How to insulate the roof in a private house?

Since antiquity, two important aspects have always been valued in any building - the foundation and the roof. If the foundation is the basis of the durability and strength of the building, then a properly arranged roof is the key to dryness and heat in any private house. Serious requirements have always been imposed on the roofing, because constant contact with the aggressive environment required the use of high-quality and reliable building material, which is strong and also has good protection against ultraviolet rays and severe frost. In addition, today a lot of attention is paid to the question of how to insulate the roof, since it directly depends on the savings in energy costs for heating the house. A high-quality roof allows you to save heat in the house, as well as significantly save on heating your home.

So, first of all, you should know the basic structure of the roof, because without this you can not seriously approach the question of how to insulate the roof. Its construction in most cases consists of wooden rafters (with a thickness and width of approximately 5 and 15 cm, respectively), which are fixed in the lower part of the base on the transverse logs of the ceiling of the last floor, and fixed on top of each other, forming a triangle as a result. At the upper connection point of the rafters, there may be a supporting board that fastens such triangles together and gives the entire structure a stable and strong shape.

Wood is traditionally used as the base of the roof, because, firstly, it is lighter than other building materials, and secondly, it retains heat well, which is the most important aspect when creating reliable protection against any types of precipitation. Professional builders on how to insulate the roof, recommend using high-quality and reliable polystyrene foam boards, which are not afraid of moisture. The fact is that mineral wool has been considered a traditional inexpensive insulation for a long time, which has lightness and flexibility, due to which it is widely used. However, today there are new systems of high-quality insulation, which allow not only to effectively carry out all the necessary work, but also provide reliable waterproofing of your roof. In the matter of how to properly insulate the roof, today the leading role is played by polystyrene plates, which have a number of advantages over mineral wool.

Firstly, expanded polystyrene is not afraid of moisture, namely, it is waterproof, and even if water gets on it, it simply drains into the under-roof space, and after a few hours the stove will be completely dry.

Secondly, polystyrene foam boards have a solid structure, as a result of which there is no emission of harmful particles of fiberglass, of which ordinary mineral wool consists.

Thirdly, working with polystyrene foam is much more convenient, since it is easily cut with a knife, and installed in the inter-rafter space simply due to its tight fit to the bearing lags.

In the matter of how to insulate the roof, it is important to remember about vapor barrier, since when using soft fiberglass insulation, they must be reliably protected from the penetration of steam from the premises. The fact is that in the course of their life, people exhale moist air that rises. In the absence of a vapor barrier film, it penetrates the insulation, and due to cooling it turns into water droplets there. As a result of this, the heat loss of such a house increases several times. That is why from the premises, it is imperative to lay a high-quality vapor barrier film. In addition, under the direct roofing it is necessary to use a waterproofing material, which can additionally protect our insulation from accidental penetration of moisture into it. This is also quite an important point, in compliance with which your roof will not only be reliably insulated, but also protected from moisture.

Summarizing all of the above, it should be emphasized once again that in the matter of how to insulate the roof of a house, the whole process should be carefully observed when installing the roof. Only in this case you will be sure that the heat loss of your home will be minimal.


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