How to insulate an attic

It is known that if the attic insulation is avoided or performed less efficiently, subsequently there are problems such as cold air seeping through the roof vents, the accumulation of moisture and condensation on the ceiling and between the rafters, as a result of which mold and wood decay appear. The possibility of warm air escaping also increases, and hence there is an increased energy consumption for heating, heating and additional material costs.

Therefore, a competent approach would be to spend financial resources on long-term investments in attic insulation. To date, many products are offered for high-quality insulation. As a heater, the following are especially widespread: mineral wool, fiberglass wool and teploplex. Consider and compare the most relevant materials: mineral-based insulation and fiberglass wool.

The second option is considered the most budgetary. Its significant advantages: ease of installation, inorganic structure, non-toxicity, resistance to combustion, low thermal conductivity (but only under the condition of a tight fit of the canvas to the roof beams and full compliance with all other technical points during direct installation). The significant disadvantages and disadvantages of cotton wool is the inconvenience of laying. It is caused, first of all, by the presence in glass wool of impurities from glass crumbs and fine dust, which, when in large quantities on the human eye membrane, can cause irreversible consequences, and when in contact with the skin – allergic reactions, minor abrasions and discomfort. Therefore, when working with this type of material, special attention should be paid to protecting the bare skin of the hands, face and neck through the simultaneous use of gloves, long sleeves and high necks in clothes. In order to prevent cotton wool from getting into the eyes, it is best to use special construction “diver’s” glasses with rubber inserts along the edge of the frame, which will reliably protect the eyelid area. You also need to take into account that small fragments float freely in the air due to their microscopic size. The most common way to prevent them from entering the respiratory tract is to use a construction mask or respirator. After finishing work with cotton wool, it is advisable to dispose of clothes, since even numerous washings will not help get rid of the fragments..

Mineral wool, in comparison with the previous version, is less hazardous to health and has a number of other significant advantages: the natural component of the material comes from synthetic fibers with the use of stone chips, carefully crushed in the factory. At the same time, the weight of the material is not more than that of the previous analogue, which can also be noted as a positive moment in favor of mineral wool. However, it should be noted that this material also requires special uniforms. Its detrimental effect on human health is not so great and is reduced several times, and this makes it the most popular for insulating the attic floors of private houses. Also, such material is actively used for soundproofing drywall partitions. Its sound insulation properties are much higher than that of glass wool.

If you ask the personal opinion of any competent builder with long-term experience in the construction industry and who has performed warming and soundproofing of premises more than once, then he will definitely give preference to material with stone impurities, for which it is definitely worth overpaying.

In this article, I will consider the experience of using in the attic insulation using the famous brand of heat and sound insulation materials – Paroc. It is worth noting in advance that the price of Parok products is not low, but if we consider that insulation is an investment in the future, the creation of personal comfort and convenience, the difference with cheaper counterparts that have learned to use the production of mineral wool relatively recently will not seem big.

The manufacturer of this brand took care of the convenience of installing heat-insulating material in advance and made insulation in two forms: in the form of a solid carpet wrapped when sold in the form of a roller (a good solution for insulating a horizontal surface), and square slabs that will be conveniently mounted on bevels or directly on the walls.

To work with any type of insulation, you need to purchase construction scissors (you can replace them with a less expensive option – buy scissors for cutting fabric in a sewing store), a sharp knife with a long blade, a rubber hammer equipped with a rubber tip, a metal ruler as a substrate for making an even cut on insulation and protective equipment, which were mentioned above.

With a standard layout of rafter beams in increments of 55-60 cm, a square cut of insulation will be the most convenient option to ensure a snug fit of the material to the tree. Before the main laying of “Parok” inside the room, under the rafters with the use of brushed nails of medium thickness, a rough sheathing from the board is nailed. At the same time, you can use an unedged board, the distance between which is selected approximately within 20-30 cm. The boards must be of the same thickness. If the rafter system with errors and the rafters sag, it is advisable to walk along them with a plane, leveling approximately each bar along one line using a building level to prevent later problems with height differences when installing drywall or other type of ceiling and wall material intended for decorative coating, which will cover the rough crate. After installing the rough lathing, dust and dirt inside the structure should be removed using a construction vacuum cleaner or an ordinary broom, since excess debris will then make itself felt for a long time (usually, at least until the ceilings and walls are completely processed). It is also advisable to coat the entire tree, which will later be closed, with a special antiseptic solution to prevent the formation of mold and mildew that infect the tree with poor ventilation or temperature extremes. I recommend using the manufacturer “Senezh”, which has established itself as an effective tool at an affordable price. The analogue of Senezh – Pinotex will also be a good option for processing, but its high cost is very expensive, especially since a lot of impregnation will be needed. It is not worth performing this procedure from a garden puller, although this is common among unenlightened would-be builders. In this case, impregnation will practically not be carried out. A paint roller or a regular brush is great for these purposes. When applying several layers, it is necessary to allow the product to be completely absorbed, and the wood to dry out for 1-2 days, after which you can proceed with the installation of the insulation.

On the beveled places of the attic, it will be convenient to use the cut cloth, since the joining of the sheets to each other will be more efficient and convenient. On a horizontal surface, a solid canvas would be an excellent option, which, having rolled out along its entire length, should be tightly laid in the openings between the rafters. If one plate or canvas is small in width and the space is not completely filled, you should use a metal ruler and a knife to cut a strip from a new piece and drive it tightly into the gap. Cotton wool has the properties of being easy to compress, so it will be correct to cut off each piece with an increase of 2-2.5 cm for a tighter fit. Thus, passing the entire surface of the insulated attic, you need to arrange the sheets as tightly as possible. After the completion of the next stage, they begin to lay the floors in the attic. Here everyone decides for himself what material to use (wooden lining, ordinary boards or, for example, wood chipboards), depending on the future purpose of the room.

In our case, using the example of a common edged board, a step-by-step laying of the material is performed. Each board is nailed 5-7 cm with a standard head. Subsequently, this option of floors will be less susceptible to twisting and changing the original shape when the board is completely dry. If desired, a wooden floor made of edged boards can be spiked with a special machine and treated with several layers of floor varnish.

From the side of the room, the rough crate is covered with a vapor barrier film and fixed temporarily with staples from a stapler. All seams are passed with a special adhesive tape for a vapor barrier film. I would like to advise that it is better to postpone the purchase of such a tape until better times and use double-sided stationery tape between the seams. And for greater confidence and tightness, walk with ordinary stationery tape, smoothing it after gluing with a flat object.

The final plank is nailed to each rafter beam with sharp nails..

Often, in attics, the walls and ceilings are made of plasterboard, which is attached to a profile that is screwed to the final planks. In this way, film retention is achieved.

If you resort to these tips and recommendations, as well as consistently follow them, we can assume that the attic is insulated conscientiously.