.

The norms of insulation for each region are different. 5.2 W/m 2 *K- for the Moscow region. But remember that this is minimum value and the attic roof insulation should be at least 25% better if you do not want to overpay for a communal apartment and make a really comfortable room.

Insulation of the attic floor without overpayments

There are many different methods for laying insulation and other insulators, but there is one that has been proven for decades and does not require additional investments. Now we will consider step-by-step instructions for warming the attic floor and give useful tips that will definitely come in handy in the process.

STEP 1: the vapor barrier is laid on the very bottom of the floor, on the filing (ceiling of the first floor). Its task is to prevent the appearance of moisture in the insulation material, otherwise all its insulating properties will be useless. It is advisable to lay a layer without joints or glue them with double-sided tape with high quality, the overlap should be at least 20 cm.

STEP 2: between the rafters (estimated height 20 cm) it is necessary to lay 3 layers of insulation, 5 centimeters each. Whether it's foam, mineral wool or polystyrene boards, you need to install a layer of at least 15 cm, the more the better, but be sure to leave 3-4 centimeters of air space on top.

STEP 3: we lay the moisture insulation of the insulation. The vapor-permeable film is glued with adhesive tape to the insulation and nailed with special staples to wooden logs (overlap - 10 centimeters, wrapped on top of wooden beams). Its purpose is to promote ventilation of the material, but not to release heat. It also prevents water from entering from the outside.

STEP 4: install plank floors. The thickness of the coating is not less than 25 mm with a distance between the lags of 60 centimeters. This is a rough coating on which you can lay the finishing floor material (linoleum, carpet, parquet, laminate, etc.). Make sure that the air cushion between the building material and the boards is at least 5 centimeters.

The floor insulation is ready, now you can safely move on to the walls and ceiling. In this process, the main thing is to maintain the integrity of the layer. If there are bridges for cold and moisture, all the work will go to the cat under ... paws. Make overlaps of at least 10-20 centimeters, do not save foil materials.

Proper insulation of attic walls

If you did the roof correctly, then at this stage you have 3 layers: roofing material, batten, counter batten and waterproofing layer. The latter may not be, depending on what kind of insulation material you want to install. Let's take a closer look at how to make absolutely airtight and insulated walls that will save a lot of money on space heating.

STEP 1: we measure the racks (they can be 150 or 200 mm), calculate the thickness of the insulation material so that there is still 2-3 centimeters of air cushion between the mineral wool (polystyrene, polystyrene or other insulator) and the roof sheathing.

STEP 2: we cut the mineral wool slabs (consider the insulation using its example) so that the width of the piece is 3-4 centimeters greater than the distance between the roof racks. This is necessary so that the sheet holds on its own and it is convenient to fasten everything. We squeeze it a little on the sides, insert it into the “crate” of the racks and release it. The sheet recovers its shape and is fixed in the hole. Thus, it will still be possible to avoid cracks in the insulation.

STEP 3: install the second layer of insulation. If you want to make good attic insulation with your own hands - do 2 layers. Wooden blocks 5 centimeters high are stuffed across the racks, sheets of mineral wool or polystyrene are laid in them.

STEP 4: close the second layer of insulation with a finishing material. You can take an OSB board or a sheet of drywall, screw it directly to the second crate with screws. Then you can prime and install wallpaper, plaster or simply paint the material, depending on the wishes of the builder.

IMPORTANT: install the secondary crate according to the level, otherwise the trim sheet will not fit smoothly and it will be very difficult to correct this defect. The more evenly the boards are laid, the faster the insulation will be and the cheaper your repair work will cost.

Comprehensive insulation of the premises will help to avoid heat losses and save a lot of money on heating not only the second floor, but also the first. Now we will consider how to make good insulation of the attic ceiling and roof without large overpayments.

STEP 1: under the floor beams (which are set clearly in level), you need to fix a sheet of drywall, which will become the ceiling of the future room. It will be enough to screw the screws with a frequency of 30-40 centimeters. Only insulation for the roof will lie on the ceiling, there will not be much weight there, so it makes no sense to spend a lot of screws.

STEP 2: we put a vapor barrier under the drywall. It should protect the insulation from increased moisture, which can accumulate in the room and rise up when the air is heated. Without vapor barrier, the effectiveness of the insulation will be reduced by 5-65% (depending on the type of material). For example, mineral wool increases its thermal conductivity with increased moisture by 50%, and polyurethane coating by only 5%.

STEP 3: attic insulation with mineral wool and polyurethane. Why? Because that's the best way to do it. At least 10 centimeters of cotton wool must be laid on the ceiling in order to get at least 3-4 W / m 2 * K. If funds allow, it is best to spray the polyurethane layer on the roof from the inside, since when it hardens it does not form cold bridges and protects against moisture. 2 cm will be enough - in combination this will give an excellent result.

STEP 4: laying the diffusion membrane on top of the insulation. It keeps it dry and reduces heat loss. But it may not be laid if the attic is very dry and the insulation of the roof itself is of high quality.

IMPORTANT: vapor barrier should be applied to the entire height of the insulation layer, since it not only protects against evaporation in the room, but also insulates mineral wool, which can eventually wake up on drywall and enter the room. It would be better to glue the joints of the vapor barrier with adhesive tape or fix with staples.

Many builders advise insulating the attic floor with ecowool or bulk building materials (for example, expanded clay), but here we must understand that we will lose about 20-25 centimeters of room height and will not “close” the heat of the first floor. It is better to use such insulation when insulating the floor in a house or garage, where there will be earth or bedding under the logs.

We suggest watching a detailed video of the attic roof insulation with your own hands, because it is better to see once than to read 10 times: