Category Archives: Attic

If you live in a fairly new or remodeled home with storage space in the attic, chances are you have a folding hideaway ladder, or loft ladder, in your house. And if so, you already know how inconvenient and straining on your back and arms it can be to pull the ladder down and push it back up again, each time you need to go up into the attic.

To aid you in making the decision of whether you need to update to an electric loft ladder, think about how often you actually go into the attic. Do you make only a couple of trips per year, perhaps to retrieve and store Christmas decorations? Then your conventional ladder… Continue Reading…

If you have a loft space in your cabin or residence, you will need an access ladder. A wooden loft ladder can be purchased, custom ordered, or easily built from a few simple supplies. The important features to look for in a loft ladder are its strength, its convenience, and its ability to be tucked out of the way.

Evaluate Your Space

What type of loft do you have? An attic storage area with a trap door? An open area under a high ceiling? Perhaps your loft is a sleeping or living area. The kind of loft you have will help you to determine the best type of access ladder, and whether to purchase or build one.

Buy or Build?

Let’s start with the attic loft. For this application, you will probably need a concertina or sliding extension ladder/hatch unit, because often an… Continue Reading…

Loft ladders are intended to provide access to a loft or second story, an area immediately under the roof of a structure. Loft ladders come in a variety of styles from handcrafted custom designs made by woodworkers to mesh types designed for very specific decorating schemes. Prefabricated generic wooden loft ladders are also available at home improvement centers.

3 section loft ladders are often the preferred choice over stairs for loft access simply because they require much less room; some can even be hidden away. The aluminum loft ladders may be designed with a slope so they’re easy to climb or they may stand vertically.

Some telescopic loft ladders are permanently installed, being held by bolts to the side of the loft or the wall beneath the loft. Loft ladders also come in movable styles, such as those used in libraries and freestanding loft ladders, which… Continue Reading…

An attic is a spacious room for storage, but if you already have plenty of storage in the garage or a shed outside the house, then an attic is wasted space that can be converted into a usable room, perhaps a guest bedroom, a den, an office, or an art studio.

Access And Ventilation

In transforming an attic into an extended living space, the first thing you have to think about is access and ventilation. If you need to use a drop-down ladder or rickety stairs, you will want to consider new stairs. If you have small windows or only a vent in the attic, you will want to consider getting some good windows, even big storm windows.

One Room or Many?

Your attic may be huge, in which case you have the option of creating more than one room.… Continue Reading…

There are few things more chilling than hearing skittering in the ceiling and knowing that you have rats in the attic. However, by following a few simple steps, you can safely and easily remove rats from your attic and make sure they stay gone for good.

Get to the Root of the Problem

Before even attempting to get rid of rats in the attic, you must first take steps to stop any more from appearing. First, and most importantly, you need to find out where the rats are coming into the attic, and seal up all entrances. Rats are excellent climbers, and like to creep along walls, so be sure to check everywhere, from the baseboards to the roof joists. Also, remember that rats can fit through almost any hole larger than a half-inch in diameter, so be sure to block… Continue Reading…

Squirrels are delightful creatures, known for their acrobatic antics and nut-gathering forays. But for those faced with the difficulty of removing a squirrel from occupying the upper reaches of a house, the cuteness fades quickly, made frustrating by the creature’s personal habits.

Squirrels typically mate in the fall, and the mother squirrel will seek out a nesting spot to safely contain herself and her kits after they are born in the dead of winter. The squirrel likewise gathers food to maintain itself during cold weather, making the necessity of a safe haven to store food and raise her young the utmost priority in searching out probable nesting sites.

Squirrels are rodents having the ability to flatten themselves to unbelievable dimensions, making it possible for them to gain access to attic spaces through small fissures and cracks, which are often hard to find. The ability of the squirrel to climb Continue Reading…

In an effort to gain more space in one’s home, many homeowners are converting attics into office spaces or spare bedrooms.

Yet, in order to gain easy and safe access to these spaces, a telescopic loft ladder is the proper tool for the job.

While determining which loft ladder is best for your home often depends on your own style and price range, it’s more than just a matter of knowing what style or price to look for.

Safety is also an issue.

Loft Ladders, Some Things To Consider.

When keeping bed loft ladder safety in mind, it’s best for homeowners to think about:

1. Who will be using the ladder.

2. How often will the ladder be used.

3. Will the ladder hold a sufficient amount of weight.

4. Who will assemble the ladder.

5. Will it be a stationary ladder, or one… Continue Reading…

Attics are often neglected but if finished properly, these spaces serve as an excellent quiet getaway, guest room or space for work and hobbies. Here are a few simple guidelines for finishing an attic and transforming it into a magnificent space.

1. Know what to do; study ahead and become informed.

Many attics are completely unfinished with nothing but support beams and wood floor showing. The first step is to review different types of materials needed, such as plywood, dry wall and various panels. Each of these materials vary in price and structural capabilities, with dry wall being the most popular for walls and thick wood beams for floors, if they still need finishing.

2. Plan ahead for piping, electrical outlets, lighting and switches.

The area should be examined and locations for electrical outlets, ceiling lights, light switches or any other additions should first be mapped… Continue Reading…

Adding insulation to an attic is one of the best ways to improve the energy efficiency of a home.

What is R-value?

R-value is the resistance to heat flow that insulation has. In other words, it measures the amount of heat that is allowed to pass through the insulation. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation will be able to keep heat where it belongs.

Types of Attic Insulation

· Batt or roll insulation: fiberglass insulation made into long blankets. It can be purchased with or without a vapor barrier attached.
· Loose-fill insulation: made of fiberglass, rock wool, or cellulose. This type is blown in by machine.
· Radiant barrier: reflective material that may be backed by paper or plastic. It works by reflecting the sun’s energy away from the interior of the house. Radiant barriers are most effective in hot… Continue Reading…

There are three types of attic vents that will retrofit with most conventional roofing and construction systems. Dormer vents, turbine vents and gable end vents are all fabricated from galvanized sheet metal, and some styles have lead flashing at the base, which allows the vent to conform to tile roofing. Installing any of these is not a complicated process.

However, since the installation involves removing a section of the roofing and cutting penetrations in the roof sheathing, the main concern is for a weather-tight installation. The installation begins with determining the style of attic vent that will provide the most ventilation.

Dormer vents have a wide base that attaches to the roof sheathing, and a single, screened opening for ventilation. The vent has a solid top that is slightly peaked to ship rain water.
The size and number of vents that are necessary can be determined… Continue Reading…

The correct amount of attic insulation is essential when trying to achieve the maximum value for dollars spent on energy costs. Proper installation is just as important. Many homeowners can complete an install over a weekend without hiring a professional. If the right research is done beforehand, the actual installation will be quick. You’ll see that most of the work needs to be done prior to the actual installation.

First, it’s important to understand that insulation is rated according to its R-value. Basically, the higher an R-value assigned to insulation, the more resistant the insulation is to heat flow. Live in a cold climate? You will need high R-value insulation. Next, you need to determine what your insulation needs are. The U.S. Department of Energy has an online tool that will help you find out what R-value you currently have in your attic and how… Continue Reading…

Installing attic stairs is not as daunting a task as it may first seem. For one thing, as a do-it-yourself project, you don’t have to be concerned about assembling the stairs, as that is done by the manufacturer. Your job is to cut an opening to fit the stairs. In some cases, it may be even simpler–enlarge the opening. Then, once this is done, integrate the attic stairs into the opening. On average, the entire job can be done in two hours.

Five Point Check For Easy Access To The Attic

Before beginning the installation of attic stairs, there are a few things you must first check to make sure that your attic has the right structure to support folding stairs. Check for structural features that may prevent the installation of attic stairs.

1. Make sure there are no pipes or wires in the way.
2. Make sure that… Continue Reading…

An adequately constructed loft hatch is always purposeful in providing tactical access to the roof area of a dwelling. Loft hatches constructed for older properties tend to be cramped (often only providing space that is between two rafters) or before the 1920’s, properties rarely provided any type of access to the roof area.
In the present day, access to the roof are is often a necessity to allocate provisional optioning for the putting in insulation, installing water tanks and a loft space provides for additional storage allocation in depositing varieties of household items. Even if you decide to forego a loft ladder, installing an adequately fitted hatch affords access that is expeditiously convenient.

A quick tip:

Prefabricated roof trusses under no circumstances should be retrofitted without first enlisting the expertise of a structural engineer. Prefabricated roof trusses are constructed to ensure precise… Continue Reading…

Virtually every homeowner would like to make their home more energy efficient and decrease their utility bills, but most improvements that can be done are expensive and must be handled by professionals. Many individuals consider new siding or replacement windows, and these projects certainly can lower the utility costs of the home. However, the high cost will completely negate the savings and most homeowners realize that it would take years to save enough to foot the bill. The good news, however, is that better ventilation will help decrease the heat that the air conditioning system has to battle, and it truly is not difficult to install an attic fan. Consumers thinking about installing an attic fan should first understand how it works, and then select the most appropriate unit to install.

How an Attic Fan Works

It is no secret that attics and the eaves of… Continue Reading…