Attic floor - insulation on their own

Installing an attic floor will help you cope with non-flying weather, as well as providing a “comfortable” indoor climate, which is so necessary when planning an additional room. However, unauthorized redevelopment without special knowledge is life-threatening.

High bills for electricity and heating do not come from the fact that the air conditioner or furnace is somehow malfunctioning, but most likely it is due to lack of insulation or incorrect installation.

How to insulate the attic yourself

If you decide to insulate the attic with your own hands, this instruction will be useful to you.

First you need to decide on the material so that in the future there will be no thoughts on how to insulate the attic:

1. Glass wool is a cheap and readily available insulation.. If it comes into contact with human skin, itching and discomfort are guaranteed, therefore, when working with this type of material, it is necessary to prepare a mask, gloves, and special overalls (photo).

2. Mineral wool is a slightly more expensive material than the previous contender, but it is more fire resistant, and in other respects it offers the same “services” as glass wool.. As standard, it has the same "uncomfortable" characteristics, but an increasing number of manufacturers offer to purchase products in a roll, which is protected by a heat-reflecting, metallized, polyethylene film.

3. Sheep wool is an excellent natural insulation, so if you are not allergic to wool, feel free to use.

Note: natural attic insulation is always better, they do not cake and are more durable.

4. Styrofoam. This material has a number of advantages and disadvantages. It is easy to use, low cost, excellent insulation, but it is flammable, toxic and not moisture resistant.

5. Expanded polystyrene is an analogue of polystyrene, which is completely similar in properties to it, only without a negative effect and easy flammability.

Stages of insulation

1. Clear the attic of unnecessary trash.

2. Remove all seals from the slots and bring in all the necessary material for your further activities.

Advice!
Remember that good lighting is necessary for work, so take care of this in advance!

3. Start with insulation, namely, before waterproofing, put the crate under the insulation, then lay it on the building base in an interference fit. Thus, a sealed layer is obtained that protects against moisture. For work, prepare a special film, brackets 5 - 7 mm. and mounting stapler.

4. over the insulating film install roof insulation over the entire surface.
5. Further, if you have chosen mineral wool as a heater, lay it from a roll without cutting the ends, and attach it to the glue.
   If it is polystyrene or polystyrene foam, first install the plates in the truss structure. You can attach them to mushrooms.

6. Then proceed to the vapor barrier, it is laid on a layer of insulation. Attic floors contain a large amount of moisture, so this layer must be laid over the entire surface, after which be sure to fix it with a stapler and tape the seams.
7. Decorative finishing, as the final stage, is given at your discretion.

Attic floor insulation

First, determine what kind of overlap you have? If wooden, then use light bulk materials, slabs or rolls, however, if it is made of concrete, then use dense slab materials.

Before your work activity, it is necessary to prepare, so to speak, a working “field” and clean up the surfaces, as well as lay logs below, which are designed to fasten the skin. Therefore, before that, it is necessary to carefully work out the floor to eliminate irregularities that can be detected using a special tool - a level.

Dividing the surface into separate sections will help to identify irregularities, which is the basis for a quality foundation. Next, you need to consistently lay all the necessary layers, as described above (moisture insulation, insulation, vapor barrier).

Thus, with the help of mineral wool and polystyrene, we produced inexpensive insulation of a cold floor.

How to save money on attic heating

In order for heat to be not only evenly distributed over each part of the structure (wall), but also throughout the house or room, it is necessary to carry out a special calculation - heat engineering.

With its help, not only a comfortable stay in the room is created, but also the budget spent on heating is reduced. Therefore, an example of a heat engineering calculation of an attic floor is carried out under an individual order in special organizations that are professionally engaged in this. Also, when calculating, recommendations are given for changing, if necessary, heat-insulating materials.

Warming of communications

It is necessary to protect communications, including those presented in the form of pipes and ventilation shafts. There is no need to place a strong emphasis on the "preservation" of heat in them, since the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe attic is completely pre-insulated.

The attic itself will partially heat the pipes.

The following materials are most in demand today:

• Styrofoam;
• mineral wool materials;
• basalt;
• perlite, etc.

Remember!
It is imperative to insulate communications, regardless of the fact that the insulation of the attic floor is at the highest level!

Ventilation in the attic

Compliance roof insulation in the attic and a well-thought-out ventilation system is the key to successful overall work. Air comfort is created through ventilation, so this aspect must be approached with great responsibility.

Coolness in the summer in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house is provided to you if it is well ventilated. The importance of this system should not be questioned.

So, attic ventilation:

1. If roof covered with slate and there are no films, then there is no need to do something additional to ventilate the room.

2. A gable roof needs ventilation equipment that can be placed on the fronts. An effective and not difficult solution is a wooden sheathing of overhangs, which must be observed when implementing the measure, since the wind should not “walk” in the attic.
   With a dense design, small special holes can be made, which should be located opposite each other. The size of the ventilation hole is determined at the rate of 0.2% of the total floor area.

Conclusion

Thus, insulation is a laborious process that requires professional knowledge and skills, so the photos and videos in this article will become educational "companions" in detailing the process. Now it has become clear to you that the attic is the easiest place to insulate, which brings comfort and energy efficiency to the house.

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