attic flooring over wires

Don't block any vents such as soffit vents with insulation. Outlets in vanity drawer with special accessories, how to determine what a particular breaker turns off, Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. Around wires or ceiling light fixtures that penetrate the attic floor and partition and exterior wall top plates (see Figure 5-7 and Figure 5-8.) 3) there is a system of smoke detectors with low voltage wire also draped over the rafters. Try telling your builder, in writing and with a cc to his building supervisor and your banker, that an attic floor was part of your contract and that if he and/or the building supervisor can't figure out how to put one in and do it to code, they will be in breach of the contract. You will want to avoid running more than one or two wires thru each notch though because I know that too many wires clumped all together tend to build up heat. Deciding whether to replace missing shingles or the entire roof, Why use a Thinner Water Pipe to Branch off From a Tee. The wires are basically through the center of the attic - if they were on the edge, I would just leave them and not put plywood at the edge. It is up to him to come up with a solution that gets you a finished floor. The idea that you should know which insulation can be placed on top of or around electrical wiring in your attic is not reasonable. Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. Rigid foam panels are typically between 0.5 in (1.27 cm) and 3 in (7.62 cm) thick, although they can be available up to 6 inches (15.24 . Electrical fire is common when people dont pay close attention to their attic or refuse to observe safety precautions. Brake cable outer feed through then attach cable and pull. DH and I requested in our contract that we wanted plywood laid for an attic floor.Well, it seems when the wiring was done, the electrician laid the wires on top of the joists instead of threading them through them (I'm not sure if I'm using the correct terms). Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. And the edges need a small wall built around them to prevent . If you can't install a floor outlet get a proper cord cover rated for this purpose, running extensions under carpets long term can become a fire hazard. Keep in mind that you may lay insulation layers over the top of previous insulation, provided that the previous layer is not wet. There just isn't enough depth otherwise and you'll drive screws or nails through the wire when you install the flooring. A Bar cabinet in the size could be a choice. Typically, you are looking at an installation cost of $1,300 to $2,500. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. He needs to do whatever is necessary to get the attic floor put in that your contract calls for. Installing plywood flooring in the attic is an easy homeowner upgrade that allows for more attic storage without the possibility of heavier items damaging the ceiling below. Do you mean laying floorboards on top of wires? Well I'm trying to lay the plywood flat on the attic 2x4 but the electrical wires are spread across the top of the 2x4s so the plywood won't lie flat. One story houses are much easier to rewire as you have attic access from above and can drill down through the plates to feed wall switches and drill up from the basement for outlets. If there is a need for a junction box in your attic, you have to create a viable plan or get professional help. Remember this, too: insulation falling through the attic access into your living space is not a good thing for the family, your pets or for guests. However, if it is in an existing home, check with your local professional electrician or home inspection company. The sides of the planks fit together by positioning the tongue of one plank against the groove of the previously installed plank at an angle and then pushing downward and inward at the same time . Read more. heating systems and water heaters.\this is code.if you are installing insulation values above whata 2x6 joist bay will hold, the walkway should be elevatedto this height also.toenailing into the joists with anothe 2x5 will give you11" for a higher R-value.best of luck. The issue is there are electric cables on top of the attic floor joists. Basement? Floor boxes designed for and listed as providing satisfactory ground continuity between the box and the device shall be permitted. Smaller wires must be run through bored holes or be attached to a running board. If it were foamed the wire would be completely covered . That brings it up to the government-recommended standard of 270mm. Installing wood thinner than that can create an unsafe situation. How do you deal with electrical cords, cables, wires, WiFi and Router. Drill multiple holes if there are many wires. Calling on your local home inspection team is a great idea. By the way, don't let them say it CAN'T be done. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. 3. 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Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. The wires might not have a lot of slack. Raise Attic Floor Over Wires With 2x2s Doityourself Com Community Forums . You have to consider if using foam is safe if you have anything routed inside the cavity, such as electrical wiring. Receptacles and covers shall be listed as an assembly for this type of location. What causes repeat trip of thermostat in dryer? You would have to provide a gap between the added sections of wood to provide a channel for the wires to lay in. When it comes time to insulate your attic and the electrical wires in there, it is important to note the type of insulation you should use. It raises the height of the lower chord of the attic truss or ceiling joist. If these running boards are positioned off to the side of your new flooring area and your'e not throwing plywood over them, then you don't necessarily need a 'top protective cover' over the wires. See Part 5.1.2, Fire and other hazards in attics, on how to deal with recessed lights. Also, if you have to go to court, be prepared to provide an engineer's report regarding exactly what needs to be done in order to install the floor so that it will meet code and another builder's bid for actually doing the job. While it is advisable to go for only one junction box, you can place up to 4 if you feel the need. This will save you time and the heartache of potentially using the wrong insulation. 9 Mon Wiring Mistakes And Code Violations. It's a problem lots of people run into. There are other factors involved in wiring in attic spaces, but your question is a bit too vague to go into that. Making sure that the insulation is of a fiberglass material will not only ensure a fireproof setup but also reduce airflow from the home through the attic. But, if you have knob and tube running in an attic or exterior wall, the space can not be insulated until the wiring is replaced. As discussed previously, this location is susceptible to the effects of dust accumulation. How much is reasonable depends on what it would really cost the builder to go ahead and fix the floor versus the cost and aggravation (to you and to him) of a court battle. It is especially true when the temperature exceeds a certain limit outside. The time spent to cut pathways in the rigid foam panels for the electrical wiring can be intensive. Floor boxes designed for and listed as providing satisfactory ground continuity between the box and the device shall be permitted. It only takes a minute to sign up. Suggest that if you decide to go this way, take some pictures so that you know where the wires are strung. Pre-Cut Batts or Rolls: To determine the number of precut batts or rolls you need, take your attic's square footage and divide it by the square footage of insulation in the manufacturer's packaging. DH would like the extra storage the attic would provide, but with the supervisor saying he can't lay plywood we don't know what to do, as we are quite ignorant on what can or cannot be done at this stage. Marking is not good enough. If so, you're getting shortchanged on that too. Take a long 12 up into the attic with you and poke it through the spaces between rafters over the exterior walls to make sure they're open. (In other words, having it in an addendum actually makes this a more important term than if it were buried somewhere amongst the contract's mostly boilerplate language.). However, the more popular insulation choice in homes these days is cellulose fiber. Can I lay an attic floor over electrical wires? You need nail plates to block screws and nails from hitting the wires. Keeping your attic cool in the warmer months is important to protect the insulation, wiring, and HVAC parts. This will seal the outlet space from allowing airflow. Cover exposed wire to avoid sparks and electrical fire. You might know where all the wires are so that you don't run a screw through them.BUT! What are the black pads stuck to the underside of a sink? 6. It is extremely important to insulate the wire from an outlet in your attic. So definitely a metal strip made of a guage thickness that would forbid screws from going through. You can probably reduce the number of notches you need to cut for the wiring this way, and it would also raise the new floor high enough over the wires that you don't need to put a steel plate over each wire. Over time the filler will corrode the copper making the join unsafe. Just like the aluminum wiring, make sure you replace it in your home before adding insulation. . Basically, the rule is that ALL wire connections must be accessible. Step 3. Avoiding areas that give off high heat sources is the most important item to take note of. In case you already have rodents living in your attic, use pesticides. Last week DH noticed the inspectors sticker on the front door saying the house had passed final inspection. Because the window treatment and White chest have a 1930's Hollywood attitude, it would be cool to consider a mirrored piece. Totally hidden existing knob and tube wiring meets code and we have left it in place inside some interior walls. Thank you everyone for your advice. So sometimes you have to put it on a drill. My inspector said he had to go back and put another 2x6 next to each one that was already there (tie them together) and then add another 2x6 half-way between the pairs. Depending on the context, it is relatively easy to say that electrical wires are safe to run through the attic if they are properly done, and necessary preventive measures are implemented. I would keep the wires centered in the joists at all times and use the nail plates (as shown above by other poster) over every single wire that goes through a joist member. There might be something in the N.E.C. So many things were done out of order, and now the supervisor is saying we can't have an attic floor! If one falls through the ice while ice fishing alone, how might one get out? Thus, your builder's failure to provide it goes directly to the heart of the agreement. If you are running cables or pipes through the attic or crawl space and need to secure them in place, using staples or clips is a better option than drilling a bunch of holes in the joists. Some insurance companies will require you to remove all knob and tube from the building within a short period of time as a condition of insurance. If I don't put my bar under the stairs afterall, what do I put there. Would cork flooring underlayment help with vibration dampening in a sub floor? Fiberglass insulation is made of glass combined with plastic polymers and is naturally fire-resistant. Answer: in Zones 4 through 8, if you have full-height insulation over 100% of the ceiling including the top plates (as shown in your excellent guide here), the IECC allows R-38 rather than the R-49 that is required if you can't achieve full depth insulation over 100% of the attic floor. Houzz nutzt Cookies und hnliche Technologien, um Ihre Benutzererfahrung zu personalisieren, Ihnen relevante Inhalte bereitzustellen und die Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu verbessern. There are, however, three potential problems to avoid when placing the plywood panels: A metric characterization of the real line, Trying to remember a short film about an assembly line AI becoming self-aware. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Yes, it is possible to put a floor over blown insulation, however it is . 2x4 floor joists in attic: make stronger/level? Installing Rafter Vents. Check memory usage of process which exits immediately. Next, you will lay a sheet of polyethylene vapor barrier for any electrical outlets in the attic. These lightweight easy-to-manage panels can be installed by even the most inexperienced homeowner in about 15-minutes. Cheers for the answers guys! about a minimum distance for the wiring under the flooring, as well, despite the use of the metal plates at the points where they cross. Understanding how to safely install insulation is key. A good rule of thumb when working with electricity is to wear insulated (rubber sole) shoes and to always keep one hand in your pocket. If your original joists aren't strong enough to support a floor, you could either sister the joists, or possibly place new joists on top of them that are strong enough and are supported on the load-bearing end walls. I have an area of my attic that I would like to floor for storage. When there is no flooring to walk on other than the edges of the trusses . if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'villatag_com-leader-1','ezslot_18',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-villatag_com-leader-1-0');But one of its most common drawbacks is that since it is made up of recycled material, it might be highly flammable. How to correctly add flooring to insulated attic. How does a contractor determine the water performance rating needed for a sliding glass door? How do you run electrical wires between floors? It is best just to lay the insulation gently alongside the wires, and insulation between the joists of the attic. ), 210 (1-1/2-in. You would either notch them or just cut them and leave a gap every place a wire crosses the original joist. What does a 9 A battery do to a 3 A motor when using the battery for movement? Insulation made of fiberglass is nonflammable and is a great option when it comes to covering electrical wires in the attic. Recessed Lighting Trim & Housing - Please help!