As a rule, a typical dacha is not overly spacious housing. But, the situation changes radically if the attic in the country house is converted into an attic. If a high-quality do-it-yourself attic finish was made, this additional room can be used as a bedroom or guest room.
But what if there is no attic as such, but only free space in the attic? In this case, you will have to choose one of the many finishing methods and turn the non-residential premises into residential ones.
Requirements for the interior decoration of the attic
In order for the decoration of the attic floor to be considered successful, it must be distinguished by the following qualities:
- low thermal conductivity roofing system - walls of the room;
- acceptable sound insulation roofing system and ceiling;
- aesthetic appeal of the finish and, as a result, the comfort of everyday use of the premises;
- environmental Safety due to the zero content of toxins in the materials used;
- acceptable price finishing materials.
Having risen to the usual attic of a country house in the summer, you will be surprised how hot it is there. In winter, the situation is different because it is cold in an ordinary attic.
Since the attic is, in fact, a converted attic, you need to take care of thermal insulation, which will reduce the thermal conductivity of the roofing system. For these purposes, a layer of thermal insulation and a vapor barrier film are installed between the finishing layer and the roofing material.
The presence of thermal insulation laid during the finishing of the room performs another important task - it reduces the amount of noise penetrating the room from the outside. This advantage is especially relevant if metal tiles or corrugated board are used as roofing material.
Today, much is said and written about the potential insecurity of environmentally harmful materials. Is environmental safety so important or can it be neglected in favor of saving material resources?
In no case should one neglect the environmental safety of finishing materials, especially if the attic will be used as a living space. After all, the use of environmentally friendly interior decoration is the key to your excellent well-being.
Finishing methods and materials used
So, how to decorate the attic from the inside?
Among the ones that can be used for arranging an attic space, we note the following:
- oriented strand board (OSB);
- plywood sheet;
- drywall with subsequent putty;
- wooden lining;
- polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panels.
All of the listed materials are presented in a wide range in most specialized stores, so there will be no problems with their choice and purchase.
Difficulties may arise when you decide to independently use the purchased materials for their intended purpose. Therefore, we will consider the methods of finishing work with each of the listed materials.
Finishing with OSB boards
The main advantage of OSB is moisture resistance, which is not characteristic of all materials of wood origin.
For installation work, in addition to oriented strand boards, heat-insulating material will be required. For these purposes, dense mineral wool and a vapor barrier film are used.
Instructions for arranging the attic space are as follows:
- the rafters are inspected for displacement relative to each other;
- if there is an offset, plywood strips are used, which are laid on the rafters in a certain amount and compensate for the level difference;
- insulation boards are laid between the rafters;
- a vapor barrier film is stuffed over the insulation with a stapler;
- further, oriented strand boards are fastened with self-tapping screws;
- at the final stage, wood putty is selected to fill the inter-plate joints and recesses for the heads of the self-tapping screws.
Important: The installation of the plates is carried out longitudinally, so that each plate lies on several rafters at once. If the height of the room is more than one slab, the OSB is laid in several rows. Moreover, the OSB of the previous row should be located with an offset relative to the next row.
In addition to sheathing rafters, OSB can be used for floor cladding. Instructions for carrying out work are similar to the method of sheathing rafters. But, in this case, plates with a greater thickness are used.
Finishing work using plywood
Plywood is excellent, as it is made on the basis of natural raw materials - wood veneer. Due to the peculiarities of the structure of the material, plywood trim is highly reliable and durable.
The bending strength of plywood makes it possible to use materials with a relatively small thickness as sheathing and thus reduce the load on the truss system. A significant advantage of plywood over the same OSB is an attractive surface with the texture of a real wood cut.
Plywood sheets in the sheathing process are mounted directly on the rafters. Given the location of the attic, between the plywood and the roofing material, it is mandatory to place heat-insulating material and a vapor barrier film.
Plywood installation is carried out in the same way as OSB installation:
- In order to hide the gaps between the installed plates, you can use color-matched moldings that are used when installing the lining;
- In order to close the traces of the heads of the screws, a color-matched putty is used;
- In order to maximize the service life of the sheathing, plywood is covered with several layers of furniture varnish.
As in the case of OSB, plywood can be used not only for finishing the walls of the attic, but also for covering the floor. A plywood floor, with the right choice of sheet thickness, demonstrates no less strength than a plank floor.
If the purchased plywood is thinner than 10 mm, to finish the floor in the attic, the sheets are stacked in 2 layers with an offset relative to each other.
Drywall installation
Plasterboard sheets are a universal tool that is equally suitable for cladding ceilings and walls, as well as for arranging a dry screed using Knauf technology. Just like the previously listed slab-type materials, drywall is suitable for wall cladding with the laying of heat-insulating material and with hidden laying of engineering communications.
For the installation of drywall structures, in addition to the main material - GKL sheets, you will need a metal profile with a box section, dowels, self-tapping screws, putty mixture and related tools.
Instructions for finishing the ceiling and walls with plasterboard are as follows:
- a leveling frame made of a metal profile is mounted along the rafters;
- in the gaps between the rafters, thermal insulation is laid under a layer of vapor barrier film;
- engineering communications are being laid;
- plasterboard sheets are mounted on a pre-prepared frame by means of self-tapping screws;
- blockages at the joints of the sheets are sealed with a special plaster tape;
- gypsum putty is applied to the prepared surface of the walls and ceiling;
- after the putty dries, the surface is sanded, primed and painted.
Important: The location of power and low-voltage wiring under the plasterboard finish is allowed provided that special corrugated pipes are used.
After the attic walls are finished, you can purchase special GVL sheets for laying a dry screed.
Dry screed laying technology is simple:
- a moisture-proof film is laid out on the rough base;
- expanded clay backfill is laid on top of the film;
- backfill is leveled and rammed;
- the first layer of drywall is laid out on the backfill layer;
- glue is applied over the first layer and the second layer of sheets is laid out with some offset relative to the first layer.
Among the advantages of such a solution, we note:
- excellent thermal and sound insulation qualities of backfill;
- low backfill weight and, as a result, a small load on the ceiling;
- short deadlines for installation work.
Installation of wooden and plastic lining
Now let's look at how to finish the attic with your own hands using a lining. In fact, the configuration of wooden and plastic lining is not much different, and therefore there is not much difference in the performance of installation work using one and the other material.
Lining, unlike the previously listed slab-type materials, is only suitable for wall and ceiling cladding, while lining cannot be used for flooring.
The lining is mounted on a wooden or metal crate, which is attached to the rafters in the attic. The crate performs the function of a leveling and supporting frame.
When installing a wooden crate, a wooden lath with a cross section of 25 * 20 mm is used. When mounting a metal crate, a thin-walled steel box-shaped profile is used.
To install the lining, in addition to the main material, you will need to purchase a number of additional elements - moldings, among which we note the finishing, corner and connecting strip. In addition to moldings, you will need special fastening hardware - clamps that press the bar to the crate.
Important: When choosing between wooden and plastic lining, the degree of rigidity of the material should be taken into account. That is, if the question is how to finish the attic inside, using complex shapes in the interior, it is advisable to use plastic lining, since it can be bent at an angle of up to 160 degrees. It is impossible to bend a wooden lining at such an angle.
The installation instructions are simple. The leveling board is installed first. This is done with the expectation that with a horizontal arrangement of the rails, the strips are installed vertically, and with a vertical arrangement of the rails - horizontally.
Corner and finishing strips are installed on the crate. The first lining is installed from the corner by the side where the spike is located. From the side of the groove, the lining is fixed with clamps. All subsequent strips are mounted in the same way.
Conclusion
As you can see, the interior decoration of the attic is not difficult, subject to the correct selection of the method and the correct selection of the materials used. You can familiarize yourself with the details of interest by watching the video in this article, after which you can leave your comments.