Attic or cold attic: what to choose. Houses with a pitched roof: advantages, projects of one-, two-story houses and cottages Advantages of a warm attic

Most often, the attic is used to store old and unnecessary things, tools, supplies that have no use, and it is a pity to part with them. But when the house is already furnished, then due to the growth of the family or the desire to equip an additional cozy room for a comfortable stay, it may be necessary to expand living space and do some loft conversion.

Over time, the need for a so-called “useful floor” may arise. Then the attic space receives a beautiful and romantic name - attic, evoking associations with Parisian quarters and the roofs of Montmartre.

The design of an attic in a private house directly depends on the purpose it will meet. this room. When converting an attic space, it is important to follow three steps:

1. Layout.
2. Insulation.
3. Decoration of space.

It is not at all easy, as it seems at first glance, to make an attic space habitable. Such reconstruction involves not only certain financial costs, but also labor-intensive construction works. Planning and subsequent repairs can be done by yourself. First, you need an attic design with the design features of the house, such as the shape and height of the roof, the location of the stairs, ventilation and lighting, and the number of rooms in the house.

Not every attic can be habitable. Construction requirements provide that the attic space should be organized with a roof slope of no more than 45º, and the structure of the house should not interfere with free movement in the attic.

The location of the stationary staircase in the house must be taken care of even before repair work is carried out on the first floor. It is important to decide where it will be installed so as not to block the passage and free up space for furniture.

For ventilation and lighting, the attic must have windows. Where the windows will be located - on the gable or in the roof itself - will depend on the shape of the roof.

Windows located in the roof are called dormer windows.

Unlike regular windows More stringent requirements are imposed on the installation and sealing of roof windows, since these windows are intensively exposed to loads in the form of rain and snow to a greater extent. But roof windows are an excellent design solution that allows you not only to fill the room with light, but also to decorate the exterior of the house.

If the roof is hipped, then skylights are the only way to illuminate the entire attic.

Insulating the attic of a house

When converting an attic, an important point is its insulation. In order for the attic to be comfortable, the appropriate temperature must be ensured. Since warm air tends to rise, insulation will prevent it from dissipating.

The pitched roof is insulated with a material at least 10 cm thick. To insulate the attic space, only non-flammable, vapor-permeable and environmentally friendly materials are used. For both floor and roof as insulation will do mineral wool, expanded polystyrene, penoizol.

As insulation for the walls and floor of the attic, you can use slab or roll insulation based on glass wool. These modern materials have the ability to perfectly retain warm air, and due to their low weight, the load on the foundation of the house will not increase significantly.

The insulation is placed between the wall and plasterboard or lining, thereby preserving the interior of the room.

Laying the floor in the attic is done using ordinary boards or plywood, and if funds allow, you can install a heated floor. If the attic space is low, then you should not use thick materials for the floor.

To insulate an attic, a continuous layer of insulation is required around the entire perimeter of the room. It is important to ensure good sound insulation floor, as well as to avoid the formation of condensation - reliable waterproofing of the ceiling.

Finishing materials and elements

Materials for interior decoration are chosen depending on the style. Attic wooden house trim wooden materials– board, plywood, clapboard. At the same time, wooden or wicker furniture can be used in the interior of such an attic. Also effective are decorative cross beams painted in contrasting colors to accent the walls and ceiling.

In order to successfully furnish a room in the attic with your own hands, it is important to follow a few simple design rules:

• The right choice of paint. In a small room, it is better to use light colors for the walls, as they can create a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Bright color you can highlight the central wall as an accent.
• Laconic arrangement of furniture. There is no need to clutter the room with cabinets, tables, and chairs. The placement of furniture should be compact; for example, in order to save space, it is advisable to use functional hanging shelves. The bed in the bedroom will take its place against a lower wall.
• The use of accessories that play an important role in creating the style of the interior. Such accessories that complement the image of the room can be curtains for skylights and textiles. The main rule remains the harmony of texture and colors.

Features of the design of the attic in the country

To better imagine the future room, you need to sketch out the floor plan.

To convert an attic in a country house into a living space, you need to find out the possible technical changes and take into account the design features of the dacha building. Reconstruction work can be complicated by low ceilings and asymmetrical attic walls. Then they draw up a list of works and purchase the necessary materials.

To make it convenient to move around the attic and avoid difficulties with placing furniture, the optimal height from floor to ceiling should be 220 cm. The maximum permissible minimum is within 190 cm.

If you still want to convert the attic into a living space, but the height does not allow it, then you will have to redo the roof, which is very expensive.

It is necessary to thoroughly check the structures (sheathing, beams, attic floor, roofing material). If there is such a need, then the damaged parts should be replaced and the wooden parts should be treated with an antiseptic.

To convert the attic you will need to carry out additional work, such as:

• Soundproofing of the floor, when laying penoplex with a layer thickness of at least 3 cm and screeding the floor with laying laminate or linoleum and then installing skirting boards. As a flooring, you can also use boards or fiberboard sheets with a thickness of at least 15 mm, followed by painting.
• Heating a room in the attic. For this purpose, you can use an electric radiator or a fireplace heated with wood.
• Communications such as ventilation shafts or plumbing pipes, needs to be moved or hidden.
• Lighting – electrical wiring is installed in strict compliance with fire safety rules.
• Finishing the walls of the attic can be done using lining, moisture-resistant plasterboard or fiberboard sheets by fixing them with screws. After this, the walls are puttied and painted in the desired color or covered with wallpaper.

The attic may contain:

• bedroom;
• living room;
• children's;
• dining room;
• gym;
• billiard room;
• study;
• wardrobe;
• workshop.

Children's room in the attic

You can even equip a children's room for sleeping and playing in the attic. Natural, environmentally safe products are best suited for this purpose. clean materials. The interior of the attic can be decorated in a bright color scheme, and in light pastel colors. Furniture must be safe, without sharp corners and securely fastened. This could be a small sofa and a table for games and activities. And an indispensable attribute of a child’s room are, of course, toys. As flooring can become a rug or carpet runners.

Bedroom arrangement

Due to its location, the attic has a particularly cozy atmosphere. Therefore, it is convenient to equip a bedroom for adults, teenagers or a guest room. To design a bedroom that is comfortable for sleep and relaxation, you will need to arrange sleeping places, as well as areas for storing bedding and linen.

Furniture can be used minimum required– bed, mirror, soft poufs. Lighting plays an important role in the bedroom interior. Soft diffusion of light can be achieved using wall sconces or a floor lamp.

Office option

The attic space is ideal for creating a comfortable office. The interior of such a room is best done in light colors. To create a business environment you will need a comfortable table, chair, small closet or several shelves and office equipment. And you should definitely take care of high-quality lighting workplace. Such a relaxed atmosphere can set the mood for fruitful work.

Living room interior

There is nothing unusual about setting up a living room in the attic. As a result of proper refurbishment, the attic space can become a place for receiving guests or family gatherings over a cup of tea or aromatic coffee. And large windows in the attic with a beautiful view of the river or garden will turn your vacation into a real pleasure.

Upholstered and cabinet furniture for the living room should be chosen low - a sofa and armchairs with a small coffee table and low cabinets or shelves.

Decorating the rest room

For a comfortable stay with friends, you can organize a billiard room. For this purpose, you need to place a billiard table in the center of the room, and light wicker furniture is quite suitable for relaxation. It is necessary to provide sufficient lighting above the pool table using lamps.

Movie lovers will love the idea of ​​setting up a home theater. To do this, upholstered furniture is placed around the perimeter of the rooms.

To prepare drinks and cocktails, you can also use a table or bar counter and install a small refrigerator.

A small attic without windows can be converted into a dressing room for storage, depending on the season, outerwear or, conversely, umbrellas, swimsuits and flip flops. Combined lighting from point ceiling lamps and LED strips built into niches or LED strips glued to drawers will make the interior modern and fashionable.

By dividing the attic into zones, you can create a multifunctional room.

As you can see, a once uninhabitable, empty room can be perfectly used to implement a wide variety of design solutions. The main principle is not to miss a single square centimeter of usable living space. And then the interior of the once useless attic will be excellent.

Video

This video shows how you can arrange the attic space:

See how you can make a Moroccan-style loft-living room:

Photo

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 the roofing business.

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 fatherland located in middle lane and further 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 conventional 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 heat waves from leaking through top floor, 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 construction 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 play 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, a flat roof is not needed truss structure. 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. For fastening systems with PVC coated use adhesive, mechanical or. Self-leveling roofs They are applied according to their name; the descendants of the roofing material are fused or glued.

Unlike their stingy counterparts in flat systems there are no lathing creating ventilation ducts for washing insulation air currents. Therefore, to the selection constructive solution, 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. Last option 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 exploitation and ease of service.

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 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 wooden buildings in case 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, to combat it there are effective means– flame retardants.

Roll coverings in flat systems with wooden base Then they serve only as waterproofing, on top of which plank or parquet flooring is laid.

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

The overlap of a flat roof does not always serve as the basis for its installation. 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 similar, but the layers may 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. Minimum height superstructure 80cm. 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 forming, and as a result prolongs life cycle 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. For an independent master It is better to give preference to roofs with an attic, if their construction is not excluded by the design decision.

Subtleties of water drainage

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

Optimal type drainage system determine climatic conditions 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, are laid inside the building, but isolated from the premises.

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

Installation of slopes for drainage

If the slope of the flat roof was not provided for during construction old roof and the construction of a 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 thermal insulation. On an unused roof, it is enough to lay wedge-shaped mineral wool slabs, produced specifically for forming slopes.
• Slopes on corrugated floorings are formed using metal structures or wedge-shaped insulation.
• Slopes by wooden bases are specified structurally, but if they are absent 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 used metal mesh 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 the above method is only valid for wooden options, and for roofs by concrete base or it is unacceptable to the professional sheet.

Ventilation system roofing pies for concrete and corrugated sheeting 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 bituminous and bituminous polymer materials It is mandatory to install wind 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.
• All wooden elements We treat 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 similarly, i.e. on top of the fillets.
• We fuse the finish selected for installation roofing material, 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 laid in one layer, which helps to save the installer’s effort and construction costs. Among them there are materials that are extremely preferable for home craftsmen and do not require the use of gas burner. They are glued onto mastics or using the back adhesive side and 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 in order to perfect job 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.

The roofs of private houses amaze with their diversity. Sloping and flat, covered with tiles or completely transparent, made of glass - there is room for your imagination to run wild. But the roof should perform not only a protective, but also an aesthetic function. This is facilitated by both the variety of geometric shapes and big choice materials.

The roof structure of two-story houses can be flat or pitched. Accordingly, both the first and second have their positive and negative sides.

Flat design

This type is quite rare in the construction of small (two-story) private houses. This is directly related to its feature: in fact, this roof is not absolutely vertical, but has a slight slope of 3 degrees. But, in this situation, there is snow and rainwater rolls very poorly. Therefore, reliability and durability in in this case less than that of pitched types.

It is worth highlighting individual cases when a flat roof outperforms a pitched roof. First of all, if you plan to build a pool, terrace or small garden. Run any of these solutions with pitched roof impossible.

Flat roof in a private house

Pitched design

This type is considered the most practical. The main advantage is the sufficient angle of inclination, which allows precipitation not to linger and roll off. It is believed that the pitched structure has greater reliability and durability.

Another advantage of this type of construction is the possibility of arranging an attic or attic room. If we consider negative sides pitched roof, the following can be distinguished:

• it will be more expensive to build than a flat one, especially if it is of a combined shape;
• difficulties in carrying out repairs.

Pitched roof

Geometric shapes

Pitched roof types have a fairly large selection of shapes. Moreover, they can be designed independently, taking into account the loads, selected materials, as well as the design features of the building.

The most common are:

• Single-pitched is the simplest option, both in terms of construction and in terms of financial costs. The structure rests on walls of different heights. It is used both for buildings (garage, shed) and for country houses. However, when choosing this option, it should be understood that installing an attic is impossible.

• Gable - constructed from two pitched elements connected to each other using a “ridge”. However, the slopes do not have to be symmetrical. They can be located at different angles and, accordingly, be of different lengths. Currently the leader in popularity and practicality. The fact that it is very easy to equip an attic or attic under such a roof is also positive.

• The hip one is a more complex type in terms of construction, which consists of two triangular-shaped slopes. Construction of this type must be carried out only with the help of professional craftsmen. But the costs are recouped due to high sustainability indicators.

• The half-hip type is a cross between a hip and gable roof. The ends in this version have the shape of a trapezoid. Such roofs often have windows that provide good level lighting the attic or attic. Overall, it is interesting solution, however, more difficult to construct than “classic” gable roofs.

• Tent - in fact, is nothing more than a type of hip. Minimal amount stingrays - 3. They are symmetrical, do not have a ridge and converge at one point. Used in cases where a house is being built correct form(specifically a square).

• Multi-tongue - used in cases where the house under construction has complex shape. What’s not enough is the complexity of the rafters. However, the result is a unique design, which, in addition to its main functions, will certainly attract the views of passersby.

• Broken, or, as it is otherwise called, mansard type. This type of roof is popular due to the fact that it has fairly large bend angles, which make it possible to increase the space of the attic room.

• Conical and domed are not used so often. They are usually used due to their decorative form for covering individual elements of the house, for example, when making a bay window roof.

• The combined type has the most complex design. They combine several types at once - multi-pincer, hip, tent. The positive side of such roofs is their unusual look, the possibility of arranging an attic and decorative elements (in particular windows). Negative side – high price construction, difficulty in operation and repair.

Features of the device with or without an attic space

When designing a house, every owner is faced with a choice: attic or non-attic roof? Both the first and second types have significant advantages, so before you finally make a decision, it is recommended to compare the positive and negative aspects of both options.

Option No. 1: with an attic

In this case, the main advantage is that the roof is quite simple to make. If you have certain skills, you can cope independently with one or two assistants without the involvement of specialized workers.

The second advantage, which will certainly benefit the owners, is the ability to replace the entire structure without the need to replace it. When deciding to build this type of roof, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• you need to calculate the load that the roof must bear in order to select the appropriate material;
• The slope of the roof with the attic often depends on the choice of material;
• choice attic floor, which largely depends on whether the attic space will ever be used.

Option No. 2: without an attic

In another way, this type is also called attic. Its main difference from the attic is that roof structure will serve not only as a roof, but also as external walls in the attic. This is rational and original version. After all, in this case, at least one more room is added to the house, which can serve for almost any purpose. And besides, the room will be very original due to the walls with a slope.

However, the attic roof is quite complex in design. It is almost impossible to do it yourself, without the involvement of specialized craftsmen.

Another feature that can be both negative and the positive side, is that pitched mansard roofs Usually there is a kink that needs to be supported inside by beams. Such supports can either ruin or transform the interior of a room.

Use of non-traditional materials

At the moment, new materials used for roof construction deserve special attention. In particular, glass. Nowadays, hardly anyone can be surprised by a panoramic roof, because more and more construction companies propose to build glass roofs for private houses. Taking into account that this option has become more affordable, you can now make your dreams of a veranda, a bedroom in the attic with glass ceiling or winter garden.

Basic geometric shapes roofs for which translucent structures can be used:

• flat;
• pitched (1 or 2 slopes);
• pyramid;
• dome;
• arch.

Important! The advantage of this material is that the glass roof fulfills not only its traditional role. She is also large window, which provides room lighting.

The frame of this design is made of profiles, which, in turn, can be made of steel or aluminum. In very rare cases, wood is used. This is due to the fact that glass roofs are often installed over greenhouses and gardens, where high levels of humidity prevail, which naturally leads to rotting of wood structures.

Features of a glass roof:

• IN summer period it will get very hot. Accordingly, so does the room underneath (the attic). Therefore, it is necessary to take care in advance climate control technology and about muffling sunlight isolation.
• The glass structure must fulfill its main function - protection from precipitation and wind. But unlike traditional materials for roofing, glass does not overlap. Therefore, all seams must be carefully sealed and insulated.
• Glass comes in different varieties. For roofs, it is better to choose an impact-resistant type or glass that, when broken, does not leave sharp fragments and edges that can cause injury.
• Debris and dirt will be visible on the glass roof. It is necessary to consider easy access to it and the possibility of cleaning.

The roof is an integral part of any building. For private houses it has a huge variety of shapes, and also not standard materials, which will make your home a dream come true. The choice depends on the project of the house. Some types of structures can be built independently, which allows you to save money and not have to resort to the help of specialists.

If a residential building has a pitched roof, then a space will be formed under it, which can be called an attic or attic. You need to know the difference between an attic and an attic. This is necessary not only to understand the functionality of the under-roof space, but also to ensure that you do not have problems during the registration of the house, since the total and living area of ​​the house can differ significantly depending on the purpose of the space under the roof.

An attic in a private house is an opportunity to expand the living space. This concept is clearly explained in SNiP number 2.08.01-89. It is this document that the BTI relies on when registering and re-registering a residential building.

In accordance with SNiP, the attic floor is an additional warm living space that is located in the space under the roof. They can be completely limited to stingrays hipped roof or only two slopes and gables of the building. The attic is different from attic spaces in that the height of the wall from the level of the floor surface to the line of its intersection with the slope cannot be less than 1.5 m. If the walls are much higher, then this is already full second floor, and lower walls can only be in the attic. The permissible ceiling height must be at least 2.5 m.

The next difference between the attic floor and the attic is that these are living spaces, and therefore they must be heated, which requires thorough insulation of the roof structures. It is equally important that these rooms need good ventilation and natural light, so the attic must have a sufficient number of windows.

Important! Even an ordinary attic can be converted into a full-fledged attic. To do this, its walls need to be sewn up along the frame so that the line of intersection with the slopes is at least 1.5 m. It is also necessary to thoroughly insulate the roof structure and install attic windows.

The main advantage that an attic gives to home owners is additional living space without extra costs for the construction of another floor. It has been proven that the cost of such space in a house is 50% less than when constructing a full second floor. The thing is that the cost of insulating a roof structure is much less than the cost of erecting the walls of another full tier.

Attic space

In the minds of many people, the attic should differ from the attic in that it is a space under the roof, filled with unnecessary rubbish. However, in SNiP, an attic is a room under the roof of a house, which is limited by enclosing structures (walls and slopes), is unheated and is not intended for living.

There is also the concept of a technical attic. It is allowed to install technological equipment, pave engineering Communication. Unlike the attic floor, the attic does not have strict requirements regarding the height of the ceilings, the distance from the floor to the line of intersection of the walls with the slopes.

There are two types:

• Cold. In this case, thermal insulation materials are laid only in the ceiling of the last residential tier.
• Warm. It is insulated not only in the interfloor ceiling, but also in the roof structures. Also, an additional source of heating for such a room can be warm air, which rises through the ventilation system from lower floors and passes freely through the attic space.

The attic is not only additional storage space in the house. It serves as a kind of heat insulator, because living rooms will be separated from the cold air outside not only by enclosing structures, but also by air in the attic space.

It’s worth knowing: a house with an attic is much warmer than buildings with an attic-free roof. That is why, in the conditions of our harsh winters, it is reasonable to build residential buildings with a pitched roof and an attic.

Differences

Let’s summarize and clarify what the difference is between attic and attic spaces:

1. The attic performs secondary functions and is used as extra space storage or for installing equipment and laying communications. The attic floor is used for permanent residence.
2. Attic spaces can be warm (but without heating) and cold; attic spaces require thorough insulation and heating.
3. There are no requirements for the design and shape of non-residential space. Living rooms under the slopes have strict restrictions: their height must be at least 2.5 m, and from the floor to the line where the slopes join the walls must be at least 1.5 m.
4. Settlement costs residential floor significant compared to the costs of building an attic.
5. The attic tier requires the installation of full-fledged windows for lighting and ventilation of the premises. For a non-residential floor, it is enough to make a couple of small dormer windows to ventilate the space under the roof.
6. The area of ​​the attic floor is included in the total and living area of ​​the house, which cannot be said about the non-residential space under the slopes.

There is no point in saying that one is worse than the other, since the attic system, if desired and has the funds, can be converted into a full-fledged living space. It is only necessary to insulate the roof system, hem the ceiling and sew up the walls so that they meet regulatory requirements.

Therefore, we can say that when building a private house and arranging a pitched roof system, you should make sure that in the future you have the opportunity to convert the attic space into residential attic rooms. This will allow you to minimal costs, without moving out of your home, expand your living space.

An equipped room in the attic can significantly expand the living space of the house. Often the attic floor turns out to be the most cozy room in the house and is subsequently allocated as a children's playroom, living room, and sometimes even as a bedroom. The ideological inspirer of the technology for arranging the space between the ceilings and roof of a house as a living space is the famous French architect F. Mansart (his name has since served as the term defining this very space).

Preliminary work and planning nuances

Before making a room in the attic, the owner of the house must decide what kind of room he wants to arrange under the roof. After this, you can begin planning. If there is no attic at all in a private house, then the first priority will be to add an attic.

Optimal attic height

If it is available, it is worth considering optimal height: if it does not reach two meters at the minimum point, the roof of the attic floor must be raised. After raising it, low built-up walls appear on the floor (about 1-1.5 meters), which makes the room more comfortable for living.

Only after the height is optimal for a normal living space can the second stage of development begin.

Main stages of work

Attaching an attic with your own hands is impossible without building a staircase. Usually the staircase is located in the corridor or hallway of a private house. Best material execution - wood, because it is durable, environmentally friendly and decorative.

At the second stage, you need to install windows in the future room. If the window is located not in an extended wall, but in the roof, it is worth making a strong one for it in advance wooden frame, able to stay in the roof and withstand the load of precipitation falling on it (snow or rain). The gap formed after installing the window between the window frame and the wall or roof must be immediately insulated with your own hands.

The next step is to frame the attic room. Both the walls and floor of the future room are covered with a frame. In addition, insulation is placed between the sheathing and the sheathing. At the same stage, electrical wiring and electrical elements are laid, after which it is worth carefully considering the location of sockets and communications in order to make holes for them in the drywall with your own hands.

The last stage is finishing the room, which takes place in several steps:

• installation plasterboard boards(a second layer of drywall may also be required for greater strength);
• puttying and sealing slopes and cracks between walls and window and door openings;
• strengthening joints and masking joints between plasterboard sheets.

Despite the fact that converting an attic into a room, at first glance, seems completely simple matter, each stage of work has its own nuances, especially for the thermal insulation of the attic floor.

Attic insulation

This is the most important step in equipping a room in the attic with your own hands, because heat loss through the roof of the house, without proper thermal insulation, is simply colossal.

The following materials are suitable for attic insulation:

1. Polyurethane foam;
2. Styrofoam;
3. Mineral or stone wool;
4. Expanded clay (only the attic floor is insulated with it).

In the process of insulating an attic, the following stages can be distinguished:

• arrangement of sheathing (installation ceiling beams, on which the floor is laid);
• laying the selected insulation in the gaps between the beams;
• if you choose polyurethane foam, it is enough to blow it into the gaps between the beams, without first laying waterproofing, because this material repels water well;
• if mineral wool or expanded clay was chosen as insulation, you should lay a polyethylene waterproofing film under the material with your own hands;
• the final stage of attic insulation is the arrangement of the floor on the finished sheathing (for these purposes you can use plywood sheets, although the best option is regular boards nailed to the floor beams).

Finishing and decoration

Once the insulation of the attic floor has been successfully completed, you can proceed to assembling the room frame. It is assembled from beams covered with sheathing and covered with clapboard. Insulation is also placed between the beams of the box.

After the box of walls is covered with sheets of plasterboard, you can begin further finishing and decorating the room.

First of all, you need to figure out which room will be there:

• children's game room(in a children's room, as in a bedroom, insulation is of paramount importance);
• library;
• Gym;
• recreation area: billiards, for example;
• workshop;
• utility room or dressing room;
• bedroom (in case there is not enough living space in the house), etc.

In fact, the attic space can be equipped for absolutely any room, including even a bathroom or kitchen. In addition, the space in the attic floor of the house can be used even more rationally and even divided into several zones and allocated for each separate room.

If you are equipping the attic as a children's room or office, you need to worry about high-quality lighting: in this case, the windows are made large. Location desk determined depending on the window placement.

The location in the attic in no way dictates any special design of both the children's room and the office: it can be the same as in ordinary rooms.

Arrangement of the attic for an office - great idea for those who, due to their duty, have to work a lot at home at the computer. The attic floor will be the quietest place, allowing you to concentrate on work without being distracted by various irritating factors, be it a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, children's screams, etc.

Even while the attic is being attached and further planning is being carried out practical application floors, it’s worth thinking about lighting. Regular chandeliers for gable roof, of course, are not suitable, but lamps installed on walls or roof slopes are perfect. It is better to install several lamps in different places.

If you are confused by wooden floor beams, then they can be camouflaged with sheets of plasterboard. Most often, owners leave them in plain sight, decorating them as a stylized interior detail.

However, if you do not want to come up with any special design for the room in the attic, it can be equipped in the same style as the rest of the rooms in the house.