Be cautioned though that even with insulation hardwood flooring will cause a lot of foot traffic noise to the floor below.
What to use for attic flooring.
Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new.
You can for instance use recycled materials.
Alternatively your attic may already have some sort of floor but this doesn t necessarily mean you can build rooms.
This type of attic flooring will provide storage space for overflow items and seasonal items but it won t pass muster as a living space floor.
But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates.
Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.
This allows the full depth of attic insulation to work as intended.
The decision regarding the thickness of plywood to use for the subfloor in the attic has a lot to do with how you intend to use the attic and it also depends on the spacing of the ceiling joists.
The previous homeowner may have simply covered the joists with plywood to use the space for storage.
Attics with existing flooring.
If your intent is to use the attic for a purpose other than storage you will need to consider a more finished look.
It s possible to create a solid floor without investing a lot of money.
Stop using your attic for storage.
Plus two notches are cut out for wiring on each side of panels.
For example loftzone storefloor is lightweight and very easy to install.
They also eliminate the risk of sagging joists which can happen with heavier solid flooring materials.
Adding a floor to an attic can increase storage space or create a new room.
Loftzone raises the height of the lower chord of the attic truss.
Safe these flooring panels are sturdy and durable each tile can support up to 250 pounds.
Then you ll need to build a grid like structure that can hold up the plywood flooring.
Attic space offers many options for building storage or living space especially if you already have a well built basic flooring in place.
Even easier you can also use a prefabricated attic floor kit designed specifically to raise the attic floor above the insulation.
When you use the attic dek easy installation flooring system all of that is accessible.
Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces.