Ask this old house general contractor tom silva removes an old attic staircase and replaces it with a new one.
Old house with attic.
For the most part the attic is a big factor in heat loss.
Still that doesn t mean we should ignore other common heat leaks.
How to replace a pull down attic staircase.
This old house s two minute expert explains what goes into creating a bonus room under the rafters.
Access to the attic in my old house is a pull down rickety ladder that steps up to a narrow opening in the ceiling.
Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents.
If you think attics are creepy crawly spaces meant solely for cobweb dusted storage think twice.
Here are our top picks for attic renovations chosen by the editors of this old house.
Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool.
The attic is dusty and dry with a low overhead and a dimly lit light bulb.
Making an attic into a master closet.
How to replace a stair railing.
This old house general contractor tom silva shares some tricks for installing a new sturdy staircase balustrade.
The following are other measures you can take to keep heat in.
Attics tend to have the perfect conditions for mold growth hot humid and an abundant food source with the wood sheathing.
5 steps to finishing an attic.
Attics are one of the most common areas of mold growth in the home.
Make sure you have storm windows in place.
See all the winners and finalists from the search for america s best remodel 2015.
After the attic windows are the second major problem.
Whether using loose fill or batts put the vapor barrier closest to the warm side of your installation where hot moist air would get in facing the house s interior in cold climates beneath floor insulation and the attic s interior in hot climates on top of floor insulation.
An attic framed with rafters will provide a fairly open space that can be used for storage or even converted to living space.
In this how to video this old house general contractor tom silva shows an energy efficient way to insulate old windows.
Home house mold what causes attic mold how to remove it.
There are a couple creative yet expensive ways i would consider retroactively insulating the walls of an old house if you are in a far northern climate where it might make financial sense.
How to insulate window weight pockets.
In contrast a house built using roof trusses will have an attic space full of angled web framing that connects the top chords analogous to rafters to the bottom chord which frames the ceiling beneath the attic space.