We make a beautiful attic floor with our own hands. What do you need in order to build a quality mansard roof with your own hands? Do-it-yourself step-by-step construction of an attic

The attic does not have to be used as a place to store unnecessary things. Very often, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthis room allows you to equip it with a full-fledged living area or a place for family leisure, or a hobby. The idea of ​​such construction has been successfully used since the middle of the 17th century thanks to the French architect Francois Mansart and is especially relevant for increasing the area of ​​a private house, and sometimes city apartments.

How to settle in an attic, what activities should be carried out for this, and how to build an attic where it has never been? Look for answers to these questions in our article.

Building an attic

The attic device will help to significantly reduce construction costs in general, rationally use the available floor space and realize the most daring ideas. The attic floor can occupy both the entire attic and part of it, depending on the purpose of the future premises: a bedroom, an office, an office or a bathroom.

Cozy attic do it yourself

Do-it-yourself attic construction also provides the following advantages:

• The infrastructure of the main building is fully used.
• Significantly increased living space.
• Reducing heat loss through the roof and, as a result, reducing energy consumption in the cold season.
• Relatively simple installation (without the use of special equipment) and the possibility of being in the house during construction.
• Possibility of construction of one- or two-level floor.

How to make the attic a unique architectural element

Important: When building an attic floor with your own hands, you need to consider design features buildings, including: the height of the walls, the shape of the roof, the location of communications - and comply with fire safety requirements.

Features of the construction of the attic floor

The roof is a building envelope, which, in addition to precipitation and temperature changes from the outside, is subject to influences from the inside: heat and moisture from the living space, and they can cause dampness and corrosion. Therefore, during the construction of the attic floor, very stringent requirements are put forward for hydro, steam and thermal insulation of the roof, compliance with which will ensure reliable protection premises from negative factors.

How to properly insulate attic floor during construction

Also, during the construction of the attic floor, it is important to take care of high-quality ventilation, which is installed between the insulation and the roof. This will ensure the removal of excess moisture and ventilation of the attic.

Particular attention should be paid to construction technology and the materials used (especially their weight) - this will ensure the safe operation of the attic floor in the future. In addition, do not forget that the use of the attic floor as a living space does not eliminate the observance of the technical requirements for the operation of the roof.

Where to start building?

Before the start of construction, a technical examination of the building is carried out. It is worth remembering that initially the walls and foundation of the building were designed for a certain load, and the construction of an additional floor will significantly increase it, so you should make sure of their bearing capacity.

Construction frame attic

Design

The next stage of construction will be the development and approval of the attic floor project - for this it is better to contact qualified specialists who will help to draw up a competent drawing, calculate loads and estimates.

Important: If the construction of the attic with your own hands is carried out within the city, then for this it is necessary to obtain permission from the city authorities, an expert opinion and the consent of all the owners of the building.

The attic floor plan is developed based on the layouts of the main building, with the roof geometry playing the dominant role. The architectural appearance of the house will have an impact not only on the design of the truss system, but also on the materials used in construction and individual elements attic. All structures and parts should be as lightweight as possible, which will ensure minimum load on the walls of the building and will ensure easy lifting of materials to the floor.

If the roof of the house has a large slope, then the choice of roofing materials, insulation and waterproofing during the construction of the attic floor should be approached very carefully.

In addition, all communications of the attic floor must be interconnected with the systems in the house, their joint work should be ensured.

The shape of the room, as well as its dimensions, determine the choice of windows, their design and placement in the interior.

Attic construction

Regardless of whether the attic is being built with your own hands, the photo below, on an existing attic or being built from scratch, it is necessary to ensure the unity of architectural and design solutions.

It is possible to build a wooden attic on a brick house

The design of the attic is best made of wood (from timber) or metal profile in addition, you can complete the floor from SIP panels, as in the photo below. Stone materials, including brick and concrete, are not recommended for use in construction due to their heavy weight. In extreme cases, you can use blocks of aerated concrete.

We build an attic with our own hands using SIP panels

Strong, but lightweight materials are also suitable for roofing, such as profiled sheets, bituminous or composite tiles, metal tiles.

Since the attic has a large surface area of ​​contact with the environment and significant heat losses occur through the roof, it is necessary to take care of high-quality and effective thermal insulation of this floor. For insulation, it is best to use mineral wool or fiberglass with a thickness of 150 mm or more. From the inside of the attic floor, the insulation must be closed with a vapor barrier, and from the side of the roof - with waterproofing. In addition, between the waterproofing and the roof, it is necessary to arrange a ventilation system that will ensure the removal of excess moisture.

Since the attic is a living space, it needs natural light, which windows will help provide. It can be like ordinary vertical window structures, which are mounted in walls, or special inclined windows installed in the roof plane at an angle of 15-90 degrees.

Roof windows - expensive, but effective

Important: Roof windows let in more light than standard windows with a smaller opening area. To ensure the most efficient and uniform lighting, the ratio of window area to floor area should be 1:10.

The final stage of the device of the attic floor will be Finishing work. by the most simple option for facing the walls of the attic floor is drywall, it can also be used to construct internal partitions. GKL sheets are attached to the metal profile frame, after which they are puttied and can be applied top coat: paint, wallpaper, etc. In addition to drywall, walls can be sheathed with clapboard, wood panels - the choice of material depends on the purpose and design of the future attic. For the floor, the same materials that are used throughout the building are suitable: parquet, laminate, batten, ceramic tile and etc.

Upon completion of construction, you can do the design: think over the interior, install a ladder, arrange furniture, etc.

More about building an attic with your own hands (video):

Attic floor extension

The superstructure of the attic floor allows you to simply and effectively increase the living space without the use of expensive equipment and complex technologies, and such construction can be carried out both in a private house and in a city building of a typical building. The cost of completion is about half of the cost of new construction. The design can be wooden - from logs and timber; stone - from foam blocks, from brick and concrete; from metal, as well as their various combinations.

Monolithic attic can have any shape

It is necessary to determine which part of the building structure will bear the load from the extension. If the strength of the walls and foundation is not enough, it will be necessary to install racks on a separate foundation outside the building, which will support the attic floor. A new attic frame on an independent foundation is also necessary in an old house if the supporting structures have significant wear. It will be useful to change attic floor, since it is most likely not designed for a large load.

The attic device involves the construction of a load-bearing structure, which depends on the roof truss system. For the construction of this structure, it is better to use light materials: thin-walled profile and wood. They will help speed up construction, since fastening is carried out by bolts and rivets. The optimal angle of the slope of the rafters should be 45-60 degrees.

Important: In the manufacture of the truss system, one should be guided by the conditions of the area where the construction is being carried out. Load bearing capacity roofing must be designed for the pressure of wind, snow and roofing material.

The roofs themselves, the figure below, can be:

• Shed.
• Gable.
• broken lines.
• Hip.

1 - simple gable roof; 2 - gable roof with attic wall; 3 - hip; 4 - four-slope

The last two types are best suited for the attic, but the final choice is determined by the intensity of the load acting on the coating.

During construction, it should be taken into account that the width of the room should not be less than 4.5 m, and the area of ​​​​the entire attic floor should not be less than 7 m2, while the ratio of height and area is ideally 1:2.

The easiest construction option is to build a frame attic with your own hands. To install the attic, it is necessary to remove the old roof, examine the condition load-bearing structures for damage and develop a floor plan. After that, the foundation and the attic frame are mounted. Then the installation and insulation of the roof is carried out.

Read more about how to build an attic with your own hands - video:

Modern design of a cottage or house is difficult to imagine without the presence of an attic floor. It is also built everywhere in old houses on the site where a dilapidated attic is located, thereby increasing the total living area. Do-it-yourself attic is a complex project, but doable.

Building an attic with your own hands - the first steps

In fact, this is not the case - most specialists in the field attic construction unanimously affirm that from the angle of inclination and other changes in the design of the rafters, the walls experience an enormous load and undergo significant deformation. Therefore, before you make the attic on your own, we highly recommend contacting a specialist so that he can carry out preliminary calculations and, based on them, draw a draft of the truss system that is suitable in your case.

Construction of houses with an attic - choose the right technology

Today, there are quite a lot of buildings on which there is a clearly defined attic. This or completely new house, where an 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 the attic is by a gable broken roof - this is the most suitable design for building an attic floor.

The use of a gable sloping roof on the walls of the house compared to pitched roof exerts a huge burden. However, for an attic room, it is an order of magnitude more convenient, since it forms a lot of space inside.

At the gable broken structure there is a drawback - in the absence of a sufficient number of bearing supports, the roof is less durable compared to a shed roofing system, and additional bearing supports put additional pressure on the walls. The construction of a gable sloping roof, as a rule, requires the use of layered rafters, requiring 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 room determines the ability to move to full height under the rafter system. Please note that for insulation you will need to allocate from 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. For the installation of reinforcing additional beams, it will be correct to cut off some part of the attic, rather than risk destroying the entire roof frame.

Before you build a house with an attic, prepare the right 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, an antifungal agent, a 40 * 150 mm board for the crate in a run-up, for creating a continuous crate - OSB sheets.

The type of roofing determines the design of the crate. If you plan to use soft roofing material, then the best option there will be a continuous crate, and if hard - by forces own hands the crate is installed in a run. In the process of installing a wooden frame (rafters and battens), you should immediately make places for the location skylights. It is also necessary to think in advance about the reliable fastening of window frames.

Attic in a private house - auxiliary elements

There are main and secondary elements of the attic. The first includes insulation, rafters and load-bearing structures, and the second includes windows, doors and drainage systems. Both of them play an important role. The most difficult thing is to decide exactly with 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 former are attached directly to the plane of the roof and transmit natural (sunlight) light by 40–45% more than vertical ones. But in winter, the sloped windows are covered with snow, which negatively affects both the general illumination of the room and their technical condition. Doors to the attic act as a kind of link this room with the main building. They should be selected according to two main criteria: the first is strength, the second is good properties thermal insulation.

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

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

Given that the roof slopes are directly affected by atmospheric temperature changes, the attic room must be carefully insulated with thermal insulation. It is all the more necessary if the roof is covered with metal slate or metal tiles. As one of the options for thermal insulation, mineral wool slabs are used, which have enough high density and thickness.

Such material is environmentally friendly, and also has excellent heat resistance, maximum resistance to fire and is easy to install. When laying thermal insulation, it is necessary to create a certain 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 considered external - in this case, the insulation layer, together with vapor barrier and waterproofing, is laid on top of the truss system, before the roofing material is installed.

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

Do-it-yourself construction of an attic on a house means that its owner approached the home improvement competently and practically, and each square meter is highly valued. However, the independent construction of such a structure is not an easy task, which will require a lot of effort, time and cost.

What is the definition of attic?

The attic or attic floor, according to legal sources, is the space under the roof of the house used for the location of residential or utility rooms. In simple words, the attic is understood as an attic, which is equipped for separate rooms with the necessary heat and waterproofing.

Main difference attic superstructure from the residential floor - this is the height of the walls, which should be no more than 1.5 m from the outside of the house. If this legal requirement is not met, the owner will be forced to pay taxes for the additional footage of the building.

It is possible to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe dwelling by erecting an attic even at the construction design stage, and it is also permissible to remake the upper part of the roof for a superstructure on a finished house. However, in order for the foundation and walls of the building not to be damaged from the additional load, it is necessary to know all the nuances of installing an extension.

Various types of add-ons

Before you start making an attic at home, you need to decide on appearance superstructure, which will not only meet the requirements, but also harmonize perfectly with the main part of the building. The following types of extensions of this type are most often used in practice:

1. Single level with a gable roof. The most common type of attic, since its construction does not require special construction skills, and the cost of materials will be minimal. However, a significant drawback of such a structure is its small size.
2. Single level with . To make such a structure, it takes a little more effort than in the previous version, but due to the roof of this shape, interior becomes noticeably more spacious.

The above options for superstructures will not be difficult to build even on an old house. Indeed, in fact, this is the same attic space, but more equipped for a comfortable pastime.

For reference! There are other types of attics, such as single-level with the removal of consoles or multi-level. They are more costly and difficult to design. In addition, such varieties are not entirely suitable for erection on a finished building.

Materials needed for construction

After the owner of the house has decided what kind of attic floor he is going to build, the materials necessary for the process should be prepared.

As a rule, light materials are used to build an attic on a built house, such as wooden beams, and in some cases aerated concrete, which has good heat-saving properties. Suitable for such purposes and frame construction.

Most often, the following elements are used for construction:

• rafter and sloping legs;
• conjurers;
• Mauerlat;
• crossbar;
• various struts, fights and racks.

At the same time, it is better to choose beams from coniferous woods, such as spruce, pine and larch, the moisture content of which should be no more than 15%, and the grade should be 1st or 2nd. In addition, it is imperative to treat the material with an antiseptic solution before erecting a building.

In the case when the attic floor is planned during the design of the building, you can choose any materials for its construction, depending on the type of superstructure, its dimensions and the preferences of the owner. Most often, such an attic is erected from brick, concrete and foam blocks.

Requirements for installing an attic

In addition to personal preferences, during the construction of the attic floor, certain SNiP standards must be observed. The main ones include the following conditions:

1. The thickness of the rafters is at least 250 mm, which will allow you to lay a suitable layer of insulation between them (more than 200 mm).
2. Heaters should be chosen those that will not lose their properties in conditions of high humidity. Expanded polystyrene is best suited for these purposes, as it is lightweight and retains heat well in the room. Mineral wool should not be used as a heater due to the fact that it absorbs moisture well, as a result of which it quickly collapses.
3. Between the insulation layer and the roof, hoods and vents must be installed so that air can move freely in this space.
4. The outer side of the rafters should be covered with a waterproofing layer, and experts also recommend adding an additional layer of soundproofing materials.

Regardless of what kind of attic is planned to be built, the listed requirements must be taken into account.

Attention! On the attic floor, a vapor barrier must be installed on the inner sides of the roof in accordance with the standards.

Construction of the attic step by step

After the project and all the drawings of the attic floor have been completed, as well as the material for construction has been prepared, you can begin work. However, if the future owner of the building prepared them on his own, he should still consult with an experienced specialist, since the most accurate calculations are important in such a case, especially when it comes to building a superstructure on an old building.

Frame erection

Do-it-yourself attic construction should begin with the installation of a Mauerlat on the inner sides of the outer walls. As a rule, this is most often used wooden bars, which can be attached to anchors, studs or brackets, depending on the material of the load-bearing walls. However, for wooden and frame buildings, there is no need to install a Mauerlat.

After the support has been erected, it is necessary to install vertical posts on it, which can be made of wood, metal, or foam concrete. On top of them are placed transverse beams with a step of no more than 2 meters. This distance will be equal to the location of the attic floor rafters. The whole structure is fastened together with metal corners, self-tapping screws or nail plates and pulled together with a jumper.

Then you should put the lower rafters. To do this, a groove is made at the base of the timber in order to securely install it on the Mauerlat, and its upper part is cut to the desired length, respectively, with the angle of inclination.

The next step in the construction of the attic floor is the installation of the upper rafters. In order to determine correct angle and the center, this part of the frame is assembled on the ground, and then fixed to the structure.

Roofing installation

After the attic frame is installed, it must be covered with vapor barrier material and fixed with metal brackets.

Attention! For vapor barrier, it is better to choose a fire-resistant and non-toxic material, especially if it is planned to equip a bedroom or a children's room in the attic rooms.

Then it is necessary to lay a layer of insulation on the vapor barrier material, while avoiding the appearance of gaps between its plates and rafters. It must be fixed by installing over the crate. After that, it is covered with a layer of waterproofing to protect the wood from moisture, and roofing material is already laid on top of it.

As the above material shows, the construction of the attic can be done with your own hands, all kinds of videos that can be easily found on the Internet can help in this matter. However, you should not completely trust them, it would be more correct to seek advice from experienced professionals.

This is the most popular type of premises, since most structures are designed in this way - the attic requires much less funds for the construction, it is being built very quickly. The rafter leg should be made of timber 150x50 mm, this is the calculation for an ordinary house 7x10 meters. With such dimensions, you don’t have to invent anything extra - the usual truss system of the structure will do. The angle of inclination of the leg will be from 45 to 60 degrees, it is desirable to make the angle smaller so that the parameters of the room are suitable not only for life, but also for normal rest.

The leg length of the rafter will be about 640 centimeters, while the width of the living space will be 450 centimeters and the height will be 230-250. Such parameters will satisfy the requirements of most builders, but if more space is required, then broken roofs should be preferred, but they will cost much more. Consider the simplest and efficient drawing attic under the usual gable roof.

The extension board can be exactly the same size as the leg to make it easier to build, but the vertical supports can be reduced so as not to overpay. A beam of 80x80 centimeters will be quite enough, given that the crossbar is laid 120x80. It is better not to save on the crossbar, since it serves as a supporting element, it will hold suspended ceiling, chandeliers and other decorations. It is advisable to install racks more often, since this will greatly facilitate the finishing work later. Building an attic under a gable roof is simple, inexpensive, and practical.

How to make an attic with your own hands under a sloping roof

Despite the fact that the roof itself is quite expensive to manufacture, it requires a little more labor for its installation, building an attic with your own hands will take much less time here. You get a ready-made box for its construction, you just need to sheathe all the finishing materials, insulate and an excellent, spacious room is already ready. Required condition for construction - the width of the house should be from 5 meters. Since for a comfortable stay in the attic you will need a height of 220 or more centimeters, and a width of at least 3 meters, preferably even more.

The upper harness is made of timber 80x80, ridge rafters 60x60 millimeters. Such small bars are the result of the fact that there are a large number of them and they are installed every 70 centimeters ( see drawing). The side rafters are fastened with brackets, the attic floor beams must be at least 50x50 centimeters, preferably a little more so that there is a margin of safety. The calculation is made for a house of 6x6 meters, with an increase in the width of the building, the strength of the materials will increase proportionally, since the load on the load-bearing elements will be much greater.

Sheathing is made from lining boards, plywood, fiberboard or OSB boards. These are the cheapest materials, which, with proper insulation, will not be inferior to European building materials. You can install them on profiles, in the same way as when creating frame structures. There is no need to install heavy load-bearing structures - the pressure will be minimal on the walls. If it is necessary to make heavy knots (for attaching a plasma panel, under an aquarium, etc.), it will be possible to install reinforcements exactly in the places where the object is attached, thus saving a lot of money on arranging the room.

Room insulation

If you initially want to make a house with good thermal insulation, so that a 400 W heater is enough to heat the attic, then you need to give preference to roofs with a solid crate. Let's take a closer look at how to make a really "profitable" roof that will save you money for all subsequent years.

1. We make the top of the attic. There must be a vapor barrier, since the temperature in the room and in the air chamber above the ceiling will differ by 15-20 degrees in winter, the heat will “run away” from the room. From below, for a puff, you stuff drywall, on which you can then apply Decoration Materials(plaster, stretch film, etc.), place foil on top of the puff to isolate steam, insulate it with any roll insulation that you like. Such a system will exclude condensate, increase thermal efficiency by 35%.
2. Before you make an attic, you need to decide what you will cover the roof with. Perfect option- slate, roofing felt, OSB sheet and crate. Such a system will significantly save the cost of heating the house, although the installation of building materials itself is expensive. It is better to make the crate thick so that the OSB plate does not “play” on it, it is perfectly even. Next, we cover it with resin, lay a thick roofing material, it is advisable to choose the most flexible one. It will already be possible to simply nail slate on it. Some builders also use a 0.5 cm insulation pad so that the slate fits snugly against a solid surface and does not loosen over time. Thermal efficiency, of course, also increases significantly.
3. We warm from the inside. One of the most important aspects of home insulation is the installation of fiberboard and insulation boards. Between the rafters, the entire place (without “windows”) should be occupied by a heater, the joints of which should be glued or tightly knocked down (depending on the type of material). If funds allow, you can apply liquid polyurethane foam, right along the crate and the inside of the OSB. The cost of one square meter it will be about 200 rubles, but it's worth it - you will eliminate possible condensate and insulate all roof slopes without seams.

When insulating, you can use ordinary foam - its effectiveness is small, but with a solid thickness of the material (up to 8-10 centimeters), it will be no worse than alternative building mixtures. The only big minus is that it is not suitable for dense insulation everywhere, it also takes up a lot of space.

Floor insulation - very important point, since a lot of heat escapes through it, especially in brick houses, where a concrete slab plays the role of an overlap. But even a wooden frame must be insulated between floors. To do this, it is enough just to put the roofing material in two layers, and fix the fiberboard slab on it, mainly PT-100 or M-20. Then you can already lay the usual floor, for example, warm linoleum. With minimal heating of the room, it will be very warm to walk on it, it heats up even when the first floor is heated.

How to build an attic the first time or the main mistakes of beginners

When we build an attic with our own hands, the main task is strength and few people pay attention to thermal efficiency, durability, and practicality. But after a few years, or even months, these "jambs" will be gradually shown, and their elimination will be very expensive. Consider typical mistakes newcomers.

1. No anti-corrosion treatment. All materials, especially natural wood, must be treated with impregnations, special insect repellents and moisture-repellent suspensions. If this is not done, the life of the wood will decrease many times over.
2. Fastening of different boards of one rafter leg "by eye", without level, without taking into account the natural load on the roof in a snowy winter. As a result, the deflection of the rafters is 15-20% ensured, therefore, the entire roof will “walk with hodor”.
3. The insulation is laid with gaps, there is no mandatory bandaging of the layers. Some craftsmen initially lay a layer of insulation that is not at all suitable for our climate zone, so the heat efficiency of the room immediately decreases significantly.
4. No air cushion between the top layer of insulation and the roof. Thus, fungi can form, as well as condensation, which will not lead to anything good.
5. The use of too "light" materials. The strength characteristics of the walls are not the primary goal, but they should not be put aside. It is better to install an OSB plate with a thickness of 15 mm or more - it is not much more expensive, but the strength qualities will be several times higher than the material with a thickness of 0.5 mm.

Pay attention to the environmental safety of materials, purchase wood, insulation materials only from reputable suppliers, as low-quality goods can do a lot of harm to your health. Also, you can not use anti-corrosion agents for outdoor work, which have a lot of dangerous chemistry in their composition. It is necessary to use suspensions intended for interior decoration having hazard class 3 (non-hazardous to humans). Preference should be given to well-established manufacturing companies.

Use the entire possible area, give the house originality and significantly reduce heat loss through the roof - these are the tasks that the attic solves. If there is a certain margin of safety at the foundation, in this way you can turn cottage into two levels. It is also attractive that a do-it-yourself mansard roof can be built even without special building skills. It is important not to make a mistake with the choice of materials and do everything according to the rules.

Windows in the usual floor are located in the walls. There are no or almost no walls in the attics. Roofing replaces them. That is why windows are made special: they not only have to let in enough light, but also withstand wind and snow loads, which are much more on the roof than on the walls.

Skylights

When planning an attic, it is worth considering the recommendations of SNiP. They recommend that the window area be at least 10% of the floor area. So if the attic is divided into several rooms, each should have a window.

Of all the methods shown in the photo for arranging skylights with an attic, the inclined installation is the easiest to implement. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure the proper degree of waterproofing of the junction, as well as to use special models with a reinforced frame and reinforced glass - the load on the surface can be significant.

Benefits of a sloped roof window:

• more light, less sharp borders of light and shadow;
• the roof surface remains flat, its relief is not complicated;
• relatively easy installation.

When planning such a window, it must be remembered that its area increases with an increase in the angle of inclination. At what height is it more convenient to install such a window and how its height in centimeters increases depending on the slope, see the photo.

The steeper the slope relative to the floor, the lower the height of the window should be.

The width of the window frame should be 4-6 cm less than the pitch between the rafters. Then it can be easily installed without disturbing the structure of the frame. If the window is wider, it is necessary to make a reinforced beam above it, calculate the load.

If you need to have a larger window, it is easier to put two narrow ones side by side. They look no worse than one big one, and there will be fewer problems.

When installing a dormer window, the geometry of the roof becomes more complicated: a valley appears on top and on the sides. Because of this, the truss system becomes more complex in both planning and assembly. The complexity of laying roofing also increases. All valleys are the places where leaks are most likely to occur. That is why it is necessary to do everything very carefully. In regions with a lot of snow, it is advisable to install snow retainers above such windows: so that they are not blown away during a sharp descent.

The device of a vertical window-dormer in the mansard roof

The advantage of such a window: near it you can stand in full growth. But they let in less light, the terrain becomes more difficult and the roof becomes more problematic.

A recessed window is usually used if an exit to a balcony is made through it. In other cases, this method of device is not the best option: little light enters, the shadows are very deep, which is tiring for the eye, the geometry also becomes more complicated, although not to the same extent as in the previous version.

The easiest way is to make a window in the end part of the attic. In this case, a reinforced frame or reinforced glass is not needed. Quite simply high-quality glasses are enough. This option is most often seen on country mansards: this is the most inexpensive option, which is easily implemented with your own hands.

truss system

At self construction private houses with an attic usually choose a sloping roof. It allows you to get a room of a significant area, larger than under the gable.

With an equal width of the base (house), the attic room under a sloping roof is larger than under a conventional gable. The truss system becomes more complicated, but gable roof with an attic under a sloping roof is still more popular

The design of a broken mansard roof is such that the overhangs can be lowered quite low, giving the house interesting view. But the long overhang of the roof is not only a decorative role. They also cover the upper part of the wall from precipitation and divert the bulk of the water away from the foundation. Although when planning, you need to keep in mind that in strong winds they increase the windage. Because of this, it is necessary to use more powerful boards and beams. Therefore, the size of the roof overhang is chosen based on several considerations, the main of which is weather conditions.

Tilt angle

It depends on the roofing material, but most of all - on the region and weather conditions. The classic version is shown in the figure: the lower slopes in relation to the plane of the attic floor are inclined by 60 °, the upper ones by 30 °. Based on these data and the parameters of your building, all lengths can be calculated. Just keep in mind that according to SNiP, the ceiling height in the attic cannot be less than 2 m. Then, by definition, this is an attic. A person will feel comfortable if the ceiling is raised to a height of at least 2.2-2.3 m. Based on this, according to the rules of geometry, calculate the required lengths.

In the classic version, the load from precipitation on the side surfaces may not be taken into account. Precipitation can only be held on the upper part, the angle of inclination of which is less than 45 °.

In general, the slope of the side surfaces usually ranges between 45° and up to 80°. The steeper the slope, the greater the windage it has, this must be taken into account: in regions with strong winds it is better to make more gentle roofs. Then the wind loads will be perceived much better.

Types of rafter systems of broken roofs

The design of a broken mansard roof is one of the options for the truss system (the most common)

For making a frame broken roof with their own hands, pine lumber is most often used, the grade is not lower than 2. The choice of the section of timber and boards depends on the size of the roof, the selected roofing (its weight), wind and snow load in the region, and the installation step of the rafters. All these parameters are taken into account in the calculation. The technique is prescribed in SNiP 2.08.01-89 and TCP 45-5.05-146-2009.

One of the options for building a frame with hanging rafters

Above in the figure is a drawing of a frame with hanging rafters. It can only be implemented if the base of the upper triangle is no more than 4.5 meters (in this case, this is the width of the attic room). If more, you will have to make layered rafters, which should be based on bearing wall in the middle (the attic will turn out to be divided into two parts by a row of beams).

Another version of the upper part is shown in the photo below (the picture is clickable). In this case, the side rafters are reinforced with struts. They significantly increase the rigidity of the system.

There is a second way to achieve a similar effect - to set contractions - in the figure they are only outlined with barely visible lines. The length of the side rafter leg is divided into three, contractions are set in these places. They will be needed if the roofing will have a solid weight.

A variant of the rafter system of a sloping roof - with struts that increase the rigidity of the system

For a building that is small in size, the roof frame can be generally simple: at the top there are two hanging rafter legs, a puff, floor beams, racks and side rafters (pictured below).

The device of the truss system of a broken mansard roof for small house

How to calculate a sloping roof

The mansard sloping roof of a small house (width no more than 6-7 meters) has been built so many times that, based on experience, we can say what materials should be used. Many parameters are dependent on other materials. For example, the installation step of the rafters is tied to the parameters of the insulation. To ensure that there is as little waste as possible during insulation, installation is easier, it is necessary that the distance from one rack to another is slightly less than the width of the insulation (by 20-30 mm). So, if you are going to use mineral wool, its width is 60 cm. Then the racks must be installed so that the clearance between two adjacent ones is 57-58 cm and no more.

The width of the board for the rafter leg is again determined based on the insulation. For the central zone of Russia, the required thickness of basalt wool is 200-250 mm. That's not all. In order for the thermal insulation to dry out, a ventilation gap of 20-30 mm is required (without it, the condensate will gradually rot the wood and render the mineral wool unusable). In total, it turns out that at a minimum the width of the rafter leg should be 230 mm. The thickness of the board is at least 50 mm. This is in regions with mild winds and not very heavy snowfalls. Summing up, for all rafters - ridge and side - a board of 230 * 50 mm is required.

If lumber with such characteristics turns out to be too expensive, it will be possible to make insulation in two directions: part along the rafters, part, stuffing the crate, across. You can lay a minimum of 100 mm of basalt wool, therefore, you can take a standard board 50 * 150 mm and leave it on the ventilation gap of 50 mm, or order a non-standard 130 * 50 mm. See what is more profitable in terms of money.

For racks and beams, it is better to take a beam of at least 80 * 80 mm, better - 100 * 100 mm. Especially in areas with difficult weather conditions - with heavy snowfalls or strong winds.

For a more accurate estimate, ask the experts. This is a long process, consisting of the collection of loads from the roofing material, the structural elements themselves, wind and snow loads. After that, according to a certain formula, the elements are selected. For more information on how the calculation is carried out, see the following video.

Do-it-yourself mansard roof: installation procedure

The Mauerlat device on mansard roofs is no different from the standard version. If or logs, you can use the upper crown as a Mauerlat. It is only pre-treated with impregnation with high protective properties.

If the wall is made of foam blocks, a reinforced monolithic belt is arranged on top of it. On brick wall or folded from shell rock, other similar materials, the device of such a belt is optional. Waterproofing is laid on the wall in two layers, and on top - a timber treated with an antiseptic - 150 * 150 mm or a log. It is fixed with embedded studs.

When assembling all elements, long nails are used - at least 150 mm long. In the most critical places, it is better to connect three or more elements with bolts or studs with double-sided threads. It is desirable to strengthen all joints with steel plates or corners.

First way

The installation of mansard roof rafters is done in two ways. First: parts are assembled on the ground, then they are lifted up in finished form. There, the first to expose the extreme structures that will become the gables. They are placed vertically, fixed. It is often more convenient to fix them with long bars nailed to the wall (temporary). The following are inserted into the prepared recesses in the Mauerlat (they are made with the required step) assembled structures. They are set strictly vertically, carefully fixed. If necessary, install additional temporary spacers that fix them in the desired position. Side rails are installed.

How to build a sloping roof in this way, collect nodes, see the video below.

Second way

The second method - the construction of a sloping roof is carried out by sequentially collecting elements right on the spot. This method is more convenient if the structure is large and when assembled it can only be lifted using special equipment (crane).

First, floor beams are laid. Racks and puffs are attached to them, temporary struts are placed to hold them in the vertical direction. Next, the rafters of the upper and side legs are assembled, puffs and jibs are installed.

During installation, the following sequence of actions is observed: first, the extreme elements are installed and set in the desired position, securely fixed. If necessary, use temporary spacers. Between them, a fishing line, rope, lace is stretched, which will serve as a guide for the installation of all subsequent elements. This simple move allows you to get the perfect geometry (do not forget to check the slope angle, verticality or horizontality).

Puffs are attached over the racks - bars, to which the side rafters are then fixed and on which the puff of the upper triangle is installed. Puffs are attached with metal corners. Since the beams are long, they sag. This is further eliminated - after installing the upper rafter legs- using vertical beams of fixed or adjustable height. And temporarily they can be propped up with racks (so as not to pull the entire system).

To make it easier to maintain the desired angle when installing the side rafter legs, templates are made according to which the cuts are made. But since the geometry of DIY buildings is rarely perfect, adjustments may be needed. To check the resulting angle of inclination from several boards, another template is knocked down, which checks the correct installation.

If the standard length of lumber - 6 meters - is not enough, either order the required length (expensive) or increase it. When building up, two boards with a size of at least 0.6 meters (30 cm on each side of the junction) are nailed to the junction. They are nailed on both sides or bolts are used.

A reliable way to build rafters. The length of the "patch" - at least 60 cm

After installing the side rafters, it remains to install the top ones. A template is also made for them, it is first sawn on the ground, and installed at the top.

The top part can be done in different ways. Its structure depends on the width of the base. See the photo below for how to make it.

Since the device of the mansard sloping roof does not provide for the presence of a ridge, a beam is stuffed in the middle, to which the slopes are attached, fixing the triangle in the required position.

Nodes and their drawings

When installing the truss system, questions may arise regarding the assembly of nodes - the intersection and connection of several structural elements. In the photo you see drawings of key connections.

The second option is to connect the side rafters and the upper triangle. Bolts are used for more secure fastening.

How to make a do-it-yourself fastening of the upper triangle and rafter leg on a mansard roof

The methods for attaching the rafter legs to the Mauerlat or, as in this case, to the side beam are shown in the figure below. To make it easier to mount a heavy element, a stop board (bar) is nailed to the rafter from below, which limits its movement: the board rests against the edge and prevents it from falling lower.