Hello,
A carpenter recently told me that I could buy that pink fiberglass insulation and just lay it down (pink side down) on the floor of my attic since I never go up there and don't use the attic for anything, rather than paying someone to tear up the floor and put the insulation down and then put the floor back.
That sounds too good to be true, but I guess I have to hear it from someone else in order to believe that it's truly a bad idea.
Any takers?
Lesley
My only issue would be that "Pink side down"
If it is the usual attic insulation, it will be pink on all six sides and it will not matter what side is down. If it has one side with a vapor barrier, then that side towards the warm surface. In the colder parts of the world and the US that means down towards the living area. In some more tropical areas including some of the south of the US, that means the other way around.
In any case, yes it can be that easy.
I guess it is a living space or closed-not vented to the outside attic. You could put insulation down but I would consider the fiberglass wrapped in plastic to keep dust down. If you have Ac or forced air heat you still could pull fiberglass into your house. Foamboard would eliminate that issue.
You can certainly do it that way, but as someone else indicated, use the plastic wrapped batts for better effect.
As an alternative you should be able to insulate under the floor using blown in insulation and removing only a few strategically located boards if it's an old T&G floor, or drilling strategic holes as you would for a normal wall cavity.
Pete C.
Did the carpenter say there might be insulation under the "floor" already? Is this a full or partially covered area and can you see insulation already? I've never seen an entire "attic" completely covered with flooring, unless it was converted into a living space. Once I did have an attic with a stairway and door access, but still the attic was only partially covered with flooring (wood)...
I would ask the carpenter a few more questions about his conclusions.
Oren
In older homes with large walk up attics with windows it is not at all unusual to have a fully decked T&G floor.
Pete C.
If it was mine I would have insulation blown in under the flooring...but anyway... my only problem with your idea is this.....
I wonder if the outer edges of the floor...where it meets the roof might need for the floor to be cut and have insulation stuffed into the area where the joist bay meets the roof... know what I mean.... under the flooring at the very outer edges... it might be neccesary to insulate there just as precation to keep any cold air from leaking in between the flooring and the ceiling.
just a thought.
A whole floored attic of storage space...making me drool....~:>
There is no insulation under the floor. This attic is completely covered with flooring. I think the person who used to own this house used the attic, probably not in the summer though as it would be too hot. It's carpeted too (really thin, cheap carpet). It's a walk-up attic with windows. I once considered using it as some kind of room, but this house is too big for me as it is. I have no need for another room!
I'm very happy to hear that I can really just lay down the insulation! That means I can do it myself! How exciting!
Lesley
Can't I just shove some insulation in those corners really tight so that part of it folds up into the roof part? Maybe it won't be perfect, but it will be a hell of a lot better than NO INSULATION, which is what I had LAST WINTER!! I really don't want to pull up the floor if I don't have to. . .
Lesley
Actually, HE didn't say 'pink side down'; I just added that in there because I assumed that's the way I'd do it. Is it better to get the kind with the vapor barrier or the kind that is pink all over? Is one better than the other? I've only seen the kind with the vapor barrier.
Lesley
Insulating against the roof can lead to ice dams:( and nasty interior floods:(
The insulation acts as a heat conductor from the warmth below to the roof above.....
Attic insulation normally comes in 24" wide rolls and has no vapor barrier. It is also thicker than the insulation for walls.
Pete C.
You only want ONE vapor barrier. You want it on the correct side as explained above. If one exist below the floor with some insulation above it you do NOT want to add another vapor barrier.
I would think this would be worse with no insulation. Snow falls on a roof and melts, and the water runs down and freezes over the eaves, with less attic heat to keep it melted.
Insulation under the roof would improve this, and insulation in the attic floor with ventilation above would be better still.
Nick
Hey Nick! This is EXACTLY what happens in the winter!! Except no interior flooding, but there is terrible freezing outdoors at the bottom of the roof. I had no idea this was related to the fact that I had no insulation!
Perhaps it would be best if I hired a professional to insulate my attic. I mean, it sounds like there is a lot going on here and I can't possibly ask the right questions because I am clueless about the interconnectedness of all of these things. . .
Lesley
That's not so. Of the six sides, if you put it end side down, the insulation will reach to the roof and 5 or 10 feet higher.
That's if you unroll it. If you don't, it will just sit like a coil on the floor.
If you put it edge side down, it might fall over, but if you use enough pieces so that it can lean against itself, she'll have 24 more inches of insulation. That should be enough.
Yea, but just think of the insulation value. :-)
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