How to make an attic: do-it-yourself installation process. What to make an attic floor without a load on the foundation Adding an attic to a brick house

Home is a place where each of us feels completely protected. Comfort and coziness are important components for a person's relaxation, which is sometimes impossible due to lack of square meters. Thanks to new technologies in construction, it has become possible to expand the area of ​​\u200b\u200bhouses, usually through extensions, but if the plot of land is small, then an attic is the best option! Many designers have long considered attic space as a good option for increasing the area in the house, although it is not always possible to do it without the intervention of builders. Often this is due to the fact that old buildings have a low ceiling height and a flimsy foundation that needs to be strengthened for the safety of the future structure and the whole house as a whole.

The original attic can be arranged from a multi-pitched sloping roof.

The main advantage of the attic is the ability to build it on any type of house (dacha, cottage, old house with an attic).

The only condition in the manufacture of the attic is the right approach, because there are a lot of subtleties that need to be taken into account, so it is better to trust the construction of the attic to professionals or to study all the stages of construction well.

Strengthening the foundation in an old house

The first thing you must do is to check the foundation: are there vertical cracks in it, are there any distortions in the windows, or signs of destruction of the foundation masonry. If there is, the foundation needs to be restored. The second point is the analysis of the materials from which the private house is made, because the recovery technology will depend on the material.

Foundation reinforcement scheme: A - two-sided; B - unilateral; 1 - foundation; 2 - anchor; 3 - reinforcing mesh; 4 - formwork; 5 - concrete mixture.

1. The foundation in a wooden private house can be completely replaced. To do this, you need to undermine the old foundation (if any) and put the house on jacks. Then use iron fittings, from 3 meters long, to make the initial frame. Next, pour the prepared frame with concrete to the required height. By doing this, you can not only strengthen, but also raise the foundation.
2. A complete replacement of the foundation in a brick or stone old house is not possible. Repair is considered a more complex and important process that requires responsibility and caution! Due to the fact that the structure is heavy, it is impossible to dig under a weakened foundation, because strong precipitation is possible, which can finally damage the structure in the old house. The only option is a monolithic belt (reinforced concrete structure that helps hold the masonry at the base of the floor).

Creating an attic project

It is well known that no building can be built without a plan. Extensions such as attics also need similar projects, but, oddly enough, they have their own characteristics, which are described in GOST. The main requirements for such projects are:

1. Ensuring fire safety. Escape routes must be located either through rooms in the old house, or in its outer part.
2. Room height. The minimum allowable height is considered to be 2.5 m, but exceptions are possible with different roof slopes.
3. The volume of premises should be calculated from the dividing line of premises into working and residential areas. In their absence, it is necessary to calculate the volume of the entire room, taking into account all the slopes.

Dismantling the roof in an old house

The dismantled roof elements should be carefully lowered to the ground using a rope system.

Now, when it comes to the very process of building an attic, it is necessary to dismantle the roof in the old house in order to build a new, attic one. You should not avoid this process, because there is a double benefit here: firstly, you can be sure that the attic will be reliable, and secondly, in the future you will significantly save money on.

The first thing to start with is the removal of slate or other coating. This process should not cause difficulties, because there is no complex technology in itself. Slate should be lowered from the roof without breaking it, because it can be useful in further work. Following the slate, it is necessary to remove the roofing material, which is held by metal strips. Removing the top cover is easy and one person can do it, but when disassembling the structure itself, it is desirable to have a team, because dismantling can be difficult.

Frame construction and roof construction

When building, you need to know the rule of the golden section. According to this rule, it becomes clear that, despite the external limitation, a circle can be inscribed in the section. From here you can deduce the main stages for construction:

1. Work on the assembly of truss systems. Rafters are the basis of the roof, which consists of a rigid frame that carries the main load.
2. Preparation. Before installing the rafters, it is necessary to assemble a template (preferably on the ground, because this can simplify the process of manufacturing some components).
3. Mounting. After making the template, it must be transferred to the roof itself. The best slope of the roof is 45-60 degrees. Reducing the slope can significantly reduce the living area of ​​​​the premises, but, compared with an increase, this is acceptable. Increasing the angle can make the attic vulnerable to strong gusts of wind.

Mounting Tools:

• several pencils of different types;
• nails (when working with a wooden structure);
• hammers with a nail puller;
• saw or chainsaw (for working with timber);
• meter or tape measure;
• a set of drills with a drill;
• Bulgarian;
• level.

After the frame is ready, you should decide on the material, because the crate process will depend on it. If you use a soft roof, then before working with it, you will need to install OSB sheets on top of the frame. Only after that you can proceed directly to the fastening of the material itself.

Hydro and thermal insulation of the attic

When making an attic, it is worth considering the fact that the ceiling in it will also be a roof, so the warm air that will rise can cause significant damage to the ceiling, destroying the beams over time. In order to avoid these adverse processes, it is necessary to insulate the attic during the construction process. To do this, you need to fill all the through cracks with glass wool or fill them with foam. This simple process will help to avoid problems with heat retention and waterproofing.

Separately, you need to pay attention to waterproofing, because if problems with steam that rises up in an old house are easily solved, then when waterproofing, you need to install a special film. Due to the ingress of water on the insulating materials, their properties deteriorate, so the installation of such a film will be necessary. And so that water does not linger on the film, special taps are made.

Internal work

When all the external work is completed, it's time to move on to the internal work. it is customary to sheathe with drywall, because this material is the most accessible and helps to hide inaccuracies. Further, there are no new moments, as in the old house, because after the installation of drywall, the usual process of wall cladding begins (primer, putty, painting, wallpapering), that is, work on the design of the room.

The question is treated responsibly, because the height of the room is not the same, therefore, it is necessary to divide it. Usually, in places where the height is the smallest, a closet is placed, and where the greatest is a bed or table. Thus, you can clearly outline the room into zones!

Modern people try to use the area of ​​their home as efficiently as possible. Therefore, the proposal to equip additional space under the roof is always met with enthusiasm. It is much easier to plan the construction of an attic at the stage of building a house, but you can make an additional superstructure above the old building.

How to make an attic on an old house

The presence of an attic not only increases the living space, but also gives the building a colorful look.

The attic turns a country house into a fabulous building

An old house can be updated by building a superstructure in accordance with existing standards.

The attic superstructure begins with calculations of the strength of the old house

First you need to decide whether the existing foundation and walls can withstand the load of the attic floor and the new roof. If they have a sufficient margin of safety, then you can start remodeling the house. Otherwise, they should be strengthened.

Old brick walls sometimes seem strong, but with additional stress, cracks may appear in the mortar over time. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately consider their condition, and, if necessary, tie them with a rigid belt. This is done as follows:

• metal poles with a section of 10x10 cm are inserted into the foundation with the lower edge, and connected with the armored belt of the first floor with the upper edge. Installed around the perimeter of the house every 2 meters;
• metal fittings with a cross section of 12 mm are placed in strakes and tie the house along the walls: from the bottom of the window every 2 meters up;
• a metal mesh with a cell size of 2x2 cm is laid on top of the reinforcement, which, after completion of all work, is covered with plaster.

Strengthening the foundation is carried out by tying with a reinforcing belt from all sides.

If the old foundation cannot withstand the attic, then it must be sheathed with reinforcement

Having decided on the strengthening of the building, you can proceed to the choice of the project of the future superstructure. It should look harmonious against the background of other buildings and match the style of the whole house.

The type of mansard roof will determine the calculation of the dimensions of the inner upper room and the necessary materials for construction

There are several types of attics:

Video: converting half of the old roof into an attic - an easy way

Alteration of the roof under the attic is a relatively cheap way to increase living space. In a private house, a pitched roof is usually placed, so you can make an additional spacious and bright room with your own hands.

Internal wood paneling makes the attic warm and bright

And if the house is large enough in length, then the attic can turn into a real floor: with several rooms and even a balcony.

A large attic allows you to divide the area into different residential areas

Advantages of creating an attic:

However, this solution also has certain disadvantages that must also be taken into account:

The presence of sloping walls makes the room unusual and romantic, but with this decision you will have to take a more responsible approach to design development. You can make furniture for an inclined superstructure yourself or assemble a single complex from existing multi-level models, painting everything in one color.

Furniture that repeats the slope of the attic can be made independently

So, the main disadvantage of converting an attic into an attic is the need to invest, but it's worth it.

Building an attic will cost much less than creating an additional floor, regardless of what materials will be used to build the walls. Indeed, to create them, you will need the main material, insulation and decoration, while for the attic superstructure you only need roof insulation and a new truss system.

The superstructure is made in a symmetrical or asymmetrical shape. Internal walls are designed both inclined and vertical.

Having studied the schemes of single-level attics with different types of roofs, it is easier to make a choice when planning

Alteration of the attic into an attic does not require the dismantling of all existing structures. But you need to make sure that the ceiling is reliable: check its condition, reinforce it with wooden or metal beams, sheathe it with a new board. Then it will be able to withstand the weight of furniture and people.

For frequent climbing to the attic, you will need to make a comfortable staircase, provide for the installation of ventilation, natural and artificial lighting, and perform interior decoration - all this will create a cozy and comfortable room.

The sloping roof superstructure, decorated in light colors, visually enlarges the space, while splashes of color add brightness to the interior.

When building an attic floor, the following conditions must be met:

• rafters are made of glued timber with a thickness of at least 250 mm so that the required amount of insulation can be laid;
• foamed polystyrene is used for insulation due to its low weight and high thermal insulation characteristics;
• a gap is left between the thermal insulation and the roofing material to provide natural ventilation;
• a hydro- and sound-proof layer must be laid.

Alteration of the roof under the attic do it yourself

During the construction of a house, there is usually not enough money, so many refuse to build a second floor. Or another situation may arise when an old one-story house of a small area is purchased along with the site. In both cases, there is an affordable option for increasing the place to live - do-it-yourself restructuring of the attic space into an attic.

Create a project

Before starting work, you need to draw up a plan and develop a project with accurate drawings. The correct calculation will allow you to get a cozy, durable and reliable room. You can perform all the calculations yourself or entrust it to specialists.

You can draw a plan and develop a draft design yourself by studying various options on the Internet

Strengthening the walls and foundation may be necessary in the event of a complete replacement of the rafters. If the roof is partially redone, then reinforcement may be needed only for overlapping. You also need to immediately decide what types of windows will be used in the attic: the reinforcement in the truss system will depend on this.

The location of all windows in the attic roof must be thought out in advance and this data entered into the project plan

truss system

Rafters can be layered or hanging. The former rest on the inner walls of the house or additional supports, and the latter on the outer walls.

In the attic, layered and hanging rafters are used.

Hanging rafters are best suited for the attic.

An attic with hanging rafters looks prettier and wins in the size of the internal area

The attic usually occupies the entire space of the attic, and its walls are combined with the outer ones.

The best option for creating an attic is a layered truss system.

The rafter system consists of different load-bearing bars. To understand the structure of the entire structure and build it correctly, you need to understand the purpose and operation of its individual elements.

The image of the individual elements of the truss system helps to understand the structure of the entire structure

Refurbishment of the premises

With a sufficient height of the attic, the truss system does not need to be redone. It is enough to inspect the old rafters, identify possible flaws and eliminate them.

If the truss system is in good condition, you can proceed to the arrangement of the floor. Insulation is first laid between the lags, after which the surface is sheathed with ordinary boards or sheets of OSB, chipboard.

The floor in the attic is insulated and covered with boards

Before laying the insulation, all necessary communications are mounted between the rafters, places are cut in the roof for installing windows. Installation of skylights is carried out before insulation.

All wires and pipes of communications must be placed in special corrugations

Care must be taken to create natural ventilation of the under-roof space through the vents so that moisture does not accumulate inside the room.

Roof insulation

It is necessary to insulate the roof correctly and efficiently - the microclimate under the roof will depend on this. Typically, mineral wool, polystyrene foam or sprayed polyurethane foam is used as insulation.

A thick layer of heat insulator is tightly laid and fixed between the rafters so that there are no gaps or gaps anywhere. On the upper part of the roof - between the roof and the insulation - waterproofing is mounted, then heat-insulating material is laid from the side of the room. Then from the inside the insulation is covered with a vapor barrier film.

For better ventilation, a small distance is left between the roofing material and the insulation: this is how air circulates through the holes in the cornice and ridge. If the roof is covered with corrugated sheets, then the thickness of the gap should be 25 mm, if with flat material, then it should be increased to 50 mm.

When creating attic thermal insulation, it is necessary to strictly observe the sequence of layers

Exit to the attic floor

When planning an ascent to the attic, you need to take care of the convenience and safety of movement. Therefore, the ladder is usually mounted inside the house. It is constructed from wood or metal: it can be either a screw or a marching structure.

The staircase to the attic can be of different types and designs, which allows it to fit into any interior.

An opening is cut in the ceiling of the first floor, which is reinforced along the perimeter with metal or wooden strapping.

The design of the stairs to the attic must be durable, reliable, safe and beautiful.

Interior decoration

For wall cladding, in most cases, gypsum boards are used, the seams between them are plastered. Wallpaper is glued on top or decorative plaster is applied. An alternative option is lining or natural wood.

If some rafters protrude through the walls into the attic, then they can be designed as decorative elements and even used as a horizontal bar for hanging a hammock, swing, chandelier and other fixtures.

The design of the visible parts of the rafters in the interior of the attic is an interesting and creative business.

It is not recommended to use heavy finishing materials in the attic, as they increase the load on the walls, ceiling and foundation of the building.

There are many options for interior decoration of the attic, but it is advisable to use only light materials.

To cover the floor, you can use a laminate or linoleum, and it is better to refuse tiles or porcelain stoneware.

Roof of the attic floor

The roof of a residential superstructure should consist of the following layers (in order - from the street to the interior):

1. Roofing material - when choosing it, the configuration of the roof, the climatic zone of the house location and the financial capabilities of the owner are taken into account.
2. Roofing film - protects against moisture if soft roofing is not used.
3. Waterproofing - from the penetration of moisture, the flow of rainwater.
4. The rafter system is the attic frame: together with the crate, it ensures the reliability of the entire structure.
5. Insulation - maintains the optimum temperature in the room.
6. Vapor barrier layer - prevents condensate from settling on the insulation inside the room.
7. Natural ventilation - allows you to remove excess moisture from the under-roof space. When arranging the attic roof, it is necessary to leave a ventilation gap, otherwise the insulation will quickly lose its characteristics, mold and fungus will begin to develop

Video: why and how to properly lay layers on the roof of the attic

Mansard roof calculations for a house

Determination of the total weight of the roof

To calculate the total weight of roofing materials, it is necessary to multiply the specific gravity of one square meter of coverage by the total area of ​​​​the attic roof. To get the weight of one square meter, you need to add up the specific gravity of all the materials that make up the roofing cake, and multiply it by the safety factor (1.1).

If the thickness of the crate is 25 mm, then its specific gravity is 15 kg / m2, a 10 cm thick insulation has a specific gravity of 10 kg / m2, and ondulin roofing material has a weight of 3 kg / m2. It turns out: (15 + 10 + 3) x1.1 \u003d 30.8 kg / m2.

According to existing standards, the load on the ceiling in a residential building should not exceed 50 kg / m2.

Roof area determination

To calculate the surface of a sloping roof, you need to break it into simple shapes (square, rectangle, trapezium, etc.) and determine their area, and then add everything up. To determine the surface of a gable roof, it is necessary to multiply the length by the width, multiply the resulting value by two.

Table: determination of the attic roof area

When calculating the angle of inclination, the climatic zone in which the house is located is taken into account, and that it is convenient to move in the attic in full growth

It is also necessary to calculate the slope of the roof. Usually the angle is 45–60 degrees, but when determining it, one must take into account the climatic zone in which the house is located, the type of attic construction, snow, wind loads, and the architectural design of the house.

The greater the angle of inclination of the roof, the less will be the load on the truss system, but the consumption of materials will increase.

Calculation of the truss system

When choosing a truss system, you can stop at the following options:

• hanging rafters;
• oblique type;
• skating run;
• combined design.

If the length of the roof is more than 4.5 m, then support runs and struts can be used for reinforcement. With a length of more than 7 meters, a ridge beam is installed.

For wooden rafters, a bar with a thickness of at least 70 mm is used. The step of their installation should be 50 cm.

On a large area, it is better to fix a metal truss system: due to the increase in the distance between the rafters, the absence of spacers and struts, the weight of such a structure will be less than that of a wooden one, and the strength will increase significantly.

If the attic area is large, then it is better to install metal rafters

Calculation of the required amount of materials

To carry out the calculation, you need to know the following parameters:

• width, thickness and pitch of the rafters;
• distance from the edge of the roof to the rafters;
• the size of the boards for the crate and the step between them;
• size, type of roofing material and overlap between its sheets;
• type of steam, hydro and thermal insulation material.

The roof is divided into simple shapes and the required amount of each of the materials is determined. For this, simple mathematical formulas are used.

The results obtained are converted into standard values: for wood - in cubic meters, for roofing materials, steam, hydro and thermal insulation - in square meters. And you can go to the store.

Common Mistakes

Most often, with self-calculation, errors are obtained during the determination of the required amount of insulation. If the climatic conditions are severe, then its volume will have to be increased, otherwise it will not be possible to create comfortable living conditions in the attic. The insulation is laid on the floor of the house, the walls of the gable and the slopes of the roof. But everywhere the thickness of the insulation can be different.

Video: calculation of a mansard roof with diagrams and loads

The attic floor allows you to get additional living space and gives the private house a modern attractive appearance. It is not difficult to create an attic with your own hands, you just need to draw up a project correctly, perform calculations and carry out high-quality installation of all materials. And the result will please the owners for a long time.

You can use the attic space more rationally if you equip living rooms there, which are called the attic.

The attic floor can occupy the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house or only part of it (or a garage). Sometimes the attic floor serves as a replacement for the second floor.

Do-it-yourself attic floor

What is an attic floor?

Simply put - a living room (s) in the attic (i.e. an attic-type room)

According to construction terminology, an attic (or attic floor) is a living space located on the top floor of a house with a mansard roof (i.e., the attic facade is partially or completely limited by roof surfaces).

The difference between the attic and the second floor - comparative characteristics

If you try to compare which is better, the attic or the second floor, you get something like the following picture.

Price	Below. The amount of savings depends on the type of attic	Higher
Work duration	Lower compared to floor construction	High
Height of vertical walls	Up to 1.5 m.p.	Over 1.5 r.m.
Below	Higher
Air volume	Lower due to sloping walls	Higher
Square	The usable area is smaller due to the "blind" zones at the junction of the roof to the wall	Higher
Room layout	The layout of the attic floor is carried out taking into account the presence of dead zones	free
Land area	Doesn't change	Doesn't change
illumination	Better, due to slanted windows, more light penetrates	Depends on the number and location of windows. In addition, the deep slope of the window blocks 2/3 of the sunlight.
Glazing area	25% less than with vertical windows	Minimum 1:8 to wall surface area (depending on location)
Window	Inclined attic	vertical
Temperature regime		With the correct implementation of all stages of work, almost the same
Heat loss	Higher	Below
The need for thermal insulation material	Below	Higher. The ceiling above the floor needs to be insulated
Aesthetics of the structure	A house with an attic floor looks more elegant and unusual	Typical design

However, it is worth noting that there are cases when it is impossible to build an attic floor. For example:

• load-bearing walls and foundations may not withstand the additional load;

• the walls are built of porous materials that can collapse.

• small house size. With a mandatory height of 2.3 m (according to sanitary standards, SNiP is limited to 1.5 m), it is difficult to equip a full-fledged living space with a small surface area. If the width of the house is less than 5 r.m. there is no point in building an attic. The resulting area will be insignificant, and the cost of it will be high.

Does the attic count as the second floor?

According to urban planning standards, the attic superstructure does not affect the number of storeys of the building. That is, a private house in which the second attic floor is arranged is considered (is) a one-story house.

Documentation regulating the calculation and construction of the second floor of the attic type.

The superstructure of the attic floor is regulated by the provisions of the following regulatory documents:

1. SNiP 2.08.01-89 "Residential buildings";
2. SNiP II-3-79 "Construction heat engineering" (norms the arrangement of enclosing structures, including roofs);
3. SNiP 23-05-95 "Natural and artificial lighting";
4. SNiP 21-01-97 "Fire safety of buildings and structures";
5. SNiP 2.01.07-85 "Loads and impacts";
6. sanitary and hygienic standards.

Types and types of attic floors - dimensions and dimensions of the attic

The height of the attic floor determines its type (view):

• full floor. Vertical wall above 1.5 m;
• attic. The height of the smaller of the walls is in the range from 0.8 to 1.5 m;
• semi-attic. The height of the wall is less than 0.8 m.

Depending on the needs of residents, it is possible to equip rooms on the attic floors for various functional purposes.

But, most often there are bedrooms and lounges.

If the requirement for a building height of 2.3 m is met, then according to the standards prescribed in SNiP, the attic floor area cannot be less than 16 sq.m. In this case, the bedroom must be at least 7 sq.m.

If the height of the walls of the attic floor exceeds 2.3 m, then the construction of a smaller bedroom is allowed. The rationale for the reduction in area is the large total cubic capacity (volume) of the room.

Armed with this theory, you can start building the attic floor with your own hands. Construction is not troublesome if there is a detailed step-by-step instruction.

Construction of the attic floor (mansard)

How the useful area of ​​the attic depends on the angle of the roof. Before starting construction, you need to create a project for the attic floor. The project can be done independently or contact professionals.

Note that the construction of the attic with their own hands is quite within the power of everyone. But it is quite difficult to take into account all the determining factors and calculate the loads without special knowledge.

First, let's find out what affects the attic project.

Choosing the appearance of a mansard roof is quite difficult, because. This is influenced by a number of factors:

• visual effect. First of all, subjective feelings are taken into account. The final choice may fall on another model, but the starting mark is here;

• living space. The gable roof truss system “steals” the area and creates “deaf” zones, but the hip roof allows you to use almost the entire space of the attic superstructure;

• financial opportunities. Shed roof - the cheapest option;

• roofing material. Some types of roofing material can be used if a certain angle of roof slope is maintained. For example, for tiles, the angle should be at least 25 °, and for PK-100 corrugated board (wave height 100 mm.), 3-4 ° is enough;

• general architecture of the building;

• wind and snow load. Snow should slide off the roof;

• condition of load-bearing walls and foundations. The condition of the load-bearing walls can be judged after a visual inspection. The presence of cracks indicates a problem. The use of porous material in the construction of a house reduces the ability of the wall to withstand the load created by the attic. It's hard to judge the foundation. But knowing its appearance and what materials and technology were used in its construction, it is possible to calculate what load it can withstand;

• device of internal communications and ease of connection to them;

• window selection. The installation of special roof windows (sloping windows - sliding, turning, sliding) is carried out directly in the rafter part. They are more expensive, but allow for better ventilation. To install vertical windows, you need to build walls or gables. The surface area of ​​light-transmitting structures should be at least 12.5%;

• choice of material for construction. The cheapest and most popular option for performing work is the use of wood. The technology of frame construction is quite simple. It is a mistake to assume that it is unacceptable to build a wooden attic floor. According to SNiP 21-01-97, the use of wooden structures in the construction of an attic floor is allowed with proper wood processing and a building height of up to 75 m.

• complexity of calculations. During the construction of a shed roof, the load on the load-bearing walls is unevenly distributed. Ignoring this fact will lead to the subsidence of the walls and the destruction of the foundation.

The main forms of roofs are shown in the figure.

What forms of roofs exist (types, types)

Nuance. The smaller the angle at the junction of the roof to the wall, the more usable area you get.

Some projects of houses with an attic floor are shown in the photo.

Design options for the attic floor

Before starting work, you should have a drawing, sketch, diagram or drawing with all dimensions in your hands.

The drawings of houses with an attic presented below will give an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat needs to be applied to the diagrams.

Drawings of houses with an attic - scheme 1 Drawings of houses with an attic - scheme 2 Drawings of houses with an attic - scheme 3

Calculation of the attic floor area

The ability to use the attic for living space is calculated by the formula

AxB + 0.7xC

BUT- the total area of ​​​​premises, the height of which exceeds 2.5 m;

AT- the total area of ​​​​premises, the height of which is in the range from 1.1 to 2.5 m;

With- the total area of ​​​​premises, the height of which is in the range from 0.8 m to 1.1 m.

- correction factor. He says that theoretically this area can be used, but with significant limitations.

You can reduce the number of unused square meters by raising the walls to a height of more than a meter. This is achieved through the construction of attic walls. The attic walls of the attic floor are a superstructure above the load-bearing walls.

Attic walls of the attic floor

The material was prepared for the site www.moydomik.net

Arrangement of the attic floor (mansard)

Next, we proceed directly to construction work or to reconstruction (alteration of the attic space into the attic floor). For those who want to convert the attic into an attic, you need to dismantle the old coating.

Then the truss system is installed, for which you will need:

1. log (diameter not less than 180 mm) or timber (the best glued, dimensions 80x80 or 100x100);
2. board (40x1500) for crates;
3. hardware, burnt wire, anchors or fittings. In order to perform a secure fastening of all elements;
4. floor beams. A finishing floor will be laid on them;
5. finished staircase to the attic floor. It can be located outside the attic or inside. Outdoor placement creates inconvenience when using it in the cold season and in the rain. The interior steals the useful area of ​​the lower floor. A compromise can be a spiral staircase. Even in the smallest room, a compact folding or retractable ladder is installed.
6. roofing material;
7. protective films;
8. thermal insulation material;
9. material for wall and ceiling decoration.

Stairs to the attic floor

Roof system of the attic floor - device technology

The device of the truss system begins with the installation of the Mauerlat, then the rafter legs are assembled and installed. It is easier to collect them on the ground. Installation begins with two opposite legs. Then a rope is pulled between them. It regulates the accuracy of the setting.

Roof system of the attic floor

After installing the frame of the truss system, the legs are fastened together. That is, the crate is stuffed. The step of the lathing depends on the type of roofing material.

The process of building an attic floor - video

The frame is ready. A properly executed roofing pie has the form shown in the figure.

Windows on the attic floor

Skylights are installed between the rafters. To make the fastening more reliable, horizontal lintels from a bar are installed at the place where the window is installed (at the top and bottom of the truss system).

Insulation of the attic floor

You need to take care of energy saving. The absence of an air gap created by the attic increases heat loss through the attic roof.

Insulation of the attic floor, steam and hydro protection are important stages in the arrangement of the 2nd floor of the attic type. This is due to the fact that the attic is a living space with its own microclimate.

As a heater, professionals advise using basalt wool - it takes any form and completely fills the space. The thickness of the insulation is at least 200 mm. On both sides, the wool must be protected - from moisture entering from the external environment - with a hydrobarrier film. From the inside from the steam - a vapor barrier film. Editing films also has its own nuances. They are largely determined by the parameters of the film itself and the type of roofing material.

The device of the roof of the attic floor

After insulation, proceed to the installation of roofing material. For these purposes, metal tiles, corrugated board, bituminous tiles, natural and polymer-sand tiles, ondulin, slate and even such unusual materials as turf and reeds are used.

Finishing the attic floor

The final stage of creating a practical and beautiful attic is the interior decoration and decoration of the room.

The overall design depends on individual preferences. However, some factors directly affect the interior of the attic floor. They cannot be ignored if you want the created premises to be comfortable and functional.

The first factor is the material from which the attic walls are built.

If a dacha, a cottage, a country house or a building that is operated periodically is equipped with an attic, you need to use plywood, OSB. Then they are closed with decorative trim.

In a residential building, walls can be built from drywall with subsequent finishing or directly from wooden lining.

The second factor is the height of the wall.

To be able to move freely, it is recommended to arrange furniture around the perimeter of the room, taking into account the height of the attic wall.

For example,

• with wall heights up to 0.5 m, blind zones are usually created. You can use them with benefit if you install bedside tables, shelves, built-in wardrobes in them.

• at a height of up to 0.8 m - a bed is placed under the wall. It is comfortable to sleep, sit on it, and when you get up, you move away from the wall and do not risk injuring your head on the ceiling;

• at a height of 1.3 m - under the wall, you can equip a working area with a table;

• if the wall is the height of a person, you can walk freely around the entire perimeter of the room.

Organization of space on the attic floor

The arrangement of the bathroom in the attic floor has its own nuances. The attic bathroom diagram below contains recommendations for placing the necessary items in the room.

Scheme of a bathroom in the attic - 1Scheme of a bathroom in the attic - 2

Attic floor - photo

House with an attic floorCottage with an attic floorAttic floor - interior design (view from the kitchen area)Attic floor - interior design (view from the living room and entrance)Attic floor living space - design elementsbilliard room on the attic floor of a private house

Conclusion

We examined the main points of the construction of the attic floor. We hope that this information will be a reliable help for you when doing your own work.

Tags: Attic Floor Attic

how to build an attic on an old house

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If you are thinking of doing house extension which is more than 10 years old, as a rule, involves the construction attic for residential purposes. In our article, you will learn what you need to consider when building an attic in a house.

Strengthening the old walls of the house

The old walls remain stable for a long time until overloads from the new superstructure appear. Therefore, before starting the expansion of the house, it is always necessary to analyze their condition. It should be checked whether the walls still have a margin of safety, are dry, and fungus has not wound up in them. If there is no cause for concern, then you can safely start attic construction.

Brick walls can be (but not always - it depends on the load applied to them) reinforced as follows:

Metal columns (square pipe 100x100mm) resting on the foundation and connected to the armored belt of the first floor. Columns are installed every 2 meters along the entire perimeter of the bearing walls

Metal fittings with a diameter of 12-14mm every 2m around the entire perimeter of the house into prepared recesses (strobes). Such a reinforcing belt begins to be laid into the walls at the level of the lower part of the window opening. To obtain a rigid and durable reinforcing frame, a reinforcing metal mesh with 2x2 cm cells is attached over the laid and connected reinforcement.

Old walls, although at first glance they seem strong, however, they are often unable to cope with the additional pressure that has appeared on the new masonry layers of the attic and begin to crack. Especially when the house is already several decades old. Previously laid bricks may actually be strong, but the mortar that holds them together will crack and fall apart.

Attic in an old house. armored belt

On the upper part of the wall of the first floor and the attic, armored belts are equipped. On the ground floor, the armored belt rests on the installed posts and is connected to the reinforcing frame of the walls. The attic armored belt will support the truss frame, which rests on the Mauerlat, laid and fastened to the armored belt. The armored belt is usually made of reinforced concrete.

Construction of attic walls

The material for masonry walls is selected based on the following conditions. The most important characteristics of the materials used will be their weight, the width of the masonry elements and the compressive strength. Elements of building material (bricks, blocks) are usually selected equal to the width of the previously completed laying of the walls of the lower floor. Thus, the position of the center of gravity of the walls does not change, which positively affects the strength of the foundation. The masonry of the attic wall is most often made of gas blocks, bricks or cinder blocks. An attic in an old house will be comfortable for living when its attic wall has a height of 80 to 130 cm, at which you can freely place a bed, bedside table and equip windows under the wall.

VIDEO House extension. Wall reinforcement

Build an attic for a one-story house

Hello! My question is as follows: I plan to build an attic floor on an existing one-story house, I need to pour the foundation. How to do it correctly and what materials should I use in the construction?

Thank you, Andrey, Rostov.

Hello, Andrey from Rostov!

Some time ago I received a letter, the essence of which boils down to the following: I want to build a bathhouse, but I don’t know if there is enough money, what would you advise? How would you respond to it?

There is not enough information provided to fully answer your question. It would be necessary to inform the dimensions of your one-story house (length, width, height), the material from which the walls are made (brick, logs, timber or frame with the characteristics of the sheathing), what kind of foundation (block, tape, point shallow, pile or some other), at what depth it is mounted, what is the nature of the soil (sandy, loamy, rocky, etc.), the presence of groundwater and other characteristics.

Without the above data, my answer will only be of a general nature.

Therefore, we will discuss only such an option, which, perhaps, at your home. If I guess, then it will be possible to make the foundation approximately the same as I will describe, if I don’t guess, then it will have to be done in a completely different way, in accordance with other initial data.

For the sake of interest, I am sending a photo of a garden house, measuring 5.85 / 5.85 meters, about 2.5 meters high, which I happened to redo last year, strengthening its verandas in the amount of two pieces and building instead of a low attic, along which it was possible walk only bent over, a full-fledged attic with three gables.

Attic for a country house BEFORE

Attic for a country house AFTER

True, it was not necessary to strengthen the foundation at all, since the weight of the house increased by no more than about a ton, and the existing tape foundation about half a meter deep and standing on non-rocky loam with a sand cushion under it settled down a couple of decades after the construction of the old house.

If your foundation is flimsy and made, for example, of sand-cement blocks sized 20/20/40 in one row and with a distance between the blocks of about 1.3 - 1.5 meters, and the soil is guaranteed to sag when the weight of the house increases by the weight of the attic, then it will be necessary to strengthen the foundation unambiguously.

In the materials of my site, I have already described such an operation in detail two or three times. There is a desire - rummage through the list of questions and answers on the same topic, you will definitely find it.

Therefore, I will tell you without details, just about the major operations that will need to be done.

A trench is dug around the entire house around the perimeter, depending on the characteristics of the soil, either 1.1 meters deep or half a meter. 1.1 meters in the event that the depth of soil freezing is equal to a meter (according to the climate map for Rostov-on-Don). And the weight of the old house is decent. If there are no subsidences in the ground. The trench should be dug under the lower crown of the house. If it's wood.

Digging is not continuous, but in parts. Usually, at least a meter of untouched soil is left between the dug areas.

Then everything, as in my previous materials - formwork, pouring a sand layer into the trench by 10 centimeters, pouring concrete with its reinforcement and connection with the old existing foundation, also with reinforcement. Removal of a brick or block basement foundation, waterproofing in two layers between the basement and the bottom of the walls, no matter what material they are.

After solidification and setting of the solutions, exposure to a couple of weeks. Then they take out the soil that was left between the sections of the trenches for the first time. Again, all the same pouring and reinforcement operations, but in new trench sections.

And then everything is in order - the dismantling of the old roof and the construction of the attic, for which a strapping crown of wooden beams with a cross section of at least 0.02 square meters is placed on top of the walls of the existing house. meter or from folded and fastened together edged boards of approximately the same section.

Then the truss system of the configuration that you like best (broken or classic triangular). Crate, covering material (glassine or film). The counter-lattice is not excluded. Roofing (slate, metal, ondulin, etc.)

All. Not counting the floors inside the attic, walls and trim, as well as stairs through the opening in the ceiling of the first floor.

And directly for pouring the foundation according to the option mentioned above, you will need material in the right amount, which is considered depending on its volume. This is river sand, loose cement or in bags, you can use ready-made concrete from the nearest concrete mixer of a construction plant. Brick or sand-cement blocks. Reinforcement in bars or in the form of welded mesh cards, knitting wire.

Typically, the following material characteristics are used:

Edged formwork board with a thickness of 25 - 30 millimeters, a width of 12 to 20 centimeters, a cranial beam with a section of 50/50 millimeters. Nails in assortment from 40 to 100 millimeters long. Self-tapping screws for wood from 30 to 90 millimeters long.

Brick grade approximately M100, sand-cement blocks 20/20/40 cm, cement from M300 to M500, concrete M100. Fittings Ф14 - Ф18 mm, knitting wire Ф1.5 - 2 mm. Welded mesh in cards with a cell of 40/40 or 50/50 and a wire diameter of Ф3 mm.

I described all this many times on my website, click the mouse if you are interested.

Other questions on the attic:

Ask a question to Semenych (the author of the materials)

Attic construction

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The presence of an attic floor in a private house allows you to make the most of its usable area. Also, the attic can be considered one of the possible options for expanding the living space, which has a number of advantages in comparison with an extension to the house.

The fact is that an extension can not always be done for a number of reasons:

• small lot area
• around the house there are already buildings or plantings that cannot be removed or moved to another place
• the desire to use the available territory for other purposes, for example, to design a beautiful landscape
• the desire to save on construction, because the completion of the attic will cost less than the extension.

Also, the construction of the attic is more profitable and cheaper than the construction of the second floor, although in essence they differ little. Thus, if there is a desire to increase the living space of your house, then the attic is the best option. But there are some difficulties and limitations that must be taken into account.

Do-it-yourself attic construction

No need to think that building an attic is a simple matter. Here, as in any other construction, experience on construction sites is needed. It would not be superfluous to preliminary study the design features of the attic, the methods of its construction, cases when its completion is impossible.

The most common type of roofs for attics are the usual gable or broken. The height of such roofs should be as high as possible to ensure a comfortable stay of people in the interior, so the angle of inclination of gable roofs is 45-60 degrees. Such a steep slope cannot always be used, especially in regions with strong winds, and the consumption of materials for the truss system for such roofs increases significantly. The best solution for attics is the use of sloping roofs. They provide the necessary height of the premises and at the same time are immune to wind loads. The disadvantage of a broken roof is the complexity of its design. During installation, special attention is paid to the junction of the rafters with the uprights and the crossbar.

There are projects of houses with attics that use a shed roof. The complexity of designing such a roof is to ensure both high-quality removal of melt and rain water from the roof, and the desired ceiling height in the interior. The angle of inclination of shed roofs averages 45 degrees with a building width of 7-10 m. Houses with shed roofs can be either summer cottages (for temporary residence in the warm season) or full-fledged residential ones, in which you can live all year round.

The attic floor must have windows. It can be special skylights. located along the slope of the roof, or ordinary windows in the walls. You can also organize the installation of ordinary vertical windows on a slope with the removal of the roof structure. In any case, windows should be opened to bring fresh air into the room and maintain the desired microclimate.

Construction of an attic over an existing house. When it is possible and when it is impossible to complete the attic floor

The attic can be designed and built from the very beginning, and this option is the most correct. If its construction is envisaged in an already finished house, several factors must be taken into account and the possibility of such construction should be assessed. It may turn out that existing structures are not designed for additional loads, which should be shown by the calculation. If you take a chance and complete the attic without calculation, the foundation may not withstand the additional weight and float, which will lead to cracks on the walls up to and collapse.

The construction of an attic in a previously built house entails another expense item - the dismantling of the old roof.

There are a number of cases when it is impossible to complete the attic in the house. Among them, the main reason is the dilapidation of the existing house, when its supporting structures are not able to withstand even the existing loads. Cracks on the walls can serve as signs of this.

It is also not advisable to overload buildings made of foam concrete or brick because of their fragility, especially if their project does not include the necessary margin of safety. If during the construction of a house “from scratch” it is possible to immediately strengthen weak structures, then when completing construction it is almost impossible to do it qualitatively.

In small buildings, the width of which does not reach 5 m, the attic is not completed, which is explained by the difficulties of building a roof. The height of the interior of the attic should not be less than 2.3 m with a height of vertical walls - 1.6 m. These parameters are difficult to achieve with a small width of the house, and hence the roof.

What is an attic roof? Finishing the attic floor

Unlike the attic, the attic roof has a more complex structure, because it is also the ceiling of the living space. In addition to the standard set, it must contain heat, vapor and sound insulating layers, as well as finishing on the inside. Mineral wool can be used as a heat-insulating material. Also, the crate can play the role of additional insulation, which is usually made solid in the truss system of mansard roofs.

The interior decoration of the roof-ceiling depends on how the attic will be used. For summer cottages, lining, sheets of chipboard, fiberboard or plywood are quite suitable. For residential premises, finishing is chosen more substantial and, accordingly, expensive. Basically, this is a matter of personal preference for each owner.

The exterior finish of the roof - roofing material - largely determines the level of comfort of the attic, so its choice should be taken seriously. Among the main requirements that are put forward to the roofing material #8211 is a high level of sound and heat insulation. The most common materials are tiles, slates and bitumen-based materials. It is not recommended to use metal sheets, which not only will not retain heat, but will also create noise during rain. Ruberoid is also not a suitable option for a mansard roof - in the warm season, it heats up itself and transfers heat to the room. In addition, in the heat it gives off a specific smell.

How to build an attic?

For the construction of the attic, it is necessary to prepare the following materials:

• wooden beams with a section of 50x180 cm for rafters (the length depends on the size of the building and the slope of the ramp)
• wooden planks for framing
• end wall cladding material, e.g. wall panels
• fasteners for roofing: nails, self-tapping screws, metal corners, as well as metal profiles for additional strengthening of individual structural elements
• thermal insulation material
• vapor barrier material
• waterproofing material
• roofing material
• interior decoration of the attic.

First step - strengthening the ceiling between the first and attic floors. It is necessary to strengthen it, because the loads that it will perceive will increase significantly.

After strengthening the ceiling, you can proceed to the truss system. Throughout the entire time of work, it is necessary to constantly monitor the quality of the connections of individual elements.

If the project provides for the use of a sloping roof, you first need to mount the support beams and end walls, and only after that proceed with assembling the frame of the truss system. Separate elements of the frame are fastened together with a groove-protrusion connection, as well as metal plates for greater strength. Wooden elements must be pre-treated with special compounds that protect against moisture and insects, as well as flame retardants that slow down the burning of wood.

When the rafter system is assembled, the turn of the bevels of the walls comes, as well as the internal partitions of the attic room.

Attic floor ventilation

Particular attention should be paid to the arrangement of the attic ventilation system. If in a non-residential attic she could limit herself to minimal ventilation, then here it is necessary to create conditions for a comfortable stay. The main problems with the attic microclimate are related to the heat that comes from the lower floor and causes condensation to accumulate on the insulation layer. Under its influence, the insulation rots and collapses, completely losing its properties. To protect it, one ventilation is not enough, so another layer is added to the roof structure - a vapor barrier. When installing the insulation, it is necessary to provide a gap between it and the roof, which is about 3-5 cm. If, despite all the methods of protection, condensate still continues to accumulate on the heat-insulating layer, you should think about organizing a forced ventilation system. The insulation ventilation system consists of holes made in the cornice and ridge.

Mansard roof structure

So, in total, the attic roof is a kind of pie with the following layers:

• topmost layer - roofing material
• waterproofing layer
• crate (usually solid)
• thermal insulation layer
• vapor barrier layer
• ceiling finish.

The sequence of layers cannot be changed. A layer of insulation is laid on the truss system, a gap is provided between it and the roof for its ventilation, as described above. In some cases, it can fit on the crate. For roof insulation, rock wool or other suitable fire-resistant material is most often used. The thickness of the heat-insulating layer is quite large - about 25-30 cm, which even exceeds the thickness of the rafters.

In order to evenly distribute and securely fix this layer, you need to make an additional frame for it, located perpendicular to the rafters.

The vapor barrier layer is a breathable membrane, which is attached with adhesive tape at some distance from the insulation to allow air to enter. A waterproofing layer of a superdiffusion membrane is laid over the insulation.

All layers must be fixed with tape. The lathing of the truss system is usually solid, although in some cases it may have small gaps between the boards.

On the attic floor, it is necessary to insulate not only the roof, but also the walls around the perimeter. Otherwise, the room will accumulate heat in summer and cold in winter. A properly selected and correctly installed layer of thermal insulation will create the most comfortable living conditions at any time of the year. The material for wall insulation can be used the same as for the roof. A layer of thermal insulation is laid behind a lining of plywood, lining or drywall. If, however, sandwich panels are chosen as cladding, this layer can be made much thinner.

After installing all the layers of the "pie", it remains only to cover the roof with roofing material. If roof windows are provided in the roof, they must be installed in pre-prepared openings.

The interior decoration of the attic roof-ceiling requires special attention. The most common finishing method is a false ceiling, which is attached to the elements of the truss system: crossbars and racks. You can use sheets of plywood or drywall, clapboard, ceiling tiles, etc. Decorative finish depends on the chosen design. Walls and ceilings can be wallpapered, painted or plastered.

Attic construction. Video

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We build a mansard roof with our own hands

A do-it-yourself mansard roof built over the house allows you to increase the total living area with minimal financial investment. Among the most popular options is a gable sloping roof, the installation technology of which is not difficult.

Project development

By “breaking” the roof slopes at different angles, you can increase the amount of space under the mansard roof. A broken structure, like another type of attic roof, is more massive and heavier than a standard gable roof, which should be taken into account when equipping the attic floor during the reconstruction of a house. It is first necessary to examine the condition of the foundation and walls of the structure to determine whether they can withstand increased loads. If the device of a massive attic structure is planned at the stage of preparation for construction with your own hands, this should be taken into account when developing the project for the foundation and walls of the house.

The creation of a mansard roof project should be taken carefully, since errors in calculations or incorrectly selected parameters of the elements of the truss system can lead to damage to the roof itself, and in some cases the walls of the house, during operation.

It is recommended to entrust the development of a mansard roof project to professionals. It is also possible to use special computer programs that calculate the optimal angle of inclination of the roof and other parameters. All calculations are performed in accordance with the document SNiP "Loads and Impacts".

When choosing an attic project, the construction of which can be done by hand, first of all, you need to pay attention to the dependence of the parameters of the room on the angle of the roof. The dwelling must have a height of more than 2.2 meters. If the roof slopes are straight, then the angle of their inclination seriously affects the width of the room.

A broken mansard roof allows you to maximize the expansion of the room, providing the required ceiling height across its entire width. At the same time, the side (lower) rafters are located at an angle of about 60 degrees, and the angle of inclination of the upper ones can be chosen at your discretion, based on aesthetic preferences, as well as snow and wind loads characteristic of the construction area.

Roofing cake and other elements

If you are going to make an attic roof with your own hands, it is necessary to provide for the use of certain materials for the installation of a roofing pie in the project. They include :

• waterproofing;
• vapor barrier;
• insulation;
• roofing material.

The choice of insulation affects such a parameter as the pitch of the rafters - in order to save heat-insulating material, it is recommended to position the rafters in such a way that the slab or mat fits snugly between them. The type of lathing (solid or sparse) and the step of the sparse lathing depend on the choice of roofing. It should be noted that the device of the roof of the attic floor provides for the creation of not only high-quality insulation, but also effective ventilation of the roofing system.

Materials and tools

In order to ensure safety, the construction of the truss system and roofing should be carried out using fireproof, environmentally friendly materials. Wood materials are treated with fire and biological protection means.

For the construction of the truss system of a private house with your own hands, you will need :

• wooden beam with a section of 50 × 100 mm;
• board 150 × 50 mm;
• unedged board;
• nails 80, self-tapping screws and other fasteners;
• annealed wire (diameter 3-4 mm);
• level;
• plumb;
• roulettes;
• hacksaws;
• axes;
• hammers;
• sharp carpentry knives.

Using a quality tool simplifies and speeds up the installation of wooden structures with your own hands. Instructions for doing work step by step can be found in the video.

Mauerlat device

The Mauerlat, made of timber or a powerful board, acts as the base of the roof truss system of the mansard roof. A gable roof requires laying a Mauerlat on the long walls of the house. Mauerlat not only allows you to securely fix the lower part of the rafters, but also contributes to an even distribution of the load when it is transferred to the walls and foundation of the building.

To fix the Mauerlat board or beam, metal studs are used, fixed in a monolithic concrete beam made in the upper part of the wall, or annealed wire embedded in the brickwork. When attaching the Mauerlat to the upper crown of the wooden wall, wooden dowels are used. The Mauerlat device requires high-quality waterproofing of a wooden beam. For this purpose, roofing felt or other durable materials with water-repellent properties can be used.

Mauerlat installation is necessary if it is planned to build a roof frame with your own hands, the rafters of which rest against the upper part of the wall with a beveled end or a special cutout. If an attic is designed, the width of which actually corresponds to the width of the house, the rafters rest with their lower end against the outriggers. Powerful beams laid across long walls act as supports. The number of supports should correspond to the number of truss pairs. The beams are attached to the walls in a similar way to the Mauerlat, and waterproofing is also used.

Mauerlat or support beams must be securely fastened to the walls, as these elements prevent the roof from moving under strong wind loads.

Construction of the supporting structure

The structure of the frame of a broken mansard roof begins with the laying of supports under the racks, which must be located strictly symmetrically relative to the axis of the building. The distance between the supports is equal to the width of the future attic. First of all, U-shaped arches are mounted on the gables of the structure. Each arch consists of two support posts connected by a bridge. For the manufacture of racks, a beam is used, the cross section of which must be no less than the cross section of the support under it.

Racks are installed on a plumb line, strictly vertically. A jumper is attached to them, the horizontalness of which should be checked during installation. According to the size of the first arch on the other front, the second is made. It is important to level the structure. A cord is stretched between the U-shaped arches, which must be located strictly horizontally. If necessary, one of the arches is dismantled and adjusted exactly to the size. Focusing on the stretched cord, you should install the remaining arches. Their number and pitch depend on the designed pitch of the rafters, since the upper end of each rafter is attached to the corresponding post. This provides the necessary rigidity of the mansard roof frame.

Racks of U-shaped arches can be attached to the support with metal brackets, nails or tenon joints. You can learn about the main methods of connecting the elements of the truss structure from the video instructions. To ensure the verticality of the racks under the load that the roof will experience during operation, it is recommended to additionally install braces. The arches in the upper part are interconnected by lintels parallel to the long walls of the house.

Installation of rafter legs

Do-it-yourself construction of a broken roof involves the use of two types of rafter legs. The lower rafters are located at a very sharp angle, connecting the racks with the Mauerlat or the ends of the extended transverse supports. The upper gable truss structure is mounted on an arched system.

Before installing the lower rafter legs, it is necessary to carefully mark the place of their installation on the Mauerlat. The rafters extreme to the pediment are mounted first. The trimming of the rafter legs is carried out in such a way that the cut of the upper edge of the board fits at the required angle to the rack, and the lower cut rests on the power plate or outrigger. If, according to the project, the mansard roof is made with slope overhangs, a special-shaped cutout is made in the lower part of the rafter leg: the rafter rests on the support with the horizontal part of the cutout. The rafter is fastened with nails or staples. It is additionally recommended to strengthen the connections of the legs with the Mauerlat or the remote support with burnt wire with a diameter of 3-4 mm. According to a similar scheme, all lower rafters are installed.

If we are building a house whose length exceeds 8 meters, it is recommended to install a truss system with a ridge beam. Such a device allows you to evenly distribute the load on the entire frame. In this case, racks are installed in the center of the gables, the verticality of which is checked by a plumb line, a ridge beam is mounted strictly horizontally on them. It is important to correctly determine the height of the ridge, since the angle of inclination of the upper rafters directly depends on this. The rafter legs rest with their upper cut ends against the ridge beam, and the lower ones against the supporting arched structure.

The upper rafters of the attic roof can be an L-shaped structure. The rafter legs can be butted together using a wooden or metal fastening plate, or by cutting into half a tree, using a bolted connection. It is recommended to fit the first pair of rafters in place, which is then dismantled and used as a template. Prepared farms are installed in the standard order - first the extreme ones, then the rest with constant leveling.

At the last stage of creating a roof structure, do-it-yourself installation of the lathing, laying waterproofing, creating a ventilation gap, and installing the roofing are carried out. From the inside, thermal insulation and vapor barrier are attached, the lining is attached. On the video you can get acquainted in detail with the technology of work.

home » Attic » Building a mansard roof with your own hands

Do-it-yourself mansard roof construction

Use the entire possible area, give the house originality and significantly reduce heat loss through the roof - these are the tasks that the attic solves. If there is a certain margin of safety at the foundation, in this way it is possible to turn a one-story house into a two-level one. It is also attractive that a do-it-yourself mansard roof can be built even without special building skills. It is important not to make a mistake with the choice of materials and do everything according to the rules.

Windows in the usual floor are located in the walls. There are no or almost no walls in the attics. Roofing replaces them. That is why windows are made special: they not only have to let in enough light, but also withstand wind and snow loads, which are much more on the roof than on the walls.

Skylights

When planning an attic, it is worth considering the recommendations of SNiP. They recommend that the window area be at least 10% of the floor area. So if the attic is divided into several rooms, each should have a window.

Skylight installation in the roof

Of all the methods shown in the photo for arranging skylights with an attic, the inclined installation is the easiest to implement. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure the proper degree of waterproofing of the junction, as well as to use special models with a reinforced frame and reinforced glass - the load on the surface can be significant.

Benefits of a sloped roof window:

• more light, not so sharp borders of light and shadow;
• the roof surface remains flat, its relief is not complicated;
• relatively easy installation.

When planning such a window, it must be remembered that its area increases with an increase in the angle of inclination. At what height is it more convenient to install such a window and how its height in centimeters increases depending on the slope, see the photo.

The steeper the slope relative to the floor, the lower the height of the window should be.

The width of the window frame should be 4-6 cm less than the pitch between the rafters. Then it can be easily installed without disturbing the structure of the frame. If the window is wider, it is necessary to make a reinforced beam above it, calculate the load.

If you need to have a larger window, it is easier to put two narrow ones side by side. They look no worse than one big one, and there will be fewer problems.

Two windows side by side look no worse than one wide

When installing a dormer window, the geometry of the roof becomes more complicated: a valley appears on top and on the sides. Because of this, the truss system becomes more complex in both planning and assembly. The complexity of laying roofing also increases. All valleys are the places of the most probable occurrence of leaks. That is why it is necessary to do everything very carefully. In regions with a lot of snow, it is advisable to install snow retainers above such windows: so that they are not blown away during a sharp descent.

The device of a vertical window-dormer in the mansard roof

The advantage of such a window: near it you can stand in full growth. But they let in less light, the terrain becomes more difficult and the roof becomes more problematic.

A recessed window is usually used if an exit to a balcony is made through it. In other cases, this method of arrangement is not the best option: there is little light, the shadows are very deep, which is tiring for the eye, the geometry also becomes more complicated, although not to the same extent as in the previous version.

The easiest way is to make a window in the end part of the attic. In this case, a reinforced frame or reinforced glass is not needed. Quite simply high-quality glasses are enough. It is this option that can most often be seen in country attics: this is the most inexpensive option, which is easily implemented with your own hands.

truss system

With the independent construction of private houses with an attic, usually a sloping roof is chosen. It allows you to get a room of a significant area, larger than under the gable.

With an equal width of the base (house), the attic room under a sloping roof is larger than under a conventional gable. The truss system is getting more complicated, but a gable roof with an attic under a sloping roof is still more popular.

The design of the sloping mansard roof is such that the overhangs can be lowered quite low, giving the house an interesting look. But the long overhang of the roof is not only a decorative role. They also cover the upper part of the wall from precipitation and divert the bulk of the water away from the foundation. Although when planning, you need to keep in mind that in strong winds they increase the windage. Because of this, it is necessary to use more powerful boards and beams. Therefore, the size of the roof overhang is chosen based on several considerations, the main of which is weather conditions.

Tilt angle

It depends on the roofing material, but most of all - on the region and weather conditions. The classic version is shown in the figure: the lower slopes in relation to the plane of the attic floor are inclined by 60 °, the upper ones - by 30 °. Based on these data and the parameters of your building, all lengths can be calculated. Just keep in mind that according to SNiP, the ceiling height in the attic cannot be less than 2 m. Then, by definition, this is an attic. A person will feel comfortable if the ceiling is raised to a height of at least 2.2-2.3 m. Based on this, according to the rules of geometry, calculate the required lengths.

Tilt angles in the classic version

In the classic version, the load from precipitation on the side surfaces may not be taken into account. Precipitation can only be held on the upper part, the angle of inclination of which is less than 45 °.

In general, the slope of the side surfaces usually ranges between 45° and up to 80°. The steeper the slope, the greater the windage it has, this must be taken into account: in regions with strong winds, it is better to make flatter roofs. Then the wind loads will be perceived much better.

Types of rafter systems of broken roofs

The design of a broken mansard roof is one of the options for the truss system (the most common)

For the manufacture of a sloping roof frame with their own hands, pine lumber is most often used, the grade is not lower than 2. The choice of the cross-section of timber and boards depends on the size of the roof, the selected roofing (its weight), wind and snow load in the region, the installation step of the rafters. All these parameters are taken into account in the calculation. The technique is prescribed in SNiP 2.08.01-89 and TCP 45-5.05-146-2009.

One of the options for building a frame with hanging rafters

Above in the figure is a drawing of a frame with hanging rafters. It can only be implemented if the base of the upper triangle is no more than 4.5 meters (in this case, this is the width of the attic room). If more, you will have to make layered rafters, which should rest on the load-bearing wall in the middle (the attic will turn out to be divided into two parts by a row of beams).

Another version of the upper part is shown in the photo below (the picture is clickable). In this case, the side rafters are reinforced with struts. They significantly increase the rigidity of the system.

There is a second way to achieve a similar effect - to set contractions - they are only outlined in the figure with barely visible lines. The length of the side rafter leg is divided into three, contractions are set in these places. They will be needed if the roofing will have a solid weight.

A variant of the sloping roof truss system - with struts that increase the rigidity of the system

For a building that is small in size, the roof frame can be generally simple: at the top there are two hanging rafter legs, a puff, floor beams, racks and side rafters (pictured below).

The device of the truss system of a broken mansard roof for a small house

How to calculate a sloping roof

The mansard sloping roof of a small house (width no more than 6-7 meters) has been built so many times that, based on experience, we can say what materials should be used. Many parameters are dependent on other materials. For example, the installation step of the rafters is tied to the parameters of the insulation. To ensure that there is as little waste as possible during insulation, installation is easier, it is necessary that the distance from one rack to another is slightly less than the width of the insulation (by 20-30 mm). So, if you are going to use mineral wool, its width is 60 cm. Then the racks must be installed so that the clearance between two adjacent ones is 57-58 cm and no more.

The width of the board for the rafter leg is again determined based on the insulation. For the central zone of Russia, the required thickness of basalt wool is 200-250 mm. That's not all. In order for the thermal insulation to dry out, a ventilation gap of 20-30 mm is required (without it, the condensate will gradually rot the wood and render the mineral wool unusable). In total, it turns out that at a minimum the width of the rafter leg should be 230 mm. Board thickness - not less than 50 mm. This is in regions with mild winds and not very heavy snowfalls. Summing up, for all rafters - ridge and side - a board of 230 * 50 mm is required.

If lumber with such characteristics turns out to be too expensive, it will be possible to make insulation in two directions: part along the rafters, part, stuffing the crate, across. You can lay a minimum of 100 mm of basalt wool, therefore, you can take a standard board 50 * 150 mm and leave it on the ventilation gap of 50 mm, or order a non-standard 130 * 50 mm. See what is more profitable in terms of money.

For racks and beams, it is better to take a beam of at least 80 * 80 mm, better - 100 * 100 mm. Especially in areas with difficult weather conditions - with heavy snowfalls or strong winds.

For a more accurate estimate, ask the experts. This is a long process, consisting of the collection of loads from the roofing material, the structural elements themselves, wind and snow loads. After that, according to a certain formula, the elements are selected. For more information on how the calculation is carried out, see the following video.

Do-it-yourself mansard roof: installation procedure

The Mauerlat device on mansard roofs is no different from the standard version. If the house is made of timber or logs, you can use the top crown as a Mauerlat. It is only pre-treated with impregnation with high protective properties.

If the wall is made of foam blocks, a reinforced monolithic belt is arranged on top of it. On a brick wall or made of shell rock, other similar materials, the device of such a belt is optional. Waterproofing is laid on the wall in two layers, and on top - a timber treated with an antiseptic - 150 * 150 mm or a log. It is fixed with embedded studs.

How to attach the Mauerlat and rafter legs to it

When assembling all elements, long nails are used - at least 150 mm long. In the most critical places, it is better to connect three or more elements with bolts or studs with double-sided threads. It is desirable to strengthen all joints with steel plates or corners.

First way

The installation of mansard roof rafters is done in two ways. First: parts are assembled on the ground, then they are lifted up in finished form. There, the first to expose the extreme structures that will become the gables. They are placed vertically, fixed. It is often more convenient to fix them with long bars nailed to the wall (temporary). The following assembled structures are inserted into the prepared recesses in the Mauerlat (they are made with the required step). They are set strictly vertically, carefully fixed. If necessary, install additional temporary spacers that fix them in the desired position. Side rails are installed.

How to build a sloping roof in this way, collect nodes, see the video below.

Second way

The second method - the construction of a sloping roof is carried out by sequentially collecting elements right on the spot. This method is more convenient if the structure is large and when assembled it can only be lifted using special equipment (crane).

First, floor beams are laid. Racks and puffs are attached to them, temporary struts are placed to hold them in the vertical direction. Next, the rafters of the upper and side legs are assembled, puffs and jibs are installed.

During installation, the following sequence of actions is observed: first, the extreme elements are installed and set in the desired position, securely fixed. If necessary, use temporary spacers. Between them, a fishing line, rope, lace is stretched, which will serve as a guide for the installation of all subsequent elements. This simple move allows you to get the perfect geometry (do not forget to check the slope angle, verticality or horizontality).

Puffs are attached over the racks - bars, to which the side rafters are then fixed and on which the puff of the upper triangle is installed. Puffs are attached with metal corners. Since the beams are long, they sag. This is further eliminated - after the installation of the upper rafter legs - by means of vertical beams of fixed or adjustable height. And temporarily they can be propped up with racks (so as not to pull the entire system).

One of the stages of building a mansard roof with your own hands

To make it easier to maintain the desired angle when installing the side rafter legs, templates are made according to which the cuts are made. But since the geometry of DIY buildings is rarely perfect, adjustments may be needed. To check the resulting angle of inclination from several boards, another template is knocked down, which checks the correct installation.

If the standard length of lumber - 6 meters - is not enough, either order the required length (expensive) or increase it. When building up, two boards with a size of at least 0.6 meters (30 cm on each side of the junction) are nailed to the junction. They are nailed on both sides or bolts are used.

A reliable way to build rafters. The length of the "patch" - at least 60 cm

After installing the side rafters, it remains to install the top ones. A template is also made for them, it is first sawn on the ground, and installed at the top.

Almost finished frame

The top part can be done in different ways. Its structure depends on the width of the base. See the photo below for how to make it.

How to make an upper triangle on a sloping roof

Since the device of the mansard sloping roof does not provide for the presence of a ridge, a beam is stuffed into the puff in the middle, to which the slopes are attached, fixing the triangle in the required position.

The upper part is fixed with slopes nailed to a beam laid in the middle

Ga this can be considered that the mansard roof is assembled with your own hands. It remains to mount the roofing material and do the insulation (you can do it in that order, you can do it at the same time). Features of mansard roof insulation are described here.

Nodes and their drawings

When installing the truss system, questions may arise regarding the assembly of nodes - the intersection and connection of several structural elements. In the photo you see drawings of key connections.

How to make a connection of elements of a sloping roof truss system

The second option is to connect the side rafters and the upper triangle. Bolts are used for more secure fastening.

How to make a do-it-yourself fastening of the upper triangle and rafter leg on a mansard roof

The methods for attaching the rafter legs to the Mauerlat or, as in this case, to the side beam are shown in the figure below. To make it easier to mount a heavy element, a stop board (bar) is nailed to the rafter from below, which limits its movement: the board rests against the edge and prevents it from sinking lower.

Several options for attaching rafters to the Mauerlat

Do-it-yourself mansard roof step by step

The attic floor is a more spacious and well-prepared attic for life. Features of the room dictate their own conditions in relation to the roof. The arrangement of the mansard roof does not require the performer to have any special knowledge and skills. It is enough to prepare the necessary tools, read the instructions in detail and follow its recommendations in everything.

Do-it-yourself mansard roof

Varieties of mansard roofs

There are several types of mansard roofs. Familiarize yourself with the features of each of these roofs and choose the most suitable option. The main points of the construction technology are common to all types of construction.

The simplest option is a shed mansard roof. This design is carried out with some bias. It is used quite rarely, because. due to the slope, the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe attic space decreases.

Shed roofs are the easiest to install and economical option, with a very simple truss system.

The most popular option is a gable mansard roof. Inside the roof space will be comfortable and spacious. The gable roof is simple and profitable in arrangement.

A sloping roof is a type of gable construction. In this case, the slopes will not be even, but broken. Typically, broken roofs are used in cases with small houses.

The hip roof consists of four slopes. The truss system of the hip roof is somewhat more complicated.

hip roof construction

The half-hipped roof is a type of hipped roof. In this case, a half-hip is usually understood as the slope, which, as it were, cuts off part of the end side of the gable roof. The cut can pass from below and form a trapezoid, or at the top and create a triangle.

Interesting varieties of hipped mansard roofs are pyramidal and conical roofs. These designs look best on polygonal houses and round buildings. Perfectly combined with other types of roofs.

Pyramidal and conical roofs

Vaulted roofs are rarely used. This design has a smooth parabolic or circular shape. Previously, such roofs were widely used in the arrangement of rectangular houses.

What is the structure of the attic roof?

The mansard roof in the section is a "pie", consisting of several layers.

Mansard roof layers

Mansard roof layers

1. Finish coating. There are many materials available on the market today with a wide variety of characteristics. Tiles are traditionally the most popular. Of the budget options, you can recommend ondulin and slate.

Metal roof

Roofing film. This material provides reliable protection of the heat-insulating layer from adverse effects. Due to the fact that different materials can be used when constructing a mansard roof, a suitable roofing film must also be selected individually. Waterproofing layer. As a moisture insulation, an ordinary polyethylene film is most often used. Sheathing and rafter system. This is the frame of the mansard roof. Most often, rafters and crates are made of wooden bars. Rafters contribute to the uniform distribution of loads from the roof to the walls of the building. Thermal insulation. Without high-quality insulation in the attic, it will simply be impossible to live comfortably in the cold season. A large selection of various heaters is available for sale. The most popular heat insulator is mineral wool. This is an inexpensive material with excellent performance and characteristics.

Vapor barrier layer. Vapor barrier will prevent the formation of condensate, which will provide additional protection to the main elements of the system and will help increase the life of the roof as a whole.

Mansard Roof Calculation Guide

Calculation of the attic roof

The attic roof is calculated according to an extremely simple scheme. It is important to take into account not only the useful, but also the deaf area of ​​​​the attic space. In this case, a zone in which the distance between the ceiling and the floor is more than 90-100 cm will be considered useful. The rest of the places are traditionally considered a dead zone. It is impossible to live in such areas, but in their place you can install a variety of shelves and other household items.

Calculate the total area of ​​the roof. At this point, you will need a roof plan. Break the space into several simple shapes, calculate the area of ​​​​each of them, and then sum the resulting values ​​\u200b\u200bto determine the total roof area.

Before you start building a mansard roof, pay attention to a number of important details, which include the features of the thermal insulation of the structure, the order in which window openings are placed, etc.

The permissible angle of inclination of the roof slope deserves special attention. If the slope exceeds the permissible value, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe attic space will significantly decrease. This moment is individual and is selected taking into account the attic area and other important parameters.

Roof pitch as a percentage

Select the appropriate type of rafter system. Rafters, as noted, contribute to an even distribution of the load on the walls. Additionally, thanks to the truss system, reliable protection of the house from various kinds of adverse atmospheric influences is provided.

The simplest version of the attic roof is a triangular shape. The most difficult thing is to make a mansard roof with a break. In the absence of appropriate skills, it is strongly not recommended to take on the independent arrangement of complex roofs.

Step-by-step instructions for building a mansard roof

There are no super complicated steps in the construction of a mansard roof. You just need to carefully read the instructions and follow all the recommendations step by step.

First step. Calculate the strength of the building. The attic increases the load on the walls and foundation of the house. It is better if qualified specialists are engaged in the calculation. If you do not plan to carry out work to strengthen the house, you can skip this step.

Second step. Calculate the attic and prepare a project for the future attic and roof. It is also recommended to involve specialists in this work. If you wish, you can try to create a project yourself or use some ready-made solution from available sources.

Third step. Remove the old roof. Do this as carefully as possible, try not to damage other structural elements of the house.

Dismantle the old roof

Fourth step. Make a truss frame. This is the most time-consuming stage of the instructions in question. It is better if at least 3 people are involved in arranging the frame at the same time.

Fifth step. Place and fix the Mauerlat. To assemble this element, use wooden blocks measuring 10x10 cm.

Sixth step. Install the frame for the roof space. The frame elements will simultaneously act as supports for the rafters. First secure the vertical posts around the edges of the building. Racks must be attached to long beams. Self-tapping screws and ordinary metal corners will help you with this.

Seventh step. Attach a jumper to the posts.

Eighth step. Make sure that the elements mentioned above are installed correctly. Any cord will help you with this - simply pull it between the formed arches. If the cord is in a strictly horizontal position, you have done everything right. If the cord deviates from the horizontal, trim the mismatched arches or even replace them with new elements.

Ninth step. Fix the arches together. Nail plates or stamping corners will help you with this.

Installation of the truss system

Installation of the truss system

Fasten the first rafters where the roof slope will have the maximum slope. To obtain the required slope, simply cut the bars to the required length.

The first step is preparing the rafters. Cut the bars in advance to the desired length and required angle. At the bottom of the rafter legs, select the grooves for connecting to the Mauerlat. Grooves can be made with a chisel.

Second step. Fasten each bar to its designated place.

Third step. Proceed to the installation of the upper rafters. At this stage, be especially careful. Observe the desired slope angle and overall alignment of the structure.

Fourth step. Nail the batten elements to the rafters. The crate can be made from plywood sheets or ordinary wooden boards. The type of lathing must correspond to the selected roofing material. As a rule, continuous flooring is made. This is the most versatile and most reliable option.

Nail the battens to the rafters

Laying of protective materials and completion of work

Mansard roofing requires the organization of high-quality protection from various adverse factors.

The first step is laying the vapor barrier material. The vapor barrier must be fixed on the inside of the truss system. The material is attached to the bars with the help of special building brackets.

Roof lining vapor barrier

The second step is laying the insulation. Mineral wool is traditionally used for insulation. If you wish, you can opt for a more modern and expensive material. Insulation plates should fit snugly together and also fit snugly against the rafters.

The third step is the device of the crate. On the laid insulation you need to fill the crate. Use ordinary wooden blocks. Fasten the elements of the crate in increments of about half a meter. Thanks to this system, the insulation will remain in place.

The fourth step is laying the moisture-proof material. Attach the waterproofing to the outside of the truss system. Polyethylene film is most often used as a moisture-proof layer. Waterproofing will protect the elements of the roof from atmospheric moisture.

The fifth step is laying the finish coat. Roofing material choose at your discretion. The best option in terms of cost and quality characteristics is a metal tile. From budget materials, slate or its more modern counterpart ondulin can be recommended.

After you fix the selected roofing material, the construction of the mansard roof can be considered complete. Thus, there is nothing complicated in arranging the considered system with your own hands. Understand the instructions, and you will successfully cope with all the tasks without outside help.

Instructions for labor protection when constructing prefabricated and monolithic foundations Foundation for a Russian stove in a wooden house with a basement

Home is a place where each of us feels completely protected. Comfort and coziness are important components for a person's relaxation, which is sometimes impossible due to lack of square meters. Thanks to new technologies in construction, it has become possible to expand the area of ​​\u200b\u200bhouses, usually through extensions, but if the plot of land is small, then an attic is the best option!

Many designers have long considered attic spaces as a good option for increasing the area in the house, although it is not always possible to make an attic without the intervention of builders. Often this is due to the fact that old buildings have a low ceiling height and a flimsy foundation that needs to be strengthened for the safety of the future structure and the whole house as a whole.

The original attic can be arranged from a multi-pitched sloping roof

The main advantage of the attic is the ability to build it on any type of house (dacha, cottage, old house with an attic).

The only condition in the manufacture of the attic is the right approach, because there are a lot of subtleties that need to be taken into account, so it is better to trust the construction of the attic to professionals or to study all the stages of construction well.

Strengthening the foundation in an old house

The first thing you must do is to check the foundation: are there vertical cracks in it, are there any distortions in the windows, or signs of destruction of the foundation masonry. If there is, the foundation needs to be restored. The second point is the analysis of the materials from which the private house is made, because the recovery technology will depend on the material.

1. The foundation in a wooden private house can be completely replaced. To do this, you need to undermine the old foundation (if any) and put the house on jacks. Then use iron fittings, from 3 meters long, to make the initial frame. Next, pour the prepared frame with concrete to the required height. By doing this, you can not only strengthen, but also raise the foundation.
2. A complete replacement of the foundation in a brick or stone old house is not possible. Repair is considered a more complex and important process that requires responsibility and caution! Due to the fact that the structure is heavy, it is impossible to dig under a weakened foundation, because strong precipitation is possible, which can finally damage the structure in the old house. The only option is a monolithic belt (reinforced concrete structure that helps hold the masonry at the base of the floor).

Creating an attic project

It is well known that no building can be built without a plan. Extensions such as attics also need similar projects, but, oddly enough, they have their own characteristics, which are described in GOST. The main requirements for such projects are:

1. Ensuring fire safety. Escape routes must be located either through rooms in the old house, or in its outer part.
2. Room height. The minimum allowable height is considered to be 2.5 m, but exceptions are possible with different roof slopes.
3. The volume of premises should be calculated from the dividing line of premises into working and residential areas. In their absence, it is necessary to calculate the volume of the entire room, taking into account all the slopes.

Dismantling the roof in an old house

Now, when it comes to the very process of building an attic, it is necessary to dismantle the roof in the old house in order to build a new, attic one.

You should not avoid this process, because there is a double benefit here: firstly, you can be sure that the attic will be reliable, and secondly, in the future you will significantly save money on repairing the old roof.

The dismantled roof elements should be carefully lowered to the ground using a rope system.

The first thing to start with is the removal of slate or other coating. This process should not cause difficulties, because there is no complicated technology in the laying of slate itself. Slate should be lowered from the roof without breaking it, because it can be useful in further work.

Following the slate, it is necessary to remove the roofing material, which is held by metal strips. Removing the top cover is easy and one person can do it, but when disassembling the structure itself, it is desirable to have a team, because dismantling can be difficult.

Frame construction and roof construction

When erecting an attic frame, you need to know the rule of the golden section. According to this rule, it becomes clear that, despite the external limitations of the mansard roof, a circle can be inscribed in the section. From here you can deduce the main stages for construction:

1. Work on the assembly of truss systems. Rafters are the basis of the roof, which consists of a rigid frame that carries the main load.
2. Preparation. Before installing the rafters, it is necessary to assemble a template (preferably on the ground, because this can simplify the process of manufacturing some components).
3. Mounting. After making the template, it must be transferred to the roof itself. The best slope of the roof is 45-60 degrees. Reducing the slope can significantly reduce the living area of ​​​​the premises, but, compared with an increase, this is acceptable. Increasing the angle can make the attic vulnerable to strong gusts of wind.

Mounting Tools:

• several pencils of different types;
• nails (when working with a wooden structure);
• hammers with a nail puller;
• saw or chainsaw (for working with timber);
• meter or tape measure;
• a set of drills with a drill;
• Bulgarian;
• level.

After the frame is ready, you should decide on the material, because the crate process will depend on it. If you use a soft roof, then before working with it, you will need to install OSB sheets on top of the frame. Only after that you can proceed directly to the fastening of the material itself.

Hydro and thermal insulation of the attic

When making an attic, it is worth considering the fact that the ceiling in it will also be a roof, so the warm air that will rise can cause significant damage to the ceiling, destroying the beams over time.

In order to avoid these adverse processes, it is necessary to insulate the attic during the construction process. To do this, you need to fill all the through cracks with glass wool or fill them with foam. This simple process will help to avoid problems with heat retention and waterproofing.

Separately, you need to pay attention to waterproofing, because if problems with steam that rises up in an old house are easily solved, then when waterproofing, you need to install a special film. Due to the ingress of water on the insulating materials, their properties deteriorate, so the installation of such a film will be necessary. And so that water does not linger on the film, special taps are made.

Internal work

When all the external work is completed, it's time to move on to the internal work. It is customary to sheathe the walls of the attic with drywall, because this material is the most accessible and helps to hide inaccuracies. Further, there are no new moments, as in the old house, because after the installation of drywall, the usual process of wall cladding begins (primer, putty, painting, wallpapering), that is, work on the design of the room.

The issue of design in the attic is treated responsibly, because the height of the room is not the same, therefore, it is necessary to divide it. Usually, in places where the height is the smallest, a closet is placed, and where the greatest is a bed or table. Thus, you can clearly outline the room into zones!

Modern people try to use the area of ​​their home as efficiently as possible. Therefore, the proposal to equip additional space under the roof is always met with enthusiasm. It is much easier to plan the construction of an attic at the stage of building a house, but you can make an additional superstructure above the old building.

How to make an attic on an old house

The presence of an attic not only increases the living space, but also gives the building a colorful look.

The attic turns a country house into a fabulous building

An old house can be updated by building a superstructure in accordance with existing standards.

The attic superstructure begins with calculations of the strength of the old house

First you need to decide whether the existing foundation and walls can withstand the load of the attic floor and the new roof. If they have a sufficient margin of safety, then you can start remodeling the house. Otherwise, they should be strengthened.

Old brick walls sometimes seem strong, but with additional stress, cracks may appear in the mortar over time. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately consider their condition, and, if necessary, tie them with a rigid belt. This is done as follows:

• metal poles with a section of 10x10 cm are inserted into the foundation with the lower edge, and connected with the armored belt of the first floor with the upper edge. Installed around the perimeter of the house every 2 meters;
• metal fittings with a cross section of 12 mm are placed in strakes and tie the house along the walls: from the bottom of the window every 2 meters up;
• a metal mesh with a cell size of 2x2 cm is laid on top of the reinforcement, which, after completion of all work, is covered with plaster.

Strengthening the foundation is carried out by tying with a reinforcing belt from all sides.

If the old foundation cannot withstand the attic, then it must be sheathed with reinforcement

Having decided on the strengthening of the building, you can proceed to the choice of the project of the future superstructure. It should look harmonious against the background of other buildings and match the style of the whole house.

The type of mansard roof will determine the calculation of the dimensions of the inner upper room and the necessary materials for construction

There are several types of attics:

• single-level with a gable roof - low ceilings with a small living space;

  A single-level attic with a gable roof is the simplest type of superstructure for small buildings

• single-level with a sloping gable roof - increased interior space, but serious costs and time for construction;

  A single-level attic with a broken gable roof is usually built on a brick house

• single-level with cantilever extensions - a complex structure that allows you to get even more area, since the attic frame extends beyond the building, and the windows are installed vertically;

  A single-level attic with cantilever extensions allows you to get a lot of internal space by increasing the upper structure

• multi-level with mixed roof support - used in the construction of a new house, built only by specialists.

  A multi-level attic with a mixed roof support on old houses is usually not installed due to the complexity and large amount of work.

Video: converting half of the old roof into an attic - an easy way

Alteration of the roof under the attic is a relatively cheap way to increase living space. In a private house, a pitched roof is usually placed, so you can make an additional spacious and bright room with your own hands.

Internal wood paneling makes the attic warm and bright

And if the house is large enough in length, then the attic can turn into a real floor: with several rooms and even a balcony.

A large attic allows you to divide the area into different residential areas

Advantages of creating an attic:

• the possibility of arranging one or more new living rooms;

  An attic with low ceilings under a gable roof is most conveniently furnished with low sunbeds

• low costs compared to the construction of a full-fledged floor or a side extension to the house;
• renovation of the exterior of the building;

  A house with an attic under construction always attracts the eyes of passers-by and is interested in the final result.

• the opportunity to observe a beautiful view from the attic window.

  A lot of sunlight comes through the windows in the attic, illuminating the room all day

However, this solution also has certain disadvantages that must also be taken into account:

• the need for insulation and soundproofing of the ceiling and a new roof, the installation of several double-glazed windows;
• the difficulty of conducting additional heating and lighting in the upper part of the old house - you will have to combine it with home wiring or use an autonomous connection;

  To heat the attic with access to the balcony, you can use a potbelly stove

• layout of a part of the home space under the stairs leading to the attic;

  The stairs leading to the attic must be fenced for safety.

• the need to purchase special furniture for a sloping roof or purchase squat models: low cabinets, sofas and tables.

  Low furniture is best suited for attic interiors

The presence of sloping walls makes the room unusual and romantic, but with this decision you will have to take a more responsible approach to design development. You can make furniture for an inclined superstructure yourself or assemble a single complex from existing multi-level models, painting everything in one color.

Furniture that repeats the slope of the attic can be made independently

So, the main disadvantage of converting an attic into an attic is the need to invest, but it's worth it.

Building an attic will cost much less than creating an additional floor, regardless of what materials will be used to build the walls. Indeed, to create them, you will need the main material, insulation and decoration, while for the attic superstructure you only need roof insulation and a new truss system.

The superstructure is made in a symmetrical or asymmetrical shape. Internal walls are designed both inclined and vertical.

Having studied the schemes of single-level attics with different types of roofs, it is easier to make a choice when planning

Alteration of the attic into an attic does not require the dismantling of all existing structures. But you need to make sure that the ceiling is reliable: check its condition, reinforce it with wooden or metal beams, sheathe it with a new board. Then it will be able to withstand the weight of furniture and people.

For frequent climbing to the attic, you will need to make a comfortable staircase, provide for the installation of ventilation, natural and artificial lighting, and perform interior decoration - all this will create a cozy and comfortable room.

The sloping roof superstructure, decorated in light colors, visually enlarges the space, while splashes of color add brightness to the interior.

When building an attic floor, the following conditions must be met:

• rafters are made of glued timber with a thickness of at least 250 mm so that the required amount of insulation can be laid;
• foamed polystyrene is used for insulation due to its low weight and high thermal insulation characteristics;
• a gap is left between the thermal insulation and the roofing material to provide natural ventilation;
• a hydro- and sound-proof layer must be laid.

Alteration of the roof under the attic do it yourself

During the construction of a house, there is usually not enough money, so many refuse to build a second floor. Or another situation may arise when an old one-story house of a small area is purchased along with the site. In both cases, there is an affordable option for increasing the place to live - do-it-yourself restructuring of the attic space into an attic.

Create a project

Before starting work, you need to draw up a plan and develop a project with accurate drawings. The correct calculation will allow you to get a cozy, durable and reliable room. You can perform all the calculations yourself or entrust it to specialists.

You can draw a plan and develop a draft design yourself by studying various options on the Internet

Strengthening the walls and foundation may be necessary in the event of a complete replacement of the rafters. If the roof is partially redone, then reinforcement may be needed only for overlapping. You also need to immediately decide what types of windows will be used in the attic: the reinforcement in the truss system will depend on this.

The location of all windows in the attic roof must be thought out in advance and this data entered into the project plan

truss system

Rafters can be layered or hanging. The former rest on the inner walls of the house or additional supports, and the latter on the outer walls.

In the attic, layered and hanging rafters are used.

Hanging rafters are best suited for the attic.

An attic with hanging rafters looks prettier and wins in the size of the internal area

The attic usually occupies the entire space of the attic, and its walls are combined with the outer ones.

The best option for creating an attic is a layered truss system.

The rafter system consists of different load-bearing bars. To understand the structure of the entire structure and build it correctly, you need to understand the purpose and operation of its individual elements.

The image of the individual elements of the truss system helps to understand the structure of the entire structure

Refurbishment of the premises

With a sufficient height of the attic, the truss system does not need to be redone. It is enough to inspect the old rafters, identify possible flaws and eliminate them.

If the truss system is in good condition, you can proceed to the arrangement of the floor. Insulation is first laid between the lags, after which the surface is sheathed with ordinary boards or sheets of OSB, chipboard.

The floor in the attic is insulated and covered with boards

Before laying the insulation, all necessary communications are mounted between the rafters, places are cut in the roof for installing windows. carried out before warming.

All wires and pipes of communications must be placed in special corrugations

Care must be taken to create natural ventilation of the under-roof space through the vents so that moisture does not accumulate inside the room.

Roof insulation

It is necessary to insulate the roof correctly and efficiently - the microclimate under the roof will depend on this. Typically, mineral wool, polystyrene foam or sprayed polyurethane foam is used as insulation.

A thick layer of heat insulator is tightly laid and fixed between the rafters so that there are no gaps or gaps anywhere. On the upper part of the roof - between the roof and the insulation - waterproofing is mounted, then heat-insulating material is laid from the side of the room. Then from the inside the insulation is covered with a vapor barrier film.

For better ventilation, a small distance is left between the roofing material and the insulation: this is how air circulates through the holes in the cornice and ridge. If the roof is covered with corrugated sheets, then the thickness of the gap should be 25 mm, if with flat material, then it should be increased to 50 mm.

When creating attic thermal insulation, it is necessary to strictly observe the sequence of layers

When planning an ascent to the attic, you need to take care of the convenience and safety of movement. Therefore, the ladder is usually mounted inside the house. It is constructed from wood or metal: it can be either a screw or a marching structure.

The staircase to the attic can be of different types and designs, which allows it to fit into any interior.

An opening is cut in the ceiling of the first floor, which is reinforced along the perimeter with metal or wooden strapping.

The design of the stairs to the attic must be durable, reliable, safe and beautiful.

Interior decoration

For wall cladding, in most cases, gypsum boards are used, the seams between them are plastered. Wallpaper is glued on top or decorative plaster is applied. An alternative option is lining or natural wood.

If some rafters protrude through the walls into the attic, then they can be designed as decorative elements and even used as a horizontal bar for hanging a hammock, swing, chandelier and other fixtures.

The design of the visible parts of the rafters in the interior of the attic is an interesting and creative business.

It is not recommended to use heavy finishing materials in the attic, as they increase the load on the walls, ceiling and foundation of the building.

There are many options for interior decoration of the attic, but it is advisable to use only light materials.

To cover the floor, you can use a laminate or linoleum, and it is better to refuse tiles or porcelain stoneware.

Roof of the attic floor

The roof of a residential superstructure should consist of the following layers (in order - from the street to the interior):

Video: why and how to properly lay layers on the roof of the attic

Mansard roof calculations for a house

Determination of the total weight of the roof

To calculate the total weight of roofing materials, it is necessary to multiply the specific gravity of one square meter of coverage by the total area of ​​​​the attic roof. To get the weight of one square meter, you need to add up the specific gravity of all the materials that make up the roofing cake, and multiply it by the safety factor (1.1).

If the thickness of the lathing is 25 mm, then its specific gravity is 15 kg / m 2, a 10 cm thick insulation has a specific gravity of 10 kg / m 2, and ondulin roofing material has a weight of 3 kg / m 2. It turns out: (15 + 10 + 3) x1.1 \u003d 30.8 kg / m 2.

According to existing standards, the load on the ceiling in a residential building should not exceed 50 kg / m 2.

Roof area determination

To calculate the surface of a sloping roof, you need to break it into simple shapes (square, rectangle, trapezium, etc.) and determine their area, and then add everything up. To determine the surface of a gable roof, it is necessary to multiply the length by the width, multiply the resulting value by two.

Table: determination of the attic roof area

When calculating the angle of inclination, the climatic zone in which the house is located is taken into account, and that it is convenient to move in the attic in full growth

It is also necessary to calculate the slope of the roof. Usually the angle is 45–60 degrees, but when determining it, one must take into account the climatic zone in which the house is located, the type of attic construction, snow, wind loads, and the architectural design of the house.

The greater the angle of inclination of the roof, the less will be the load on the truss system, but the consumption of materials will increase.

Calculation of the truss system

When choosing a truss system, you can stop at the following options:

• hanging rafters;
• oblique type;
• skating run;
• combined design.

If the length of the roof is more than 4.5 m, then support runs and struts can be used for reinforcement. With a length of more than 7 meters, a ridge beam is installed.

For wooden rafters, a bar with a thickness of at least 70 mm is used. The step of their installation should be 50 cm.

On a large area, it is better to fix a metal truss system: due to the increase in the distance between the rafters, the absence of spacers and struts, the weight of such a structure will be less than that of a wooden one, and the strength will increase significantly.

If the attic area is large, then it is better to install metal rafters

Calculation of the required amount of materials

To carry out the calculation, you need to know the following parameters:

• width, thickness and pitch of the rafters;
• distance from the edge of the roof to the rafters;
• the size of the boards for the crate and the step between them;
• size, type of roofing material and overlap between its sheets;
• type of steam, hydro and thermal insulation material.

The roof is divided into simple shapes and the required amount of each of the materials is determined. For this, simple mathematical formulas are used.

The results obtained are converted into standard values: for wood - in cubic meters, for roofing materials, steam, hydro and thermal insulation - in square meters. And you can go to the store.

Common Mistakes

Most often, with self-calculation, errors are obtained during the determination of the required amount of insulation. If the climatic conditions are severe, then its volume will have to be increased, otherwise it will not be possible to create comfortable living conditions in the attic. The insulation is laid on the floor of the house, the walls of the gable and the slopes of the roof. But everywhere the thickness of the insulation can be different.

Video: calculation of a mansard roof with diagrams and loads

The attic floor allows you to get additional living space and gives the private house a modern attractive appearance. It is not difficult to create an attic with your own hands, you just need to draw up a project correctly, perform calculations and carry out high-quality installation of all materials. And the result will please the owners for a long time.

Not a single person can do without a house, and everyone wants to make their home as convenient and comfortable as possible.

At the same time, many people want to expand the living space of their home, but this can not always be done by building extensions.

If the land is small, then the best option is to make the second floor residential. The question arises, how to make an attic in an old house?

This article describes in detail all the processes of building an attic.

Before building an attic, it is important to decide what type of device it will have.

The attic is divided into the following types:

• single-level;
• two-level.

In addition, attic roofs are:

• 1 pitched;
• 2 pitched;
• broken lines;
• 4 pitched;
• hip;
• half-hip;
• with a balcony.

The simplest in the device are 1 pitched roofs, since they do not have a skate. At such a roof, the walls have different heights, due to which a bevel is formed, its angle should be in the range from 35 to 45 degrees. 1-pitched types are the cheapest.

2-pitch- This is the most popular option, it has many different types of performance.

With a small financial outlay, you can create the required area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. 2-pitched roofs can be symmetrical, when the ridge is located strictly in the middle of the building, or asymmetric, in which case the ridge is displaced from the center.

The gable attic has straight gables, the room is obtained in the form of a trapezoid. broken roofs also have two slopes, but their device is much more complicated.

What materials are used to complete the attic

To build any kind of attic, you will need the following building materials:

• wood bars, most often use a section of 50x80 millimeters, to create a truss structure;
• boards from which the crate will be made;
• wall panels or other material used for sheathing gables
• fasteners, such as: metal corners, self-tapping screws, nails, metal profiles;
• material for thermal insulation;
• vapor barrier;
• waterproofing;
• roofing material;
• internal finishing materials.

The type of materials depends on the preferences of the owner of the house, and the size of the attic room affects the number of building materials.

How to calculate whether an old house can withstand an attic

Before proceeding with the construction of a new attic structure, it is important to correctly calculate its mass, because not every old house can withstand the additional load.

• rafters;
• crate;
• Decoration Materials;
• insulation;
• roofing material.

Log and aerated concrete houses are able to withstand a maximum load of 600 kilograms per square meter, for a cinder block this figure is 1200 kg / m2, and for a solid brick 1800 kg / m2.

If, after performing the calculations, it was found that the building could not withstand the weight of the attic, it is necessary to either lighten it or strengthen the foundation.

What are the components of the price of an attic add-on to an old house

The first step is to make accurate measurements, after which the following is calculated:

• length and width of the truss system;
• attic height;
• skate length;
• section of rafters;
• the number of rafters;
• attic area;
• the total number of rows of crates, the number of boards required for it;
• the amount of roofing materials, such as waterproofing and vapor barrier;
• area of ​​roofing material;
• volume of insulation material;
• the number of square meters of gable lining material;
• the length of the boards that will be laid on the floor of the attic;
• window size.

This is a list of the basic materials that will be used for the build. Depending on the situation, other building materials may be required.

How to make an attic on an old house

Removing the roof is the first step. Before proceeding with the construction of the attic, the first step is to dismantle the old roof.

Some people think that you can do without this process, however, the removal of the old roof provides a double benefit:

• the attic room will be reliable, will not leak;
• save money on repairing an old roof.

Dismantling work begins with the removal of roofing material, such as slate, tiles or other coatings. Dismantling is important to carry out carefully, slowly.

You should not throw roofing material from a height, it is advisable to lower it carefully, because if there is no damage on it, then it will be used in the future when covering the attic.

When the roof is removed, they begin to remove the roofing material, if any, it is usually placed as a waterproofing. Then the crate is dismantled. If the planks are in good condition, then they are suitable for creating.

After the complete removal of the roofing materials, they begin to dismantle the old truss system if its height does not allow making an attic, or if the bars are unsuitable for further use.

It is necessary to dismantle heavy wooden beams with two or three people, it is difficult to cope with this work alone.

The beams and the truss system begin to be dismantled from the ridge.

Each attic has its own structural elements, however, in general, the attic room consists of the following elements:

• Mauerlat. These are wooden beams, they are laid along the perimeter of the walls, after which they are fixed to the walls with reliable fasteners. It is to the Mauerlat that the rafter system is fixed.
• Rafters are stiffeners, they are knocked down at a certain angle.
• The ridge run is the top of the rafters.
• The crate is made of wooden boards, insulating materials and roofing material are fixed to the crate.
• Diagonal ties are used to give the attic additional strength; these ties connect rafters, posts and beams.
• Supports installed inside the attic make the structure more stable, especially when the attic area is large. Internal supports are used as supports for rafters and ridge run.
• Insulating materials, including sound insulation, insulation, vapor and waterproofing.

Installation procedure

First of all, a Mauerlat is installed, these are wooden bars that are located horizontally, they are placed on top of the walls, rafters and other load-bearing elements are attached to them.

Mauerlat allows you to evenly distribute the load along the entire length of the walls.

To fix the Mauerlat, you will need the following tools, materials and fixtures:

• wood saw, hammer;
• drill;
• anchor;
• roulette, level.

For Mauerlat, wood bars are most often used, the dimensions of which are 150x100 millimeters.

A mauerlat is installed along the perimeter of the walls, these wooden bars are connected to the walls using mounting dowels.

After installing the Mauerlat, load-bearing beams are fixed to it. Then vertical racks are attached to them with screws or nails, the racks are connected to each other from above with bars. Rafters made from wooden bars are installed on these bars.

For rafters, bars are most often used, the dimensions of which are 50x180 millimeters. Their length depends on the slope of the bevel and the size of the house.

The rafters must be knocked down rigidly, they are the frame that carries almost the entire load of the attic. In order for all the rafters to turn out at the same angle, experts recommend first making a template that is applied to the knocked down bars.

It is desirable to make rafters at an angle of 45-60 degrees. If you reduce this angle, this will significantly reduce the living area of ​​​​the attic. And if you increase this angle more than 60 degrees, then the attic will become vulnerable to gusts of wind.

After preparing the frame, it is important to determine what material will be used as the crate. A vapor barrier, waterproofing material and roofing will be fixed to the crate.

If a soft roof is used, then OSB boards must be installed on the wooden frame.

And if the roofing is slate, corrugated board, tiles or some other material, wooden planks are used for the crate, their dimensions are 40x60 millimeters.

Let's watch a video on how to make an attic on an old house:

Waterproofing and insulation

Waterproofing material and thermal insulation are installed because the warm air rising from the attic room can cause serious damage to the ceiling and rafters, over time it will destroy the wood.

To avoid this, waterproofing is installed during the construction of the attic. Insulation keeps the heat in the room.

Waterproofing materials are made in the form of a film or roll material, they are mounted on a crate. Also, waterproofing can be rolled, coated, sprayed and liquid. The waterproofing material is the underlay for the roof.

As thermal insulation use:

• mineral wool;
• fiberglass;
• expanded polystyrene;
• extruded polystyrene boards;
• penoizol;
• bulk materials.

Most it is simple and easy to install, does not ignite, withstands temperatures up to 800 degrees, has good thermal insulation characteristics and is inexpensive.

Expanded polystyrene is used less often, because it cannot retain and pass moisture through itself, and in terms of thermal insulation characteristics it is no worse than mineral wool.

Loose insulation is great for a roof that has a lot of bumps where the wool and polystyrene can't fit snugly on all the curved surfaces.

Thermal insulation with penoizol is used when there is special equipment. Penoizol perfectly penetrates into any cracks and holes, because it has a semi-liquid consistency.

The heat-insulating material must necessarily fit snugly against the rafters, there should not be any cracks, voids and gaps.

For the heat-insulating layer, the crate should have a pitch of about 50 centimeters, thanks to which the insulation will be tightly fixed.

Roofing

Roofing materials are mounted on the crate.

Most often used as a roof:

• corrugated board,
• slate,
• ondulin,
• metal tile,
• galvanized metal, and others.

The crate is fixed in increments of 20-80 centimeters, depending on the angle of the roof. The smaller the angle of inclination, the less often the step of the crate will be. Roofing materials are mounted, starting from the bottom row.

This row is fixed slowly, very carefully, so that the bottom line is without protrusions, perfectly even. Roofing material must be installed with an overlap.

The roofing material is fixed with nails, self-tapping screws or screws, depending on the type of sheets. After installing the entire roof, a ridge is mounted on top of the rafters.

Interior decoration

All kinds of materials are used for interior decoration of the attic.

Used as a floor covering:

• linoleum;
• laminate;
• ceramic tiles;
• carpet;
• parquet;
• wooden boards;
• cement screed.

Before the installation of any material, preparatory work is carried out.

For walls and ceilings use:

• plywood;
• OSB boards;
• drywall;
• eurolining;
• slats;
• block house;
• Fiberboard or chipboard.

After installation of any of these materials, finishing is carried out.

It could be:

• putty;
• painting;
• wallpaper sticker;
• wood varnishing;
• textured finish.

Any kind of interior decoration is carried out strictly in accordance with technological requirements.

Let's watch another video about building an attic with your own hands:

Design features of the attic on supports

To distribute the load exerted on the rafters and beams, supports are used. They are installed either on the sides of the attic, or in the center of the room. Supports are made of metal or wood.

After installation, during the finishing, the support beams are usually decorated into columns.

Often, supports are used with a large length of rafters, when the attic has a large area. The supports take on a lot of rafters and roofing material, so that the attic can be made 10-15 meters wide or more.

So, you can make an attic on an old house with your own hands, using the tips from this article.

After that, a hydro-, vapor barrier, roofing material is installed and finishing is performed.