Finishing Attic Walls

I sealed all the gaps in the wall with canned foam and the xps is glued around the perimeter.

Finishing attic walls.

In the first step a knee wall is installed. I ve attached a few before and after pics. Enforcement varies but codes typically say that at least half of a finished attic must be at least 7 feet high and that this area must be a minimum of 7 feet wide and 70 square feet. Step 1 check the ceiling height.

The location of the top of the knee is marked and after checking the level long boards are attached to the ceiling joists. I tried linking panels with spray foam instead of taping. In rare cases especially in new construction homes the attic may have been built unfinished with the correct flooring in place with the idea that the homeowner could later on finish the space. Staple insulation between the wall studs and ceiling joists image a.

For a finished attic to be to code it must satisfy the same living requirements of other rooms sometimes called the rule of sevens any living space in a home needs to have at least 7 feet 2 1 m of clearance from the floor to the ceiling and there needs to be at least 70 square feet of space available at least 7 feet 2 1 m in each direction. To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes. In most cases though the joists cannot support live loads and may not even be covered with boards. Finishing the attic my preference is to push the knee walls close to the eaves creating as much floor space as possible.

A contractor or a local building official can help you assess how the rule will apply to your attic and how modifications like dormers can resolve height shortcomings. Finishing an attic turns the finished parts into standard living spaces making them subject to all of the same rules that apply to other living areas of the home. I have a very similar attic wall to yours. Knee walls and flat ceilings running plumb from the roof rafters to the attic floor joists knee walls eliminate some of the roof s slope at the expense of less square footage of floor space in the.

Building code also requires that the. It needs a certain amount of loft to work properly. Low cabinets and bookcases fit snugly in the space under slanted ceilings. Step 1 framing of the top and sides of the knee wall.

At least 50 step 2 make sure the attic has a full size staircase. Now let s read about the steps for properly finishing the attic walls and ceiling. There are no special exceptions just because it s living space in the attic. Follow the rule of 7s.

Don t mash or compress the insulation into the space. Every attic is different but a few established norms and practices will guide your renovation.