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» We build an attic on an old house with our own hands. How to build a mansard roof with your own hands and not make mistakes The second floor of the mansard type with your own hands

We build an attic on an old house with our own hands. How to build a mansard roof with your own hands and not make mistakes The second floor of the mansard type with your own hands

Nowadays, the desire to effectively use the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house is quite understandable, so many immediately plan to build an attic at the stage of designing a house, or convert the attic space in a certain way, as well as remove the roof, and attach the attic floor with their own hands to the old house.

In fact, the attic is an attic, the design of which is regulated by the norms of SNiP, which entails alterations not only of the roof, but also changes in the thermal and waterproofing of the upper extension.

In order for the attic to be reliable, warm with your own hands, not to harm the load-bearing walls and foundation of the house, and to serve for a long time, it is necessary to understand the specifics and knowledge of the design features of this type of superstructure. In the article we will talk about the main types of the attic floor, what materials can be used to make an extension, as well as about the specifics and nuances phased construction do-it-yourself attic

Do-it-yourself attic floor above the garage

The main types of attics

Do-it-yourself attic construction begins with the choice of the type of extension, the most suitable design for the main building, and the manufacture of the project. For the superstructure, single-pitched, gable and broken roofs are used: four-pitched, domed, etc. The appearance of the attic floor is determined by materials, design features buildings and the specifics that are assigned to the completion.

Depending on the particular main building, standard solutions are usually used in the construction of the attic.

1. Gable; 2. Broken gable; 3.Single-level; 4.Multilevel

  1. Single level with gable roof- This is an ordinary attic under a gable roof, converted and insulated into an attic. The design and construction of such a room is not difficult, but the main drawback is a small internal usable space with a low ceiling.
  2. Single-level under a broken gable roof has four pitched planes, which are located at different angles. The device of this type of attic floor is somewhat more expensive and more difficult to design, but the result is a large interior space.
  3. A single-level attic with the removal of consoles presents some difficulties in design and construction. But the spacious interior and the ability to install vertical windows compensate for the complexity of the construction. A feature of the construction of such an attic frame is the displacement and extension of the extension beyond the sides of the house, and the attic roof is identical in appearance to a shed roof.
  4. Multi-level completion with mixed roof support. it complex structure attic, which requires professional calculations and design not only of the room itself, but also stairs to the attic. As a rule, such attic floors, with multi-level rooms, are planned together with the construction of the main house, as a one-piece structure.

materials

The house is built on a foundation, which is specially designed for the weight of the structure. If the attic floor is planned initially, the load is calculated and laid down at the attic design stage, so the attic floor can be built from any materials: a monolithic attic made of concrete, brick, foam concrete, metal constructions, from galvanized logs. But if the superstructure attic floor carried out after the construction of the house, the weight of the superstructure must be calculated in accordance with the load on the foundation and load-bearing walls. Accordingly, in order for the superstructure not to damage the house, the material must be light, for example, wooden beam, frame-panel structures, in some cases the building is made of aerated concrete, which has good warmth and vapor barrier properties, and sip panels.

Attic device

Attic floor projects involve the use of walls various materials, but, in fact, the design of the attic is pitched roofs leaning on the walls. Certainly in different options attic floor extensions have their own characteristics, but in general they consist of the following elements:

  • Roof.
  • crate from wooden planks on which the roof and insulating materials are attached.
  • The ridge run is the top of the truss structure.
  • Rafters for the roof of the attic - stiffeners, layered or hanging. In the attic, layered rafters are usually made.
  • Mauerlat - beams that are laid around the perimeter external walls and are connected to the walls with special fasteners. Attached to the Mauerlat roof structure.
  • Diagonal ties (bevels) for the reliability and strength of the attic, with the help of which rafters, longitudinal beams and vertical racks are connected.
  • Internal supports give the attic stability, if the attic area is large, they support the ridge run and rafters.
  • An insulating layer consisting of waterproofing, insulation, sound and vapor barriers. Provides temperature regime and moisture exchange between the main walls and the roof.

The minimum distance from the floor to the highest point of the ceiling in accordance with SNiP should be 2.5 m. If the height is less, then the room is an attic.

We build an attic with our own hands, the main connecting nodes:
A - ridge knot. B - rafter + screed + rack. B - rafter + ceiling beam G - ceiling beam + rack + strut. D - stand + strut

Construction technology

Attic walls are maximally attracted to the walls of the main building, so it is extremely difficult to achieve comfortable heat transfer. It is very important to choose the right materials for insulation, make ventilation, the entire structure must be erected in accordance with the drawing and calculations, and wooden details treated with fire retardant.

Do-it-yourself attic installation, how to properly fix the knots

Rules for the construction of the attic floor

In order for the attic to serve with your own hands for many years, it is necessary to fulfill the conditions that are prescribed in the SNiP standards:

  • Rafters should be 250 mm or more, it is better to use glued beams. This thickness is due to the ability to lay insulation between the rafters with a thickness of at least 200 mm.
  • Heaters should not lose properties when high humidity, it is best to use expanded polystyrene, which has a small weight and a negligible heat transfer coefficient. Mineral wool absorbs moisture and breaks down.
  • Between the thermal insulation and the roof there must be full ventilation, with hoods and ventilators, so that the air circulates freely under the entire roof surface of the attic floor.
  • Inside, be sure to arrange a vapor barrier layer.
  • Fitted on the outside of the rafters waterproofing layer, it is recommended to lay an additional layer of sound insulation.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make an attic with your own hands

Do-it-yourself attic construction is fraught with some difficulties, since the superstructure elements are at an angle, the installation of broken slopes and skylights requires compliance with SNiP standards in terms of “Load and impact”.

When making a drawing of the installation floor, it is necessary to accurately calculate the loads, angles of inclination, the permissible weight of the structure, and, in accordance with preliminary calculations, select the appropriate type of attic and materials for construction.

Do-it-yourself attic construction begins with the installation of maurlin along the perimeter of the house, usually a bar with a section of 100 * 100 mm is used for this.

Next, we build a frame for the room. Racks can be from a bar with a cross section equal to the longitudinal beams, possibly from foam concrete or metal. We fix the vertical racks at the corners of the rack structure, and then install the beams between them, with a step of no more than 2 meters, equal to the location of the attic rafters. All parts are attached to metal corners, nail plates or self-tapping screws.

We build the frame of the internal attic space, instead of vertical wooden posts, there can be a wall of foam concrete blocks or a metal frame

On top of the rack we tighten with a jumper and fix the structure. With the help of a building cord, follow the geometry of the building.

We attach the lower rafters to the resulting frame. The bar is cut to effective length, a groove is made at the base for reliable attachment to the Mauerlat, the top of the beam is cut off according to the calculated angle of inclination. Installation of the lower rafters is carried out in place and securely fixed.

Do-it-yourself attic installation, photo of fixing the lower rafters of the room, instead of vertical wooden racks there can be a wall of foam concrete blocks or a metal frame

The next step is the installation of the upper rafters. The difficulty lies in maintaining the angle and centering of the structure as a whole.

Advice: So that the angle of attachment of the rafters does not go astray, first a template is made from two boards that exactly matches the connection of the rafters. The beams are cut to a template on the ground, and then installed on the frame.

Do-it-yourself frame attic, installation of the upper rafter structure

Attic device, construction of lathing for roofing material

The next step is to create an insulating layer. It is recommended to use non-toxic and non-combustible materials, this is especially true if a nursery or bedroom is located on the attic floor. From the inside roof frame we lay the vapor barrier, fasten it with brackets. Then a layer of insulation is mounted, it is important that it fits snugly against the rafters, without gaps. On the thermal insulation layer we mount the crate with a step of 500 mm, which will fix the insulation.

We build an attic with our own hands, installation of roofing material

We lay a waterproofing layer on the crate, which will protect the wooden elements from moisture. The roof is laid on waterproofing.

Do-it-yourself attic construction, video materials clearly demonstrate how to properly install rafters in practice.

This video shows typical mistakes made during the installation of the attic floor.

Features of an attic extension with your own hands to an old house

If you plan to complete the attic in an old private house or in the country, to equip additional living space, then in this case the question of dismantling the roof is relevant. Dismantling can be done with your own hands, be sure to follow the safety precautions so that the beams do not fall on your head.

The construction of the attic provides for certain loads on the foundation and walls of the building. It is especially important to correctly distribute the loads on the walls, therefore, before building an attic, the load-bearing wall structures are carefully strengthened.

Important: When designing, the strength of the walls should be taken into account, taking into account the wear and dilapidation of the structure.

The overlap of the old house is both the ceiling of the adjacent floor and the floor of the attic, therefore, it is necessary to take into account the movement of warm and wet streams so that condensation does not form in the ceiling, and as a result, rotting and fungi. To avoid problems, you need high-quality insulation and waterproofing of the floor.

After completing the preparatory procedures, you can begin to join and build the attic floor. During completion, it is important to strictly adhere to the design scheme for erecting walls and attic roofing. Violation of the project entails not only deviations from the design of the attic floor, but also improper distribution of the load on the supporting structures can lead to the destruction of the walls and foundation of the house.

The simplest and reliable way to increase the usable living space in an old house - this is a do-it-yourself attic. A video on how to build an attic floor in a frame house will help to avoid global mistakes, and will tell you the nuances of how best to make an attic with your own hands. Works performed in accordance with the construction technology of the attic floor guarantee reliability and safe operation extensions.

This is the most popular type of premises, since most structures are designed in this way - the attic requires much less funds for the construction, it is being built very quickly. The rafter leg should be made of timber 150x50 mm, this is the calculation for an ordinary house 7x10 meters. With such dimensions, you don’t have to invent anything extra - the usual truss system of the structure will do. The angle of inclination of the leg will be from 45 to 60 degrees, it is desirable to make the angle smaller so that the parameters of the room are suitable not only for life, but also for normal rest.

The leg length of the rafter will be about 640 centimeters, while the width of the living space will be 450 centimeters and the height will be 230-250. Such parameters will satisfy the requirements of most builders, but if more space is required, then broken roofs should be preferred, but they will cost much more. Consider the simplest and efficient drawing attic under the usual gable roof.

The extension board can be exactly the same size as the leg to make it easier to build, but the vertical supports can be reduced so as not to overpay. A beam of 80x80 centimeters will be quite enough, given that the crossbar is laid 120x80. It is better not to save on the crossbar, since it serves as a supporting element, it will hold suspended ceiling, chandeliers and other decorations. It is advisable to install racks more often, since this will greatly facilitate the finishing work later. Building an attic under a gable roof is simple, inexpensive, and practical.

How to make an attic with your own hands under a sloping roof

Despite the fact that the roof itself is quite expensive to manufacture, it requires a little more labor for its installation, building an attic with your own hands will take much less time here. You get a ready-made box for its construction, you just need to sheathe all the finishing materials, insulate and an excellent, spacious room is already ready. Required condition for construction - the width of the house should be from 5 meters. Since for a comfortable stay in the attic you will need a height of 220 or more centimeters, and a width of at least 3 meters, preferably even more.

The upper harness is made of timber 80x80, ridge rafters 60x60 millimeters. Such small bars are the result of their a large number of and they are installed every 70 centimeters ( see drawing). Side rafters are fastened with brackets, beams attic floor should be at least 50x50 centimeters, a little more is better so that there is a margin of safety. The calculation is made for a house of 6x6 meters, with an increase in the width of the building, the strength of the materials will increase proportionally, since the load on the load-bearing elements will be much greater.

Sheathing is made from lining boards, plywood, fiberboard or OSB boards. These are the cheapest materials, which, with proper insulation, will not be inferior to European building materials. You can install them on profiles, in the same way as when creating frame structures. There is no need to install heavy load-bearing structures - the pressure will be minimal on the walls. If it is necessary to make heavy knots (for attaching a plasma panel, under an aquarium, etc.), it will be possible to install reinforcements exactly in the places where the object is attached, thus saving a lot of money on arranging the room.

Room insulation

If you initially want to make a house with good thermal insulation, so that a 400 W heater is enough to heat the attic, then you need to give preference to roofs with a solid crate. Let's take a closer look at how to make a really "profitable" roof that will save you money for all subsequent years.

  1. We make the top of the attic. There must be a vapor barrier, since the temperature in the room and in the air chamber above the ceiling will differ by 15-20 degrees in winter, the heat will “run away” from the room. From the bottom, you fill the puff with drywall, on which you can then apply finishing materials (plaster, stretch the film, etc.), place the foil on top of the puff to isolate the steam, insulate it with any roll insulation which you will like. Such a system will exclude condensate, increase thermal efficiency by 35%.
  2. Before you make an attic, you need to decide what you will cover the roof with. Perfect option- slate, roofing material, OSB sheet and crate. Such a system will significantly save the cost of heating the house, although the installation of building materials itself is expensive. It is better to make the crate thick so that the OSB plate does not “play” on it, it is perfectly even. Next, we cover it with resin, lay a thick roofing material, it is advisable to choose the most flexible one. It will already be possible to simply nail slate on it. Some builders also use a 0.5 cm insulation pad so that the slate fits snugly against a solid surface and does not loosen over time. Thermal efficiency, of course, also increases significantly.
  3. We warm from the inside. One of the most important aspects of home insulation is the installation of fiberboard and insulation boards. Between the rafters, the entire place (without “windows”) should be occupied by a heater, the joints of which should be glued or tightly knocked down (depending on the type of material). If funds allow, liquid polyurethane foam can be applied directly to the crate and the inside of the OSB. The cost of one square meter it will be about 200 rubles, but it's worth it - you will eliminate possible condensate and insulate all roof slopes without seams.

When insulating, you can use ordinary foam - its effectiveness is small, but with a solid thickness of the material (up to 8-10 centimeters) it will be no worse than alternative building mixtures. The only big minus is that it is not suitable for dense insulation everywhere, it also takes up a lot of space.

Floor insulation - very important point, since a lot of heat escapes through it, especially in brick houses, where the role of the overlap is played by concrete slab. But even wooden frame must be insulated between floors. To do this, it is enough just to put the roofing material in two layers, and fix the fiberboard slab on it, mainly PT-100 or M-20. Then you can already lay the usual floor, for example, warm linoleum. With minimal heating of the room, it will be very warm to walk on it, it heats up even when the first floor is heated.

How to build an attic the first time or the main mistakes of beginners

When we build an attic with our own hands, the main task is strength and few people pay attention to thermal efficiency, durability, and practicality. But after a few years, or even months, these "jambs" will be gradually shown, and their elimination will be very expensive. Consider typical mistakes newcomers.

  1. No anti-corrosion treatment. All materials, especially natural wood, must be treated with impregnations, by special means from insects and moisture-repellent suspensions. If this is not done, the life of the wood will decrease many times over.
  2. Fastening different boards one rafter leg "by eye", without level, without taking into account the natural load on the roof in snowy winter. As a result, the deflection of the rafters is 15-20% ensured, therefore, the entire roof will “walk with hodor”.
  3. The insulation is laid with gaps, there is no mandatory bandaging of the layers. Some craftsmen initially lay a layer of insulation that is not at all suitable for our climate zone, so the heat efficiency of the room immediately decreases significantly.
  4. No air cushion between top layer insulation and roof. Thus, fungi can form, as well as condensation, which will not lead to anything good.
  5. The use of too "light" materials. The strength characteristics of the walls are not the primary goal, but they should not be put aside. Better install OSB plate 15 mm thick or more - it is not much more expensive, but the strength qualities will be several times higher than the material with a thickness of 0.5 mm.

Pay attention to the environmental safety of materials, purchase wood, insulation materials only from well-known suppliers, as low-quality goods can do a lot of harm to your health. Also, you can not use anti-corrosion agents for outdoor work, which have a lot of dangerous chemistry in their composition. It is necessary to use suspensions intended for interior decoration having hazard class 3 (non-hazardous to humans). Preference should be given to well-established manufacturing companies.

Its arrangement is the easiest and fast way increase the usable area. Rooms in the attic acquire a certain romantic areola and become a favorite pastime of the household. The main advantage of these premises is the large number of fresh air and light. But you need to approach it with all responsibility, otherwise you risk becoming a hostage to weather conditions.

The shape of the mansard roof can be any, but most often it is gable. And if it is also broken, then with its help the space is used most rationally. A huge plus of the attic floor is that its construction is much more economical than the construction of a full-fledged floor with main walls.

The power structure of the roof, where there will be an attic or one under which there will be no living quarters, does not differ. The strength and stability of the roof depends entirely on its truss system.

rafters- This is the main load-bearing structure of the roof. They must withstand both the weight of the roof and the load in the form of rain and wind. The truss system is calculated based on the selected roofing material, as well as depending on the climatic conditions of the area.

For the construction of a power truss system, ferrous metal is used according to GOST, galvanized thin-walled cold-formed profile or wood, as well as combinations of ferrous metal and galvanized profile, metal and wood. In hard-to-reach places for installation, it is better to use a thin-walled profile.

The choice of material directly depends on the length of the spans to be covered. For long distances ferrous metal or trusses are suitable.

It is very important to use only lightweight materials and structures for the construction of an additional floor. The advantages of a thin-walled profile are that it does not require welding and can be assembled on site. bolted connections or rivets.

Wood, as a material, is also well suited, but requires additional treatment with an antiseptic.

Rafters, frames or trusses are erected from load-bearing structures. They are mounted on the Mauerlat, and then runs are made on them. If the step is large, this also becomes part of the power structures.

Mauerlat- this is part of the roofing system in the form of a bar laid on the perimeter of the wall and accounts for the lower rafter support.

An important task is how to make the attic warm, that is, to organize a warming cake. The difference between a dwelling and just a roof is the need for its thermal insulation. As an additional load, all insulation is not significant and does not affect the load-bearing structure of the roof.

The main principle in design is that the load-bearing structure must be placed either in warm contour, or in the cold, but not be in the middle. Preferably a warm placement, then the whole insulation pie comes out.

The most common mistakes:

  • lumber is not treated with antiseptic and fireproof impregnations and this shortens the life of your roof
  • rafter legs are fused with cuts without the use of heat-insulating gaskets, which leads to freezing and cold bridges
  • sections of rafters and their installation takes place “by eye” without taking into account loads
  • rafter legs are not attached to the Mauerlat or are attached with nails, which is the same thing with a strong gust of wind
  • the waterproofing film is laid face down inside the room, and not outside, as it should be
  • insufficiently reliable fastening of the joints of the rafters with girders, sometimes it's just a couple of nails.

As a result of non-compliance construction technologies, many get a disastrous result, even if not immediately. To avoid this, consider in detail how to do it.

An example of how to calculate the attic

Before starting the construction of the attic with your own hands, you will need to make a drawing. If you do not own, for example, the AutoCad program, you can do it by hand. It is important that you clearly see the projection of your attic from the front, side and top view.

To begin, mark the load-bearing walls of your house in the front view (looking at the gable of the building).

So, let's say there is a house with the following initial parameters:

  • Three load-bearing walls from aerated concrete 300 mm thick.
  • The distance between the walls is 4m.
  • The floor beams of the first floor are laid with the release of a cornice of 50 cm.
  • Because the maximum length wooden beam - 6m, then this value is taken as the basis for the width of the attic ceiling. Based on this, we get a drawing of a gable sloping roof.
  • Height from ceiling to beam - 2660mm.
  • The length of the side and top rafters (roof breaks) is 3300mm each. When these values ​​​​are the same, then, in addition to the fact that it looks harmonious, it will be easier to calculate the area roofing.
  • The angle of inclination of the side rafter is 60°, the top rafter is 25°.
  • The thickness of the floor beam is 250mm, the rafter beams are 200mm.
  • Vertical racks of 150 mm were installed, on which a strapping beam was laid, and an attic floor beam, side and upper rafters were attached to it.
  • The total height of the roof is 4260mm, and the height of the living space is 2250mm. According to the norms, this is the permissible ceiling height for rooms for temporary stay, that is, bedrooms, children's rooms.

In fact, the attic is a frame consisting of several racks, beams and rafters.

If the length of the transverse ceiling exceeds 6 m, and, accordingly, one beam is not enough, then the upper part of the attic can be made in the form of a truss with a rack, truss and an additional rack. Sprengels can also be installed in the side part, which burst the rafters. In this case, these details are not necessary.

When calculating, you must have at hand a set of rules and tables on the technical standards of construction, which is called "Loads and Impacts". It contains not only general provisions, but also formulas with coefficients, for example, of melting, snow drift and uneven distribution of snow over the roof area.

When calculating how to build an attic, it must be remembered that 4 types of loads act on it at once:

  • own weight (it is relatively easy to calculate, knowing what kind of insulation cake will be in the ceiling and rafters)
  • pressure on ceilings of people inside, furniture, etc.
  • snow load on a slope less than 30 ° is 1.52 kPa; if the slope is steeper than 60 °, then such a load does not fall on it
  • wind, which acts evenly on all rafters from the windy side, and suction occurs on the leeward side at this time, “tearing off” both the upper and side rafters.

Also, the tearing force of the rafters is especially effective when the wind blows into the pediment of the building. These loads are calculated by formulas using the appropriate aerodynamic coefficient.

We build an attic with our own hands

Installation sequence:

  • First of all, floor beams with a section of 70 (50) x 250 mm are laid in increments of 1 m (this is calculated individually for each wall length, the main thing is that the pitch is the same). In this case, this is also explained by the fact that a ladder will go out into one of the gaps, and it should not be already 90 cm. If you take a step smaller, the floor beam would have to be cut and strengthened, and these are additional worries.
  • On the sides to the beams, bars are stuffed, on which it is laid sheet material or boards.
  • After mounting the beams, racks are attached to them in 2 rows, which are leveled using a level with a plumb line, and then temporary jibs are made to them, perpendicular to each other and nailed, along and across from the roof axis. This additionally secures the beams and prevents them from deviating to the side. For the jib, you can use any board.
  • A rope is stretched between the two extreme racks and the rest of the racks are leveled along it. Their step is always equal to the step of the floor beams. All racks are fixed similarly to the extreme ones. The result should be two parallel rows of racks, on which the strapping bars are then placed.
  • Runs are laid and fixed on racks with 150 mm nails and corners on self-tapping screws.
  • Crossbars from a bar 50 x 200mm are placed on top of the edge, which increases their rigidity. Since subsequently they are not subjected to a significant load, this section, as a rule, is sufficient. But in order to insure them at the time of installation, supports from a bar no thinner than 25mm are placed under them. At this stage, the rigidity of the attic is provided only in the transverse direction; longitudinally the structure is unstable. From above, until the rafters are installed, one or two boards can also be temporarily strengthened on the crossbar.
  • The lower rafters are installed with a section of 50 x 150mm. First, a template is made from a 25 x 150mm board (it is easier to process). The length is measured, applied to the upper beam and the shape of the joint is drawn directly on the board, which is then sawn out. Next, the template is tried on at all other places for mounting the rafters, and if it matches them, all legs are cut out according to the template. However, the lower part, which rests on the Mauerlat, is cut out in place. The rafters are fastened with corners with self-tapping screws and nails. You can mount beams with rafters in parallel, that is, when all elements are attached at once in one span, or you can sequentially, when all floor beams are installed first, and then all side rafters.
  • The so-called wind connections are being established. These are wooden braces that burst the top point at the level where the attic beams are installed.
  • Upper rafter line. At the level of the ridge, for convenience, sometimes an overlay is made and a tightening in the middle in order to put together the rafters on the ground, and then raise and unfasten them in place. The center of the roof is marked with a temporary stand, which is nailed to the Mauerlat and extremely tightened from the end so that this board goes up the center of the roof. This will be the guideline for the rafters. Further, as in the case of the lower ones, a template is made, applying it with one end to the edge of the installed board, and with the other end to the run on which the upper rafters will rest. They cut it out, try it on to all points on both sides of the roof. If the posts were fixed in parallel, there should be no problems with the upper rafters.
  • According to the template, the required number of rafter legs is made. They are placed on the longitudinal beams on the cuts, fastened with the help of corners and connected in the upper part with scraps of boards on self-tapping screws or metal plates. Often they are strengthened on cuts to the transverse beams: hanging racks 25 x 150mm is fixed between the junction of two rafters and the attic puff.
  • Next, the attic ceiling is installed in the same way as the floor, when boards are laid on the sides on the nailed bars.
  • Installation of a frame for sewing up a pediment, it is called half-timbered. Here it is marked window hole. A board 50 x 150 mm in increments of about 600-700 mm can act as its racks. Important: the edge of the rack should go across the gable, creating additional rigidity.
  • Now you can start sewing the gable with boards. It is worth doing this before laying the sheathing, so that later, if some boards go beyond the rafters, it would be easier to cut them down. If you do the opposite, you will have to adjust the corner of each board to fit the existing crate. Up to the attic floor beam, the pediment is sewn up with boards horizontally. The remaining piece of the pediment is sewn up vertically.
  • Upper connections are made. Since the gable frame beams were attached to a fairly flexible floor beam, it is necessary to make a kind of stiffening truss by using the next floor beam.
  • A brace is installed that bursts upper part rafters. With its base it is attached to the third floor beam from the edge, and with its end rests against the extreme point of the ridge. This element is used more often with soft roofing, when the rigidity of the ridge is not enough.

If the house is completely framed, then it is necessary to establish such connections in the floor of the first floor. If the house is reinforced concrete, then a stiffening belt already passes in the upper part of the ceiling and does not need connections.
In some cases, it is also necessary to provide for stiffness ties in the rafters. If corrugated board or metal tiles are used as roofing, then the rafters do not have to be strengthened: the sheet material will serve as a stiffness diaphragm if it is properly installed.

The fastening of elements to each other can be very diverse, for example, staples with nails, wooden or metal linings, MZP (metal gear plates, whose teeth are driven in with a sledgehammer). It is important to remember that the length of the nails should be at least twice the thickness of the board you are nailing.

Lathing fastening

Depending on the chosen roofing, at the final stage of the construction of the attic, a crate is laid.

A crate is a structure made of beams that are laid perpendicular to rafter legs, sticking to them. The function of the batten is to bear the weight of the roofing, holding it securely in place.

Sheathing for sheeting is a continuous crate and is made of edged boards by 25mm. The width should be no more than 140mm, as wide boards tend to deform. If there is more than 1 m between the rafters, then it may be necessary to speed up the course of the rafters with special bars, and then lay out the boards. Next, roofing material or glassine is placed, and roofing material is spread on top. It should be noted that such a crate makes the roof extremely reliable and is suitable for absolutely all types of coatings, while reducing rain noise.

Sheathing for metal roofing make it rarefied and, if possible, adjust the tiles to the course of the wave. Mounted from edged boards 25(30) x 100mm in increments of 80-100cm. The peculiarity lies in the fact that before installation on the rafters, a hydro-windproof membrane is strengthened. The first board from the eaves should be installed higher than the others by the height of the wave of the tiles. If short boards are used, their joints are best staggered.

Sheathing for ceramic tiles and other piece elements is considered the most difficult. Work also begins with the installation of a hydro-barrier, and then a sparse crate is made of 50 x 50 mm bars. The difficulty is to maintain the exact rhythm between the elements, since one step is equal to the covering surface of one tile.

There are always several approaches to the process of any construction. Here we have described how to make an attic with our own hands on an already erected house, however, there are cases when the attic is assembled in position on the ground and put in place with a crane, and then strengthened in the right places.

The fact that the attic is, in principle, a converted attic, is understood by absolutely everyone. But this conversion has its own nuances, Constructive decisions as well as work with thermal insulation and roofing. In fact, building an attic with your own hands in a country house is almost no different from building any other roof. In any case, let's take a closer look at this process.

So, to build an attic, you need to purchase:

  • wooden beams, the section of which is 50x180 centimeters for the rafters (as for the length, everything will depend on what size the building is planned and what the slope of the slope will be);
  • wooden boards for crates;
  • material to carry out the sheathing of the end walls, for example, wall panels;
  • fasteners for roofing: nails, self-tapping screws, metal corners, metal profiles to further strengthen individual structural elements;
  • thermal insulation material;
  • vapor barrier material;
  • waterproofing material;
  • roofing material;
  • material for interior decoration of the attic.

So, the first step will be the task of strengthening the floors between the attic and the first floor. it compulsory work, since the load that will be carried out on the floor will increase significantly.

As soon as the ceiling is strengthened, you need to deal with the truss system. Do not forget that constant quality control of the connection is necessary individual elements.

In the event that you use a sloping roof, first of all, you will need to install the support beams and end walls, only after this is done, you can start assembling the frame of the truss system. The fastening of individual frame elements is carried out using a groove-protrusion connection; metal plates are used to increase strength.

Don't forget that everyone wooden element pre-treatment is needed with a special composition that will protect the tree from insects and moisture. You will also need treatment with fire retardants, which slow down the process of burning wood.

When the truss structure is installed, it is necessary to nail the crate. To do this, you can use both ordinary boards and sheets of plywood or chipboard. It all depends on what kind of roofing materials. Also further it is necessary to deal with the bevels of the walls and internal partitions in the attic.

Making an Insulation Pie

Another work that should not be forgotten is the creation of a layer of insulation. First of all, for this you need to lay a vapor barrier along inside rafters and fix it with brackets.

This is followed by installation thermal insulation material, which must be laid close to the rafters, leaving no gaps. On top of the thermal insulation, a step of 50 cm, a crate is stuffed - it is she who holds all the thermal insulation on herself.

The waterproofing layer is laid with outside rafters, creating protection against accidental penetration of moisture. The final stage is the laying of the roof on the waterproofing layer.


Modern design of a cottage or house is difficult to imagine without the presence of an attic floor. It is also built everywhere in old houses on the site where the dilapidated attic is located, thereby increasing the total living area. Do-it-yourself attic is a complex project, but doable.

Building an attic with your own hands - the first steps

In fact, this is not the case - most specialists in the field attic construction unanimously affirm that from the angle of inclination and other changes in the design of the rafters, the walls experience an enormous load and undergo significant deformation. Therefore, before you make the attic on your own, we highly recommend contacting a specialist so that he can carry out preliminary calculations and, based on them, draw a draft of the truss system that is suitable in your case.

Construction of houses with an attic - choose the right technology

Today, there are quite a lot of buildings on which there is a clearly defined attic. This or completely new house, where an attic was designed in advance, or it was attached to an old building, which was originally thick-walled and solid. The easiest way to recognize the attic is by a gable broken roof - this is the most suitable design for building an attic floor.

Using a gable broken roof on the walls of the house compared to pitched roof exerts a huge burden. However, for an attic room, it is an order of magnitude more convenient, since it forms a lot of space inside.

At the gable broken structure there is a drawback - in the absence of a sufficient number of bearing supports, the roof is less durable compared to a shed roofing system, and additional load-bearing supports put additional pressure on the walls. The construction of a gable sloping roof, as a rule, requires the use of layered rafters, requiring massive building walls that can withstand vertical and horizontal loads.

How to build a house with an attic - roofing system

The convenience of the attic room determines the ability to move to full height under the rafter system. Please note that for insulation you will need to allocate from 10 to 15 cm from each surface, including the ceiling. So the first impression about the height of the attic may be wrong. However, the safety of the entire structure should be put in the first position. For the installation of reinforcing additional beams, it will be correct to cut off some part of the attic, rather than risk destroying the entire roof frame.

Before you build a house with an attic, prepare the right tools and materials. With tools, everything is simple: a hammer, a hacksaw or a jigsaw, all kinds of measuring tools. Materials - nails or screws of various lengths, an antifungal agent, a 40 * 150 mm board for the crate in a run-up, for creating a continuous crate - OSB sheets.

The type of roofing determines the design of the crate. If you are planning to use soft material for the roof, then the best option would be a solid crate, and if hard - by forces own hands the crate is installed in a run. In the process of installing a wooden frame (rafters and battens), you should immediately make places for the location of skylights. It is also necessary to think in advance about the reliable fastening of window frames.

Attic in a private house - auxiliary elements

There are main and secondary elements of the attic. The first includes insulation, rafters and load-bearing structures, and the second includes windows, doors and drainage systems. Both of them play an important role. The most difficult thing is to decide exactly with the windows. Before you start choosing windows for the attic, you need to clearly understand their purpose in terms of functionality. Today, the building materials market offers the buyer two types of windows - inclined and vertical.

It is known that the former are attached directly to the plane of the roof and transmit natural (sun) light by 40–45% more than vertical ones. But in winter, the sloped windows are covered with snow, which negatively affects both the general illumination of the room and their technical condition. Doors to the attic act as a kind of link between this room and the main building. They should be selected according to two main criteria: the first is strength, the second is good thermal insulation properties.

In addition, the doors should not stand out from general interior and through them there should be a free entrance to the attic. Creating an attic with your own hands is impossible without a drainage system. In this regard, with vertical windows much easier, since they come with ebbs, but when installing inclined windows, it is necessary to carefully consider the system of gutters in advance, otherwise the room under the attic will constantly experience negative impact excess water and moisture.