Arranging an attic in a private house is one of the final stages of construction. This room can be used for a variety of purposes. But most often this space is reserved for various utilities, equipment. Depending on the method of operation of this room, an attic floor is also equipped .
Inside such a room, the temperature usually does not differ much from street indicators. Therefore, the living room must be qualitatively separated from it with the help of ceilings. How is the whole process, you need to know before you start.
Attic floor functions
The attic floor of the house is designed to isolate the living room from the attic. This is necessary for a number of reasons. In a private house, the attic is almost never heated. Therefore, in winter the temperature here will not be higher than outside the building. Ceilings do not allow cold air into the living quarters. Therefore, one of their main functions is thermal insulation.
If the attic is not equipped as a living space, there is no need to create sound insulation here. On overlapping home owners will walk very rarely. Most often there is a variety of equipment. It has a certain total weight. Therefore, another function of the overlap is to create a solid base that can withstand such a load.
The presented design is important when building a house. The comfort and safety of the people living here depend on the correctness of the work to create it. The durability of the structure also depends on the quality arrangement of the attic floor.
Types of floors
The structural elements when creating a private house can be metal and wooden beams. They are laid on special columns or walls. Depending on the material, there are standards for the dimensions of the spans of beams.
A wooden attic floor can cover the distance between the bearing supports no more than 4 m. For a country or private house this is quite enough. Due to the relatively inexpensive cost of such a material, it is most often used for such purposes.
Reinforced concrete and metal beams are used in the construction of apartment buildings. But wood remains in demand in summer and private construction. Her weight is relatively small. Therefore, for its installation does not require a crane. But when arranging floors, it is necessary to comply with the clear requirements of building standards.
Building requirements
Creating an attic floor over wooden beams , it is necessary to clearly comply with all sanitary and hygienic requirements. During construction, it is required to create such a system that would withstand the temperature difference between the lower part of the attic and the living rooms under it at a fixed level. According to existing building requirements, this indicator should not exceed 4 ° C.
To do this, it is necessary to equip the insulation layer correctly. In this case, the insulation must be protected from moisture, condensate. Such a negative situation for the construction can occur due to the leakage of steam from the rooms under the attic through the slots of the ceiling.
If installed incorrectly, dew will accumulate in the attic. In such an environment, the material will collapse, fungus and mold will appear. These negative consequences can be prevented if you install a high-quality vapor barrier.
Breathability
The indicated rate of temperature difference depends on the air permeability, which is characterized by an attic floor. This indicator depends on the density of laying materials. To eliminate the passage of air through the floors, a special technology is used. It also helps prevent mechanical damage to the insulation layer.
To eliminate the effect of the penetration of air flows through the overlapping elements, it is necessary to apply a special material. Moreover, in the process, the master must prevent the appearance of cold zones. They arise due to the difference in the thermal resistance of the beams and the filler between them. For wooden floors, it is much lower.
Therefore, beam elements are insulated over the entire surface. Otherwise, the end result will be unsatisfactory.
Floor components
The construction of the attic floor consists of several mandatory elements. They create a single system. Materials should be considered in order from the attic to the room below it.
First of all, the design has an upper casing, which is equipped with an airtight substrate. The following are wooden beams. They create the frame of the system and create the necessary strength of the floors.
Thermal insulation is mounted under the beams. This layer is installed on the vapor barrier. It is this material that protects the insulation and wooden structural elements from the formation of condensation and decay. The lowest layer is the ceiling cladding.
The wooden beam used in construction should be 150x100 or 250x200 mm in diameter. If boards will be used, their cross-section should be in the range from 100x40 to 250x80 mm. These materials must be of high quality. The wood must be dry and free from defects.
Creating a wood floor
Attic flooring requires a number of requirements. If boards are used in the arrangement of the structure, and not a beam, it is necessary to carry out work to strengthen the system. This will avoid twisting and sagging under load.
Boards must be mounted in increments of 60 cm. They need to be sheathed on both sides with rigid plates more than 1.2 cm thick. For example, this can be chipboard, plywood, OSB , etc. This will increase the bearing capacity of the wood floor.
To make the installation quick and easy, the crate is filled on the bottom of the beam before installation, and on the top - lags. In the first case, slats with a cross section of 2x9 cm will be required. They are fixed perpendicular to the beams with a pitch of 60 cm. In this case, it is necessary to use self-tapping screws 4 cm longer than the total thickness of the sheets to be installed. They are mounted with a step of 20 cm. There is no need to do the lining on top of the lag.
Installation of wooden beams
The attic floor after the work can be mounted on the supports. Beams are laid on brick or concrete masonry walls. The ends of the floor elements that come into contact with these load-bearing structural elements are treated with an antiseptic and wrapped with waterproofing. The beveled end must be left open. There is a small gap between it and the wall.
If a beam is used during installation, it is supported on the wall 15-20 cm deep and the boards 10 cm deep. The ends of the structural elements are fixed on the walls. For this, metal bonds are used. It is recommended to install drywall at the bottom of the ceilings. This will enhance fire safety. Their thickness should be at least 1.2 cm.
Warming
At the final stage, you need to learn how to insulate the attic floor . For this, mineral wool boards can be used. They are mounted between the beams. The thickness of such plates can be different. It is chosen depending on the existing building conditions. In this case, a special table developed by professional engineers is used.
Thermal insulation must be protected with plastic wrap. It will serve as a hydro-barrier for moisture penetrating from the lower rooms. These layers should cover the entire area of the attic. Using modern high-quality materials can significantly extend the life of the structure. The microclimate in the living room will be healthy due to the lack of mold and fungus in the attic.
The attic floor, made in accordance with all norms and rules, will be of high quality and durable. Wood will not be subject to rotting processes, therefore, it will not be destroyed. If all the requirements are met, it will even be possible for non-professionals to independently equip the floor in the attic.