How to insulate the roof of an attic. Insulation of the attic floor in a private house is an effective way to keep warm. Insulation of the attic floor with foam

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

A bit from the history of roofing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building materials for floor insulation - the better to insulate

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

There are a number of requirements for a heater:

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

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

In the form of plates and mats they sell:

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

In the form of rolls are made:

mineral wool;
stone and glass wool;
algae ladders.

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

Bulk materials include:

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

When is insulation installed in the attic? wooden house, you need to use natural, environmentally friendly and breathable materials.

Mineral wool attic insulation

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

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

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

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

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

Application of extruded polystyrene foam

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

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

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

Insulation of a cold attic with ecowool

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

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

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

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

Attic insulation is an important part of the overall thermal insulation of the house.

The insulation of any structure must be approached comprehensively. So say all the experts.

After all, to support temperature regime in a house, regardless of its structural material, it is impossible at the proper level by insulating only the walls in it.

Therefore, both the floor and the ceiling are subject to thermal insulation, especially the attic. Question: "How to insulate the attic?" is very acute when it comes to a wooden, private building.

Everyone knows the law of physics, according to which warm air has less specific gravity, so it always rises when cold air stays at the bottom. The same thing happens in the rooms of the room. Warm air rises to their ceiling, cold air is closer to the floor. If there is no thermal insulation ceiling or attic space, then warm air freely penetrates through the structural material of the ceiling and gives it some of its energy. In a word, if the ceiling and attic of the house are not insulated, then about 30% of all heat losses of the building pass through it.

Features of warming the attic of a wooden house

It is necessary to insulate the attic in a Jewish house in order to avoid heat leakage.

To properly insulate the attic in wooden structure, you need to remember a few rules:

warm air always has water impurities in its composition, that is, warm air in a room is always saturated with domestic steam. A tree, being constantly in an atmosphere of high humidity, can lose its specifications or just rot. Therefore, when carrying out thermal insulation of this design, it is necessary to remember about the waterproofing layer;
the tree is able to pass air through itself, that is, it “breathes”. Air and steam in it can be on the surface and in the thickness of the insulation material, even if it is located outside the structure, therefore an additional layer of waterproofing material is also needed here;
wood, in comparison with other structural materials of buildings (brick, metal structures), is less bearing capacity, That's why insulation material For wooden house should not exert additional load on the floor;
the heat-insulating material must have fire-fighting characteristics to prevent the spread of fire in a wooden building.

mineral wool, glass wool

Mineral wool, glass wool - materials are environmentally friendly products, fire resistant, lightweight, easy to install. However, it is distinguished by high rates of vapor permeability and water absorption, therefore they require the presence of waterproofing or a vapor barrier.

polyurethane foam

Attic insulation technology with polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane foam - obtained from gas-filled plastics, sold in the form of pressurized cylinders, applied by conventional spraying to the desired surface. Advantage - forms a seamless coating, which prevents the formation of cold bridges, has a high degree of adhesion in wooden surface, therefore, does not require additional fasteners. It is lightweight, therefore it does not exert additional pressure on the ceiling, it has high rates of heat and sound insulation, and does not absorb moisture.

Polyurethane foam does not rot, endures the action of an aggressive environment, microorganisms do not develop on its surface. It is characterized by strength and rigidity, it does not absorb water and does not pass steam through itself. The disadvantage is the high price compared to similar products.

Styrofoam

Expanded polystyrene - it is mistakenly called polystyrene foam. Expanded polystyrene, unlike polystyrene, undergoes several additional processing steps, therefore it is characterized by increased strength. Properly organized on the basis of its insulation layer in the attic of a wooden house is vapor-tight. Expanded polystyrene is moisture resistant, but does not tolerate the action of organic solvents. It promotes the spread of fire.

How to properly insulate the attic - execution technique

If the attic of a wooden house is not planned to be converted into a living room, it is enough just to insulate the floor. Stages of the warming process:

You can properly insulate the attic of a private house with your own hands.

clean the surface of debris and rot, treat the floor with an antiseptic, if there are gaps, they must be additionally caulked;
the attic is covered with a waterproofing film, but it must let steam through, otherwise the ceiling will rot;
erect logs, to which it will subsequently be attached top coat floors, and lay the thermal insulation in even layers without gaps;
waterproofing layer, but it should no longer let steam through;
if the attic will later serve as a living space, the insulation is additionally covered with expanded clay, followed by its viscous;
finishing.

How to properly insulate the pitched roof of a wooden house

first, the entire surface is covered with a waterproofing film. It is overlapped so that joints do not form with construction tape;
Next, the heater is laid. Mineral wool performs well in its quality, but only in the form of mats. It keeps its shape perfectly and does not sag when in an upright position. Mineral wool is laid between the rafters and fixed by means of a slatted crate or mesh made of nylon cord;
the vapor barrier layer will not allow steam in the air to penetrate into the thickness of the insulation, thereby reducing its technical characteristics, but at the same time allowing the thermal insulation to “breathe”. The vapor barrier is attached to the rafters over the insulation and fixed with construction tape;
finishing - fiberboard or chipboard, you can use drywall.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bulk;
slab;
roll;
sprayed.

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

Warming with mineral wool, ecowool

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

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

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

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

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

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

Attic insulation with polystyrene foam

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

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

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

In addition, there are a number of other advantages:

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

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

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

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

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

Insulation for the attic

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

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

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

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

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

Insulation with bulk materials: expanded clay

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

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

The advantages of the material include the following:

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

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

Sawdust as insulation for the attic

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

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

Sawdust Benefits:

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

polyurethane foam

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

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

Characteristic properties of polyurethane foam:

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

Stages of attic insulation

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

Attic preparation

The first stage is the preparation of the attic.

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

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

The second stage - waterproofing

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

The third stage - laying insulation

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

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

Fourth stage - vapor barrier

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

Fifth stage - counter-lattice

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

The sixth stage - insulation of engineering communications

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

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

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

From the author: hello dear reader. If you are reading this, I assume that you a private house, and you decided to insulate the ceiling from the side of the cold attic with your own hands. If this is the case, then further information is what you need to properly insulate the ceiling of the house.

What you need to know before starting work

Where to start? .. The topic is quite extensive, and work related to insulation requires, if not professional, then at least basic knowledge about the materials available on the market, their properties and how to use them.

If you do the work without this knowledge, you can, at best, spend time, effort and money, so to speak, on the wind, because of which it is just cold, and at worst, provoke a fire due to neglect of fire safety rules and improper installation of insulation material. Yes, insulation is needed to keep warm, but a fire is already a clear bust in every sense.

Now we will look at the most popular materials, and also find out with a cold attic using common types of insulation. We will find out what are the advantages and, possibly, disadvantages of each of them.

Insulation with foam

Styrofoam is one of the most popular materials for insulation. It is lightweight and easy to cut even with a regular cardboard cutter. In a word, working with polystyrene is convenient, fast, pleasant and, in principle, not difficult. The main thing is to make the right measurements and not cut off the excess from the whole sheet. But even if you overdid it, there is nothing fundamentally terrible about it: this place can be easily filled with mounting foam. Let's imagine the advantages of polystyrene in the form of a short list:

it is easy to cut;
easy to transport to the top;
it is not afraid of moisture and is not sensitive to temperature;
it is not suitable for consumption by insects and rodents;
if the foam is laid correctly - on a dry base treated with an antiseptic, the likelihood of the appearance of fungal formations (mold) is minimized;
material has a relatively low cost.

The list could go on, but I think this is enough. We have listed the main positive aspects of the material.

But the foam is also different. Yes, there are different manufacturers, but that's not about that now. The fact is that the sheets are produced in different parameters. In this case, we are interested in thickness.

For insulation of residential premises, sheets with a thickness of 5–7 cm are usually used, while their density, as a rule, is 15 kg / m³. of course, the higher the density index, the higher the material's ability to insulate. You can, of course, choose 25 kg / m³, you can lay the sheets in two layers - this is not forbidden.

But, nevertheless, there is a recommendation: if you are going to mount an attic floor made of hard material (for example, fiberboard / OSB boards), then it is enough to choose foam with a density of 15 kg / m³. If the installation of a rigid surface is not planned, for better thermal insulation it is worth choosing sheets with a density index of 25 kg / m³.

In general, if there is such an opportunity, then a hard floor should be mounted in any case. This will allow you to store various things in the attic or even turn it into additional living space, if, of course, it is properly equipped.

But if there is no hard surface above the sheets, then it is not advisable to walk on them often, and even more so, move objects. Simply, they are not designed for this, regardless of what density they will have.

Insulation from the attic in a wooden or brick one is not fundamentally different: both there and there the process consists in simply laying polystyrene foam on the floor of the attic. More specifically, the following work needs to be done:

check the entire wooden structure for rot. If you find a rotten area, then it must be cut out and replaced with a new piece of wood, pre-treated with an antiseptic. In general, it would be useful to treat all elements of a wooden structure with an antiseptic. Even if these measures were taken during the construction of the house, prevention will never be superfluous. Especially in matters related to construction;
clean the attic floor from debris (including small ones) - the base must be clean;
make the necessary measurements, make calculations;
cut foam sheets according to calculations;

lay polystyrene on the surface. Be prepared for the fact that this material will cost more than the foam itself, but this is quite justified. In essence, there are alternatives, and in some cases do without it at all;
lay cooked;
fill the gaps between the sheets with mounting foam. Distance between sheets and load-bearing structures also needs to be foamed.

Here is such a simple way to insulate a home from the attic with foam. Now let's move on to another, no less popular and effective insulation - mineral wool.

Warming with mineral wool

Warming with mineral wool is another, no less popular way. Mineral wool is widely used for warming apartments, houses, balconies, loggias. Moreover, both ceilings and facades. The range of its application is no less wide than that of polystyrene.

Just like polystyrene, mineral wool has its advantages:

relatively low cost;
it is unsuitable for rodents and insects;
it is quite easy to work with it;
the material is considered flammable.

But, among other things, mineral wool has its own characteristic drawbacks, associated, for the most part, with its structure, with the nature of the material itself:

when wet, it loses its valuable qualities. of course, if a few drops of water fall on it, nothing bad will happen, but if your roof leaks with enviable regularity, dampness will accumulate in the cotton wool - then it will not only cease to perform its functions, the main of which is heat preservation, but also time will become the place of residence of fungal formations. And growing such “mushrooms” in the attic is hardly included in your plans;
cotton wool cannot be pressed for the same reasons. No, mold will not start in it from this, but its effectiveness will decrease by about 30–40%, depending on how you “try”;
people with diseases of the respiratory system (for example, asthma) should not look at mineral wool at all. But if you had a chance to work with her, then it is necessary to use personal protective equipment - of course, not a gas mask, but at least a gauze bandage.

I would not say that the disadvantages of mineral wool are significant, so as not to consider it as possible option. I repeat, mineral wool is an affordable, reliable and common insulation. The main thing is to observe safety precautions and not violate the rules of operation.

As for the thickness, then, again, the thicker the layer, the warmer it will be in the room. Taking into account natural conditions, as a rule, a layer of mineral wool from 15 cm to 30 cm or more is laid in attics.

Another important point: if you use several types of insulation (yes, this is also possible), then the bottom layer should be the least vapor permeable. In other words, it is possible to lay mineral wool on polystyrene, but not polystyrene on mineral wool. If there is a need for sound insulation, it is recommended to use mineral wool with a density of 40 kg / m³.

Here we come to the essence of this section. Let's get to work:

Be sure (!) We check the boards for rot. Outwardly, they may look intact, but if you hear a dull sound when hit with a hammer, it is most likely rotten inside. It should be replaced with a new fragment treated with an antiseptic. In general, the preparation is the same as when using foam;
checking the roof. If it leaks at least a little, the mineral wool will not forgive you for this. Therefore, be sure to eliminate the leak;
checking communications. Although mineral wool is a hardly flammable material, it is still worth being safe;
clean the surface of debris;
building wooden frame;
we lay the vapor barrier material. Just in case, I will say that the vapor barrier cannot be laid on both sides. If you suddenly want to spread it on top - resist this pernicious desire. The condensate will have nowhere to evaporate, and then the mineral wool will begin to slowly but surely rush;

roll out the rolls between the beams (well, or lay the tiles);
we mount a wooden base;
enjoy the work done.

You can do without installing a hard floor. This is not necessary, but, again, it will not be possible to walk or put something on the surface (remember that cotton wool cannot be pressed).

We have already considered two popular ways to insulate a house with a cold attic. Now let's look at other options. I must say right away that they are more labor-intensive, but, at the same time, more economical in terms of finance. One of these methods is the use of expanded clay.

Warming with expanded clay

Expanded clay is a material that is obtained by firing low-melting grades of clay. The resulting gravel has the shape of oval spools, and the color is somewhere between brown and orange. The bulk density of expanded clay is also different - from 350 to 600 kg / m³ or more. Now it is not so important for us.

Consider the characteristic advantages and disadvantages of expanded clay. So, the advantages:

low price (as a rule, it costs several times cheaper than mineral wool or polystyrene foam);
fire resistance - expanded clay does not burn at all;
high ability to soundproofing - if this, of course, is relevant;
expanded clay is an environmentally friendly material: it does not emit any fumes into the air.

It would seem ideal. Yes, indeed, this is a great option for warming a private house. There is only a specific detail: it is a porous material - and absorbing moisture, its weight increases, and its thermal insulation qualities decrease. If the roof of your house is leaking (at least a little), the first thing to do before starting work is to repair the roof. Moisture is harmful, as we have already found out, not only for expanded clay, but also for mineral wool and other alternatives.

Keep in mind that expanded clay is quite heavy - it is not polystyrene or cotton wool. Therefore, before pouring it out, make sure that the attic floor / ceiling of the room below is secure. If the boards are hemmed from below to the beams, there is a chance that the first ones will not withstand the onslaught and come off the beams. Then expanded clay will be right in the room.

To make the roof space of a private house warm and even residential, it is necessary to insulate the attic from all sides - along the gables and roof slopes. This business is rather difficult and troublesome, given the slopes of the attic walls, to which the insulation will have to be attached. Here it is important to withstand the technology, so that the heat-insulating "pie" has served for more than a dozen years and at the same time retains heat well. Therefore, the question is how to properly insulate with your own hands cold attic, is worth considering in more detail.

Insulation options

Before considering the list of materials, it makes sense to clarify what the concept of "insulate the attic" means, since the choice of insulation depends on this. Some homeowners invest in this concept the insulation of the ceiling and the hatch to the attic in order to reduce the heat loss of the house, and the under-roof space itself will remain cold. Others mean the thermal insulation of the roof slopes from the inside with insufficiently insulated ceilings, as was done in old houses with clay.

Still others want to make the attic space exploitable and warm, for which, again, it is necessary to insulate the walls of the attic, which are roof slopes and side gables. It is about such thermal insulation that will be discussed in detail later. If we are talking about warming the floor of a cold attic, then the choice of materials here is quite large:

expanded clay;
wood waste (sawdust);
glass wool in rolls (such as ISOVER or URSA);
plate or rolled mineral wool (ROCKWOOL, KNAUF);
boards made of foamed polymers (foam plastic, extruded polystyrene foam).

Note. The list does not include options for insulation with polyurethane foam and ecowool due to their high cost, but we have given the most popular materials for the attic floor. In addition, insulating the attic floor with sprayed polyurethane foam with your own hands will not work without special equipment.

Now, from the list above, we single out those heaters that are most often used to insulate sloping attic walls. At a cost, foam plastic is the cheapest, and its thermal resistance is high, as is the ability to repel moisture. One problem - the material is flammable. Therefore, for those homeowners who are worried about fire safety your home, it is better to buy mineral wool based on basalt fiber. Only mineral wool absorbs moisture well, so it will be necessary to provide for its removal, which will be discussed later.

A few words about glass wool, which is also quite suitable for thermal insulation of the attic. It doesn't burn either, but high temperature will not be able to withstand, the material is charred at 200 ° C or more. If it is planned to make the attic room residential, then glass wool does not belong there at all, it is harmful to human health.

Warming with mineral wool

As mentioned above, mineral wool is a porous material and is able to absorb moisture, as well as pass vapor through itself. Even if this insulation is protected on both sides with a vapor-proof film, then due to the temperature difference in the street and inside the house, a dew point will appear in the thickness of the wool. As a result, condensation will begin to form from the air that is already in the open pores of the material.

When insulating the attic with mineral wool with your own hands, you need to learn one rule: the insulation is isolated from moisture only on one side - the inside, and a ventilation gap (air) is required from the outside. Thanks to him, moisture from the cotton wool will be removed, thereby maintaining its thermal insulation properties.

Also, glass - and mineral wool is afraid of direct contact with water, which is why it instantly gets wet and ceases to be a heater. This means that from the side of the street it must be protected from wind and precipitation, while providing access to the same side of water vapor. That is why it is more difficult to insulate the attic with mineral wool than with foam plastic, which has a vapor barrier. The diagram below shows the correct "pie" of thermal insulation of sloping attic walls from the inside:

As can be seen in the diagram, the insulation is laid in the openings between the rafters, but first, a waterproofing film, a diffusion membrane, is laid between the rafters and the roofing. It is she who protects the mineral wool from direct moisture, passing all the vapors out into the air, from where they are carried away by the ventilation air. The air must be arranged under the entire plane of the roofing, as shown in the diagram:

Since the diffusion membrane is also a protection against water that can enter its surface from the outside through the slots in the slate, the film sheets must be laid out horizontally over the rafters, starting from the bottom. The canvases are laid with an overlap of 100 mm, and the joints are sealed with adhesive tape. When it comes to warming an old house, where the slate is nailed to the boards of the crate without a membrane, you will have to mount it in strips vertically between the rafters.

Important. It is necessary to fasten the membrane strips to the side surface of the rafter board using a stapler and as often as possible, leaving a 5 cm wide air gap on top.

The next stage is the laying of the insulation by surprise in the gap between the rafters, for which it is cut into strips, whose width is a couple of centimeters more than this gap. By the way, mineral wool manufacturers make plates with a width of 600 mm, and rolls - 1200 mm, adjusting to the standard pitch of the rafters. Additional fastening of the insulation in this case is not required, then the vapor barrier film is laid and mounted interior decoration.

Like the sloping walls of the attic, the gables also need to be insulated. But here the composition of the "pie" depends on building material this roof element. If it is made of brick or timber, then it would be more correct to insulate the pediment of the attic from the outside, guided by the following scheme:

It is clear that such thermal insulation implies external insulation of the entire house, which is not always possible due to various reasons. Then we continue to insulate the attic from the inside, vertically installing on brick wall wooden bars for further installation of insulation. Before that, do not forget to lay a diffusion membrane under the bars. The same is done if the pediment has old design, - a wooden frame with an outer lining made of lining. The "pie" of insulation then looks like this:

Note. The same "pie" is used for internal insulation brick gable attic. The masonry here plays the role of the outer skin of the boards shown in the diagram.

Foam insulation

It should be noted that it is somewhat easier to insulate the attic with foam plastic than with mineral wool. First of all, because of the vapor impermeability of this insulation, so it is not necessary to arrange an internal vapor barrier. But a diffusion membrane and air are needed in any case, because wood also participates in the “pie”, which must also give moisture somewhere. So the first stage of do-it-yourself attic insulation is repeated as described in the previous section.

Styrofoam with a density of 25 kg / m3 is cut in such a way that it can be tightly inserted between the rafters. Then all joints should be blown out with polyurethane mounting foam, due to which air circulation through the cracks is excluded and additional fastening of the insulation is provided. Then everything is simple: the interior trim of plasterboard or other facing material is attached to the rafters.

In the same way, the gables are thermally insulated. It should be noted that this technology can also be used when insulating the attic with extruded polystyrene foam (foam foam). This modern insulation has higher rates than polystyrene, including strength. If there will be a need to lay foam in 2 layers, the second can be attached to the first with ordinary self-tapping screws and glued with polyurethane glue.

Insulation of ventilation pipes in the attic

In modern private houses, the attic is often a technical floor, where ventilation units and pipes for moving air are located - air ducts. If the temperature there is significantly lower than in the premises, then the air ducts must be insulated without fail, and here's why:

the air passing through them is heated by energy carriers paid by the homeowner. It is unacceptable for the air to lose heat in a cold attic for nothing;
due to the temperature difference inside and outside the air ducts, condensate will constantly be released.

The cheapest way to insulate ventilation pipes is to buy rolled mineral wool and wrap the air duct with it, fixing it with twine.

After that, a layer of mineral wool is covered with a special foil to prevent moisture from entering. But in a compressed form, the thermal resistance of the roll insulation decreases, so it is better to use ready-made foam shells. They are put on the air duct on both sides and fixed with a knitting wire.

Rectangular ventilation pipes are most conveniently insulated with self-adhesive polyethylene foam material. This is an excellent vapor-tight insulation, in which one side is coated with a sticky layer that adheres well to the metal surface.

Conclusion

In fact, there are more materials and methods for insulating the attic, but we have brought the most affordable of them for do-it-yourself work. For example, a layer of polyurethane foam does not require any “pie” at all, but it can only be applied if special units are available. So at the moment, foam with mineral wool remain the most popular heaters, as well as the technology for their application.