Questions tagged [attic]
Attics (also called "lofts") are the space immediately below a house's roof.
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Will this attic insulation plan close off the option of a whole-house fan for summer cooling?
Some house context: apx. 1300sq.ft. built in 1960, block basement foundation and stick frame, asphalt roof in a relatively rural setting with high winds in plant hardiness zone 6. We usually cool by ...
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How to protect big bundle of NM cable near attic scuttle hole?
I want to relocate my attic scuttle hole to my hallway. However, there is a huge number of NM electric cables (I count 10) running next to this location, currently stapled to a major support beam ...
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Is it worth adding 2x6s to allow thicker insulation in an attic? [closed]
I am finishing my attic and I live in Southeast Michigan (zone 5). I have installed baffles and I have narrowed down my insulation choices to a few options.
Option 1 would be very similar to what is ...
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Removing blown-in insulation and instead add insulation in rafters [closed]
I have an attic that originally had blown-in fiberglass insulation, with an additional layer of loosefill wool insulation added on top. This totaled up to a depth of 16 inches, which has an R-value of ...
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Weatherize old multifamily building against extreme heat
I live in a medium-size co-op apartment building from the 1920s (30+ units, 3 story, in Seattle). As extreme weather events have intensified in recent years, we have gotten more interested in ...
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Question about air sealing soffit/eave area for bugs and temperature
I have a 2006 house, which is not a great vintage, but generally very solid. In the rumpus room above my garage, there are two knee-wall closets. Despite having ample fiberglass insulation, these ...
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Can I remove this cross piece in my attic?
Every time I go up into the loft, I whack my head on the lower crossbeam.
I can't see any purpose in it; it is attached with a single nail either side and no actual joints, so presumably it can't be ...
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Attic air sealing new construction
What is the best practice for attic air sealing when it's new construction?
In my jurisdiction I have to get my insulation HERS (California's new Home Energy Rating System) inspected before I can ...
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Rerouting routing home run wiring from the crawlspace to the attic
Then wiring in my house is old, much of it cloth wiring. The electrical cabling goes from an outdoor main panel down a conduit into the ground and comes out in the crawlspace. I'm wanting to rewire a ...
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I have a gooseneck vent on my roof connected to nothing. Im told the purpose of the gooseneck is for attic exhaust ventilation. Is that correct?
Condominium development. ALL or most a/C units cannot keep 1220 square ft cool. I believe it is due to the only exhaust vent for attic is the current gooseneck vent that is sitting on the roof. Going ...
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What kind of light can I put in my attic?
I live in California. I have an attic that is accessible via a ceiling hatch. The attic is not big enough to stand up in. I added some storage to the attic by laying down a few small sheets of ...
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Is there any point in adding insulation to just part of the attic?
Background: One room in our house is consistently 3-4 degrees colder. I’ve gotten quotes from a few insulation companies, who recommended insulating the basement rim joists and adding insulation to ...
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Why does some insulation come in 1200mm widths?
Why is Knauf loft roll 1140mm and Rockwool 1200mm wide? I gather either 400mm or 600mm gaps between joists are standard, so if you split the Knauf in three that seems slightly too narrow.
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Loft insulation
I want to add loft insulation. The joists have 400mm gaps between and are 75mm high. There is no product which precisely matches this which I can find. Some have suggested adding 25mm battens to the ...
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Would there be any code requirements in the way of leaving roof trusses and attic above a habitable room exposed for an industrial look.?
I am working on remodelling my house and want exposed ceilings in some rooms. The roof was recently replaced and r-35 insulation was installed above my roof decking. All interior walls were framed and ...
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Water running down beam [closed]
Water is leaking and running down a beam and is collecting collecting near the bedroom. I can't fix the leak right now.
Is there any way I can temporarily stop the water from flowing down the beam? ...
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Loose and missing struts(?) in attic roof
There appears to be loose (3 of them) and missing struts - two of the struts are lying on the ceiling.
Should I get them fixed quickly? We live in NJ where there is snow load on the roof.
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Can you use Greenguard for an attic access insulation cover
My understanding is that Greenguard needs to be covered by a thermal barrier like drywall when you install it. Is there a way to use a leftover piece of Greenguard to make an attic access insulation ...
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Easiest way to Airseal an attic space
House got gutted by a fire and now all of it has been demo'd down to the framing and the exterior sheathing. Location is Albuquerque.
We are looking at the easiest way to air seal the attic space. ...
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Why are nails showing in my attic after new roof was installed?
I live in Northwestern Florida (Crestview), and I never go in my attic during the summer because it's tooo hot.
In July we got a new roof and solar panels. I had to go in the attic to retrieve ...
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attic flooring above garage
I'm planning to have simple storage on the attic above the garage.
The size of beam I measured is 2x6 and around 11 inches apart. I will only work on the 2/3 of space to avoid the area with wires.
I'm ...
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Does a Junction Box in the Attic Need to be Covered
I've recently had a kitchen renovation done - actually swapping the kitchen and dining rooms. The electricians were subs working for the company doing the reno.
They ran some new circuits for the ...
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How should I insulate this gap between my floor joists?
I have a finished room over half of my garage. The unfinished space is attic storage and not insulated.
The room is generally colder than the rest of our house and I think a big reason Is the open ...
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Storing extra tile/carpet In my attic
I recently re-did my whole house flooring (carpet in bedrooms, tile everywhere else) and have some extra materials that I would like to save in case a tile chips/carpet needs repaired. My garage is ...
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What insulation should I use in the ceiling of my attic
I'm currently finishing my attic and I am wondering what insulation I should use in the ceiling. I was planning on using R38 or higher in the vertical and horizontal sections but in the angled ...
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Attic ceiling does not have rafter vents... Any way to install them without pulling drywall?
The space between the drywall and the roof surface only has fiberglass insulation... No rafter vents to help the air from the crawl space along the walls to the roof ridge vent.
I am wondering if ...
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Should I baffle and vent hot air back into the house if there is an open air exhaust fan?
We recently installed balcony skylights in our western-facing, semi-finished attic "bonus room". Part of the ceiling was cut away and LVL beams were instaled at the hips and joining rafters ...
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When considering a swing-down attic ladder, is landing space typically a maximum or minimum value?
I'm looking at installing an attic ladder in my garage. I'm just getting the fuzzy feelings of "I would like to do this project" so I don't have a whole lot of specifics, but in doing the ...
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using PIR over joists in loft space
I have 100mm glass fibre between the joists in the loft - which I want to keep as a cold loft, ie insulation on the floor of the loft space. Is it possible to lay a good thickness of PIR (Kingspan) ...
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Is a fully vented exhaust fan required for bathrooms in Virginia?
Lurking for years so thanks for all the great info!
In our master bathroom there is a small water closet that just has the toilet (about 6' x 3'). The WC and the tub area both have exhaust fans that ...
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Unexpected vent configuration for attic gable exhaust fan
I live in a US home built in 1950. I recently found out our attic gable exhaust fan has died. OK, no worries, I’ll just swap the fan and we’re done here.
However I was surprised to find the fan doesn’...
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Does my loft bed need diagonal supports?
I'm building my son a loft bed. I'm trying to make it really sturdy because he has a tendency to break things.
Each leg will be two 2x6s (brown in picture) joined with pocket holes. In the inside ...
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Insulation in loft between joists - UK
I am currently doing some tidying up in the loft and I'd like to replace the old insulation.
The current insulation is glass wool, it is missing some chunks and has gaps, it has compacted in places, ...
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Type of wire to run for mini split AC
I am installing a mini split AC 18k BTU in a bedroom which is across the house from the electrical panel.
The AC requirs a 20 amp breaker (240V) and at 120' run I'm planning to use 10 awg wire. My ...
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Discovered my bathroom exhaust fan has no ventilation, what do I do?
Asking for help or advice on how I should run the new ducting for the existing bathroom exhaust fan. Whether I should run the ducting to the soffit, siding or roof? I would also ask for "Pros&...
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Remove attic 1x4 bracing in 1950s house
New to the forum, so please let me know if there's any other info that would be helpful here. I'm currently a DIYer, but have been in construction on and off for 10yrs, but never on the structural/...
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Can you install loft flooring on rafter ties?
I'm looking to floor the loft of my house for some light storage (mostly decorations and clothes) and have a potential idea that would not only give a better finished result but also save some time ...
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Insulating loft rafters vs ventilation
We live in a detached house in the South of England. We would like to install insulation between our rafters to improve the insulation of our house - so it becomes a "warm loft". We are not ...
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Finished attic Framing
Can the drywall be installed all the way up to the ridge beam for a cathedral ceiling ? Or , should there be a collar tie that would double-up as a drywall backing ?
More info
This is a Cape-Cod ...
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Possible wood defect in roof space
Recently purchased house in Western Australia, 20 years old.
Roofspace wood has several pieces of timber with black charred looked defects. All appears structural sound… I just want to know what the ...
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Attic space above garage - insulation
I am a first-time homeowner, and one of the points in my home inspection report reads:
Garage: install proper attic hatch doors, weather stripping and
insulate.
Here is what the garage attic hatches ...
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How to match R value of an attic hatch to the overall attic R value?
I am a first-time homeowner and am going through my inspection report to address all issues found. One of them is about attic. It says:
Match R-value of the hatch to overall attic R-value. Upgrade ...
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Formed polyurethane blocks in attic
We have formed (greenish coloured) polyurethane blocks leftover after a new building basement construction. My husband would like to throw these blocks into our attic for added insulation. is this a ...
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Insulate attic above new bathroom?
I'm remodeling a bathroom on the upper level of our house and have a couple of questions about attic insulation as it relates to (a) humidity from the bathroom and (b) the rain shower head pipe that ...
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Townhouse and shared wall air sealing
My townhouse has a basement, 1st floor, 2nd floor, attic. There is a shared cinderblock wall with my neighbor. In the attic at the wall, there appears to be a gap between this wall and the framing ...
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attic romex wiring
there are some long romex wires in my attic. How can I figure out what they go to? HOw can I figure out if there is power in the wire?
I want to add a ceiling fan, but there is no easy rout to the ...
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Does my roof have soffit ventilation and do I need to install baffles prior to blowing in insulation?
Edit: As it turns out, my soffit vents are decorative only. I pried open the soffit in 2 different areas, and there is continuous solid wood behind it. How is the attic getting ventilated then?
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Truss was cut when installing attic ladder
I noticed that one of the trusses in my garage ceiling were cut/modified to fit an attic ladder. What can I do to fix this? Thank you.
Also, plywood sheets were installed for storage. Can I use the ...
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Removing a rafter [closed]
I have a small opening between my main loft space and the loft space of my extension (I have to turn sideways to get between the loft spaces). I wish to create a larger connection between loft spaces ...
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Do I need to vent my sealed attic?
Edit: Updated with responses
The house in question is a 2-story w/ basement, with a two-zone (ground floor, and upstairs) HVAC system in NY. There is an attic with a ladder(*) housing the upstairs ...
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