Add Insulation To Floors In Conditioned Attic

To increase the energy efficiency of your home insulate all exterior walls and floors that separate conditioned spaces from unconditioned spaces such as the attic crawlspaces and the garage.

Add insulation to floors in conditioned attic.

In unfinished attic spaces insulate between and over the floor joists to seal off living spaces below. However if you keep the storage weight to a minimum you may be able to build a storage platform above the insulation by attaching supporting beams to the sides of the trusses. Fill all cracks or openings with insulation. Seems to me the only reason to create a conditioned attic is to bring the hvac system and ductwork into the thermal envelope of the home.

1a attic access door. Block all vents in the attic floor with baffles making sure to extend the baffles at least four inches above the planned thickness of your insulation. Allison you said a conditioned attic is cooler with floor insulation than without. Find a diagram of common air leaks here here s a quick primer on fixing draft prone spots.

Creating a conditioned attic without a hvac unit in the attic. Most attics are insulated with blown in loose cellulose r 3 5 per inch blown in loose fiberglass r 2 5 per inch or fiberglass batts r 3 2 per inch. Even if you only insulate key rooms you ll notice a difference. Gaps in the attic or between the lower floors and the attic will let heated or cooled air escape to the great unconditioned outdoors making any insulation you add essentially useless.

Even easier you can also use a prefabricated attic floor kit designed specifically to raise the attic floor above the insulation. In a cooling climate a good blanket of attic insulation helps keep the house cooler and reduces the load on air conditioning equipment. If there is no hvac in the attic why not just air seal and insulate at the attic level much easier and less expensive. 3 have a friend add material to the hopper.

If the air distribution is in the attic space then consider insulating the rafters to move the distribution into the conditioned space. If you need regular access to your attic it makes sense to build a catwalk before you insulate the floor of your attic. These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation. You also said humidity inside the house is higher than outdoors.

Since the ac supply vents are all in the house and the roof receives nearly all the solar heat load how is this the case. To build a catwalk you would usually elevate a section of the framing perhaps with 2x6s installed at 90 degrees to the joists and you would install osb or plywood on top of the elevated framing.