Adding Floor In Attic

Adding a floor to an attic can increase storage space or create a new room.

Adding floor in attic.

Go into the attic to inspect how wiring is routed through joists or on top of them for example. If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists. In the future you may want to construct a small apartment or master suite in the attic. Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist.

Extreme care should be used when working in an unfloored attic. The solid base allows you to store items in the attic as well as to walk. Hiring a contractor to do the job will roughly triple the cost as you have to pay for their time and labor. Adding flooring and storage on top of fiberglass insulation will compress it squeezing out trapped air rendering it virtually useless.

Attic flooring consists of materials as basic as sheets of plywood as well as more elaborate interlocking floor systems. 3 have a friend add material to the hopper. Lan to use 2x4x36 upright screwed to ceciing joist every 24 to hold 2x6x12 s up above duct work. Adding flooring to your attic is a relatively low cost project running about 5 12 per square foot about 190 for a 10 x 10 area if you do it yourself.

In a small space an accent wall pulls the eye through the room and visually enlarges the proportions. Attic insulation between roof trusses. Block all vents in the attic floor with baffles making sure to extend the baffles at least four inches above the planned thickness of your insulation. We need at least 33 inches to get above all duct work in attic.

House is a open floor plan so not a lot of support walls below. That creates a problem in support for storage floor and only using support walls below. Don t add flooring until you review wiring and plumbing needs for the future. Strengthening attic joists for live loads by sistering.

To add both architectural interest and texture to this attic bedroom interior designer alexandra hernandez created a custom headboard wall made up of individual burlap upholstered plywood cubes. Also since the attic insulation rests on top of the drywall it will be much thicker than the bottom 2 4 chord of the attic truss. Attics are a top pick when homeowners decide to gain some extra storage or add a guest room but not all attic flooring structures are up to the task of supporting the weight of a new living space.