Building An Attic Floor

Man installing fiberglass insulation in attic.

Building an attic floor.

Considering usable floor space. An attic sometimes referred to as a loft is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building. However you still need to be sensible when installing an attic floor. Screw the frame to the joists to secure it in place making sure not to screw into electrical wires.

Build a frame on 16 centers perpendicular to the attic floor joists. You ll have to construct a wooden frame or sub floor with boards 16 inches apart to provide extra support for the floor. The beams you ll be installing the subflooring on top of. If your home was built with standard conventional lumber your risk of causing structural imbalance isn t nearly as high.

The headroom in the attic will determine how much usable floor space you have. While local codes vary many communities will not permit the ceiling in a finished. To floor an attic you ll need to install a sub floor for support before laying your plywood floor. Joist dimensions are only part of the equation.

An attic may also be called a sky parlor or a garret because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the top floor of a building and the slanted roof they are known for being awkwardly shaped spaces with exposed rafters and difficult to reach corners. Building an attic floor over ceiling joists. In many cases ceiling joists for dead loads are designed to carry 10 pounds per square foot. Full the spaces between the frame members with insulation.

It provides a stable surface for finished flooring material such as laminate. You also need to ensure that the joist spacing is adequate. How to build a subfloor in an attic.