When insulating a house, be sure to pay attention to the laws of physics. According to them, the air heated in the rooms will rise to the ceiling. If the attic is not sufficiently insulated, then the heat will escape to the outside, and this whole process can be called heat loss.
In order not to heat the street and keep more heat in the house, it is necessary to carry out thermal insulation of the ceiling. If you still do not know whether it is worth doing these works, then you should take into account that heat escapes through the roof and ceiling in a volume of 25 to 40%. This data is especially relevant for houses with a cold roof.
Thermal insulation of the floor will perform three functions at once, which are necessary to create a comfortable microclimate. The material will soundproof, which will keep the house quiet during wind and rain. In winter, the insulation will eliminate heat loss and cold bridges through which heated air freely escapes. Thermal insulation is also needed in the summer heat, because with its help you can create a barrier to the heatedair. Even in the hottest weather, the inside of the house will remain cool.
Material selection
If you are planning to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic, then you need to understand the variety of materials. The type of insulation you choose must be able to withstand a wide temperature range from -30 to +30 °C. It should not freeze at low temperatures and release harmful substances when heated. It is important to purchase fire-resistant thermal insulation. This is true for electrically wired attics.
It is better if the insulation is moisture resistant so that it does not lose its properties when wet. It should not quickly caking in order to fulfill its purpose for as long as possible. Insulation of the cold attic ceiling can be carried out with roll, slab or bulk materials. This is true for wooden beam floors. Whereas if you have to work with concrete slabs, you should purchase bulk or slab materials.
As mats and plates are produced today:
- foam;
- algae;
- mineral wool;
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- straw.
As for roll insulation, they are offered for sale in the following varieties:
- stone wool;
- mineral wool;
- linen;
- glass wool;
- algae ladders.
Choosing bulk materials to insulate the floor of a cold attic, you canprefer:
- expanded clay;
- bulrush;
- straw;
- buckwheat tyrsa;
- ecowool;
- sawdust;
- slag;
- foam pellets.
Features of mineral wool insulation
Mineral wool is a modern popular heat insulator. It is produced in rolls and plates. The material does not rot, is protected from rodents, is not flammable and is not attacked by microorganisms. Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool begins with the installation of lining material. If you want to save money, you can use parchment, but a vapor barrier film flooring will be a more expensive and high-quality option. The canvases are overlapped, and the joints are insulated with adhesive tape or fixed with wooden slats, which are installed on a construction stapler.
The width of the thermal insulation is selected taking into account the requirements for thermal engineering standards for your region. The scheme for warming the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool provides for the installation of material between the lags without gaps. The canvases should be located as close as possible to each other. In those places where the plates are joined together, they should be glued with adhesive tape. After laying the insulation on the logs, even boards are spread, which will form the floor. This will provide the mineral wool with the ability to breathe and will guarantee normal ventilation, which is necessary when moisture gets on the thermal insulation. In order to eliminate such a nuisance, it is laid under the roofwaterproofing material.
Using bas alt wool
Bas alt insulation is made from gabbro-bas alt rocks and acts as the best option for thermal insulation of the ceiling from the attic. The fibers of this material are more plastic, therefore they are not so brittle. They are well pressed into mats with sufficient strength.
When deciding to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic with bas alt wool, you get at your disposal a material that copes well with the influence of external factors, therefore it can be laid from the side of an unheated room. Insulation is sold in slabs or rolls, which can have different densities. Sometimes there is a foil layer on one of the sides, which can enhance the insulation effect, because the heat will be reflected into the room.
On the harmfulness of mineral wool
All mineral wools have one common drawback, which is expressed in a binder consisting of phenol-formaldehyde resins. During operation, they are constantly released into the air, which can be hazardous to human he alth. Therefore, it is impossible to consider this thermal insulation as completely environmentally safe. Bas alt wool is laid according to the same principle as mineral wool.
Using Extruded Styrofoam
Expanded polystyrene, also called Styrofoam, is not a very dense material. It can be used when the floor is made of beams and logs. Extruded polystyrene foam is stronger and denser than regular foam. Before laying it, the surface is leveled.
From the warm side of the floor, there is no need to cover the vapor barrier, because concrete slabs have almost no vapor permeability. Insulation of the concrete floor of a cold attic involves laying a vapor barrier film. The next layer is the insulation boards, which are staggered. Joints are filled with mounting foam. As soon as it dries and hardens, the canvases are poured with a concrete solution with a thickness of 6 cm. After the screed dries, it can be used as a floor. Flooring can be laid on the surface.
Using foam plastic
If you insulate the attic, it will not only increase the life of the truss system, but also the roofing, as well as increase the level of thermal protection of the living quarters under the attic. Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic with foam plastic has replaced other technologies that were used quite widely in construction. In this case, we are talking about the use of glass wool, expanded clay and sea grass.
Modern choice - "Penoplex-panel"
Under conditionsrural areas, the floor of an unheated attic is still insulated with clay and wood shavings. For sale today is the "Penoplex-panel", which is specially designed for cold attics. If you neglect the work on thermal insulation of the room above the living space, this can cause the insulation to get wet, which occurs due to condensation. Sometimes, under appropriate conditions, the roof structure even begins to collapse, which is especially important with constant dampness.
Should I use metal fasteners
When the attic floor is not insulated, icicles and frost are constantly formed. Large heat losses were mentioned above, they are caused by a weak level of thermal protection. When developing a scheme for insulating the ceiling of a cold attic using penoplex, you must take into account the features of how the floor nodes will join with thermal insulation. The manufacturer does not recommend the use of metal fasteners, because they contribute to the formation of cold bridges, which reduces the level of thermal protection.
To create a heat-insulating cake, a leveling screed is laid on a reinforced concrete floor slab. Next, a vapor barrier in the form of polyethylene is covered. The next layer will be foam. Do not forget about the presence of a separating layer in the form of polyethylene. At the last stage, a cement-sand screed is poured.
Insulation of a cold attic floor may involve working with sheet material in the form of plywood or OSB. In this case, a vapor barrier, wooden beams and foam insulation are laid on the surface. You can cover it with sheet material in the form of GVL or DSP.
In conclusion
Insulation of a cold attic on floor slabs allows you to create a boundary between cold and heat. Due to the formation of condensate in the attic floor area, appropriate conditions arise that can contribute to impressive heat losses. Proper insulation of the ceiling allows you to create a barrier with a low degree of thermal conductivity.
