Thermal insulation of the ceiling of the house from the side of the attic. Insulation of the ceiling in a house with a cold roof - tips for choosing a heater

The ceiling and roof account for, depending on local conditions and the design of the house, 15-40% of its heat loss. Builders for the insulation of ceilings, ceilings and roofs count the extra charge, because. the work is laborious and often it has to be done on weight. However, do-it-yourself ceiling insulation is quite possible to do without building qualifications: the technology is not complicated and in most cases does not require special equipment. To help those who decide to warm themselves from above on their own, this article is intended.

General scheme of ceiling insulation modern materials it doesn’t look very complicated, on the left in the figure: a vapor barrier (vapor barrier) does not allow moisture vapor from the inside to the insulation that can ruin it. The waterproofing membrane does not let liquid moisture into it, incl. and condensate in the attic, but releases water vapor to the outside, which nevertheless penetrates to the insulation. In negligible amounts, but, accumulating, it is able to nullify the insulation and spoil the structure of the building.

However, behind the external simplicity is a long evolution of insulation technology and many subtle nuances, without knowledge of which the work may be in vain. So will be considered next:

• Physics and features of insulation technology from above.
• Properties of modern insulating materials and additional coatings for them: roofing films, hydro- and vapor barriers; how to choose the right materials for insulation.
• The possibility of using traditional cheap insulators and heaters: clay, expanded clay, sawdust, etc.
• Schemes and methods of ceiling insulation: from the side of the attic, from the inside of the rooms; also from the inside from the side of the roof - for houses without an attic (eg summer houses and temporary houses) or with an attic.
• How to insulate the ceiling in a house with a cold roof and concrete floors.
• Ways to insulate the ceiling in utility rooms; primarily in the garage and bath.

Cold and warm roofs

A cold roof is called without the so-called. roofing cake: multi-layer insulating building structure between the counter-lattice under the roofing and inner lining along the rafters. The device of the roofing pie belongs to another topic - roof insulation, but then we will have to get to know it. Firstly, for non-attic buildings and attics. Secondly, in a private house, the insulation of the ceiling from the side of the attic and the roof are inextricably linked technologically and constructively, as can be seen on the right in the upper figure. Thermal insulation of the ceiling from the attic, along with the roof from the inside, provides the following advantages:

1. 2 layers of insulation 100 mm each, separated by an extensive thermal buffer in the form of an attic, are equivalent to 1 layer of the same material 270-280 mm;
2. From paragraph 1, savings in the cost of insulation up to 40%, and the total, taking into account the greater consumption of the film, by 10-15%, which allows the use of more efficient insulation materials;
3. By insulating the ceiling from the outside and the roof from the inside at the same time, you can get by with inter-beam insulation (see below), which is technologically simpler and more accessible to an unprepared amateur;
4. "Two-stage" insulation of the top of the building will allow in the future, if necessary, to additionally insulate the rooms from the inside separately without the risk of dampness of the room.

About mineral wool

Warming with mineral wool in the Russian Federation breaks all records of popularity: The material is inexpensive and easy to work with. This is explained primarily by large reserves of readily available raw materials and production technology that has been developed for many decades. The disposal of blast-furnace slag in the USSR had to be taken care of even during the industrial leap of the first five-year plans, and for a breakthrough into space, thermal protection of return capsules based on fibers from remelted heat-resistant rocks was developed. So the “modern” methods of producing slag wool and stone (especially basalt) wool are actually not so new.

Professionals mineral wool I especially like it: you don’t need expensive special equipment for it, but there is a wide range of special fasteners and accessories for it on sale. As a result, the ceiling area up to 20-25 square meters. m, it is possible to insulate in less than 1 work shift, or even in 2-3 hours, this is who knows how. How it looks technologically, you can see in the video below.

Video: an example of ceiling insulation with mineral wool

After reading the following, you may have a question: where is the membrane between the insulation and the ceiling? It is quite possible that in this case it is not needed if the attic with the roof is already insulated; Why same hosts spread superfluous. More Attention should be paid to the following precautions when working with mineral wool:

• Established electrical wiring rolled into a bay and hanging on the wall.
• Judging by the fact that a temporary light bulb is used for working lighting, the room is completely de-energized, and its wiring is disconnected in the nearest junction box or on the introductory plate - this is absolutely correct and absolutely necessary.
• The master puts on a full set of personal protective equipment (PPE): special overalls, gloves, goggles, a respirator. For the hobbyist it is important point, because rather expensive PPE will have to be used once.

Here it is already clear that mineral wool is not without drawbacks: it is an allergen and carcinogen of group 3, i.e. suitable for residential premises, but it is necessary to work with it using PPE. In addition, which all manufacturers and sellers, without exception, are prudently silent about, under the influence of even negligible amounts of moisture vapor and its own weight, mineral wool gives irreversible shrinkage, as a result of which its thermal conductivity drops by 50% in 3 years: air gaps in the insulation are the same thermal bridges , like metal lintels, only based on microconvection. The gaps between the plates in 5% of the area of ​​the insulated surface increase heat loss by 30-35%

From this follows another unpleasant circumstance: the simplicity of working with mineral wool is apparent. When cutting plates / rolls to size, it is necessary to give an overlap (usually 20-40 mm) such that the plates fit tightly into the openings without sticking out, as on the right in the figure, but also so that further cracks do not go from shrinkage. Perhaps this is only on the basis of experience, because. material properties vary significantly from batch to batch.

Finally, the thermal conductivity of a completely new mineral wool significantly depends on its moisture content - in the direction of deterioration. An increase in air humidity in a room insulated with mineral wool from 60% to 85% leads to an increase in heat loss by 10-12%. Therefore, in the further presentation, focusing on mineral wool as the most popular insulation, we will give, where possible, recommendations for replacing it with something better.

Note: look also at the mounting jig (circled in green on the left in the figure). If you use a propylene linen cord instead of fishing line, then the jig can be left constant. Then special fasteners are not needed and, when mounted on a ceiling and surfaces with a negative slope, sagging of the middle and corners of the plates will be excluded.

Physics and technology of insulation

As you know, the critical factor for insulation is the dew point., the temperature at which this absolute, in g / cu. m of air, the content of water vapor in it corresponds to 100% relative humidity and condensation occurs. The dew point in residential premises is unacceptable: excessively humid air is detrimental to health, and for asthmatics and heart patients it can be a fatal circumstance.

For building structures the dew point is no more useful: from periodic saturation with moisture, concrete and brick crumble, wood becomes moldy and rots, because. the resource of its antiseptic impregnation is not unlimited. Since it is impossible to drive the dew point out forever, it remains to let it “walk” on the insulation, ensuring its isolation from moisture vapor and ventilation. The easiest way to implement such a scheme of insulation is when installing a heater from the outside, pos. 1a in fig.

Ways to “fight” with the dew point during insulation

Sometimes it is technically impossible to insulate from the outside. Or additional insulation is required to the existing one. Analogue - in the old days, in especially severe frosts, they wore 2 fur coats: naked with fur inside, and on top of it - with fur outside. In this case, i.e. when insulating from the inside, its scheme is developed so that the condensate in the heater migrates to the cold surface, and there it flows into the collection and is removed or evaporates to the outside, pos. 1b. In this case, the most insulating material is needed that does not lose its insulating properties when moistened. Such exist, see below.

Features of ceiling insulation

Features of ceiling insulation, firstly, is that it is impossible to organize a condensate drain. Even if the ceiling is sloping, does the water flow along the walls? Drained walls in construction are known, but their complexity and cost are such that it only remains to be mentioned here. Secondly, the warm (exuding water vapor) and cold sides of the ceiling in a low-rise building can also change places in the cold season, due to solar heating. Therefore, the ceiling insulation technology is primarily focused on ensuring that there is no condensate in the insulation. And if it has already formed, then you need to give it the opportunity to evaporate outward as quickly as possible, i.e. to the cold side.

cold overlap

On the ceiling of a material that conducts heat well, e.g. concrete, when insulated from the outside with loose material, 3 air gaps a, b and c, pos. 2a. Gap a, between the vapor barrier (vapor barrier) and the insulation layer - safety, in case of heavy condensation, which is possible on a cold surface. Gap a is necessarily ventilated, technically it is difficult to fulfill it, therefore it is desirable to insulate ceilings on concrete ceilings from the inside with massive, i.e. impervious to moisture, insulation. One of the practically important cases of this kind is considered below. Gap b is accumulating, it creates a partial pressure of water vapor, which ensures their diffusion through a semipermeable membrane that allows gases to pass through but retains liquid moisture. Gap c is the main working one, it is also ventilated, but, since it is located closer to the outside, it is easier to ensure its “ventilation”, for example, in the form of a slot around the perimeter.

Note: if there's technical possibility and the ability to make the gap also ventilated, this will only benefit the insulation.

Warm overlay

"Warm", i.e. a ceiling that does not conduct heat well, creates a rather high barrier on the way of heat from the inside to the outside, shifting the dew point up into the insulation layer, if you look at pos. 2b. This makes it possible to do without gap a, which in turn simplifies the insulation of the wooden ceiling from the outside. Suddenly, the condensate at the border of the vapor barrier and the base will nevertheless fall out, then in a small amount, it will immediately be absorbed into the tree, and then, without bringing the humidity in the room to a critical level, it will slowly evaporate. Residents will most likely not notice this - wood keeps its mechanical and thermal parameters in a wide range of humidity.

Therefore, insulate wooden ceiling preferably from the attic, pos. 3: the base is covered with an inexpensive film vapor barrier (see below), a conventional waterproofing film without metallization will also go to the membrane. It is only necessary to arrange an air gap between the insulation and the membrane; its role has been discussed above.

Aweigh

The requirements for the vapor barrier are tightened if it is possible for water vapor to enter from free space, because. in this case, the intensity of their "attack" is unlimited. Then a vapor barrier is needed from a foil film, pos. 4, because no plastic is an absolute barrier to water vapor. Gap a between the vapor barrier and the insulation is also necessary, but now it is easier to provide it structurally. Press the vapor barrier against the insulation, as in pos. 5 is undesirable in all respects, even if the vapor barrier with the substrate, see below: both the work is superfluous and the insulation is worse.

Materials for insulation

Modern successes in building insulation technology are largely due to advances in the field of separating films (membranes). The “good old” roofing material and glassine with their counterparts still find application, but when working for yourself, the last thing you should save on films. And in view of the quality with durability, and in view of the fact that, having spent a little “above” on insulating membranes, you can save more on insulation. Therefore, we will start with membranes.

Barriers and membranes

As is clear from the previous one, separating coatings used in building insulation are divided into vapor barriers, or vapor barriers, which cut off liquids with their vapors, and waterproofing (membranes), which retain only the liquid phase. Vapor barriers, in turn, are divided into film, foil and foil with a capillary substrate (the so-called foil isols), and membranes are divided into single-layer film, microperforated film with double-sided vapor transmission, and the so-called. superdiffusion membranes that allow vapor to pass only in one direction.

Vapor barriers

Film vapor barriers are effective only polypropylene with a thickness of 60 microns. Polyethylene of any thickness, by virtue of its very nanostructure, is vapor permeable, no matter what anyone claims to the contrary. PVC under the influence of changes in temperature and humidity soon becomes brittle and cracks.

The basis of the foil vapor barrier can also be polyethylene, because. gases do not pass a layer of foil on it. On the quality material of this class, the edge of the foil is palpable at the edge of the tape, and it can be picked up by the corner with a sharp knife, i.e. foil is thick enough. Foil insulators with a substrate also have a layer of fibrous material (most often synthetic winterizer) on the back, i.e. the side facing the heater. If condensate falls out, it quickly goes through the capillaries of the substrate to the edges of the coating, so the foil insulation with the substrate must be mounted with lapels, like waterproofing the floor, going into the ventilation gap around the perimeter.

Note: in insulation structures on foil insulations with a substrate, the “insurance” gap “a” (see above) is not required.

membranes

Simple film membranes are common waterproofing, incl. and polyethylene. For insulation of ceilings, they are suitable only in heated rooms, because. in addition to vapors, liquids are also passed in a noticeable amount. When insulating from the attic, it is desirable to use microperforated films. Most often they are produced in 3-layer with reinforcement, on the left in the figure; are also used as coatings for greenhouses and greenhouses. To insulate the ceiling in them, it is good that the reinforcing mesh does not allow the film to sag much and ensures a stable gap height b.

Superdiffusion membranes are commercially available as roofing films, in the center in fig. Their outer side is smooth, metallized, designed for resistance to atmospheric precipitation. Vapors pass through it to the outside; the outer side is either marked, or it is outside and in a roll. The wind strength of the underlayment films is provided by through reinforcement: for high-quality membranes, it is easily felt from the inside, and the film looks as if quilted, on the right in Fig.

Heaters

Materials for the actual insulation are divided into:

• Monolithic, or massive - dense, waterproof. The dew point can wander in them as you like without compromising the quality of insulation.
• Loose, fibrous and porous - are produced in the form of plates (mats) or rolls. The cheapest and most technologically advanced in comparison with the quality of insulation. They are hygroscopic, the properties of the material deteriorate from moisture, often irreversibly, so measures are needed to protect the insulation from moisture and its ventilation.
• Bulk / sprayed - an insulating layer is formed on the spot; high-quality insulation requires special equipment.

Monolithic

From monolithic heaters for independent work expanded polystyrene is suitable. The attic and ceiling under a cold roof must be insulated with extruded polystyrene foam - EPS. For insulation, EPPS is produced with grooved boards, which eliminates the formation of air thermal bridges; therefore, foam insulation schemes are very simple and inexpensive due to the low cost of membranes, see for example. in fig. XPS does not shrink, is not hygroscopic. It is durable, able to work as part of load-bearing structures, its insulating qualities are the highest, and outdoor durability, according to the latest data, is up to 100 years or more.

Ordinary granular foam can begin to crumble from strong fluctuations in external conditions in just a winter, but it is cheap, easy to process and mount on any surface with water-based tile adhesive or PVA. Its layer of 30 mm is equivalent to 100 mm of mineral wool, so it is advisable to insulate heated rooms with low ceilings from the inside with foam.

Foam and XPS boards do not bend, so they can only be mounted on open surfaces; to insulate the EPS roof, you will have to disassemble the roof. However, a more serious drawback is its flammability and the release of a huge amount of highly toxic gases when ignited. If a fire in a room insulated with polystyrene foam from the inside occurred at night, when everyone is sleeping, then the residents are actually doomed: it is possible to evacuate people under such circumstances only in some cases. Therefore, use polystyrene foam for internal insulation it is possible only in limited quantities and when it is impossible in any other way; see one of these options below.

Fibrous/porous

The main advantage of loose insulation is high labor productivity with them without the use of special equipment, which is why professional individuals are so committed to them, for whom time is money. Mineral wool and sheet / slab polyurethane foam (neoprene) are suitable for independent work from "rukhlyakov". Mineral wool was analyzed in detail earlier, and neoprene for warming large areas is too expensive, although it is not afraid of moisture and is comparable in durability to EPPS.

Sprayed and bulk

In terms of the combination of operational qualities, EPPS is almost as good as sprayed foam insulation. When frozen, they look like polystyrene, but are made on a formaldehyde-carbamide basis, so they burn poorly and emit little, not very toxic smoke. The mass forming penoizol can be fed into hard-to-reach cavities, and kraft paper or glassine is enough from the separators, so long as the foaming mass does not stick out through the cracks. However, penoizols themselves are not cheap, and are sprayed using expensive installations. To work with a foam insulation station, you need a serious professional education, therefore, equipment for spraying penoizol is not rented.

You can work with cellulose insulation or ecowool on your own: using a blowing machine for it does not require professional training, so they are widely sold and rented, from those transported by road to small ones like a backpack or suitcase. Ecowool as a heater is relatively little known in the Russian Federation, but compared to mineral wool, it is simply a miracle:

• In terms of thermal conductivity, 0.037-0.042 W / (m * K) is approximately equal to mineral wool; an ecowool thickness of 100 mm is equivalent to a wall of 3 solid red bricks. This makes it possible to get by with inter-beam insulation, see below.
• Up to a humidity of 20%, the heat-insulating properties of ecowool do not fall; on drying after limiting moisture, they are completely restored.
• Sorption moisture absorption for 72 hours in an atmosphere with 100% humidity - 16%.
• Does not shrink, does not puff.
• Chemically neutral, non-corrosive.
• Due to the presence of 12% antiseptic (boric acid) and 7% flame retardant (borax) in the composition, it is slightly flammable and almost does not emit smoke in an extremely hot flame, see left in Fig. below.

• Unattractive to rodents: glass wool is eaten, but ecowool is not touched. After 5 years of application in a house where mice are teeming, their moves in ecowool are not detected.
• Application is possible dry by hand on open horizontal surfaces, with wetting with a blower into hard-to-reach cavities (in the center and on the right in the figure), with wetting and the addition of 5-15% glue on vertical surfaces and with a negative slope, both manually and by spraying .
• High labor productivity when spraying moistened (which the pros should also pay attention to): the floor, walls, ceiling and roof (!) of a house with an attic area in terms of 120 sq. m are "blown out" for 1 work shift.

Note, for your reference: ecowool goes on sale under the names Cellulose Insulation, EKOFIBER AB, EKOREMA, EKOVILLA, EXCEL, ISODAN, SELLUVILLA, TERMEX. The world leader in production and application is Finland.

The most serious advantage of ecowool is that it is hypoallergenic and hypocarcinogenic., i.e. does not show any of these properties. The raw material for the production of ecowool is waste paper, but who, where and when, has something inflamed or itched from old newspapers? Is that in the brains of the content of the articles. But for the preparation of ecowool, the paper carrier, together with the content, is ground into a homogeneous gray mass.

Ecowool has three disadvantages:

1. Firstly, the cost per unit of its mass is about 30% higher than that of mineral wool. However, if we take into account the difference in the cost of PPE for mineral wool and the rental of a manual "blower", then the high cost remains approx. 15%. Let's also discard the cost of membranes (kraft paper on the warm side is enough for ecowool) - the cost of insulation is almost equal. And if you manually insulate the ceiling from the attic, then ecowool will cost less.
2. Secondly, ecowool must be prepared before use. The initial mass is sold compressed by 2.5-3.5 times, it needs to be fluffed up in some container, add, if necessary, water and glue. This is already bad for the pros; time is money, and blow molding machines that prepare the mass themselves are very expensive. But for an amateur and one-time work, this drawback is not particularly significant.
3. Thirdly, moistened ecowool must be applied in any way at temperatures above 23 degrees and air humidity up to 65-70% so that it can dry. This already seriously hinders its use: until the thunder breaks out, the peasant will not cross himself. In the summer, who thinks about warming? And the chills and bills for heating went - you can only apply it dry, far from everywhere and not always.

Note: if you have some ecowool left from work, keep in mind that this is an excellent material for papier-mâché crafts.

Expanded clay and foam crumb

Traditional expanded clay (on the left in the figure), the advantages and disadvantages of which are known, can also be replaced by a slightly more expensive, but better material - foam glass crumb or simply foam crumb, right there. Foam crumb is lighter than expanded clay, so it can be poured onto a weak base: fragile flooring, into drywall pockets (see below), etc. Its heat-insulating properties are higher, allergenic and carcinogenic were not found. An example of a two-stage ceiling insulation with expanded clay and mineral wool is shown in fig. below. The film membrane (bilaterally permeable, not roofing) provides vapor exchange between the insulation stages, which is necessary to avoid condensation in the mineral wool. If expanded clay is replaced with foam crumb, and mineral wool with ecowool, then polyethylene 120 microns thick will be enough instead of a membrane. In this case, the mounting jig is not needed, and the insulation from the inside can be used to its full height. ceiling beams.

Sawdust and shavings

Waste wood processing is also a traditional heater. How to insulate the attic with shavings, see the video below. Ceiling insulation with sawdust is more attractive, first, because of their poor flammability. Secondly, at the nearest sawmill, they can offer you sawdust for free in any quantity, and even deliver it at your own expense.

Video: insulation with sawdust ceiling and floor in the attic

However, the availability of sawdust is the other side of the coin, they have a very big drawback: they can “oppose”, ferment. In this case, CH3OH vapors are released. Yes, yes, that same wood (methyl) alcohol, from which unlucky drunkards, into whose throats with a voluptuous gurgling everything that is not water, it would seem, go blind and die. Therefore, sawmillers are happy to get rid of the "sawdust": according to modern sanitary requirements sawdust from under the sawmill should be removed continuously and immediately sent for disposal.

Meanwhile, getting rid of both disadvantages of wood waste is not so difficult and expensive. Approximately in the same way that ecowool is made safe. Proper insulation with woodworking waste is carried out as follows:

• Work is carried out in the summer in the very heat and dryness;
• In advance, in 2 separate containers (necessarily separate), strong solutions of boric acid and borax are prepared;
• Insulation is poured in layers of 3-5 cm;
• Each layer is abundantly sprayed with one and the other solutions alternately with the help of a stucco brush or a homemade sprinkler;
• The next layer is poured and sprayed after the previous one has completely dried.

As for sawdust, a reliable guarantee against their fermentation, even in a damp attic, is also provided by backfilling on a base of slab and clay, see below. To describe why, here, unfortunately, there is no way; the point is the unique properties of clay and the outer layers of coniferous wood. Insulation of this type is known in houses more than 100 years old. But, once again, unfortunately, it is difficult to find oily clay in nature, it is a valuable mineral raw material, and on sale it is not cheap.

How to insulate the ceiling?

From the attic

The main ways to insulate the ceiling from the outside, i.e. from the attic, shown in fig. It is preferable, of course, to get by with inter-beam insulation. In this case, please note that with a sufficiently massive ceiling roll-up, you need to make the lapels of the vapor barrier on the ceiling beams or encircle them entirely with vapor protection. The vapor barrier can then be film. If the ceiling is hemmed thin, then the jumps in its thermal resistance at the locations of the beams can be harmful. Then the foil vapor barrier is fixed from the inside between the beams and the ceiling sheathing.

With full insulation, i.e. up to the calculated power of the heater, the scheme on the right will be more laborious, but also more efficient, acc. sections of rice: the inter-beam layer is laid in rolls or slabs, and the over-beam layer is made of square mats apart, i.e. with offset seams.

Note: See also the section in Fig. bottom right. This is the same slab insulation with clay, suitable for all types of insulation without the use of synthetic membranes.

From within

No attic

In the private economy, in addition to the additional insulation described above, from the inside, most often it is necessary to insulate non-attic buildings "on the go", in the middle of the cold season. For example, they started to build, built a utility block or a temporary hut for a while, and then it turned out that they would have to spend the winter in it. Or the chickens have stopped laying, the pig has become sad for something and is emaciated before our eyes. There's nothing you can do about it, you'll have to insulate the roof.

A typical design of a warm roof is shown on the left in fig. Insulation lapels down are necessary to avoid freezing of corners. This system has 2 nodes, A and B (ventilated ridge and counter-rail, or counter-bar), which seem to be impossible to complete without dismantling the roof. However, the “bypass” scheme of node A is shown in Fig. top right. Here it is taken into account that, firstly, in light buildings from individual developers, as a rule, there is no ridge beam, and the ridge "beam" is made by knocking down 2 boards in an L-shaped manner. Ventilation holes are drilled 2-3 per span between the rafters. If the entire roof is only roofing material, then there is nothing to do so that the rain does not drip through the ventilation, you need to climb up and install some kind of ridge run with a gap, at least from bent galvanized strips.

How to deal with node B is shown at the bottom right. It uses the fact that in a small samostroy the crossbar (bearing structure) of the roof is not beamed. The role of embedded in rafter legs the longitudinal beams of the crossbar are laid on the boards of the lathing under the roof, and the spans between the rafters are free from top to bottom. In Fig., presumably, everything is clear: the roofing membrane will have to be applied in pieces, and the necessary power of the insulation is obtained, if necessary, with the help of backing bars.

In an apartment building

Self-insulate ceilings apartment building only possible from the inside. Firstly, tenants do not have the right to work on the roof or in the common attic; Secondly, why do we pay contributions for overhaul? The roof is cold - you need to demand its insulation from the operator; does not want - all legal rights are on the side of the tenants.

Nevertheless, while there is fuss and trials, you can do something with your own hands to insulate the ceiling in the apartment. A typical scheme for insulating the ceiling from the inside on concrete is shown on the left in fig. Its main drawback is not at all expensive, subject to corrosion and far from always as effective as manufacturers say, special metal profiles for insulation with thermal seals-thermal washers. Not the same as thermal washers for mounting polycarbonate! Both can be replaced with a wooden crate. And not special materials for the thermal gap along the perimeter and the complexity of working with them.

The main thing is that 0.4-0.5 m is subtracted from the height of the room. This does not add habitability in modern apartments in any way, but what about Khrushchev apartments with 2.5 m ceilings that are most in need of insulation?

But here, too, there is an acceptable way out. Let us take into account, firstly, that in stone houses heat escapes through the ceiling, mainly in the corners. Whoever has not seen how the ceilings in single-family apartments get moldy and moldy, take my word for it. Secondly, block and monolithic houses are very resistant to fires. It is possible to achieve an extensive fire in them only by a well-thought-out malicious influence. Therefore, it is possible to use granulated foam in a small amount.

The scheme for insulating a concrete ceiling, worked out back in Brezhnevka, when drywall appeared on sale, is given on the right in fig. From the height of the ceiling in this way, only approx. 5 cm. It is quite difficult to fill the pockets of the corners along it, therefore this technology did not really take root even then: the corners are sheathed first on the short sides of the room and filled with insulation from the sides. Then the corners of the long sides are sheathed and the insulation is poured into the gaps between the laths of the crate. Styrofoam and horizontal filing are mounted last.

And now let's remember once again about ecowool. Will it be difficult to blow it into your pockets? At least through temporary technological hatches? The question is rhetorical.

Special cases

Attic

Attic insulation is actually the same special topic as roof insulation. Here it is appropriate to mention it again in connection with ecowool. See what is on the left in the figure, filled with red. In private houses, it is either impossible to climb into this attic without dismantling the roof, or it is impossible to work there. And you can blow out with ecowool instead of the recommended roll insulation without much difficulty.

Garage and bath

Garage roofs are often mounted on steel I-beams or channels. Reliable, the price doesn’t really bite, but what to do with such thermal bridges if you need to insulate? The diagram of the garage ceiling insulation on steel beams is given on the left in fig. Its peculiarity is that the insulation boards are laid in at least 2 layers apart horizontally and vertically. In this way, when insulating with mineral wool, it is possible to reduce heat loss to acceptable levels. If you use ecowool, then the cavities between the beams and between the sewing and the beams are simply blown out with it. Folgoizol is then not needed, enough kraft paper from the inside along the ceiling filing.

With a bath, things are simpler: the features of its design, without which a bath is not a bath, and the thermal / humidity mode of operation make it possible to develop a universal scheme for warming the ceiling of a bath, which is shown in Fig. on right. Feature: if the insulation is mineral wool, then it is certainly basalt, the other will not pull thermal loads and periodic dampening. If you insulate the bath with ecowool, then the peculiarity is that you need to cook the mass with the addition of glue.

Wooden house - the design itself is warm. That is why many city dwellers part with cramped apartments and move to a suburban home. Buildings made of wood are convenient and practical, as well as environmentally friendly. In summer, pleasant coolness reigns here, and in winter it is warm. However, even the warmest wood will not protect against severe frosts and wind: you can’t do without a ceiling insulation of a wooden room.

Often, all the heat loss from the inside is due to an improperly finished ceiling. If you do not properly insulate this part of the house, you can not wait in winter time coziness and comfort. Modern windows and wall insulation will not help, it all depends on the ceiling.

How to insulate the ceiling in a wooden house?

There are several available and simple ways insulation from the inside and outside with their own hands. All of them are divided into two options: insulation from the outside from the attic side and indoors. When insulating the surface from the inside, you need to understand that the height may decrease. If the attic floor is insulated, after all the work it is necessary to make a floor covering.

When insulating, it is necessary to pay attention to the following indicators: strength, safety, sound insulation, fire resistance

When choosing the right material, you need to focus on the following indicators:

• strength and durability;
• no harm to health;
• fire resistance;
• reliable thermal insulation qualities;
• the presence of sound insulation.

What can be applied?

• mineral or glass wool;
• sawdust;
• polyurethane foam;
• Styrofoam;
• clay;
• expanded clay.

Use of sawdust

are the cheapest and accessible way insulation from the outside, while their qualities are not inferior to expensive materials. The process itself is simple and does not require much time. Everything can be done by hand. First you need to prepare the materials:

• several bags of sawdust;
• insulating material. It needs to be calculated right amount. To do this, you need to know the surface area exactly;
• cement.

A mixture of sawdust and cement for ceiling insulation

The latter is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10. How to correctly calculate the required number of sawdust? One and a half buckets of water will be required for ten buckets of sawdust. A wet mixture should form, which will be a heater.. What should be sawdust? The first ones that come across are no good. The material must meet the following requirements:

• dryness, lack of moisture;
• age not less than a year;
• absence of mold and its smell;
• the average size. Small ones are not suitable, otherwise the thermal insulation qualities will deteriorate.

The mixture of sawdust should be evenly distributed over the surface of the ceiling

Sequencing:

1. Clean the surface from dust and dirt.
2. Treat the base with a special solution that protects the room and ceiling from fungi and insects.
3. Take the pre-prepared material for waterproofing and spread it over the entire floor space.
4. Prepare a mixture of cement and sawdust. It should be a rich gray color.
5. Distribute the mixture throughout the space of the interceiling ceiling.
6. You can walk on the layer of thermal insulation to tamp it down. This will allow the mixture to grab better and keep the heat out.

If there is access to the attic of the room, this method is the most suitable and cheapest. If you have to insulate the ceiling in wooden house only from the inside, you have to choose another method.

What are the advantages of roll materials?

Mineral wool and glass wool, as well as other roll insulation, reliably protect the room, but it is difficult to work with them: small particles crumble and get into the mouth, nose, eyes. To avoid injury, take care of yourself and prepare protective clothing and goggles.

Scheme of ceiling insulation with rolled materials, mats and bulk materials

The sequence of steps:

1. Nails are stuffed onto the rough surface. At the same time, it is necessary to score not on the hat, but so that they stick out a little. Then threads are pulled over them using the zigzag technique.
2. The heater itself is installed. It is better to do the work not alone, but with a partner: one will lay the rolls, and the other will pull the thread. So the glass wool will be able to push through better.
3. An anti-condensation film is attached.
4. Now you can nail the nails harder to press the layer more tightly.
5. You can nail drywall sheets or fix a false ceiling.

Attention: the work requires care and attention. It is necessary to monitor the absence of cracks: they are a source of cold and condensation.

Clay

A well-known material that is able to retain heat. Used only when adding other materials. Usually sawdust and glassine are added.

Clay perfectly retains heat, therefore it is used for insulation.

Sequence of work:

• lay glassine or any other analogue thereof;
• mix clay and sawdust (prepare a solution);
• apply the mixture in a layer of 15 cm, allow to dry. If there are cracks, they need to be rubbed with clay.

Warming from the inside

What to do if there is no access to the space above the ceiling? There is an exit. True, you should be prepared for the fact that the height will decrease somewhat. Now the insulation will be from the inside. How to carry out work?

It's simple: first comes a layer of vapor barrier, then insulation, then another layer of vapor barrier.

Why are two layers needed? They prevent the dampness of the rafters, the ceiling from the inside and the insulation. Only after that you can already hem the decorative ceiling. How to do the work?

1. The first layer of vapor barrier is attached. The same parchment will do. It can be smeared with glue in several places.
2. A mounting rail is stuffed through the vapor barrier. It is better not to rush and do everything as carefully as possible: holes for self-tapping screws are drilled in the mounting rails, then you need to carefully tighten them with a screwdriver.
3. Thermal insulation is fixed. Styrofoam is inserted between the rails.
4. The second layer of the vapor barrier is attached to the rail.
5. The entire structure is masked by PVC panels.

Expanded clay

Another most simple and affordable method after sawdust. Pros:

• ecologically pure;
• unlike sawdust, it does not burn;
• resistant to temperature changes;
• not afraid of rodents, fungi and insects;
• simple installation technology;
• low price;
• easy to do by hand.

Expanded clay insulation scheme

All work is done outside. First, the already mentioned steam and waterproofing are carried out. Even a simple PVC film will do. It is better not to use roofing felt: it can release harmful toxins. Stages of work:

1. The pipe outlet and wiring are insulated with non-combustible materials. Sheets of iron or metal pipes are suitable.
2. Waterproofing is rolled out over the entire area. Joints need to be processed. Waterproofing is securely fixed with a stapler or special adhesive tape.
3. Vapor barrier is laid. Suitable overlapping technology. Then everything is fixed with a stapler.
4. 5 cm of mashed soft clay should be laid on the vapor barrier layer.
5. Expanded clay is already poured onto the clay. How to determine the layer thickness? It can be from 15 cm or more.
6. A screed is laid on the expanded clay - a layer of cement and sand. This will protect the material.

1. There is a foam ceiling tiles- it in itself protects quite well from the cold.
2. Do not stop at the insulation of the ceiling. Walls and floors can also transmit heat.
3. If there are difficulties in warming with your own hands, it is better to contact the masters who will do everything correctly. An unreliably insulated ceiling is practically of no use.
4. Drywall filing requires the use of a galvanized iron profile. Why is this needed? If this is not done, you can soon suffer from a fallen structure.
5. In a wooden house, it is better to insulate the ceiling in the summer months, so that by autumn and cold weather, excess moisture has time to evaporate.

Insulation of the ceiling in a wooden house will protect the room from the inside from heat loss. If the ceiling is not insulated, all the work should be done immediately upon settlement.

Heating of modern buildings is carried out by gas or electric equipment. Buildings with periodic residence (cottage, garden house, country cottage). Insulation of the ceiling in a house with a cold roof allows you to reduce heat loss and create an optimal microclimate in the premises.

The choice of materials for thermal insulation of a cold roof

The construction market offers an extensive selection of materials for thermal insulation. However, not every insulation is designed for laying in the attic space with a cold roof. In order to profitability of the planned insulation, you should choose the right heat insulator. First of all, such materials are selected with resistance to moisture, low thermal conductivity and compliance with SNiP.

Often, for thermal insulation work, materials such as:

This insulation refers to bulk-type heat insulators obtained by firing shale. Advantages - light weight, porous structure, high thermal insulation and resistance to water.

The material is sold in the form of a fibrous type of mineral-based insulation. Standard release form - mats, plates, rolls. It is this material that is recognized as the best option for ceiling insulation. However, the price tag for a heat insulator starts at 950 rubles. per roll. Advantages - excellent heat retention, sound insulation. The only negative is heavy weight, so when choosing this material, you should take into account the load on the truss system.

It is made from expanded polystyrene foam, but in the final version of this substance no more than 2-3% remains in the composition. Thus, more than 95% of the foam are air cells. Due to this, light weight and excellent thermal insulation performance are achieved. Additional advantages include - resistance to moisture and preservation of properties in contact with water. Installation of polystyrene foam boards is easy, i.e. you can do it by hand. To do this, the plates are cut to the required width, laid on the floor of the attic between the lags and fixed.

Builders pay attention to the importance of insulating the floor located in the attic space under a cold roof. Also important is the laying of steam and waterproofing.

The specifics of the roof with a cold "pie"

Pie structure attic floor has a classic scheme consisting of layer-by-layer mounting of materials in the following order:

• waterproofing film;
• thermal insulation layer;
• roofing materials.

This type of construction is relevant for households, where the space under the attic is non-residential, respectively, it is not heated in winter. The essence of the cold roof - rafter system, on top of which PVC film for waterproofing and roofing materials are laid.

The expediency of this type of roof is due to light weight, low construction costs and simple installation than in the construction of a warm type of roof. In view of this, a cold roof is a practical and budgetary option for building a country house or cottage.

If there are no radiators in the attic, then the air will act as a buffer to reduce heat loss. According to the principle of convection, in which warm air rises, at the bottom it will be subject to cooling. The result of this process is the internal heating of the slopes, which excludes the formation of ice.

In order to preserve heat, as well as to reduce the financial costs of heating, work is underway to lay ceiling insulation for a cold attic.

Heat insulators are chosen, as a rule, of two types - fibrous or backfill. Installation of such materials is simple, efficient and effective. Since the flow of hot air always tends to rise, and the insulated attic will not cool it, thus creating an almost identical temperature throughout the house.

The technological process of laying insulation

Carrying out work on the insulation of the house from the side of the second floor with a cold roof is carried out with expanded clay or mineral wool. Only in some cases (dacha, garden house) use inexpensive foam.

Installation of expanded clay heat insulator

For thermal insulation of the ceiling from the side of the cold attic with expanded clay, a PVC film for vapor barrier is laid on the floors. It is fixed with a construction stapler.

PVC film is laid with an overlap of 15-20 cm on the wall and adjacent areas of waterproofing. As a warning of gaps, the sections are fixed with adhesive tape.

The next step - expanded clay is poured on top of the vapor barrier material. The thickness of the insulation varies from 15 to 30 cm. When planning the arrangement of a finishing screed, the entire space between the lags must be filled with expanded clay heat insulator.

The final stage is the arrangement of a screed from a sand-cement mixture. The thickness of the consistency should be from 50 mm. The advantage of this method of insulation is fire and injury safety during further operation, as well as environmental friendliness.

The procedure for laying mineral wool from the side of a cold attic

When using mineral wool, vapor barrier and waterproofing should be laid first. In this version of insulation, you can not save on the quality of materials, because. if mineral wool is not properly protected, water can get on it, as a result of which it will lose more than 60% of its qualities.

Installation of mineral wool is carried out between the logs on the floor of the attic. Subsequently, the heat insulator is closed with a fine finish. If the floors are made of concrete, then the first step is to level the plane. Then the floor is covered with a film and the installation of plates is carried out. Finishing is done with plywood or wooden board. Next, the screed of the plates is equipped.

To insulate the attic in a wooden house, the cells between the beams should be covered with a pro-insulator. Then the film is overlapped with an overlap on the wall up to 250 mm. The joints are reinforced with construction tape.

Conclusion

The types of heaters and installation methods discussed in the article are common. However, the list of heat insulators for cold roofs is much wider. Also in construction hypermarkets you can find special materials for country houses High Quality.

When choosing a material for attic thermal insulation, experts recommend paying attention to the nuances of construction. It should also be remembered that in a wooden house you should not use hermetic heaters, such as Penofol or Penoplex, because. they are designed for use in concrete houses.

Uninsulated pitched roof- historically the most common type of low-rise construction in Europe. Ceiling insulation in a house with a cold roof in countries with cold winters has always been used. Unlike wooden, brick and adobe walls, which were considered sufficient protection from the cold and uninvited guests, the ceilings were covered with natural materials low density, which created a barrier to leakage of warm air into the attic. Since then, technology has revolutionized our understanding of housing construction, but the cold under-roof space scheme remains very popular. We analyzed actual technologies and prepared in this review answers to the most common questions related to this topic.

They say it's right question asked contains 50% of the answer. Knowing the physics of the processes occurring in the cold under-roof space, one can single out the most important criteria for choosing thermal insulation and evaluate all technologies based on them. The attic in buildings of this type is traditionally designed taking into account the possibility of cold ventilation. Both in summer and winter, air flows are directed upward.

To maintain this movement, two natural outlets are made: for the flow going between the tiles and the waterproofing, the joint between the membranes opens under the roof ridge, and for the heat rising from the ceiling, dormers. Our ancestors empirically found out that it is impossible to hermetically clog a space that is not heated. Excess moisture should evaporate freely from all house structures.

It should be noted that all traditional Construction Materials have two characteristic properties: high vapor permeability and increased capillary activity. The latter means that moisture moves inside the structure in a certain direction due to surface tension forces. However, since then, a lot of materials have appeared that are completely different in physical properties clay, brick and wood. It is logical that the issue of insulation can be solved for them differently.

So, in order to figure out how to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof, consider the main technologies in terms of vapor permeability and capillary activity:

• Vapor permeable fillings. From sawdust, peat, needles, sand, straw used for centuries - to expanded clay granulate, which appeared in the 20th century and more modern ecowool
• Vapor permeable fiber materials.
• Plate heat insulators with low or zero moisture saturation. These are expanded polystyrenes (polystyrene and EPS), as well as slab foam glass.
• Hydrophobic seamless (solid) insulation. These include sprayed polyurethane foam.

Taking into account the structural features of ceiling slabs is equally important for any insulation technology. Strength elements that perceive bending loads are:

• Wooden beams. In the vast majority of low-rise private residential buildings.
• Concrete plates. In second place in terms of prevalence after wooden beams.
• Steel farms. They are used relatively rarely. However, due to the development of modular construction from thin-walled profiles, the popularity of this variant of ceilings is growing.

In the case of beams and trusses, the thermal insulation layer can be located in one of four possible positions: from the inside of the room on a false ceiling, from the side of the attic on the flooring, between the beams (trusses) over the false ceiling, or between them, but below the flooring.

The use of bulk insulation in a house with a cold roof

How to properly insulate the ceiling under a cold roof if you have access to free or cheap natural raw materials such as needles or peat, or if there is excess expanded clay or sawdust left from production or construction? Of course, you should take advantage of such a life bonus. Despite the fact that these options are outdated and require very large backfill thicknesses, nothing prevents this method from being used when it comes to a cold attic.

In this case, even if the profile of the floor beams is not enough to form "pockets" 30-40 cm deep, they can be built up with wooden planks. After all, reducing the space in the non-residential under-roof space does not affect anything.

Under the backfill, it is necessary to lay a layer of vapor barrier film, but it is not recommended to cover it with anything on top. It is better to provide high-quality waterproofing of the roof. The backfill must be well ventilated.

Features of the use of heat-insulating wool

Over the past year and a half, new fiber insulation has been introduced into practice, in particular, construction synthetic winterizer. In this regard, today it is already relevant to single out a whole group of thermal insulators that combine mineral wool, synthetic winterizers and other synthetic materials, according to such key features as high vapor permeability and low capillary activity.

Why building wool is far from the best solution for internal insulation of the attic floor? The fact is that when they are facing the surface from the side of the room, the dew point shifts in the direction of the finish ceiling covering. Condensation begins to take over the insulation.

The vapor barrier membrane does not solve the problem of moistening mineral wool or synthetic winterizer, if on the other side of the mats it is not possible to ensure their effective ventilation. Therefore, materials of this type are best used from the side of the attic with good natural air exchange.

Insulation of the ceiling with mineral wool, glass wool or building padding polyester from the side of the attic is carried out with the obligatory observance of the sequence of layers:

1. Vapor barrier membrane. It is laid on top of a rigid base of the floor, if flooring is made along the beams, or mounted on the lower ends of the beams, if the insulation is supposed to be installed between them.
2. Thermal insulation.
3. waterproofing layer. If the roof has its own high-quality waterproofing, it is allowed to limit itself to a wind barrier.

Ventilation gaps between these three layers are not needed. It is important to observe only free access of air to the surface of the wind or waterproofing.

Contact with communications

What should I do if a ventilation duct or chimney passes through a wooden beam ceiling? If a beam is located in the path of a vertically oriented main, it is cut, and the load is transferred by transverse elements to adjacent beams. In this case, the distance from the outer surface to the strapping of the jumpers should be at least 100 mm.

The chimney is lined with expanded polystyrene plates 40 - 50 mm thick not only in the intersection area, but also for the entire length of the structure's exit from the roof. The membranes are tucked up (vapor barrier - down, hydrobarrier - up), and covered with bitumen tape for a tight fit to the polystyrene pipe sleeve. The places of the gates are then crimped with a strapping of wooden bars using dowels passing into the walls of the chimney.

The same should be done with ventilation ducts with one exception: in most cases they are not sleeved. Electric cables are attracted by clamps to the beams, and in places where they pass through the membranes, the places where the films are turned up are sealed with foil tape and fixed with plastic clamps.

Vapor-proof board materials for insulation of attic floors

If we line the rough ceiling from below with vapor-tight plates, then four questions disappear at once: moisture condensation in the thickness of the insulation, protecting it with high-diffusion membranes, providing ventilation and protection from above from moisture from the roof or dew falling from the air of the attic space.

On the other hand, there is a problem of protecting wooden beams from waterlogging at the points of contact with vapor-tight insulation. Therefore, we will consider the specifics of the use of extruded polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam and foam glass, depending on the load-bearing structure of the floors.

Video: Overview of popular floor insulation

Concrete slabs or steel trusses

EPPS insulation from the inside requires sealing joints

Concrete is the simplest case. EPPS is mounted to it with glue from below or from above, from the side of the cold attic. No additional measures to ensure insulation or safety of materials need to be taken. The only thing, as in all other cases, is to take care of the sealing of the joints between the plates and at the joints of the ceiling with the walls. If the walls in the room are lined with insulating material from the inside, you should also select internal placement insulation to eliminate possible cold bridges. With external wall insulation, the EPPS ceiling is insulated both from above and from below, depending on the ease of installation, the way the attic space is used and other secondary factors.

Styrofoam and foam glass are best used for outdoor work. Even high-density foam grades (PSB-S 35 and PSB-S 50) are distinguished by the presence of pores, which, on the one hand, leads to the emission of a small amount of styrene, and on the other hand, to some moisture saturation. Therefore, the plates of this material are mounted on glue from the side of the attic space, and are covered on top waterproofing film, laid with an overlap with sealing of joints.

Insulation of the ceiling with foam glass is carried out from the side of the attic

Foam glass insulation of the ceiling with a cold attic is also performed with outer side but for other reasons. Firstly, these plates are much heavier, and secondly, it is more convenient and cheaper to seal the joints between them - to use bituminous mastic which is not suitable for internal works for environmental reasons.

All of the above also applies to the insulation of floors with these materials, which have a power base in the form of steel structures with decking from OSB boards or boards.

wooden beams

From the inside, decoratively painted beams, and a layer of insulation from the side of the attic

Thermal insulation in beam ceilings is usually laid in caissons between the beams. If you do not ensure tight contact of the XPS (using foam adhesive) or foam with wood and do not allow the beams to evaporate excess moisture, this will lead to their rapid waterlogging. Therefore, in without fail on the side of the room, a vapor barrier membrane should be installed, and on the side of the cold attic, a hydrobarrier should be installed that allows moisture to pass from bottom to top. At the same time, the space above the hydrobarrier must be free for effective ventilation. No flooring in the attic with this method of insulation is unacceptable. Therefore, this situation is not applicable if it is intended to use the attic for household needs.

If the design of the room allows the appearance of open ceiling beams, it is more advisable to first mount the boardwalk over the wooden floor, and then install a layer of slab insulation on top of it. Then, from below, the boards between the beams can be covered with OSB, plywood or drywall, followed by puttying and painting. This approach combines modern energy efficiency requirements with Provence style and other country design trends.

At the same time, the tree remains open on three sides, which significantly increases its service life.

polyurethane foam insulation

For environmental reasons, the technology is recommended for outdoor use only. If the ceiling is insulated with wooden beams, it is best to install a flooring on top of them and spray polyurethane foam on this surface. “Wrapping up” a tree in a PPU blanket is not the most good idea, as is the case with vapor-tight boards. But the advantages of PPU are indisputable: the material is a champion in energy efficiency.

How to determine the required ceiling insulation thickness

All you need to do is to determine the desired indoor temperature and make a list with all the building materials of your house with their thicknesses. Next, open any arbitrary online calculator for thermal construction calculations and fill in your data and region of residence in the input field. However, one should not take the received recommendation as a dogma. Reducing the layer thickness in comparison with the recommended one is quite acceptable. You just need to be aware that savings on thermal insulation are only a deferral of payments that will definitely happen in the form of energy overruns on heating and air conditioning.

Video: theory and practice of floor insulation from the side of a cold heart

Summary

In every situation, you should strive to use all its advantages. The cold under-roof space is an intensive ventilation of the ceiling from the outside. Therefore, the use of vapor-permeable insulation materials from the attic side should be considered as one of the most acceptable, especially if the ceilings are made of wooden beams.

A lot has been said about the insulation of buildings in recent years. The Russians massively rushed to insulate the facades of their homes and even the foundation. But for some reason they rarely remember about the ceiling. And it’s completely in vain, because the heat loss of a house through the roof can reach 20%. Therefore, the arrangement of attic thermal insulation not only retains heat inside the house, but also significantly saves heating costs.

Peculiarities

It has been known since school days that hot air rises and cold air sinks. This happens due to convection and leads to the fact that all the heat accumulated in the room will enter the unheated attic through the uninsulated ceiling, and from there go outside. Thus, the heating system of the residential premises begins to work for "street heating".

It is for this reason that the thermal insulation of the ceiling requires a more thorough approach than the insulation of facades: the heat loss of wood reaches 3 W / m2 / K, and for ceilings in brick or concrete house this figure is even higher. That is why the insulated ceiling will become the best defender of the house in the cold season.

However, in summer its relevance is no less significant. Under the influence high temperatures the roof heats up and transfers heat into the room, completely nullifying the effect of using air conditioners.

The thermal insulation layer retains heat well, preventing overheating of the internal space.

At the same time, most old houses have cold roof, in the Soviet years, buildings were built quickly and simply, and there was no choice of reliable materials. The roof in such structures is, in fact, a system wooden rafters, on top of which a waterproofing layer and the main roofing material are laid.

Installation of a new insulated roof structure requires a significant investment of effort, time, and most importantly, money, so not everyone can afford to dismantle the old roof and build a new one. In this situation, the best solution is to insulate the ceiling either from the side of the attic or from the side of the living rooms.

Another advantage of the insulation is related to its good sound absorption. Thus the material will not only form a healthy temperature regime in the house, but also to protect household members from the sounds of rain, hail or wind.

Having once spent on attic insulation, you can extend the life of the entire roof structure in the house and significantly improve the microclimate in residential premises for many years to come.

By the way, keep in mind that if the ceiling is insulated from the attic side of the house, then additional insulation of the floors of the first and second floors is not required.

What is the best way to insulate?

Today, the construction market offers a wide selection of various materials for ceiling insulation - from the most modern - mineral wool and polyurethane foam, to thermal insulation options that came from antiquity with clay, sawdust and hay.

Each technology has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's dwell on them in more detail.

materials

Almost any composition is suitable for ceiling insulation, as well as all types of polymer tile coatings, such as mineral wool and penoplex.

Quality insulation must meet the following criteria:

• Any, even minimal release of harmful and toxic substances under the influence of high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation is unacceptable.
• The material must be hygroscopic, resistant to moisture, otherwise its performance will be significantly reduced.
• The insulation must be resistant to combustion - that is, it is very difficult to ignite or not ignite at all. Rules fire safety require that the material used contain the spread of fire for at least 25 minutes.

All types of heaters can be divided into several groups:

• polymeric materials;
• fiber insulation;
• sprayed heat insulators;
• loose compositions.

The most popular materials for ceiling insulation are listed below.

mineral wool

Mineral wool is widely used in construction work. The parameters of the insulation meet all the necessary technical requirements for thermal insulation materials.

The use of cotton wool in residential buildings is due to its environmental safety - it is produced only from natural materials(limestone, diabase, dolomite or basalt).

The advantages of the material also include resistance to the adverse effects of atmospheric phenomena and combustibility.

At the same time, mineral wool has its drawbacks, namely:

• tends to absorb water, therefore, during its installation, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing, and additionally treat the seams with sealant or mounting foam;
• laying requires a frame-batten, which leads to additional costs of effort, time and money;
• fiber heaters have a relatively short service life - their effectiveness lasts for 10-15 years, and then the heat insulator needs to be replaced.

Ecowool

Ecowool is made from cellulose fibers. This material appeared relatively recently and is not yet as common as mineral wool, but it is obvious that this is only temporary.

Its advantages are the following:

• This heater has a small weight, greatly facilitating the carrying out installation work, and also contributes to more reliable thermal insulation of the ceiling.
• Ecowool is resistant to moisture, mold does not appear in it and fungi do not multiply.
• In addition, the canvas is subjected to a special treatment with flame retardants, therefore it is considered a fire-resistant material - it is a low-flammable and self-extinguishing material.
• The coating that ecowool forms is dense and seamless, it is optimal for protection from winter cold and summer heat.

Cellulose fibers are breathable products, so the insulation does not interfere with the free circulation of air, helps to remove condensate and create a healthy microclimate in the room.

Penofol

Modern heat-insulating material, which consists of polyethylene foam and aluminum foil. The coating is widely used for finishing unheated balconies and loggias.

The advantages of penofol are obvious:

• it has a low thermal conductivity, which means it helps to save the cost of heating a house;
• prevents drafts, cold air and radon from entering living quarters;
• has a low weight, which greatly facilitates installation and does not create additional load on the floors and supports of the building.

However, the disadvantages are also significant. The surface of the penofol is flexible, so a frame must be installed. It is not suitable for all types of surfaces. Most often, penofol is used together with mineral wool, this contributes to more efficient insulation of the ceiling.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam, also known as expanded polystyrene, is considered one of the most convenient materials used for thermal insulation of surfaces. It creates effective protection against cold and heat, but at the same time does not harm the health of the inhabitants of the house. If the installation is done correctly, then the foam retains its performance characteristics for many years.

Its advantages include:

• hygroscopicity;
• good thermal conductivity;
• light weight;
• ease of installation.

Among the minuses are:

• low resistance to burning;
• exposure to UV rays and exposure to chemicals;
• resistance to mechanical damage.

polyurethane foam

By its chemical nature, polyurethane foam is close to traditional polyurethane foam, its components provide good adhesion to surfaces different types, however, special equipment is required for the installation of expanded polystyrene. Therefore, it is not possible to apply it on your own.

The coating, which gives PPU, is even and seamless, there are no cold bridges. In the hardened form, the coating is completely non-combustible, it exhibits thermal insulation characteristics that are 1.3 times higher than those for foam plastic.

The disadvantage of polyurethane foam is due to the fact that it is destroyed under the influence of UV rays, so installation requires additional protection from the sun's rays.

Expanded clay

This is a fairly common material that is very often used to insulate the ceiling in private homes.

Expanded clay is a porous granules made of clay. Such material retains heat well and can last much longer than any other insulation. Expanded clay is not afraid of water, is resistant to fire and is very durable.

The disadvantage of expanded clay is associated with its weight - the material creates an additional load on the floors and foundation of the building, therefore it can crumble only if the building is able to withstand increased pressure without sagging or deforming.

Other varieties

For finishing private houses in villages and dachas, they often use methods that have come to us since ancient times.

Even our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers insulated their houses with materials of natural origin:

• sawdust;
• reeds;
• straw;
• needles;
• algae;
• hay.

Warming with sawdust is, perhaps, one of the most ancient ways of warming dwellings. Such thermal insulation options are widely used in regions where the woodworking industry is well developed - there you can buy such material literally for a penny, and sometimes even get it for free.

Its advantages are obvious - it is environmentally friendly raw materials and low weight, and such thermal insulation is quite inexpensive.

However, the disadvantages are quite significant: sawdust quickly ignites and supports combustion, rots or dries out over time. And besides, rats, mice and other rodents may well "look after" fresh shavings as a habitat.

Another option for insulation that has come to us since ancient times is the use of clay. In its pure form, it is not used, insofar as to create an effective heat-insulating layer, it is necessary to create a coating 50-70 cm thick. Not a single wooden material can withstand this load, which is why a mixture of clay with sawdust is widely used.

In the Soviet years, many used slag and glass wool to insulate a country house.

Slag wool is a material made from blast-furnace slag. This is a cheap heat insulator, but in recent years, most consumers have abandoned its use - it absorbs moisture, and when wet, creates an acidic environment that contributes to the destruction of roofing elements.

Glass wool has not lost its relevance to this day.- it is this material that occupies a leading position in terms of the quality of thermal insulation between all types of mineral wool. This indicator of the material corresponds to 0.03 W / mK. Another advantage of raw materials is its low cost.

However, working with glass wool can be unsafe - particles of the material can damage the human skin, and if they get into the eyes or lungs, cause serious injury. Therefore, working with this material requires the use of protective clothing - gloves, goggles, a raincoat and a respirator.

Required Tools

To carry out work on the thermal insulation of the attic, it is necessary to prepare all the required tools and materials:

• directly insulation;
• wooden bars or metal profile under the crate;
• hardware products;
• vapor barrier coating;
• building brackets;
• dowel;

• perforator;
• hammer;
• screwdriver;
• roulette;
• construction knife.

Calculation of the amount of insulation

A century ago, the width of the walls helped to maintain heat in the room - then it sometimes reached 1 meter! Nowadays, the need to build such walls has disappeared, since a huge variety of materials for thermal and waterproofing of buildings has appeared on the market. Their density forms a reduced thermal conductivity, due to which the heat loss of the living space is sharply reduced.

Therefore, today in preparation finishing works another task comes to the fore - the need to save. That is why, before you go to the hardware store, you should carefully calculate the amount of insulation that will be needed to effectively create a heat-insulating layer.

V is the volume of insulation in cubic meters;

L is the estimated perimeter of the working surface in meters;

g is the thickness of the insulation in meters.

When calculating the given parameter, it should be borne in mind that in 2009 the EnUV standard was officially adopted, according to which the heat transfer coefficient of the thermal insulation coating was equal to at least 0.24W/m2xK. This value is provided by a layer of insulation with a thickness of 13 to 40 cm, depending on the materials used and the value of their thermal conductivity.

In addition, the type of buildings should be considered. For example, in European countries, different types of structures are subject to different requirements - for old buildings they are less stringent than for new types of buildings.

Preparatory work

Before starting installation work on the insulation of the ceiling, it is necessary to prepare a wooden surface:

• clear the place of laying the insulation from debris and dirt;
• with special care, treat all wooden elements with a fire retardant, which will increase its combustibility, you should be very careful about applying the composition in the cavity of gaps, cracks and crevices;
• eliminate all existing deformations and surface damage - small cracks are repaired with putty, and more serious damage is treated with mounting foam, the excess of which is then removed with a simple knife.

If the heater is mounted on concrete surface, then the preparation looks a little different:

• inspect the ceiling, remove all peeling and fragile decorative coatings, and then clean from dust;
• slightly widen the detected cracks and remove the dirt accumulated in them, then putty or seal with a sealant;
• treat the surface with a primer.

Mounting technology

The technology for mounting insulation on the ceiling involves the use of one of two methods.

• Warming from the inside- this is the laying of insulation on the ceiling surface from the side of the living room, often accompanied by the installation of suspended structures or drywall. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the total height of the ceiling with this method of installation will decrease by about 10-20 cm. It is very important that the material has good vapor permeability, penofol, as well as mineral and basalt wool, meet these tasks to the greatest extent.
• Insulation of the ceiling from the outside- this is the laying of thermal insulation from the side of the attic. The option is quite profitable and practical, since it does not require any finishing work (except when the room is planned to be made into a residential attic). The most common materials for this type of installation are polystyrene, penoizol, expanded clay and mineral wool.

The first option is considered less preferable for a number of reasons:

• the height of the ceilings is significantly reduced, which is already small in old private houses (standard in the days of the USSR, the height of the ceilings was 240-260 cm);
• the inability to use a bulk type heat insulator;
• cooling points are moved closer to the internal ceilings;
• the need for repair work in connection with the dismantling of the old ceiling covering.

If the attic is insulated from the outside, then the installation is devoid of all of the above disadvantages. However, sometimes there are situations when insulation from the outside is not possible, so we will consider both options for laying a heat-insulating layer on the ceiling.

From within

Insulation work from the residential premises is carried out in cases where old-type buildings with ready-made attic floors are being reconstructed or there is no access to the attic.

Overlappings are insulated in one of the following ways.

The first involves fixing heat-insulating materials directly to the floors using an adhesive solution and additional fastening with dowels. This method is optimal when the ceiling is made of reinforced concrete.

The sequence of work in this case is as follows:

• floors are primed;
• prepare an adhesive solution;
• glue is applied to the board thermal insulation material, after which it is pressed against the surface and set in a horizontal direction;
• after the solution adheres (as a rule, this happens after 2-3 days), the insulation is additionally fixed with dowels with a large cap.

At the final stage, the ceiling is finished.

The second method involves installation on a frame base made of wooden beam or metal profile. At the same time, the insulation is mounted between the main bearing parts of the crate and fastened with bent strips of strong straight hangers.

The method is suitable for floors of any type.

Both options are highly effective, although the thickness of the coating is often significantly limited due to the desire to maximize the usable space of the living space.

Outside

The method of insulating the ceiling from the outside is more preferable. It is not surprising, because this method does not steal the height of the ceiling. In addition, the method is good if the rooms have already undergone high-quality repairs, the interior is decorated and the ceiling is made in the form of a decorative stylish design. Then the inhabitants of the house often do not want to destroy the created "beauty" and spend time, effort and money on equipping a new coating. In this case, thermal insulation over the ceiling is most preferable.

The device of a thermal barrier in this way involves the use of materials of any type.

However, it should be borne in mind that working with ecowool and PPU requires the help of professional teams. But the laying of mineral wool, polystyrene or expanded clay can be done with your own hands.

If the ceiling is made of reinforced concrete, then the most the best option there will be expanded clay covered with a layer of 15-20 cm or foam insulation.

Wooden structures may not be able to cope with heavy insulation, here it is worth giving preference to mineral wool, which will not only not create an additional load on the building's supports, but will also allow condensate to be efficiently discharged. Fiber insulation is attached between the existing beams, after which a vapor barrier is installed, counter rails are attached to the beams, which will serve as the base base for laying the boards when equipping the floor in the attic or in the attic floor.

The technology for insulating the ceiling from the attic side differs for different types of materials.

When installing with mineral (basalt or stone) wool or glass wool, in addition to the material itself, you will need boards or a metal profile, tools for cutting insulation and fasteners.

• To begin with, lay on the floor vapor barrier film, while the work must be carried out in such a way that no gaps appear on the surface. The material is overlapped by 15-20 cm, and the seams are reinforced with special adhesive tape.
• A frame made of beams or a metal profile is installed on the base prepared in this way, the distance between the elements of the crate should be 2-3 cm less than the width of the roll of fibrous insulation, the height should slightly exceed the thickness of the insulation. This is very important, because it helps to ensure free air circulation in the future.
• Then the mineral wool is unpacked and fixed in the space between the laths of the crate.
• If the insulation is made in several layers, then the material should be fixed in such a way that each subsequent layer overlaps the seams of the previous one.
• A roofing material or other waterproofing coating is laid on top of the crate (do not forget that there should be free space between it and the mineral wool).

The technology of working with foam plastic looks a little different. Styrofoam is laid in two ways - on glue or on a crate.

• Mounting on the frame is in many ways reminiscent of working with mineral wool. The only difference is that the material is attached to the side rails of the crate using liquid nails.
• But the description of the technology for working with glue corresponds to the following scheme. To begin with, the surface on which the solution will be applied is thoroughly cleaned of debris, dirt and grease. The coating is thoroughly washed, degreased, and then polished to smooth out any irregularities. If necessary, the floors are primed. Then the glue is diluted and applied to the foam sheets, after a couple of minutes of waiting, the plate is pressed tightly against the floor surface and held until the required adhesion. In this way, the entire surface is processed, the joints of the material with communications are processed with mounting foam or sealant.

Installation of foam insulation does not present any difficulties. First you need to lay a vapor barrier material, after which the space between the beams is filled with insulation so that the layer thickness is 20-30 cm. A roofing material is additionally laid on the surface of the coating and a plank floor is laid.

Work with ecowool is carried out in one of two main ways - dry and wet.

• The dry laying option assumes that the material must be placed in pre-prepared cells of the ceiling. At the same time, the thermal insulation properties of the material are used only by 60-70% of those available.
• The second method involves the use of professional equipment, which effectively moistens the material and then sprays it over a surface prepared in advance. The method is based on the peculiarity of ecowool to become sticky upon contact with water, as a result of which the material adheres tightly to the ceiling and adheres reliably to its surface. In this case, thermal insulation manifests itself more fully, but this method is impossible to carry out on its own - the work requires the use of professional knowledge, skills and equipment.

The minimum layer of ecowool required for effective insulation is approximately 20-30 cm. However, the thickness of the coating may be higher if the work is carried out in a region with cold winters.

The simplest technological option for insulation is the use of expanded clay, which simply crumbles in the space between the beams on a pre-laid layer of vapor barrier materials. Experts recommend using expanded clay of different fractions. This provides less shrinkage and greater strength and insulation efficiency. For regions of the middle climatic zone, the material is applied in a layer of 20 cm, and for more severe conditions it can reach half a meter.

Sawdust is a cheap and affordable way of thermal insulation. To ensure greater efficiency of thermal insulation, this material is mixed with cement and lime in a ratio of 10x1x1. The components are thoroughly mixed until a dry mixture. Then you need to take 5-10 parts of water, to which a little copper sulfate is added (it acts as an antiseptic). After that, the mixture is again kneaded and applied to the surface.

You can make sure that the composition is ready as follows: for this you need to squeeze a little mixture in your fist. If water does not drip from it, then the solution is ready for use.

The indicated methods of ceiling insulation are the most popular methods of thermal insulation of a room that exist today. Whatever method and whatever materials you use, there are general requirements for this type of work that are subject to mandatory execution.

• Heat insulators that absorb water must be enclosed on both sides with waterproofing materials. It is advisable to use them only in rooms with normal level humidity. The vapor barrier layer is laid on the side where the penetration of moisture and condensate is most likely.

• The required thickness of the insulation depends on the specific natural and climatic zone and is calculated according to the R-value of the structure, which for residential buildings is 4.6-7.3 m2 / kW.
• There is no 100% moisture protection. Therefore, when insulating the ceiling, always use waterproofing materials.
• The materials used have their own advantages and disadvantages. Mineral wool is considered the most optimal in terms of price / quality ratio and ease of installation, it is not only of low cost and high quality, but this material also contains a minimum amount of harmful substances.
• The most economical option would be sawdust or expanded clay. However, sawdust is short-lived, and not every building can withstand the weight of expanded clay. Styrofoam is relatively cheap and its thermal insulation properties are beyond praise, however, this material highlights harmful substances. True, in fairness, we note that their doses are minimal and harmless to health.

Which material to choose and which installation method to prefer is a matter of taste. But in any case, high-quality insulation of the ceiling allows you to maintain a healthy microclimate in your home for many years and significantly save on maintenance costs.

In this video, you will find a master class on warming the attic floor with mineral wool.