Construction of attic walls. Attic floor - we build a house with an attic floor ourselves

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An attic, which makes it possible to effectively use the floor space of a private house, is a rather complex design. As a rule, homeowners entrust its construction to experienced roofers. But if you are skilled in carpentry and are not afraid of difficulties, then you can certainly cope with the task yourself. The first step is to obtain theoretical knowledge of how an attic roof is calculated and built with your own hands according to individual drawings. This information, presented in the form step by step guide, you will find in this article.

Choosing a roof design

To construct an attic floor instead of a conventional attic, the following types of roofs are suitable (shown in the diagram below):

regular gable with a slope of 45° or more (steep);
broken roof;
four-slope, half-hip.

Note. As can be seen from the diagram, various half-hip roofings are complicated gable roofs, so there is no point in considering them separately. In terms of design, the multi-gable structure shown in the photo is of interest, but its construction requires considerable experience.

The gable mansard roof is the simplest to implement and is economical in terms of material consumption. But you will have to pay for this with a smaller usable area and sloping walls of the attached floor, which do not allow the placement of tall furniture. This will not be a problem if you plan to set up a bedroom in the attic - the beds will easily stand near the longitudinal walls. Another way to solve the issue is to raise the rafter system to the required height, as shown in the drawing below.

Roofing with broken shapes is the most popular option, since it allows you to create full-fledged living rooms upstairs. If you do not provide protruding windows on its slopes, then in terms of installation technology such a roof is not much more complicated than a gable roof, although the consumption of building materials will increase. To make your choice easier, we suggest considering and comparing the 3 most common options for an attic superstructure for a private home standard sizes 6 x 6 m:

Steep roof with two slopes inclined at an angle of 45°.
A broken structure, where the lower rafters are inclined at an angle of 60°, and the upper ones - 30°.
The same as option 1, only the trusses are raised to a height of 60 cm, and the rafter legs are at an angle of 37.5°.

For convenience, we depicted all three structures on one drawing, which can be taken as a basis for future construction.

Note. A board with a cross section of 50 x 150 mm was taken as the main building material for the manufacture of rafters and other frame elements.

To choose the best of the three options, we suggest studying the comparative table, which presents the parameters of attic rooms based on 1 linear meter building length.

Knowing the length of the roof slopes indicated in the plate, you can approximately estimate the consumption of building materials for the frame, covering and insulation. The following table allows you to evaluate total area rooms on the second floor when implementing all 3 solutions in private houses of different sizes.

Calculation of the rafter system

The rafters of a do-it-yourself attic must withstand the following loads throughout their entire service life:

own weight;
weight of roofing and insulation;
maximum gusts of wind for a given area;
snow cover pressure.

Reference. When the roof slope is more than 45°, the snow practically does not linger on it, and at 60° it is not taken into account at all in the calculations. But wind pressure increases due to the height of the structure and its position, which is close to vertical.

The result of the calculations should be 2 parameters - the cross-section of the rafters with beams (otherwise known as tie rods) and the pitch of their installation. It is a mistake to think that the size of the wooden beams of the roof grows along with the loads on it. Maximum structural rigidity is achieved through the use of roof trusses from logs with a diameter of 120-200 mm or lumber with a thickness of 40 to 200 mm, installed in increments of 50-120 cm. If you are not a civil engineer, you will not be able to more accurately determine these values, since the technique is quite complex.

Online calculators posted on the Internet do not solve the issue, because their calculations still need to be checked. The solution is this: use ready-made data that has been calculated a long time ago. To do this, you will need table No. 1, which shows the cross-sections of rafter legs at different lengths and loads:

We will explain the calculation method with an example. Let us assume that the snow load is flat surface(projection pitched roof) in your area is 100 kg/m², the slope is 60°, the span length is 4.5 m (before the brace), the rafter spacing is 120 cm. The roofing is slate. We count:

Real weight of snow cover: 100 x 0.32 = 32 kg/m². The slope coefficient of 0.32 is taken from Table 2 below.
The specific gravity of a slate covering with a regular profile is 25 kg/m².
Total specific gravity – 32 + 25 = 60 kg/m².
We calculate the specific gravity per 1 linear meter of rafters, multiplying 60 kg/m² by an installation step of 1.2 m. We get 72 kg.
We return to table No. 1 and select the cross-section of the beam according to the span length. We accept a load of 100 kg per 1 line of rafters (with a margin). A log with a diameter of 140 mm, a board 40 x 200 mm and other materials whose dimensions are in the same horizontal line are suitable.

Reference. When installing a sloping mansard roof, 2 types of rafters are used - layered and hanging. On a gable roof, only hanging roofs are used; the difference between them is shown in the diagram.

The last table No. 3 will help you correctly determine the installation interval of roof trusses:

The proposed method is suitable for small rectangular houses measuring 6 x 6 m. To build a mansard roof on a large cottage, it is strongly recommended to contact specialist designers for calculations.

Frame making

The simplified method presented below involves the installation of an attic sloping roof in 2 stages: assembly of roof trusses on the ground and subsequent installation on the finished walls of a timber or log house. Construction material boards with a section of 15 x 5 and 10 x 5 cm with a standard length of 6 m stand out.

Start of assembly - formation of the upper belt rafter system

The technology looks like this step by step:

Prepare the beams of the lower chord of the truss, taking into account roof overhangs of 25-27 cm on each side. If the length of the beam is not enough, it needs to be increased using an overlay of the same section, nailed.
Lay the beam on the ground and attach vertical posts to it with corners to form the walls attic room. Install ceiling beam and a support for the ridge (headstock), then attach two boards of hanging rafters to it and the corners of the frame for marking, as was done in the photo.
Cut the elements into place and secure them. From the remaining parts of the boards, make layered (lower) rafter legs in the same way and nail them to the frame. The farm is ready.
Make the remaining trusses using the same method.

Advice. As a rule, windows or doors to the balcony are provided on the front gables. It is also convenient to make racks and belts for their installation on the ground, as well as to cover the openings with clapboard.

How to quickly and accurately assemble rafters for the attic is described in the video:

The finished frames are lifted onto the walls and fixed in place one by one, starting from the first pediment. To prevent it from falling, install spacers and nail them to the walls of the log house. The second and subsequent trusses are placed in the design position and connected to each other with boards.

After placing the rafters, they must be secured to the walls in the following ways:

staples to the second top crown of logs or beams;
on steel corners and galvanized screws, as shown in the photo.

Note. Installation on brick and other solid walls is carried out using a Mauerlat - wooden beam, laid on bearing structures along the entire perimeter of the building. In turn, the Mauerlat is mounted on studs or anchor bolts, and a waterproofing layer of roofing felt is placed between it and the stone wall. The mounting assembly looks like this:

The next step is to lay a diffusion membrane on top of the rafter system - a film that protects from wind and precipitation, but allows water vapor from the insulation to pass out. Roll out the first sheet at the bottom of the roof and secure it to the boards with a stapler, lay the next one with an overlap of 10-15 cm. When you have covered the entire roof, nail the sheathing boards. The installation is shown in more detail in the video:

A roofing covering is laid on top of the sheathing - slate, metal tiles, and so on. The technology of installation and fastening depends on the selected material.

Attic insulation

Since the attic space is planned as a residential space, it should be well insulated. Of the thermal insulation materials, mineral wool works best with wood because it allows moisture to pass through and allows it to “breathe.” The layer thickness is at least 150 mm, and in the northern regions - up to 300 mm. Insulation is carried out in the following order:

Cut the mineral wool slabs and insert them spaced between the rafters.
To insulate the gables, nail additional posts and lay insulation between them in the same way.
If the width of the rafter legs is not enough to create thermal insulation of the required thickness, after laying the first layer, nail horizontal counter-lattice bars to them. Insert the second layer slabs between them.
Cover the insulation from the inside with a vapor barrier film, laying it with an overlap of 15 cm and gluing the joints with aluminum tape.
Nail the sheathing strips on top for cladding with plasterboard or other finishing material.

Important point. When laying the insulation, make sure that there is a 3-5 cm ventilation duct between it and the windproof membrane. Moisture formed in the mineral wool due to the dew point will be removed through it.

The process of thermal insulation of the attic is clearly shown in the next video:

Conclusion

Construction of an attic roof is a labor-intensive task and you cannot overcome it alone. Most work needs to be done with an assistant, and lifting trusses will require 3 people. Also, the success of your event largely depends on the correctness of the initial calculations. If the calculation method confuses you, and there are no smart engineers nearby, consult with experienced roofers, whose competence there is no doubt. They will suggest the right solution and, perhaps, tell you about the details of installing such systems.

Construction of an attic is a very important process that is performed both at the design stage of the entire house and after its construction. This room provides its owners with additional square meters of living space. Let's look at the features of the attic construction below.

Construction of an attic: project and its development

The attic is a rather difficult part of the building to construct. It is preferable to design it at the stage of building the house itself. Because building a residential attic on a finished building is not always possible. First of all, due to the fact that the attic space has considerable weight, and therefore loads the foundation.

The construction of an attic consists of a certain kind of stages, such as:

attic construction drawings;
dismantling old roofing materials, if the attic is being built on an already completed building;
strengthening the walls on the upper floor, strengthening the foundation, if necessary;
erection of attic walls;
construction of the roof, its insulation, waterproofing and finishing;
installation of window structures;
interior finishing works.

Compliance with all technological nuances in the construction of an attic, will allow you to get a reliable and durable building.

The first and most important stage is drawing up a project for the attic space. At this stage, you should take into account such features as the size of the room, the material used in its construction, the roof and the level of its slope and many other nuances.

There are three ways to design an attic. The first is the most budgetary, drawing up the project manually. However, minimal design experience is required to carry out this operation. The second way is to use ready-made design documentation; however, it is not a fact that someone’s attic design will be completely suitable for your home, so you will still have to make some adjustments to it. The third way is to contact specialized organizations that, in the shortest possible time, will help you draw up an attic project that is ideal for your home.

In the process of independent design, you should take into account the wall loads on the building, its appearance and finishing materials used both inside and outside the premises. In addition, it is imperative to take into account the load from the building on the foundation; it may need to be strengthened. If the attic is too heavy, there is a risk of deformation or cracks in the house.

Experts will help you choose the optimal building materials, which, on the one hand, will ensure the attic's durability in operation, and on the other hand, will help reduce its load on the base of the entire building.

In addition, after drawing up the project, it should be agreed upon with special government agencies. If you have a competent project, this process will go quite quickly.

Do-it-yourself attic construction in the house

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the option of constructing an attic in an already built and commissioned residential building. In this case, the first step is to dismantle the old roof. Thus, it will be possible to expand the under-roof space and increase the safety of the building under construction.

To dismantle the roof, it is not necessary to hire specialists; all work can be done with your own hands. To do this, you must first get rid of the external roofing finishing material. Next, you need to completely remove the sheathing and rafter system.

After this, it is necessary to strengthen the walls on the adjacent floor, since the attic will exert a certain pressure on them. The design features of the attic exert pressure not only on the surface of the base of the building, but also on its walls. Therefore, first of all, before constructing an attic, it is necessary to strengthen the walls close to it. To do this, you should use special calculations, according to which this process is performed and the strength level of old walls is determined.

The next stage is insulation and waterproofing of the attic floor, which is also the ceiling on the previous floor. With the help of these actions it will be possible to ensure a healthy atmosphere in the room. To insulate the attic, you can use various thermal insulation materials in the form of polystyrene foam, mineral wool, etc.

Construction of the attic photo:

Next follows the process of erecting walls in the attic. The walls are made in accordance with the project developed in advance. Most often, wood or timber is used to build walls. To insulate the attic, it is recommended to use mineral wool or expanded polystyrene. When choosing a material for external and internal wall decoration, try to give preference to materials with high level fire safety.

The next process is the construction of the roof. IN in this case, calculating the correct roof slope angle is very important. Since a roof that is too flat will negatively affect the ease of use of the attic space. Please note that the roof must be properly waterproofed, since if there is the slightest leak on its surface, moisture enters the attic.

In addition, the shape of the roof should be as simple as possible, the presence of broken and curly elements will only complicate the process of their construction. Also important is the issue of insulating the attic space. For these purposes, various types of building materials are used. When choosing insulation for the attic, try to give preference to materials that do not absorb moisture and are resistant to frost, temperature changes and rodents. In addition, the thermal insulation material should not allow heat to escape from the room.

It is best to focus on carrying out internal thermal insulation work. To create it, follow a number of steps:

install finishing in the form of plasterboard or plywood base;
form a vapor barrier layer; special films are used for these purposes;
lay thermal insulation material - perfect solution- mineral wool;
ensure proper waterproofing of the roof using a special type of membrane;
lay external finishing roofing material.

To erect a roof, you will also need to install a rafter system and install sheathing, the installation step of which depends on the type of roofing material. After the roof installation is completed, windows should be installed.

In order to ensure high-quality lighting in the room, several windows should be installed in it, the size of which directly depends on the size of the attic itself. The window in the attic ceiling must be of high quality. It must be resistant to precipitation, wind, and temperature changes. In addition, with the help of window structures, high-quality ventilation of the attic is ensured.

Further actions for the construction of the attic are related to the internal finishing works, heating organization, decoration and design of the premises. Strict adherence to all recommendations for attic construction will help ensure long-term operation of this room.

Frame attic construction technology

Frame attic - perfect solution for any home, garage and even bathhouse. Among the advantages of frame-type attics, we note:

lightness of the structure, so it does not load the main building, there is no need for additional strengthening of the walls and foundation;
affordable cost of the attic - in comparison with its stone options;
high level of thermal insulation and sound insulation;
the possibility of constructing an attic of almost any shape and configuration;
ease of construction work, since the materials for the construction are quite light and special equipment is not required to lift them to the surface of the house.

Construction frame attic allows you to get a finished building with excellent heat and sound insulation properties. In addition, the roof will remain completely intact, and the usable area of the room will increase significantly.

A simpler process is to build an attic on a building that has not yet been erected. The construction of an attic on an already finished house requires the dismantling of the old roofing. Work should begin by studying the characteristics of the soil on the site and determining the bearing capacity of the foundation. If the foundation is not able to support the attic, then a series of works will be required to strengthen it.

Next, you should inspect the walls of the house for their susceptibility to additional loads. In this case, if necessary, it is necessary to strengthen the walls. After this, the old roof is dismantled and the ceiling is strengthened.

Construction wooden attic consists of the following stages:

production of frame system;
installation of walls;
insulation of attic walls;
installation work related to the installation of the roof;
finishing the attic with roofing materials and insulating the roof;
interior decoration of the attic.

In addition, the construction of an attic involves the installation of window and door designs, manufacturing and installation of stairs, etc.

In order to construct an attic from timber, you should prepare an edged board, plywood, screws and the timber itself. The frame structure should be of a height convenient for the average person to move around. The optimal height of the attic is at least two meters. The height of the ridge zone should be about 350 cm.

The easiest way is to assemble the frame on the ground and then lift it onto the roof. The top beam or frame frame will act as a hearth in the attic. For fixation frame structure special boards or plywood are used on the surface of the house. In this way it is possible to obtain a special platform. The knots and quality of fastening depend on the material from which the attic walls are made. Self-tapping screws are used to connect the timber at the top of the structure. After production frame walls the roof should be thermally insulated and waterproofed. After this, the external and interior lining walls, windows and doors are installed, interior finishing work is carried out.

When planning an attic, you should carefully analyze the general condition of the main building. The attic can be one room or will consist of several rooms. At the design stage, you should also take into account the design and shape of the windows, as well as their location.

The attic should be constructed from light, but at the same time durable materials. Since materials should easily rise to the roof and place minimal load on the base of the building.

The most optimal materials for constructing an attic are wood or steel profiles. An attic made of stone or concrete will load the main building. Roof finishing materials should also be light, but at the same time durable and reliable. Preferably used for roofing bitumen shingles or piece metal. We recommend using plasterboard for interior wall decoration and leveling.

Since the attic is located above the main building, it is in greater contact with cold air. Therefore, proper thermal insulation of this room should be ensured. Heated air in the room should not penetrate through the insulation. In addition, in order to prevent moisture from entering the room, it is necessary to ensure its waterproofing.

In relation to design features attic, it consists of a rafter system, which is installed in increments of sixty centimeters. To fill the gaps between the rafter system, it is recommended to install thermal insulation materials, such as mineral wool, inside them. It is possible to lay the insulation in one, two or even three layers. To calculate the total thickness of the thermal insulation material, the total heat loss coefficient in the room should be taken into account. To protect the roof from inside the room, a vapor barrier should be installed. Next, you should finish the roof using plasterboard, lining or finishing panels.

Do not forget to leave a ventilation gap, the main function of which will be to get rid of excess moisture in the under-roof space. The width of this gap directly depends on the type of roofing material. WITH outside thermal insulation material should be installed with vapor-permeable wind protection.

An excellent vapor barrier material is polyethylene film, glassine or roofing felt. The insulation is laid with an overlap of 15 cm. Construction tape is used to seal the seams. Please note that foil waterproofing is laid with a foil covering inside the room. Thus, the foil will reflect the heat that comes from the room.

Construction of the attic video:

The attic is the living space under the roof itself. It allows you to significantly increase the square footage of the building area without extensions. It is not necessary to plan an attic in advance in a private house; it can be built on an old building with a regular roof with an existing rafter system.

The budget for such work will be relatively small - after all, the load-bearing elements are already present, perhaps modifications will only be required to insulate and bring the attic into a habitable condition. Do-it-yourself attic - quite real project, which can be implemented without the involvement of qualified labor, but with an assistant.

Reconstruction of the roof into an attic without replacing rafters

Before you start construction

Do-it-yourself attic construction on a completed building begins with a careful assessment of the situation. First of all, you should make sure that the old structure can successfully withstand the additional load.

The matter also concerns the material of wall structures. Usually, both the foundation and the load-bearing walls contain a sufficient margin of safety, which will make it possible to do without additional reinforcement. However, if in doubt, it is better to distribute the increased load on additional columns, spacers, or strengthen the floor beams between the lower floor and the attic.

The roofing of an attic roof has its own specific requirements. If the existing elements do not comply with them, you will have to get rid of them and install new ones, which will be designed for the new loads.

Popular attic with a sloping roof shape

A do-it-yourself mansard roof can be built according to different designs. The shape of the under-roof space depends on how the roof will be formed, in particular, its load-bearing elements - rafters and beams. The most successful roof shape requires the implementation of a gable roof scheme with a broken roof line. That is, the angle of divergence of the slopes from the ridge point in the middle of the run is replaced by a steeper one, and the roof overhangs descend onto the mauerlat of the second floor very steeply.

Although a pitched roof has the advantage of a simpler design of the rafter system, a project of this type has not found frequent use in the construction of attics due to a number of inconsistencies with the tasks of the room. It will not be possible to provide a high ceiling, or the width of the room will be minimal. In addition, the weight of the snow cover in this case is significant and requires an increase in the cross-section of the load-bearing beams, which will lead to an increase in the cost of constructing an attic roof.

For this reason, many prefer to build a sloping gable roof, considering it the most acceptable option for houses with an attic room. The advantage of this attic roof scheme is that the useful volume of space under the roof will be greatest, which brings a properly designed attic closer to a full-fledged room.

House with half-mansard roof

A compromise can be considered the option of a semi-mansard roof, when part of the walls of the attic floor is a continuation of the building frame. At the same time, the gable shape of the floor mansard roof dictates the sloping sides of the ceiling of the room.

Features of the attic roof rafter system

The broken design of the attic roof is good because it allows you to arrange the overhangs longer and place them at a steeper angle. This type of project gives a distinctive look to the entire home. At the same time, in addition to the aesthetic factor, low-hanging overhangs well protect the joint between the wall and the roof from precipitation. On the other hand, the windage of the roof increases in strong winds, so when developing the attic design, an average solution is found that satisfies all parameters.

Steep overhang of sloping roof

Determining the angles of inclination

When deciding how to make an attic, you need to decide on the angle of inclination of the slopes. To do this, you need to understand two basic factors: weather conditions with the prevailing wind directions in the region where construction is taking place, as well as the materials that make up the floor joists, rafter beams and walls. If in winter there is a lot of snow that lies for a long time and does not melt, then the roof is made steeper.

Thanks to this, snow does not accumulate in a thick layer and does not increase the load on the rafters. Taking into account all climatic factors and the fact that boards of standard sections or timber are commonly used as rafters, the angle of the upper part of the roof is made 30 degrees relative to the horizon, and the lower part - 60. The following drawing demonstrates these parameters.

This solution provides a robust design that minimum consumption wood provides maximum ceiling height in the under-roof space. By building regulations it must be at least 2 m. Anything lower is considered an attic, not an attic, and for comfortable stay doesn't fit. On the contrary, if possible, the ceiling is raised to 2.2 - 2.3 meters, since tall people will find it uncomfortable to be in a low room.

It should also be remembered that the steeper the slopes, the higher the ridge. This increases the roof's windage, that is, wind resistance.

If the winds in the region blow constantly, at high speeds or with strong gusts, the roof is at risk of failure, which should not be allowed to happen. For this reason, choosing a mansard roof project with the specified angles is best option.

Choosing the type of rafter system

In the vast majority of cases, pine is used as a material for rafters when building an attic floor with your own hands, due to its cheapness, acceptable weight and ease of processing. The thickness of the beams is usually selected 40 - 50 mm, width - 200 - 250 mm. The more powerful the rafters, the more steps you are allowed to take between them, and vice versa. The exact parameters are determined in accordance with SNiP 2.08.01-89 and TKP 45-5.05-146-2009.

To install the rafter system of an attic sloping roof, two schemes are used: layered and hanging. In a hanging system, the ridge beam does not rest on the posts in the center, and the rigidity of the structure is ensured by ties that form a triangle with the rafters. For long rafters, such a system is not suitable due to long length beams In a layered scheme, load-bearing beams are erected in the center of the floor, on which the ridge girder rests. Thanks to the intermediate support, the roof can withstand heavy loads, but inside the attic there will be supports or a solid partition.

Variant of frame sizes with hanging rafters

Broken gable roof is a little more complicated than a straight line. The fact is that the first does not have a rigid triangular structure. For this reason, hanging rafters can only be made if the width of the tie is no more than 4.5 m. This parameter corresponds to the width of the attic room. However, even in the case of a smaller parameter, it will be necessary to install vertical posts connecting the breaking point of the roof with the floor joists.

Rafter system with struts

For additional strength, if the roofing is multi-layered and heavy, braces are made - horizontal braces between the lower inclined joists and vertical posts. Sometimes the design of the rafter system includes a headstock - a stand between the ridge girder and the tie. Its installation makes sense only in the case of a heavy ridge and a wide roof; in all other cases, the rigidity of the upper triangle is sufficient.

An example of a simple rafter system

Basics of calculating a sloping roof of a house

For the roof of a house whose width does not exceed 6 m, you can make an approximate, rough calculation in order to imagine the approximate amount of material for construction and the money that will need to be spent on it. In small houses, where the load on the rafters is small, you can rely on the above experience in arranging a rafter system, taking into account the characteristics of accompanying materials, for example, insulation and external roofing.

One of the main parameters is the installation step of the rafter beams. If you plan to use mineral wool insulation as thermal insulation, then this size should be selected based on the format of the material. Mineral wool mats are 60 cm wide and do not require fastening at the time of installation if they are inserted tightly and held in place by elastic force. Accordingly, the rafter pitch should be 57 - 58 cm.

The width of the rafter leg should allow the insulation to be laid freely with slight sagging. If we are talking about the Urals, Siberia, northern regions, then basalt insulation laid in a checkerboard pattern in two layers of 100 mm each. This means that the beam must be at least 230 mm thick.

There are statements on the Internet that the insulation should be “ventilated”, so the width of the rafter leg should be chosen with a margin. In fact, the insulation itself may not be ventilated, since it is not afraid of moisture, but at the same time, it somewhat loses its thermal insulation properties when moistened. Ventilation, which in reality is needed rather by the wood of the frame, is provided by filling the rafters with sheathing and counter-lattice, if the width of the beams is not enough for this.

The timber for racks and beams must be selected with a thickness of at least 80 mm on the smaller side. It is allowed to use timber 80*80, 80*100, 100*100. The last option is relevant for heavy roofs of large areas.

It is better to entrust the accurate calculation of all elements of the rafter system to a design organization if you do not have experience in construction calculations.

At the same time, a mistake made can make itself felt not only at the stage of purchasing materials and erecting the roof, but also later, when expensive repairs are required.

DIY attic roof installation diagram

Before installing the rafter system for the attic with your own hands, first of all, build a mauerlat - a belt of timber that encircles the building around the perimeter. It is on this that the lower overhangs of the rafter legs are attached. The Mauerlat is absolutely the same for both sloping and straight gable roofs. Depending on the wall material, it has installation features.

In houses built from timber or logs, a separate Mauerlat beam is not required - its role is successfully taken over by the upper crown. Eyelets are cut into it at the required pitch, and the ends of the rafter legs are fastened to corners or studs.

Fastening the mauerlat and rafter legs

In houses from cellular concrete Before laying wooden beams around the perimeter, an armored belt is required. Without it, the soft porous material of the walls may be pressed through over time, and the fastening will be torn out of the crumbled gas or foam concrete. It is made of concrete using formwork, reinforced with two to four rods, preferably fiberglass, to make the structure lighter.

Brick and cinder block walls do not require an armored belt. In this case, holes are prepared at the end of the wall using a hammer drill, and the mauerlat beam is pulled in with anchors. The rafters are attached to it using corners, as well as large screws - “capercaillies” with hexagonal caps for a key or a head. It is more convenient to tighten them with a wrench.

Assembling roof fragments on the ground

There are several ways to assemble a mansard roof frame. One of them is the assembly of all elements on the ground, lifting them onto the roof, strengthening them with temporary struts, and then through “finishing” installation, which provides rigidity to the structure. Let's look at the work step by step:

The first step is to assemble the gables. They are the upper and lower parts of the rafters, which are fastened to the posts and ties at the fracture line. All lower ends of the boards and beams rest on the base. Dormer windows are usually provided in the middle of the gables.
The prepared assembly units are lifted and secured from one and the other edge of the building. The bases are fixed with anchors in the wall, plus temporary spacers are added to hold the structure.
The “ribs” of the rafters are sequentially assembled and placed in the cuts of the mauerlat with the prescribed spacing.
After all the elements are assembled, they are sewn together with longitudinal jumpers: ridge beams - the tops of the triangles, connecting beams - at the junction of the posts and tie rods. This way the structure acquires the necessary rigidity.

Sequential installation on site

In the second case, all parts of the rafter system are gradually assembled in their places on the roof. At the end, the finished design comes out. This option is easier when individual fragments weigh a lot and cannot be lifted without special equipment. In this case, the step-by-step assembly instructions are as follows:

They start by installing racks on the floor joists of the second floor. The pitch is the same as that of the rafters. The upper ends are connected by a tie - a horizontal beam. At this stage, you should get a rectangular box from the ribs of the posts and tie rods.
After this, the lower parts of the beams are mounted. They should form a triangle with the posts and base - a rigid structure.
Behind them you can install the upper sections of the rafters. For the required rigidity, they are fixed with bevels to the puffs. For wide roofs, additional crossbars may be provided. Also, if the span of the tie is too long, install a beam that fastens the ridge beam with the tie - this will prevent it from sagging.

A sloping roof does not have a shortage problem. standard length lumber - 6 m. Let us recall that the rafter consists of two parts. If, however, such an inconvenience does arise, the beams can be extended by placing patches on both sides of the same thickness as the beam, and tightening the joints with bolts and nuts through the through holes.

Drawings of important components

The most critical places, the implementation of which may require schematic visualization, are the connections of several planes, as well as places that bear a large load. The photo shows drawings of such connections

For fastening wooden beams and racks use different fasteners. In order of strength and preference, you can arrange them in descending order: bolts with nuts and washers - screws and caps - nails. Nails are bad because over the years, when the wood dries out and deforms, they tend to come out of the holes. The structure will not completely fall apart, but unwanted play will appear.

The rafters are attached to the mauerlat using powerful steel corners. For convenience, on bottom part The rafter leg is filled with a thrust strip, which prevents the end of the board from slipping and allows all fasteners to be carefully tightened.

Options for attic windows

The attic, being a living space, should be well lit. SNiPs recommend 10% glazing area of the floor area in the room.

The easiest way to let light in under the roof is to provide windows in the gables. If you have provided supporting posts, then installing such a window will not be difficult. No special waterproofing or reinforcement of the attic roof structure is required. If the window is only on one side, this side should be west or south, so it will let in more light during the day.

The next popular and attractive solution is inclined windows. They do not require changes to the roof structure. Their advantage is also the large amount of light they provide. However, when installing inclined windows you need good waterproofing frames. In regions with snowy winters, it is recommended to install reinforced windows, since in the presence of a thick layer of snow they will have to experience additional stress.

Sloping windows from the inside

The steeper the angle of the roof slope, the smaller the window height can be made. On flat areas, the height, on the contrary, should be greater. Typically, inclined windows are not made wider than the inter-rafter pitch, as this would require serious reinforcement of the adjacent rafter legs, onto which the weight of the roof would be redistributed. It is more expedient to make two narrow windows - as much light will penetrate through them as needed, but the structural elements will not be affected.

Dormer and inclined windows

Sometimes dormer windows are made in the attic, for which a special ledge is arranged. The advantage is the vertical position of the frame and the ability to stand in front of a full-height window. The downside is the need to change the roof configuration. On a continuous surface, two valleys appear at once - the meeting points of two planes, where the greatest danger of leakage arises.

A window similar to a dormer, but only inverted, that is, recessed into the attic, is made if they want to provide access to the balcony. This solution has no other advantages, since in this case less light enters the premises than through standard inclined windows.

Installation of sheathing and roofing

The next stage of do-it-yourself attic construction will be the installation of the final roofing covering. First of all, a waterproofing membrane is stuffed onto the floor joists. It should not allow water to pass through to the insulation, but steam should escape through it. Slats are placed on top of the waterproofing along the joists. Then a load-bearing sheathing is attached across the joists. This can be a board of any width and thickness of 15 - 20 mm. Thanks to the presence of these multi-directional layers, ventilation is ensured reverse side roofing covering.

This scheme is suitable for hard roofing materials: slate, metal tiles, seam roofing, corrugated sheets. A flexible roof requires a continuous solid backing. For this they use osb boards or sheets of plywood, a screen is made on top, and soft roofing elements are fused on top.

Step-by-step instructions for insulating an attic

Most often, when installing an attic roof in a private house, it is assumed that it will be insulated. In this case, it is more convenient to nail the waterproofing membrane to the outside of the roof. However, if you have not done this, you can always mount it from the inside. To do this, rolls of membrane are rolled out along the roof and tacked to the joists with a construction stapler. In this case, you need to leave deflections for the insulation. The joints are taped with special double-sided tape.

It is difficult to imagine the modern design of a cottage or house without the presence of an attic floor. It is also being built everywhere in old houses in place of a dilapidated attic, thereby increasing the total living space. A do-it-yourself attic is a complex project, but doable.

Do-it-yourself attic construction - first steps

In fact, this is not so - most experts in the field of attic construction unanimously claim that from the angle of inclination and other changes in the design of the rafters, the walls experience enormous load and are subject to significant deformation. Therefore, before making an attic yourself, we highly recommend contacting a specialist so that he can carry out preliminary calculations and, based on them, draw up a design for a rafter system that is suitable in your case.

Construction of houses with an attic - choosing the right technology

Today there are quite a lot of buildings that have a clearly defined attic. This or absolutely new house, where the attic was designed in advance, or it was attached to an old building, which was originally thick-walled and solid. The easiest way to recognize an attic is by its gable sloping roof - this is the most suitable design for building an attic floor.

The use of a gable sloping roof on the walls of a house, compared to a single-pitch roof, places a huge load. However, for an attic room it is much more convenient, since it creates a lot of space inside.

A gable broken structure has a drawback - in the absence of a sufficient number of load-bearing supports, the roof is less durable compared to a single-pitch roof roofing system, and additional load-bearing supports put additional pressure on the walls. The construction of a gable sloping roof, as a rule, requires the use of layered rafters, which require massive building walls that can withstand vertical and horizontal loads.

How to build a house with an attic - roofing system

The convenience of the attic space determines the ability to move at full height under the rafter system. Please note that for insulation you will need to allocate 10 to 15 cm from each surface, including the ceiling. So the first impression about the height of the attic may be wrong. However, the safety of the entire structure should be put in the first position. To install additional reinforcing beams, it would be correct to cut off some part of the attic rather than risk destroying the entire roof frame.

Before building a house with an attic, prepare necessary tools and materials. With tools, everything is simple: a hammer, a hacksaw or a jigsaw, all kinds of measuring tools. Materials - nails or screws of various lengths, antifungal agent, 40 * 150 mm board for lathing at intervals, for creating a continuous sheathing - OSB sheets.

The type of roof covering determines the design of the sheathing. If you plan to use soft material for the roof, then the best option would be continuous sheathing, and if hard, use force own hands The sheathing is installed in a staggered manner. In the process of installing a wooden frame (rafters and sheathing), you should immediately make places for the location skylights. It is also necessary to think in advance about reliable fastening window frames

Attic in a private house - auxiliary elements

There are primary and secondary elements of the attic. The first includes insulation, rafters and supporting structures, and the second includes windows, doors and drainage systems. Both play an important role. The hardest thing can be to decide on the windows. Before you start choosing windows for the attic, you need to clearly understand their purpose in terms of functionality. Today, the building materials market offers the buyer two types of windows - inclined and vertical.

It is known that the first ones are mounted directly in the roof plane and transmit 40–45% more natural (sun) light than vertical ones. But in winter, the slanted windows are covered with snow, which negatively affects both the overall illumination of the room and their technical condition. The doors to the attic act as a kind of connecting link between this room and the main building. They should be selected according to two main criteria: the first is strength, the second is good thermal insulation properties.

In addition, the doors should not stand out from general interior and through them there should be a free entrance to the attic. Creating an attic with your own hands is impossible without a drainage system. In this regard, it is much easier with vertical windows, since they come complete with ebbs, but when installing inclined windows, you need to carefully consider the gutter system in advance, otherwise the room located under the attic will constantly experience negative impact excess water and moisture.

Do-it-yourself attic - thermal insulation of the room

Considering that the roof slopes are directly affected by atmospheric temperature changes, the attic room must be carefully lined with thermal insulation. It is even more necessary if the roof is covered with metal slate or metal tiles. One of the thermal insulation options is mineral wool slabs, which have a fairly high density and thickness.

This material is environmentally friendly, and also has excellent heat resistance, maximum fire resistance and is easy to install. When laying thermal insulation, you need to create some distance between the roof itself and the insulation; this gap should be left to ensure natural ventilation of the thermal insulation layer. The best thermal insulation is considered external - in this case, a layer of insulation, along with vapor barrier and waterproofing, is laid on top of the rafter system, before the roofing material is installed.

This method allows you to achieve a monolithic coating and avoid the appearance of cold bridges. However, home owners do not always have the opportunity to carry out insulation before laying the roof. In such cases it is used internal insulation. The material is laid in the spaces between the rafters (mineral wool, polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam) or sprayed onto all structural elements (ecowool, polyurethane foam).

Probably the best way to increase the usable area of your own home is to replace the gable roof of the house with an attic one. In this way, you can purchase one, two or even three additional rooms without carving out additional space on the site and without dealing with the very labor-intensive processes of pouring a new foundation and erecting walls. And to find out how to make an attic correctly, you need to consider all the stages of its arrangement, starting with calculations and ending with roof covering and finishing of the resulting additional rooms.

In order for all the work to be successful, first of all you need to make sure that the existing walls (if the superstructure is being built in an old house) are able to withstand the additional load. This factor will determine whether such a construction project is worth undertaking, and if so, which attic roof design would be best to choose.

It should be noted that the load on load-bearing walls will increase significantly - due to a larger number of rafters, due to the mass of interior decoration of walls and floors, windows and doors, insulation systems, as well as all elements of the interior filling of attic rooms. All of these factors indicate that you need to start with choosing the optimal attic design, carrying out calculations, drawing up a project and drawings of the future superstructure.

Types of attic superstructures

According to current building codes, an attic is considered to be a room under a roof that has a height from the ceiling to the ridge of at least 2500 mm. If this parameter is less than the specified limit, then the room is considered an ordinary attic.

If the vertical posts that determine the height of the walls of the room are 1500 mm in size, then the attic space can be considered a full floor.
A semi-attic is an attic space in which there are no vertical posts at all, or if they have a height of 500 to 700 mm.

The basis of any roof structure is always triangles with their “rigid” structure

There are several types of attic superstructures, but the most popular of them are high gable and broken structures. Their popularity can be explained by simpler calculations, relatively simple installation work and ease of use. In third place, after gable and broken structures, we can name a single-pitch roof option, which is also sometimes used for arranging an attic. Unfortunately, not every house design can use this type of superstructure, since it requires not only reconstruction of the roof, but also raising the already built walls, which significantly increases the load on both them and the foundation.

If a new house is being built and a second floor in the form of an attic is planned, then a pitched roof option is well suited for this purpose. In addition, this will help save on roofing material.

More complex structures - domed, hipped, and also with various projections-consoles arranged in the roof slopes (single-level and multi-level), are used extremely rarely and only in exclusive projects, since they have a complex design both in engineering calculations and in installation.

The figure below the numbers shows:

1 – Gable attic.

2 – Broken attic

3 – Single-level cantilever attic

4 – Multi-level attic.

Gable attic

Attic space under d a vuskat roof, which is arranged at an angle between the slopes of 80 ÷ 90 degrees at the ridge, can easily be converted into an attic. To create full-fledged residential premises under it, it will be necessary to carry out a number of necessary reconstructions; for example, very often it cannot be done without strengthening the attic floor. All these alterations, plus the necessary insulation, will certainly “eat up” a significant part of the usable space under the roof, so you should not expect that the rooms in such an attic will be spacious and with high ceilings.

Of course, if the dimensions (length and width) of the house are large enough, and the roof has a significant angle of inclination (45 degrees or even higher), then after the alterations you can count on a relatively spacious attic space.

broken roof

The room under the sloping attic roof will be much more spacious and with a fairly high ceiling. Such an attic can be easily divided into two separate rooms.

Interior of an attic made according to the “broken” type

The sloping roof has four planes of slopes. They are placed at different angles - the upper slopes are called ridge slopes, and the lower ones are called side slopes. They, for the most part, act as walls.

This type of mansard roof is somewhat more difficult to design and install, but the result will delight you with spacious rooms and a respectable appearance of the house.

Single-level cantilever attic

This type of attic has even more complex design than the previous one, since it implies a displacement of the attic space to one side or the other.

Using this option for installing an attic, you can get spacious rooms, much larger in area than under a pitched roof.

The design of a single-level attic roof can replicate not only a gable, but also a single-slope version - this will depend on how much it is planned to move the console out of the attic and raise its ceiling.

Multi-level add-on

Multi-level construction is the most difficult to design and install. The help of qualified specialists will definitely be needed in its development and construction. The supports for the levels of the attic rooms are various rafter systems and ceilings, which are combined with the main one. A multi-level system involves the arrangement of rooms on different levels attic space, which is why the consoles should be located this way.

Having chosen the most desirable type of attic, you need to determine whether it is possible to install it on the old walls of the house, or whether they will have to be strengthened. Therefore, you need to make accurate calculations and draw up a project.

Roof truss basics

Most roofs, and attic roofs are no exception, have one of two types of rafter systems, or a combination of them. Each of these varieties has its own characteristics, which depend on the location of the load-bearing walls of the building.

Hanging system

A hanging rafter system is defined by the fact that it is supported only by two external main walls located along the length of the building, in which there are no internal main partitions.

Such a system is used provided that the distance between the main supports is no more than 13 ÷ 14 meters. In any case, this design puts a fairly large load on the walls and foundation of the building.

To weaken the loads in this system, various support structures are used. elements - crossbars, headstocks, struts, tightening, racks and other parts.

For example, the headstocks seem to suspend the entire system from the ridge beam using a tightening rod, and the struts pull the overlapping beams to the rafter legs.

For the attic floor in this system, it is necessary to use thick bars, logs or boards that are installed on the edge. Their thickness can be determined from the table given in this publication, taking as a basis the distance between the support points.

In order for the ceiling to be reliable and durable when using a hanging system, you need to make accurate calculations, and if it is difficult to do this yourself, then it is better

Layered design

The layered system is distinguished by the fact that it has supports not only on external main walls, but also on internal partitions that have a foundation underneath them.

Therefore, when starting the construction of a house in which an attic is planned, you need to think in advance about the location of the internal capital partitions.

For a house with an attic, a layered system is the best option, since the beams covering the house will be firmly and securely fixed to the walls and partitions.

When constructing a broken attic roof structure, you can use combined option rafter system, that is, use elements of both hanging and layered systems.

Attic design

When drawing up a project for the construction of any type of attic, it is recommended to consider it in different projections in order to clearly determine the location of all supporting elements. When calculating all the parameters of the attic, they must be immediately included in the project.

Based on the calculations made, the locations and methods of installation of all structural elements of the rafter system are determined. Calculation is also necessary to accurately determine the materials needed for the construction of the attic and their parameters.

Design elements

Any of wooden structures The attic roof consists of certain elements that are connected to each other by connecting nodes having different configurations. To better understand the design of these connections, it is recommended to draw each of them, and when carrying out installation work, be sure to have this drawing on hand.

The design of a sloping mansard roof includes the following components of the system:

Mauerlat - element, made from wooden beams and laid on the main walls of the building in its length. It serves to evenly distribute the load from the rafter system structure onto the wall and foundation. Rafter legs are installed and secured to the Mauerlat. This element is mounted both in a gable and in a sloping attic roof structure.
Floor beams, which are laid on the main walls of the building and form the basis for the future attic floor and the ceiling of the first floor, as well as for the installation of the entire rafter system.
The rafter leg consists of one straight element - bar or boards in a gable roof, or from two parts - in a broken structure. In a sloping attic roof, the upper part, fixed to the ridge, is called the ridge, and the lower part, which forms the walls of the attic, is called the side. Obviously, the side leg will be installed according to the layered principle, while the upper ridge rafter usually becomes hanging
For the ridge, a beam or board of a certain thickness is used. Sometimes they do without this by connecting the upper ridge parts of the rafter legs, which form the ridge.
The racks are supporting elements systems. They support the rafter legs and relieve some of the load from the walls and foundation of the building. The racks will later become the sheathing for the walls, which will be installed during the finishing of the attic.
Bevels or other elements installed diagonally are additional supports that fasten the rafters and supporting beams, making the design of the system more reliable.
Between the rafter legs, for rigidity, bars are installed, called inter-rafter purlins - they also give rigidity to the system.

Carrying out basic calculations of the attic

It is quite difficult to independently develop a mansard roof project, since this process requires certain knowledge and skills in designing and carrying out specific architectural calculations. If you make mistakes, the attic structure will be unreliable, and in addition, its weight can damage the walls and foundation of the building.

Everything must be taken into account in the calculations - from the beginning of construction to the finishing of the premises.

However, if the design is not too complex, then you can try to cope on your own.

Calculation of ridge height

Size usable area attic space depends on the height of the roof ridge, and the latter is determined by the selected slope of the slopes - the smaller this angle, the lower the ceiling and, accordingly, the smaller effective area attic space.

N=L× tgα

N- ridge height;

L- ½ the width of the building (if we are talking about a gable symmetrical roof);

α - angle of inclination of the rafter system slope.

Diagram - for clarity

As an example, you can substitute the data used in the formula above:

Building size 8×10 m, slope angle 30°, tangent 30°= 0.58

H = 8/2 × 0.58 = 2.32 m

The height of the ridge will be equal to 2,32 m.

The process and all other related parameters are described in great detail, with all possible nuances and necessary reference tables, from a separate publication devoted specifically to this issue.

Attic interior space area

The technique used to determine the area of the attic space will make it possible to calculate the amount required material for the construction of a rafter system, for insulation and finishing. Particularly accurate calculations are important if the attic will be used to furnish additional living rooms, as they require special design.

Usually the entire area of the room under the roof is calculated, that is, both useful and the so-called "deaf". The living space is limited by installed racks, which will be the basis for the installation and finishing material of the walls. The area behind them is considered deaf, that is, most often not used.

The total area is calculated quite simply: the width of the overhangs on both sides is added to the width of the building. The resulting amount is multiplied by the length of the building.

The area of the living space is also easy to find: to do this, you need to measure the width of the attic space between the racks installed under one and the other roof slope, and multiply the resulting parameter by the length of the attic from gable to gable.

Roofing area

In order to determine in advance the amount of roofing material, it is necessary to calculate the total area of the roof slopes.

If you decide to install a broken or even more complex structure, you need to calculate the area of all sections of the roof. To do this, you need to divide it into separate geometric shapes, and then calculate the area of each of them and add up the results.

For those who do not firmly remember the formulas for calculating the areas of flat figures, a diagram is provided - a “cheat sheet”.

Shed roof area

If the attic roof is pitched, then its area can be calculated using the formula: Sabcd = Lcd × Lbd.

The area of one slope - nothing could be simpler

Pay attention to the picture. When calculating, not only length and width are taken into account truss structure slope - we must not forget about the eaves overhangs on all sides.

Gable roof

With a symmetrical arrangement of roof slopes, to calculate a gable roof, all that remains is to multiply the value obtained above by two.

For example, let's take the same example discussed above. The size of the building is 10×8 m. The angle of the slope is 30°, the height of the ridge H = 2.32 m. It is easy to determine the length of the rafters - S

S = Н / sin α = 2.32 / 0.5 = 4.64 m

We accept cornice overhang 0,7 m, gable overhang 0,7 m. Using the formula for a pitched roof, the area of one slope is calculated.

(10 + 2×0.7) × (4.64 + 0.7) = 60.88 m²

Then, to get the total area of the two slopes, the resulting result is multiplied by two.

Q = 121.76 m²

This technique is intended for calculating the continuous surface of slopes, without taking into account windows, ventilation ducts and chimneys.

If the roof has a very complex structure, then it is better not to take risks and still seek help from professionals who will make the necessary calculations using special computer applications.

When using slate, soft roofing, and other profile materials, you can use a simplified calculation formula.

Let's start from the picture:

So, the following formula is applicable for calculation:

Q= K × (B + 2A) × (L+2C)

Q— required amount roofing;

IN — width of the building (along the gable wall);

A— the width of the planned roof eaves;

L — total length building;

C- width of the side overhangs of the roof.

TO is a coefficient that takes into account the angle of inclination of the slope relative to the horizon (α). By and large, it is a trigonometric function secant (sec), equal to the reciprocal of cosα.

In order not to go deep into theory, it’s easier to give a table of the coefficient TO in absolute, that is, numerical dimension:

Tilt angle, degrees	Factor K	Tilt angle, degrees	Factor K	Tilt angle, degrees	Factor K	Tilt angle, degrees	Factor K
1	1.0002	18	1.0515	36	1.2361	53	1.6616
2	1.0006	19	1.0576	37	1.2521	54	1.7013
3	1.0014	20	1.0642	38	1.2690	55	1.7434
4	1.0024	21	1.0711	39	1.2868	56	1.7883
5	1.0038	22	1.0785	40	1.3054	57	1.8361
6	1.0055	23	1.0864	41	1.3250	58	1.8871
7	1.0075	24	1.0946	42	1.3456	59	1.9416
8	1.0098	25	1.1034	43	1.3673	60	2.0000
9	1.0125	26	1.1126	44	1.3902	61	2.0627
10	1.0154	27	1.1223	45	1.4142	62	2.1301
11	1.0187	28	1.1326	46	1.4396	63	2.2027
12	1.0223	29	1.1434	47	1.4663	64	2.2812
13	1.0263	30	1.1547	48	1.4945	65	2.3662
14	1.0306	31	1.1666	49	1.5243	66	2.4586
15	1.0353	32	1.1792	50	1.5557	67	2.5593
16	1.0403	33	1.1924	51	1.5890	68	2.6695
17	1.0457	34	1.2062	52	1.6243	69	2.7904
		35	1.2208			70	2.9238

Let's return to our example:

Q= 1.1547 × (8 + 2 × 0.7) × (10+2 × 0.7) = 123.74 m²

Taking into account overlaps slate sheets - the result is almost the same as in calculations carried out by another method. Of course, on the advice of experienced builders, another 10 ÷ 15 should be added to the resulting area when purchasing roofing material %

(The figure shows a gable roof, however, the formula is fully suitable for calculations with the required level of accuracy for single-pitch or hip roofs. However, with a caveat - hip roof The steepness of the main and side slopes must match. If not, then the calculation is carried out for each pair of slopes separately, and then the value is summed).

Total weight of the troping system and roofing

It is equally important to choose wisely optimal material for the roofing and correctly make the sheathing for it. This calculation is carried out taking into account the length of the rafters and their slope angle.

The lathing for roofing material can be sparse, mixed or solid. For example, metal tiles, corrugated sheets or slate are fixed to a sparse sheathing, and soft roof- only for continuous.

When choosing a roof, you need to get information about it operational characteristics. The durability and reliability of the roof structure will depend on them. Roofing material you must also choose taking into account the specific region and its climatic conditions, especially factors such as temperature changes and strong winds.

An important factor is the weight of the roofing, especially if the attic roof is installed on old walls. Therefore, you should estimate the weight of the roof in advance and find out how much the load on the building structure will increase, and whether it will be acceptable.

Roofing material for attic roof	Roof slope	Material weight kg/m²
Asbestos cement slate sheets with medium profile	From 1:10 to 1:2	11
Slate with reinforced profile	From 1:5 to 1:1	13
Bituminous shingles	From 1:10 and more	6 - 8
Soft roofing with continuous sheathing	From 1:10 and more	9 - 15
Galvanized single seam metal sheets	From 1:4 and more	3 - 6,5
Double folded	From 1:5 and more	3 - 6,5
Ceramic tiles	From 1:5 to 1:0.5	50 - 60
Cement-sand tiles	From 1:5 to 1:0.5	45 - 70
Metal tiles	From 1:5 and more	5 - 7
Ondulin	From 1:10 and more	3 - 3,5

Most often, soft roofing or ondulin is used to cover attics, since these materials are among those that have the lightest weight and are easy to install.

For example, you can calculate the weight of 1 square meter roofs where ondulin is used for covering, taking into account the sheathing and insulation - sprayed polyurethane foam. To do this, you need to find the sum of the weight of each of the materials and multiply by a factor of 1.1 (this factor takes into account the overlap on adjacent sheets of roofing material).

The weight of a flat sheathing, 20 mm thick (plywood or OSB) is 14 kg/m².
Insulation – polyurethane foam, 100 mm thick, has an average weight of 3 kg/m²
The average weight of ondulin is 3.3 kg/m²

We get in total:

(14 + 3 + 3.3) × 1.1=22.3kg/m²

To calculate the total weight load of the roof on the walls, you need to multiply the weight of one square meter by the area of the entire covering. In our example this will work:

M = 123.74 × 22.3 = 2751.82 kg.

A lot - almost 3 tons - is provided only by a very light roof covering with sheathing and also a very light type of insulation.

But this is not all! The roof is subject to snow loads in winter, plus wind pressure all year round. These parameters are also necessarily taken into account when calculating the necessary wooden elements the design of the rafter system and floor beams, and taking into account the total load of the roof structure on the walls and foundation of the building.

— Then, the entire system is covered with a vapor barrier film, which is secured to the joists with staples.

— Boards or plywood sheets can be laid on top of it.

— Decorative covering is laid on them — it can be linoleum, laminate, parquet board and other materials.

Additional insulation can be created by laying electric cable or infrared heated floors under the decorative covering. It is better to read about these possibilities separately in the article dedicated to

If the floor is mounted on floor beams, you will have to work from the side of the first floor.

— On the side of the lower room, boards are mounted on the floor beams. It is desirable that they be smooth; you can even use a floorboard for the subfloor.

— After that, a vapor barrier film is laid on these boards from the attic side, which will cover not only the subfloor, but also the floor beams.

— Another layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of it and attached to the beams.

- Then, logs are attached to this covering perpendicular to the beams.

— Another layer of insulation is installed between the joists; it is better to choose mineral wool for it, since it, when straightened, fits tightly between the bars, leaving no voids.

— Then it should also be covered with a vapor barrier material.

If you decide to cover the floor with one of the decorative coverings, then plywood sheets are laid on top of the logs, and then laminate, linoleum or other materials are laid on them. Again, nothing prevents you from using, for example, film floor heating in this case.

Installation of insulation on the walls and ceiling of the attic

Having finished installing the floor, you can proceed to installing the insulation on the walls.

— If material in mats is chosen for this process, then before laying it, sheets of vapor barrier material are fixed to the rafters.

It is fixed in such a way as to cover the entire space and deepen it between the rafters.

If the vapor barrier is fixed on the other side of the rafters, then the mats will independently adhere between two wooden surfaces.

— If one of them is selected, then there is no need to attach a vapor barrier film under it. Waterproofing, which is laid on the rafters on the outside of the structure, will be sufficient.

Spraying polyurethane foam - quickly and efficiently, but requires special equipment and work skills

To use this insulation technology, you must have a special technological equipment, or you will have to invite a specialist who will do the work in one day. It is not easy to carry out this operation on your own without experience - in order to complete the work without harming your health, you need to know the technology of the process and have the necessary protective equipment.

After the insulation work has been carried out, the walls are sheathed.

Prices for popular types of insulation

Insulation

Attic wall decoration

Before you start decorating the walls, it is necessary to resolve the issue of electrical wiring, the cable of which must be well insulated using double-layer corrugated pipes.

Once the electrical cable has been laid out, you can safely begin installing the finishing material.

Usually used for finishing wooden lining, drywall or plywood with a beautiful textured pattern.

For any of these materials, it is advisable to rafter legs and vertical posts, make a sheathing of slats with a cross-section of approximately 20 × 70 mm. These guides are fixed in increments of 500 ÷ 600 mm. In addition to the fact that the sheathing of slats becomes the basis for attaching the finishing, it also forms a ventilation gap between the finishing material and the vapor barrier.

made quite simply. It makes the walls smooth and neat, ready for painting, pasting with traditional wallpaper or even applying liquid wallpaper.

Therefore, plasterboard finishing should be chosen by those homeowners who like to frequently change the interior design of their premises.

Finishing walls with clapboard is a longer and more labor-intensive process than. For such cladding, a lathing with the above parameters is also perfect. The only thing you need to think about is the direction of the lining boards, that is, it should be located vertically with the sheathing oriented horizontally and vice versa.

If desired, after installation the wood can be coated with water-based varnish or given a deeper color using stain.

Wood is amazing stuff, which can create indoors special atmosphere with the aroma of the forest, which has a positive effect on the structure and well-being of residents. That is why natural lining is very often chosen for cladding the floor, walls and ceiling of the attic.

Video: insulating an attic space and finishing it with clapboard

You can come up with excellent finishing from plywood. But only if it will not be covered with paint on top, then you need to choose a high-quality material that has a beautiful natural pattern. Plywood is installed much faster than lining, and makes the walls even, covering large surfaces at once.

This material can be covered with varnish, paint or any type of wallpaper, but you can leave the walls in their natural state, only by carefully cleaning out possible defects in the form of protruding splinters or burrs.

Building an attic is a rather labor-intensive and complex process that requires high experience in the construction craft. If no one has any idea about the above-described technological operations, then you shouldn’t undertake it yourself - it’s better to invite professional craftsmen to carry out the work. They will get rid of unnecessary problems and will build the attic according to the project conceived by the owner of the house.

Video: example of construction and finishing of an attic

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