Table of Contents
What type of plywood is best for attic floor?
Joist Spacing and Attic Use You need 3/4-inch plywood. The thinner plywood is acceptable when the joist spacing is 16 inches. If you plan to finish the floor in the attic and turn the room into a living space, however, you should always use 3/4-inch plywood.
Can I put plywood in my attic?
If your attic joists won’t bear the weight necessary to finish out a living space but the engineer cleared them to support floor decking for light storage, you can install ½-inch plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) in 4-foot-by-8-foot panels over existing 16-inch OC joists.
What type of flooring is best for attics?
Resilient flooring, such as laminate or vinyl, is one of the best choices you can make for attic floors. This type of flooring can soften the sounds when installed over an underlayment.
How much weight can a 1/4-inch plywood hold?
Plywood with a 1/4-inch thickness made of fir can only support five pounds. As the thickness of the plywood increases, the ability to support more weight also increases. The type of wood that’s used, the grade, the plywood rating, and the pattern used to create the plywood all factor into its durability and strength.
What size should attic floor joists be?
The rule of thumb for joist measurement is half the span plus 2″ measured in feet. Therefore a 10 foot span would require a 7×2 joist, a 12 foot span an 8×2 joist etc. The 3.5m span is approx 11′ 6″ therefore would require an 8×2 joist to be on the safe side.
Can I cover my attic insulation with plywood?
Once the insulation is down, you can turn your attic into valuable storage space by covering the floor with plywood. It will also make the attic a safer place in which to walk.
How do you install plywood on attic floor?
Carry a piece of plywood to one of the far corners of the attic and lay it on top of the installed boards. The plywood should be perpendicular to the joists so that a signal sheet spans multiple ceiling joists. Cut the plywood to fit so that each end of the plywood boards lands at the exact center of a floor joist.
How much does it cost to plywood an attic?
A contractor will charge $550, which includes labor and material, to lay a plywood floor in an area approximately 10-feet square. If you have basic carpentry skills and tools, you can do the job for $190, the cost of the plywood and screws.
What should I put on my attic floor?
An attic can be floored with 1/2″ CDX plywood, if it is being used only for storage. However, the same can’t be said if you are planning on using the space as a living space. In that case, you will need to use 3/4″ thick plywood. As an alternative, 3/4” OSB can be used.
Can you use plywood as flooring?
Plywood floors are suitable for any room where you’d otherwise install hardwood, though kitchens and bathrooms are less desirable since frequent water spills are likely. A 1½-in thick, 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of CDX plywood (the kind used in subflooring) sells for around $15.
How thick should attic insulation be?
R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to R-38 or about 10 to 14 inches, depending on insulation type.
How much weight can you put in an attic?
The weight is supported by the joists A 10 pounds per square foot live load can be handled by an attic that isn’t designed for storage. 20 pounds per square foot live load can be handled by an attic with limited storage.
Can my attic support a floor?
That begs the question; can my attic support a floor? The answer, in most cases, is a definite yes. Even though it wasn’t put there, the joists supporting your ceiling are quite strong. Putting down flooring won’t stress them any more than the floors in your bedroom, kitchen, or bath.
How much weight can attic joists support?
Attic Joists for Live Loads In many cases, ceiling joists for dead loads are designed to carry 10 pounds per square foot (psf), as opposed to the 40 or greater psf that live-load joists must carry. Span length is different for every room.
How much weight can a 1/2 inch piece of plywood hold?
The lowest amount of layers (3 ply for 3/8” & 1/2”,4 ply for 3/4”, 5 ply for 1”) Plywood fixed at both sides, with the wood grain running parallel to the span.How Much Weight Can Plywood Hold? Free Calculator. Plywood Thickness Approximate Max Pressure 3/8″ 22psf 1/2″ 35psf 3/4″ 80psf 1″ 164psf.
Is plywood stronger than OSB?
OSB and plywood offer similar (and sufficient) performance in terms of strength and functionality, though plywood is about 7% stronger. Plywood will absorb moisture quicker than OSB, but consequently it will also dry quicker.
How much weight will 3/4 plywood support?
A 12-by-36-inch piece of 3/4-inch fir plywood can easily support 50 pounds.
