Very often the owners of houses with a flat roof are faced with the problem that heat is lost through the roof. It happens that it deteriorates due to accumulated condensate. It might collapse one day. In order not to aggravate these problems, it is urgent to start warming the roof. This is what we will talk about today.
What are the features of flat roof insulation?
As a rule, the roof consists of several layers that form a flat surface. It consists of the main floor slab and fixed insulation. There is a separate layer of vapor and waterproofing. An important point is also additional insulation.
Insulation of flat roofs is often found in the construction of residential buildings. This is rarely seen in industry. Usually roofs of multi-storey buildings should be insulated.
A flat roof in a private house often refers to the inversion variety of roofs. It is arranged as follows:
- The gravel is laid initially. His layer onflat roof in a private house should be at least 50 millimeters.
- The next step is to lay the filter material.
- Passes a layer of insulation. Reviews recommend choosing polystyrene foam.
- The flat roof insulation cake is supplemented with waterproofing and a screed is made.
- After the screed dries, the floor slab is installed.
An interesting feature of this design is that the insulation is installed on top of the waterproofing. The waterproofing layer is protected from ultraviolet radiation. This increases the life of the roof.
The advantage of this coverage is that on such a roof you can create a zone where you can relax.
What should be the insulation?
Insulation of flat roofs should be done only on suitable slabs. There are several types that differ in composition. The slab to be covered must be made of reinforced concrete. A variant is possible when a profiled sheet is used.
It is necessary to create a special slope for the roof. It can be done with reinforced concrete screeds. An alternative option would be backfilling with expanded clay.
Special requirements are imposed on all components of a flat roof. The material for thermal insulation must be chosen so that it is resistant to various loads. It must withstand snow as well as gusty winds. The roof can be used in many ways, so the coating must be of high quality.
One layer thermal insulation system
A feature of the single-layer insulation system for flatroofing is the choice of insulation for the roof of the same density. What's the Difference? A concrete screed is made over a layer of insulation.
This method is often used when old housing is being renovated. Single-layer thermal insulation is widely used when building warehouses and other utility rooms. Another method is used in the construction of garages.
Distinctive features of the two-layer system
It is fundamentally different from a single layer. A very durable material is used as the top layer. It must have a high density. All the load goes to this layer. It should have an appropriate thickness, about 30 to 50 millimeters.
The bottom layer should be no more than 170 millimeters. It is the main heat insulator. This method of insulating flat roofs is perfect for repairing and insulating old buildings. It helps to reduce the weight of the roof - say the reviews.
It is important to remember that it is not recommended to make a completely flat roof surface. Usually the slope goes from 2 to 4 degrees.
Distinctive features of materials
In our time, many new products are used in the building materials market. They combine all the qualities of each layer. The edge located at the top is more rigid than the bottom. Installation is easy and fast.
Depending on the laying method, the material suitable for the specific case is selected. In municipal construction, they still use the option of backfilling with expanded clay, less often with perlite.sand. This method is inexpensive. When working, it is revealed that it is difficult to achieve the desired slope. The thickness of the screed will also differ markedly. Additional costs will be required. Nowadays, you can use newer materials that will improve thermal insulation. Each material has its own heat transfer properties.
Most popular insulation methods
Often used:
- Team screed. It is made from flat sheets of slate or asbestos. This design is expensive. Its construction is also not cheap.
- Wet screed. Wet screed is usually called a solution of cement and sand. This option is suitable for people who want to save money. The main disadvantage of this type of insulation is the property of the solution to make the structure heavier. In this case, it is better to put a layer of special strong paper before the screed. The solution takes a long time to dry. If the layer did not dry out, but began to make waterproofing, then there is a high probability of bubbles. This method increases the load on the coating, so it is necessary to purchase plates for thermal insulation based on rocks (for example, bas alt).
- Mineral wool insulation. It is rarely used, as it has low strength. It needs to be strengthened, so a screed is placed on a layer of mineral wool. Warming a flat roof with mineral wool is a rather laborious process. After the work done, the loads on the base will be evenly distributed, and you can start laying the waterproofing carpet.
What are the benefits of bas alt-based slabs?
On the construction marketslabs based on bas alt are very popular materials. They have increased rigidity and other advantages. This material is easy to install and has the necessary thermal insulation properties. The main advantage of bas alt-based slabs is fire resistance. Fire safety is one of the main building rules, and this material is fully consistent with it.
The desired plates have their drawbacks. They are made on the basis of fiber, so they are hygroscopic. If moisture gets into the plate during use, then the thermal insulation properties are gradually lost. The quality and service life of such material are reduced.
Expanded polystyrene roofing
One of the newest materials is extruded polystyrene foam. An interesting feature of expanded polystyrene is its construction from closed small cells. In this material, they are evenly distributed in the structure. The technology for insulating a flat roof with polystyrene foam is quite simple. But you need to know its steps and perform them in the correct sequence. In the production of the material, high temperatures and pressure are used. As a result, the granules are mixed, and then a special reagent is added. It has the property of foaming. Due to its quality, the desired product has no analogues. The distinctive properties of expanded polystyrene are:
- The lowest thermal conductivity among similar materials.
- Verified to have excellent impact resistance. Also tested for chemical exposure.
- It won't grow mold. Over time, the fungus does not appear.
- Possesses water-repellent properties, and also through it do not get inside pairs. The cells, which are located in the upper layer of the material, take away moisture, but it does not penetrate deep into. The advantage is that you do not need to spend money on additional strengthening and protection of polystyrene foam.
Nuances of insulation, fasteners
In order for the insulation to justify the investment spent on it, it is necessary to observe the strength of attachment to the base. There are two ways of attaching the material:
- Some people prefer to mount insulation on bitumen. This event requires a lot of effort and expense. This method is best used if the base for the insulation is made of concrete. In this case, you do not need to buy additional fasteners, such as dowels. This saves time that would have been spent drilling holes for fasteners.
- Most citizens choose a mechanical method of fastening. It will require special telescopic dowels. They have a big hat. It helps to ensure that the dowel does not pierce the waterproofing carpet. The tightness of the coating remains intact and intact. With this method of fastening, polymer bitumen material is used as a vapor barrier. The material used has a high elasticity. Thanks to this, the holes that still appear from the fasteners are tightened without traces.
If the method of two-layer insulation of the structure is used, then experts advise laying the slabs "in a run". With this laying, the lower joints will be covered by the upper ones. Each plate is fixed with a pair of dowels. More fasteners can be used.
FAQ
Often the question arises as to which side to put the vapor barrier. Usually it is laid with an intermediate layer using foil.
For outdoor use, aluminum foil is usually used. It covers the flat side of the surface. When choosing which side to lay the vapor barrier, it is also necessary to build on the type of work. In this case, they are external. The vapor barrier is placed with foil on top.
There is a flat roof insulation foam. This material is easy to use. Its advantage is economy in use and low cost. Therefore, it is quite popular.
Insulation of a flat roof using foam is widely used in industrial facilities, as well as in private production. This material has excellent thermal insulation properties.
So, we found out what materials are used to insulate flat roofs.
