What is the best insulation for the attic of a house? Insulating the attic with mineral wool is a technology that anyone can use to carry out the work

Preface. The attic serves to protect the house from cold, moisture and scorching rays of the sun. In addition, heat escapes from the house to a greater extent through the attic. Therefore, the question is “what is the best way to insulate an attic in a private house?” - the owner decides first. We will also look at the issue of insulating an attic in a private house with our own hands in this article and show a video tutorial from the Isover company.

How to insulate the attic floor of a private house

Often the attic, due to its disorganization, remains unused. But it is from the attic that you can make great room rest or bedroom, if you choose the insulation wisely and equip the attic for living space yourself. You can solve these issues yourself, or you can invite a team of builders to insulate the attic wooden house, as well as ventilation devices attic floor will be able to offer several options.

The gables and attic floor are insulated using various types insulation materials. But more often, three types of insulation are used to insulate the attic. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each:

– Organic derivatives (polyurethane foam);
– Insulation based on mineral wool;
– Bulk insulation such as expanded clay.

Let's figure out what is the best way to insulate the attic of a private house

Insulation of attic with polyurethane foam (PPU)

Polyurethane foam is the most popular insulation for roofs, gables and attic floors. Among its advantages is low thermal conductivity with small thickness. Its use is especially relevant here, because the load on supporting structures is reduced and a significant part of the space in your attic is saved.

PPU is applied by spraying, which creates a monolithic structure that perfectly protects the home from cold and moisture, and also prevents heat from escaping from the house. Polyurethane foam does not absorb moisture and is resistant to mold, preventing the penetration of insects and rodents.

Insulating the attic with polyurethane foam enhances the strength of the entire roof by creating a single spray-on structure, without gaps or cracks. Also, polyurethane foam has high strength and wear resistance - its service life exceeds 30-40 years. PPU does not require the creation of moisture and vapor barrier, since it itself perfectly performs the functions of its moisture protection.

Insulation of house floors with mineral wool

Mineral wool is suitable for insulating attic floors and attic floor, as well as for insulating walls and roofs. However, insulation with mineral wool implies the creation of external wind and moisture protection using waterproofing. Mineral wool has a structure that perfectly allows steam to pass through, so on the room side the insulation must be protected with hydro- and vapor barrier.

Mineral wool is laid in the form of rolls or mats. Typically, mineral wool is laid between the rafters, and on the floor - between the joists. Inevitably, seams form between fragments of material and structures. They must be thoroughly foamed and sealed with adhesive tape. For middle zone Russia requires a layer of insulation of at least 200 mm.

Mineral wool has considerable weight - on support pillars and ceilings the load increases significantly. Therefore, before insulating the attic with this material, you should make sure of the reliability load-bearing structures and roofs. You ask - is this all that can be used to insulate an attic? How were attic floors insulated before the invention of polyurethane foam and mineral wool?

Insulation of the attic floor of a house with expanded clay

Expanded clay is a bulk insulation material; it is perfect for insulating attic floors because it creates a ventilated space while retaining heat. Expanded clay is lightweight, safe and environmentally friendly in terms of flammability. Thanks to the manufacturing technology, expanded clay is strong and durable, resistant to moisture, high and low temperatures.

Expanded clay varies in granule size. Attic insulation with expanded clay is often carried out in the floor area. From the inside, expanded clay needs a vapor barrier coating. The material needs a frame, and this “eats up” part of the attic space. A special “box” is usually created on the floor, into which expanded clay is poured, and a wooden floor is laid on top.

More often, insulation with expanded clay and attic insulation with sawdust are complemented mineral wool or polyurethane foam, especially for horizontal surfaces. You shouldn’t choose just one option to insulate an attic in a private home – you should wisely combine materials. For horizontal surfaces it is better to use bulk insulation; they are cheaper and more convenient to install.

Insulation of attic floors with sawdust and polystyrene foam

Sawdust insulation can be used as one of the methods of attic insulation. But this method is no longer in demand today as before. The main disadvantage is the flammability of the material, which is not suitable for the roof of a house. Insulating an attic with polystyrene foam is easy to implement, but it also has a significant drawback - a fire hazard and the release of toxins during combustion.

Comparison table for thermal conductivity of materials

Video: how to insulate an attic in a private house

For comfortable operation of the building, it is necessary that the attic floor be well insulated to prevent the temperature of the ceiling surface from dropping below the dew point. Otherwise, moisture spots will certainly appear on the ceiling and walls, which will only worsen appearance rooms, but will also cause mold growth and the development of fungi, which are difficult to get rid of. Therefore, increased demands are placed on the thermal protection of the attic floor.

In accordance with the standards, the heat transfer resistance for the attic floor must be no less than next value: Ro = 4.15 m 2 °C/W. Attic floor country house insulated with slabs of mineral (basalt) or glass wool. Insulation boards must be laid in the spaces between ceiling beams or on floor slabs. Mineral wool is laid on a vapor barrier layer or on plastic film.

Foil thermal insulation material is laid with the shiny side down. The space between the beams is filled with a layer thermal insulation material. To reduce heat loss through cold bridges, another layer of thermal insulation is laid on top of the beams.

To reduce heat loss from lightweight fiber insulation due to drafts, it is protected with vapor-permeable windproof material. The use of such material allows you to increase the thermal protection of the attic floor and protect the insulation from getting wet if drops of moisture get on it (in case of damage to the roof or leaks).

From the eaves, the insulation layer should also be protected from the wind by high-density mineral wool slabs or boards that are installed on the edge.

An attic or attic space divided into compartments by partitions can be insulated in different ways.

• The first method: if the attic is non-residential, then only the floors – the ceiling of the building – should be insulated.
• The second method: if the attic has an attic, then you need to insulate the roof, in addition to the floors.

To insulate the roof of the attic and rooms, the following are usually used:

1. Construction felt.
2. Mineral wool in various designs.
3. Styrofoam.
4. Polyurethane foam.
5. Basalt, glass wool, ecowool.

Floors in the attic can be insulated with the following materials:

1. Construction felt, mineral wool, glass wool.
2. Foam silicate slabs.
3. Expanded clay, slag, ash, sawdust, straw, reeds.

Before insulating the attic, the joints of the floor and roof are checked, the cracks are sealed with tow soaked in lime mortar. You can also use polyurethane foam, silicone adhesives and sealants.

Before carrying out work, all wooden structures are coated with antiseptic and fire retardant compounds.

When insulating a roof made of asbestos-cement sheets, special attention should be paid to the gaps that are formed by the waves of asbestos-cement sheets. If there are cracks, they are filled with tow in lime mortar.

Availability is checked protective covers, collars and aprons in places where asbestos-cement sheets adjoin parapets, pipes and walls. The covering elements should be extended onto the protective ceilings by at least 15 cm.

Insulating the attic with various materials

To insulate attic spaces and the attic in a private house, different insulation materials are used:

• expanded polystyrene
• polyurethane foam
• expanded clay
• felt, etc.

The insulation process is the same for all materials, so let’s look at attic insulation using mineral wool as an example.

Before you begin insulating the attic, it is necessary to waterproof the roof. Mineral wool is universal and easy to use, has low thermal conductivity and density, and withstands well high temperature and insensitive to aggressive environments. Mineral wool is also an excellent sound insulator.

Attic slopes can be insulated with slabs and mats made of mineral wool. The slabs are more rigid, and the mats are more elastic; this property helps to lay them better and more densely. Mineral wool mats with foil coating are also used for vapor barrier.

Since the thickness of mineral wool is usually greater than the thickness of the rafters, overlays are made on them to increase the thickness. Also, the rafter system is pre-impregnated with an antiseptic solution.

Mineral wool is laid in the spaces between the rafters on the sheathing and covered with a vapor barrier film. The vapor barrier film is overlapped on the rafter system. The width of the overlap of the canvas is visible on the film - a line is drawn along the edge of the canvas. The joints of the film are insulated with special glue and adhesive tape.

Floor insulation with expanded clay

Expanded clay should be laid on the attic floor on roofing felt. The thickness of the expanded clay layer is determined by the thermal conductivity of the floor, but in any case, the thickness of the expanded clay should be at least 15 cm, and better - 20-25 cm.

It is known that up to 15% of the heat from a house can escape through the ceiling. Therefore, to reduce heat losses, the ceiling is insulated with expanded clay and other materials. Expanded clay not only retains heat, but also increases sound insulation.

Expanded clay is usually used for insulation concrete floor. To do this, it is covered with a layer of 200-250 mm, and a cement screed up to 50 mm thick is poured on top. The screed will serve as the floor.

The cement-sand mortar for the screed must be of a dense consistency so that it does not flow into the expanded clay backfill.

Insulation with mineral wool

1. Mineral wool should be laid from the farthest point of the attic.
2. The insulation must be cut on a hard surface.
3. Beams, pipes, ventilation shafts, etc. should be covered with insulation.
4. Mineral wool should be laid in a layer of at least 25 cm.

When working with mineral wool, personal protective equipment is required. These include safety glasses, rubber gloves, a respirator and long sleeves. Do not work near open food or drinking water. Contact of mineral wool on the skin causes irritation and itching.

Insulation with polyurethane foam

The attic is insulated with polyurethane foam by spraying onto the partitions, roof, gables and attic floors, so the thermal insulation layer is obtained without seams or joints, that is, a monolithic vapor-tight layer is obtained.

Polyurethane foam has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, so the thickness of the polyurethane foam layer is several times smaller than the layer of mineral wool or polystyrene foam.

The use of polyurethane foam increases the usable area of ​​the attic space.

An attic insulated by spraying a layer of polyurethane foam is not affected by humidity, condensation does not form on the walls, because polyurethane foam retains warm air inside. Moisture does not pass through polyurethane foam and cannot settle on a cold roof.

Floor insulation with sawdust is used only for non-residential attics, since as you walk, the sawdust will gradually become compacted, which will lead to the appearance of cracks in the concrete screed. The most common recipe for a solution using sawdust for insulating an attic floor:

1. Ten buckets of small sawdust.
2. One bucket of cement, grade no less than 300.
3. One bucket of fluff lime.
4. Ten liters of water with antiseptic. It could be boric acid, copper sulfate, laundry soap.

The volume of water varies depending on the moisture content of the sawdust. The finished solution of sawdust is laid in layers 20-25 cm thick and compacted. All building materials used in the walls of the house must be vapor permeable. That is, you cannot use roofing felt, polyethylene, roofing felt and other materials that do not allow moisture to pass through.

When insulating, the top layer of sawdust is covered with panels made of plywood, fiberboard or boards. The thickness of the sawdust layer on the walls should be at least 15 cm, on the ceilings and on the floor - at least 25 cm. When insulating the floor, a cement screed 5-10 cm thick is placed on top of the sawdust.

Insulating the attic floor makes it possible to save thermal energy indoors, thereby preventing the cost of heating a cold attic. It’s okay if the attic space is used as a utility room or attic, but what if not? Of course, there is no point in spending money on heating it in this case.

For this reason, it is advisable to cover the attic floor using thermal insulation materials. This can be done both externally and internally. Ideally, insulation should begin at the stage of building a house or, alternatively, right before finishing premises. However, even during your stay, there is no reason not to take care of insulating the ceiling on the attic side.

Note! The thickness of the insulation layer is stated in SNiP. In addition, there you can find everything necessary calculations heat transfer resistance of various insulating materials, taking into account the average annual temperature, the material used in construction, and the duration of the heating season.

But before you start directly insulating, you must identify the type of attic floor. In private construction residential buildings(regardless of whether wood, bricks or blocks are used) it can only be of two types. But both must be built in accordance with certain rules and have a clearly defined design.

Basic requirements for attic floors

The main quality that any attic floor must have is strength. If we're talking about O mansard roof, then the entire structure should not sag or deform under the weight of furniture or equipment located in the attic. There is such a thing as deflection norm. For attic structures it is 1/200 of the entire span. The maximum load per square meter is 105 kilograms. One more no less important parameter the ceiling is fire safety, which applies to a greater extent to wooden structures. So, fire resistance has the following limits:

1. for concrete or reinforced concrete structures this is 1 hour;
2. for wooden structures (in the absence of additional protection) – five minutes;
3. for wooden flooring on beams, with backfill and plaster - about 45 minutes;
4. for wooden floors with only one plastered surface - 15 minutes.

Features of the overlap device

Often it occurs beam floor, which is explained by the simplicity and low cost of installation, so we will focus on it. They are often found in wooden buildings, and elements made of both wood and metal can serve as beams. According to experts, option No. 1 is preferable because:

1. wood is cheaper than metal;
2. it has excellent thermal insulation properties;
3. it is easier to process.

Insulation of the attic floor, if there are beams, consists of laying insulating material between them. If the height of the beams is not enough for this, then additional bars are packed on top. Before you begin installation, you should lay a vapor barrier layer (just not plastic film, since the vapors that leave the room will not be able to penetrate outside). And if the film is still used, the humidity level in the house will increase noticeably, especially if ventilation system works poorly. For this reason, it is preferable to purchase a modern vapor barrier, which can be laid in such a way that air leaves the room, but does not penetrate from the attic into the house. And if such material comes with foil, then it should definitely be laid “face” down.

But how to choose the right insulation so that the resulting “sandwich” is as effective as possible? We will talk about this now.

Types of insulation for the attic

There are quite a lot of such materials, but we will consider only the most popular of them. Here they are:

1. mineral wool;
2. Styrofoam;
3. sawdust;
4. expanded clay

Let's take a closer look at each of the options.

Application of mineral wool

Mineral wool is effective insulation, the fibers in which are arranged in a special way. Thanks to such chaos, an oxygen “cushion” is formed between the fibers, due to which the material acquires its properties. But because of this same feature, mineral wool or absorbs moisture. To prevent this, installation must be carried out properly.

The advantages of this material are undeniable:

1. density;
2. ease of installation;
3. long service life;
4. fire safety;
5. finally, if the cotton wool is installed horizontally, then it does not slide or cake (read: cold bridges do not appear).

But there is also a drawback that we talked about - it absorbs moisture.

Installation technology

You can lay mineral wool in three possible ways:

1. into cells;
2. into the furrows;
3. completely.

The most effective is the first method. The installation technology itself is as follows.

Step 1. Lay first vapor barrier material– this is necessary to remove steam that rises from the premises. For correct installation It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the markings on the film made by the manufacturer.

Note! Do not forget to observe the mandatory overlap of 10 centimeters.

If thermal insulation is carried out along beams, then the vapor barrier must go around each element that protrudes, otherwise the beams will soon rot.

Step 2. Where the film meets walls and other surfaces that protrude, lift it to the height of the insulating material + 5 centimeters, then wrap it behind the slabs of material or glue it with tape.

Step 3. After this, proceed to laying the insulating material. This procedure is extremely simple, since strips and slabs can be easily cut using a construction knife.

Step 4. When laying, make sure that the insulation is not compressed and there are no gaps left. You can see common mistakes in the image below.

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In the first case, the thickness of the thermal insulation is not enough; in the others, the same parameter for the attic floor is incorrectly selected.

1. Material with foil will increase resistance to heat loss. But the material itself should be laid down with foil.
2. If there are protruding structural elements in the attic, then the insulation should be raised by 40-50 centimeters and fixed.
3. If thin insulation material Laying in two layers will be more effective than one thick layer.
4. Do not allow material to protrude beyond the joists. But if this does happen, lengthen it using a rail or beam to the thickness of the material itself.

Step 5. If the rafter system is not protected by a waterproofing layer, and the attic space will not be used, then it is necessary to lay waterproofing.

Step 6. All that remains is to make the subfloor. To do this, lay it on insulation - this will be the basis for the final finishing.

Use of polystyrene foam

Insulating an attic floor using polystyrene foam is in many ways similar to a similar procedure using expanded polystyrene. Moreover, these materials have common advantages - here they are:

1. cheapness;
2. waterproof;
3. ease of installation.

Installation technology

Installing foam plastic for attic insulation is extremely simple - you can easily cope with the procedure on your own. All work is divided into several stages.

Step 1. Level the surface. In order for the thermal insulation to be of the highest quality, there should not be any unevenness on the base. And if you need to eliminate the depressions, then fill everything with a cement screed.

Step 2. Lay the insulation boards - between the beams or end-to-end. What is typical is that if there are beams, the strength of the structure will increase significantly.

Note! All joints (between the beams inclusive) must be carefully sealed. When avoiding obstacles, cut holes as accurately as possible. Finally, the best saver thermal energy exactly a homogeneous layer.

To protect foam on non-residential attic from destruction, you can use film. But if the attic is used frequently and people move around it, then the foam must be covered with a subfloor - this can be a screed made of cement and sand or OSB boards.

Using sawdust to insulate an attic

For those who don’t know, shredded wood is called sawdust. We are talking about this material now because it also has significant advantages, including:

1. availability;
2. naturalness;
3. light weight;
4. absence of any harmful or toxic substances.

The disadvantage is the same as that of polystyrene foam - flammability.

The procedure for insulation using sawdust

Step 1. First, prepare the sawdust, that is, mix it with water and cement in a ratio of 10-1-1.

Step 2. Fill the attic floor with the resulting mixture, then carefully level it. Note that it is possible to insulate an attic with sawdust without a frame only if it (the attic) is non-residential. Otherwise, the sawdust will be compressed while walking, and the screed will, accordingly, collapse.

Step 3. Using timber, build a cellular structure. Next, fill each cell with the mixture described above. The main advantage of this technology is that a subfloor can be laid on top of the timber, and the room itself can be actively used.

Using expanded clay for insulation

Enough high-quality insulation attic flooring can be done using expanded clay. For those who don’t know, this material is obtained after firing clay. The main advantages of expanded clay include:

1. availability;
2. low thermal conductivity;
3. light weight;
4. environmental friendliness;
5. naturalness.

But there is also a disadvantage, which is the difficulty of raising the material to the height of the attic space.

Note! Often this material is used when it is necessary to insulate a floor over slabs.

Instructions for insulation with expanded clay

The entire procedure can be divided into the following stages.

Step 1. First, inspect the slabs to see if they have any cracks or crevices. If any are found, seal them with mortar and cover with thick paper. What is characteristic is that even with protruding structural elements there are no difficulties when backfilling.

Step 2. Using timber, build a sheathing. The subfloor will subsequently be laid on top of this grate.

Step 3. Pour the material onto the slab and level it using a rake. The thickness should be approximately 25-30 centimeters. It is typical that you can walk on expanded clay - there are no restrictions on in this case No.

Note! When filling in expanded clay, try to combine pebbles of different fractions (sizes). This will prevent voids from forming.

At the end, fill in everything concrete screed or install a subfloor.

Main nuances of the procedure

1. The wood rots, therefore, the steam rising from the house must pass freely. If you install a vapor barrier or use a material that does not “breathe,” the tree may soon collapse.
2. Insulation with foil should be laid with it (foil) down to protect the wood from moisture.

You can see examples of correct and incorrect installation in the image below.

But here is a universal scheme - insulating the attic floor using any of the materials.

Video - thermal insulation of attic floors

As a result, we note that the thermal insulation of the attic floor will be most effective if the attic itself is reliably protected from moisture penetration from the outside. In other words, you also need to properly arrange the roof. Good luck with your work!

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

Previously, they mainly built gable roofs with a slight slope of the slopes. This was done so that snow could remain on the roof in winter. Thus, snow was used as a natural insulation. One or two windows were made in the attic and kept closed in winter so that the trapped air acted as a heat insulator. In the summer, a slightly different situation occurred. Attic windows were opened at night so that the air cooled, and during the day, in hot weather, they were closed so that the air did not heat up too much, thus regulating its temperature.

When snow fell in winter, it fell as a continuous cover on the roof, simultaneously becoming a natural insulation. Even in severe frosts, the temperature in the attic did not drop below zero. Thus, the air in the attic and the insulation of the ceiling made it possible to maintain the temperature in the house at +20-25 °C. The roof slopes were not insulated to prevent the snow lying on the roof from melting. Rafter system remained open, allowing it to be inspected and repaired if necessary. Therefore, in a cold attic, only the ceiling is insulated.

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

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

Materials for insulating attic floors

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

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

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

Materials produced in slab and mat formats:

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

Roll insulation:

• mineral wool;
• glass wool;
• stone wool;
• seaweed ladders;

Bulk materials for attic floor insulation:

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

Insulation of attic floors wooden house must be made with environmentally friendly, natural and breathable material.

How to properly insulate an attic floor with mineral wool

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

Insulating the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool begins with laying lining material on the floor. For budget option glassine is laid on the floor, but it is more expensive and quality option– flooring made of vapor barrier film. The film is laid with an overlap, and the joints are taped or secured wooden slats, which are fixed with a construction stapler.

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

Mineral wool is laid in means personal protection: thick clothing, glasses, gloves, respirator.

Insulation of attic floor slabs with extruded polystyrene foam

Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam is not very dense materials, therefore they are used when the attic floor is a structure of joists and beams. If thermal insulation of the slabs is necessary, insulation of the cold attic floor with extruded polystyrene foam is used. This material is stronger and therefore denser than regular foam. Before laying it, the surface of the slabs should be leveled. WITH warm side The floor will not require a vapor barrier, since concrete slabs have almost no vapor permeability.

A vapor barrier film is laid on the leveled concrete slabs. Next, slabs of extruded polystyrene foam are laid in a checkerboard pattern. The joints are blown out polyurethane foam. After the foam has dried and hardened, the insulating slabs are poured with concrete mortar 4-6 cm thick. When the screed is dry, it is already suitable for use as a floor. Although you can go further and put any floor covering on the screed.

Thermal insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

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

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

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

After the insulation of the cold attic floor with ecowool is completed, it must be moistened. This can be done plain water or prepare a solution of 200 g. PVA glue on a bucket of water. Moisten ordinary broom in this solution and moisten the cotton well. After drying, a crust forms on the surface of the cotton wool - lingin, which will not allow the cotton wool to move.

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

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

Insulating your home is a top priority that needs to be addressed before the cold weather arrives. So, as everyone knows that warm house- this is not the one that is well heated, but the one that does not allow all this heat to pass through.

It is also necessary to note the fact that insulating the attic of a private house with polystyrene foam or any other insulation material will make it possible to significantly reduce heating costs.

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

Typically, this kind of insulation is necessary in little-used rooms. It is also important to note that they must be equipped with properly equipped roof ventilation.

The attic, together with its ceilings, performs a very important function, namely, it acts as a boundary between heat and cold.

A large amount of condensation accumulates here and this occurs as a result of intense exposure to moisture in the attic. And this must be taken into account when insulating your private home.

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

Below we describe in more detail all the materials that can be used as insulation for the attic. All the advantages, as well as their disadvantages, will be discussed here, so that in the end you can choose the most optimal option for yourself.

• But first you need to determine the main types of insulation:
• bulk;
• slab;
• roll;

sprayed. It should be noted that each of the options has its own characteristics and can be used as insulation for the attic. It is important to understand that only the main materials that have been collected are indicated here. greatest number

positive feedback.

Insulation using mineral wool, ecowool

Mineral wool is perhaps today the most popular material for insulating a hill. This is a kind of classic in the construction industry. After all, it is used by both professional teams and people who decided to tackle the issue of insulation on their own. Such wide popularity of mineral wool was achieved due to its beautiful performance characteristics

. Especially if you take into account basalt mineral wool. It is fire resistant and easy to install.

• Simplicity in operation; when working with mineral wool, absolutely no problems arise, even for those who insulate the attic themselves.
• It has a “breathing effect” and it is due to this that a good microclimate is created.
• Not flammable.
• Allows you to create good sound insulation.
• Environmentally friendly material.
• Many note its property of not losing shape even over a long period of use.
• It has a relatively light weight, which in no way affects the main structure.
• Rodents and other pests cannot spoil it.
• Minimum level of thermal conductivity.
• One of the cheapest materials, which is suitable for insulating the attic of a private house.

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

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

Insulation of the attic with polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam

Anyone who wonders how to insulate an attic has the idea of ​​using polystyrene foam. And this is not at all accidental, since this material is even more common than mineral wool. It is also used by professional builders in their work, and for independent work it fits perfectly.

The main feature that polystyrene foam has is its reasonable price. This is actually the cheapest construction material, which can be used as insulation for the attic.

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

In addition, a number of its advantages can be noted:

• Keeps its original shape perfectly.
• Unaffected by moisture.
• Low thermal conductivity, an order of magnitude lower than that of mineral wool.
• The ability to create excellent sound insulation.

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

• Highly flammable, just one spark is enough for the foam to begin to smolder.
• It does not allow steam to pass through, and therefore it is not possible to achieve the effect of “breathing walls” with this insulation.
• If you don’t additionally protect the polystyrene foam, then rodents will “happily” chew on it, and therefore you may end up without attic insulation.

Despite all its shortcomings, polystyrene foam still remains one of the leaders in the field of attic insulation. After all, fires do not happen so often; additional protection of the material can be used against rodents, but the “breathing effect” is not so important in a mountainous area.

Therefore, we can conclude that for such a low price this is simply an excellent option.

Blown-in attic insulation

This method of insulating a hill in a private house is the most fashionable today. It is used by almost all companies that offer similar construction services.

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

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

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

Blown-in wool consists entirely of standard mineral substances that are intended for thermal insulation. It is important to note that it is highly crushed.

Insulation with bulk materials: expanded clay

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

Expanded clay consists of balls that are poured onto the floor, trying to distribute them as evenly as possible. As you already understand, they can only insulate the floor, the ceiling - it won’t work, in any way.

The advantages of the material include the following:

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

The material is poured over the roofing felt, the minimum layer should be at least 15 cm. In order to be able to walk through the attic, you will need to make a concrete screed.

Sawdust as insulation for the attic

Specifications of this material are in no way inferior to modern synthetic insulation.

Important! Sawdust is used extremely rarely for insulation, since the market offers big choice other materials that are much easier to work with.

Advantages of sawdust:

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

Polyurethane foam

This material occupies a leading position in the table environmental safety, and therefore you can safely buy it.

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

Characteristic properties of polyurethane foam:

• not susceptible to moisture;
• high level of sound insulation;
• practically non-flammable.

Stages of attic insulation

In order for the insulation to serve for a long time and not cause any problems, it is necessary to strictly follow the technology. This is the only way to be sure of the quality of insulation.

Preparing the attic

The first stage is preparing the attic.

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

• cleaning up all unnecessary items;
• All wooden parts should be pre-treated with a special composition that protects the material from rotting, as well as from the formation of fungus;
• if any metal surfaces, then you should take care of them, or rather treat them with a special primer or an anti-corrosion compound;
• Old insulation, rags, and sawdust should be removed from all cracks.
• If cracks are found in the attic, they need to be sealed with polyurethane foam.

Stage two - waterproofing

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

The third stage - laying insulation

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

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

The fourth stage - vapor barrier

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

Fifth stage - counter-lattice

After the previous stages have been completed, you can begin to finish the walls (roof). For this you can use various materials: lining, drywall or plywood.

Stage six - insulation of utilities

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

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

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