Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Does attic flooring secure a roof?
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jrl1235
10-04-05, 07:44 PM
I've got a 60-year old house with very poor attic insulation; I intend to replace it. The attic ceiling is low (4 feet at its peak) and a good half of the attic has plywood nailed to the rafters. I will have to pull up the plywood sheets in order to remove/reinsulate.
My question is this: does nailed plywood flooring in any way secure the roofing (e.g. by preventing the A-shaped roof from flattening), and do I risk anything (short or long term) by NOT replacing the boards and nailing them down?
My question is this: does nailed plywood flooring in any way secure the roofing (e.g. by preventing the A-shaped roof from flattening), and do I risk anything (short or long term) by NOT replacing the boards and nailing them down?
BKshaw23
10-05-05, 08:11 PM
I've got a 60-year old house with very poor attic insulation; I intend to replace it. The attic ceiling is low (4 feet at its peak) and a good half of the attic has plywood nailed to the rafters. I will have to pull up the plywood sheets in order to remove/reinsulate.
My question is this: does nailed plywood flooring in any way secure the roofing (e.g. by preventing the A-shaped roof from flattening), and do I risk anything (short or long term) by NOT replacing the boards and nailing them down?
First of all, to answer your question about the flooring..... it should be fine to remove the flooring in your attic. It in no way should affect the structual integrity of your house. Second there is really no reason to do so. An insulation contractor can install blown insulation under the flooring to keep you from taking it up. We feed our hose under the flooring and it works just fine. If you have any other question please let me know. Thanks.
My question is this: does nailed plywood flooring in any way secure the roofing (e.g. by preventing the A-shaped roof from flattening), and do I risk anything (short or long term) by NOT replacing the boards and nailing them down?
First of all, to answer your question about the flooring..... it should be fine to remove the flooring in your attic. It in no way should affect the structual integrity of your house. Second there is really no reason to do so. An insulation contractor can install blown insulation under the flooring to keep you from taking it up. We feed our hose under the flooring and it works just fine. If you have any other question please let me know. Thanks.
Cerestes
10-07-05, 05:47 PM
The issue with this, is you're very limited to the amount of insulation you can put under the plywood. 6" of Cellulose may be R18 or so, more/less depending on if its dense packed or not. Removing the plywood lets you blow in a greater R value.
In some areas, code will require access to various things that can be placed in an attic. Say a furnace or hot water heater. You don't want ten feet of 24 inch deep cellulose between you and your water heater when it goes out.
If nothing is on the attic, I'm not aware of a reason (other than storage) to have the plywood there at all. Then again, I'm just a DIYer, so someone with professional experience may know more.
In some areas, code will require access to various things that can be placed in an attic. Say a furnace or hot water heater. You don't want ten feet of 24 inch deep cellulose between you and your water heater when it goes out.
If nothing is on the attic, I'm not aware of a reason (other than storage) to have the plywood there at all. Then again, I'm just a DIYer, so someone with professional experience may know more.