Attic rehab need help with soffit sealing cleaning interior wood on roof and prepping walls for whitewash

[Harry Palmer]

Hi all

we have a brick Victorian in Chicago and we have a big attic that we want to convert into a living space. I'd like to ask for ANY help advice or warnings that you folks could offer me.

A description of the area

the floor plan is 60 feet long by 25 feet wide. it is enclosed by a double brick wall which on one LENGTH varies between 5 feet high down to 2 feet and on the other side is a consistent 3 feet high

the apex of the PITCHED roof is about 12' - 14' and the pitch seems go up 1 foot for every foot.

the roof has exposed rafters which extend down to the brick wall.

the floor is some kind of wood but it's too dirty to figure out what it is and it has gaps between the planking.

Our intention

we want to clean all the brick, seal it and paint it white to brighten up the area, we have enough exposed brick elsewhere. Any advise on this process including tools, cleaning approaches etc, would be great.

we want to clean the wooden planks that are on the underside of the roof, it's looks pretty good but is dirty, again any cleaning advice for the UNDERSIDE of a roof would be great.

thanks in advance for any help

Harry Palmer

[Harry Palmer]

Sorry I forgot the soffit problem.

The top of the knee wall has a gap that you can see the outside from between the slate and the brick. We want to seal this gap, could we just put insulation matting in there? Thanks in advance

[John Reddy]

Those gaps are there for ventilation. Do not seal them or you will have all kinds of problems.

[Harry Palmer]

I want to turn it into a living area what can we do to ventilate and ensure there are no drafts? Thanks for your help.

[marson]

You might get away with sealing those gaps, but I would be sure that you don't close something up that you can't monitor. I'd guess an old roof with shiplap and asphalt shingles will probably breath well enough that you won't have problems with condensation, especially if your whole house is leaky. I live in an old house that has no roof ventilation whatsoever, and no condensation forms in the attic--but you will need to monitor this. Go up in the winter and look for signs of condensation/frost.

However, using the bottom of the roof sheathing as a finished surface does not seem practical. Isn't it going to cook up there in the summer and freeze in the winter? To make it livable, I would think you would need a ventilation space next to the sheathing, then insulation and vapor barrier, and finally drywall or panelling or something.

[Harry Palmer]

thanks Marson for your advice. You've made me reconsider going it alone on this one and seeking expert advice. Thanks.