i'm moving into an old (1910s) frame house with an unfinished attic. it currently has loose fill insulation (looks very old) between the floor joists. i'd like to put down some simple flooring so that i can use the attic for storage space (with the possibility of converting the attic into an office in a few years.

my question(s) is: what are my insulation options? can i get away with just blowing new fill across the floor and covering it with plywood? or should i put insulation on the walls/ceiling before installing drywall?

also, i live in a cold climate -- will blowing loose fill in the floor provide adequate insulation? are there other options i'm not considering?

thanks.

 

Not to sure what you have. more info

Id say you can only blow insulation to the top of the joist and put a floor down. You cant say blow 12" and compress it down to the floor joist. It dont work that way

Also walls and ceiling. If you mean by the roof there no you cant put insulation there in the roof rafters. Or what walls knee walls yes



ED

 

thanks for the info. i think we're on the same page about the floor -- i should remove old fill and blow in new fill.

as for the walls -- i did mean the roof/rafters. is there a reason i can't put insulation between the rafters before finishing with drywall?

 

Its a NO NO. You have to have it so air can go over the insulation. The insulation cant like touch the roof there . The attic has to have full ventilation at all times. Go to the attic post here and the roof post and read some of them it will tell you why. Id blow over what you have now but just to the joist tops is all you can put there then the floor ED

 

Hello dswolff:

No offense intended to our moderator Ed, but it's indeed possible to insulate the attic rafters and finish with drywall--provided it is properly vented.

I like in a 100 yr old cape cod style home in upstate NY near the Canadian border, which according to tax records is a 1 3/4 story.

What that really means is that the upstairs does not have full height walls, thus essentially it's more like a finished attic with knee walls. If you are not familiar with that term just think of a 4 ft high wall on two sides of the room with a cathedral type ceiling.

Anyway, it can definitely be done but you'll need to install a venting product between the rafters to allow air circulation.

Here is a link to a product that is similar to what is often used here when one finishes an attic:

http://www.adoproducts.com/provent.html

I generally use a product of the same type that is manufactured by Owens Corning but can't find a link to it at the moment.

Now, all of this said....you will also need to make sure that you do some research to be certain you are using the correct type of insulation on the knee walls.

Also, it's ESSENTIAL that you have proper ridge and soffit venting.

I'd recommend you go to a local supplier of insulation--not a place like home depot and ask them for advice. If necessary, hire a professional for a consultation as it will save you money and headaches in the long run.

THis IS a project you can do yourself but you will need professional advice of face potential problems caused by ice dams etc.

Good Luck.

Snowman53