Finished Attic Space Insulation

Uses of the finished attic space range from office and playroom to full bed and bath.

Finished attic space insulation.

Staple insulation between the wall studs and ceiling joists image a. Use r 30 insulation for the ceiling and r 13 for the walls. If it is and you plan to provide heating and cooling to the finished attic space you need to remove. It needs a certain amount of loft to work properly.

Don t mash or compress the insulation into the space. Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. In the chicago area berg sees many homes where space is limited and the only way to expand is up. If your home is smaller than other homes in your area or simply lacks the necessary amount of storage or living space for your family finishing your attic is a relatively inexpensive way to increase your usable space.

Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. A finished attic should be insulated much like the rest of the house with insulation in the walls and ceiling. Insulation goes between roof and interior space if your attic is already finished it probably is at least partially insulated. It makes the living space more ah livable especially if you re adding a bedroom.

Finished is important to remember when you re measuring an empty attic space. Flooring ceiling and wall materials and other elements will reduce headroom and floor space and it s the finished area that matters. But there aren t many buyers who consider climbing multiple sets of stairs a day on their list of must haves. If building a knee wall for storage like karl did with this project make sure to insulate that area as well.

The basic space requirements for a finished attic boil down to the sizes of the finished rooms. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. Without properly insulating your finished attic room will also be cold in the winter. The attic floor which is the ceiling of the living space below often already is insulated.

Converting your attic into usable finished space can increase the value of your home by maximizing the available square footage. How to use your finished attic space. Since parts of a finished attic are usually very close to the roof insulation often blocks proper ventilation that is needed under a roof structure. But even if you re using it as an activity room or office a bathroom makes the space more comfortable and it ll improve resale value.

To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes. Without properly ventilating the roof your finished space can be just as unpleasant as an unfinished attic.