Raising a Floor in the Attic for Insulation

Attic insulation is an important part of maintaining an energy-efficient home. The insulation fills the voids between the floor joists and the ceiling and stops hot or cold air from penetrating through it to the home’s interior. When installing attic floor insulation, you must often raise the boards slightly so as not to compress the material. You must avoid compressing the insulation, which lowers the R-value, or the amount of protection it provides.

Tape measure
2-by-3-inch boards
Saw horses
Pencil
Dust mask
Safety glasses
Power saw
1-inch nails
Hammer
Fiberglass batt insulation

Instructions

- 1
  Access the attic space and remove any existing floor boards or plywood that lies over floor area. Stack the floor material in a corner or remove it from the attic temporarily.
- 2
  Locate the wooden beams that run across the floor of the attic and walk to the end of one of the boards. Measure the entire length of the board using a tape measure, and note the measurement.
- 3
  Measure the remaining boards to ensure they are all the same length. If different lengths exist, note each length separately.
- 4
  Walk back down to a garage or to an outdoor area and set up saw horses. Lay 2-by-3-inch boards over the saw horses and measure them to determine the proper cutting location, and mark it using a pencil.
- 5
  Wear a dust mask and safety glasses and cut the boards to the proper size using a power saw.
- 6
  Carry the boards up to the attic and walk to one end of the attic floor. Lay one of the boards directly on top of an existing floor beam and slide it as far as possible to the end.
- 7
  Insert 1-inch nails into the board every 12 inches using a hammer to secure it to the floor beam.
- 8
  Repeat the process to nail each remaining board end to end over all of the beams.
- 9
  Lay additional fiberglass batting insulation in between the boards until it rises to the top of the boards.
- 10
  Reinstall the attic flooring or plywood by laying it perpendicular to the boards across the entire attic space.

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