Putting Up Attic Ceiling Joists

Positioning the new joist adjacent to the existing preserves precious ceiling but it does come with some potential complications.

Putting up attic ceiling joists.

How to put insulation in a ceiling before drywall. You ll have to remove the entire roof structure to vault the ceilings. If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists. If you have an attic there are quick ways to insulate the ceiling from above after drywalling it.

If you see a complicated framework of 2x4s held together with perforated metal plates your roof is framed with trusses. Add weatherstripping around the perimeter and a sweep to the door of a walk up attic. I need to convert an attic to livable space with minimal disruption to first floor habitation. Rather than sistering in deeper members which would involve moving wiring can i stack new 2x6s on top of the existing ones.

Pull down stair or ladder. Installing styrofoam ceiling tiles is one of the easiest ways to change an ugly ceiling into a beautiful one. The beauty is that there are a number of different patterns available and they are not expensive. The recommended level for most attics.

Affix rigid foam insulation to the attic side of the hatch or door. Addition of engineered i joists. The existing ceiling joists are 2x6s clear spanning about 11 feet 3 inches. How to vault a ceiling.

The ceiling tiles attach directly to the existing ceiling using an adhesive. If your attic insulation covers your joists and is distributed evenly you probably have enough. Insulation levels are specified by r value. First head to the attic.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. If you don t have an attic however there is. How much should i add. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat flow.

Often existing joist bays are filled with electrical and heating ducts that will need to be relocated. Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist. Attic hatch or door. Sistering installing new larger joists next to the existing ones is one way to bring your attic floor up to code.

In the case of 2x6 joists you can pair them up with additional 2x6 joists by nailing them together side by side. To prevent sag in 2x6 s and strengthen at same time you could secure lengths of stainless steel or galvanized cable attach at each end of individual ceiling joists have cable go over a one or two spreaders or strut projecting down from the underside of the ceiling joist maybe 12 14 or so as not to lose too much headroom these could.