ᐅ Insulate concrete ceiling of upper floor

Created on: 27 Oct 2020 15:31
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chippy79
Hello everyone,

I want to undertake the insulation of the top floor ceiling myself.

[Facts]:
- Semi-detached house built in 1972, two floors with heated basement rooms
- Upper floor ceiling made of reinforced concrete - B225, thickness according to plan 16cm (6.3 inches)
- Roof pitch is 18 degrees and cannot be converted into living space
- The purlins rest directly on the concrete ceiling
- The roof will not be insulated; instead, the floor will be insulated
- The attic space should be partially usable as storage and walkable

See sketch top view attic 110 sqm (1184 sq ft) area, approx. 40 sqm (430 sq ft) walkable

2D attic floor plan with storage, walkable, rafters, roof hatch and stairs


[Questions]:

1) Preparations:
What preparations do I need to make on the concrete before starting work? Thorough cleaning?

2) Vapor barrier:
Do I also need to install a vapor barrier foil on the reinforced concrete B225 at the upper floor?

3) Insulation material:
I plan to lay EPS 040 WI/DI/DZ 50mm (2 inch) polystyrene boards (width 500mm (20 inches) x length 1000mm (39 inches)) double-layered and staggered (without cross joints) everywhere.
This means about 9-10cm (3.5-4 inches) of insulation thickness. What U-value would I achieve with this?
Material cost comes to around 800 EUR including VAT.
Which affordable insulation boards would you recommend for my project? Has anyone had experience using polystyrene boards?

4) OSB boards (thickness - no idea - any recommendations)?
For the walkable area I would additionally install OSB-3 tongue and groove boards, 12mm (0.5 inch) thick, 205cm (80 inches) x 62.5cm (25 inches).
Material cost is approximately 200 EUR including VAT.

5) How should I deal with cables embedded in the concrete ceiling and around the purlins when insulating?

Basement/attic with wooden beam ceiling; loose cables hanging over dusty concrete floor


6) How should/could I insulate the attic stairs?

Open floor hatch leading to basement room with desk, computer, monitor, keyboard; chaos above.


7) Are there any special considerations I might have overlooked?

Looking forward to your opinions/ideas/tips and tricks,

Chippy
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nordanney
3 Nov 2020 11:16
chippy79 schrieb:

I calculated the U-value using the proposed new setup with 16cm (6 inches) EPS 035 polystyrene boards:

0.19 is not eligible for funding!

Table on thermal insulation of top floor ceilings in unfinished attic spaces

So a) worse insulation and b) not €500 cheaper, but only €60 (€2,200 minus 20% funding = €1,760).

The answer to your question is clear from that.
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chippy79
3 Nov 2020 12:12
Yes, you are right. In that case, it doesn’t make sense. Thanks !!!

How much waste should I account for? Is 5% additional material enough?

Thanks
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chippy79
3 Nov 2020 15:53
One more thing about the weak point: the hatch of the attic ladder! Are there any alternatives to buying a new insulated model? Any ideas?

thx
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nordanney
3 Nov 2020 16:20
chippy79 schrieb:

Are there any alternatives to buying a new insulated model? Any ideas?
Sorry, I’m not familiar with this topic. I haven’t looked into it yet. But as far as I know, it is also subsidized.
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nordanney
3 Nov 2020 16:21
Wooden attic stairs opened with vertical ladder, visible on the left edge of the image.

Is this too expensive for you?
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Alessandro
9 Nov 2020 15:26
I have a question that has been on my mind for a while.
To make my attic walkable, I mixed ClimaWool with EPS. The EPS "ribs" serve as a support surface for the OSB boards.
Is mixing these different materials a problem?

Here is an old photo:


Attic with wooden beams, insulation material on the floor, and a roof window.