Attic insulation or how to turn an attic into a living space

Recently, attic houses have become widespread, as they allow you to save on construction and at the same time get an almost full-fledged second floor. The only thing that the attic was suitable for living, it must be properly insulated. Therefore, in this article, I decided to tell you how to properly insulate the attic in order to end up with a comfortable living space.

The very process of attic insulation consists of several main stages:

Next, I will talk about all the nuances of working at each of these stages.

Roof insulation

Insulation of the attic consists, first of all, in thermal insulation roofing. The fact is that it occupies the largest area, as it serves not only as a ceiling, but also as walls.

This work also includes several stages:

Preparation of materials

So, first, let's consider the better to insulate the roof of the attic, since the choice of a heat insulator is the first thing you will have to deal with before starting work. Currently, there is a large selection of materials, however, three of them are most popular:

Insulation type	Peculiarities
Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene)	The cheapest heat-insulating material (the cost starts from 1500 rubles per 1 m3), which has a fairly low thermal conductivity of 0.036-0.05 mg / (m year Pa). However, it is rarely used for attic insulation, since it has several serious drawbacks: the vapor permeability coefficient of the material is almost zero, which leads to the accumulation of moisture near the wooden structural elements; is a combustible material that releases toxins that are dangerous to human life in a fire. Therefore, foam plastic cannot be called the best choice for attic insulation.
Extruded polystyrene foam	In fact, this heat insulator is made of the same material as ordinary foam, however, as a result of a special heat treatment, it has higher characteristics: vapor permeability is 0.18 mg / (m year Pa); low thermal conductivity - 0.028-0.034 mg / (m year Pa); water absorption does not exceed 0.4%. In addition, extruded polystyrene foam is more durable than polystyrene foam. In addition, manufacturers often add a flame retardant to its composition, due to which the material acquires the property of self-extinguishing. The cost of extruded polystyrene foam, of course, is higher than conventional polystyrene foam - it starts from 4000-4500 rubles. for 1m3).
Mineral mats	This heater is most popular due to the following advantages: does not burn; is an environmentally friendly material (only applies to basalt wool); good vapor permeability - 0.55 mg / (m year Pa); rather low thermal conductivity - 0.077 to 0.12 mg / (m year Pa); low cost - the price of basalt wool starts from 3500-4000 rubles. for 1m3. Thus, mineral wool insulation is the most optimal solution.

In addition to insulation, you will need some other materials:

• vapor barrier membrane;
• wooden slats;
• protective impregnation for wood;
• nails and screws;
• finishing material.

After preparing all these materials, you can get to work.

Preparing the truss system

Before insulating the roof of the attic, it is imperative to prepare the truss system.

This procedure is carried out in the following sequence:

1. if the house has already been used, it is necessary to inspect all wooden structural elements for cracks and rot. If parts with serious defects are found, they must be repaired or strengthened.;
2. then all wooden parts of the structure are treated with protective impregnation;
3. if the rafters are not thick enough, i.e. the insulation laid between them will stick out, they need to be built up.To do this, bars or boards of the required thickness are nailed to the rafters.

It is advisable to apply the impregnation with a paint roller or brush. In this case, it is better absorbed, and its consumption is also reduced, compared with spray treatment.

Here, in fact, is all the preparation. Now you can start insulating the roof.

Roof insulation

Insulation of the attic roof seems to be an extremely simple procedure, since the task is reduced only to laying insulation between the rafters.

However, in fact, it contains quite a few subtleties:

1. the vapor barrier of the insulation should not be adjacent to the waterproofing film of the roof. To provide space between these materials, you should zigzag the nylon thread between the rafters, having previously nailed it. Thus, the thread will serve as a limiter for vapor barrier and insulation;

2. now you need to fix the vapor barrier film on the rafters. To fix it, you can use a stapler.

I must say that the process of installing the membrane also has its own nuances:

• • the film should be located with a smooth side to the insulation;
  • the canvases should be fastened with an overlap of 10 cm;
  • the joints of the canvases must be glued with adhesive tape.

3. further, insulation is laid in the space between the rafters. It should fit snugly against the rafters and against each other so that there are no gaps.

You can fix the insulation in the manner described above - with a nylon thread stretched between the nails;

4. now you need to attach another layer of vapor barrier to the rafters according to the scheme described above;

5. at the end of the work, it is necessary to make a crate of laths a few centimeters thick, which will provide the necessary space between the vapor barrier film and the sheathing. I must say that the location of the crate (horizontal or vertical), as well as the pitch, depends on the type of finishing material that you plan to use.

This completes the attic roof insulation.

Finishing

As for the finish, most often the frame is sheathed with drywall or clapboard. This process does not contain any features, so we will not consider it. If you wish, you can get detailed information about the installation of finishing materials from other articles on interior decoration of housing.

The only difficulty for beginners is usually the curves. In the case of using drywall, they are puttied like ordinary corners. If the sheathing is carried out by clapboard, the joints of the boards on the bends can be hidden with decorative moldings.

Warming of gables

As a rule, the insulation of gables is carried out from the outside in the process of facade insulation. You can learn how this is done from other articles on our portal dedicated to facade insulation.

If it is not possible to insulate the gables from the outside, then the process of thermal insulation from the inside largely depends on the type of their construction. If the walls have a frame structure, then the insulation process is carried out in the same way as the thermal insulation of the roof.

In the case of insulation of brick, wooden or block gables, it is necessary to make a frame.

Instructions for its installation and insulation looks like this:

1. it is necessary to begin the installation of the frame with the arrangement of the ventilation gap. To do this, you need to fix the rails on the wall in a horizontal position, as shown in the diagram above. As a result, belts should be formed in increments of 50 cm;
2. further, a vapor barrier film is tightly attached to the crate according to the scheme described above. As a result, a ventilation gap should form between it and the wall;
3. now you need to install the frame racks that are attached to the rails. To fix them, you can use brackets or metal corners.
   The most difficult thing at this stage is to correctly position the racks so that they are in the same vertical plane. To simplify this task, you can install the end posts at the same distance from the wall (the distance depends on the thickness of the insulation).

Then, between the extreme racks, you need to pull the threads, which will serve as beacons for installing intermediate bars. The step between the posts should correspond to the width of the insulation or even a centimeter or two less (if mineral mats are used as thermal insulation);

4. further, heat-insulating material is placed in the space between the racks with their own hands and covered with a vapor barrier film according to the scheme described above;

5. then the crate is made and the finishing material is mounted, as in the case of roof insulation.

This completes the work.

Floor insulation

When insulating the attic, it is advisable to lay the thermal insulation and the ceiling. This measure will not only make the floor warmer and more comfortable, but also provide sound insulation between floors.

As for the process of insulation itself, it depends on the type of overlap. Therefore, we will further consider both options, i.e.thermal insulation of wooden and concrete floors.

wooden floor

If the floor is wooden, then it can be insulated with both the heaters described above and bulk materials. The latter include ecowool, sawdust, etc.

Warming technology looks like this:

1. a vapor barrier film is laid on the crate, which is mounted from the lower floor, and the floor beams. As in previous cases, it should overlap;
2. then the heat-insulating material is laid between the beams;

3. over beams and thermal insulation, another layer of vapor barrier is laid;
4. then a substrate should be laid on the beams, for example, from a cork, in order to isolate the floor from impact noise;
5. then boards or other rough material are laid on the beams, after which the finish coating is mounted.

In the process of insulating wooden floors, beams and other wooden elements must also be treated with antiseptic impregnation.

Concrete floor

Concrete coating, as a rule, is performed as follows:

1. first you need to prepare the surface of the concrete coating - clean it from debris and dust;
2. then the ceiling is covered with a waterproofing film with a twist on the walls;
3. after that, heat-insulating plates are laid on the floor - polystyrene foam, mineral mats, etc.;
4. another layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the insulation;
5. a damper tape is glued along the perimeter of the walls;
6. then a concrete screed is poured over the thermal insulation. This procedure is performed according to the standard scheme, the only thing I recommend is fiber reinforcement so that the mesh does not damage the waterproofing layer.

I must say that there is another way to insulate the floor - this is to perform a dry screed.

Its installation technology is quite simple:

1. as in the previous case, the floor is covered with waterproofing;
2. a damper tape is glued around the perimeter;
3. then beacons are installed, as for a conventional screed. The thickness should be about 50 mm;
4. then the floor is covered with a layer of expanded clay and leveled along the beacons using the rule;
5. then special gypsum fiber sheets are laid on the floor, which are subsequently covered with a finishing floor covering.

Here, perhaps, is all the information on how to properly insulate the attic from the inside with your own hands, which I wanted to convey about you.

Conclusion

It is necessary to carry out attic insulation in compliance with all the nuances and subtleties described above. In addition, it is extremely important to choose the right heat-insulating material, since the effectiveness of insulation, the indoor climate and even the durability of the truss system depend on it.

I recommend that you additionally watch the video in this article, which will allow you to get a visual idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe insulation of the attic. If any aspects of the work are not completely clear to you, leave your questions in the comments, and I will answer as soon as possible.

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