Almost any house, whether built of brick or wood, needs to be insulated. This is especially true for the ceiling area, through which a lot of heat escapes. Mineral wool, foam plastic or sawdust can be used as thermal insulation. In some cases, insulation is carried out using mounting foam from the inside. You can also insulate the attic. But first you need to familiarize yourself with the technology.
Material selection
The wooden ceiling needs to be insulated. Additionally, you will have to use a vapor barrier, which can be represented by a plastic film. In a private house, the vapor barrier must have a sufficiently high density and adhere to the beams and ceiling. Act as a heater:
- foam;
- expanded aggregate;
- foam;
- sawdust.
All heaters have their own characteristics andproperties. The most popular solution is ecowool. It is represented by crushed cellulose and is made with the addition of refractory and antiseptic substances. This material has excellent soundproofing properties. Ecowool is whipped before use, and then compacted to prevent further shrinkage.
Features of mineral wool
Do-it-yourself ceilings in a wooden house can be insulated with mineral wool, which is made on the basis of mineral rocks. This material is non-flammable and does not support combustion. Mineral wool is characterized by hygroscopicity and high elasticity. This results in a low susceptibility to shrinkage. You can also use this thermal insulation for warming a wooden floor. Mineral wool is not affected by rodents and insects, because it is inedible. The same cannot be said for sawdust.
Modern Penoplex
If you want to choose a modern solution, then you should pay attention to penoplex. It is an extruded expanded polystyrene foam, which is used for thermal insulation of the ceiling from the inside. The material has low thermal conductivity and is characterized by environmental safety. It has a unique structure of small closed cells. Their diameter can vary from 0.1 to 0.22 mm. Penoplex has almost zero water absorption. It is resistant to the harmful effects of fungus and mold.
Good Features
Slabs cope well with prolonged mechanical stress. They have a highlevel of safety and environmental friendliness. Products are equipped with an edge that facilitates installation work. The plates have a rough surface, which contributes to excellent adhesion to finishing materials. Penoplex is easy to install, because you can cut it into separate pieces with a construction knife. You can do the installation work yourself. The humidity level in the room will not be able to change the technical characteristics of the material.
Insulation with foam plastic
Insulation of a wooden ceiling can be done with foam. The material has a minimum weight and almost does not absorb moisture. But it also has its drawbacks, for example, combustibility and the release of toxic smoke when exposed to a flame. The technology for the production of foam plastic does not stand still - today fire-resistant samples can be found on sale.
The material also has a high degree of fragility. It is often attacked by insects and rodents. Laying should be carried out on a surface insulated with a film. You can use glassine as a protection. In this case, it is important to exclude the formation of cracks. Gaps and joints should be sealed.
If you are faced with the question of how to insulate a wooden ceiling, you will need to strengthen the insulation boards with slats. From above, everything is sprinkled with expanded clay crumbs. Such a "pie" will provide a reliable degree of protection of structures from the winter cold. Slots and gaps are filled with mounting foam. If this fails, from above you canlay a layer of Styrofoam, which is superimposed on top of glassine.
Intensifying the effect
In order to enhance the effect, you can use additional layers of mineral wool. If you want to use granular foam, you can combine it with other heaters. This thermal insulation is more expensive than conventional foam, but its quality is quite high. For thermal insulation, you can also use expanded clay chips, which retain heat quite effectively.
Combining materials
Expanded clay does not ignite and has a long service life. If you combine foam and expanded clay chips, you can save money. When insulating a wooden ceiling with your own hands, you should pay special attention to the tightness of those places where the foam is adjacent to the ceiling beams.
Insulation with sawdust and cement
You can insulate the ceiling with sawdust-cement composition. To carry out the work you will need:
- glassine;
- sawdust; cement.
Instead of glassine, you can use any other sheet material for insulation. The volume of sawdust is quite simple to calculate. To do this, the ceiling in a wooden house must have a layer thickness of 20 cm. The area must be divided by 5. As a result, you will get the cubic capacity of the filler.
To prepare a cement mortar, you will need to add one part of cement and 10 parts of water. There should be enough liquid for 10buckets of sawdust took one and a half buckets of water. You should end up with a moist mixture that will set quickly.
Ceilings in a wooden house, photos of which you can see in the article, can be insulated with sawdust, which is at least a year old. They must not exude a moldy smell, must remain dry at the time of commencement of work. Too small sawdust should not be taken, otherwise more cement will be needed, and the thermal insulation properties of the layer will deteriorate. It is better to start work in the warm season, so that by autumn the excess moisture from the solution has evaporated.
Work technology
A wooden ceiling, like any other, needs to be insulated. If you decide to use a technology based on sawdust and cement, then you must follow the technology, which provides for the treatment of wooden floor structures with preparations against fungi and microorganisms. The next step will be laying sheet waterproofing material. Next, you can proceed to the preparation of the cement-sawdust mixture. After mixing, it is scattered over the surface.
The thermal insulation layer needs to be compacted a little, for this you just need to walk on it. After setting, the material should not be crushed. It will make a soft crunch. This method of insulation is relevant for those homeowners who have direct access to the attic space.
Finishing the ceiling: using plaster
After the completion of the construction of the house, you can think about interior decoration. The market today presents a huge varietymaterials, but one of the oldest and most affordable is plaster. The process of applying the mixture can not be called simple, but you can still cope with it. If you have ever done such work, then you must have encountered the fact that the composition does not rest on the ceiling and falls off in pieces. In order to avoid such troubles, you need to use some tips.
For example, the solution may not hold for the reason that it does not have sufficient elasticity and stickiness. In order to fix this, the solution is kneaded as follows: for 1 part of cement, you need to take 3 parts of sand and a quarter of clay. If it is more convenient for you to measure in buckets, then for 3 buckets of sand you will need a quarter of a bucket of clay and one bucket of cement.
Alabaster can act as a plasticizer. You can prepare it as follows: add water to half a bucket of alabaster and mix the solution. It is necessary to act quickly, because the composition can seize. At the next stage, you can start plastering. It is necessary to act in 2 stages. At the first, the solution is thrown onto the ceiling to fill voids and cracks. The second layer will wipe the surface.
Apply the composition to the wooden ceiling at the first stage with a tool called a falcon. It is an aluminum sheet with a handle in the center. It is necessary to apply the composition on the working surface, and then spread the solution over the ceiling with a medium spatula. The mixture is leveled on the surface, you must fill in all the voids.
If the ceiling is made of shingles, then it may protrude from-under solution. There is nothing to worry about, as the grout will cover the defects. At the next stage, the wooden ceiling, covered with the first layer of plaster, must be left until it sets. This will take about 12 hours, but the stage can stretch up to a day. Then you can start grouting. In this case, the same falcon is used, on which the solution is applied. The spatula in this case should be somewhat wider. They apply the composition to the ceiling, but you should try to close the entire shingle, if any.
Once the mixture has been applied to 2 square meters, it is necessary to rub it with a float. It is necessary to move the working part of the tool in a circle. The grater is wetted in water - it's easier to work with. After the mixture has set, it will quickly absorb moisture from the second layer, so the second layer should not be too bulky. The final layer will be putty, which is then finally fixed with a water-based emulsion.
Finishing the ceiling with beams: preparation
When looking at photos of wooden ceilings, you can look at those that are decorated with beams. If you also decide to use this technology, then first you need to prepare the surface. It is cleaned of old decorative coatings. Spots of mold, rust and fungus are treated with a special primer, otherwise later defects will appear on the new finish. large gaps andcracks are sealed with cement-based putty. The coating is primed with an antiseptic compound.
You can level the base with plaster, which is true if the irregularities start from 5 cm. If they are minimal, then you can use the starting putty. If you want to know how to make a wooden ceiling and decide to decorate it with beams, then the next step is to prime the surface and paste over it with fiberglass.
Next, a layer of finishing putty is applied, which is left to dry. Roughness must be sanded with fine-grained sandpaper. Next, the surface is impregnated with an acrylate primer.
Installation of beams
The ceiling elements will be based on natural wood, which has a rather impressive weight, so it is important to ensure the reliability of fixation. Ready-made beams are sold in the store, but you can make them from a bar yourself. The ends of the elements are adjusted with a planer and sanded with fine-grained paper for a snug fit.
The bars are attached to the side panels with self-tapping screws. Finishing a wooden ceiling in the next step involves fixing the lower element. To do this, it is necessary to drill holes in the bars with a drill at a distance of 20 cm. For reliability, the wood is smeared with wood glue at the joints. All parts are connected with self-tapping screws, in the process it is necessary to try to form a U-shaped false beam.
On the surface of the ceiling, fix the bars, the distance between which will be 0.5 m. The width of the bar should be equal to the internal size of the void of the box. The beam is fastened to the bars with self-tapping screws, while the hats must be deepened inward. Places of recesses are filled with putty, which has the color of wood. Next, you can proceed to finish the ceiling element.
If you want to decorate the ceiling with wooden beams, you should try not to damage the finish when painting the beam. To do this, the joints with the ceiling covering are covered with masking tape.
In conclusion
Wooden house, despite being quite warm, needs thermal insulation. For this purpose, you can use different materials such as mineral wool, sawdust or clay. Some use straw and expanded clay. But the decoration of wooden ceilings can be made using different materials. At the stage of choosing one of them, you should consider how important cost and sustainability are to you.
