We all know that the roof is the most important element of any structure. It protects it from atmospheric effects and prevents the penetration of cold air into the room. However, if the roof is not equipped with a heater, it cannot adequately protect the house from heat loss, and as a result, heating costs increase, and the indoor temperature still does not reach the desired level.
To fix this problem, you can hire a repair team that will quickly perform all the necessary work. However, taking into account that the cost of such services is quite high, it is much more advisable to install the insulation yourself. Therefore, in this article we will consider how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof and what insulation materials to use for this.
Distinctive features of a cold type roof
Arrangement of a cold roof in some cases is very advisable. Such a roof is quite economical, reliable and easy to install, which is very important when it comes to the construction of farm buildings, garages, gazebos and other structures. The whole point is a single layer structure. That is, only a waterproofing film (not always) and a roofing material are laid on top of the rafter system. This design can not prevent heat loss at home, so most often it is subjected to insulation. This process has its own nuances that should be taken into account during the execution of work.
How to warm the ceiling under a cold roof? This question is best considered at the stage of building a house, but in most cases the work is carried out in an already finished building. Let's consider what types of floor insulation are available today.
Methods of installation of insulation
Before choosing this or that insulation material, you should decide on which side of the attic floor the work will be carried out: from the inside or from the outside. The method of insulation depends on this. Pay attention to the fact that both options have their negative sides.
If the installation of thermal insulation material is carried out from the side of the room, the height of its walls will be significantly reduced. This should be taken into account by the owners of houses in which the premises already seem rather low. In addition, after installing thermal insulation, the ceiling will need to be sewn up with some finishing material, which will lead to additional waste.
Insulation from the attic is much simpler. It also allows you to leave the height of the rooms at the same level. In order to use the attic as a full room, a new wooden floor will have to be laid on top of the insulation.
How to choose a thermal insulation material
Thinking about how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof, you should pay attention to the criteria that the selected material must meet. These include:
- environmental friendliness;
- low thermal conductivity;
- resistance to colonization by microorganisms;
- a light weight.
Since the insulation will exert additional load on the walls of the house, it is very important that its weight is minimal. In light suburban buildings, the use of heavy materials is extremely dangerous.
What materials can be used
How to warm the ceiling under a cold roof? To do this, you should understand the materials used for these purposes, and their main characteristics. Today, the construction products market offers us a huge selection of thermal insulation, however, bulk options are more often used as insulation for the ceiling. For these purposes are suitable:
- mineral wool;
- granular expanded clay;
- sawdust.
Consider the characteristics and installation process of each of them.
Glass wool
Mineral wool (or glass wool) is a traditional eco-friendly material with a low level of thermal conductivity. It is quite simple to install and can be mounted both from the outside and from the inside of the ceiling.
Let's figure out how to properly insulate the ceiling under the cold roof of mineral wool. The technology for laying rolled material involves the following actions:
- The base on which the material will be laid is cleaned of dust and all kinds of debris.
- On the prepared surface overlap have waterproofing. Usually, glassine is used for these purposes. The docking points of the paintings are glued with tape.
- Next, the cotton wool is laid. It should lie tightly in the space between the beams. The presence of gaps and crevices is unacceptable. If there are any, they should be blown with foam.
- A second layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the insulation.
- The resulting base is sewn with OSB, chipboard or floorboards.
How to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof from the inside of the room
Internal insulation is much more difficult and inconvenient than external. In the course of work, all the same cotton or foam is used. Installation is carried out in the following order:
- A vapor barrier film is fixed to the bottom of the rafters . Work is carried out using a construction stapler.
- Thermal insulation material is attached to the prepared ceiling. Polyfoam is fixed on a special glue, and mineral wool is nailed with staples.
- A second layer of vapor barrier is laid on the insulation, after which the decorative decoration of the ceiling is performed.
Sawdust
Sawdust is considered the easiest and most economical way to insulate the ceiling. However, note that not all wood shavings are suitable for these purposes. Here you can use only dry and clean material from which a special solution will be made.
To prepare it, for every 10 buckets of sawdust they take one bucket of cement, 0.5 buckets of hydrated lime, an antiseptic and water. All components are mixed until the liquid no longer stands out from the mixture.
To understand how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof with sawdust, consider this technology in more detail:
- Steam and waterproofing material is laid on the ceiling (overlap 20 cm) . All existing seams are glued with a foil-based tape. Rafter beams and chimney are similarly insulated.
- On the pasted base, the previously prepared mixture is evenly distributed.
- After the entire solution has been poured out, it is carefully tamped so that it fills all the voids. The final thickness of the insulation layer should be about 30 cm. Usually, it takes about two weeks to dry such a mixture.
Expanded clay
Expanded clay is a porous material that is made from clay. On the market, it is presented in the form of granules of various fractions. The material is characterized by low weight, environmental friendliness, fire safety, strength and resistance to decay. The low cost makes it very popular, so it is often used as a heater. Now we will consider how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof (in a wooden house) using expanded clay.
The technology in this case is very simple:
- As described above, a waterproofing film is laid.
- An even layer of clay is poured over it.
- Prepared expanded clay with a thickness of at least 15 cm is laid on the base obtained. Note that if you mix large and small expanded clay granules, the insulation layer will be more dense and reliable.
- A cement screed is poured over the clay filler. This is the end of the work. If the attic will be used as a living room, any floor covering is placed on top of the screed.
The process of warming the ceiling in the bath
I would also like to dwell on how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof in the bath. Since this room is characterized by a specific microclimate, the installation of thermal insulation inside it has some features.
For example, if you decide to use mineral wool, pay due attention to waterproofing. This requirement is due to the fact that when wet, the material gets off and completely loses its original qualities. Because of this, the integrity of the insulation layer may be violated, hot steam will settle on the ceiling in the form of condensate, and the cotton wool itself will turn into a place for bacteria and mold to multiply. To prevent this from happening, a waterproofing film should be placed on top of the insulation material, leaving a small gap.
If it is decided to use expanded clay as thermal insulation, it is laid in a thick layer (at least 30 cm). This material is also prone to moisture accumulation and requires the installation of high-quality waterproofing.
You can insulate the ceiling in the steam room using the "grandfather" method. First, a two-centimeter layer of clay or peat with chernozem is laid on the floors. A mixture of leaves and sawdust is poured on top of the resulting “carpet”, and a 15-centimeter layer of earth is crushed on top.
Conclusion
We hope that after reading the above information, you understand how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof. The photos published in this article will help you to get a general idea about this process and do the work yourself. We wish you an easy and quick repair!