Arrangement of the 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 allocated for various engineering communications and equipment. Depending on the method of operation of this room, the attic floor is also equipped.
Inside such a room, the temperature usually does not differ much from outdoor indicators. Therefore, the living space must be qualitatively separated from it with the help of ceilings. How the whole process goes, you need to know before you start.
Attic floor functions
The attic floor of the house is designed to isolate the living space 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. Overlappings do not let 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 soundproofing here. On the overlap, the owners of the house will walk very rarely. Most often there is a variety of equipment. It has a certain cumulative weight. Therefore, another function of the overlap is to create a solid foundation 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 on its creation. The durability of the structure also depends on the quality arrangement of the attic floor.
Types of floors
Bearing structural elements when creating a private house can be metal and wooden beams. They are placed on special columns or walls. Depending on the material, there are standards for beam spans.
A wooden attic floor can cover the distance between the bearing supports of no more than 4 m. For a country or private house, this is quite enough. Due to the relatively inexpensive cost of such 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 country and private construction. Its weight is relatively small. Therefore, for its installation it is not required to use a crane. But when arranging floors, it is necessary to comply with the clear requirements of building codes.
Building Requirements
When creating an attic floor on wooden beams, it is necessary to clearly fulfill all sanitaryhygiene requirements. During construction, it is required to create such a system that would withstand the temperature difference between the lower part of the attic room and the living rooms below it at a fixed level. According to existing construction requirements, this figure should not exceed 4 ° С.
To do this, it is necessary to equip the heat-insulating layer correctly. In this case, the insulation must be protected from moisture and condensation. Such a negative situation for the structure can occur due to the seepage of steam from the rooms under the attic through the cracks in the floor.
If installed incorrectly, dew will accumulate in the attic. In such an environment, the material will collapse, fungus and mold will appear. These negative effects can be prevented by installing a quality vapor barrier.
Breathability
The indicated rate of temperature difference depends on the air permeability, which characterizes the attic floor. This indicator depends on the density of laying materials. To eliminate the passage of air through the ceiling, a special technology is used. This also prevents mechanical damage to the thermal insulation layer.
To eliminate the effect of the penetration of air flows through the elements of the floor, it is necessary to use a special material. Moreover, in the process of work, the master must necessarily prevent the appearance of cold zones. They arise due to the difference in thermalresistance of beams and 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.
Slab components
The design of the attic floor consists of several mandatory elements. They create a single system. Materials should be considered in sequence from the attic to the room below it.
First of all, the design has a top skin, which is equipped with an airtight backing. Next are the wooden beams. They create the frame of the system and create the necessary strength of the floors.
Heat 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 condensation and decay. The bottom layer is the ceiling skin.
Wooden timber used in construction should be 150x100 or 250x200 mm in diameter. If boards are 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 hardwood floor
The attic floor installation requires a number of requirements. If boards, and not timber, are used in the arrangement of the structure, 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 must be sheathed on both sides with rigid boards more than 1.2 cm thick. For example, this can be chipboard, plywood, OSB, etc. This will increase the bearing capacity of the floor from wood.
To make the installation quick and easy, a crate is stuffed on the bottom of the beam before installation, and logs on top. In the first case, you will need rails with a cross section of 2x9 cm. They are fixed perpendicular to the beams in increments 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 in increments of 20 cm. There is no need to make a sheathing over the lag.
Installation of wooden beams
After the work done, the attic floor can be mounted on 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 timber is used during installation, it is supported on the wall 15-20 cm deep, and boards - 10 cm. The ends of the structural elements are fixed on the walls. For this, metal bonds are used. At the bottom of the floors, it is recommended to install drywall. This will improve fire safety. Their thickness must be at least 1.2 cm.
Insulation
At the final stage, you need to learn how to insulate the attic floor. To do this, you can use plates made of mineralcotton wool. 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.
Insulation must be protected with plastic wrap. It will serve as a hydrobarrier for moisture penetrating from the lower rooms. These layers should cover the entire attic area. Using modern high-quality materials, you can significantly extend the life of the structure. The microclimate in the living quarters will be he althy due to the absence of mold and mildew in the attic.
Attic floor, made in accordance with all norms and rules, will be of high quality and durable. The wood will not be subject to rotting processes, therefore it will not collapse. If all the requirements are met, even a non-professional will be able to independently equip the ceiling in the attic.
