According to experts, about 15% of the heat can go through the roof and the attic of an apartment building even with basic insulation. If you do not use insulation at all, then the remaining cold bridges in winter level the effect of the operation of heating systems. At the same time, modern truss structures and roofing provide extensive opportunities to increase the energy efficiency of the building. A properly arranged warm roof will provide not only microclimatic comfort, but also extend the life of the attic materials.
Design features of the insulated roof
In its pure form, an ordinary pitched roof is a supporting frame formed by beams, Mauerlat, support stands and laths on which the roof is laid. The configurations of the rafter system can vary, but the most important thing is that even when assembled and operated they can be insulated. The heat-insulated roof structure is characterized by the presence of several layers of insulation in the transitional sections. The lowest level is the ceiling that separates the attic from the living area. This is followed directly by the isolation of the slopes from the back and in the layer between the crate and the roofing. In addition, the device of a warm roof provides for the presence of technological ventilation zones. They can have different constructional designs, but ventzazory has one task - to eliminate the accumulation of condensate in the roof and attic space.
The choice of thermal insulation material
The layout of the insulation will largely determine the effectiveness of the thermal barrier, but if the wrong material was originally used, then the highest quality installation will not solve the task of heat conservation. Roofers recommend paying attention to the following types of heat insulators:
- Glass wool is a cheap and easy-to-install material with acceptable thermal insulation. Its strength will be the complete exclusion of biological destruction processes, and its weakness will be the loss of insulating qualities after wetting.
- Basalt plate. It is also a moisture sensitive insulator, but it is fire resistant, which is also important for the place of operation in question.
- Mineral wool. A variety of structural designs and durability can be put on the list of the main advantages of this insulation. A warm roof with mineral wool retains its characteristics for 50 years. But this material should be protected from any contact with moisture.
- Styrofoam. Another option for a budgetary heater, which has decent insulating properties, but a lot of design flaws. The use of polystyrene should only be subject to good mechanical protection.
- Polyurethane foam. Foam insulation with low thermal conductivity. It is difficult to do without it when pinning up hard-to-reach slots and gaps.
Insulator installation
Insulation is built into the construction of slopes from the inside. As a rule, the shape of the heat insulator for the roof is a plate or thick rolled material such as mats. Laying is carried out on a prepared surface with profile bearing strips. On the beams of the rafter system, a crate of wooden blocks is mounted, to which a heat insulator is fixed in the future. Fastening can be done with mounting brackets, screws or glue. This is not fundamentally important, since the stove or mats should be covered with a counter-grill, the strips of which are nailed to the rafters of the warm roof. Warming is carried out according to the method of continuous sheathing with full sealing. Slots, technical gaps and joints are sealed with either moisture-proof sealants or the aforementioned polyurethane foam. For greater structural reliability, it is advisable to continue the outer crate up to the Mauerlat beams, where the walls of the house begin.
Laying hydro and vapor barrier
A review of heat insulators showed that without reliable protection from moisture, the material simply becomes wet and ceases to fulfill its main function. Therefore, the next step should take care of hydro and vapor barrier. For this, membrane film materials are used, for the fastening of which a supporting structure is not needed. In particular, for equipping a warm roof, Uniflex, Linocrom and Tekhnoelast waterproofing agents are recommended. In some modifications, they also perform the functions of a vapor barrier. Laying is carried out on a surface with a fixed heat insulator by gluing. Self-adhesive films exist, but universal construction compounds can be used to fix insulators with a water-repellent effect. Without fail, the film is closed from the outside with trims in increments of 20-30 cm.
Creating a vented gap
The removal of condensate from under the roofing space is not only a measure of the protection of the heat insulator. The wooden rafter system is also sensitive to dampness and if you do not think through the air circulation channels, then in the first months of operation you can find foci of mold and mildew. How to make a warm roof with a ventilation gap? The best option is to use eaves on overhangs with perforation. These are special plastic boxes that are installed along the edges of the slopes, forming a buffer zone with air heat exchange. This will ensure effective ventilation of the space from the bottom without the risk of rainfall.
Choosing a warm roof
Roofing can have different heat-saving qualities. The roof in this sense plays a decisive role, but it is far from always possible in principle to use a dense cover with good sealing. For example, shingles due to its severity are contraindicated for installation on weak rafter systems of many private houses. The output will be a multi-level warm roof - a roof, the upper level of which is formed by several technological layers. The first layer on the slopes can be laid out with a vapor barrier, and then wind and waterproof insulators will follow. The task of thermal insulation in this part is not the most important, since the already mounted back casing will be responsible for the regulation of heat fluxes. In the structure of the roofing system, it is important to provide protection from physical influences, including wind, precipitation, snow, etc.
Floor insulation
The main barrier to the street cold from the upper part of the house is the floor covering that separates the attic from the lower rooms. This area provides much more room for warming. They should be used to the maximum benefit. A layer of expanded clay or sawdust can be poured into the niche of overlapping a warm roof. These are bulk heat insulators, the pluses of which include environmental friendliness and affordable cost. However, expanded clay gives a large load by weight, and sawdust refers to combustible materials and is prone to biological damage. Well, then already on the surface of the floor, a horizontal crate is mounted, in the cells of which heat-insulating plates are also laid. If the design allows for height, then it is possible to perform a double crate with the arrangement of different heat insulation fibers crosswise.
Features of warming a flat roof
In this case, the emphasis is on the use of bulk heat insulators and liquid waterproofing. As for the first, it should not be used with expanded clay with sawdust, but special lightweight materials such as polystyrene foam crumbs, penoizol or foamglass. But the main feature is the structural solution - the creation of a special hatch under the roofing in the form of a niche with a thickness of 15-20 cm. This space is completely filled up with an insulator. Outside, the flat design of the warm roof is covered with molten bitumen using a gas burner. A completely sealed roofing is formed, which will provide hydro- and vapor barrier.
Conclusion
In choosing a roof insulation method, you should focus on a simple rule - stable moisture removal with maximum heat retention. It is important to maintain a balance between the ventilation ducts of the warm roof and its sealing. And at each stage, one should remember the bearing potential of the rafter system. Overloading with additional layers of heat and water barriers can shorten the life of the wood roof structure. Therefore, the balance is maintained in the technical and physical parameters of the selected materials with consumable fasteners.