Making a warm and cozy room in the attic with your own hands. Design and installation of a typical flat roof: a thorough overview of technological subtleties Video for self-builders

Expanding living space and organizing a comfortable place to relax is an issue that is relevant not only for residents of standard high-rise buildings, but also for owners of private or suburban living space. What do country houses and small country houses look like in most cases? They are often a one-story building, the design of which involves the presence of an attic or attic room, the arrangement of which summer residents often prefer to neglect and remember about it only when additional living space is needed. So the attic, which can fulfill all your desires for home improvement, turns into a dusty room, littered with unnecessary rubbish and used as a storage room, where it is difficult to find the necessary things. But sooner or later, an increase in the family or a desire to expand the living space of the house leads to the need to convert a dusty, dark attic into a bright and cozy room. In this regard, we have dedicated this article to this topic, in which we will describe in detail how to turn an unsightly attic into a living room, and also present many photo examples.

Room in the attic: how to cope with the lack of living space?

If you own a suburban living space, but despite this, you constantly trip over scattered children’s toys, do not find a common language with your family about the allocation of personal space and the rational organization of a recreation area, and also do not plan to put up with a catastrophic lack of space in the house, you need to arrange a room in the attic. Not only will it be an excellent place for privacy and a comfortable stay alone with your thoughts, but it will also allow you to turn an unassuming country house with a constant lack of space into a cozy family nest.

Undoubtedly, the most favorable moment for converting an attic space is the stage of building a house, since it is at this stage that you can add the room to the house project and decorate it with the same materials as the rest of the rooms. In addition, you can initially think through the layout of the attic: its dimensions, height, foundation parameters, which are necessary for arranging a residential attic.

Room in the attic photo

However, if you decide to convert the attic into a living space in an actively used room, you will encounter certain technical difficulties. It will be necessary to carry out measures related to strengthening the floors, ensuring effective thermal insulation and a number of other necessary measures.

DIY attic room: sequence of events

If you are determined to convert the attic into living space, you just need to decide on the purpose of the room. There are a great many options: it can be a dressing room, a bedroom, or a living room, depending on your preferences. The next stage is to develop a design for the premises.

Having sketched out an approximate plan of the room on a piece of paper, pay attention to the height of the attic and the presence of walls, in the absence of which, calculate the height of the rectangular space of the room, which is at least two meters at the minimum point. If the height of the attic does not allow for the arrangement of the room, experts recommend raising the roof by building up walls whose height does not exceed one meter. Having reached a certain height of the walls, you can proceed to the next stages of construction.

Arrangement of the stairs

To go up to the room in the attic, you need to take care of the arrangement of the stairs. The most optimal place for its placement is the hallway or corridor. The choice of material for arranging the stairs is an equally important task, since it must meet the following characteristics:

  • It should be easy to wash;
  • Possess high performance characteristics that ensure its durability;
  • In addition, it must be characterized by high aesthetic qualities, thanks to which, a staircase made of of this material, will be an elegant addition to the overall picture of the interior. All these requirements are met to a greater extent by wood, the use of which makes it possible to produce not only durable, but also quality stairs, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view.

Window arrangement

Like any other room, a room in the attic of a house cannot do without natural light, the only source of which is windows. Before you start installing a window opening, think about the location of the window and outline its exact placement. If your project involves installing a window on the roof, you need to take care of installing a wooden frame into which the window will subsequently be inserted. The need to equip the frame is explained by the additional weight of the window and precipitation, which the installation of an additional frame will allow it to withstand. After the installation of the window is completed, thermal insulation measures are carried out, since the gap formed between the wall and the window will contribute to heat loss.

Installation of the general frame

After the installation activities related to the arrangement of the window are completed, they begin to install the general frame, which consists of parallel boards nailed to the wall and intended for placing drywall fasteners on them. A frame of parallel located wooden beams, in the space between which insulation is immediately laid, most often it is a basalt slab or glass wool, after which the floor is covered with a rigid base and decorative flooring. Next from the side inner surface roofs are equipped with a frame for drywall, on which they are subsequently attached plasterboard sheets. If the roof is characterized by a large slope, the frame beams must be fastened every 20 cm, and in order to increase the reliability of the fastenings, they must also be fastened crosswise. This will not only securely fasten the drywall, but also avoid the occurrence of cracks in the future. After installing the frame, think over and carry out the installation of wiring and the location of sockets and switches in advance.

Drywall installation

Having previously insulated the walls and vapor barrier, you can begin installing drywall. Experts recommend placing plasterboard sheets in two layers, which will not only increase the strength of the walls, but also provide additional thermal insulation.

Using screws, fix the first layer of drywall at a distance of 30-40 cm, after which the second layer of drywall is fastened, changing the distance between the sheets to 20 cm. Next, insulate the gaps formed between the walls and windows. To do this, use sealant and cut strips of drywall. Next, the joints and corners are strengthened using specialized paper tape equipped with a metal insert.

Organization of heating in the room

Heating is one of the necessary conditions creating conditions for a comfortable stay. Experts suggest taking into account several options for arranging heating in the attic:

  • Arrange the fireplace;
  • Focus on the use of electrical appliances;
  • Install an autonomous heating system in the attic;
  • Or use a stationary heating system.

Despite the fact that the first option is considered the most beneficial if you want to give the room a special touch of privacy and comfort, experts consider the last option to be the most favorable. This is due to the fact that if the house is currently actively used, and it is organized heating system, it is enough to carry out some additional installation measures, which involve leading pipes with radiators directly into the room located in the attic.

Lighting

Lighting a room in the attic under the roof is an equally pressing issue, about which it is necessary to say a few words when talking about how to make a room in the attic. Previously, we noted that laying wires is at the stage of installing the overall frame. It will be important to clarify that in the attic room it is advisable to abandon aluminum wires, replacing them with copper ones. In addition, according to experts, it is better to refuse installation distribution boxes indoors in the attic, and rely on installing an autonomous circuit breaker.

Options for arranging a room in the attic

When you decide to arrange a room in the attic, you need to clearly understand its purpose. A previously cluttered, dusty, uninhabited attic can be turned into a living room, bedroom, billiard room, library or even a greenhouse, depending only on the preferences and needs of the home owners. A cozy attic furnished according to all the rules can turn into a comfortable relaxation area where they can spend free time all family members benefit not only for the soul, but also for health. A well-thought-out interior and equipment of a room in the attic will allow you not only to spend time there reading a book, but also exercising on exercise equipment and playing board games.

In the case where the area of ​​the attic space allows, it is possible to arrange not one, but several rooms at once in the attic, for which it is necessary to carry out competent zoning premises. Designers suggest zoning the attic space using transparent partitions that transmit light. This will allow you to arrange several rooms in the attic at once - a play corner and a room intended for relaxation. In the area of ​​a spacious attic space, you can organize several rooms, this time separated by capital partitions, which is undoubtedly a more labor-intensive process. In most cases, owners of country houses prefer to equip a bedroom, which, located under gable roof, it turns out to be very cozy, especially when the basic rules for planning an attic space are followed.

For example, in this case, designers advise placing a double bed in the center of the room, while installing mezzanines along the walls for storing bed linen and other small household items. If you plan to install two beds at once in a room in the attic of a house, then it is better to place them in a part of the room with descending ceilings, while the center of the room should be left free. Thus, in the attic room you can equip:

  • Game corner;
  • Gym;
  • Library and reading room;
  • Billiard room;
  • Recreation area;
  • A number of utility rooms, such as a storage room.

In case of lack of living space and small area country house, in the attic you can arrange:

  • Bedroom;
  • Living room:
  • Children's room.

Design of rooms on the attic floor: choosing a stylistic concept

Having prepared the attic for the arrangement of living space, you can safely begin choosing the main stylistic concept, design and arrangement of furniture in the future living room. For a bedroom located in the attic, experts advise giving preference to folk motifs or choosing romantic design trends that have become popular. In addition, by decorating a room in a country, chalet or Provence style, you will make your bedroom no less cozy. In addition to the traditional trends that are appropriate in the decor of the attic space, it is also important to decorate the bedroom in the attic in classic style or loft style. The latter is most appropriate in the decoration of attic spaces characterized by an impressive area. By decorating a bedroom in a loft style, you will become the owner of a spacious and at the same time cozy sleeping area that meets the requirements for modern premises.

To decorate a living room, designers advise choosing a minimalist style, eclecticism, retro styles or styles in which spicy oriental notes are clearly visible. It is these styles that can turn your living room into a truly cozy and comfortable space.

Choosing a color scheme: how to visually expand a room?

Since the attic space in most cases is not characterized by a large area, it is better to decorate the bedroom or living room using light colors. However, this raises an equally important design task - to correctly design small room and at the same time avoid fading, which will adversely affect the overall picture of the interior. In this case, designers suggest resorting to a well-known design technique, the essence of which is that inclined walls must be painted in light colors, while vertical ones in more saturated colors, bright shades. Recently it has been gaining popularity design technique, which involves combining the colors of the walls with the colors of the blanket or curtains.

When arranging the living room, you also cannot neglect the rational choice of tones and shades with which you plan to decorate the attic space. Thus, light shades such as light brown, light gray, beige, peach and white will visually expand the room and, at the same time, make it lighter, which is also important when arranging small attic spaces.

Choosing furniture to create a cozy atmosphere in the attic

To create a full-fledged design of a room in the attic, it is necessary to clearly think through not only the general stylistic concept and color design, but also the most optimal arrangement of furniture. Only in this case will you become the owner of the most harmonious and comfortable room.

Despite the fact that wood is the most suitable material for decorating an attic in a country house, experts do not recommend using overly massive interior items in the design of an attic characterized by a small area. Due to this, wooden bed, chest of drawers and bedside tables should be fairly compact in size. As for the shade wooden furniture, designers recommend using a current technique when the shade of wooden furniture matches the color of exposed wooden beams and rafters. A bed in the attic can be installed near one of the inclined walls, separating it from the main room using light curtain. Wardrobe in this case, they are installed near one of the gable walls.

To create a truly cozy and comfortable atmosphere, the attic must be supplemented with a fireplace. The warmth of the fireplace will not only warm the room under the roof of the house, but will also create a truly unusual atmosphere in it. If you cannot install a fireplace in the attic room, in accordance with all the requirements fire safety, most the best option you will be able to install an artificial fireplace, which, like its original, not only looks stylish, but also visually hides small imperfections in the walls in the room.

Spacious living rooms in the attic: what to look for?

If you have at your disposal big room in the attic, arrange it according to all the rules and take advantage of the spacious area of ​​​​the room to create a real living room, in which there is room for a TV, and for upholstered furniture, and for a coffee table, and bookshelves. When arranging spacious living rooms, do not forget about the harmony of materials: natural light wood and stone, both light and dark tones, will create a cozy, homely atmosphere in the living room, which can be supplemented with live plants in pots and decorative tubs.

We must not forget about the “symmetry” of interior items, which will make the room visually more attractive, while maintaining balance and the necessary balance. For example, symmetrically installed lamps, chairs and sofas with the same upholstery, as well as decorative pillow And a large number of living plants - all this will make your living room elegant and harmonious.

For the Russian region, houses with a traditional gable roof are currently of greatest relevance. And when building country houses, there is no talk of a pitched roof at all. Projects of such houses still often remain without deserved attention, although in fact, this kind of design allows not only to emphasize the character of the owners of the house, but also to save on materials, as well as expand your capabilities when decorating the house: both internal and external. We propose to consider the pros and some cons of houses with pitched roof, as well as one-story projects, two-story houses and cottages, with a photo selection attached to them.

Houses with a pitched roof: what are the advantages and disadvantages of buildings of this type

Traditionally, most owners of private houses and cottages prefer to design their homes with a traditional layout, and, accordingly, a gable roof. Projects of houses with a pitched roof are a rather rare occurrence in the world of construction, although it cannot be said that they are in some way inferior to everyone else. On the contrary, such designs look very original and are more profitable with economic point vision.

In addition, thanks to modern construction technologies and high-quality roofing materials, it is possible to create an original and reliable house that will fully justify the concept “a house is its own fortress,” delighting the owner with good quality and comfort.

Houses with a pitched roof are in great demand in the United States and European countries, especially in cold countries due to some of the features of such structures. Therefore, such houses are especially relevant for the predominantly cold climate of Russia.

The advantages of houses with a pitched roof include:

  • Significant savings in roofing material, as well as the material necessary for the construction of the truss structure. You can further reduce the cost of materials by using relatively inexpensive and fairly simple roofing materials, since they are not visible to the eye.
  • Installation work for houses with a pitched roof is a fairly simple process, which allows you to do it yourself.
  • Shed roof - perfect option for windy regions, since this design has low windage.
  • The peculiarity of the roof design greatly simplifies the drainage of precipitation.
  • Convenience of the roof for repair work if necessary.
  • An excellent option for large houses.
  • You can make full use of the attic space by designing an excellent attic with large windows.

But it was not without its drawbacks:

  • The importance of accurately calculating the cross-section of all elements of the designed structure. Otherwise, the roof may simply not cope with the snow load.
  • When designing a roof with a small angle of inclination, especially enhanced hydro- and thermal insulation will be required.
  • Not particularly attractive appearance. In order to avoid this, you will have to use rather expensive roofing materials and carry out roofing work in a particularly high-quality manner.

Design features and operating rules

When building a house with a flat roof, there are several important features to consider:

  1. If the project includes a house without an attic and the roof is combined with the ceiling, then it is necessary to use roofing materials of particularly high quality and involve construction professionals in the construction work so that the roof is made absolutely airtight and has good thermal insulation properties.
  2. If the attic is nevertheless provided according to the house design, then servicing the roof from the inside will be quite difficult and inconvenient due to the relatively low ceiling and the lower height of the roof from the top to the bottom edge.
  3. Difficulty of carrying out facade works. If the façade is of poor quality and roughly done, the house will simply look like a large barn. Small details will also have a significant impact on the appearance of the building.

Advice. Particular attention should be paid to the decorative elements of the exterior of the house - all materials used should not only be of the highest quality, but carefully selected colors and textures are also important. If a lot of additional details are provided, this will significantly reduce the requirements for facade finishing.

Since houses with a pitched roof are quite unusual design solution, then such a house should be operated without forgetting about proper and timely care of the roof:

  1. Clear the roof of snow more often, especially during heavy snowfalls and when the snow melts in the spring.
  2. Constantly monitor the condition of the structural elements of the roof and promptly eliminate any detected deficiencies or breakdowns.

Projects of houses with a pitched roof

For those who are ready to deviate from tradition and bring something new into their lives, designers offer original and high-quality solutions for the home. Let's look at them briefly.

One-story houses with a pitched roof. Such a design in the world of modern building materials allows us to take a fresh look at it. Projects with a pitched roof are perfect for those who want simplicity and at the same time originality in their home.

For one-story house The height of the roof is extremely important: the functionality and size of the attic space and the possibility of installing additional decorative elements. Very often, in projects for a house with a pitched roof, an additional roof is provided above the porch, inclined at the opposite side relative to the main roof.

Two-story houses with a pitched roof you can build in such a way as not to focus too much on decorating the first floor of the house. At the same time, with such a roof design, you can arrange a spacious balcony on the second floor or install panoramic windows.

Very often, in projects of two-story houses with a flat roof, they rely on the contrast of floors, simultaneously combining an ascetic and restrained first floor and an elegant second. Such houses always look very elegant and modern.

Cottages with pitched roof. Houses of this type are most often presented in a laconic rectangular design with a small porch. Their distinguishing feature- a general idea for all structural elements of the house and at the same time a subtle difference between each of them. The roof is usually built at an angle of 30 degrees, which helps prevent the accumulation of precipitation during the cold season. This is a great option for a country house.

Houses made of timber. The main tasks assigned to houses of this type: efficiency, environmental friendliness, rigor, warmth of construction. Usage flat roof on a house made of timber will reduce heating costs. In addition, a frame made of timber will make it possible to build truss structure with a large margin of safety.

Complex at first glance, houses with a pitched roof, as you can see, are reliable, original and simple. We introduced you in basic terms to the main features and capabilities of these structures. We hope the information was useful to you.

Projects of houses with a pitched roof: video

Shed roof of a house: photo






















The article will provide a comparative description of the three most common types of roofs, showing the pros and cons, conditions for their use and important points construction.

Selecting a roof for a private house


Roof diagram of a private house

The architect or designer sees the main factor in choosing a roof shape harmonious combination roofs with the general architectural idea of ​​the house. But the task before the architect is first of all set by you - the customer. How to decide on the type of coverage? Everything is not so complicated if you figure it out) You can read about roofing structures and types of roofs in the articles on our portal and, and this article will describe the four most used types of roofs:

  • Attic second floor;
  • Full second floor and attic roof;
  • Full second floor and attic roof;
  • Combined option.


Types of roofs

First of all, when choosing the type of roof, before starting to design a house, ask yourself the following questions:

Will the second floor be residential or non-residential? You can use it as a full floor, or you can use it as a storage room for equipment, “unnecessary” things, etc. Do you want this floor to be used in the future (not immediately after construction is completed).
What is the minimum and maximum height of the second floor? Usually it varies from a minimum of 2.5 meters to a maximum of 3-3.5 meters; it is not recommended to do more or less than this size.
Do you need full-size (1/5 -1/8 of the floor area) windows on the second floor or can they be minimal (with an area of ​​0.7-1.5 m2). In any case, it is necessary to ensure full illumination in the room; usually the window area is 1/4-1/5 of the floor area than smaller room the smaller the windows can be.
Are you limited in the height of the house under construction? Consult with the architect whether you will shade your neighbors, thereby reducing the insolation of the neighboring cottage. It is also important to take into account the legal aspect - the attic floor is not considered a full floor, that is, if it is not possible to officially build a second floor, you will need to make do with the attic.

By analyzing the answers to these questions and comparing them with the three types of roofs in the article, you will set a task for the architect and be able to understand which type of roof is suitable specifically for your conditions.

Roof with second attic floor

This is the first of the considered types of modern roofs; it is a roof that serves as the walls of the second floor, that is, the living space is located directly under the roof. Such roofs can often be found in holiday villages, in the villages.


Scheme of the attic two pitched roof with living quarters directly under the roof

The mansard roof gives the house architectural expressiveness. The height of such a roof from the ceiling to the ridge is usually 2.5-3.5 meters, in the case of a sloping roof it is 0.7-1 m from the ceiling to the beginning of the roof bevel. At first glance, this solution may seem advantageous, since there is no need to build the walls of the second floor and install a roof on them.


Scheme of a gable mansard roof without internal walls

But this is not entirely true, since such a roof has many disadvantages:

  • The space in the corners of the roof is significantly reduced, especially with a triangular roof shape. So the bevel of the roof begins at a height of 0.5-1 m from the floor level, which prevents an adult from standing in the corner of the roof at full height. The arrangement of a broken-shaped roof can help save the situation a little (the lower part of the attic is given a steep slope, and the upper part is given a gentle slope).
  • It is difficult to arrange a living space in a convenient way, to select and arrange furniture.
  • There is no possibility of installing full-fledged window openings, so you have to use skylights, which in price (special reinforced frame and tempered and reinforced glass, cost - from $300) and installation cost are 1.5-2 times more expensive than ordinary windows. Special requirements presented to window frame attic window.


Dormer window

It must ensure high-quality thermophysical characteristics and correct installation, waterproofing; sealing the slopes of such a window is one of the most important stages. Also applicable dormer windows, which require a structural device and are difficult to install - to install such a window, it is necessary to make an additional frame extending from the plane of the main roof frame (this will add extra valleys and ridges), which increases the material and labor intensity of such work (installation of joints, trimming roofing materials, purchase of additional roof elements). It is also important to have a drawing of the dormer window, with a detailed design of the window with the main roof frame.


Dormer window

In these types of roofs there is a need to combine structures, insulation and waterproofing in roofing pie, which complicates the installation of the roof and makes it more expensive compared to an attic roof. The thermal insulation layer is attached to the outside of the roof, and circulation gaps must always be left so that the moisture that forms from steam condensation on the underside of the roof is evaporated by air movement. If a kitchen and bathroom are located in the attic, in which a significant amount of steam is generated, then inside The ceiling should be laid with a layer of vapor barrier. There is also the possibility of an error in choosing the “pie”, which will lead to leaks that will appear in the interior; repairs in this case are more difficult to carry out than in an attic roof.


Roofing pie for attic roof

1. Insulation.

2. Vapor barrier.

3. Internal sheathing.

4. Internal lining of the attic.

5.Rafters.

6.Waterproofing windproof vapor permeability membrane.

7. Sheathing for roofing sheets.

8. Roofing.

  • It is not recommended to use in such roofs metal roofs, since in summer it will be too hot under such a roof and to ensure comfortable conditions you will need a fairly massive roofing pie (250-300 mm thick, due to increased insulation) or you will need to use reflective insulation, which will affect material costs.
  • If you want to complete the construction of a full floor while the house is in use, it will be difficult to do so, since it will be necessary to completely dismantle the attic floor and build a full floor with a roof, which will increase the cost of construction by 20-40%. It is necessary to invite an engineer to inspect the house, calculate the load-bearing capacity of the existing foundation, walls and ceilings in order to determine whether it will be possible to complete the floor without strengthening the structures. Strengthening existing structures is a very complex, painstaking and expensive process (for example, the cost of strengthening a foundation is 20-50% of the cost of building a new one).

Conclusion: Do not install an attic floor in the house permanent residence without extreme necessity, since it will be less functional and convenient, and the advantage of such a device can only be called a certain picturesque silhouette of the house.

Full second floor and roof with unused attic space

This option represents a full second floor with load-bearing and self-supporting walls, on which the roof structures rest. In this case, the roof has an unused attic ( attic space usually not heated) and the second floor space is residential. The attic acts as an air gap between the living space and the external environment, and it should be taken into account that in the attic it is necessary to provide a passage with a height of at least 1.4 m along the entire room. The height of the residential floor is assumed to be from 2.5 to 3.5 meters. Household supplies are usually stored in the attic. The second floor is fully functional, and without “inconvenient areas”.


Diagram of the complete second floor and attic roof

  1. Rafter legs.
  2. Horse beam.
  3. Racks.
  4. Struts.
  5. Lathing.
  6. Roofing material.
  7. Mauerlat.
  8. Metal connecting elements.
  9. Internal load-bearing wall.

If the roof is faulty, it can be easily repaired by gaining access to the structures and roof pie in the attic. It is possible to build additional floors; to do this, you just need to dismantle the old roof. These are the main “advantages” of such a roof. This is the most common roof option in modern cottage construction.

The disadvantages of such a roof are:

  • There is a need to build walls on the 2nd floor and attic floor, which will lead to an increase in construction costs by 10-20% compared to a mansard roof.
  • It is necessary to constantly ensure (make the necessary gaps, correctly position the layers of the roof, etc.) and maintain ventilation (ventilate the attic, annually clean the ventilation gaps from the accumulation of debris and dirt) of the attic (unlike the attic roof where it is necessary to ventilate the roofing pie and living space separately), so that the air does not stagnate and the roof structures and roofing “pie” do not rot, for better snow melting.


Cold cover ventilation

a, b - through the attic space, c - with air flow and through the attic space, d - double air flow.

Features of the attic roof:

  • You need to make an exit to the attic. Usually arranged in the form of a hatch with a vertical metal stairs or use a ready-made “attic staircase”.
  • In this case, the roof insulation is installed in the attic floor, and the waterproofing carpet is placed directly on the roof, which facilitates the installation of the roof and reduces the cross-section of wooden roof structures.

In general, we can say that the use of such roofs is most common, despite the increase in construction costs, life under such a roof is more convenient.

Full second floor with attic for the entire roof area without attic space

The third roof option is a combined first and second type. A full second floor and an attic roof above it; in this case, there is no overlap between the living room and the attic space, this reduces the cost of materials and its installation. With such a roof you will get a lot free space, high ceiling.


Full second floor and mansard roof

The main big “plus” of such a roof is its visual appeal. interior space, for example, skylights built into the roof in addition to ordinary windows will provide a lot of light in living rooms. Good designer will easily beat such volumes. A house with such a roof should have a rigid and stable load-bearing frame due to the fact that the roof and walls of the 2nd floor are one rather high structure and have low rigidity.


Diagram of the complete second floor of the house and attic roof

Disadvantages of such a roof:

  • It is necessary to heat and light such a large volume (not only the living space will need to be heated, but also the space under the roof, and this is from 50 m3, which is not residential).
  • The space under the ceiling is not used.
  • Roof strut device to provide rigidity to roof structures.
  • Purchase and installation of roof windows.

But this type of roof is rarely common; it can be recommended to be used when architectural form roof will be dictated interior design premises.

Combined roof

The combined roof option is a hybrid of the above types of roof. For example, you decided that there will be an attic roof over the entire house, and an attic roof over the bedroom of guests and children. An important aspect in such a roof will be that above part of the house there will be a combined roofing pie, and above the second part the insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier will be separated. It is also possible that the cross-section of the rafters in different areas of the roof will change. In this case, you need to develop a competent roof design, with detailed drawing of the interface nodes, plans and sections of these two options.



Combined roof scheme: attic and attic

Where the problems of heat, hydro, and sound insulation will be solved. Such roofs can often be seen on 2-story houses with an attached garage or utility room, so the roof over the main part of the house is attic, and above the garage the main roof turns into an attic for the garage.

It can be summarized that the attic roof is a less comfortable, but inexpensive option. Attic roof and a combined roof is the most applicable and justified option. A full second floor with a mansard roof is a rare case, the advantage of which is an interesting interior. Thus, each type of roof has its own advantages and disadvantages described in the article, and you should choose a roof based on specific conditions and circumstances. And we hope this article will help you with this.

Attention: Prices in the article are indicated as of 2009. Be careful.

The roofs of private houses amaze with their diversity. Sloping and flat, covered with tiles or completely transparent, made of glass - there is room for your imagination to run wild. But the roof should perform not only a protective, but also an aesthetic function. This is facilitated by both the variety of geometric shapes and big choice materials.

The roof structure of two-story houses can be flat or pitched. Accordingly, both the first and second have their positive and negative sides.

Flat design

This type is quite rare in the construction of small (two-story) private houses. This is directly related to its feature: in fact, this roof is not absolutely vertical, but has a slight slope of 3 degrees. But, in this situation, small house snow and rolls very poorly. Therefore, reliability and durability in this case are less than those of pitched types.

It is worth highlighting individual cases when a flat roof outperforms a pitched roof. First of all, if you plan to build a pool, terrace or small garden. It is impossible to implement any of these solutions with a pitched roof.

Flat roof in a private house

Pitched design

This type is considered the most practical. The main advantage is the sufficient angle of inclination, which allows precipitation not to linger and roll off.

It is believed that the pitched structure has greater reliability and durability.

  • Another advantage of this type of construction is the possibility of arranging an attic or attic space underneath it. If we consider the negative aspects of a pitched roof, we can highlight the following:
  • it will be more expensive to build than a flat one, especially if it is of a combined shape;

difficulties in carrying out repairs.

Pitched roof

Geometric shapes Pitched roof types have a fairly large selection of shapes. Moreover, they can be designed independently, taking into account the loads, selected materials, as well as design features

building.

  • Tent - in fact, is nothing more than a type of hip. Minimal amount stingrays - 3. They are symmetrical, do not have a ridge and converge at one point. Used in cases where a house is being built correct form(specifically a square).
  • Multi-tongue - used in cases where the house under construction has complex shape. What’s not enough is the complexity of the rafters. However, the result is unique design, which, in addition to its main functions, will certainly attract the attention of passers-by.
  • Broken, or, as it is otherwise called, attic type. This type of roof is popular due to the fact that it has fairly large bend angles, which make it possible to increase the space of the attic room.
  • Conical and domed are not used so often. They are usually used for their decorative shape to cover individual elements of the house, for example when making a bay window roof.
  • The combined type has the most complex design. They combine several types at once - multi-pincer, hip, tent. The positive side of such roofs is their unusual appearance, the possibility of arranging an attic and decorative elements (in particular windows). The negative side is the high cost of construction, difficulty in operation and repair.

Features of the device with or without an attic space

When designing a house, every owner is faced with a choice: attic or non-attic roof? Both the first and second types have significant advantages, so before you finally make a decision, it is recommended to compare the positive and negative aspects of both options.

Option No. 1: with an attic

In this case, the main advantage is that the roof is quite simple to make. If you have certain skills, you can cope independently with one or two assistants without the involvement of specialized workers.

The second advantage, which will certainly benefit the owners, is the ability to replace the entire structure without the need to replace it. When deciding to build this type of roof, you need to pay attention to the following points:

  • you need to calculate the load that the roof must bear in order to select the appropriate material;
  • The slope of the roof with the attic often depends on the choice of material;
  • the choice of attic flooring, which largely depends on whether the attic space will ever be used.

Option No. 2: without an attic

In another way, this type is also called attic. Its main difference from the attic is that the roof structure will serve not only as a roof, but also as external walls in the attic. This is rational and original version

. After all, in this case, at least one more room is added to the house, which can serve for almost any purpose. And besides, the room will be very original due to the walls with a slope.

However, the attic roof is quite complex in design. It is almost impossible to do it yourself, without the involvement of specialized craftsmen.

Another feature, which can be both a negative and a positive side, is that pitched mansard roofs usually have a kink that needs to be supported internally by beams. Such supports can either ruin or transform the interior of a room.

Use of non-traditional materials At the moment, new materials used for roof construction deserve special attention. In particular, glass. Nowadays, hardly anyone can be surprised by a panoramic roof, because more and more construction companies propose to build glass roofs for private houses. Taking into account that this option has become more affordable, you can now make your dreams of a veranda, a bedroom in the attic with glass ceiling

or winter garden.

  • The main geometric shapes of roofs for which translucent structures can be used:
  • flat;
  • pitched (1 or 2 slopes);
  • pyramid;
  • dome;

arch. Important! The advantage of this material is that the glass roof fulfills not only its traditional role. She is also large window

, which provides room lighting. The frame of this design is made of profiles, which, in turn, can be made of steel or aluminum. In very rare cases, wood is used. This is due to the fact that glass roofs are often installed over greenhouses and gardens, where high level

humidity, which naturally leads to rotting of wood structures.

The roof is an integral part of any building. For private homes, it has a huge variety of shapes, as well as non-standard materials that will make the house a dream come true. The choice depends on the project of the house. Some types of structures can be built independently, which allows you to save money and not have to resort to the help of specialists.