Finish 2nd half of attic - 1920's house

9 years ago

It's time to expand our attic loft. Half the attic was converted into a bedroom decades ago (improperly, with no soffits, air gaps or roof ridge vent). Now I want to finish the rest of the attic space. (Ill go back and re-do the original half after the new half is done.)

I will have many questions, but first things first:

The unfinished half is insulated with blown, shredded paper onto the floor joists (there is no floor). It is just a 12'x12' area with a foot of shredded paper. I am (mostly) sure there is no asbestos. How can I remove it all to put down a floor? Vacuum? Giant garbage bags, mask and gloves?

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Comments (9)

User
9 years ago
Call an insulation removal company. (usually the companies that install it can remove it) Because you need FULL HAZMAT against the dust or you'll be miserable for weeks. It might not have asbestois, but the borax salts they use for fireproofing are pretty bad.

And call a structural engineer to make sure the joists are capable of supporting a living area.
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PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
9 years ago
You can get the insulation tested if you are worried. Use proper PPE.

You will need a structural engineer to see what will need to be done to accommodate the weight you are planning on placing across the floor.
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energy_rater_la
9 years ago
use a snow shovel to scoop cellulose out of joist bays...or just leave it

& top it off. (hating cellulose like I do...)

long sleeves, dust mask.

is there a reason to believe that the cellulose contains asbestos?

I'm all about diy, but if you feel over your head, some insulation

companies will remove for you. for a pretty penny.

lots of trades people work in attic insulation every day.

and we don't wear hazmat, unless something warrants

that added protection.

what age is the insulation?

since you have already built in the attic...are

you sure that the house can support the added weight?
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Dave Collins
Original Author
9 years ago
I do not know exactly what the material is yet. It's light-grey and fluffy. Presumably that's cellulose. But it is often treated with fire-retardant chemicals.
I can't be sure how old it is, Could be 85 years old.
I wonder if I should even bother removing it all. If I'm likely to blow new stuff back in, is there a good reason to remove the old? (though it gives me an opportunity to seal the subfloor and put soffets in, etc.)
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Dave Collins
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So I've been looking into using a shop vac. It seems that any normal shop vac is going to clog with the first load of insulation. Yet a number of people have said they have used them to clear out the insulation. What are they doing that I'm missing?

I've also toyed with the idea of not removing the insulation at all (since it's likely I will end up replacing it with new stuff anyway) and simply laying my floor over it. Problem there is:
- I'll trap any nastiness such as mouse droppings
- I won't be able to check if the attic (and living room below) is properly sealed against heat, air and dust
- I won't be able to do any further sealing
- adding soffits, air gaps and electrical wiring will be more difficult in an insulation-filled room
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kats737
9 years ago
Some shop vacs have filters, which would definitely clog. ours is removable, and I know we've sucked up a lot of junk with the filter removed and had no issue. (thinking about tile and mastic fragments)
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sheilajoyce_gw
9 years ago
My son just had the cellulose checked in the attic of his 1930 built one story house. Most of it has disappeared over the years. He paid $350, I think for the test, and it is asbestos free cellulose. The insulation looked like newsprint in little circles about the size of the top of a marker pen.

Next he will add insulation to the attic. There is no attic floor, only the space between the joists and the ceiling below.

We have a question about insulating the crawl space. Their house has probably no insulation in the walls, and the windows are wood and leaky. He will live with them for now. They crank open like double doors, though there are new windows in the kitchen and dining room. Does it pay to insulate the crawl space to reduce heating and cooling costs and increase comfort? This is a house that is a little over 1300 square feet. We know no way that they could easily, economically insulate the walls. But I am wondering if doing the crawl space under the wood floor would be helpful.
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powermuffin
9 years ago
I had our ceiling tiles tested for asbestos. I sent a 1" piece to a lab that I found on EPA's site. It cost $19 plus a stamp. They emailed me with the results in 24 hours. Just have the insulation checked for asbestos, hire a structural engineer for an hour to determine how much load you walls can take, and then you will know how to proceed.

Diane
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Dave Collins
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm pretty satisfied that the insulation is cellulose, and will not contain asbestos.
I've also decided to scale back the reno so as not to put undue load on the floor.

My next step is to lay some flooring. It's going over top of the blown in cellulose. Should I seal the cellulose with something to prevent it seeping up through cracks over time? Maybe a sheet of vapour barrier?
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Finish 2nd half of attic - 1920's house

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Finish 2nd half of attic - 1920's house

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Windows on Washington Ltd

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