Installing Attic Flooring Start to Finish

Installing attic flooring in your unfinished attic will help you with any storage problems. The flooring can pave the way for you to be able to finish off the attic in the future and can help you access your attic by making it easier to walk on and generally a safer environment to be in.

Installation
Before you being to install your attic flooring you will need to take into consideration the ventilation of the room. For example, if you are going to lay down new wood flooring, consider the build up of heat and cold temperatures because they will warp the boards. Also, there is a danger that because of the heat, there will be moisture forming on the joists which will add to wood flooring problems.

The second thing consideration should be the size of the area  you will need to cover. Consider whether you will cover the entire space, or just the accessible areas to help you determine the kind of flooring you will need.

Different Types of Flooring
There are several different types of attic flooring you can use. For an easy attic flooring, start with a simple laying down of wood planks. If you keep these close together, you will not have to worry about any gaps.

Another way to add attic flooring is to secure plywood sheets to the floor. This will add a much more stable platform to your attic flooring and can act as a subfloor if you decide to finish off the attic in the future. There are also synthetic floorings available from several different manufacturers. This type of flooring simply snaps together and comes in squares.

Protect the Flooring
If you are going to be laying down plywood sheets, or the synthetic attic flooring, then you must protect the wood. Lay a plastic barrier between the flooring and the joists. This will keep any humidity, or moisture, from the house from coming up into the wood.

Start in Center
The most common temptation to laying down attic flooring is to start in a corner and begin installing the plywood sheets, or wood flooring, from there. However, you will have much better success, and use of wood, if you start in the center. Lay out a chalk line to determine the center and lay the plywood sheet on the line with its corner on the edge of the chalk line.

Securing Floor to Joists
There are different ways that you can secure the flooring to the joists. But, you should think about using screws only. When you nail in the plywood sheets you will have to pry them up if you have to move them. With screws you can easily take up the sheets of plywood in case you need to lay new wires, or reach the ceiling underneath.

Use Trim Strips
To finish off the area of attic flooring, install some quarter round trim pieces that will line up flush with the plywood for a finished look. If you are using the entire floor, then you can install the trim along the wall.