The attic occupies a special place in modern architectural structures. It can be found in the layout of country cottages, cottages, high-rise apartments. To give this room a fashionable look, they use various types of interior decoration, choose a design with unusual shapes and lines. The design of the attic floor depends on the building design and structural features.
With the help of a variety of building materials, you can even make a small room under the roof colorful, equip it as a cozy bedroom, nursery or study.
Features of the room
An attic is a room that occupies the top floor of a building or part of an attic space. Due to the huge choice of design solutions, the room can have an original configuration. The attic looks especially beautiful in the layouts of a wooden house with a sloping roof. The main feature of the attic is the windows: they are small in size, but they fill the space well with light.
In addition, the attic extension has many advantages:
- Increase in living space. As a result of the competent organization of the space on the second floor, you can get a full-fledged room without spending money that may be needed for new construction and expansion of housing.
- Good thermal insulation at home. The insulated walls and ceiling of the structure do not let cold air flows into the rest of the living quarters.
- Aesthetic look. The attic floor gives the building a beautiful finished look.
The main disadvantage of this structure is the small height of the room. Glazing of a gable roof is expensive, since a special type of glass is used for installation. Also, for arranging the attic, the installation of high-quality hydro and thermal insulation is required. When drawing up a project for an attic space, you need to take into account the feature that most of the structure will be in contact with the street. Therefore, the second floor can overcool in winter and overheat in summer.
To avoid this, it is necessary to use SIP panels and special insulation in the decoration of walls and ceilings. In addition, the attic is exposed to external and internal temperature effects. Warm and humid air rises from the living rooms of the house and settles on the interior surfaces of the room.
When designing a room under a roof, several features should be taken into account:
- Correct placement of communication systems. Their layout and installation locations must be foreseen even at the first stage of building construction.
- Room shape. The dimensions and geometry of the space directly depend on the features of the roof structure.
- The interaction of all engineering systems in the house and attic.
If this room is to be used as a living room, electricity, water and heat supply must fully function in it.
The choice of finishing material
The attic is usually built from simple structures. Therefore, its interior decoration requires a special approach and high-quality building material. As a rule, there is a lot of wood trim inside the attic floor. Therefore, when carrying out repair work, it is not recommended to use wet processing and give preference to surface finishing with dry material.
It is important that the material has several key characteristics:
- Protection of surfaces from high humidity. To do this, from the inside, the room is sheathed with a block of house or siding, the floor is laid with laminate. These building materials are in the form of panels and sheets, they are resistant to moisture, do not need additional drying during installation.
- Thermal insulation. Interior decoration involves the use of insulating materials that have a multi-layer structure and significantly increase sound and heat insulation.
- Resistant to fire. For dry finishing, raw materials with increased fire resistance are chosen.
- Low weight. The structures made of hollow partitions are lightweight, which reduces the stress on the walls.
For the interior decoration of the attic, natural sheet materials in the form of lining, drywall and fiberboard are often chosen. In addition, today polymer panels are also on sale, which in quality and appearance do not differ in any way from natural wood. To simplify installation, they are equipped with special fasteners. The choice of decorative elements depends on the functional purpose of the room. For the attic, it is recommended to install plasterboard plates, after which they can be pasted over with wallpaper or painted. A good option for the attic floor would be plywood or wood paneling.
Lining
The most economical and simple type of attic decoration is considered to be clapboarding of its walls and ceiling. This material is presented in a variety of colors and allows you to create any style in the room. It will not be difficult to sheathe the surface with clapboard: even a novice master can handle this. The disadvantages of the finishing material are its instability to temperature changes and fragility.
But it is absolutely harmless to human health and fits in the original interior of the room, creating an unusual atmosphere of comfort and home warmth.
Plywood
If the repair of the attic needs to be made inexpensive, the right solution would be its internal sheathing with plywood. Usually this material is used to level surfaces, but it can also be used as an independent finish. Plywood is durable, lightweight and easy to install. However, it is recommended to install it in rooms with normal temperature and humidity levels. Therefore, before starting finishing work, you should worry about good thermal insulation of the walls and ceiling. Plywood ceilings or walls can be decorated with textiles or wallpaper. Material coated with paint and varnish looks beautiful.
OSB, MDF, chipboard
Sometimes the layout of the attic floor may provide for the organization of a study or home gym in the project. In this case, MDF panels are suitable for finishing the attic. If the room serves as a place for a nursery or a bedroom, it is recommended to sheathe it with OSB plates, which are originally combined with decorative plaster, wallpaper and painting. So the interior will turn out to be boring and comfortable. Particleboard will be a good option for decorating the attic. This material is characterized by excellent heat and sound insulation, its installation does not require preliminary leveling of surfaces. It is inexpensive, capable of imitating the texture of natural stone, brick or wood.
Drywall
Plasterboard cladding is very popular with craftsmen. This material has high performance properties, which opens up huge opportunities for design creativity. In addition, it is convenient to hide communication systems under drywall structures that can spoil the look of the interior. However, this building material is quickly absorbed by moisture, so it must be treated with a special compound.
The main advantages of drywall include:
- environmental friendliness;
- good noise and heat insulation;
- ease of installation.
When working with this material, you need to adhere to special technologies, since the sheets can be deformed.
PVC panels
The decoration of the attic should be carried out not only with beautiful, but also with durable material. Therefore, PVC panels will be a good choice for decoration. They attach quickly, withstand various mechanical loads, and create a smooth, even surface. The material is produced in standard white colors and original color shades. PVC panels can be used for wall and ceiling decoration.
They are easy to care for, but are unstable to UV rays.
Timber imitation
An unusual decorative material is false beam. It is a thin board. In terms of its quality indicators, the product is in no way inferior to the lining. To finish the attic with an imitation of a bar, no preliminary preparation of the base is needed: the material will level the surface on its own and eliminate its defects. Artificial timber looks great in the interior of large and small rooms; for the design of the room, you can choose the appropriate texture and color of the material.
Training
Interior decoration of the attic requires proper organization and preparatory work. If the decoration is done by hand, it is necessary to insulate the walls, floor and ceiling, check the chimney pipes and the design of the window slopes. Since the attic is a spacious space with an irregularly shaped roof, when installing double-glazed windows, you need to use special models that harmoniously fit into the design of the room and allow you to ventilate the room. This is important to maintain constant moisture and temperature inside the building.
Usually, the attic space is equipped in houses with a sloping roof , where one slope is made gentle and the other steep. Before finishing it will have to give the attic a more functional look, raise its height along the entire perimeter of the building. At the stage of preparation, it is important to treat all surfaces of the room with waterproofing solutions and ensure complete sealing of the joints. The base under the floor must be flat, it is initially leveled, sound and heat insulation is laid, after which decorative finishing is started. In the event that a bathroom or kitchen is placed under the roof, you will have to apply a primer to the surface.
Roof readiness check
An important point in the arrangement of the attic is considered to check the attic structure and the condition of the roof, which is often exposed to atmospheric influences, and over time may lose its strength. First, the degree of wear of the roof and possible options for its repair are determined. To do this, visually inspect all the details of the structure, their attachment points and sections. During operation, individual elements of the roof may deform and bend, if such defects are present, they must be eliminated. It is worth paying attention to the reinforced concrete parts of the roof, to see the degree of their corrosion and wear. All detected damage must be recorded and an action plan for their elimination must be drawn up.
Since the reliability of the attic will depend on the strength of the roof, it is important to thoroughly repair it and additionally strengthen the structure.
The choice of insulation for the floor and ceiling
An important point in the design of the attic is the installation of high-quality thermal insulation, on which the temperature and humidity will depend. Today the construction market is represented by a chic assortment of modern materials, with the help of which you can quickly perform insulation of the attic floor. To make the right choice, you need to take into account the thermal conductivity coefficient, ease of installation and price. Let's highlight the main materials in demand for floor and ceiling insulation.
Styrofoam
It is considered an ideal insulation that is of high quality and low cost. The only drawback of polystyrene is its structure, which does not allow steam to pass through, so dampness can collect in the room (you will need to additionally install ventilation).
Polyurethane foam
The material is applied by spraying, it keeps heat well, but the process of its application is complicated.
Mineral wool
It has unique properties due to which raw materials can accumulate moisture. Therefore, it is suitable for finishing the attic, subject to the installation of a vapor barrier.
Ecowool
Special equipment is required to apply this material. In order for the insulation to be of high quality, ecowool must be laid correctly, on a previously prepared surface.
Others
In addition, many craftsmen use materials consisting of foil layers as thermal insulation. To increase their efficiency, you need to carry out styling in combination with other heat-saving insulation.
Working with slabs
The overlap of the attic plays a huge role; it acts as a reliable barrier against mechanical stress and sounds. Therefore, the right solution for him would be laying a floating floor, the design of which will not depend on the strength of the walls and the base of the floor. First, a layer of thermal insulation with a thickness of no more than 40 mm is laid on the ceiling and a dry screed is made. The total thickness of the subfloor must not exceed 2.5 cm.
As a dry screed, you can use gypsum fiber boards or drywall sheets. If the surface of the coating has significant irregularities and defects, it must be leveled with vermiculite, expanded clay or perlite. In this case, the material is poured in a small layer of 5 cm.
This results in a good and flexible backing, which usually weighs 25 kg / m2.
Ceiling insulation
The attic room must be insulated everywhere, this also applies to the ceiling. The ceiling base is finished with thermal insulation inside and outside the structure. The inner lining is recommended to be made of plasterboard or wood, then all joints must be closed with a vapor barrier. It is recommended to choose mineral wool with a density of 50kg / m2 as a heater. Installation of a false ceiling would be a good option.
In this case, the insulation will look like this:
- interior decoration;
- vapor barrier;
- thermal insulation.
Often the roof slope is finished with a waterproofing film. If it is present in the structure, additional insulation materials can be omitted.
Finishing the attic floor
After the rough base under the floor is ready, as well as thermal insulation has been laid, you can proceed to the decorative design of the coating. More often linoleum, carpet, laminate or ceramic tiles are chosen for this type of attic decoration. If the attic has to function as a kitchen or bathroom, it is recommended to give preference to materials with high water resistance. As for the installation of laminate and parquet, it is carried out on a special substrate, which can provide additional sound insulation and protect the floor from slipping. The surface of the base must be well prepared, for this it is leveled. The installation of ceramic tiles requires a cement screed that is applied to the reinforcing mesh.
Ceiling cladding
The most popular way to decorate the ceiling in the interior of the attic is clapboard decoration. If the design project provides for the use of wood in the attic, the ceiling surface is first recommended to be sheathed with drywall sheets, and then it is worth proceeding with the finishing cladding. Wooden decor allows you to use various types of lining. To give it aesthetics, you can paint the boards with light or dark shades. To prevent the interior of the attic from becoming boring, a combined finish is suitable for the ceiling, consisting of wooden inserts and suspended structures that need to be framed with molding.
An interesting solution for the ceiling will be facing with decorative stone: it will help to revive the general atmosphere of the room, make the room unusual.
Ideas and design options
One of the disadvantages of an attic with a staircase in the country house is its small area, so the arrangement of rooms often becomes a problem. But the interior of a limited space can be decorated in an original way using various design tricks. The beautiful shape of the ceiling and the right choice of color will help to visually expand the space and make the room cozy.
The design idea looks unusual, in which the attic is completely decorated under a tree, its painting can be done with a special varnish. Such a room is suitable for organizing a bedroom; it can become a recreation area. Wooden decor will become an integral part of a log home. The attic room, faced with a board of a light shade, looks beautiful. It hides strict lines, the room seems light.
For a small attic, it is better to choose a combined finish, in which the stairs and partitions are made of wood, and the walls are covered with decorative plaster or covered with white wallpaper.
For information on how to equip an attic, see the next video.