ᐅ Is Additional Insulation of the Attic Useful in New Construction?

Created on: 3 Nov 2019 14:25
H
hausbauer
Hello,

we are building a house with two full stories and a pitched roof above, constructed according to the Energy Saving Ordinance standard. The construction company includes an insulated attic space (insulation between rafters with 200 mm (8 inches) thick mineral wool insulation (thermal conductivity 0.035 W/mK), with a vapor retarder foil, sealed airtight). The concrete ceiling above the upper floor (i.e., the attic floor) remains uninsulated.

Now I am considering whether it would be beneficial for summer heat protection and winter heating costs to additionally lay insulation boards on the attic floor, for example, EPS insulation boards. Is this sensible or just a waste of money? Can this be done well as a DIY project, and what should I pay attention to? Do the boards need to be placed tightly together/glued, or is a little gap acceptable?

I am somewhat concerned about the ventilation of the attic during the first year or two after construction, as the attic will not be connected to the central mechanical ventilation system (I will probably have to leave the attic windows open occasionally in weather with low dew points). Should I wait some time before insulating the attic floor for this reason? Or can I do it right away without any issues?

Or would you recommend a thicker insulation between the rafters instead of working on the attic floor? The latter would have the advantage that I could avoid the very high prices charged by the general contractor by doing it myself.
N
Nordlys
4 Nov 2019 09:51
The general contractor insulated the ceiling with Knauf glass wool, thickness unknown. Later, I added Climowool 160 mm (6.3 inches) friction-fit insulation between the rafters along with a vapor control membrane. No moisture. Everything is dry. Now my model railway is set up on top, and it is not affected.
H
hausbauer
4 Nov 2019 10:05
How did the general contractor make the glass wool walkable? What boards are installed on top of it?
N
Nordlys
4 Nov 2019 10:38
No panels. Boards.

Attic: insulated sloped ceiling, shelves with clothes, boxes, and ladder.
H
hausbauer
4 Nov 2019 10:46
Great, I think I'll do it something like that too.
J
Joedreck
4 Nov 2019 13:01
Please note, as far as I know, Karsten has wooden beams and not a concrete floor slab!
A
Altai
4 Nov 2019 13:19
I also have an uninsulated attic space, and I’m wondering what I could store up there. For example, I wouldn’t put my skis up there because of the heat in summer. It can easily get up to around 50°C (122°F) up there. I also can’t really imagine storing anything made of paper (I do have one or two boxes of books that I keep for sentimental reasons) because of moisture. Clothes would be the same...

So what’s left? I’ve moved the leftover tiles up there, and I don’t think the Christmas decorations will be damaged either. What else could go up there?

Am I overthinking this?