When warming a house, it is necessary to pay attention to the laws of physics. According to them, the heated indoor air will rise to the ceiling. If the attic is not sufficiently insulated, then the heat will evaporate outside, and the whole process can be called heat loss.
In order not to heat the street and save more heat in the house, it is necessary to carry out thermal insulation of the floor. If you still do not know whether it is worth doing these works, then it should be noted that through the roof and ceiling heat leaves in a volume of 25 to 40%. This data is especially relevant for houses with a cold roof.
The thermal insulation of the floor will perform immediately three functions that are necessary to create a comfortable microclimate. The material will be soundproofed, which will keep the house quiet during wind and rain. In winter, the insulation eliminates heat loss and cold bridges, through which heated air freely exits. Thermal insulation is also needed in the summer heat, because with its help you can create a barrier to the heated air. Even in the hottest weather, the inside of the house will remain cool.
Material selection
If you plan to do insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic, then you need to understand the variety of materials. The insulation option you choose must be able to undergo a wide temperature range from -30 to +30 ° C. It should not freeze at low temperatures and emit harmful substances when heated. It is important to purchase fireproof thermal insulation. This is true for attic rooms with electrical wiring.
It is better if the insulation is moisture resistant so that it does not lose its properties when wet. He does not have to quickly coalesce in order to fulfill his mission as long as possible. Insulation of the roof of a cold attic can be carried out by roll, plate or bulk materials. This is true for wooden beams. Whereas if you have to work with concrete slabs, then bulk or slab materials should be purchased.
As mats and slabs today are produced:
- Styrofoam;
- seaweed;
- mineral wool;
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- straw.
As for rolled heaters, they are offered for sale in the following varieties:
- stone wool;
- mineral wool;
- linen;
- glass wool;
- algae ladders.
Choosing bulk materials for warming the ceiling of a cold attic, you may prefer:
- expanded clay;
- reeds;
- straw;
- buckwheat thyrs;
- ecowool;
- sawdust;
- slag;
- polystyrene granules.
Features of mineral wool insulation
Mineral wool is a popular modern heat insulator. It is made in rolls and plates. The material does not rot, is protected from rodents, is not fire hazard and is not exposed to microorganisms. Insulation of the cold attic floor with mineral wool begins with the installation of lining material. If you want to save money, you can use parchment, but a more expensive and high-quality option is flooring from a vapor barrier film. Cloths are laid with an overlap, and the joints are insulated with tape or fixed with wooden slats, which are installed on a construction stapler.
The width of the thermal insulation is selected taking into account the requirements for heat engineering standards for your region. The scheme of warming the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool provides for the installation of material between the lags without gaps. Cloths should be located as densely as possible to each other. In those places where the plates are joined together, glue them with tape. After laying the insulation on the logs, even boards are laid out, which will form the floor. This will provide the minvate with the ability to breathe and will guarantee the normal ventilation, which is necessary when moisture enters the insulation. In order to eliminate such a nuisance, a waterproofing material is laid under the roof .
Using basalt wool
Basalt insulation is made from gabbro-basalt rocks and acts as the best option for thermal insulation of the ceiling from the attic. The fibers of this material are more plastic, so they are not so brittle. They are well pressed into mats with sufficient strength.
When deciding to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic with basalt wool, you get at the disposal of a material that copes with the influence of external factors, so it can be laid on the side of an unheated room. The insulation is sold in plates or rolls, which may have different densities. Sometimes a foil layer is located on one side, which can enhance the insulating effect, because the heat will be reflected in the room.
About the harmfulness of mineral wat
All mineral watts have one common drawback, which is expressed in a binder consisting of phenol-formaldehyde resins. During operation, they are constantly released into the air, which can be dangerous to human health. Therefore, this thermal insulation cannot be considered completely environmentally friendly. Basalt wool is laid according to the same principle as mineral wool.
The use of extruded polystyrene foam
Expanded polystyrene, also called polystyrene foam, is not a very dense material. You can use it when the floor is made of beams and lag. Extruded polystyrene foam is stronger and denser than regular polystyrene foam. Before laying, the surface is leveled.
On the warm side of the floor, there is no need to cover the vapor barrier, because concrete slabs almost do not have the ability to penetrate. Insulation of the concrete floor of the cold attic provides for the installation of a vapor barrier film. The next layer is the insulation boards, which are staggered. Joints are filled with foam. As soon as it dries and hardens, the canvases are poured with concrete mortar within a thickness of 6 cm. After the screed has dried, it can be used as a floor. The floor can be laid on the surface.
The use of foam
If you insulate the attic, this will not only increase the duration of the rafter system, but also the roofing, as well as increase the level of thermal protection of residential premises under the attic. Warming of the ceiling of the cold attic with penoplex replaced the other technologies that were used in construction quite widely. In this case, we are talking about the use of glass wool, expanded clay and sea grass.
The modern choice - Penoplex Panel
In rural areas, the floor of an unheated attic is still insulated with clay and wood shavings. “Penoplex-panel”, which is specially designed for cold attics, is presented for sale today. If you neglect the work on thermal insulation of the room over the living space, this can cause the insulation to get wet, which is due to condensation. Sometimes, under appropriate conditions, the roof structure begins to collapse at all, which is especially true with constant dampness.
Should I use metal fasteners
When the floor of the attic is not insulated, icicles and ice form constantly. Large heat losses were mentioned above, they are caused by a weak level of thermal protection. When developing a scheme for warming the ceiling of a cold attic with a foam, you must take into account the peculiarities of how the overlapping nodes will dock with thermal insulation. The manufacturer does not recommend the use of metal fasteners, because they contribute to the formation of cold bridges, which reduces the level of thermal protection.
To create a heat-insulating cake, a leveling screed is laid on a reinforced concrete slab . Further vapor barrier in the form of polyethylene is covered. The next layer will be foam. Do not forget about the presence of a separation layer in the form of polyethylene. At the last stage, a cement-sand screed is poured.
Insulation of the roof of a cold attic may include work with sheet material in the form of plywood or OSB. In this case, vapor barrier, wooden beams and foam insulation are laid on the surface. You can cover it with sheet material in the form of GVL or TsSP.
Finally
Insulation of the cold attic along the floor slabs allows you to create a boundary between cold and heat. Due to the formation of condensate in the area of the attic floor, appropriate conditions arise that can contribute to impressive heat loss. Proper insulation of the floor allows you to create a barrier with a low degree of thermal conductivity.