How to Insulate an Attic Floor
Insulate your attic floor with fiberglass batt insulation to reduce heat loss through your ceiling. Fiberglass batt insulation is the easiest insulation for a do-it-yourself homeowner to install, requiring only protective clothing and eyewear. No cumbersome tools or machinery is needed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Unroll the fiberglass batts and place in the cavities between the attic floor joists with the vapor barrier side down, facing away from you.
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Use fiberglass batt insulation without a vapor barrier to install around the chimney. Leave 2 inches between the chimney and the insulation. Cut insulation with a utility knife and stuff the pieces behind any pipes or other obstructions, being careful not to compress it, which reduces the insulation's effectiveness.
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Cover electrical junction boxes (where connections are made between two sets of electric wires; the box protects the connection). Do not cover electrical fixtures, such as lights installed in the ceiling of the floor below where the electrical connections and apparatus are installed on the attic floor above the living area so that the fixture lies flush with the living area ceiling. Leave 3 inches around lighting fixtures to keep them cool and reduce the possibility of fire from the fixtures overheating because of the insulation. Build a baffle around the fixture by placing pieces of 2 inch by 4 inch lumber perpendicular to the joists 3 inches on either side of the electrical light fixture. These boards make a dam of sorts and will keep the insulation away from the light fixtures.
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Install a second layer of fiberglass batting if you want a higher "R" value. Puncture the vapor barrier with a small pointed object like a nail, placing the holes about 2 to 3 inches apart. This keeps moisture from building up between the layers. Place this second layer of insulation directly on top of and across the first layer of fiberglass batt insulation, so that it is going 90 degrees in the other direction. Make sure the pieces in the second layer of insulation fit snugly against one another with no gaps between them on their sides or ends. This second layer covers and insulates the floor joists, which would otherwise allow warm air to pass through them because the first layer of insulation is laid between and not over them.
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