Heating a country house often requires high costs, so every owner wants to somehow reduce them. To do this, everyone goes his own way. Some reduce the useful area of the house, that is, leave the attic and the "summer" part of the house unheated, carefully isolating the rest of the room from them. In this case, the area becomes smaller and it is easier to keep heat. However, the condition for achieving this objective is effective thermal insulation. But the attic can also be used as a living room, so if you have a large family, then consider this option. And for this, we will consider how to insulate the attic for winter living.
Choose options
It depends on at what stage of construction the attic floor was laid. Today we will analyze what materials to use, and also try to draw up instructions for a beginner how to perform this work on their own. Basically, there are two options:
- If the upper floor will be cold and plan to use it only in the warm season, it is good enough to insulate the floor.
- If you want to use it as a permanent home, then you must definitely carry out multi-layer coating of all surfaces. Attention should be paid not only to the roof, but also to the floor, walls and ceiling, if such is provided for by the plan.
Therefore, before talking how to insulate the attic for winter living, you need to carefully consider the plan of the house and consult with a professional builder. The heating of the new premises will need to be integrated with the general heating system of the house.
Heat loss warning
Since it is possible to insulate the attic for winter living even after the final commissioning of the house, this option should be considered by each owner of the mansion. Such a measure will prevent the cooling of the whole house. Heated air always rises. For this reason, the temperature under the attic ceiling is always 2 degrees higher than in the whole house. And the heat loss through it can be very significant. That is, this is a rather specific room, and work should begin with an increase in the tightness of the roof.
Sequencing
Speaking about how to insulate the attic for winter living, it is necessary to identify the algorithm for creating a thermal pyro for insulation of the roof. Each layer is important, namely: roofing material, counter-lattice, waterproofing, air flow clearance, insulation, vapor barrier, attic lining and fine finish.
Sometimes the ceiling is additionally hemmed. They do this not so often, although such a measure can increase the tightness. By the way, if after completing all the work you see that condensation collects on the roof and freezes, then the thermal insulation is made with violations.
Nuances
If possible, invite an experienced consultant. The roof has a large number of bumps and beams. But on the other hand, it’s easy to cling to them. The whole procedure should be performed step by step, while each should be performed strictly according to the instructions. To restore beauty in the room, you can use drywall, which is then covered with putty and decorated at your discretion.
Vertical walls
The larger the room, the more globally your tasks are. But a warm attic is an extra room that children especially love. Before starting the main work, cover all the cracks with a tourniquet or soft insulation. Ideally, the attic should be lined with brick or sheathed with wood from the outside, and thermal insulation should be laid between this layer and the attic wall. But today we are talking about how to insulate the attic from the inside, if the roof is already covered.
Instruction manual
In principle, you can insulate the attic with your own hands at any stage of construction. It is worth starting with the treatment of walls with fire-fighting and antifungal compounds. The second step will be to create a structure of beams along the perimeter of the windows. This will be required for the joining of all superimposed layers and window structures. Later, the counter grill helps to fix the waterproofing layer.
Mounting plate insulation
If the wall is straight, then further actions will not be difficult. Using dowel mushrooms, you need to sew soft material tightly together. Be sure to seal all joints with mounting foam. Very often, mineral wool is used as such. This material practically does not absorb moisture and perfectly keeps heat. However, it is quite cheap. Let's see what other options are:
- Expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam. Pretty expensive artificial material, very light and durable, holds heat well. But the price does not speak in favor of its use.
- Sawdust is an old way, almost free. Since it is expensive to insulate the roof of the attic , you can save some. Sawdust is mixed with lime and stacked 100 mm thick. But you need to remember that this material is fire hazard. Therefore, for a country house, where the attic is not used in the winter, it will fit.
- You can use natural materials such as foamed glass and some others. However, here you will need the ability to handle such materials. Today it is rather exotic, but you can bring it to order.
Soft insulation needs a metal profile frame. The gap is selected in accordance with the purchased insulation. Standard is ten or twenty centimeters. The pitch should be 500 mm.
For conditions of Siberia
Insulation of the attic from the inside, if the roof is already covered, very much depends on climatic conditions. If you live in a region with harsh winters, you will need to perform a number of operations to ensure that the upper floor is guaranteed to be warm. Professional builders recommend combined attic insulation. In this case, the first layer of insulation is closed with vapor barrier, then the second layer is laid. It is pressed by a crate of metal profiles or timber. The vapor barrier is again laid on top. Now you can begin to restore beauty using pre-selected materials. Soon you will have another room in which children can move in.
How to insulate the floor of the attic
It depends on what material was used to make the upper floors. But in general, the technology is almost the same. It is necessary to clean the stove from debris and dust, and then close all the cracks and bumps with a cement mortar.
The second step will be waterproofing. To do this, you can spread bitumen in two layers or lay roofing material. Pay attention to the joints, they must be overlapped and hermetically glued using a blowtorch. This is very important in order to protect the insulation from condensation.
Be sure to lay out a layer of mineral or basalt wool. This material can be replaced with expanded clay, polystyrene or ordinary sawdust. On top is a layer of vapor barrier material. Additionally, the floor is closed with a reinforcing mesh with a cell of 600 * 600 mm. The last layer is a cement screed, after which it is possible to finish the floor.
How to lay a layer of insulation
Doing the work yourself, we are most often guided by instructions and tips, not being professionals in the field of construction. Therefore, we can easily miss important things. In particular, the quality of the coating depends on how the insulation was laid. There are a number of rules for this:
- Laying is performed in two layers, while the second overlaps the slots, the joints of the first.
- The first layer should not be thinner than 200 mm. Violation of this rule leads to the fact that the second layer lies unevenly, resulting in bends, which lead to a loss of density of joints.
- The width of the insulation is another important indicator. It should equal the distance between the slings. But if you take mineral wool, then it can be easily trimmed. Only in this way will the slabs lie flat, which will ensure complete heat storage.
Instead of a conclusion
If this is your first time undertaking such a job, then get ready for the difficulties. For example, if the attic is located under a sloping roof, then, among other things, the question arises of how to place insulation material. No need to do this directly along the bevels. Place the insulation on the shields, which will serve as the walls. And on the reverse side, the insulation to the boards is hemmed with trimmed boards.
Do not neglect the installation of vapor barrier membranes. Many believe that enough moisture protection. But the insulation works only while it is dry. If you pour water on the floor with vapor barrier, it will gradually evaporate. If moisture protection is on top, and water finds a way to seep into the ceiling, there will be no way out.