Insulate Attic Without Removing Flooring

Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.

Insulate attic without removing flooring.

Roughly a quarter of the average home s heat is lost through the roof. Some common insulation methods can actually cause long term damage. That means insulating the attic floor only not the walls and having vents in the roof. It may seem counterintuitive but while attic insulation is critical ventilation of the attic is equally important.

Stop using your attic for storage. I know we will need to remove the old insulation which was only r 19 maybe and replace it. Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new. If your existing attic flooring isn t adequate for conversion to a living space all is not lost.

Start with the attic floor. Upon inspection of the attic insulation we noticed that the underside was indeed wet. We have a ridge vent that runs the length of the house and also installed baffles in the attic for more airflow. Virtually any attic floor can be brought up to code it s just a matter of how much.

With a finished attic insulation must help keep the attic areas comfortable. How to insulate a finished attic. Without ventilation moisture can accumulate and condense eventually rotting. Insulating the attic and roof.

But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. Without removing the flooring you have the option of blowing loose fill insulation fiberglass or cellulose fiber over the top of the floor. 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. Laying devil s advocate the case for removing the insulation on the attic floor aka extraction is that leaving the insulation on the attic floor will work against the spray foam insulation on the roof deck.

A finished attic should be insulated much like the rest of the house with insulation in the walls and ceiling. The attic floor which is the ceiling of the living space below often already is insulated. If it is and you plan to provide heating and cooling to the finished attic space you need to remove. It will trap the heat up in the attic and the attic will get even hotter than it would without insulation on the attic floor.

This of course would preclude using the area for.