Attic Ceilings Finishing

Make sure the fill s depth is uniform across the attic.

Attic ceilings finishing.

When done without proper planning or adherence to local building codes it can actually reduce the value of your home or stall a sale. Most codes require a specified minimum amount of headroom and it s tough to meet this requirement when insulating a finished attic especially since most codes require insulation equal to r 38 or more. Run the plywood down to the top of the knee wall. Use screws to attach sheets of birch plywood to the angled ceiling over the insulation making sure to drive the screws into the ceiling joists.

Now let s read about the steps for properly finishing the attic walls and ceiling. To make it easy to eyeball how level the material is as you blow it in screw depth guides to joists throughout the space. The attic floor which is the ceiling of the living space below often already is insulated. In general stairs must be at least 3 feet wide and provide at least 6 feet 8 inches of headroom.

Step 1 framing of the top and sides of the knee wall. Select attic lighting photo by alan shortall. A bedroom dressing area and master bathroom. Stairs can take up a lot of space in both the attic and in the floor below so they are important considerations for planning.

The plywood will create a smooth strong ceiling without having to apply drywall tape and mud to the ceiling. Finishing your attic can add space and utility and increase the value of your home as long as it s done properly. To give the bathroom a spa like feel luxe features were added like a soaker tub a frameless shower enclosure a new toilet complete with heated seat and led lights marble and glass mosaic tiles and a crystal chandelier. Finished attics need stairs that meet all of the standard staircase requirements.

Here are some must do tips to follow when finishing your attic. In the first step a knee wall is installed. Put in a ceiling fan for better climate control photo by william enos. For a finished attic to be to code it must satisfy the same living requirements of other rooms sometimes called the rule of sevens any living space in a home needs to have at least 7 feet 2 1 m of clearance from the floor to the ceiling and there needs to be at least 70 square feet of space available at least 7 feet 2 1 m in each direction.

Flip the reverse switch in wintertime and it will push warmer air down to keep you cozy. Step 1 check the ceiling height. 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. If it is and you plan to provide heating and cooling to the finished attic space you need to remove.

At least 50 step 2 make sure the attic has a full size staircase. This attic was divided into three zones. The location of the top of the knee is marked and after checking the level long boards are attached to the ceiling joists.