Everything About the Attic

The attic ladder is the most important means of getting into the attic. There are many models that differ in price, and you will need to decide which one is best suited for you. You will find a great selection of articles in this section, with recommendations regarding the best models of attic ladders.

Werner attic ladder s2208: This particular model will offer a great return on your investment. Read the most important features of this item.

Werner aa8 telescoping attic ladder: The smallest of attic openings will not be a problem if you are equipped with the aa8.

Attic ladder installation: Is installing an attic ladder difficult? If you know what you are doing and with a little help, not really. But this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to be careful and precise. Find out how to install an attic ladder in 5 steps.

The Werner AA8 telescoping attic ladder is going to provide you with quick access even to the smallest of attic openings.  It will let you utilize untapped storage and it is slip resistant, a very important attribute of a quality ladder. The ceiling height range that it is able to fit starts from 7 foot 4 inches and ends with 8 foot 4 inches. The most important feature of this ladder is that it only needs a 22×22 inch opening for you to be able to use it.

The best places where you can install the Werner AA8 Televator telescoping attic ladder are closets, hallways, and other tight spaces. It can safely support a load that weighs up to 250 pounds. Another great feature of this ladder is that it has non marring feet. This basically means that it will not scratch or leave any marks whatsoever.

Other features of the Werner AA8 telescoping attic ladder include the fact that it is possible for just one person to install it, it is very easy to use due to the opening device, it has 2-7/8 inch extra wide steps. Its shipping weight is 42.8 pounds. As always, the best place to purchase it is at the Amazon online store, although there are a few other very good options available also.

Werner attic ladders are some of the best you can get in terms of price and quality, and the Werner S2208 is no different. Made from steel, this 8 foot attic ladder is perfect for attics that have heights between 7 foot 3 inches and 8 foot 4 inches.

The installation is very easy, and it can be done in just a few easy steps. Using the 4 hanger brackets, you are able to adjust the height. Then, in order to secure the frame, you must put in the lag bolts. Smooth ups and downs are provided by gas shocks, which also feature extra clearance. In order for you to get a firm grip on the ladder, there are integrated hand rails on the Werner attic ladder S2208. Your save descent will be ensured by the steps’ slip resistant treads. The steps have a width of 3 inches. From a durability point of view, you need not worry. Because it is made out of steel, this ladder is very durable and reliable.

This attic ladder by Werner is actually meant to be an alternative to the spring operated ladder which are usually very difficult to install. The innovative installation model of the S2208 ensures a quick and painless setup. The shipping weight of this product is 78.8 pounds, and its dimensions are 56×24x7 inches. The best place to get it is the best online store, Amazon.

Spray foam attic insulation has tremendously increased in popularity offering a good alternative to pink fiberglass. It has many benefits and is especially popular in the Midwest. Spray attic insulation is usually made of polyurethane foam, about which you must know that it has been in use for a long time in water heaters or refrigerators.

So what’s the process? Through some pressurized spray nozzles, the polyurethane in its liquid form is being pumped. However, by the time it lands on your attic floor, attic walls or whatever you are insulating, it expands and forms a very good insulating barrier.

So what are the most important benefits of foam insulation? First of all, it is able to go where nothing else can go. This means tiny cracks or places holes you might not even notice. Standard fiberglass or cellulose can not accomplish this feat. Spray insulation will completely eliminate energy waste, in ways in which no other type of insulation is able to.

Also, the R-value of the polyurethane is higher than the R-values of other insulation products, at a given thickness. The higher R-value per inch makes it possible for homeowners to use 2×4 construction on exterior walls. With the other types of insulation, you must use the the 2×6 studs. This, in turn, makes you save money when framing. Another advantage of the foam insulation is the fact that it controls moisture condensation, and it is also fire resistant and insect resistant.

The only major drawback of spray foam insulation is the fact that it is not a diy project. You must absolutely call a professional to do the job for you. If you can get over that, you are left with a superb insulation product that will deliver excellent results.

The cost of installing spray foam insulation is 3 times greater than that of installing insulation using traditional materials. However, you will be able to pay back its installation costs on energy saving in less than 5 years.

One of the best aspects about installing a solar powered attic fan is the fact that you need no county permits to do this operation. Additionally, you may very happy to find out that it can be installed anywhere.

The way in which a solar fan works makes perfect sense. When the sun shines over the PV modules, it starts working. And the hotter the sun shines, the more air the solar fan starts pumping in. There is a specific temperature that must be reached in order for this fan to start working. As for the investment, this item is probably one of the best investments you can make especially if you live in a hot and dry climate.

You can install this type of fan in a number of different ways. For example one of the popular options is to install it on the roof, in the gable. Either way that you decide to install the fan, it will essentially work in the same way. The most important aspect that is influenced by the mounting option is the ease of installation. An important advantage of the aforementioned gable installation is the fact that it is weather proof, since water is much less likely to pour into the attic.

A good efficient setup involves the fan being placed on the rooftop. This is due to the fact that in this way, you can place the fan exactly near the apex of the roof. The apex of the roof collects the most heat because of the chimney effect, thus making the solar powered fan that much more effective.

Even though placing the fan near the apex might be the most logical thing to do, you need to consider other aspects also. For example, try to locate your fan downwind. This must be done in order to equalize the ventilation in the attic. Also, “hot spots” on your roof that get the most sunlight need to be found. If your house is located in such a way that you can’t get much evening sun, you may need to buy components separately.

And this is where another choice needs to be made: the type of fan. You can choose between two types, distributed units and one piece units. A one piece unit will cost you around $350 and it is the easiest to install. As a matter of fact, it is so easy to install, that you will not even need to step into the attic itself. These are the steps to do it yourself:

1.    Cut a round hole in your house’s roof;
2.    Pull back the shingles;
3.    Gently slide the unit exactly under the shingles and then drop it through the hole;
4.    Finally, you need to seal for weatherproofing.

But there is one potential problem with one piece units. Since the solar modules are always placed on the unit itself, the place where the fan must be placed and the place where it would collect the most sunlight may not be the same. The problem this situation poses is obvious, since the fan can’t pump in a good amount of air if the solar panels don’t get enough sunlight. And this is exactly the situation that is best suited for a distributed system.

As a matter of fact, buying separate components can be much cheaper than buying a one unit fan. A 12VDC fan which is powerful enough for the average house costs somewhere around $100. Additionally, the PV module which is able to run it costs around $130. But there is one catch to all this: the installation procedure and its costs. A hood is needed to be placed over the fan. This will prevent water from getting inside the attic or from soaking the fan. A good problem solver in this situation is to install the fan on a vertical surface, i.e. behind a grate. In this case, you will avoid cutting through the roof, a procedure which always presents a risk of leaks, no matter how small. As a final tip, you can tilt the PV modules to the West. This way, you will get the most of the air movement during the afternoon. If you tilt the modules in such a way that they peak around 2 PM, you will increase the amount of comfort inside your house.

Attic Fans help the attic cool down in the hot summer days by taking the hot air out. We present you a great collection of articles about attic fans, providing information on everything you need to know about them, including the most important types and how to install them properly.

Solar powered attic fan: this type of fan has greatly increased in popularity. It is energy efficient, and it only starts when it is needed. Find out everything about it.

If you haven’t thought about how important attic door insulation is, just take this into consideration: if not properly insulated, a door, a hatch or any other type of access may be an important means of energy loss inside your home. This is mainly because conditioned air is able to escape around the perimeter of the access panel, and that’s not even the whole story. An uninsulated attic door or hatch will facilitate heat loss and gain.

Air that is filled with moisture coming from the house can accumulate on the attic’s surface by condensation. This is bound to deteriorate the insulation. There are various solutions that are meant to reduce the energy loss and increase the durability of a house. An example of such a solution is the prefabricated system which are built in order to insulate attic door and hatches. Such a system will greatly reduce the draft. You may be glad to find out that there are also specific methods and materials that will help you insulate your attic yourself. Such do it yourself methods will help you thermally seal the various openings your attic may have.

Attic door insulation systems will usually use hinges and zippers. Each manufacturer will be able to provide you with several sizes which are meant to fit various dimensions of the access ways. Now let’s talk a little bit of the installation.

First, you will need to insulate the attic hatch, door or stairway. This is done because it need to have the same insulation as the rest of the attic. The simplest approach is to simply use the same insulation that is being used in the attic, around and over the hatch/door area. If you use Batt insulation, this can be done by simply creating a cover the size of the hatch/door. If you are using loose fill insulation, you will need to use a backer around the attic opening. This must be done in order to contain the fill. After this, you must insulate the hatch itself with rigid foam.

Contrary to what many people believe, installing an attic insulation system is easy to do and doesn’t take very much time. The tools and techniques used in the process are relatively simple. Insulating your attic door or hatch can cost you anywhere between $50 and about $250. This cost is small considering the great advantages you will gain afterwards: no more air leakage inside your home, which in turn reduces your energy costs. Not to mention the fact that it prevents the discomfort that drafts provide.

There are several types of attic insulation that you can apply to your house, out of which the most important two are blown-in attic insulation and blanket attic insulation. You may have heard people refer to the latter as rolled-in or batts.

Blanket attic insulation can also be considered an extra layer of insulation which is appropriate in cold climates, which is meant to cover any existing gaps. This in turn will increase the overall R-value of your attic.

The fact of the matter is that both of these 2 important and quite different types of insulation deliver great results if installed properly. There are specific differences that will show you which one is better for your particular needs. Their R factors are pretty similar, and 2 of the most important differences are the time of installation and the cost. Also, blown-in insulation will create a seamless blanket in your attic, which is not the case of batts. While fiberglass or cellulose blankets can be installed by yourself and they come in do it yourself solutions, this is not the case of the blown-in insulation, which must be done by professionals.

The various types of materials used in rigid insulation like polystyrene, rigid fiberglass or compressed mineral wool make this type of insulation rise to R-values from 4.0 to 6.5 per inch. You will find rigid insulation in a great variety of shapes, sizes and thicknesses. It is best suited for exteriors and basement walls.

With R-values ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 per inch, the blown in foam insulation is the work of professionals only, as they can not be found as do-it-yourself installation kits. Spray foam will add strength to the building and it will resist rot and mildew. It can be used on cavities or directly on a surface. It should be applied cautiously, depending on the climate you live in.

When people decide to insulate the attic, they often ask themselves which is the best attic insulation. Is it blown in attic insulation or is it batt attic insulation? Well, they both have their pros and they both can be a great solution. So what differentiates them?

From an economical point of view, the blown-in insulation is better. It is also quick to install. As a matter of fact, it only takes one to two hours and it’s all done. You can basically choose between two types of materials, cellulose or fiberglass, with the latter being more popular nowadays. The installation process usually goes like this: the professional installer will use a hose that comes from a blowing machine. This blowing machine is usually mounted on a truck. Then, the professional installer will go to the far end of your attic and start laying down the layer of loose fill insulation, with his back to the access point of the attic. In this fashion, the entire surface of your attic gets covered with a uniform layer of insulation.

On the other end, batt attic insulation is more expensive, but it has its advantages. You will also hear people call it rolled-in attic insulation or blankets. While the most popular type of batt insulation is fiberglass, there are also additional options available, like cotton fiber. Cotton does not all the nasty properties of fiberglass and it provides with a health advantage.

Batts are installed directly on the attic floor and they are placed between the ceiling joints of your house. Batts are rectangular pieces 4-8 feet in size and are manually placed one by one, until the floor of your attic gets covered completely. Maybe the most important advantage that rolled-in insulation has over blown-in insulation is the fact that it is easy to remove should you decide in the future that additional work must be done in your attic.

The R-factor is slightly better in the case of batts. While the batts have an R-value of 3.1 to 4.2 per inch (in the case of fiberglass), the blown in fiberglass has an R factor of 2.3 to 2.8 per inch. While batts will provide you with a stable, known R-value, the blown-in insulation’s R-value can vary due to the variation in thickness. So what will it be? Only you know, but make sure that you base your decision on the aforementioned factors.

Fiberglass attic insulation is possibly the most popular for modern house owners. It is mainly used in walls and pipes, and it resembles cotton candy in appearance. Fiberglass has some great properties, like the fact that it doesn’t rot and is not flammable, properties which are derived from its chemical stability.

On the downside, it is possible for it to melt provided there is enough heat, and it is not water resistant either. This makes it appropriate for temperate climates, and it should be avoided in arid regions or in wet or damp regions. Fiberglass is also one of the preferred materials of rodents.

There are several forms in which fiberglass insulation is being manufactured, in order to suit all needs. If you want to insulate your walls, your floors or ceilings, the most appropriate form is the fiberglass roll. Very similar to the rolls are the fiberglass batts, the only major difference is the fact that they are precut. Both of them have an incorporated vapor barrier (which protects your attic from moisture).

Fiberglass blankets are another popular form of insulation, and they share one attribute with the batts, the fact that they come in precut lengths. However, what’s different from the batts is the fact that the blankets do not have a vapor barrier. The best use for the blanket is to install it over an already existing insulation in order to increase the R-value of the attic.

You can pour loose fill fiberglass on the floor of your attic. This is the most popular choice of people who want to do a quick addition of insulation to an old building. Installing a vapor barrier is absolutely essential in the case of fiberglass, because it tends to soak up a lot of water, which in turn creates a dramatic drop in its insulating ability.

Most of the people who have worked with fiberglass at one point or another agree to the fact that it is very irritating and scratchy. If you ever decide to work with fiberglass, it is essential that you avoid skin contact. That’s why you should wear gloves and protective clothing, along with a dust mask and eye goggles. Another issue is the fact that some people believe that fiberglass can create lung problems similar to the ones created by asbestos.

Some of the things that you must absolutely do when installing fiberglass insulation include: making sure that there is good air circulation between the insulation and the roof, making sure that you know the exact recommended R-value in your area, ventilating properly. Also, you need to make sure that you install a vapor barrier and that it faces the inside, not the outside. The vapor barrier should not be punctured unnecessarily. However, in the case that you decide to install 2 layers, you need to make sure that you puncture the vapor barrier of the top batt. Also in the case of batts, make sure that you don’t squeeze or distort them in any way.