If you have an attic with joists measuring over 16 inches or reaching 24 inches OC, this is not ideal for the installation of flooring or converting your attic into a livable space. However, if you hire a contractor, they can offer advice on how to increase the structural support to get it there.
To assess your attic's weight capacity, examine the attic joists and trusses. Measure joist specifications, identify truss designs, check material quality, and consider the structure's age.
Look in the attic.
In unfinished attics where the frame of the house is exposed, it's easier to see where the beams connect. Follow the wall stud into the attic and see if it aligns with the joist. If the vertical stud runs perpendicular to the horizontal joist, there's a good chance it's load bearing.
Yes, provided it has an actual floor. Many attics are unfinished and what people perceive as an attic floor is really the ceilings of the rooms below. If that's the case, then no, it is just drywall and it will not support very much weight at all.
Take careful precautions in an unfinished attic
Some of the warning signs include: An attic “floor” that lacks floorboards and floor joists (make sure to walk only on the joists, which requires stable balance) There is obvious evidence of water damage, mold, or mildew growth.
Unfloored attic spaces offer very few safe places to walk and one misplaced step can leave your lower half hanging through somebody's bedroom ceiling, or worse yet, laying on the floor below. Aside from severe injuries that can occur, there will be unforeseen repair costs.
Looking across your attic, if the insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists, you probably need to add more insulation. If you cannot see any of the floor joists because the insulation is well above them, you probably have enough, and adding more insulation may not be cost-effective.
Regular attic joists will support around 40kg per square metre. If you are looking to store a heavier load, you will need to replace your boards with stronger ones that are equipped to hold those heavier loads.
First of all, converting your attic into a living space must meet local building codes and regulations. This means you may need to hire an engineer to ensure the structural integrity of the space. You may also need to work on your home's electrical and HVAC infrastructure.
The cost of attic flooring will depend on the current state of the attic and what materials you choose. Replacing floor joists to beef up the strength will cost anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000, while installing subfloor will run between $500 and $800.
Look at the Direction of the Ceiling Joists
If the ceiling joists run perpendicular (90 degrees) to the wall, the wall is load-bearing, as it's bearing the weight of the ceiling joists. If the joists run parallel to the wall, the wall may not be load-bearing.
Check the Floor Framing for Structural Safety
The spaces between joists are often filled with insulation and cannot bear weight at all. Consider reinforcing your attic floor if you plan to use your attic as a storage space. One way to do this is by adding a layer of plywood over the joists.
Use a spirit level (the longer, the better) and lay it on the floor. Look to see whether the bubble is central. You can measure your slope by lifting the spirit level until the bubble is central and then measuring the gap between the level and the floor.
For an attic to be structurally sound and able to transition into a habitable space, you need 2x10 or 2x12 joists. Most homes with a walk-up attic will have these larger joists. Smaller 2x6 and 2x8 joists are not safe for supporting furniture and people for a livable attic space.
New build home roof trusses are designed and built to support the weight of the roof structure, storage items and an individual accessing and moving around in the loft. It is recommended that no more than 25Kg per square metre is stored in the loft to avoid over loading the structure.
To summarise, and to be on the safe side, unless you know that your joists are stronger, we recommend loading your loft flooring with no more than 25kg of stored items per square metre, plus the weight of one person accessing them.
Reach out to your local municipality to see if you need a permit for your attic remodel. A permit is usually only needed if: You are adding electrical wiring or ventilation. You plan to change the structure of your home in the process, such as knocking down an existing wall or adding a dormer.
The floor of a loft is usually designed to support the weight of a person moving around to access items stored in the loft. But when you add weight to this, it can cause the floor to weaken, and eventually, it could even collapse. This is why loft reinforcement is necessary.
We surveyed 2,000 people in the U.S. to find out what rooms rank as the scariest. Can you guess what the scariest room of the home for most people is? If you guessed the basement, you are correct!
As energy efficiency moves to the forefront of priorities for homeowners and buyers, attic insulation has become increasingly important. Homes that lack adequate insulation in attics are at risk for a range of expensive and irreversible impacts like water damage and heat or cold air loss.
Walking in an Insulated Attic
Walking in an attic with insulation on the floor requires a careful balance between maintaining the insulation's effectiveness and modifying the space for safety and utility.