Insulation of attic floors using wooden beams and reinforced concrete slabs

If you are completing a house, almost the finishing work has already been done and you don’t know whether to take on the attic or whether this matter can wait, and in general what is needed at this stage - this article will help you. Here we will look at insulating attic floors with different types of materials, with step-by-step illustrations, expert advice and useful videos.

We will also reveal many important points about why insulation is so necessary and what an attic floor pie on wooden beams and on a reinforced concrete slab should actually be like - step by step.

What insulation is suitable for the attic?

The attic floor needs to be insulated when the attic space is not planned to be used for housing. Those. we are talking about a cold attic, the roof slopes of which are not insulated at all. But not all the same materials are suitable for covering, so they are selected for slopes.

Mineral wool: no harmful dust

So, when insulating an attic floor with mineral wool, it is correct to use the so-called tension method. Its essence is that the insulating material is first laid - and so that it fits between the beams.

After this, three layers of slab or roll insulation made of mineral wool, with a total thickness of about 150 millimeters, are laid on it, and on top it is covered with a vapor barrier film. After this, it’s plywood, which should be no thinner than 18 millimeters.

Expanded polystyrene and polystyrene: ease of installation

The insulation of the attic floor using expanded polystyrene is also of high quality, the main advantage of which is that there is no need for vapor barrier, and all gaps are easily sealed with polyurethane foam.

Blown-in insulation: fashion and rationality

Recently, insulation of attic floors using the blow-in method has become especially popular.

The main advantage of blown-in insulation is that it automatically fills all the voids that exist and creates an even, continuous layer. In which there are no joints, no seams and no adjoining, and for which there is no need to cut separate small pieces of prickly insulation in order to plug something.

Today, to insulate cold attics in Russia, two types of blown-in insulation are mainly used: ecowool and blown-in wool.

Ecowool consists of up to 80% cellulose fibers, which are produced from ordinary waste paper, and 20% from additives such as Buran as a fire retardant and boric acid as an antiseptic. This insulation has high thermal conductivity.

But blown-in cotton wool is obtained by grinding ordinary mineral materials for thermal insulation, which for some reason did not pass product acceptance.

For example, they did not have sufficient density or correct fiber structure. And such material is crushed and packaged under high pressure, and therefore it is easy to transport it to the site, where everything will be loosened again upon arrival.

But still, ecowool is most often used as a material. The insulation process itself looks like this: one person must remain next to the installation and monitor its normal operation, while simultaneously loading the material. And the second person goes up to the attic with a hose, makes a cross-shaped cut on the vapor barrier (just between the beams), inserts the hose into this cut, and fills the cavity with material.

Plus, relatively inexpensive bulk materials are used to insulate a cold attic:

Insulation layers

So, if you imagine a cross-section of the interfloor insulation cake, it will consist of the following layers:

• upper floor flooring boards;
• logs;
• floor vapor barrier;
• beams with a layer of heat and sound insulation laid between them;
• ceiling vapor barrier;
• ceiling cladding.

In multi-storey buildings, insulation of the interfloor floor is relevant only if this floor is made between the basement and the first floor, as well as in the case of the floor between the upper floor and an unheated attic.

If the ceiling separates two residential heated floors, then the role of insulating material for insulation is negligible. In this case, the soundproofing properties of the structure are much more important. Despite the fact that heat and sound insulating materials are included in the same group when classified according to purpose and technological characteristics, their properties may be different.

These differences must be taken into account when using this or that material in a specific interfloor covering.

What insulation parameters should you pay attention to?

We in no way encourage you to purchase the most expensive thermal insulation materials to insulate your attic floor. But note that the more and longer any well-known company produces materials for this purpose, the more it pays attention to quality, changing their volumetric weight, improving their products and increasing thermal insulation coefficients. And this already says something.

Otherwise, always pay attention to the parameters of insulation that are important for a wooden floor, and have no significance for a concrete floor - and vice versa.

Parameter No. 1. Biostability

The point is to ensure that such insulation, which often remains open, does not harbor bugs or other living creatures. This is especially true for mice, which love to live in a warm and dry (and, most importantly, deserted) attic.

Another important requirement for attic insulation is water resistance. Raindrops or simply moisture that accidentally fall into it should not lead to the process of rotting.

Glass wool is recognized as one of the most durable insulation materials:

Parameter No. 2. Thermal conductivity

The main requirements for attic insulation are the ability to maintain thermal insulation properties for a long time.

When purchasing insulation, also pay attention to this interesting point: modern manufacturers of thermal insulation materials always indicate in the technical specifications three coefficients of thermal conductivity of the material: in a dry state, at temperatures of 10° and 25°, and humidity categories A and B.

You need to look at the thermal conductivity coefficient in a dry state, or at a temperature of 10 degrees, because this is the normal climate in the attic. For a more accurate and detailed thermal calculation, you will need a SNiP table.

Now let's note this point. When choosing when purchasing insulation, you will probably be advised to take insulation with the lowest possible degree of thermal conductivity. But in fact, this only makes sense for residential attics, because when you have to insulate roof slopes, you cannot lay too thick materials between the rafters. Therefore, here we need materials that will conduct heat as poorly as possible, but at the same time have a small thickness.

But for the attic floor, the thickness of the insulation is not a critical factor, and you can save on this. Just take cheaper insulation, but thicker, albeit with high thermal conductivity. Everything is compensated by the height of the insulation itself.

Parameter No. 3. Weight

Depending on the chemical composition, each insulation has its own volumetric mass. Thus, materials such as basalt, glass and any other inorganic and organic compounds are most often used as a basis for fibers. Depending on their type, the heat-insulating material itself becomes either light or heavy. And the shape of all these materials is ensured precisely by the elasticity of the fibers: how they straighten between the floor beams.

Note that heavy insulation materials hold their shape better due to the rigidity of their fibers. And the best stability for insulating attic floors is provided by foam insulation, which in this parameter is equivalent to hard stone wool. But there is a point: the same mineral wool insulation that was inserted between the floor beams can easily straighten out and press tightly against the wood, but foam insulation will not do this, and voids are formed - the bridges are cold. Therefore, you will have to additionally use a can of foam to close all the cracks.

But if you insulate the attic floor on a reinforced concrete slab with foam-based materials, then there will only be advantages. Not to mention the fact that the concrete floor of the attic itself already has considerable weight and creates a serious load on the walls and foundation of the house, and using lightweight insulation for it is just a big bonus.

And unlike a concrete floor, an attic floor can withstand a fairly limited load. Therefore, the weight of the insulation in this regard is also not the last point. After all, there are already many variations here: the same cubic meter of thermal insulation can weigh either 11 kilograms or all 350 - this is the norm.

One of the heaviest insulation materials is basalt wool:

Parameter No. 4. Moisture resistance

Rain moisture that accidentally gets into the insulation or roof leaks should not start the rotting process. It’s bad if after just six months or a year the new insulation begins to decompose from the inside, emitting an unpleasant smell of dampness.

Therefore, insulation of attic floors over wooden beams and concrete is quite often done using polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene, which are known for their almost zero hydrophobicity.

Parameter No. 5. Environmental friendliness

One more point: the attic insulation should not emit any toxic or pungent odor substances, despite the fact that, perhaps, no one will walk in such an attic.

It's all about ventilation: sooner or later, insulation molecules are picked up by the air and carried into living spaces, which can be unsafe for the residents of the house. Therefore, choose insulation that meets sanitary standards.

Parameter No. 6. Saving the form

Another important point is the form stability of the selected insulation. Thus, special laboratory tests have shown that over time, heat loss through the cracks between the slabs or matte insulation can reach 40%. And this despite the fact that the material itself during the same time may not change its thermal conductivity coefficient at all, if it remains dry.

Therefore, the stability of the shape and size of the material over time is very important. For a concrete attic floor, such gaps will not be critical, because here the floor itself is quite heat-insulating, which cannot be said about the attic floor.

But the problem is that such a parameter as shape or stability cannot be found in the technical information for modern thermal insulators.

Parameter No. 7. Fire safety

And the last point: attic insulation must meet all fire safety requirements. Take the same popular ecowool, which is made not just from ordinary waste paper and pieces of newspapers. It would seem that everything is simple and ingenious, why don’t you also cut the paper smaller and just fill the attic with it? Would it be worse? After all, the principle of looseness is also involved here, like in animal fur, when air molecules get stuck between small elements.

Let's put it this way: yes, the insulating properties of this method will be no worse, but it is old dry paper and wood that most often leads to unexpected fires. That is why modern cellulose insulation is necessarily treated with special chemicals to prevent fire.

If we are talking about the flammability of materials, then it is important that the insulation not only does not burn, but also has attenuation. Just remember that at the epicenter of the fire everything burns, both iron and concrete, but if a spark falls on the attic floor, the insulation should not catch fire. That's what we're talking about.

This is what the attic insulation cake itself should look like:

Material selection criteria

The wooden frame of a private house has its own requirements for choosing a thermal insulation solution:

• coefficient of thermal conductivity. The indicator is important to ensure the required level of resistance to thermal energy losses;
• vapor permeability level. For example, to preserve the performance properties of mineral wool, protection with a vapor barrier membrane is necessary, since fibrous insulation absorbs moisture from the air;
• moisture resistance coefficient;
• flammability class;
• environmental friendliness;
• frost resistance;
• resistance to microbiological threats;
• level of attractiveness to rodents and insects;
• ease and convenience of installation.

Availability of material is also considered an important criterion. One of the most popular insulation materials in private housing construction is basalt wool. The solution provides extremely low thermal conductivity parameters, environmental friendliness, a high level of resistance to moisture and steam, is sold in a relatively affordable segment, and is suitable for self-installation.

Vapor barrier issues: how, on which side and is it necessary?

For insulation of wood and concrete roofing, the vapor permeability of the insulation is of great importance. Thus, all insulation materials that are manufactured today in the form of slabs and rolls can be divided into “cotton wool” and “foam,” as construction contractors like to do.

We include thermal insulation materials made of organic and mineral fibers as “cotton” materials - these are mineral wool, stone wool and glass wool insulation. All these materials are formed by the hardening of plastic masses of various chemical origins. And all these materials have approximately the same thermal conductivity coefficient: within 0.04.

All these materials consist of fibers that are intertwined. They do not form any closed pores, and water vapor easily penetrates and escapes through them. Therefore, all cotton insulation materials are vapor-permeable materials. Why, during production, their fibers are additionally coated with a special water-repellent substance, and the insulation also turns out to be hydrophobized: the water molecule from water vapor is not allowed to penetrate inside and wet the insulation. It can only cling to its surface, and when a critical mass accumulates, it transforms into drops and rolls down. It turns out that hydrophobized cotton insulation is not a wet, vapor-permeable material.

Therefore, until now, scientists from all over the world cannot come to an unambiguous conclusion: the vapor permeability of building insulation is good or bad. Let's just say that if you are installing an attic floor on wooden beams, you better lay vapor-permeable materials on it so that the wooden rafters, which take on moisture from the lower living spaces (and water vapor always rises upward), can easily transfer it to the insulation . And they will easily come out of the insulation - just through ventilation is enough. But in terms of insulation of concrete floors, there is not much difference. But there is a point here: when using vapor-permeable insulation, it is important that the ventilation of such an attic is organized according to all the rules, and a separate ventilation system would not hurt.

Note that there are no fibers in foam insulation, since such material is literally produced from thin air. All foam insulation consists of a cellular structure, with closed bubbles and not closed ones, like a kitchen sponge. Therefore, such heat insulators can be either vapor-permeable or non-vapor-permeable. For example, extruded polystyrene foam, which is better known to us as polystyrene foam, allows water vapor to pass between the balls, but extruded polystyrene foam does not.

What’s interesting is that you can use not only one type of insulation, but two at once to compensate for each other’s shortcomings. But at the same time, thermal insulation material with lower vapor permeability must necessarily lie in front of insulation with high vapor permeability. That is, first polystyrene foam, then cotton wool. Otherwise, in the opposite case, a material with less vapor permeability will become a certain vapor barrier for another material, which will simply begin to rot and the moisture will have nowhere to escape.

Using boards and solid timber

In the case of using solid wooden beams or boards for flooring, the span length is chosen within 4–6 m, which is half the maximum distance when using building structures made of laminated veneer lumber. Parts made from bonded boards are often manufactured directly on the construction site.

The strength of the structure is superior to solid beams. The main advantage of the products is the possibility of constructing a composite part from several boards. Builders can independently regulate the thickness of the beam by fastening the required number of elements. The boards are connected to each other using threaded elements. Rubber or plastic washers are installed under the bolts and nuts. The elements prevent the effects of corrosion on metal embedded parts and protect the wood from cutting into the nut when tightening.

How to insulate a concrete attic floor

If we are talking about insulating an attic floor made of concrete, then the thermal insulation must necessarily be in the form of two or three layers with overlapping joints of each lower layer. Moreover, it is very important that the entire surface is leveled so that there are no irregularities of more than 5 millimeters anywhere - this is not difficult to achieve with the help of modern leveling mixtures.

For concrete attic floors, extruded polystyrene foam slabs are ideal for thermal insulation. They don’t need a vapor barrier, but if you’re putting in polystyrene foam, it’s not extruded polystyrene foam, and then, of course, it’s needed.

Additionally, if you then need to walk on such a floor, you can make a cement-sand screed up to 4 centimeters and lay two layers of plasterboard sheets. Just be sure to make paths from masonry mesh for such a screed along which you will walk. Be sure to seal the joints between the polystyrene foam boards with tape so that cement laitance does not leak between the boards.

The attic floor itself can be insulated both at the manufacturing stage and at almost any time during the operation of the house itself. Of course, for the attic it is much more correct to insulate the ceiling before you move into your new home.

More details about the process itself:

When to insulate the ceiling

According to the laws of physics, warm air always rises to the top. If the attic space is not heated, heat from the lower floor goes out through it. Heat loss can be up to 40%. Warm air escapes through small cracks in concrete and pores in wooden ceilings. Properly performed thermal insulation will prevent freezing and reduce heating costs.

In all private houses with a cold ceiling, it is recommended to thermally insulate the ceiling. Such work can be performed at the construction stage or in an already constructed house. In the second case, insulation is carried out if the coatings were made a long time ago and over time have lost their heat-insulating properties.

How to insulate a wooden attic floor

So, there are two main ways to insulate an attic floor: laying a heat-insulating layer inside the attic floor structure, and laying insulation on top of it. For a cold and uninhabited attic, it is not necessary to cover the insulation with something on top and build a full floor. But then be sure to leave walking ladders - separate paths made of sparse flooring throughout the entire area of ​​the attic, this is necessary for roof maintenance.

A vapor barrier must be placed under the insulation, in the form of a trough, so that it can protect the insulation from water vapor that comes from the lower living quarters. But there is an exception to this rule: if the insulation was laid with good resistance, for example, it is foam or extruded polystyrene foam, then a vapor barrier is not needed here. But if we are talking about an attic with a particularly humid regime, for example, above a kitchen or sauna, then a serious vapor barrier layer needs to be installed here.

Another method is tension, when the vapor barrier only sags slightly between the beams. The disadvantage of this method is that the insulation between the beams is not inserted tightly enough.

And if the ceiling is also made from ready-made companies, then this option is not suitable at all, because such voids quickly become so-called cold bridges. Therefore, in Russia, the more popular method is in which the insulation is first laid, then a vapor barrier is covered, and only then with the finishing flooring.

So, here's what the whole insulation process looks like:

• Step 1. A vapor barrier is secured between the beams using a construction stapler.
• Step 2. Next, mineral wool slabs are cut so that their width corresponds to the pitch of the beams.
• Step 3. These slabs are carefully inserted into the gap between the beams.
• Step 4. While the ceiling below is not yet ready, so that the insulation does not fall between the beams, it is supported by rough bars or a strong thread stretched specially for this purpose.
• Step 5. Next, a diffuse membrane is quickly installed on top of the insulation - so that steam can easily escape through it, and drops from above from the slopes do not penetrate inside.

But let us also note the following point about the last step. Many experts believe that no diffuse membranes or windproof films are needed for insulation, because in a cold attic the insulation will dry due to natural ventilation of convection air flows, which easily penetrate through openings and dormer windows.

Self-production of glued elements

There are several options for making laminated veneer lumber yourself:

• combination of three elements into one structure;
• gluing two parts in the shape of a Z symbol;
• connection of lamellas using special elements, metal inserts.

The first method is considered the most practical; it is much simpler than the other two. At the initial stage of work, boards for timber are selected and laid on the central element so that the annual rings of the wood face in opposite directions. Marks are made on the surface of the boards with a black marker or a simple pencil, which will indicate the sequence of their laying.

The central element is cleaned on both sides with sandpaper, which will create a rough surface and improve glue adhesion. Side boards are processed only at the point of contact with the main beam. At the next stage of work, the surfaces are degreased with a solvent, an antiseptic and fire retardants are applied. These liquids and protective compositions are applied alternately: first the solvent, then other impregnations after the base composition has dried. Not only the sides of the lumber are processed, but also the ends.

Now you need to apply a thin layer of glue (1-2 mm) to the cleaned and pre-treated surfaces. The top and bottom boards are laid on the central beam so that they are in the same plane. To fasten the elements, clamps are used, which are installed on the beam every 40–50 cm. The curing time of the glue is indicated by the manufacturer (usually does not exceed 2 days).

Calculator

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Installation of thermal insulation

After installing the rough ceiling and vapor barrier layer, the ceiling beams will be located on the attic side, so the thermal insulation will be between them. Based on which insulation is chosen, the installation process itself may differ slightly.

So, for example, to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic with mineral wool, sheet or roll material is laid on a vapor barrier layer without any creasing or compression. Another layer of film is laid on top of the insulation.

This entire pie is attached using a furniture stapler to beams and walls throughout the entire area of ​​the room. The joints of the vapor barrier membrane must be sealed with metallized tape.

When installing polystyrene foam, a waterproofing film is unnecessary, since the polymer insulation itself does not allow air and moisture to pass through. Typically, foam plastic is mounted on the surface of the rough ceiling in two layers.

When using expanded clay as insulation, a two-layer vapor barrier is used. However, in this case it is necessary to fill in a mixed-fraction granular mass of baked clay. This will avoid the formation of voids in the thermal insulation layer and improve heat and sound insulation.

The technological process of insulation with sawdust is similar to the use of expanded clay. However, here very often wood chips are mixed with other binding components: clay, cement or gypsum. In any case, the sawdust must first be dried, treated with antiseptics and, if possible, antipyretics.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tb2D1CNom_I

Polyurethane foam

Its parameters are almost identical to polystyrene foam. It has higher mechanical strength and low toxicity. Available in yellow and orange slabs measuring 120/60 cm. Marked with the letters PPU. This information should be taken into account due to the fact that in trade organizations it is also often called expanded polystyrene, and when ordering by phone, it is worth clarifying what they are selling PPU or PSB-S.

Insulation using polyurethane foam

It’s just as easy to install with your own hands as polystyrene foam. The simplest operations of cutting to size and laying between beams or rafters do not create any difficulties. Laying a vapor barrier layer is not required.

Note

One significant disadvantage of these materials is their low fire resistance. Therefore, it is worth taking a responsible approach to the installation of electrical wiring when insulating the attic floor, so as not to start a future fire in the walls with your own hands.

Special corrugated non-flammable insulation of the electrical wire should be used. When using the attic as a non-residential space, it is enough to apply a fire-retardant coating to the insulation and enjoy the warmth in the house for at least 30 years, proud that it was created with your own hands.

Cost of materials

• Name
• Foam plastic PSB-S-25
• Polyurethane foam Polimer
• Mineral wool ISOVER

• Unit
• sheet
• balloon
• m2

• Price, rubles
• 100
• 400
• 33

The first layer of vapor barrier is spread over the ceiling and attached to the beams in such a way as to form a tray into which the insulation will be laid.

Before laying, the mineral wool should be allowed to rest after opening the package.

After the material has increased in volume, you can begin work. You can cut the insulation with a regular knife. The size of the sheets should be 7/10 centimeters larger than the inter-rafter pitch. This will ensure that the material adheres tightly to the beams.

It would be useful to lay additional vapor barrier between the layers of the material being laid. It will significantly increase the thermal insulation properties of the material.

Mineral (stone) wool

Rocks are melted into magma and then formed into hollow fibers using a centrifuge. A binder is added to form rolls or slabs.

Mineral wool is the best choice for insulating the attic floor in a wooden house. It has a low thermal conductivity and belongs to the class of non-flammable heat insulators. Additionally, basalt wool has a high level of sound insulation.

Characteristics:

• Heat transfer coefficient - 0.032-0.04 W/m*K. This is one of the best indicators among insulation materials;
• Fire safety. Basalt wool prevents the spread of fire and does not change its properties when exposed to temperatures up to +1000°C;
• A good sound absorption rate is due to the porous structure of the material;
• Environmental Safety;
• Durability. The interweaving of fibers with each other ensures rigidity and maintains the integrity of the structure for a long time.

Basalt wool allows moisture to pass through, so the installation of vapor barrier materials and a waterproofing layer is necessary.

Brands: Rockwool LIGHT BUTTS, TechnoNIKOL ROCKLITE, Isoroc ISOLIGHT.

Step by step guide

Before you start laying a vapor barrier on the rough ceiling, you need to understand what this part of the room is like. According to its purpose, a rough ceiling is a special ceiling that is installed during the construction of a building. Depending on the material of manufacture, the structure takes on a number of loads. For example, wood products differ significantly from concrete products, having their own characteristics and properties. At their base is a wooden beam.

When choosing vapor barrier materials for the ceiling, it is necessary to clearly understand what tasks and loads it will encounter.

We advise you not to neglect the installation of vapor barrier materials

And at the stage of finishing the rough ceiling, it is recommended to adhere to the following instructions:

1. The vapor barrier layer is fixed directly to the beams.
2. An unedged board is stuffed in compliance with a certain step.
3. After this, they begin laying thermal insulation.
4. Next, they arrange the floor on the second floor using boards.
5. The finished structure is leveled and decorated with a decorative layer.

When arranging wooden houses, various methods of insulating the ceiling from moisture are used. The simplest one looks like this: a boardwalk is placed at the bottom of the beams, and a layer of vapor barrier is laid on top of the structure. In the second option, cranial bars are fixed to the ceiling, and a rough coating is placed on top of them. In this case, the vapor barrier can be placed in both the lower and upper parts.