How do I support my attic floor?
If the attic joists are not adequate, one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists. Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist. In the case of 2 x 6 joists, you can pair them up with additional 2 x 6 joists by nailing them together, side by side.
Are there joists in attic?
More times than not, the floor structure of an existing attic is actually a ceiling joist. Typically, ceiling joists are 2×6 or 2×8. They are designed to carry only the weight of the drywall (or plaster depending on the age of your home).
Can my attic support my weight?
If you’re talking about the floor of an attic, then it may, or may not, support the weight of a person. We’ll tell you how you can figure it out. If you’re talking about walking on the roof and therefore relying on the roof truss and attic to support you, it highly likely that the roof will support you.
What wood is best for attic flooring?
Joist Spacing and Attic Use
You need 3/4-inch plywood. The thinner plywood is acceptable when the joist spacing is 16 inches. If you plan to finish the floor in the attic and turn the room into a living space, however, you should always use 3/4-inch plywood.
Is it OK to put plywood in the attic?
An attic can be floored with 1/2″ CDX plywood, if it is being used only for storage. However, the same can’t be said if you are planning on using the space as a living space. In that case, you will need to use 3/4″ thick plywood. As an alternative, 3/4” OSB can be used.
Is it OK to put plywood over insulation in attic?
Once the insulation is down, you can turn your attic into valuable storage space by covering the floor with plywood. It will also make the attic a safer place in which to walk.
Are there load-bearing walls in an attic?
To determine if a wall is a load-bearing one, Tom suggests going down to the basement or attic to see which way the joists run. If the wall is parallel to the joists, it’s probably not load-bearing. If the wall is perpendicular, it’s most likely load-bearing.
Is it safe to walk on attic beams?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: You could step on that and if you do that you're you could fall all the way through or you could just crack the sheetrock.
What are the beams in the attic called?
Rafters are long wooden boards used for the frame of the roof, also known as stick framing. Rafters are made on the job site by the roofers and they are typically cut into 2×10 or 2×12 beams, which slope down from the peak of the roof. Ceiling joists then help secure the rafters and the exterior walls.
Is OSB OK for attic floor?
If your attic joists won’t bear the weight necessary to finish out a living space but the engineer cleared them to support floor decking for light storage, you can install ½-inch plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) in 4-foot-by-8-foot panels over existing 16-inch OC joists.
Should I put a floor in my attic?
That begs the question; can my attic support a floor? The answer, in most cases, is a definite yes. Even though it wasn’t put there, the joists supporting your ceiling are quite strong. Putting down flooring won’t stress them any more than the floors in your bedroom, kitchen, or bath.
How do you reinforce ceiling joists?
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Quote from Youtube video: It and we got cut out we've got joists that don't go all the way to the ceiling or the floor. We've got a header up here. Right there that is significantly lower than our floor joists overall it's
Can I put boards over attic insulation?
You can use foam board in the attic. It is an excellent installation option for the attic because it is lightweight, easy to work with, and offers high R-values. Often the R-value of fiberglass insulation is too low and requires the rafters to be retrofitted, making foam board a better choice.
Can I put boards over blown insulation?
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. By adding the boards, you increase storage space for items not needed often, allowing you to move those items out of the main house and reduce clutter.
How do you install attic boards?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So I want to make this little platform. So with this framework in place I could start just laying a nice sheet of plywood I have two pieces here I'm going to put this one down next.
Can you lay loft boards directly onto joists?
You can still board directly on to the joists if you want, but it is worth noting that this would not pass a building control inspection, because you wouldn’t have the full 270mm depth of insulation required by regulations. Whatever you do, make sure you put as much insulation beneath the boards as possible.
Can you walk on loft boards?
Products such as Loft Legs consist of ultra-strong, recycled plastic legs that create a raised platform strong enough to walk on and support storage items. They are easy to fit, extremely lightweight, allow for pipes and cables to be present and do not create thermal bridging.
Can you put boards on top of loft insulation?
Yes you can most certainly overlay and additional layer of insulation over the chipboard. I would leave the insulation short at the eaves though to ensure there is adequate ventilation in the loft space.
Does boarding a loft reduce the insulation?
Boarding directly onto joists and/or trusses would mean having reduced insulation or squashing of insulation between the joists. It is best to avoid insulation compression or the removal of insulation, as this will become evident within your energy prices.
Can loft boarding cause damp?
How Standard Loft Boarding Can Damage Your Property. Can cause damp – as standard boarding is placed onto the joists of your roof, this will inevitably squash your insulation, which stops it from working and will cause condensation to build up as it doesn’t have room to breathe.
