In order for the room to remain warm, it is necessary to carry out thermal insulation measures. 15% of all heat loss occurs through the ceiling. Before conducting the insulation of your ceiling in a private house with your own hands, you must correctly select the material and familiarize yourself with the technology for performing the work. Activities can be performed in several ways, it all depends on the type of insulated ceiling.
Ways to do the work
The technology of ceiling insulation assumes the existence of only two installation options:
- outside of the room;
- from inside the room.
When choosing between them, several factors are taken into account. The article deals with events in a private house, it is worth remembering that the insulation in the apartment is carried out according to the same principle, but the work can only be done from below, since insulation from above affects the upper apartment or attic - the common area.
Most often, in apartment buildings, laying of insulation is required to increase the sound insulation of floor floors or thermal insulation of the ceiling of the last floor.
In a private house, the choice of method is limited only by the decision of the owner of the house. Arrangements for interfloor ceilings (as noise insulation) are not required; thermal protection of the ceiling of the last floor is carried out in the presence of an unheated attic. It is worth noting that a competent option is the thermal insulation of the ceiling from the outside, from the side of cold air. This has the following advantages:
- in addition to the premises, the ceiling structure is insulated, which increases its service life;
- ceiling insulation from the attic does not reduce the height of the upper floor;
- the work does not require serious efforts (when fixing the insulation from the bottom, you must constantly keep your head up and use a stepladder or other means of access);
- with different methods of thermal insulation measures, the location of the dew point (the point of condensation) changes, when insulated by warm air, it falls into the thickness of the slab, which may cause problems in the future;
- the method does not affect the interior decoration of the premises, if in the future it is necessary to replace the insulation, the work can be carried out quickly and without additional financial costs.
If necessary, you can conduct insulation of the ceiling from the inside.
Insulation from the attic
Thermal protection from the side of cold air is best carried out by materials having high density and rigidity. Attic - a space in which it is necessary to provide access to the passage of a person. If compressible, fragile material is laid on top of the attic floor, it may crumple, deform, or collapse and cease to fulfill its functions. When choosing a heater for this method, strength is as important as thermal conductivity.
Before insulating the ceiling in a private house, you need to familiarize yourself with the order of work:
- The attic is cleaned of debris and dirt.. The insulation must lie on a clean and even foundation.
- The space is measured, the required amount of thermal insulation material is calculated.
- Depending on the material chosen, a vapor barrier layer is provided. It must be laid on the side of warm air relative to the heat insulator. Not all materials require vapor barrier, if the insulation is resistant to moisture and a low coefficient of moisture absorption, additional measures are not required.
- Laying is carried out by two methods, the choice between which depends on the strength of the purchased material. If thermal protection is carried out with a high-strength insulation, you can lay it under a cement-sand screed. To increase the reliability of the structure, the screed is taken with a thickness of at least 2 cm and additionally reinforced with wire reinforcement with a diameter of 3-4 mm. If the strength of the heat insulator is not high enough, installation is performed between the lags. The presence of a wooden frame allows you to remove the load on the floor of the room from the insulation and transfer it through the bars to the ceiling.
- After installation of the insulating layer provide waterproofing. It will prevent the insulation from getting wet outside. Water in the attic may appear during roof leaks or spills, waterproofing in case of unforeseen situations protects the insulation layer from loss of performance. The simplest material for waterproofing is a plastic film.
- The next step is the installation of the floor cake.
Insulation from the inside
Before you insulate the ceiling, choose a fairly light material. Unlike the installation of thermal protection from the outside, the insulation of the ceiling from the inside does not require the use of durable heat insulators. In this case, they try to choose the insulation that will hold firmly on a horizontal surface. The smaller all layers, the easier it is to mount.
To understand how to properly insulate the ceiling in this case, you need to familiarize yourself with the procedure:
- As with the previous method, first the surface is cleaned of dirt and dust. The required amount of material is calculated.
- Next, the installation of a wooden or metal frame is required. If during installation from the outside it can be laid without additional bars or boards, then when mounted from below, it is better to ensure reliable fastening. The ceiling structure is subsequently attached to the frame. As elements of the frame, wooden boards or bars or an aluminum ceiling profile are used.
- Insulation is laid between the rails. The fastening may be glued to the ceiling or using fasteners to the frame. Often, both of these options are used together.
- The final stage is the installation of the ceiling.
Materials for insulation
The choice of insulation layer depends on the method of insulation and the financial capabilities of the owner of the house. To answer the question of what is better to insulate the ceiling, you need to distribute materials that can be used for each case.
For the method above use:
- hard mineral wool slabs (more in the article “Insulation of your ceiling in a private house with mineral wool”);
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- foam of high grades in strength, laid between the lags or under a reinforced screed;
- polyurethane foam (only between lags);
- sawdust;
- expanded clay.
The last two options are suitable for those who care about the environmental component of construction. Expanded clay and sawdust - an inexpensive and natural option for thermal insulation.
When insulating the ceiling from the side of the room, you can apply:
- Styrofoam;
- mineral wool in mats;
- polyurethane foam.
These materials are lightweight and can be fixed without problems. Before you properly insulate the ceiling, you need to prepare.
To study the advantages and disadvantages of each material and make the right choice. A careful approach will allow warming for many years.