Cold attic or warm attic: what to choose? Attic or cold attic: what to choose Roof ceiling without attic in a one-story house

The apparent simplicity of a flat roof often misleads novice home builders. The elementary configuration gives rise to thoughts about the efficiency and low cost of construction. The minimum number of structural elements can dull the vigilance of independent performers who are ignorant of the intricacies of roofing.

In reality, installing a flat roof requires scrupulous adherence to the rules unique to it, guaranteeing the flawless operation of the structure and long-term operation.

Flat roofs are a separate category of roofing structures that do not require the construction of a rafter frame. Purely visually, it is a ceiling that rests directly on the walls of the building. Due to the absence of slopes, a flat roof does not upset the windage that occurs under the influence of gusty winds. However, its configuration does not contribute to the rapid removal of snow deposits from the surface.

The load from the snow is not transferred to the rafters, as in standard pitched systems, but presses directly on the walls of the building. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to equip houses with flat roofs in regions with insignificant amounts of winter precipitation and high wind loads.

In regions and districts of the country located in the middle zone and to the north, flat roofs are used mainly in industrial construction.

Private owners install them over one-story extensions, garages, and household buildings. For an independent craftsman, a flat roof over a shed or shed is an excellent option to practice as a roofer.

Briefly about the design of a flat roof

It is customary to call roofs flat, the only conditional slope of which is located to the horizon at an angle from 0º to 1.5º, or otherwise up to 2.5%. However, a number of technical sources call systems with a slope of up to 5º flat, a percentage value of up to 8.7%.

Even roof structures have a slight slope, creating a clearly horizontal impression. It is formed to drain wastewater to drainage points or to an overhang.

Regardless of the steepness, the layers of a flat roof are arranged in a strictly defined order:

• Vapor barrier covering the base. It is necessary to protect the insulation from the penetration of household fumes.
• Insulation laid in one or two tiers. Required to prevent leakage of heat waves through the upper ceiling, used exclusively in insulated systems.
• A screed created when the thermal insulation is insufficiently rigid or when there are no slopes for drainage.
• Waterproofing that protects the insulation and ceiling from the destructive effects of atmospheric water. It is laid with a continuous waterproofing carpet.
• A finishing coating that gives the structure an aesthetic appearance.

The brands of waterproofing materials currently supplied to the market successfully perform the functions of finishing roofing. These include numerous rolled and mastic bitumen, bitumen-polymer, and polymer varieties. Most of them are laid in one layer.

Due to the slight slope of flat roofs, the use of piece materials in the arrangement is contraindicated, because multiple joints between elements create the risk of leaks.

It is undesirable to use large sheet metal due to the harmful effects on the material of water stagnating on a flat surface during periods of heavy rain and snowmelt.

When using old, well-known roofing felt types of roll coverings, the finishing roof is arranged in 4 or more layers, the lower of which plays the role of waterproofing. A mastic or emulsion self-leveling roof is constructed in a similar way: the emulsion or mastic is applied in five or more layers, alternating pasty or creamy material with layers of fiberglass or polyester.

To lay and fix the above elements of the roofing pie of a flat roof, a rafter structure is not required. They are laid directly on the base, which can be a ceiling, a screed created on top of it, or the upper plane of the attic structure. To fasten PVC-coated systems, use adhesive, mechanical or. Self-leveling roofs are applied according to their name, the descendants of roofing material are fused or glued.

Unlike their pitched counterparts, flat systems do not have sheathing that creates ventilation channels for washing the insulation with air currents. Therefore, the selection of design solutions, materials and their sealed installation should be approached with due respect and focused attention.

A ventilated flat roof is only possible when lumber is used in the construction of the ceiling and attic. The latter option is most often used in private construction.

Types of floors used

The construction of flat roofs is carried out on floors made of reinforced concrete, wood and profiled sheets. The choice of material for the ceiling depends on the purpose of the roof structure, the size of the span to be covered, possible operation and ease of maintenance.

One of the significant advantages of a flat roof is the possibility of organizing a used area on it: a place for relaxation, a solarium, a green area, a terrace, etc. Of course, the overlap for such objects should be quite powerful. In addition, in the flat family there are roofs that do not involve incidental use, and therefore do not require a thorough covering.

Depending on the operational criteria, flat roofs are equipped with:

• Reinforced concrete floors, if it is planned to organize useful space above a long-span brick or concrete box.
• Steel profiled flooring on metal beams, if an unused roof is being constructed that covers spans of any size between walls made of brick or other artificial stone.
• Wood panel made from boards 40-50mm thick, up to 180mm wide. It is used to cover medium and large spans of wooden buildings in the event of planned operation.
• Particle boards and fibreboards on wooden beams, used to cover small spans of wooden and stone buildings. They are used if an unused roof is being constructed.

Lumber is a leader in the construction of low-rise residential buildings, because... are ahead of concrete and steel competitors in terms of environmental criteria.

Note that wood is inferior in fire resistance. True, fire hazard in low-rise housing construction is not recognized as a decisive factor. In addition, there are effective means to combat it - fire retardants.

Rolled coverings in flat systems with a wooden base then serve only as waterproofing, on top of which plank or parquet flooring is installed.

If a flat roof is being erected over a brick or concrete box, it is wiser to lay a reinforced concrete floor for the object in use or corrugated sheet for the one not in use.

The overlap of a flat roof does not always serve as the basis for its construction. In some cases, an attic structure is erected above the ceiling, which can be either a canopy over the base with a roofing pie, or the base itself.

Roofing pie structure attic roofs are similar, but the layers can be located at different levels.

With or without an attic?

The unconditional inclusion of flat roofs in the category of non-attic structures is fundamentally incorrect, although it has strong technical justifications. They may or may not have attics, although they are not formed by installing rafter legs.

Depending on the presence of an attic, flat roofing systems are divided into:

• Without roofs, the elements of which are structurally combined with the ceiling. They are completely devoid of an attic superstructure, which significantly reduces the budget allocated for their construction.
• Attics with an attic superstructure above the ceiling. The minimum height of the superstructure is 80 cm. The construction of attic structures for flat roofs is more expensive, but by separating the floor from the roof, the service life of the system increases at least three times.

In addition to the budget cost, one of the advantages of atticless systems is the ability to eliminate mechanical cleaning. The snow will melt due to the heat emanating from the room. Due to spontaneous precipitation, it is not advisable to equip flat roofs without an attic with parapets.

It is enough to install railings, which further reduces costs. The disadvantage of the absence of an attic will affect when identifying the causes of leaks, because the condition of the thermal insulation and other layers of the cake cannot be controlled.

The attic is an air chamber between the ceiling and the roof. This is a kind of buffer that compensates for the difference in temperatures outside and inside the premises.

The presence of an attic reduces the likelihood of condensation formation, and as a result extends the life cycle of structural elements. Elements of the attic system are always available for observation: the simplicity of inspections is difficult to overestimate.

An undeniable advantage is the possibility of installing insulation after construction, which prevents it from getting wet. The disadvantage of flat roofs with attics is their high cost and the need to regularly clear snow.

Despite the mythical cheapness of atticless systems, this is a very complex structure that requires experience from the builder, careful selection of materials and adherence to technologies for their hermetic connection. It is better for an independent craftsman to give preference to roofs with an attic, if their construction is not excluded by the design decision.

Subtleties of water drainage

Flat roofs are required to be equipped with drainage systems, which are required to freely drain water at an operational pace all year round. Systems come in external and internal types.

The optimal type of drainage system is determined by the climatic conditions of the construction area:

• External gutters constructed when constructing flat roofs in southern regions, where icing of drains in external pipes is excluded. According to the external type, water is discharged to pipes located outside along the perimeter of the building or to a gutter attached along the lowest overhang. In the middle zone, only flat roofs of non-residential buildings are equipped with external systems.
• Internal drainage systems atmospheric water when installing flat roofs are built in the middle zone and to the north. In accordance with the internal design, water is transported through slopes or inclined pipes to water intake points in the center of the roofs. Drainpipes transporting water to the sewer system are laid inside the building, but isolated from the premises.

Despite the impressive cost, the construction of an internal drainage is mandatory for temperate and northern latitudes, and in the south its construction is irrational.

Installation of slopes for drainage

If the slope of the flat roof was not provided for during the construction of the old roof and the construction of the new one, it must be created. The roof must be inclined towards the water intake funnels by at least 1-2%, approximately 1º.

Those who want to know how to correctly make a slope on a flat roof and what material is best to use to form slopes should adhere to the following recommendations:

• Slopes on reinforced concrete slabs are made mainly using a screed, or a screed is combined with preliminary filling of expanded clay or laying slab insulation. On an unused roof, it is enough to lay wedge-shaped mineral wool slabs, produced specifically for forming slopes.
• Slopes along corrugated floorings are formed using metal structures or wedge-shaped insulation.
• Slopes on wooden bases are specified structurally, but if they are not included in the project, it is possible to use wedge-shaped mineral wool.

Due to their serious weight, screeds are poured only for exploited roofs erected over a concrete floor. On a concrete slope, the recommended thickness of the screed is 10-15mm, on rigid insulation panels 15-25mm. For backfill thermal insulation, the screed is poured with a layer of 25-40 mm and a metal mesh is used for reinforcement.

Nuances of organizing ventilation

Normal ventilation can be done using the only method - by installing battens on the floor beams, similar methods are dictated to us. It is clear that this method is valid only for wooden options, and for roofs on a concrete base or corrugated sheet it is unacceptable.

The ventilation system for roofing pies on concrete and corrugated sheets depends on the type and characteristics of the finishing coating. PVC roofing is capable of spontaneously transmitting excess moisture from the insulation to the outside, so there is no need to install ventilation ducts between it and the insulation.

When using bitumen and bitumen-polymer materials, it is mandatory to install weather vanes over the entire area of ​​the flat roof. The spacing of these devices depends on the thickness of the insulation. Vane aerators ensure the removal of moisture from the under-roof space to the outside.

Algorithm for constructing a flat roof

Let's consider the common case of constructing an unused flat roof over an extension on a suburban site. It will be equipped with an external drain. Insulation of the structure is not expected, because climatic conditions and the purpose of the room below do not require thermal insulation.

The sequence of constructing a cold flat roof on wooden beams:

• We mark the installation step of the floor beams, for which we will use a board 40-50mm thick. Installation step from 50 to 70cm: choose it based on the actual length of the walls. There should be equal spaces between the beams.
• We place the board on its edge, fasten it with nails or corners. The required slope to the lowest overhang is created spontaneously due to the difference in the height of the box walls.
• We lay a continuous flooring made of OSB boards, moisture-resistant plywood or other similar material on the beams. There should be a gap of 3-5mm between the plates to compensate for thermal expansion. They are fastened with galvanized self-tapping screws or rough nails.
• We install a wind board along the perimeter of the roof, the edge of which rises 5-7 cm above the plane of the future roof so that a small side is formed.
• We nail a wooden strip with a triangular cross-section or a regular plinth to the sides. These are fillets necessary to drain water from the edges of the roof.
• We treat all wooden elements with antiseptics and fire retardants. After they dry, apply primer.
• We lay an additional waterproofing carpet in a strip along the perimeter on top of the fillets. In the case of junctions and pipes passing through the roof, additional waterproofing is applied to the adjacent vertical planes in the same way, i.e. on top of the fillets.
• We fuse the finishing roofing material selected for installation, heating its back side with a gas burner.

In the case of thermal insulation, a vapor barrier layer is first laid out on the base, the edges of which are placed on the vertical sides. Insulation boards are placed in a kind of pallet formed by the vapor barrier, the thickness of which is calculated in accordance with the requirements of SNiP 02/23/2003. Thermal insulation is attached to the base with self-tapping screws and telescopic devices.

Then waterproofing is laid over the sides and junctions. If one of the latest brands of rolled waterproofing material is chosen for the installation, then it will also be entrusted with the responsibility of the finishing coating.

An impressive range of new polymer-bitumen and polymer coatings are laid in one layer, which helps to save the paver's effort and construction costs. Among them there are materials that are extremely preferable for home craftsmen and do not require the use of a gas burner. They are glued to mastics or using the back adhesive side, fixed mechanically, laid loosely and loaded with ballast.

Video for DIYers

A video collection will help you consolidate information about the difficult task of constructing flat roofs:

We hope that the information we presented will help future roofers who decide to practice with their own hands in constructing a not-so-simple design.

There are many conditions for the proper construction of a flat roof, but they must be observed for ideal operation and long service. Information about the intricacies and specifics of constructing a flat roof will help not only determined craftsmen, but also owners of country estates who resort to the services of third-party construction organizations.

Users of the site are well aware that the appearance of a house largely depends on the shape of its roof. Any homeowner would like his cottage not only to look spectacular, but also to be functional, warm and comfortable. Therefore, even at the stage of choosing a project, we choose a cold attic or a warm roof. Let's figure out what to do better, more functionally and more economically feasible.

In our material, we have collected the most common questions that will help you make your final decision.

From this article you will learn:

• What is the attic of a building and what room is called an attic;
• What is the difference between a warm attic and a cold attic?
• What features can a cold attic and a warm attic have?
• Is there any benefit to building a cold attic or is it better to build a warm attic?
• How to properly insulate an attic;
• What is the difference between roof windows and ordinary ones?

Attic vs attic

Every year, prices for land for development are rising more and more, and therefore many homeowners often think about whether there is a way to “increase” the usable area of ​​a house on a small plot. The simplest option is to increase the height of the house and build a two-story cottage with an unheated attic. Or go the other way and build a house with a warm attic. Both options have their pros and cons, which we will discuss below. First, let's define what is the attic of a building and what is an attic.

Vera Vavilova Managing director of the company "DDM-Stroy", Moscow.

An attic is the non-residential space between the ceiling of the top floor and the roof of the building. An attic is the space between the ceiling of the top floor and the roof of the house, which is already used as a living space.

Due to its design, the attic creates a well-ventilated buffer space under the roof. This means that ensuring ventilation of the under-roof space in the attic through dormer windows is much easier than in the attic.

On two sides, the attic has vertically straight pediments, and on the other two, the facades are formed by the surfaces of a sloping or sloping roof. Thus, the attic ceiling is also the roof.

Roman NakonechnyHead of the construction department of the company "RonasGroup"

The main difference between an attic and an attic is the purpose of the premises. While an insulated attic is called a full-fledged living space, a cold attic is intended solely for storing things.

Anton Borisov Expert of TechnoNIKOL Corporation

Traditionally, the attic space between the ceiling and the roof is used either for storage of household equipment or not used at all. But the attic can become additional living space: a guest room, an office or a nursery.

The advantages of an attic, compared to an attic, is that it allows you to create additional living space without increasing the overall height of the house or adding an additional floor.

It should be remembered that finishing the attic, like any other room, requires the investment of additional funds, while the attic can be equipped at minimal cost.

The advantages of the attic are also the simplicity of its construction and the possibility of easy access from inside the second floor room to inspect the roof, if it is necessary to repair the roof, in case of a leak, etc.

It should also be remembered that in order to access the under-roof space, it is necessary to arrange a separate entrance leading to the attic. Usually, a hatch is made for this with a retractable or folding vertical ladder.

Sergey Petrov Architect at Home in the Woods

You can make additional rooms in the attic floor, thereby reducing the actual area of ​​the house relative to the site, reducing costs for the foundation, roofing and external walls. This is important, because the foundation and roof are the most expensive elements in the house.

The big advantage of the attic floor is that you can arrange sleeping areas there, for adults and children separately. But the attic is just empty space.

Vera Vavilova

When constructing an attic, you end up with an uninhabitable void between the interfloor ceiling and the roof. The advantage of an attic is savings. The insulation is laid only over the ceiling, reducing its consumption, and the resulting attic space creates an air gap. The gables can remain cold, which also leads to savings.

Unlike an attic, a warm attic requires insulation of the gables. Roof insulation is carried out according to the topography of the roof, which results in a much higher consumption of insulation than in the case of an attic.

The attic floor implies a straight ceiling of the last floor, which greatly limits the design possibilities of the room. When installing an attic, the rafter system can be made visible, which gives a unique design to the room and gives a special flavor to the space.

The attic ceiling is not made straight, but according to the internal relief of the roof, and you get a large volumetric space that can be beautifully played out in the interior.

Vera Vavilova:

The second floor must have a height of at least 2.5 m to make living on it comfortable. You need to raise all the external walls of the house and internal partitions to the height of the second floor. Accordingly, spend the material and pay for the work. External walls must have appropriate insulation, depending on the material of the house. Further above the second floor you have an attic, the installation of which will also require material and labor costs.

The main benefit of building an attic and a full second floor is the usable area of ​​the second floor. You get a second floor of equal height, comfortable for living. You don't have to worry about whether the cabinet will fit against the wall. You don’t have low “pockets” that need to be played up in the interior and thought about how they can be used functionally.

The non-residential space of the attic can be used as a storage room, which also significantly increases the usable area of ​​the house.

Sergey Petrov

Very often they build a cold attic, considering that it is expensive to insulate the roof. However, the pie that is in the attic, that is in the ceilings of the upper floor of the attic, has almost the same view . It is still necessary to insulate the ceiling of the second floor, but reducing the area of ​​the roof and foundation itself, plus the area of ​​walls and ceilings, can be much more profitable. As an interior designer, I can say that attic rooms with pitched ceilings always become a source of special mood, they are not boring and very picturesque, the main thing is – beat them correctly.

But, as with any construction, everything should be approached thoughtfully, carefully weighing all the pros and cons.

Roman Nakonechny

The costs of building a cold attic can be several times lower than the construction and finishing of a residential space. If roof insulation is required both during the construction of the attic and during the construction of the attic (these costs are approximately equal), then additional means will be required for finishing the living space, such as interior finishing of walls, floors, ceilings, room heating, as well as its furnishings.

Many people think that designing an attic is much more complicated than an attic, which leads to a significant increase in the cost of the house project. But, as experience shows, this is not at all the case.

Roman Nakonechny

Designing an attic is slightly more expensive than an attic. It’s just that the project will take into account the living quarters, their location, and the area of ​​the rooms will be given special attention so that they can subsequently be comfortable to live in.

The attic will also be included in the project, there will simply be fewer requirements for its location and area, but the work for designing the attic will still have to be paid according to the area of ​​the room. The main thing when designing an attic – carefully consider the height of the walls and ceiling.

Sergey Petrov

Roman Nakonechny

The height of the attic is measured along the side wall, a comfortable wall height is from 1.5 m.

With such a height of the walls, it is possible to walk at full height in the attic room, and in the lowest places to place either sleeping places or storage spaces.

Vera Vavilova

When designing an attic, there are a number of nuances that need to be taken into account, and which you don’t have to think about when designing an attic floor - height in the rooms, etc.

In the attic, it is necessary to arrange the rooms in such a way that it does not turn out that the height of the shower stall does not fit into the bathroom, or that there is nowhere to put a closet in the bedroom.

The height of the second floor under the attic floor is at least 2.5 m - comfortable for people of average height and there are no problems with arranging furniture.

To make the attic functional, the side walls are usually raised by 1.2 - 1.4 m, obtaining, depending on the size of the house, about 3.5 - 4 m at the ridge. Then you will have a voluminous space that visually increases the area of ​​the second floor due to the volume of the premises.

In the attic, the roof can start directly from the floor, since in the technical space there is no need to create a full height; it is not needed for storing things. The useful area of ​​the attic depends only on the height of the side wall. The maximum height of the side wall should not exceed 2-2.5 meters, otherwise it will become a full floor, not an attic. In order to maximize the usable area of ​​the attic and understand where it is necessary to place the supports, you can use the following advice:

Sergey Petrov

If you make plans for the second floor in advance with an approximate arrangement of furniture, it will be clear where power elements, for example, pillars, can be placed. Not only will the pole look very good in rooms with a pitched roof, but it will also carry the load. Truss structures for supporting the roof also look very good. From my own experience, I know that with a roof slope of about 30 degrees or more, not much usable space is consumed, only about a meter under the slopes.

Design features of the attic and attic

If the construction of a full second floor and a cold attic is carried out according to schemes worked out over the years (the main thing – pay attention to reliable vapor and waterproofing), then the construction of an attic requires great knowledge and places increased demands on the qualifications of builders. And any mistake made at the attic design stage can lead to expensive repairs in the future.

As noted above, the attic significantly increases the “living” area, gives the house expressiveness, transforming and improving it. The main thing is that all construction work – insulation, vapor barrier and roof ventilation – were completed in accordance with established requirements.

If the roof truss system is subject to heavy loads, then some of its components should be made of laminated veneer lumber beams. These can withstand a much greater load than rafters made from ordinary boards. Small spans, the load on which is insignificant, require the use of rafters made of dry planed boards with a cross-section specified by the project.

But the most important thing is a correctly laid and insulated “roofing pie”. It determines whether your attic floor will be warm and comfortable, whether condensation will accumulate and the roof will leak.

Vera Vavilova

The size of the beams on the attic floor, as in any building, is determined by the length of the unsupported span. If the project provides for a large under-roof space without walls, then the rafter system can be reliably and beautifully made from truss structures.

They will help organize a reliable roof structure, giving the room a unique modern design.

When installing an attic floor, special attention should be paid to high-quality insulation of the roof.

Anton Borisov

When it comes to living space, it is logical to assume that such a room, first of all, should be comfortable for living and, importantly, warm, especially if the house is used for year-round use. To turn a cold attic into a warm attic, you need to insulate the floor and roof slopes.

When insulating the roof, the following conditions must be observed:

• Moisture should not accumulate in the insulation;
• The thickness of the thermal insulation layer must correspond to a certain size (according to the thermal calculation), sufficient to retain heat in the room in winter and summer.

Therefore, for the best performance of your roof, it is necessary to provide a vapor barrier layer – to cut off steam coming from the room. It is also necessary to apply a certain thickness of the thermal insulation layer, according to the calculation for a particular region, and it is also necessary to provide a ventilated gap between the thermal insulation layer and the roofing.

Roman Nakonechny

For proper insulation of the attic, vapor and waterproofing is required. Mineral wool can be used as insulation for pitched roofs. In this case, the insulation is installed with an overlap in order to avoid cold bridges.

The second option is to use extruded polystyrene foam as insulation.

Also, when constructing an attic, special attention should be paid to ventilation of the insulation.

Sergey Petrov

You can use rafters with a cross section of 200x50 mm, and take the thickness of mineral wool at 150 mm. Since the insulation must breathe, the difference in the thickness of the rafters and the wool is, in essence, the breath.

To prevent the insulation from picking up moisture, vents must be made when installing the attic, otherwise in a couple of years the insulation will lose its thermal properties.

A standard attic roof pie looks like this:

• Roofing;
• Lathing;
• Counter-lattice;
• Diffusion film (hydro and wind insulation);
• Air gap;
• Insulation;
• Vapor barrier;
• Internal lining.

Vera Vavilova

The “roofing pie” of the attic floor must necessarily include a vapor barrier, insulation and waterproofing. Under no circumstances should steam or waterproofing be excluded!

Any finishing roof covering requires just such filling. The thickness of the insulation must be at least 200 mm. It is more convenient and efficient to use mineral slab insulation. It is also very important to properly insulate the junctions of the rafter system with the walls. These are weak points where cold bridges can form. Cladding panels made of wood or plastic are inserted into the vertical grooves between adjacent rafters. They are inserted from the inner and outer edges of the wall. Insulation (200 mm thick) is laid between the facing panels, which protects areas on the upper edge of the external walls from heat leakage from the room and heat penetration in the summer.

Also, when installing an attic, special requirements are placed on attic windows. Since they are exposed to an aggressive environment and are susceptible to adverse weather conditions, it is especially important to maintain a tight seal at the junction with the roof so that there are no leaks.

Features of attic floor insulation

When choosing a house project with a full second floor and a cold attic, it is extremely important to ensure that the money spent on heating does not go down the drain. To do this, it is necessary to properly insulate the attic floor, which is also the ceiling of the second floor and the floor of the attic. After all, when rising upward, heat escapes from the house through the attic.

The size of the attic floor (the pitch and thickness of the joists) will largely depend on the thickness of the insulation. And to select the thickness of the insulation, first of all it is necessary to make a thermal calculation.

According to the same thermal engineering calculations, different types of construction - floors, walls, roofing - should have different thermal resistances. Depending on this design, we ultimately get different TI thicknesses. There is one in the attic floor, and another in the attic floor structure.

The very design of the attic floor will be similar to the design of the attic floors, namely:

• Base;
• Insulation;
• Ballast (prefabricated screed with finishing coating, etc.).

Insulation of attic floors can be done in several ways. Depending on the type of base, insulation can be carried out both on reinforced concrete floors and on wooden floors. But the main stages of insulation are similar in both cases.

Extruded polystyrene foam slabs are laid on the leveled base of the floor, and then a prefabricated screed or cement-sand mixture. And only then the finishing coating is installed on it.

How to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic.

Our forum member also talks about creating a presenter for the attic. Here you will find a discussion for a “cold” roof. Watch a video about the features of the rafter system of a house made of aerated concrete.

Despite the fact that the popularity of the residential attic is growing, many supporters remain for houses with a full second floor and a cold attic. This solution allows you to reduce costs. In general, a cold attic is structurally simpler, however, even here, designers and builders are not at all immune from mistakes, the price of which is a decrease in the comfort and service life of the building.

Most often you have to deal with improper insulation of the attic floor. The problem is that customers strive to reduce costs on materials to the limit, and builders carry out work in the attic extremely carelessly, confident that the owner will not carefully inspect this non-residential premises. So, let's move on to a review of possible shortcomings.

The folding invisible ladder comes complete with an insulated sealed hatch. Photo: Fakro

Mistakes when arranging the attic

1. The insulation is laid directly on the suspended ceiling

Water vapor will inevitably seep into the thickness of the insulation, which will negatively affect its properties. In addition, there are inevitable gaps in the ceiling through which particles of insulation and/or chemicals released by it will penetrate into the rooms. Before installing the insulation, plank ceilings or rough rolls on beams must be covered with a continuous carpet of thin-layer rolled vapor barrier with an overlap of strips of at least 10 cm.

General scheme of attic floor insulation. Photo: Rockwool

2. The insulation layer is too thin

The attic floor is subject to the same thermal insulation requirements as the attic floor. Accordingly, the thickness of mineral wool slabs or sprayed cellulose wool or polyurethane foam should be at least 200 mm (if you focus on Northern European standards, then 300 mm), low-density polystyrene slabs - at least 150 mm. By the way, when insulating with expanded polystyrene, the joints of the sheets and their junctions with wooden beams must be sealed.

3. The insulation is not protected from weathering

This paragraph concerns fibrous materials, the structure of which is destroyed over time by air currents. Mineral or cellulose wool must be covered with a roll of vapor-permeable waterproofing on top.

Icicles on the eaves are a sure sign of insufficient insulation of the attic floor. Photo: Vladimir Grigoriev

4. Ventilation of the attic space is not provided

Water vapor somehow penetrates into the attic, and in cold weather it condenses on the sheathing, causing it to rot. And in the summer heat, the air under the roof becomes very hot and through the smallest cracks and leaks in the ceiling “flows” into the rooms on the second floor, where it also becomes hot. To avoid these troubles, you need to organize intensive ventilation of the attic. Today, most experts believe that the attic roof, like the attic roof, should be equipped with perforated eaves soffits and a ventilation ridge.

Gable dormers are often not sufficient for attic ventilation. Photo: MidAmerica

5. Movement is possible only on beams and boards placed here and there

The attic space can be used for laying communications, installing engineering equipment (both sometimes need revision), etc. But for this you need to make movement around the attic comfortable and safe, which means you cannot do without a floor, for which edged and unedged boards with a thickness of 35 mm or more or durable sheet materials (plywood, OSB, etc.) are suitable.

Perforated soffits provide intense and uniform air flow. Photo: FineBer

6. Comfortable lifting, loft and lighting are not provided

Even if you don’t use the attic as a storage room, you still sometimes have to go up there to inspect roof structures, chimneys or ventilation pipes. Moreover, the need to get into the attic may arise urgently (suppose you smelled burning and overheated metal near the chimney). Going to the barn in search of a stepladder will waste precious minutes. Therefore, it makes sense to acquire a stationary ladder or a special folding “invisible” ladder. And of course, we must not forget about the lighting - ideally it should turn on automatically (circuits with a motion sensor or a reed switch on the hatch).

The ventilation ridge, originally developed for attic roofs, is now often used in houses with a cold attic. Photo: Klober

For the Russian region, houses with a traditional gable roof are currently of greatest relevance. And when building country houses, there is no talk of a pitched roof at all. Projects of such houses still often remain without deserved attention, although in fact, this kind of design allows not only to emphasize the character of the owners of the house, but also to save on materials, as well as expand your capabilities when decorating the house: both internal and external. We propose to consider the pros and some of the disadvantages of houses with a pitched roof, as well as projects of one-story, two-story houses and cottages, with a photo selection attached to them.

Houses with a pitched roof: what are the advantages and disadvantages of buildings of this type

Traditionally, most owners of private houses and cottages prefer to design their homes with a traditional layout, and, accordingly, a gable roof. Projects of houses with a pitched roof are a rather rare occurrence in the world of construction, although it cannot be said that they are in some way inferior to everyone else. On the contrary, such designs look very original and are more profitable from an economic point of view.

In addition, thanks to modern construction technologies and high-quality roofing materials, it is possible to create an original and reliable house that will fully justify the concept of “a house is its own fortress,” delighting the owner with good quality and comfort.

Houses with a pitched roof are in great demand in the United States and European countries, especially in cold countries due to some of the features of such structures. Therefore, such houses are especially relevant for the predominantly cold climate of Russia.

The advantages of houses with a pitched roof include:

• Significant savings in roofing material, as well as the material required for the construction of the truss structure. You can further reduce the cost of materials by using relatively inexpensive and fairly simple roofing materials, since they are not visible to the eye.
• Installation work for houses with a pitched roof is a fairly simple process, which allows you to do it yourself.
• A pitched roof is an ideal option for windy regions, since this design has low windage.
• The peculiarity of the roof design greatly simplifies the drainage of precipitation.
• Convenience of the roof for repair work if necessary.
• An excellent option for large houses.
• You can make full use of the attic space by designing an excellent attic with large windows.

But it was not without its drawbacks:

• The importance of accurately calculating the cross-section of all elements of the designed structure. Otherwise, the roof may simply not cope with the snow load.
• When designing a roof with a small angle of inclination, especially enhanced hydro- and thermal insulation will be required.
• Not a particularly attractive appearance. In order to avoid this, you will have to use rather expensive roofing materials and carry out the roofing work in a particularly high-quality manner.

Design features and operating rules

When building a house with a flat roof, there are several important features to consider:

1. If the project includes a house without an attic and the roof is combined with the ceiling, then it is necessary to use roofing materials of particularly high quality and involve construction professionals in the construction work so that the roof is made absolutely airtight and has good thermal insulation properties.
2. If the attic is nevertheless provided according to the house design, then servicing the roof from the inside will be quite difficult and inconvenient due to the relatively low ceiling and the lower height of the roof from the top to the bottom edge.
3. Difficulty in carrying out façade work. If the façade is of poor quality and roughly done, the house will simply look like a large barn. Small details will also have a significant impact on the appearance of the building.

Advice. Particular attention should be paid to the decorative elements of the exterior of the house - all materials used should not only be of the highest quality, but carefully selected colors and textures are also important. If a lot of additional details are provided, this will significantly reduce the requirements for facade finishing.

Since houses with a pitched roof are a rather unusual design solution, such a house should be operated without forgetting about proper and timely care of the roof:

1. Clear the roof of snow more often, especially during heavy snowfalls and when the snow melts in the spring.
2. Constantly monitor the condition of the structural elements of the roof and promptly eliminate any detected deficiencies or breakdowns.

Projects of houses with a pitched roof

For those who are ready to deviate from tradition and bring something new into their lives, designers offer original and high-quality solutions for the home. Let's look at them briefly.

One-story houses with a pitched roof. Such a design in the world of modern building materials allows us to take a fresh look at it. Projects with a pitched roof are perfect for those who want simplicity and at the same time originality in their home.

For a one-story house, the height of the roof is extremely important: the functionality and size of the attic space and the possibility of installing additional decorative elements depend on it. Very often, in projects for a house with a pitched roof, an additional roof is provided above the porch, tilted in the opposite direction relative to the main roof.

Two-story houses with a pitched roof you can build in such a way as not to focus too much on decorating the first floor of the house. At the same time, with such a roof design, you can arrange a spacious balcony on the second floor or install panoramic windows.

Very often, in projects of two-story houses with a flat roof, they rely on the contrast of floors, simultaneously combining an ascetic and restrained first floor and an elegant second. Such houses always look very elegant and modern.

Cottages with pitched roof. Houses of this type are most often represented by a laconic rectangular design with a small porch. Their distinctive feature is the general idea for all structural elements of the house and at the same time the subtle difference between each of them. The roof is usually built at an angle of 30 degrees, which helps prevent the accumulation of precipitation during the cold season. This is a great option for a country house.

Houses made of timber. The main tasks assigned to houses of this type: efficiency, environmental friendliness, rigor, warmth of construction. Using a flat roof on a log house will reduce heating costs. In addition, a frame made of timber will make it possible to build a rafter structure with a large margin of safety.

Complex at first glance, houses with a pitched roof, as you can see, are reliable, original and simple. We introduced you in basic terms to the main features and capabilities of these structures. We hope the information was useful to you.

Projects of houses with a pitched roof: video

Shed roof of a house: photo

The pitched roof in Russia is not so often used in the construction of residential buildings. This is due more to traditions and a large number of standard designs of houses with a roof than to the real disadvantages of pitched roofs. Therefore, if the recognizable appearance of the house and the cost-effectiveness of the consumption of expensive lumber for the system are not the last among your priorities, it makes sense to consider the option of a project with a pitched roof.

Advantages of residential buildings with a pitched roof

Such projects have several traditional advantages that make them very popular in Finland, Norway and other countries with a climate similar to the Russian one.

• efficiency in the consumption of lumber for the construction of the system and materials, such a roof, all other things being equal, will cost you less;
• increases savings and the fact that from the height of human growth the roof of the house will be practically invisible, so you can get by with reliable, but not very attractive from an aesthetic point of view, materials, rolled or;
• installation of the system is easier, you can do it yourself;
• more rational use of space, you can quite easily do without a little-used attic space;
• low windage– relevant for areas with high wind loads;
• the snow will only fall in one direction(prohibition of dumping snow on the roadway is a mandatory requirement for some areas);
• repairs are much easier, it is easy to move on such a roof;
• snow lingers on the roof(with a slight slope), providing additional thermal insulation;
• another variant - heated roof. In this case, the snow will not linger on the roof.

The skeptical attitude of many builders towards houses with a pitched roof is caused by the low prevalence of such buildings in Russia. This is a question of building traditions. Calculating the snow load and the main parameters of a pitched roof is no more difficult than for a gable roof. The construction process is also not particularly complicated.

Examples of projects of houses with a pitched roof

Projects of houses with a pitched roof are quite varied. There are several main options:

• house without attic when the roof is also a ceiling;
• house with a small attic, but with a straight ceiling on the top floor.

In the first case, the aesthetic factor is higher; the ceiling on the top floor will be indirect, having an angle equal to the angle of the slope. In the second case, the thermal insulation of the roof is better, there are fewer requirements for materials and the quality of roof installation, although it is difficult to maintain and inspect such a roof; for this reason, customers are often asked to increase the height of the attic.

Small buildings with a pitched roof are most often rectangular in shape; the roof is one slope, formed by the difference in height of two opposite walls. This is the simplest option for a house with a pitched roof. Here is one example of a building project. There is no garage, the project includes five bedrooms and a fairly standard layout, there is no attic, so the ceiling on the second floor will have a slope.

Accordingly, it is necessary to think through the situation. Often the headboards of the beds are placed on the side with the lowest ceiling height, but the height should be at least 1.5 m.

Aerated concrete is used as a material for walls, reinforced concrete slabs are used for floors, and a monolithic reinforced concrete slab is used for the foundation. The cladding is brick or tile; inserts made of a material of a different color and texture, a combination of different types of brick or brick and wooden slats, or another combination, look very good.

There are also projects of buildings with complex roof shapes and several slopes. This allows you to create a house of any configuration, taking into account any landscape, but complicates the design and makes construction more expensive.

This is a project of a two-story building, living area (area of ​​living rooms) - 103 m2, total - 232 m2. The angle of inclination is almost zero, so the roof will require constant clearing of snow; in its original form it is suitable for areas with a light snow load. The type of roof is with an attic, the angle of inclination can be changed, but the higher the angle of the slope in such projects, the worse the building will look. The advantage of an almost flat roof is that it can be used rationally with virtually no restrictions.

There is a garage for two cars; the advantage of buildings with similar plans is also the presence of a large balcony on the second floor, which can be used in the summer.

First floor: 1 – entrance hall, 3.56 m2; 2 – hall – 20.6 m2; 3 – kitchen – 17.46 m2; 4 – living room – 26.48 m2; 5 – dining room – 18 m2; 6 - office - 9.59 m2; 7 - boiler room - 6.11 m2; 8 – toilet – 2.08 m2; 9 – garage – 39.45 m2.

Second floor: 10 – hall – 17.21 m2; 11 – bedroom – 17.46 m2; 12 – bedroom – 16 m2; bedroom – 13.58 m2; wardrobe/storage area – 7.3 m2; bathroom – 8.56 m2; bathroom – 6.53 m2.

There is no basement in this project. The walls are made of aerated concrete, the foundation is a reinforced concrete slab. The outside walls are covered with wooden slats, decorative tiles or bricks. Covering the roof depends on how you intend to use it; the simplest and cheapest option is roll materials.

A pitched roof is often an excellent solution for small country houses or as a house for outdoor recreation. In this case, large windows are not applicable in Russian conditions, the design should be simpler, and the construction itself should be more economical.

This is a house plan with a pitched roof with a total area of ​​238.2 m2, living area 86.2 m2. There is no basement or garage; the foundation is a reinforced concrete slab, the walls are made of cellular concrete. The walls are covered with plaster and wooden lath.

It is better to involve a specialist in the calculation and design of the building, who, using professional programs, will calculate all the parameters of the rafter system and frame. This is especially true if you are changing a project taken from the Internet or starting to develop your own.

Pitfalls in the design and construction of a house with a pitched roof

There are no more of them than when building a house with a gable roof, but some are still worth noting:

• If you are planning a house without an attic (most of the beautiful photographs of Scandinavian houses with a pitched roof are of this type), where the ceiling is combined with the roof, then you will have to approach the quality of building materials for the roofing cake and the installation of the roofing very carefully. This means using more expensive materials and hiring specialists to install the roof to ensure its tightness and good thermal insulation. This factor will “eat up” part of the savings;
• if the house plan includes a small attic between the roof and the ceiling of the upper floor, then servicing and inspecting the roof from the inside will be extremely inconvenient due to the low height of the attic space and its decrease from the top edge to the bottom. As the height increases, aesthetics suffer; it is a matter of compromise. The attic is almost impossible to use effectively (most of it);
• Facade work must be carried out very efficiently and carefully. This is the main difficulty when building a house with a pitched roof: with a poorly made facade, the house will look like a large barn - without exaggeration. The more details, the fewer requirements for the quality of facade work. The fewer details, the more laconic the appearance of the building, the higher quality the materials should be and the better they should be matched in color and texture;
• increased requirements for the appearance of the building. It will look unusual, so the design must be thought out. A good program that allows you to draw and design small buildings is SketchUp (there is a free version). Its only drawback is the English language, but there are lessons and support groups in Russian.

Not everyone likes a house with a pitched roof from an aesthetic point of view. But if you are not a fan of the traditional and rather boring look of a gable roof, then you should take a closer look at house designs with a gable roof. You can find many free projects on the Internet, and they will design a custom house for you of any design. There are no significant or insurmountable difficulties in the design and construction of a building with a pitched roof.