How do I know if my attic is safe?

How to answer: “Is my attic safe?”

Ensure your attic has a floor. An actual floor consists of floorboards that are secured by floor joists.
Check your insulation.
Have your electrical wires professionally inspected.
Clean attic vents and fans.
When to perform maintenance and repairs.

Why can I see joists through ceiling?

The basic cause is moisture that collects along the underside of ceiling joists or trusses, and sometimes along wall studs. The moisture is condensation that collects, usually in winter, because the joist areas have less insulation than the cavities surrounding them.

Is it safe to walk on attic joists?

If there is no floor, be careful on the joists If you don’t have a floor, you’ll have to walk on the joists. Not only is this a fall hazard, but it can also cause the joist to bow and crack the drywall below. This also means you don’t want to sit, stand, or kneel on one joist for too long.

How often should I look in my attic?

In addition to doing your own checkup, it’s a good idea to have a professional take a look at your attic every once in a while, even if it’s just once a year. If you have a trusted roofing contractor, ask about combining an attic inspection with your regular roofing inspection and maintenance plan.

Is attic air dangerous?

Attic air may contain contaminants, including mouse droppings, fiberglass, asbestos, and mold. If this contaminated air gets sucked into the living space, it can cause health problems for the occupants. Leaks of conditioned air from the home into an attic waste energy.

Can you see floor joists through ceiling?

Clearly visible lines on a ceiling could be due to faulty workmanship or substandard materials. The lines probably aren’t the actual joists, which are usually 16 or 24 inches apart. They are probably the joints where the drywall panels meet on specific joists.

Is attic insulation bad to breathe?

Improperly disturbing insulation can cause microscopic asbestos fibers to break away and become airborne which is dangerous to anyone in close proximity. The older asbestos is, the more likely it is to degrade with time and once fibers are inhaled it can cause serious health issues.

How big is a ceiling joist in an attic?

More times than not, the floor structure of an existing attic is actually a ceiling joist. Typically, ceiling joists are 2×6 or 2×8. They are designed to carry only the weight of the drywall (or plaster depending on the age of your home).

Do You need I-joists above attic flooring?

The engineer may recommend installing I-joists above, or alongside, the existing joists to add structural support. When houses are constructed, specific walls are selected to be load-bearing walls and designed to support the weight of the structure above them.

What’s the best way to test an unfinished attic?

When walking around on joists, spread your weight out. Only put one foot on one joist at a time. Then, have two other points of contact to keep your balance, even if it’s a rafter above your head. You should also minimize any other tripping hazards such as loose cables and wires, low hanging beams, exposed nails, and building scraps.

What do you need to know about attic flooring?

Bridging: If the existing joist system is very close to being sufficient to support a new attic flooring, the addition of bridging between the joists may be all that’s required. Bridging involves cutting new wood members and installing them perpendicularly between the existing joists. This serves to stabilize the joists and reduce sagging.

Can a 2×6 joist support attic flooring?

If your joists are 2x6s or 2x8s, they are not adequate for supporting attic flooring in a new living area (and the furnishings and humans who will use them). If the joists are larger, they might support attic flooring, but the only reliable way to know for sure is to have a structural engineer take a look at your attic support system.

What’s the best way to make attic joists?

Put 2×8 blocks at the third points, set at the midheight of the assembly and bridging the horizontal joint between top and bottom joists. Toenail the blocks or end-nail through the joists to tie everything together.

How often do you need to add gussets to attic joists?

I recommend three gusset pairs per joist at the quarter points – one about every 3 feet. Where they connect to both the top and bottom joists, each gusset pair will transfer approximately 100 pounds – that’s 50 psf of floor load times the 3-foot gusset spacing times the 16-inch joist spacing divided by the two joists.