Boarding Out An Attic
If they touch the insulation they lose their effectiveness so ensure they are fitted high enough.
Boarding out an attic. Before you start creating a floor for your attic you must make sure that it can handle the additional load. If you plan carefully and get the right materials you can install a floor in your attic. Loft boards are fitted by laying and securing them to the existing boards on the attic joists. Unless your loft or attic has been converted it is not designed to carry loads heavier than this.
Take measurements in metres this makes it easier when you are buying boards. If you fix the floor boards to the existing joists there will not be room for the insulation and if you squash the insulation you make it much less effective. As a result the insulation is unable to breathe and it can begin to collect moisture leading to damp. Add insulation at the same time to maximise the effect.
Bearing in mind it s a two man job the cost of boarding a loft sits between about 1 000 to 1 500 including materials. 2 400 x 600mm and 1 220 x 320mm. Standard boards are commonly available in two sizes. Loft boards loft panels and loft flooring in the loft or attic must only be done to store items such as empty suitcases.
The table s below giv e you estimates of how much you ll pay a professional. Use loft boards to create a barrier in your attic to stop heat escaping. As standard boarding is placed onto the joists of your roof or onto raised timber this will inevitably squash your insulation to a greater or lesser degree. The down side to this is that boarding out a loft or attic floor is made more difficult with an increased depth of loft or attic insulation.
Squashing loft insulation stops it from working the loftzone s. Then you ll need to build a grid like structure that can hold up the plywood flooring. Find out how to build a strong diy storage deck above your insulation in your loft or attic. Boarding out your loft can provide a safe and clean storage space for all your boxes of memories christmas decorations extra clothes and anything else you can t bear to part with.
Measure the area you plan to board out multiply the width of the loft by its length. In order to properly board your loft you ll need a jigsaw and workbench hammer screwdrivers drill tape measure and pencil.