Water pipes in attic insulation help


  #1  
Old 01-08-16, 11:03 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 36
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Cool Water pipes in attic insulation help

Hi all,

In our home we do not have a basement or crawl space so our water pipes are ran through our attic. Wisconsin weather gets cold and in years past the pipes have frozen, luckily, they did not burst. We put the electric tape around the pipe and plugs in to thaw it. It hasn't been cold enough this year for any issues, but it is supposed to get cold soon.

I want to know what I can do to stop me from having to worry about this pipe freezing in the attic. How can I insulate it properly and also insulate our attic better to keep our house warmer. Right now there is some type of loose material as insulation. This house was built in 1965.

I have also stored a dozen our so boxes in the attic laid across the beams which you can walk on. Nothing heavy, but would still like to be able to use the attic as some sort of storage as we are very limited on space in our home.

Any ideas on what I can do or where to begin would be greatly appreciated. I can do everything myself if given instructions.

Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 01-09-16, 12:14 AM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,929
Received 3,950 Upvotes on 3,543 Posts
Where are the pipes located in the attic ?
Are they just above the ceiling and under insulation or running over the top of joists ?

A few pictures of your attic would be helpful to us. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
 
  #3  
Old 01-09-16, 09:01 AM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 36
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Good morning PJmax,

Thanks for your reply. The pipes are running over the joists. There is the roll-out insulation laid over the top of the water pipe running the length of the pipe through the attic, but that didn't seem to help when it gets very cold outside.

I will take some pictures of the attic this morning and post back on here shortly to give you a better idea of what I am trying to work with.
 
  #4  
Old 01-09-16, 01:46 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 961
Received 109 Upvotes on 97 Posts
Sealing and insulating can be a substantial effort but very satisfying. In terms of storage you can create space on the attic floor provided you stay above the insulation - no compression. For example, you can add height to the joists. Shelves can be an alternative.
 

Last edited by Tony P.; 01-09-16 at 01:49 PM. Reason: Addition
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: