General DIY Attic Insulation

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up
IschKabibble

IschKabibble

TMMAC Addict
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
15,942
21,688
Years ago my parents hired a contractor friend to floor their attic for extra storage space. For some reason the guy wasn't considering the insulation and pushed aside three to four feet of fiberglass loose-fill to do the job. No insulation was laid between the celing drywall and plywood, so now the Florida summers consume the entire house to the point the AC can't keep up.

Red lines = space floored


While I'm sure there are ways to make their storage idea work (insulate rafters, install vent fan), I've decided to scrap the flooring altogether since they never even bothered to use the space. My original plan included pulling up the plywood and blasting the entire attic with a fresh layer of loose-fill, but now I'm wondering if I can get away with dumping the insulation overtop the plywood without removing it.

Any tips from the builders here?
 
ThatOneDude

ThatOneDude

Commander in @Chief, Dick Army
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
35,390
34,272
IschKabibble said:
Years ago my parents hired a contractor friend to floor their attic for extra storage space. For some reason the guy wasn't considering the insulation and pushed aside three to four feet of fiberglass loose-fill to do the job. No insulation was laid between the celing drywall and plywood, so now the Florida summers consume the entire house to the point the AC can't keep up.

Red lines = space floored


While I'm sure there are ways to make their storage idea work (insulate rafters, install vent fan), I've decided to scrap the flooring altogether since they never even bothered to use the space. My original plan included pulling up the plywood and blasting the entire attic with a fresh layer of loose-fill, but now I'm wondering if I can get away with dumping the insulation overtop the plywood without removing it.

Any tips from the builders here?
Click to expand...
You'll have an air gap if you just dump in on the floor boards.
I'm not a builder and don't know if it matters, but figured it'd be worth mentioning.
 
IschKabibble

IschKabibble

TMMAC Addict
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
15,942
21,688
ThatOneDude said:
You'll have an air gap if you just dump in on the floor boards.
I'm not a builder and don't know if it matters, but figured it'd be worth mentioning.
Click to expand...
Right. That's why I originally planned to pull up the floor first. Wouldn't mind skipping that step tbh.
 
Splinty

Splinty

Shake 'em off
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
44,116
91,096
IschKabibble said:
Right. That's why I originally planned to pull up the floor first. Wouldn't mind skipping that step tbh.
Click to expand...
You can blow in cellulose under the floorboards by removing some boards or cutting access points.
One concern is. How deep are your floor joists? Some old houses don't have very deep joists and if you blow in the insulation with those boards you are limiting the depth of insulation you can put. Then you might not get the R value expected or desired. So you might have to blow insulation on top of the floorboards themselves but you said they're not being used anyway. You don't want the air gaps
 
ShatsBassoon

ShatsBassoon

Throwing bombs & banging moms
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
18,555
33,607
Pull up the boards and insulate properly. That open space will be a cold void and create moisture problems and potentially mold. Especially if you ever get below freezing temperatures.

Alternatively you can drill spaced holes every so often to allow for spray foam which has the best r value and moisture protection
 
Splinty

Splinty

Shake 'em off
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
44,116
91,096
ShatsBassoon said:
Alternatively you can drill spaced holes every so often to allow for spray foam which has the best r value and moisture protection
Click to expand...
So just cans of spray foam?
So is there a downside to that?
Seems a drill and spray foam cans is the OPs easiest one man project in that case
 
ShatsBassoon

ShatsBassoon

Throwing bombs & banging moms
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
18,555
33,607
Splinty said:
So just cans of spray foam?
So is there a downside to that?
Seems a drill and spray foam cans is the OPs easiest one man project in that case
Click to expand...
I wouldn't buy the small cans. You'd go broke quick I'm fairly sure you can rent the big cannisters.
Personally I would just pull the boards up and put batts of insulatin down. He's in florida so I'm sure he doesnt need too much r value. R 20 would probably suffice.

Problem with drilling holes for spray foam is you wouldn't guarantee full coverage.
 
Sex Chicken

Sex Chicken

Exotic Dancer
Sep 8, 2015
25,819
59,498
I tried to have new insulation put in my attic a few months ago. When they showed up to spray it, they found mould, and told me I have to have all the old stuff removed and de-mold the walls before they could put new stuff in. Problem is they wanted 4 grand to do it. I bought all the anti-mold spray and a sprayer, I’m just procrastinating going up there and trying to remove all the old insulation by hand. It’s going to be a mother fucker of a job.
 
ShatsBassoon

ShatsBassoon

Throwing bombs & banging moms
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
18,555
33,607
Sex Chicken said:
I tried to have new insulation put in my attic a few months ago. When they showed up to spray it, they found mould, and told me I have to have all the old stuff removed and de-mold the walls before they could put new stuff in. Problem is they wanted 4 grand to do it. I bought all the anti-mold spray and a sprayer, I’m just procrastinating going up there and trying to remove all the old insulation by hand. It’s going to be a mother fucker of a job.
Click to expand...
Is it blown in insulation? Rent a dust collector and some hose. Blast that shit right into the back of the subaru
 
RaginCajun

RaginCajun

The Reigning Undisputed Monsters Tournament Champ
Oct 25, 2015
36,980
93,873
Sex Chicken said:
I tried to have new insulation put in my attic a few months ago. When they showed up to spray it, they found mould, and told me I have to have all the old stuff removed and de-mold the walls before they could put new stuff in. Problem is they wanted 4 grand to do it. I bought all the anti-mold spray and a sprayer, I’m just procrastinating going up there and trying to remove all the old insulation by hand. It’s going to be a mother fucker of a job.
Click to expand...
Don't do it. That mold is penicillin and is protecting your family like the fungus in the Mario Bros movie.


 
M

member 1013

Guest
IschKabibble said:
Years ago my parents hired a contractor friend to floor their attic for extra storage space. For some reason the guy wasn't considering the insulation and pushed aside three to four feet of fiberglass loose-fill to do the job. No insulation was laid between the celing drywall and plywood, so now the Florida summers consume the entire house to the point the AC can't keep up.

Red lines = space floored


While I'm sure there are ways to make their storage idea work (insulate rafters, install vent fan), I've decided to scrap the flooring altogether since they never even bothered to use the space. My original plan included pulling up the plywood and blasting the entire attic with a fresh layer of loose-fill, but now I'm wondering if I can get away with dumping the insulation overtop the plywood without removing it.

Any tips from the builders here?
Click to expand...
Do you like air pockets?!?!?
 
M

member 1013

Guest
Splinty said:
Have you seen @Lars hit a nail with hammer? He probably knows everything about carpentry
Click to expand...
While I am nationally licensed in both woodworking professions, I would never make such a claim. Carpentry is one of the oldest crafts we have, you can never learn it all. A true carpenter hesitates to even call himself good. Someone that goes around bragging about how good they are like ShatsBassoon @ShatsBassoon or Sex Chicken @Sex Chicken probably has a vastly inflated ego.
 
Hauler

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,609
57,944
IschKabibble said:
Years ago my parents hired a contractor friend to floor their attic for extra storage space. For some reason the guy wasn't considering the insulation and pushed aside three to four feet of fiberglass loose-fill to do the job. No insulation was laid between the celing drywall and plywood, so now the Florida summers consume the entire house to the point the AC can't keep up.

Red lines = space floored


While I'm sure there are ways to make their storage idea work (insulate rafters, install vent fan), I've decided to scrap the flooring altogether since they never even bothered to use the space. My original plan included pulling up the plywood and blasting the entire attic with a fresh layer of loose-fill, but now I'm wondering if I can get away with dumping the insulation overtop the plywood without removing it.

Any tips from the builders here?
Click to expand...
Fuck pulling that shit up. Just lay the new insulation on top of it if they aren't going to use it.
 
Hauler

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,609
57,944
Splinty said:
So just cans of spray foam?
So is there a downside to that?
Seems a drill and spray foam cans is the OPs easiest one man project in that case
Click to expand...
More expensive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom