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Private developers very often think about the arrangement of under-roof space. Someone leaves it as an attic, where you can put unnecessary things, and someone arranges living quarters under the roof - attics. Therefore, in the latter case, it is extremely important to take care of the insulation of the room so that it is comfortable there even in winter.

The builders involved in the insulation of the under-roof space have long been divided into two opposing camps:

some argue that the best material for insulation is polystyrene and its derivatives;
others insist.

In this article, we will consider the feasibility of using expanded polystyrene and the stages of its installation.

Pros and cons of this option

Expanded polystyrene (foamed and extruded) is considered one of the most commonly used materials for attic insulation.

Let's start with the benefits:

Styrofoam has a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.031-0.042 W / m²k, and extruded polystyrene foam - 0.029-0.031W / m²k. For comparison, the same indicator for mineral wool is 0.045-0.07 W / m²k. These figures indicate that less foam polystyrene is needed to insulate the attic than basalt wool for the same area.
Moisture resistant. PPS is vapor tight. It practically does not gain moisture, and therefore, with proper operation, it does not lose its heat-insulating properties for a long time. Also, the material will not let wet steam, which can form in the living room, into the system of rafters and battens. In addition, the vapor impermeability of expanded polystyrene precludes the use of a vapor barrier film in a roofing "pie" system.
Extruded foam used for residential insulation burns but does not support combustion. This means that if it is not specially and purposefully set on fire, it will not flare up from a short circuit in the wiring.
The durability of the material suggests that even after 10-20 years, expanded polystyrene will perfectly retain heat in the house.
Penoplex (extruded polystyrene foam) is perfectly cut with a knife, has good resistance to compression, it is quite durable.
The speed of installation is much higher than the speed of working with mineral wool.

Read more: PVC stretch ceilings - their advantages

Important! A distinction should be made between conventional foamed polystyrene and extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). The first is rather fragile, tends to break down into its constituent foam balls. XPS is more durable, but more expensive.

Cons of using polystyrene foam for attic insulation:

Failure to comply with the rules of natural ventilation in the under-roof space and errors in laying the material itself can lead to air stagnation and condensation in the space between the insulation and the roof. High humidity leads to rotting and destruction of the roof rafters.
When the roofing material is heated, the temperature affects the rate of decay of the insulation. Naturally, it does not crumble in a couple of years, but the release of toxic fumes into the air of residential premises is ensured. Some masters claim that with proper ventilation, all these secretions will be blown out from under the roof, but not everyone wants to experience this theory.

Initially, polystyrene foam and its derivatives were used to insulate the basement and blind area of the house, and EPPS was used to install the "warm floor" system in residential premises.

Preparation process

It is possible to insulate the attic with foam plastic from the inside with your own hands, if you have intelligent assistants, enough time and tools, as well as knowledge of the technology of laying insulation.

The technology of work is as follows:

All debris and unnecessary items from the under-roof space are eliminated.
Rafters and lathing, walls near windows and window frames are inspected. All parts requiring attention must be repaired and restored.
The amount of material for insulation is calculated. It is better to buy polystyrene foam with a margin, since whole sheets will still have to be cut and as a result they may not be enough.

How to properly insulate an attic

Roof rafters are usually 15-20 cm wide. The larger this figure, the better. Insulation is placed in the space between the rafters.

Read more: Insulation of the attic floor with foam plastic - make the attic warm

However, it is worth remembering that polystyrene foam is vapor-tight, and its contact with the roof sheathing can affect its rapid destruction. Therefore, when insulating the attic with foam, it is important to remember about the air vent - the blown space between the crate and the insulation. The distance must be at least 5 cm.

What layer of foam do you need?

According to the coefficient of thermal conductivity of SNiP for roofs (you can see the tables), the thickness of the foam layer must be at least 15 cm. This means that 2-3 layers of polystyrene foam must be used to insulate the attic. In this case, the last outer one will go on top of the rafters, but more on that later.

Styrofoam slabs are cut to the required width (3-5 mm less than the distance between the rafters) and placed between the roof beams. It is best to use PPS slabs 8-10 cm thick for the first layer, so you can mount them flush with the rafters and not worry about air vents.

Example of PPS slabs - you use thinner

All the gaps between the beams and the insulation, and between the foam polystyrene plates themselves, must be carefully closed with a sealant - mounting foam. Waiting for solidification, cut off the excess.

Man sealing cracks with mounting foam

The second layer of foam must be laid with a spaced seam. The layers are best fixed with self-tapping screws. For the outer row, it is better to choose polystyrene foam with a "quarter" (spike) along the edge. It is designed for installation with a solid carpet.

The lock system allows you to close all possible gaps that may form between the material plates.

Why is the last layer placed on top of the rafters and foam?

Despite the sealing of all cracks and gaps, the tree still freezes and forms a cold bridge. They also need to be closed.

Thanks to a 15-cm layer of heat insulator and an air vent (5-10 cm) between it and the crate, the room will retain heat even in severe frost in winter.

Read more: Wall insulation in the garage: features of the choice of material

After installing polystyrene foam under the roof, they proceed to the insulation of the attic walls and floor.

For a more detailed acquaintance with the technology of attic insulation with foam from the inside, see the video below.

We hope that the material of the article was useful to you. We will be grateful if you share it on social networks.

An attic space can become a comfortable study, a room for children's games or a cozy bedroom, if it is properly insulated and finished. This process is not much different from the thermal insulation of rooms in the house, but it still has its own nuances. It is not difficult to do high-quality attic insulation with your own hands, the main thing is to choose the right materials and follow the instructions.

Before insulating the attic, it is necessary to prepare: remove everything superfluous, clean it of dust, close up everything to one crack. Particular attention is paid to the window opening, sealing the joints around the perimeter of the double-glazed window. Small gaps are covered with putty, large ones are filled with pieces of foam, and then sealed with cement mortar.

All wooden elements should be treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant.

The insulation must be complete, therefore, both the floor and the walls (if any) are also checked for the absence of gaps, irregularities, and other defects. The floor beams are covered with protective compounds, the surface of the walls is primed. The waterproofing film should be located on the outside of the rafters, it is usually laid during the installation of the roof. Sometimes they do without waterproofing at all: a good quality roofing does not let water through and perfectly protects the truss system from excessive moisture.

Tools and materials for insulation

Thermal insulation of the attic can be done using the simplest tools:

roulettes;
building level;
hammer;
drills;
screwdriver;
jigsaw.

Mineral wool, foam plastic, polystyrene foam boards, foam plastic are used as a heater. For thermal insulation of the truss system, it is better to choose slab materials that are more convenient to fasten between the beams. But on the floor of the attic, you can lay both slab and roll insulation. When choosing, one should take into account the vapor permeability of the material, its durability and strength.

Styrofoam is considered the cheapest and lightest insulation; it is easy to cut, convenient to mount on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. It is not afraid of moisture, but at the same time it has low vapor permeability, which can cause dampness in the attic room. In addition, the foam is damaged by mice and releases toxic substances when burned.

Expanded polystyrene is stronger than polystyrene, less combustible and toxic, has a higher vapor permeability. It is mounted as easily as polystyrene, and is available in plates of different thicknesses.

Mineral wool is probably the most popular insulation for residential premises. It is valued for its environmental friendliness, incombustibility, high thermal insulation properties. In addition, mineral wool perfectly muffles sounds, which is especially important for a good rest. When wet and severely deformed, this material loses its thermal insulation qualities, therefore, during installation, it should be handled carefully and protected from moisture.

Additionally, when insulating the attic, you will need:

wooden slats;
self-tapping screws;
construction stapler;
waterproofing material;
adhesive aluminum tape or tape.

Attic insulation process

If everything is ready, you can get to work. The most time-consuming step is the insulation of the roof, since it is more difficult to work with inclined surfaces. That is why they start from the roof, then they insulate the walls and the floor of the attic. And only after that they start finishing. Finishing part of the room before laying thermal insulation in adjacent areas is not recommended, as this may violate the tightness of the layers.

Stage 1. Warming of the under-roof space

Insulation plates are cut so that their width is 3-4 cm more than the distance between the rafters. Next, measure the thickness of the rafters, because the thermal insulation layer should not protrude beyond the edges of the floor beams. If the thickness of the rafters is less than the thickness of the insulation sheet, wooden slats are stuffed along the beams from above. If the rafters are much thicker than the slabs, the thermal insulation is laid in two layers.

The plates are carefully inserted between the beams and aligned at the corners and joints. There should be no gaps or voids, the entire space is tightly clogged with insulation.

If rolled material is used, studs are stuffed vertically on the beams in increments of 30 cm and a thick fishing line and cord are tied to the top studs. Having laid the edge of the insulation, they pull it with a fishing line, and so on until the end of the run. When the entire under-roof space is covered with a heat-insulating layer, the vapor barrier can be fixed.

Stage 2. Attaching the vapor barrier

Glassine, polyethylene, sometimes roofing felt are used as a vapor barrier, but the most practical option for an attic is a foil-coated polypropylene film. This material reliably protects the surface from any evaporation from inside the room, from the penetration of moisture from the outside, and also increases the thermal insulation properties of the lower layer by reflecting infrared rays.

The foil film is fastened with a stapler on the beams of the rafters with the shiny side inside the attic; on sections, the film is laid with an overlap of 10 cm, and then glued with aluminum tape or adhesive tape. On the sides, the vapor barrier should extend 5-10 cm onto the walls, and a small allowance is also left along the floor line. It is not recommended to strongly stretch the film or leave sagging areas: the material should be evenly distributed over the surface and move away by a maximum of 2 cm.

Stage 3. Wall insulation

Depending on the type of roof, the attic walls may differ in height and location. Usually, the gables of the house act as walls, but sometimes the roof does not reach the floor and vertical walls up to 1 m high are left on the sides of the attic. Since the walls are already primed during the preparation of the room, insulation begins with waterproofing:

holes are drilled in the brickwork and wooden blocks are fixed to the dowels in increments of 40 cm;
a waterproofing membrane is fixed on the rails with staples;
mineral wool slabs are inserted between the bars.

You can insulate the walls a little differently: the surface is leveled with cement plaster, primed, and then foam polystyrene plates are taken and glued to the walls.

A special reinforcing mesh is attached to the glue on top, and decorative plaster is applied to it. If the finish involves lining the attic with clapboard, siding or drywall, carrier rails must be required. The insulation layer is covered with a foil film, paying special attention to the corner seams.

Stage 4. Floor insulation

The attic floor is also the ceiling of the house, and insulation from the attic saves free space in the living rooms. The floor can be insulated not only with slab or roll materials, but also with loose materials, for example, expanded clay. This method is suitable for houses with solid ceilings, since the expanded clay layer exerts a rather high load on the ceiling beams.

Start by laying a waterproofing film on the floor of the attic. The film is laid out on the surface, carefully distributed between the floor beams, and then fixed on the sides of the beams with a stapler. All overlaps are glued with adhesive tape; around the perimeter, the film should go a little on the walls. Styrofoam, mineral wool are tightly laid out between the beams, or a layer of expanded clay is poured. Thermal insulation should not rise above the ceilings, and voids in the corners should not be left either. Now the insulation must be closed with a foil vapor barrier, glue the joints and fill the top with boards, chipboard or plywood with a thickness of 2 cm or more.

Stage 5. Finishing

The edges of the film are cut with a sharp knife, the joints are sealed with tape. Starting from the ceiling, wooden slats are stuffed over the vapor barrier film in increments of 30-40 cm, depending on the type of finish. The slats must be attached perpendicular to the supporting beams, and the sheathing, respectively, perpendicular to the slats. In the corners between the roof and the walls, 2 slats are stuffed side by side on each side so that the edges of the sheathing are tightly fixed to the surface. Along the perimeter of the window opening, slats are also stuffed for attaching platbands.

On this, the thermal insulation of the attic can be considered complete. If each stage was completed with all diligence, the room will remain warm even in the most severe frosts. And on hot days, a layer of insulation will keep the room cool, despite the proximity of a hot roof.

Video - Do-it-yourself attic insulation

The roof is an integral element of any building that protects the construction site from the effects of atmospheric phenomena: wind, dust, rain, snow.

It is necessary to produce in order to keep warm in the cold season, and to avoid overheating on hot summer days.

From the literacy of the choice of material for insulation, the professionalism of the work performed, compliance with all the rules for the arrangement of the roof depends life time roofs.

It seems possible even to a non-professional. Before embarking on the direct insulation of the roof, you must have a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhere the attic, residential area or non-residential area for the attic. The consumption of material for insulation depends on this.

choose the appropriate material, suitable for the characteristics and meeting the requirements of a particular building, designate the scheme and procedure for work;
necessarily check the rafters for strength, quality, possible damage by fungus. If defects or moisture are found, unusable elements must be replaced;
to increase service life treat with an antiseptic all elements of the roof frame, including wires, water pipes, rafters. As an impregnation for a wooden structure, both antipyretic and antiseptic agents can be used.

When all the preparatory work is done, you can begin to insulate the roof.

The main types of heaters

Of the many materials on the construction market for the installation of thermal insulation, the most popular are:

Styrofoam;
glass wool(fiberglass);
basalt slabs.

Thermal insulation materials must have high thermal insulation qualities, including good water resistance, low thermal conductivity, environmental friendliness, low flammability.

The longer the material can retain these properties, the more reliable and durable it is.

Polyfoam: advantages and disadvantages

Styrofoam is a foamed material that consists mainly of gas enclosed in microscopic cells of the material. Due to its good thermal conductivity, foam is often used for roof insulation.

This material, unlike cotton analogues, has more high thermal performance which allows you to lay it in a thinner layer.

In addition, the foam has advantageous indicators that characterize it as a worthy heat insulator. The use of polystyrene foam for roof insulation is due to some characteristic advantages:

lack of water absorption;
low thermal conductivity;
strength;
not subject to stretching and compression;
good performance soundproofing;
ease of installation;
no decay;
not affected by microorganisms;
good performance wear resistance: not subject to temperature changes;
does not weigh down the structure;
durability(service life up to 80 years);
relatively low price;
according to hygienic standards, it is harmless to humans and the environment, since it does not emit harmful substances.

CAREFULLY!

Styrofoam has fairly good fire resistance (not subject to spontaneous combustion), however, releases toxic fumes when burned therefore, during installation, all fire safety rules must be observed.

Despite the fact that the foam has a fairly rigid structure, this indicator can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, since rigidity is also accompanied by brittleness. In this regard, when insulating a large volume of roofing, a lot of waste can remain, so material should be purchased with a margin.

The disadvantages of foam as a heater include:

instability to mechanical influences;
susceptible to destruction when exposed to varnishes or nitro paints;
does not let air through(it is necessary to additionally mount ventilation);
has a lower coefficient of thermal insulation, compared with modern heaters;
does not constitute an obstacle for rodents, therefore, it requires additional protection.

Despite the shortcomings, the foam is widely used in thermal insulation work.

How to choose the optimal foam thickness?

Climate indicators of the region are the starting point for calculating the thickness of the foam for roof insulation. There are special tables that display the parameters of heat transfer of each region.

In addition, on the packaging (sometimes in the certificate) of the foam plastic, the value of the coefficient of thermal conductivity of the insulation is indicated.

The product of the values of the thermal conductivity coefficient and the thermal heat transfer of the region will be equal to the thickness of the insulation layer.

There are average indicators of the density of the material, which experts are guided by when choosing polystyrene foam:

on flat or attic roofs use PSB-35 material (density - 35 kg / m3, thickness - from 50 to 100 mm);
for pitched and attic- PSB-15 ( density - 15 kg / m3, thickness - from 50 to 100 mm);
on the walls- PSB-25 ( density - 25 kg / m3, thickness - from 50 to 100 mm).

Sometimes you have to lay the foam in two layers. In this case, the heat-insulating layer may be thicker than the width of the rafter, as a result of which it is necessary to build up the frame boards.

With the technology of laying expanded polystyrene at a distance between the rafters, additional work to increase the width of the wooden frame can be avoided, but then installation can become much more complicated.

Styrofoam insulation of a non-residential attic

If there is a non-residential attic, only the ceiling with the building or floor of the attic.

Sometimes they resort to. In this case, the insulation of the roof with foam plastic is made from the inside.

Before proceeding with the insulation of the roof with polystyrene foam, you need to know what work must be carried out without fail:

provide the perimeter of the surface to be insulated with continuous heat-insulating contour;
to produce and rafters, in we talked about the insulation of a metal roof (corrugated board and metal tiles);
provide space between the insulation and the roof for ventilation.

It is the performance of these works that provides high-quality thermal insulation.

Warming procedure foam attic is carried out as follows:

the amount of material needed for the work is calculated. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the surface area that needs to be insulated, surface irregularities. The fragility of the foam contributes to an additional increase in the batch of purchased material;
also purchased rack in the form of bars (for crates);
collect and attach the crate to the roof;
install a heater.

Flat roof roofing cake

Installation of insulation for the roof of the attic is carried out in several stages:

wooden structure treated with an antiseptic, gaps are eliminated with mounting foam, silicone glue or other sealants;
cover the entire surface waterproofing layer;
stack crate of bars(section 10x10mm) with a step equal to the width of the material plate.
the foam is laid around the entire perimeter of the roof, while making sure that between the panels no gaps formed;
insulation cover ;
at the end, the entire “pie” is covered with a material that will completely hide the entire structure (drywall, plywood, plastic panels) and cover the entire coating.

Finishing stage of laying insulation

When the attic is insulated, heat is stored much longer in the building itself and is not spent on the attic space.

Insulation of the mansard roof with foam

It implies the insulation of the entire area of the attic floor. Initially, the roof is insulated, then the walls and floor. It should be remembered that there must be a gap between the plates for ventilation.

Insulation of the mansard roof with foam plastic is carried out quite often, while the sequence of actions must be observed:

before starting work it is necessary to calculate the amount of consumable material. Often, thin blocks of foam are used, which are laid in a double layer in a checkerboard pattern so that the joints of the lower layer are covered with a canvas of the upper one. Due to the fragility of the foam, material should be taken with a margin;
further on the rafters with the help of nails or staples is superimposed waterproofing film, which is fastened with bars up to 5 cm high. On the slopes of the roof, the waterproofing is laid across the overlap (the width of the lining of the edges of the material is about 10 cm). It is allowed that the film sags a little, but is not stretched;
further between the rafters lay the foam, at the same time, contact between the material and the rafters should not be allowed, otherwise the insulation will cool much faster. Styrofoam sheets should fasten with screws or special glue. The joints between the rafters and the wall, as well as between the rafters and the foam, are recommended to be sealed with mounting foam;
the space of window openings is sealed with pieces of foam and waterproofing film;
then the entire area is covered vapor barrier film, fixing it with staples;
the final stage is the laying of the sheathing: drywall, plywood or other finishing material, which is then puttied and prepared for the application of decorative materials (paint, wallpaper, wood finishes). Sheathing is attached to a profile or a wooden beam, which provides a gap of about 5 cm between the skin and the thermal insulation.

Roofing pie pitched roof

Combination of heaters - foam plastic + mineral wool

This option for insulating the attic roof with foam is the most common. If you follow all the recommendations, you can achieve good thermal insulation of the roof for many years.

Common mistakes when insulating foam

Insulation of the roof with polystyrene is advisable to carry out in conjunction with the insulation of all walls of the building. However, if the roof is insulated not properly, then soon the consequences of unprofessional warming will clearly make themselves felt.

The most common mistakes, which are important to avoid during the installation of insulation:

the occurrence of gaps between the foam plates. These gaps are bridges of cold that appear during the cold season. In addition, they can cause moisture in the insulation;
use of polyethylene film as waterproofing. After a few years, its properties will be lost and cellophane will begin to pass moisture;
errors in the calculation of the thickness of the heat-insulating layer can lead to the appearance of cavities and a violation of the tightness of the insulation.

Correctly selected thermal insulation material and properly equipped roof insulation will keep the heat of the house for many years.