Mansard roofs of private houses: types, options, device

Thinking about building your own house or even a summer cottage, you want the house to be beautiful, unlike its neighbors, comfortable and functional. It would also be nice if it was inexpensive. The roof of the attic type allows you to solve almost all of these tasks. The exterior of the house turns out to be interesting, and the building can be decorated in different styles - all the options for combinations of roofing, the type and shape of the roof, windows and balconies, and it is probably impossible to count. The cost should be discussed separately.

The combination of ramps pointing in different directions gives a very unusual effect. This is exactly the kind of house you would not call ordinary

How much does it cost to build an attic

The device of the attic floor is considered beneficial due to the fact that there is no need to spend money on the construction of walls. This is only partly true.

Firstly, a lot of money will be spent on creating a rafter system. Its cost depends on the selected type of attic roof (see below) and on the price of lumber in your region.

Secondly, you will have to pay a considerable amount for insulation and vapor barrier of the attic roof... It is clear that roofing material alone is far from sufficient to provide the required air conditions for residential premises (if the attic is planned to be residential). We'll have to insulate, and the layer of insulation should be significant. For example, for central Russia, a layer of high-density mineral wool should be from 200 mm, plus a layer of waterproofing and vapor barrier.

Thirdly, windows are much more expensive. If you make them auditory, they build a special structure of rafters, which complicates the relief of the roof, and therefore increases the cost of materials and installation. Even on an ordinary gable, you have to think about the device of valleys and snow retention over the windows.

Installation of skylights in the roof

The second option - windows in the plane of the roof - require particularly careful sealing so that precipitation cannot get inside. This makes the installation 1.5-2 times more expensive. The windows themselves are about the same cost: they must have a reinforced frame and reinforced glass that can withstand snow loads. In addition, for maintenance, the frame must be rotatable, and this is still an increase in cost.

What is needed to install a roof window and the procedure for installing components

In the attic, two types of windows are installed - vertical and in the plane of the roof. Both types can be used in the same project. The photo below is a good example of such a combination. You can't say for sure that the house is memorable. How many more options can there be?

A mansard roof in several levels is also a common technique.

In addition, such popular and inexpensive roofing coatings - materials based on metal such as profiled sheets, metal tiles, roofing iron - are not advised to be used when installing an attic roof in a private house. There are two reasons:

1. High thermal conductivity. Due to the fact that the metal conducts heat very well, it is necessary to lay a large thickness of thermal insulation materials. Otherwise, it will be too hot in the attic in the summer and cold in the winter.
2. Increased noise generated by the coating when it rains. Even an ordinary roof covered with metal sounds like a drum in the rain. The attic is much larger in area and the "tool" is more powerful. If the level of noise inside the room can be fought with additional sound insulation, then you cannot remove the sound outside. If the neighbors' houses are at a considerable distance, it may not be scary, but if the building is dense, conflicts may arise.

When calculated well, additional insulation and soundproofing will minimize the cost benefit of purchasing a roofing material. Perhaps a different, initially more expensive roof covering will turn out to be more profitable as a result. So here you need to calculate the options.

All of this was described so that you have a better idea of ​​whether it is really that cheap to build an attic floor. It turns out - not really. Nevertheless, this solution has its advantages:

• The attic floor is lightweight. Therefore, the foundation for private houses will require only a little more powerful than with the construction of one floor. Since the cost of the foundation is a significant part of the cost, then the benefits are tangible.
• In case of a lack of funds, the insulation of the attic and its commissioning can be delayed for the required period. Moreover, this delay will be useful. That's why. During construction, timber of high humidity is almost always used. If you start insulation right away, moisture will be absorbed into the insulation. If the "pie" is done correctly, it will go away naturally. But if there are violations, problems can arise. If the roof under the roofing material will stand for some time without insulation (but with waterproofing necessarily laid under the roofing), then the wood will dry well and there will be fewer problems.
• The attic allows you to make the house original and non-standard. In any case, the building turns out to be more expressive and individual - there are a lot of design options.

We tried to describe as fully as possible the disadvantages of the attic roof and its advantages. If difficulties did not frighten you, choose which design you like best.

Read how to make a gable roof here.

Types of mansard roofs

The roof of the attic type, used in the construction of private houses, has various device options. All existing types of roofs can be made, except, perhaps, flat. All others can be realized both in "pure" form, and in combination.

Single slope

Houses with single-pitched mansard roofs look unusual. Its device is the simplest due to the lack of a skate and the problems associated with its arrangement. The beams are supported by a Mauerlat fixed to the multilevel walls. The bevel is formed by the difference in height between two opposite walls. In this case, the slope angle should be in the region of 35 ° -45 °. A smaller slope will lead to the accumulation of a large amount of snow, which requires reinforcing the load-bearing beams and installing additional supports, and this reduces the already not very large living space in such an attic floor.

Shed roof roof

If we talk about the exterior design of the house, the buildings look non-standard. Most often, a large window is made in the high wall of the attic floor: the structure itself has this. For examples, see the photo below.

This house with a pitched roof attic is the most conservative

The device of a single-pitched roof is the cheapest if the distance between two opposite walls does not exceed 4.5 meters: you can lay bars of standard length on the walls and not make supporting structures. Apparently this is the reason for the decision in the photos below, but it turned out very interesting.

If the distance between the walls is less, the design is quite simple

Custom solution: two pitched roofs form a terrace between them

Gable

A gable roof attic is the most widespread: with a general structure, there can be many solutions. The design itself is the most optimal: at a relatively low cost, it allows you to meet various requirements for the required area of ​​the room.

The easiest way is to implement an attic under a conventional gable roof, but its height must be sufficient so that a living space can be distinguished under it (if the floor is supposed to be made residential). May be:

• symmetrical - the ridge is located above the middle of the building;
• asymmetric - the ridge is offset from the center.

The pediments are straight. The room is trapezoidal; in fairly wide buildings, a square one can be distinguished. The disadvantage of a gable roof attic is that a large space is cut off on the sides, which is not always acceptable in private houses. To prevent large areas from walking, they are used for the arrangement of pantries or cabinets.

Attic floor construction under a gable roof

With such a device, windows are made in the roof, their location depends on the angle of inclination. They can be auditory, as in the photo above or in the plane of the roof, as in the photo below.

Windows can be located in the plane of the roof

There is another option for arranging the attic roof of a private house with two slopes - one and a half floor. It is installed on walls driven out to a certain level. The house is then called "one and a half floors" (one of these houses in the photo above).

The difference in usable area is obvious, but the costs are higher (for wall material)

These are two types of gable roofs. There is also a third - broken ones. They can be divided into a separate category - the device has significant differences.

Read about the construction of a gable roof attic here.

Broken lines

The device of a sloping mansard roof is both more complicated and simpler. In fact, these are the same two slopes, but consisting of two parts with a different slope. Such a structure allows you, without spending money on the construction of walls, to get living space, only slightly smaller than on the lower floor (by about 15%). In this sense, its structure is simpler. But the rafter system has a more complex structure, and in this sense, its structure is more complicated.

The construction of a sloping mansard roof is the most commonly used version of the rafter system - with the removal of part of the rafter beyond the wall surface. Thus, an overhang is formed, which protects the junction to the walls from precipitation

It is this type that is most common for self-construction. It easily allows you to increase the usable area, build on small buildings such as a garage or summer kitchen, get additional, almost separate, housing. Since the materials used in construction are usually lightweight, the bearing capacity of the foundation is usually sufficient, but the calculation does not fit. (Read about the calculation of the strip foundation here).

A small room made of logs below, and on top - a vast attic, resting on racks

Four-slope

These are already complex systems that must be calculated. The surface is large, the cost of insulation increases significantly, at the same time the size of the attic room decreases: parts of the premises are cut off from all four sides.

Their plus is their high resistance to strong winds: all surfaces are sloping and the wind load does not put so much pressure on the slopes. The structure is such that the overhangs can be made low, protecting the walls from the effects of precipitation and winds. In addition, houses with such roofs are considered by many to be the most attractive. Classic version hipped roof - hip.

One of the types of hipped roofs is a hip roof and an attic room under it. You can stand in full growth only in the central part

When they are installed, inclined rafters are reinforced - they account for most of the load. In general, its rafter system is one of the most complex, material-intensive and, therefore, expensive. So that you can estimate the entire scope of work and costs, consider its design in the photo below.

Hip roof rafter system

In the upper picture, you can see all the stops, slopes that need to be put, on the second, the structure and location of the rafters are more clearly drawn.

There is also a transitional option - a half-hip. She is a cross between a gable and a hipped roof. In this case, the hip is made only for a part of the floor height.

Mansard semi-hip roof.Organization of her rafter system

Only the main types of mansard roofs are described. There are also combinations of them. For example, a hip can also be broken, as well as a single-pitched one. There are really a lot of options. The main thing is not to make gross mistakes when developing the rafter system, and then implement everything correctly.

Mansard roof with balcony

How skylights are made has already been described above. Balconies are built on almost the same principle. There are even special window systems that allow you to do this in the surface of the ramp. Although the implementation is simpler, such a window costs decently.

One type of small balcony

If the bearing capacity of the walls allows, by increasing the size of the dormer-type window, you can make a hanging balcony.

The dormer can also be turned into a small balcony

The balcony platform can be supported by columns. Only in this case, the removal is done above the entrance. Then the columns fit organically, and also serve as decoration.

Columns that form the front door support the platform

A balcony on the pediment of a house with an attic is built on a different principle. It is protected by an overhang pushed forward, if the wall allows, the platform is made hanging.

Balcony on the gable of the mansard roof

In small houses, a balcony is often made due to the fact that the pediment of the attic floor is shifted from the load-bearing wall. Due to this indentation, a platform is obtained. Peaks in such roofs are made by extending the roof at least to one level with the outer wall, and even better - further. This ledge will protect the gable wall as well and reduce the amount of precipitation that will fall on the open area.

The pediment of the attic is moved inward. The resulting area is used as an open balcony

The construction of this type of roof is such that by extending it, even a covered terrace can be made. Its edge can rest on a decorative wall or on pillars.

The difficulty of this project is the long rafters

A similar idea is implemented in this project, but the roof here is multi-gable. It is difficult to calculate it yourself, it is even more difficult to make valleys correctly, because they are rare.

If we talk about non-standard solutions, then the "L" -shaped mansard roof - from two sheds it will turn out to be functional. It's also an inexpensive way to decorate such a custom building.

"L" shaped single-pitched mansard roof

If you need an inexpensive way to build a house - read about frame house building.