A.P. Starshov *, Head of Technical Policy Department, CJSC TAF Arkhproekt, Ufa
A.P. Starshov - more than 45 years of experience in the construction industry, of which 30 years in the city repair and construction trust in Ufa, including the positions of chief engineer of the trust and general director, and 15 years in a design organization, including the position of deputy general director for production.
In the process of updating regulatory documentation in construction, the requirement for the installation of ventilated attics (technical floors) in multi-apartment residential buildings was excluded from the regulatory documents. For all previous centuries, houses with cold ventilated attics were the most reliable, durable and low-maintenance roof structures. And suddenly, since 2010, high-rise buildings with a combined, bare roof, which is not reliable, short-lived and not maintainable, began to appear in all regions. These overly economical investors took advantage of the gaps in the new regulatory documentation and, in order to save money, began to cut off the upper part of the house, which is a technically ventilated attic floor. Such a non-attic coating from condensation moistening of the insulation completely loses its heat-insulating abilities after 5-7 years, which leads to freezing of the upper floor and large heat losses. Heat, as you know, rises from all floors up, heat loss through the roof of the house reaches 15% of the heat loss of the entire house.
Types of roof structures
In the practice of building civil buildings in the climatic conditions of Russia, the following roof structures are used.
Cold attic roofs
The most widely used in the construction of residential and public buildings in the conditions of central Russia, have found roofs with a cold attic. Roofs with a cold attic have been considered the most reliable for Russia for hundreds of years. They are recommended in (see clause 8.18) for residential buildings of any number of storeys. In this design, a vapor barrier, usually rolled, is laid on the ceiling of the upper floor. A heater is laid on top of the vapor barrier, the thickness of which depends on the climatic conditions of the construction site and the type of heat-insulating material. Thermal insulation is open to the attic space, and from below it is protected by a layer of vapor barrier from the penetration of moisture vapor from the premises, which are especially intensively released during the cold period of time from rooms with a humid regime (for example, bathrooms). The volume of the attic from above is limited by the roofing elements, which can be made in the form of a pitched roof with slopes of 25 degrees or more, with a piece coating of slate, metal, or a flat roof with a roll coating and small slope angles that provide rain and melt water runoff into the funnels of internal drains .
In the attic, air ducts are arranged for free ventilation of the attic space in the form of holes in the outer walls, or dormer windows with lattice filling, so the air temperature in the attic differs slightly from the outside temperature and condensation does not form on the inner surface of the roofing material. It is always dry in the attic, this design of the attic is called ventilated and ensures the drying of the insulation in all cases in case of accidental leaks or when wet from condensate. If necessary, you can inspect and replace the damaged insulation or add it in separate places, i.e. such a design is optimally maintainable. The attic allows you to combine exhaust ventilation channels and sewer risers and bring them out above the roof in the form of a small number of shafts. The dry state of the insulation allows you to significantly reduce heat loss through the top cover of the house and ensure a comfortable ceiling temperature in the apartments on the top floor.
Heated attic roofs
For colder regions, the set of rules (clause 4.6.8.) prescribes the use of roofs in the form of a warm attic. In this design, all exhaust ventilation channels and sewer risers are discharged into the attic space, warm air is collected in the attic and discharged above the roof using one large shaft with a section of 1x1 m and a height of 4.5 m above the attic floor. At the same time, no holes are made in the outer walls.
Due to the influx of warm air into the attic, the temperature in the attic in winter is much higher than outside, so the attic is called warm and its walls and coating must be insulated. A warm attic allows you to reduce heat loss through the ceiling of the upper floor, since heat loss depends on the temperature difference on the inner and outer surfaces of the floor slab. With such a system, the insulation, as well as in a cold attic, is located in the ventilation zone and is not exposed to moisture, and in case of accidental moisture ingress, it has the possibility of drying out. At the same time, a large number of ventilation ducts are not removed above the roof without violating its integrity; only one common exhaust shaft is arranged for each section of the building.
Combined roofs
Non-attic coverings (combined roofs) are roof structures in which the floor slab of the upper floor, on which the insulation layer is located, simultaneously performs the function of the covering slab, on which the roofing carpet is placed. In this design, in a single "pie" above the floor slab, a layer of vapor barrier is laid, above it is a layer of insulation, covered by a sealed layer of soft roofing along the screed. The insulation in such a roof is located in a closed space - a roofing felt carpet on top, and a vapor barrier below, which does not allow moisture condensing in cold weather to evaporate and the insulation to dry out. It says: “The experience of using and operating numerous varieties of combined roofs of large-panel residential buildings has shown that due to the low durability of the roof, all these roofs leak. It is extremely difficult to locate leaks, and roof and roof repairs are associated with a large amount of dismantling and restoration work. In this regard, it became necessary to use separate attic roofs for large-panel residential buildings.
Experiments on the use of inexpensive combined roofs were carried out in the 60s of the last century in the city of Ufa. The first nine-story panel buildings (Zorge 49, Zorge 43/1) were with combined roofs and failed after 5 years, in the apartments of the upper floors there was frost on the ceilings in winter, as the wet heat-insulating layer lost its properties, and the roof leaked over the entire surface . Every year, the roof was repaired at the facility, the residents were driven to despair and complained to all authorities. The experiment was considered extremely unsuccessful, and panel houses were no longer built in Ufa without a ventilated space above the insulation. All standard projects of brick houses for our climatic conditions were used only with a cold or warm attic with the condition of mandatory ventilation of the insulation layer.
Reasons for the low performance of a combined roof
The main reasons for the low performance of a combined non-ventilated roof are the following:
1. In the thermal insulation layer, under conditions of outdoor temperature differences, natural moisture condensation occurs, since the insulation is in a closed space (vapor barrier at the bottom, ruberoid roofing at the top) and as a result, moisture accumulates during the annual cycle of outdoor temperatures. The amount of accumulated moisture depends on the duration of the period with negative temperatures (for Ufa = 159 days). The plane of possible moisture condensation in the multilayer structure of the combined roof, according to note 3 of paragraph 9.1, is located on the outer surface of the insulation, which in the combined roof is separated from the atmosphere by layers of roofing material, which does not allow the accumulated moisture to evaporate and the insulation to dry out. The accumulated condensation moisture settles on the inner cold surface of the ruberoid carpet or, at negative temperatures, freezes to it, and then in the form of drops enters the insulation. At the same time, moisture, evaporating during warming in the spring and heating from the sun, does not find an outlet for itself and, acting under pressure under the roofing carpet, tears it off the base. With the periodic onset of negative temperatures, excess moisture that has not come out freezes between the layers of roofing material and delaminates a multilayer carpet, the roof turns into an air cushion. Moistened insulation loses its heat-insulating properties, and a layered swollen roofing carpet, changing the slopes for the drain, contributes to the formation of standing puddles, which lead to the penetration of rainwater into the insulation. For these reasons, the ceiling in the apartments of the upper floor from low temperature and high humidity is covered with mold, heat loss through the coating increases.
2. During operation, damage to the roof is inevitable (marriage, accidental breakdowns, repair work on engineering structures on the roof, etc.), while water that accidentally gets into the insulation cannot evaporate anywhere and, adding to condensed moisture, additionally soaks insulation, reducing its heat-insulating properties;
3. No matter how well the vapor barrier is made over the bathrooms belonging to the premises with a wet regime, through leaks in the fit to the sewer pipes, part of the water vapor will enter the insulation. It is impossible to ensure complete tightness of the joint, since the pipe has a high coefficient of linear expansion, and the temperature at the point where the pipe exits to the roof ranges from -30 ° C in winter to +30 ° C in summer. At the same time, the absence of an attic does not allow combining groups of risers into a shaft and each pipe from each bathroom will go to the roof on its own, making a “sieve” out of the roofing carpet. In, clause 5.3 it is indicated that the installation of a non-ventilated roof is not allowed over rooms with a wet regime, i.e. over the bathrooms of residential buildings, the roof cannot be non-ventilated. However, from the updated edition of SNiP "Roofs" the ban on the use of non-ventilated roofs over rooms with a wet regime is excluded.
4. The absolute lack of maintainability of the combined roof is expressed in the fact that in order to replace the insulation that has failed from getting wet, it will be necessary to dismantle the roofing carpet over the inhabited apartments, which, in turn, can lead, in case of unexpected showers, to flooding of apartments with all the consequences.
For the reasons indicated in (see paragraph 8.23), it is recommended for multi-apartment residential buildings to use only ventilated roofs with the installation of ventilation products communicating with the atmosphere in the external enclosing structures to remove water vapor from the insulation layer. However, this regulatory document has not been updated, its status has not been determined, since it is not included in the list of the Government of the Russian Federation, both regulatory documents of mandatory application, and the list of documents of voluntary application.
OPINION
Professor MGSU Zhukov A.D. about owls covered roofs *
The construction of a combined roof in the production of works is the simplest and cheapest solution for installing an insulated roof. It is for this reason that this design has become very widespread in the construction of roofs of industrial buildings. The traditional construction of a combined roof involves laying a vapor barrier directly on the floor slab of the upper floor. Then the insulation is laid, slopes are formed and a reinforced screed is poured. Before laying the roofing carpet, the screed is primed and the roofing carpet is glued. In most roofs, roofing is glued over the entire surface (solid).
The main feature of the combined roof is the location of the insulation between two layers with low vapor permeability, which leads to condensation moistening of the thermal insulation, loss of heat-shielding qualities and destruction. Thus, moisture in the combined roof can accumulate both when the roofing carpet is damaged, and as a result of condensation of vapors contained in the air. Particularly rapid accumulation of condensation moisture can occur with defects in the vapor barrier.
Without the installation of devices for removing steam, all the moisture that has entered the roof structure will not come out of it. After replacing the roofing carpet, even in hot cloudless weather in the spring, leaks may occur due to the fact that the moisture accumulated in the insulation in winter penetrates down into the room, and the resulting steam from the evaporation of condensate creates excess pressure under the roof, which causes bubbles to form on the surface and peeling of rolled carpet.
As a result, the moisture-saturated layer of thermal insulation must be replaced, which is not possible as part of a major overhaul due to high costs. This makes such roofs practically unrepairable, unrepairable.
The installation of roofing aerators (wind vanes) and the installation of a breathing roof does not dry out the moistened heat-insulating layer, but only reduces the pressure of water vapor under the roofing carpet, thereby preventing the formation of blisters.
Due to the decrease in the heat-shielding properties of the combined roof, due to the saturation of the insulation with moisture, the temperature drops on the inner surface of the slab (ceiling of the upper floor). As a result, there may be a violation of the temperature and humidity regime of the premises located on the upper floor, and even the appearance of condensation moisture and freezing on the ceiling.
* Article "Roofs, defects and ways to eliminate them"
Why are houses built with combined roofs?
In updated in 2010-2013. The editions of the normative documents on the thermal protection of buildings and on the design of roofs do not establish any requirements and no recommendations for the construction of attics. At the same time, the exclusion of requirements for attics from the new regulatory documents did not happen intentionally, but due to an oversight by higher authorities and due to the fact that changes are instructed to be made by non-specialized research organizations. Naturally, non-specialized organizations do not know the design features of attics in apartment buildings.
The urgency of the problem lies in the fact that overly economical customers, taking advantage of gaps in the updated regulatory framework, generally refuse attics in multi-apartment residential buildings and force design organizations to design residential buildings with a combined roof that has very low performance. Designers cannot refuse such decisions of the customer, since the new regulatory documentation does not prohibit non-attic roofs for multi-apartment residential buildings. In many cities, builders are moving to the construction of apartment buildings without an attic, more and more often this leads to numerous complaints from the population about roof leaks. The latest illustrative story on the central Russian television on July 13-14, 2013 from the Novosibirsk region, where a new multi-storey residential building without an attic was put into operation, confirms that the roof without an attic is unreliable - all apartments up to the 1st floor are soaked, disabled electrical wiring, broken decoration and damaged furniture, residents in extreme indignation took to the streets with protests.
OPINION
N.V. Dubynin, Head of the Department of Architecture of Residential and Public Buildings, TsNIIEP Housing
For all inquiries about the need for an attic, our institute has long recommended its construction. However, the institute cannot voluntarily start updating the joint venture. This requires the decision of the investor (SRO, NOP, or the like) on the need for this work, the decision of the State Construction Committee to include this work in the plan, which is approved by the Ministry of Regional Development, the decision of the investor and the State Construction Committee to entrust this work to the institute. Updating the joint venture for residential multi-apartment buildings was not currently entrusted to the institute.
The previous update of SNiP 31-01-2003, and then its processing into a joint venture, was carried out at CNS OJSC without our participation. As a result, today's joint venture not only did not acquire the necessary additions, but also lost many important requirements (for corner and through ventilation, etc.). If the institute is entrusted with its updating, we will definitely take into account the opinion on the need for attics in residential buildings.
Offers
To ensure reliable roof structures, we sent a proposal to TsNIIEP housing and TsNIIPromzdaniy to include the following requirements in the regulatory documents: “Roofs should be designed taking into account the following requirements:
- in buildings under construction in climatic conditions with an estimated winter temperature below -30 ° C - with a warm attic;
- in buildings under construction in climatic conditions with an estimated winter temperature of -30 ° C and above - with a cold ventilated attic;
- in public buildings, over rooms with dry and normal humidity conditions, it is allowed to use a combined non-attic ventilated roof, with the device in the longitudinal outer walls on two opposite sides of the building, vents associated with the outside atmospheric air. The installation of non-ventilated combined roofs in residential and public buildings with a permanent stay of people is not allowed.
Literature
1. SP 23-101-2004 "Design of thermal protection of buildings"
2. SP 31-107-2004 "Architectural and planning solutions for multi-apartment residential buildings"
3. Textbook for students of universities studying in the specialty "Architecture", Tanakov V.V., 2008
Most often, the attic is used to store old and unnecessary things, tools, supplies that have no use, and it is a pity to part with them. But when the house is already equipped, then due to the growth of the family or the desire to equip an additional cozy room for a comfortable stay, it may be necessary to expand the living space and re-equip the attic.
Over time, there may be a need for a so-called "useful floor". Then the attic gets a beautiful and romantic name - the attic, which evokes associations with the Parisian quarters and the roofs of Montmartre.
The design of the attic in a private house directly depends on the purpose that this room will correspond to. When refurbishing an attic space, it is important to follow three steps:
- Layout.
- Warming.
- Space decoration.
It is not at all easy, as it seems at first glance, to make the attic space residential. Such a reconstruction involves not only certain financial costs, but also labor-intensive construction work. Planning and subsequent repairs can be done by hand. First you need an attic project with the design features of the house, such as the shape and height of the roof, the location of the stairs, ventilation and lighting, the number of rooms in the house.
Not every attic can be inhabited. Construction requirements provide that the attic room should be organized with a roof slope of no more than 45º, and the structure of the house should not interfere with free movement in the attic.
The location of the fixed staircase in the house must be taken care of even before the repair work on the ground floor is carried out. It is important to decide where it will be installed so as not to clutter up the passage and make room for furniture.
There must be windows in the attic for ventilation and lighting. Where the windows will be located - on the gable or in the roof itself - will depend on the shape of the roof.
Windows located in the roof are called dormer windows.
Compared to conventional windows, the requirements for installation and sealing of roof windows are more stringent, since these windows are subjected to heavy loads in the form of rain and snow to a greater extent. On the other hand, roof windows are an excellent design solution that allows not only to fill the room with light, but also to decorate the exterior of the house.
If the roof is hipped, then skylights are the only way to illuminate the entire attic.
House attic insulation
In the re-equipment of the attic, an important point is its insulation. In order for the attic to be comfortable, an appropriate temperature must be provided. Since warm air tends to rise up, insulation will prevent its dispersion.
The pitched roof is insulated with a material with a thickness of at least 10 cm. Only non-combustible, vapor-permeable and environmentally friendly materials are used to insulate the attic. Mineral wool, polystyrene foam, penoizol are suitable for both the floor and the roof as a heater.
As a heater for the walls and floor of the attic, you can use slab or roll insulation based on glass wool. These modern materials have the ability to perfectly retain warm air, and due to their low weight, the load on the foundation of the house will not increase significantly.
Insulation is placed between the wall and drywall or lining, thereby preserving the interior of the room.
Laying the floor in the attic is done using ordinary boards or plywood, and if funds allow, you can equip the floor with underfloor heating. If the attic is low, then you should not use thick materials for the floor.
To insulate the attic, a continuous layer of insulation is required around the entire perimeter of the room. It is important to provide good soundproofing of the floor, as well as to avoid the formation of condensate - reliable waterproofing of the ceiling.
Finishing materials and elements
Materials for interior decoration are chosen depending on the style. The attic of a wooden house is finished with wooden materials - board, plywood, clapboard. At the same time, wooden or wicker furniture can be used in the interior of such an attic. Also impressive are the decorative cross beams, painted in contrasting colors to accent the walls and ceiling.
In order to successfully equip a room in the attic with your own hands, it is important to follow a few simple design rules:
- The right choice of paint. In a small room, it is better to use light colors for walls, as they can create a peaceful and calm atmosphere. A bright color can highlight the central wall as an accent.
- Laconic arrangement of furniture. No need to clutter up the room with cabinets, tables, chairs. Furniture placement should be compact, for example, in order to save space, it is advisable to use functional hanging shelves. The bed in the bedroom will take its place against the lower wall.
- The use of accessories that play an important role in creating the style of the interior. Such accessories that complement the image of the room can be curtains for skylights and textiles. The main rule is the harmony of textures and colors.
Features of the design of the attic in the country
For a better idea of the future room, it is necessary to make an outline of the floor plan.
In order to convert an attic in a country house into a living space, it is necessary to find out possible technical changes and take into account the design features of the country house. Reconstruction work can be complicated by low ceilings and asymmetrical attic walls. Then they make a list of works and make the purchase of the necessary materials.
To make it convenient to move around the attic and not have any difficulties with the placement of furniture, the optimal height from floor to ceiling should be 220 cm. The maximum allowable minimum is within 190 cm.
If, nevertheless, there is a desire to convert the attic into a living space, and the height does not allow, then the roof will have to be redone, which is very costly.
It is necessary to make a thorough check of the structures (battens, beams, attic floor, roofing material). If there is such a need, then the damaged parts should be replaced and the wooden parts should be treated with an antiseptic.
To re-equip the attic, additional work will be required, such as:
- Soundproofing the floor when laying foam plastic with a layer thickness of at least 3 cm and floor screed with laying laminate or linoleum and then installing skirting boards. As a flooring, you can also use boards or sheets of fiberboard with a thickness of at least 15 mm, followed by painting.
- Heating in the attic. For this purpose, you can use an electric radiator or a fireplace heated with wood.
- Communications, such as ventilation shafts or plumbing pipes, need to be moved or hidden.
- Lighting - electrical wiring is being installed with strict observance of fire safety rules.
- Finishing the walls of the attic space can be done using clapboard, moisture-resistant drywall or fiberboard sheets by fixing it with screws flush. After that, the walls are puttied and painted in the desired color or wallpapered.
In the attic can be located:
- bedroom;
- living room;
- children's;
- dining room;
- gym;
- billiard room;
- study;
- wardrobe;
- workshop.
Nursery in the attic
You can equip a children's room for sleeping and playing even in the attic. For this purpose, natural safe environmentally friendly materials are best suited. The interior of the attic can be decorated both in bright colors and in light pastel colors. Furniture should be safe, without sharp corners and securely fastened. It can be a small sofa and a table for games and activities. And of course, toys are an indispensable attribute of a nursery. As a floor covering, a rug or carpet paths can become.
Bedroom arrangement
Due to its location, the attic has a special cozy atmosphere. Therefore, it is convenient to equip a bedroom for adults, teenagers or a guest room in it. To arrange a bedroom comfortable for sleeping and relaxing, you will need the arrangement of sleeping places, as well as areas for storing bedding and linen.
From furniture, you can use the necessary minimum - a bed, a mirror, soft pouffes. Lighting plays an important role in the interior of the bedroom. Soft scattering of light can be achieved using wall sconces or a floor lamp.
Office option
The attic space is ideal for creating a comfortable office. The interior of such a room is best done in light colors. To create a business environment, you will need a comfortable table, armchair, a small closet or several shelving and office equipment. And be sure to take care of high-quality lighting of the workplace. Such a relaxed atmosphere can set you up for fruitful work.
Living room interior
There is nothing unusual about equipping a living room in the attic. As a result of competent re-equipment, the attic space can become a place for receiving guests or family gatherings over a cup of tea or aromatic coffee. And large windows in the attic with a beautiful view of the river or the garden will turn the rest into a real pleasure.
Soft and cabinet furniture for the living room should be chosen low - a sofa and armchairs with a small coffee table and low cabinets or shelving.
Rest room decoration
For a comfortable stay with friends, you can organize a billiard room. For this purpose, it is necessary to place a billiard table in the center of the room, and light wicker furniture is quite suitable for relaxation. It is necessary to provide sufficient lighting over the billiard table with the help of lamps.
Movie lovers will love the idea of equipping a home theater. To do this, upholstered furniture is placed around the perimeter of the rooms.
To prepare drinks and cocktails, you can also use a table or bar counter and install a small refrigerator.
A small windowless attic can be turned into a dressing room for storing, depending on the season, outerwear or, conversely, umbrellas, swimwear and slates. Combined lighting from ceiling spotlights and LED strips built into niches or glued to drawers will make the interior modern and fashionable.
By dividing the attic into zones, you can equip a multifunctional room.
As you can see, once uninhabitable, an empty room can be perfectly used to implement a wide variety of design solutions. The main principle is not to miss a single square centimeter of usable living space. And then the interior of the once useless attic will be excellent.
Video
This video shows how you can arrange the attic space:
See how you can make a Moroccan-style attic salon:
A photo
Shed roof, according to modern architects, is of the main decisive importance in the development of not only economy class housing, but also stylish. After all, the forces and costs that usually go to the construction of a multi-slope can now be directed to the exterior. For example, building a pool in front of the house or adding a barbecue terrace. And the rest of the shed roof is not inferior at all in anything.
Therefore, it does not mean at all that a house with a pitched roof will turn out to be unsightly or too simple. On the contrary, by playing with the slope and direction of such a structure, roofing material and interior space, you will get a unique architectural design that no one you know will definitely have. And our website will make such a house inexpensive in construction and modern both inside and out!
Architectural Benefits of Shed Roofs
Of course, where gable roofs have existed for thousands of years, everything unusual seems ugly and ridiculous. But the Eiffel Tower in France in the early years of construction embarrassed the locals with its "simpleness".
The fashion for shed European villas came to the Russian expanses quite recently. And until now, individual architects are rebelling against this trend, calling mono-pitch roofs exclusively "barn" and arguing that clients do not even look at such projects.
But in fact, not only the customers of their future “dream house”, but self-builders with golden hands are increasingly making the roofs of their buildings precisely pitched, with different angles, directions and combinations with other roofs. Because besides the more dynamic look that only a sloped plane can give, shed roofs are actually more functional and even economical.
Most often in world practice, shed roofs can be found in Finnish houses, which are known for their pleasant combination of modesty and restraint:
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In warm and hot countries, houses with a shed roof are especially popular: no insulation is needed from the inside, the design always looks original, and such a roof is much cheaper in terms of costs. So the northern countries began to adopt this useful fashion.
For example, not so long ago, a new type of residential building was created in Norway - high-tech, with a shed roof with a slope of 19 °. It generates its own energy thanks to solar panels on the roof: the atrium has enough thermal mass to accumulate enough heat during the day and release it all night. And not only to give, but also to provide the whole house with electricity.
And for water heating of walls and floors, rainwater heated by the sun is used, which flows down the shed roof directly into the drain. With an ordinary gable or hip roof, all this would not have been possible to realize!
Is it worth it to make a “one-slope” for a residential building?
Until recently, shed roofs could not be called popular in Russia. It so happened historically that due to the winds and heavy snows in this country, it was gable roofs that proved to be the most practical, which were sharp in snowier regions, and gentler in more windy ones.
And purely visually, the indigenous population is accustomed to seeing roofs with a slope of at least 30-40 ° on houses, where there is a traditional attic for storing a variety of things. And shed roofs carry such inconveniences:
- An incomprehensible space at the upper Mauerlat. You don’t use it under the attic, but the attic turns out to be unusual. Leave it without an attic - then the entire geometry of the interior will seem broken and cause discomfort.
- On a shed roof, rainwater exerts twice as much pressure as on a gable roof. Why? It's simple: all the liquid that gets on it flows along one slope until it falls to the ground. And if you take and break this slope in half, a “house”, now the water will be divided at the ridge into two streams. And this is twice the amount and influx. This is why shed roofs are problematic in terms of leaks, especially if the choice of roofing material is wrong.
- A shed roof is one integral plane, and this is a real sail. That is why, during storms and strong winds, it is precisely such roofs that suffer in the first place.
- The need for a strong truss system. The load here is always distributed less than that of a gable roof, and therefore the rafters will have to be made thicker and stronger.
- A complicated ventilation system, which is sometimes not paid any attention at all, and then they are surprised at the short service life of such roofs.
- Another disadvantage of such a roof is that it will have to be cleaned during heavy snowfalls, otherwise the roofing material and the building system may break. And on ordinary days, on the contrary, the snow itself descends from such a roof, and not like an avalanche, but gradually.
- Unpopularity of experiments. Even more: neither the rich nor the poor want to risk their own investments in construction, and the designers completely fall into despair from any unusual roof.
Because of all these reasons, shed roofs in our country in 99% of cases are found only in baths, garages and summer country houses. Although at the same time, in a region with little snow and not very windy, such a roof could bring many bonuses, including the same unusual stylish design.
Frame houses with a pitched roof are considered the most energy-efficient. This does not take into account the fact that the area of the southern wall in such a house will be the largest, and the northern wall - the smallest. Now see the difference with gable projects? Moreover, the northern side itself is still being built without windows, and serves as one of the walls of the utility room: a boiler room, a boiler room or a supply room, where garden tools are stored. But the presence of an attic under the roof in private construction is already considered obsolete.
A shed roof is remarkable in that it has:
- Simple design. So simple that with a small private construction, they don’t even make particularly accurate calculations for it. There is no need to adjust the slopes to each other, to achieve the identity of their weight and load on the walls. There is no need for complex support systems, which are often found in other types of roofs.
- High practicality. In addition to the main functions of the roof, with a minimum angle of inclination, it is also used as an open area for a variety of purposes.
- Reliability. Due to its simplicity and unpretentiousness, such a roof is actually also the most reliable among all others.
And from the practical aspects, we highlight the following:
- The ability to arrange a house without an attic and the problems associated with it.
- The original geometry of the ceiling, which is used as a separate design element.
- The absence of a ridge and cracks under it.
- The ability to drain rainwater and snow from the roof in only one direction - where the slope is inclined. This is important if people are walking right in front of your house (like on the streets of the city) or if you have laid out a beautiful garden and do not want to flood it in the rain.
And, of course, the simplicity of construction work:
Know-how: shed roof combinations
There is one new architectural fashion: the gable roof, which consists of two single-slope, but not joined at the ridge. And technologically, we are still talking about two separate shed roofs, which are built according to all the rules. And in the middle they place either a flat part or an open terrace between the two halves of the house. An incredibly successful and functional solution, we note, which allows you to add more natural light to the house.
Shed roof houses are recognized all over the world as the most favorable in terms of energy saving. Which is not surprising, because the cube also takes the first place in this regard, and what then is such a house, if not a cube?
Now we will reveal a secret to you: it's all about compactness. Any structure is said to be compact if it has, as far as possible, the minimum area of all external surfaces. So, a house is sometimes built according to rather intricate projects, when almost every room has three external walls, plus an even more complex roof. And sometimes it happens that the rooms have only one such wall, and the roof is generally shed.
What is the point? The fewer such external surfaces that come into contact with cold outdoor air, the warmer the house itself will be. That's why compactness is so important in construction!
In this design, everything is simple: shed roofs are built according to the same patterns, but are based on two parallel Mauerlat-runs. And the main plus is that such a non-spacer construction does not “push apart” the walls of the house with its pressure, which means that there are already much less strength requirements for the frame structure itself. True, in such a house there must be at least two internal walls.
And in modern architecture, a new style has recently appeared: roofs united into a single whole, which have a slope in different directions.
Modern frame house: from the foundation to the roof
A frame house with a shed roof is a structure made of lumber and fixed wood panels. The frame of such a house itself must be built either from metal or from hardwood timber. It is solid, while the rafters on the roof should be made just from conifers. Now let's explain.
The fact is that solid woods tend to keep their geometric shape and not change over time: they do not dry out, do not shrink, do not twist. And, of course, in bending, due to such properties, they work poorly. But conifers are just good because they do an excellent job with dynamic loads, which is why the walls are made static and strong, and the rafters are more flexible and withstand both shrinkage of the house and a slight deflection due to snow.
Although wonderful houses are obtained on a metal frame:
Foundation for a frame house
Under a small one-story house, the easiest way is to make a columnar foundation. But, if you are building a solid two-story frame house with a shed roof, the technology will be a little different.
The fact is that a simple columnar foundation is no longer suitable here. A frame house, worse than any other, endures seasonal ground movements, subsidence of the earth, or other similar problems, and therefore experienced builders advise making a slab foundation for it. This one takes all the dynamic loads on itself, and the integrity of the frame is preserved.
Therefore, for a two-story house, make just such a foundation:
Or a more modern insulated Swedish stove:
Technologies of frame construction of walls
In total, there are two main technologies for frame construction.
Frame and panel technology
In this case, the frame house is built from various individual building materials: beams, cladding, insulation, interior decoration, vapor and waterproofing. All this is attached to the frame in its sequence, and as a result, we have a house that is no worse than a timber building in terms of quality.
Here is a good example of construction using this technology:
And the main components of a house built using this technology look like this:
Frame-panel technology
To assemble such houses, a detailed project is initially made, according to which shields of the required size are already manufactured in the factory. We are talking about multilayer panels, which already initially include inner lining, insulation and all types of insulation. All you have to do is attach these shields to the frame of your house, which only takes two days in total. As a result, the whole house, from design to roof arrangement, is built in just a week.
So, insulated SIP panels are the most popular in frame-shield technology. SIP is a wall panel designed to carry longitudinal loads. A frame house based on Canadian technology, which just involves the use of SIP, turns out to be especially warm and integral.
And when building a frame house from such material, the following question arises: should the roof be made from the same material, or is it still traditional? With beams, rafters and lathing? The fact is that everything here is decided by the length of the overlap.
So, with small spans, up to 5-6 meters, the shed roof of a frame house may well be from SIP. It will be already insulated, durable and easy to perform. Moreover, SIP has good bending strength. But for large spans, it is better to build a traditional floor and reinforced rafters. After all, you can’t make a complex roof out of SIP, but just a shed roof is easy enough:
It is only important to know how to properly connect floor beams with such walls:
Shed roof device on a frame house
A shed roof in the design world is also called a monoslope. Modern architects see a house with such a roof somehow differently than a shed or hip roof: lighter, airier and more stylish.
A shed roof behaves remarkably where spans are from 6 to 8 meters. Usually, the slope of the slope is made to the north, and large windows are equipped in the southern facades. Often, external insulation of such a roof is practiced: on top is extruded polystyrene foam, which is filled with a cement screed, and on top of it is a roofing carpet.
What is also good, the drainage system in such a roof is simplified and is needed only on one side, and not on two or four at once. But this is not necessary: on a slope oriented to the south, solar collectors are often equipped abroad.
Step 1. Design
A shed roof of any format always differs from a gable one in that here the rafters are not connected in the ridge, but are attached to the walls of the building with both ends. Those. there is no skate at all. The only exception is the run on which the layered rafters are attached, but it never exceeds the level of the entire slope in height.
If you are building using frame-panel technology, then it will be easiest for you to create a wall difference:
But if you use sip panels or the walls are already made at the same height, then you will have to make roof trusses.
Slanted rafters in a pitched roof are made when the building has an internal strong partition. After all, the longer the rafter leg, the more there is a danger of its deflection or eversion. And therefore, if it is possible to support such rafters, you need to use it.
In this case, a run is attached to the carrier partition:
Now we make the rafters twice as short - so that each of them rests on the wall with one end, and on the run with the other. And be sure to check the angle of inclination of such rafters with a laser level - it must completely match. And outwardly, such a roof will not differ from simpler shed roofs.
But in general, the shed roof rafters can be in all of these options:
Although the rafters in the shed roof of a frame house can be generally non-expanding:
Hanging rafters are good because they can be built directly on the ground, in the form of ready-made farms. After all, their main difference from the layered ones is that the load is now transferred to the rafter triangle itself, and not to the walls of the building. And this is quite reasonable, because most often shed roofs are arranged just on small buildings, such as a bathhouse, a garage or a change house. And the walls of those usually do not please with a special fortress.
So decide: if your building is not distinguished by the monumentality of the walls, make hanging rafters, and if it is more or less strong and there is an inner wall, then layered. The choice is pretty simple!
Step 2. Mauerlat cutout
Decided? Then specify the future angle of inclination of such a roof and make a template for the rafters:
And the cut itself needs to be made in order to support the rafters of the shed roof on the Mauerlats. The main task of the Mauerlat is to compensate for the horizontal unevenness of the walls. That is why, when laying it, be sure to arm yourself with a building level.
Step 3. Making rafters
For this task, you will need the following fasteners:
And how difficult your rafters will be depends on what load is planned for them. The higher, the rafters should be more reinforced from the inside:
Step 4. Calculation of the crate
As soon as you fix the rafters, go to the crate. The smaller the slope of the shed roof, the more often the crate should be (up to a solid one):
And on steeper slopes - whatever your heart desires, just calculate in advance the weight of the roofing for the whole house and foundation:
It remains only to lay the selected roofing and arrange a spillway. Which, fortunately, in a shed roof is done on one side only:
Step 6 Glazing
Since relatively recently, a new fashion has appeared in frame construction: cleanliness, conciseness and a lot of glass surfaces. What is most easily achieved precisely through frame technology, for which the presence of a shed roof instead of massive and clumsy multi-pitched roofs is a real outlet:
The easiest, according to modern architects, way to bring more light and lightness into a frame house is to make transparent inserts into the roof or completely transmit some part of it. For example, above a covered veranda or part above an attic. And in fact, we are not talking about glass at all, but just about modern roofing polycarbonate, which is more often used monolithic or corrugated. There is a separate article about this on our website, but here we will note only some technical points.
When choosing the thickness of the polycarbonate that you are going to use for the construction of the roof, calculate in advance the climatic and static loads. You have probably seen a photo where beautiful, durable greenhouses have completely broken roofs in the spring? And all because when buying, the owners decided to save on quality, without calculating, such tons of snow fall in harsh Russian winters. You wouldn't want something like that to happen to your roof, would you? After all, replacing the top of an ordinary greenhouse is not difficult, but replacing the roof of a house is a real problem.
You need to fasten profiled polycarbonate sheets to the roof using the same fastening that is used for the metal profile. These are self-tapping and self-drilling screws of the STSD type. The sheets themselves are fastened together with special profiles, which are equipped with EPDM rubber seals. All this is necessary so that such a beautiful roof does not leak. There is also a special connecting aluminum profile for sale - for P-6066 polycarbonate. It consists of a special clamping bar and a sealant, but it already needs to be fixed with self-tapping screws directly to the pipe or crate.
In addition, if you have leftover polycarbonate (after all, standard sheets are produced), use it for glazing utility rooms:
And the excess from another roofing cannot be applied in this way.
A house with a shed roof, built using frame technology with a competent approach, will be the most modern and stylish!
Now the design of the house, which does not provide for an attic space, is becoming more and more popular. In this case, the roof serves as a ceiling at the same time, and a house without an attic will be taller and more spacious. However, such a solution causes some difficulties in terms of saving heat and arranging an appropriate heat-insulating structure.
Methods for arranging an insulating layer
When building a roof, you can use the external option for laying insulation. However, this is possible only at the stage of building a house - no one will disassemble the already finished roof in order to lay insulation there. Therefore, a different approach is often used - internal insulation. Regardless of the method chosen, it is necessary to correctly lay all related materials and their approximate location is shown in the diagram below.
The choice of insulation
There are a lot of insulation materials on the market. You need to choose based on your financial capabilities, but, first of all, you need to consider that such a roof should be very warm, since there will no longer be additional protection from the cold in the form of an attic. Therefore, it is better to choose from time-tested and fairly effective options:
- Sprayed polyurethane foam
Any of these heat-saving materials has characteristic pluses or minuses, however, all of them can provide high-quality insulation of the roof, which simultaneously serves as the ceiling of a residential building.
mineral wool
To install this type of thermal insulation, you will need to purchase an additional special film - a membrane. Which passes moist air only in one direction. In addition to the vapor barrier membrane, you will also need a film for waterproofing the heat insulator from the outside. They are necessary in order to ensure the safety of the insulation and extend its service life. Films prevent water from entering the insulating layer and deformation of the mineral wool as a result of getting wet.
Mineral wool is laid in the openings of the rafter system in such a way that there are no gaps between the insulation boards and the rafters. From the outer and inner sides, the cotton wool is closed with a vapor barrier and waterproofing film. On the outside, under the roofing material, there must be a ventilation gap that allows excess moist air to be removed outside.
Penoplex
In its composition, it is practically a relative of foam. The method of manufacturing the material is different, but, externally and in their properties, these heaters are very similar. Additional materials in the form of films or membranes are not required here. You can use such insulation both for external work and for insulation from the inside.
Installation is carried out in the openings between the rafters on glue or, more often, on mounting foam. She also fills all the gaps between the individual plates and other gaps. It is worth remembering that the foam layer, which provides the same insulation compared to mineral wool, will be much thinner.
Sprayed insulation
Spray-applied polyurethane foam is the most modern solution available today. However, its cost will be higher than all other options. At the same time, the roof and ceiling, insulated with polyurethane foam in a house without an attic, will be completely airtight, so it will be necessary to think over the ventilation system of the room.
Otherwise, this will be one of the most effective solutions, since sprayed polyurethane foam is distinguished by excellent heat retention with a minimum thickness of the applied material. At the same time, you won’t need to do the work yourself - trained people will do everything, since the technology for applying PPU is not as simple as it might seem and special equipment is required for the work.
What should be the attic - cold or warm? The answer to this question determines a lot when you build a house. This is the external view of the cottage, and the level of comfort, and the expansion of the area. Well, and, among other things, a serious increase in costs in the case of the attic version. What to do: get by with a cold one or wave and fork out for a comfortable warm one? There can be no unequivocal advice here. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of both options.
When comparing these versions in favor of the "cold" version, the traditional character of national wooden architecture and the simplicity of an unheated, almost unused prismatic volume fall into the balance. On the other side, there is an abrupt increase in living space, an additional house, the opportunity to send family youth to the “top tour” ...
As practice shows, it is difficult to seduce representatives of the older generation with life "under the stars", where you have to climb a steep staircase several times a day.
Attic in numbers
Let's clarify industry terminology. This is how he interprets the concept of an attic SNiP 2.08.01-89* "Residential buildings": "Attic floor (mansard) - a floor in the attic space, the facade of which is completely or partially formed by the surface (surfaces) of an inclined or sloping roof, while the line of intersection of the roof plane and the facade should be at a height of no more than 1.5 m from the level of the attic floor floors."
Wikipedia approaches the cold attic more lightly and succinctly: "Cold attic is a building term for the spatial volume under the roof, which is thermally isolated from the main volume of the building."
Since we are talking about industry regulations, it would be appropriate to cite another important paragraph from the "Rules for calculating the area of apartments ...." set out in SNiP 2.08.01-89 * "Residential buildings": " Item 6. When determining the area of the attic room, the area of \u200b\u200bthis room is taken into account with a height of an inclined ceiling of 1.5 m at an inclination of 30 ° to the horizon, 1.1 m - at 45, 0.5 m - at 60 ° or more. For intermediate values, the height is determined by interpolation. The area of the room with a lower height should be taken into account in the total area with a coefficient of 0.7, while the minimum height of the wall should be 1.2 m at a ceiling slope of 30°, 0.8 m - at 45°-60°, not limited to a slope of 60 ° and more.
What do these numbers tell us? They warn the uninitiated: the living, used area of the attic will be noticeably smaller than the area of all rooms on the ground floor. After all, it is necessary to somehow compensate for the slope of the roof slopes? But you will have niches where you can put rarely used things. Recently on the site, and it makes sense for lovers of attic solutions to familiarize themselves with it.
In preparing this publication, I imagined two interested groups of readers:
- Owners of dachas with a cold attic, dreaming of expanding their living space literally over their heads.
- Those who are just thinking about the appearance and internal filling of their future country house.
Why didn't they build winter attics before?
Almost everyone knows what a cold attic looks like. Most often, this is an empty, dusty space where, at best, they dry. Your fantasy itself will complete this picture, although you may not agree with my interpretation.
But Russian summer residents began to encounter the concept of "attic" in the early 90s of the last century. "Why not earlier?" - a person far from the construction industry may ask. The answer is simple: 25 years ago, they were not produced on the territory of the former USSR that could turn a thin country roof into a reliable barrier to our cold weather. And then we did not even think about imports.
The real choice between building a cold attic and its warm version arose about 20 years ago, when new modern technologies and materials providing roofing appeared on the construction markets. To the surprise of many, the excitement of the first two or three years passed quickly. And the reason is that everywhere began to flow. And not only heavenly moisture, but also "beneficial", collected from wet vapors. Now it would be unethical to blame those foremen, even with an engineering education, who left behind leaking attics. That generation of builders was neither theoretically nor practically ready to understand the processes that appear in the modern roofing pie. Who then guessed that the moisture contained in the air coming from the rooms was to blame? She generously settled with condensate on the inner surface of the roof due to temperature differences.
A little time passed, and the couples began to fight intensively and, most importantly, effectively. Under the roof, they found their place previously unseen at Soviet construction sites foil materials. Of these, continuous vapor-tight circuits were constructed, which protected from internal vapors. However, this work was essentially finishing, requiring the hand of a conscientious master. Was it easy to find such 20 years ago? Yes, even now.
In order to perform precise and meticulous work, it was necessary to change the level of work ethic. By the way, in Germany, the preparation time for a builder specializing in is - you won't believe it - 3 years. This example alone, brought by me from a business trip, clearly demonstrates the need for qualified and high-quality work in the construction of an attic floor.
Weigh the pros and cons
Let's evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of a cold attic and an insulated attic. Let's start with the attic, as with the most familiar roof structure.Cold attic and its features
The device of the attic is very straightforward:- A waterproofing film is mounted on the rafters, which protects the attic from condensation that inevitably appears on the inner surface of the roof.
- A crate is nailed on top, if required - a counter-crate, and then mounted.
I will make a small digression for those readers who, for the time being, postpone the construction of a warm attic (for example, due to temporarily limited finances), but expect to become its owners in the future:
Keep in mind that, choosing an inexpensive micro-perforated film (for cold roofs), you determine in advance the scheme of the future attic. This membrane serves well in cold attics and is completely unsuitable when working together with heat-insulating materials in a warm attic.
In addition to ventilation and waterproofing of the attic, it is necessary to touch it lighting. We somehow don't think about it. And really, what is there to cover? Not hung brooms? Daylight comes from vertical dormer windows that look like small toy houses. And this is quite enough for the unused space.
In the most "advanced" cold attics, you can also find a 60-volt light bulb, suspended just in case.
If we talk about new construction, the decision to limit ourselves to a cold attic is often dictated by financial considerations. This design is more accessible to most gardeners. Although, when choosing a cold-drawn scheme, there may be other weighty, purely engineering arguments. But we will talk about them at the end of the article. Now let's take a closer look at mansard roofs.
Advantages of a warm attic:
- The ability to effectively use the attic area all year round.
- The appearance of the attic floor, moving away from the traditional pyramid-shaped roofs, ennobles the appearance of the cottage.
- Increased living comfort.
- After the "forced" insulation of the roof, the specific (reduced to one square meter of the area of the cottage) in the country noticeably decreases.
- The design of the attic is essentially domed, i.e. does not require intermediate bearing supports. At the same time, we get a large space without forced crushing by interior partitions. Who would refuse such a "hall"?
Disadvantages of the attic
The relative, but natural and easily explainable disadvantages of a warm attic include need:- Invest serious additional funds.
- Perform high-tech construction work on or find conscientious craftsmen for this.
- Carry out pipes to the second floor,.
- Install, which will partially "eat" the area of the first floor. And the flatter it is, the more area it will eat.
How to correctly insulate the attic
With an increase in the heated areas, it will be necessary to increase the power of the heating installation. This rule is true everywhere, except in the case of attic construction. After all, thermal insulation made according to modern heat engineering standards is so “energy-saving” that the overall heat balance of the house can withstand this addition without stress.But such an energy miracle can happen only in 2 cases:
- If you create a closed loop of insulation around the entire perimeter of the room;
- If you provide reliable hydro and vapor barrier around the heat-insulating layer of thermal insulation, as well as its ventilation.
To fulfill the first condition, you need to know the requirements for thermal insulation set forth in the industry SNiP 23-02-2003 "Thermal protection of buildings". I do not propose to delve into dozens of tables of this serious document, but the main result should tell you: this quantity is called resistance to heat transfer of roofing. For the Central region of Russia, it should be at least 4.7 m² x ° C / W. To make it easier to perceive this figure, you should know that it is achieved through the use of a typical mineral wool insulation with a thickness of at least 200 mm. The manufacturer does not play a role - it can be Rockwool, Izover, Izovol, Ursa, and TechnoNIKOL. Thus, we noticeably “fatten” the roof structure. But that is not all!
Indeed, to fulfill the second condition, it will be necessary to protect the heat insulator itself from moisture, and on both sides. From the outside - from snow and rain. From the inside - from wet vapors. DuPont and Dorken materials have proven themselves well here. Important: be careful when laying them - they have a front side and a wrong side, the main thing is not to confuse them. You should not trust the builders 100% here, it is better to check the correct installation.
Large attic spaces cannot be illuminated by a wretched dormer window. Therefore, fundamentally new building products appeared - skylights. Their main advantages:
- energy saving level,
- excellent hydro and sound insulation,
- aesthetic appearance.
In addition, windows located directly in the plane of the roof let in noticeably more light and heat than vertical ones. For the middle lane, this is a plus, for the southern regions - a minus. In the domestic construction market, you can find high-quality products of specialized window companies Velux, Fakro, Roto.
Findings:
- If you are limited by the size of the suburban area for new construction, and the everyday situation requires the expansion of areas for living in the country in the winter, then the attic will be the best option. Although an expensive option, you will get compact housing with a good level of energy saving.
- If you have enough space on the site, it is always economically and technologically more profitable to build on the ground floor. In addition, you do not have to fence stairs, which will become more and more difficult to climb over the years.
