The best way to insulate the attic of a house. Attic insulation technology

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One of the main places of heat loss in a house is the roof. This conclusion can be made thanks to practical observations and basic physics, because warm air tends to rise. This is why the attic should be insulated. If you do not perform high-quality thermal insulation of the attic floor during the construction stage of the house, later on when winter sets in, cold air may blow strongly from the ceiling. Suspended ceiling Armstrong perfect solution for a private home. The question arises, how to insulate the attic of a house. At the same time, the wishes of home owners can be completely different: for some, the main thing is for it to be cheaper, for others, for the work to be easier, and for others, they want to insulate exclusively with environmentally friendly or natural materials. In this article, we will talk about the general technology of attic insulation and the materials that can be used for this.

Before moving directly to materials for insulation, I would like to clarify a little why it is necessary to insulate the attic in a private house and what function it performs. Our ancestors were not stupid or ignorant, which is why old houses stand for more than 100 years, while the house is always warm, and the roof and wooden structures are always dry. What's the secret? The thing is that the ideal insulation is air. Free, natural, always present, and also changeable depending on the time of year. Previously, the roof was always made with a gable slope, with such a slope that it was easy to linger on it. snow. Also, by the way, cheap insulation. An attic space with one or two windows in the gables of the house was made under the roof slope. When necessary, these windows were kept closed, then the air trapped in the attic space acted as a heat insulator. In another situation, in the summer, for example, windows were opened at night to cool the air, and then closed before a hot day, thus controlling its temperature.

With the onset of winter, a cap of snow fell on the roof. Even in the most extreme cold, this natural insulation was enough to ensure that the temperature in the attic did not drop below zero, even if it was -25 °C outside. Air attic space and additional thermal insulation of the ceiling were necessary in order to ensure a temperature in the house of about +20 - + 25 °C. At the same time, the roof slope was never insulated from the inside to prevent the snow from melting, and the rafters remained open for diagnostics and repairs. A heated attic space with an insulated slope is no longer an attic, no matter what shape it has. This is an attic, with all that follows from here.

IN modern construction These principles also work. Therefore, let's talk about how you can insulate the attic of a private house, what material to thermally insulate the attic floor, i.e. attic floor or house ceiling.

How can you insulate an attic?

First of all, the material for insulating the attic is selected taking into account what the ceiling is made of. If it is made of wooden beams, and a wooden floor is laid on top, then you can use lightweight bulk materials, rolls and slabs. Those. the choice is as wide as possible. If the ceiling is a concrete slab, then to insulate it you will have to use dense slab materials or, in extreme cases, heavy bulk materials, since a cement screed can be placed on top of them.

Bulk materials for attic insulation:

Sawdust;
Straw;
Reed;
Buckwheat tyrsa;
Ecowool (cellulose wool);
Flax (bulk waste from flax processing);
Glass wool;
Expanded clay;
Seaweed;
Slag;
Chaff from grain crops;
Foam granules.

Roll materials for attic insulation:

Mineral wool;
Glass wool;

Materials in slabs and mats:

Straw;
Styrofoam;
Extruded polystyrene foam;
Seaweed;
Mineral wool in slabs.

When choosing the best way to insulate an attic, you should be guided by: thermal insulation characteristics material, availability in a particular region, its ability not to change its properties with temperature changes, ease of installation and then use of the room, and also, importantly, environmental friendliness, or better yet, naturalness. For example, to build a wooden house and insulate the attic with polystyrene foam would be, to say the least, stupid, because wood is a breathable material, but polystyrene foam is not. As a result, the house will be damp and disgusting, and over time, wooden structures will begin to rot and deteriorate. And, of course, the choice of insulation will depend on the financial capabilities of the owner.

How to insulate a cold attic with backfill materials

Insulating an attic with backfill materials is the most ancient method that has proven itself for centuries. Most often it is used if the floors are wooden, then it is simply poured between the joists.

The general technology of this insulation is as follows: kraft paper or other similar material (glassine, loose cardboard) is laid on wooden floors, or the floor is coated with clay, thermal insulation material is poured on top, a layer that is calculated taking into account the region of residence, boards are laid on top, on which you can will walk. The hatch leading to the attic is also insulated.

Rumors that natural insulation materials quickly cake are somewhat exaggerated. Therefore, without fear, you can choose the one that most appeals to you and is available.

Insulating the attic with flax

To insulate an attic with your own hands, you don’t need any special skills. Dexterity and basic knowledge of physics are enough. The first step is to seal all the cracks in wooden floor. They can be covered with clay, or with modern materials. Then kraft paper is laid on top or the entire surface of the floor is coated with a 2 cm layer of clay.

Bonfire- waste from flax processing. The material is very cheap in some regions, resistant to fungi and microorganisms, does not rot, and is lightweight. Mice cannot breed in a fire, since it is impossible to make a burrow (nest) in it; it immediately crumbles, filling the passage. The material cakes, but you can always add it directly from above or replace it with a new one. The undeniable advantage of linen materials is that there are no problems with their disposal; you just need to raked them out of the attic and then burn them, which cannot be said about glass wool.

The fire is covered with a layer of 180 to 350 mm. There is nothing covering the top; for ease of walking around the attic, you can lay out the boards, but do not fill the entire space, do not make a full-fledged floor. This will allow the material to breathe and release moisture. In the attic, ventilation must be provided in the form of small or medium-sized windows. From time to time the material is checked, if it is slightly damp, the windows are opened to dry the space and linen.

Wondering how to properly insulate cold attic, many are inclined to the old ancestral method - insulating with sawdust. This is especially true in regions where there is wood processing nearby, where you can buy sawdust for ridiculous money or even get it for free in any quantity.

To begin with, as in the case of linen insulation, all cracks in the floor are coated with clay. You can sprinkle a little sand on top. It is necessary so that if the clay cracks, sand can be poured into the crack. Next, sprinkle everything with slaked lime and carbide. This will be protection against mice. Cover the top with sawdust in a layer of 100 - 200 mm. Since sawdust is a flammable material, they were usually sprinkled with slag waste on top. Especially in areas around chimneys or other hot objects. Instead of slag, you can use other materials, for example, treat sawdust with fire retardants. There is also nothing laid on top of the sawdust, except for boards on which one could walk.

Instead of sawdust, you can use straw or chaff from grain crops. Kraft paper or glassine is also laid under it, but you can coat the floor with clay with a layer of up to 5 cm. Straw is immediately poured in a layer of 200 - 500 mm, depending on the region and severity winter cold. To reduce the flammability of straw, you can coat it with a 1-2 cm layer of clay on top. The same method is used against mice as with sawdust, or any other folk remedy.

Ecowool- a modern material, a product of processing newspapers and other waste paper with the addition of mineral binders and other additives that provide a low flammability class.

Due to the fact that ecowool can absorb moisture from the air in its fibers, it is not necessary to lay vapor barrier material, but it’s still worth laying some kind of film.

Ecowool is immediately laid directly on the wooden floors, this is done using a special blowing installation. This installation principle makes it possible to make the insulation layer monolithic, without a single gap, and it will also be enclosed in large quantities air serving as a heat insulator. For many regions of Russia, a layer of ecowool of 250 mm is sufficient, but a layer of 300 or 500 mm can be arranged.

Important! After about 1 - 3 weeks, a protective crust forms on top of the ecowool. This is lignin, which binds the fibers of the top layer. Therefore, sometimes during installation this insulation water spray is used to speed up the process of lignin formation.

Due to the fact that ecowool cakes, its layer decreases, therefore, when blowing, you should use 5 - 15% more than the planned amount of ecowool.

Insulating an attic with fiberglass

A fairly common way to insulate an attic floor is to cover it with fiberglass in a layer of 150 - 250 mm. Although this material does not burn, does not rot, is not afraid of moisture, mice and microorganisms do not grow in it, it is quite toxic. When laying it on the attic floor, be sure to be dressed from head to toe in thick clothing, gloves and a respirator. After all the styling work, the clothes will have to be burned.

Once the material has caked, it must be replaced with a new one, and this poses some difficulties since the material is not disposed of in the usual way. The biggest inconvenience occurs when there are no windows in the attic through which it can be thrown into the street, and it has to be carried through the house.

Insulating the attic with expanded clay

Expanded clay is very suitable for insulating concrete floors. It is filled with a layer of about 200 - 250 mm, and poured on top cement strainer layer up to 50 mm. This allows you to create a floor in the attic on which you can not only walk unhindered, but also on which you can arrange or lay out unnecessary things. The cement-sand mixture for the screed should not have a liquid, but a dense consistency, so as not to flow too much into the expanded clay backfill.

How to properly insulate an attic with rolled materials

Rolled materials are good for insulation because they can be laid in the space between joists up to 180 - 200 mm high. Mostly materials are used that are easy to cut and quickly take the required shape.

Mineral wool is a modern thermal insulation material that is ubiquitous. It is very often used for attic insulation, since it does not burn, does not rot, and is not afraid of microorganisms and rodents, as well as moisture.

From below on wooden floor Be sure to lay a vapor barrier film, the joints of which are taped with special tape, because cotton wool absorbs moisture, but practically does not release it.

Rolls of mineral wool can be laid on top of the film. During work, you must wear thick clothing, as is the case with fiberglass. Vata takes its full size within 15 - 20 minutes. There is no need to cover it with anything, but you can lay down boards for walking. Waterproofing material to protect wool from leaks is laid only under the roof.

Insulating the attic with algae ladders

Seaweed ladders are an excellent natural material for insulating attics. Thanks to sea salt and iodine, with which the algae are impregnated, mice do not grow in them, and they also do not rot and are not afraid of microorganisms. The ladders are pierced mats made of zostera sea grass. According to thermal insulation properties this material in no way inferior to modern ones synthetic materials. One of the main advantages is environmental friendliness, as well as the fact that the drains practically do not burn, only slightly smolder and do not emit toxic substances.

Algae are not afraid of moisture, so there is no need to vapor barrier the floor; you can immediately lay the drains on the floor with a layer of up to 200 mm or more. On top you can install a wooden floor or lay boards for walking.

Using algae for attic insulation is very beneficial for the health of the residents of the house, as it provides ideal conditions and indoor microclimate, and also release beneficial iodine into the air.

Insulating the attic with linen insulation

Modern linen insulation is produced in the same rolls as mineral wool. Their only advantage is that they are absolutely environmentally friendly. Linen is an excellent choice for attic insulation wooden house or houses made from other environmentally friendly materials - adobe, for example.

Before laying the rolled material, all cracks in the floor should be sealed with clay; no other vapor barrier is needed. Linen insulation is laid on top, joining neatly and leaving no gaps.

How to insulate an attic with slab materials and mats

Insulate wooden floors slab materials It makes no sense, even though it is possible. These materials are mainly used for thermal insulation. concrete slabs floors. With subsequent arrangement of the floor in the attic.

Insulating the attic with polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam

Polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam is not a very dense material, but it can be used to insulate an attic. But extruded polystyrene foam is ideal for these purposes, as it is much denser. Before laying polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam, the floor slab must be checked for unevenness. The surface should be leveled so that the insulation boards can be carefully laid. A vapor barrier material should be laid on the leveled surface.

Next, the slabs are laid in a checkerboard pattern, and the joints are sealed polyurethane foam. After the foam has dried, it is necessary to pour a cement-sand screed on top with a layer of about 4 - 5 cm. After the screed has dried, it can be used as an attic floor.

Insulating the attic with reeds

Reed slabs began to be made relatively recently, when the demand for environmentally friendly materials began to gain popularity. In terms of thermal insulation properties, reeds are no worse modern materials. Even without treating them with fire retardants, the flammability class is G2 - G3, and after treatment - G1. The same cannot be said about polystyrene foam and EPS, which burn and release toxic substances.

Reed slabs can be used to insulate both wooden and concrete floors. In this case, a vapor barrier is not necessary. And on top you can install a wooden floor or decking.

The modern market is replete with a variety of thermal insulation materials, and sellers are trying to praise them, attributing non-existent advantages. Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to say that when choosing a material for insulating an attic, focus on the overall concept of the house and life priorities. If your house is made of environmentally friendly wood, then the insulation should be natural, so you will not only preserve the wood, but also your health. If your house is made of foam blocks or other non-breathable material, you can use mineral wool, it won’t get any worse.

Video: how to insulate an attic

Insulation of the attic floor concerns to a greater extent cold rooms that are not used as residential ones, that is, with uninsulated roofing system and natural ventilation. In such cases, the attic floor becomes a kind of boundary between heat and cold, where the likelihood of condensation moisture forming is especially high. It’s interesting that you can easily handle such a responsible job yourself.

Why do you need to insulate your attic?

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

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

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

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

Attention

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

Requirements for attic insulation

Insulation of the attic floor of a house, its quality, significantly affects not only heat loss, but also the durability of the rafter system and roof covering. Water vapor from internal warm rooms diffuse intensively into the attic, but, as is known, in order for the insulation to provide the calculated thermal insulation efficiency, it must be dry. Therefore, it is protected from moisture vapor warm air, laying vapor-proof material on the “warm” side.

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

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

Ventilating it through vents: ridge, eaves, as well as slotted and dormer windows helps to dry the layer and remove moisture from the attic space. To ensure optimal ventilation intensity, the total area of the ventilation openings should be about 0.2–0.5% of the attic floor.

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

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

Insulation of beam floors

An option for retaining heat in such a structure is between the beams. Usually, their height is enough for this, but if there is not enough, you can fill a block on top. The ceiling from below is covered with molded material, say, clapboard or sheets of plasterboard, and the attic subfloor covering is laid on top of the beams: sheets of plywood, OSB boards, MDF, etc.

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

On a note

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

The gap between the beams is then filled with insulation of the required thickness. It is recommended to lay an additional layer of insulation on top of the beams, this will help avoid “cold bridges” and reduce possible heat loss

If high-quality, well-processed timber is used for the beams, then the finishing, say, massive board, laid directly on the beams. The insulation is placed between them, and the attic floor covering is laid on top. This technology is quite common in houses made of rounded logs or timber.

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

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

Partial penetration of thermal insulation onto the external wall will ensure complete preservation of heat in the house.

What insulation materials are most often used

The installation technology is practically no different from the traditional floor-mounted one for a living space. It is important to choose the right material for making the heat insulator. IN Lately Most often, attic floor insulation is done with mineral wool.

Why mineral wool?

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

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

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

Mineral wool can be used to insulate almost any surface, even uneven ones. It is produced in soft slabs or rolls. It is advisable to use a material that has a metallized heat-reflecting surface. Cut mineral wool using an ordinary knife. Place it tightly between the beams, without jamming, without gaps. This is an inexpensive, but durable and effective option.

The work requires some precautions: glasses, gloves, and those with allergies are advised to use respirators.

The layers are laid in the same sequence:

vapor barrier;
mineral wool;
vapor-permeable moisture-proof membrane.

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

On a note

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

Stone wool

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

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

Thermal insulation of tiled floors

The principle of prefabricated insulation reinforced concrete slabs or monolithic floors similar to the same process in the case of beam type. True, since the vapor permeability of reinforced concrete slabs is quite low, performing a vapor barrier on the “warm” side is not necessary. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer is calculated taking into account the type of supporting slab. A tiled floor with a flat surface can bear a large load.

How best to insulate

Let's start with the fact that you can install wooden beams on the slabs and place insulation between them. These can be backfill materials or mats of various types.

Installation technology

To install mineral wool, you will need to first prepare the attic space. To do this, you should remove all unnecessary things from there. The surface of the subfloor is cleaned of dust and dirt. If this wood flooring– It is recommended to install a layer of waterproofing.

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

It is important to choose the right thickness basalt wool– it should not exceed the height of the joist taking into account the waterproofing layer. Models with a thickness of 50 mm and a density of up to 30 kg/m³ are often used.

The installation technology consists of the following stages of work.

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

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

For fastening, you can use double-sided duct tape, but cannot be used construction stapler or nails. This may lead to seal failure.

Installation of heat insulator. Proper insulation of the floor of a cold attic begins with calculating the amount of material. The main indicators are total area rooms and the distance between beams. The latter is necessary to select the optimal insulation model. The width of standard slabs is 600 mm.

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

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

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

The material is pressed tightly to the floor surface. It does not require additional fastening. When the entire surface between the beams is insulated, the roll is cut using a knife.

The rest of the attic floor is installed using the same scheme. After this, technological wooden flooring can be installed on top of the beams. It can be regular boards, the thickness of which will support the weight of an adult.

Backfilling of thermal insulation material

Backfilling of insulation can be done without installing a log. Expanded clay or slag is poured in a layer of 25–30 cm, leveled and filled with a thin layer of screed. It is recommended to stick roofing felt onto the slabs.

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

Proper insulation of the attic floor is the main factor in maintaining heat in the house. It is important to follow the order of installation of all materials of the thermal insulation layer. You should also worry about operational safety - be sure to install a protective structure around the chimney pipe.

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

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

Work on insulating the attic is carried out more often from the floor than from the ceiling of the lower floor. The sequence of actions varies and depends on the selected insulation.

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

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

The positive properties of mineral wool are:

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

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

Required tools and equipment

For complete insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic mineral wool you will need:

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

If everything you need is ready, it’s time to get to work.

Instructions for covering the attic floor

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

Laying vapor barrier material on the floor. They can be a vapor-proof membrane, polyethylene film or glassine. The first example is the most expensive, the last is the most affordable. The material is laid with an overlap, the joints are glued with tape or fixed with thin wooden slats using a stapler.
Logs (horizontal sections) are formed from plywood or small blocks. The distance between parallel boards should be a couple of centimeters less than the expected width of the insulation.
The mineral wool is placed tightly into the logs and compacted with a spatula so that there are no gaps. If it is necessary to lay two pieces of insulation, their joint is taped.
It is advisable to lay a waterproofing material on top of the wool layer to prevent the floor from getting wet. Most likely, there is already a layer of roofing felt under the roof, but for greater peace of mind it is recommended to perform this step when insulating a cold attic floor.
After laying three layers of attic protection from freezing and moisture, smooth boards are laid on top of the joists to form the floor.

Fulfillment of the above plan is the key to quality work done. A flat floor laid on top of the insulation is the base surface for final finishing.

Features of working with the material

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

cut pieces of mineral wool only on a horizontal, flat surface;
lay it in a layer the width of which is at least 25 cm;
insulate pipes, ventilation shafts, beams and other areas protruding in the attic near the floor with mineral wool.

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

Insulating the attic floor of a house allows you to retain more heat inside the room, rather than wasting it on heating a cold attic. It's good if it is used as utility room(technical attic) or like an attic, and what if not? Then it makes no sense to waste resources on heating an unheated attic space.

That is why it is worth insulating the ceiling of a cold attic using thermal insulation materials. Insulation can be done from the attic side or from the room side (inside/outside). It is best to do this during the construction of the building, or immediately before finishing the room. But even during the operation of the house, there is no reason not to insulate the ceiling from the attic.

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

The technology for insulating the attic floor depends on the selected material.

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

Mineral wool is an insulation material whose fibers are arranged in a certain way. It is this randomness that leads to the formation of an air cushion between the fibers, which imparts its properties to the insulation. However, this same feature of cotton wool increases its ability to absorb moisture. To avoid this, you need to know how to install mineral wool correctly.

Advantages of mineral wool:

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

Among the disadvantages: the ability to absorb moisture.

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

First stage

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

If insulation is carried out according to wooden beams, then the film should go around all protruding elements. Otherwise, the beams may rot.

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

Second phase

The insulation (cotton wool) is being laid. It's a pretty simple process. Plates or strips are easily cut with a construction knife to the required sizes.

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

a) insufficient thickness of thermal insulation material;

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

insulation with foil will increase the material’s resistance to heat loss. Place the sheet with the foil side down.

the insulation should not protrude beyond the beam. If this situation occurs, the beam needs to be lengthened wooden beam or additional lath to the thickness of the insulation.

Thin insulation laid in two layers retains more heat than one thick one. In this case, the slabs must be laid in a checkerboard pattern.

if there are protrusions in the attic structural elements, for example, a chimney pipe, you need to raise the insulation to a height of 400-500 mm. and secure it.

Third stage

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

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

The installation technology process is similar to insulating the attic floor with polystyrene foam.

The advantages of these materials:

low cost;
ease of operation;
waterproof.

Among the disadvantages: flammability.

Technology for insulating attic floors with polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam

The process of installing rigid insulation based on it is more than simple and can be done with your own hands. The work can be divided into two stages:

surface leveling. To ensure high-quality insulation, there should be no significant unevenness on the base floor. Such differences can be eliminated by screeding with sand-cement mortar.

The slabs are laid end-to-end or between beams. The presence of timber increases the strength of the floor.

Tip: carefully seal any seams, incl. joints with beams. When going around an obstacle, try to cut the holes as accurately as possible. A homogeneous thermal insulation layer retains heat better.

Rough coating

Polystyrene foam must be protected from destruction with film in an uninhabited attic. In a frequently used or residential attic, you need to move somehow, so it is better to install an OSB subfloor on top of polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene or use a sand-cement screed.

Sawdust is finely ground wood.

Advantages:

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

The disadvantage is flammability.

Technology of attic insulation with sawdust

Before you start insulating them with sawdust, you need to prepare them. Namely, mix cement and water with sawdust in a ratio of 10:1:1.

Pour the prepared mixture onto the attic floor and level it. It is worth noting that sawdust can be used as insulation without using a frame only on uninhabited attic. Otherwise, when walking on the floor, the sawdust will be compressed, and concrete screed will collapse.

build a cellular structure from timber. Pour a solution with sawdust inside each cell. The advantage of this method is that a subfloor can be laid over the timber. And the attic will be usable

Expanded clay is produced by firing clay.

Advantages:

low thermal conductivity;
naturalness;
environmental friendliness;
ease;
availability.

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

Expanded clay is usually used when it is necessary to insulate the attic floor using slabs.

Technology of attic insulation with expanded clay

The work is carried out in three stages:

The slab is inspected for the presence of cracks and cracks. They are sealed with mortar or covered with thick paper. Protruding elements do not create difficulties with filling expanded clay.

install timber sheathing. In the future, a subfloor will be laid on it.

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

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

Finally, a subfloor is installed or filled with sand-cement screed.

Please note that insulating an attic wooden floor has some nuances:

the tree is susceptible to rotting, which means the steam rising to the top must pass freely. Improper installation of films or the use of non-breathable materials, such as roofing felt, will lead to the destruction of wood in the future.

When using foil insulation, you need to place it with the foil down. This way the wood will be protected from water and at the same time will not accumulate steam moisture.

The “correct” way is to use a superdiffusion membrane or vapor barrier film

“Wrong” - laying a special film without taking into account the markings or even ordinary film

The attic floor insulation diagram for various types of insulation is shown below.

Conclusion

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

A warm attic is not only a place to store equipment, but also reduces heat loss in the house by 20%! Insulating the attic in a private house with your own hands will allow you to save significantly, especially since the whole process does not require special construction skills.

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

First of all, you should decide on the further use of the attic. If you plan to make it heated, there is no need to insulate the attic partition, nor do you need to organize a vapor barrier on the side of the lower floors. In this case, only the roof needs to be insulated.

The roofing pie from the inside out will look like this:

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

If the attic is non-residential, the attic floor itself must be insulated. To reduce humidity levels in your home, avoid using impervious films and insulation, allowing moisture to evaporate through the attic. And so that moisture does not spoil the rafters by condensing on inside, you need to choose anti-condensation waterproofing for metal roofs and ensure that the cold attic is well ventilated.

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

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

There are also disadvantages - mineral wool loses its properties when wet, so one should not allow a dew point to occur in the insulation and ensure unhindered evaporation of moisture from the thickness of the slabs and mats.

Foam insulation is also quite popular, because it:

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

But due to the lack of vapor permeability, houses insulated with foam plastic have a greenhouse effect and must be equipped with forced ventilation. If between the foam plastic and wooden elements Condensation forms, which leads to rapid rotting of the wood.

Sprayed insulation is convenient for quickly and densely filling hard-to-reach places. Ecowool, made from cellulose, is vapor permeable and allows wooden structures breathe. It is convenient to use for insulating small attic spaces.

But ecowool is afraid of getting wet, and to use it you will need special equipment for blowing.

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

Attic insulation technology

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

Insulation of a residential attic with mineral wool or polystyrene foam

If the house has already been built and you don’t want to dismantle the roof, you can do it from the inside:

After this, you can begin finishing the attic and begin to inhabit it!

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

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

About how to properly insulate reinforced concrete attic floors, described in detail in the video:

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