Installing Attic Floor Over Blown Insulation

Baffles prevent insulation from blocking the vents.

Installing attic floor over blown insulation.

The vapor retarder on top of or between layers of insulation can trap moisture. Build up the height of the joists prior to installing flooring when the insulation reaches the tops of the joists. Batt or rolled insulation or blown loose fill insulation fiberglass or cellulose can be installed on top of old insulation. Whether you live in a warm weather state as i do or in a cooler northern climate it s hard to stay comfortable and keep your energy bills in check if you don t have adequate insulation in the attic.

Work from the perimeter of the attic toward the door or hatch so that you don t trample all over the insulation you just put in. Seal any gaps around the perimeter of the attic with caulk and install baffles on the roof decking over the soffit vents. 1 put on work gloves safety glasses and a dust mask before entering the attic. Place flooring over insulation to make your attic space functional.

Batt and roll insulation and loose fill sometimes known as blown in insulation. There are two main types of insulation. Even easier you can also use a prefabricated attic floor kit designed specifically to raise the attic floor above the insulation. Handy homeowners can install blown in insulation in the attic.

Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and to prevent thermal bridging the heat loss that occurs through the wood framing. See install batt and roll insulation for details. Attic insulation between roof trusses. If blown in insulation is used control the height or thickness of the layers so boards can by laid over top without having to compact the filler.

Blowing insulation into walls is best left to the pros because it involves drilling into stud spaces that may contain electrical. Any existing batt or roll insulation in the attic should have the facing against the attic drywall floor or no facing at all. However if you keep the storage weight to a minimum you may be able to build a storage platform above the insulation by attaching supporting beams to the sides of the trusses. Batt and roll insulation works well between joist and stud spaces or if you have a wide open space or a crawlspace.