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Rudbekia
Citizen
Username: Rudbekia
Post Number: 180
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 9:06 pm: | 
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I have a home built in 1928 and the attic walls are finished with what feels like really strong cardboard. Some who've been through have called it Gypsum board, but when I look that up online it puts it in the same class as sheetrock and drywall (the difference between which I do not know). Anyway, whatever it's called, should I put up more substantial walls before I have insulation blown in and plan to start using the space as bedrooms or is it ok to insulate and start using it as is? Thanks for any advice. |
J L Bryant
Citizen
Username: Jeffbryant
Post Number: 10
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:18 am: |
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Rudbekia, you've got a couple issues here.... for one, does any of this new "use" you're considering require a building permit? (I suspect yes; but the building dept. should be asked) Even more fundamentally actually, is it even allowable? (that is - 3rd or 4th floor use as bedrooms; again, zoning/occupancy regulations within town will tell you). Are the existing windows safe for getting out of in an emergency/fire (and I'm not even saying 'code-compliant egress size', I just mean literally possible to get out of....). Can your exsiting electrical system handle any additional lights, receptacles, equipment? Any plumbing thoughts? Is the attic flooring structure acceptable for the new loads?
But all those minor  issues aside, whether the existing wall-surface material is rigid enough to restrain blown-in insulation should be assured by the insulation installer (from what you've described, I think it will; but make it a contigent point of contracting w/ the installer). And are you dead set on blown-in insulation too, because there are other materials & ways.
One very important aspect you MUST be careful of, though, is leaving airspace ventilation for your roof assembly to breathe. Do NOT have the cavity (against the roof sheathing) thoroughly filled by insulation. Your roof will BAKE and WEAR untimely! But again, the installer should know this.
Not trying to burst your plans.... but hope you understand that 'finishing' an existing space within a home is not simply just a function of insulating and partitions. There's a lot to consider.... legally (heaven forbid..!) and prudently. I'd be happy to talk/help you more with the idea.
---btw, 'sheetrock' and 'drywall' are the "same" things. They're both generic terms for (roughly) gypsum sandwiched in layers of paper and produced into sheets/boards for assembling onto walls. |
Rudbekia
Citizen
Username: Rudbekia
Post Number: 181
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:32 am: |
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Hi. Thanks for your help. The attic is already completely finished, it's just that the walls feel very flimsy. The only reason we haven't used it is that it's too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. I'm not dead set on blown-in but I don't know of any alternatives other than batts. I'll be sure to ask them to leave ventilation for the roof. I just wanted to know what folks' thoughts were on this type of wallboard and whether it should be replaced before we put the insulation in. Thanks. |
juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 301
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:54 am: |
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We had similar walls, include a hole in one spot courtesy of a foot, it seemed, in our attic. We decided to sheetrock over them and later replaced the windows. The feels like much more of a solid space now. Still cold though for other reasons, like a radiator that doesn't work well, possibly because the boiler isn't designed to support it. We're also insultating the room this fall.
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TomD
Citizen
Username: Tomd
Post Number: 571
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:57 am: |
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We had the exact same thing in our attic--very thin wallboard covering the finished part of the attic (office/guest room). I'm still not sure exactly what it was, but "strong cardboard" is a pretty good description and it wasn't very nice. A few years ago we had the whole finished part of the attic recovered with standard drywall, going right over what was already there. It wasn't a small job, but now the attic has nice normal walls.
Not the only time we've had to do something like that. Our bedroom ceiling had this bizarre texture finish to it (not a popcorn ceiling, much, much worse--like someone kept running their fingers through plaster so we had this horrible, random, swirly "pattern" on the whole ceiling). When we painted we had the painters put up normal drywall. |
george H
Citizen
Username: Georgieboy
Post Number: 252
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 12:17 pm: |
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I'd be interested how they would leave space for ventilation.Normally,prior to covering the ceiling,you would staple up styrofoam baffles that would create a channel,so that air entering at the soffet ,would be drawn up along the underside of your sheathing and vent out the ridge.The baffles would hold any insulation away from the sheathing.Blowing insul. in to an existing covered ceiling is basically working blind and leaving space for air flow,next to impossible. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 12181
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 12:30 pm: |
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I think the material you have is homosote board, which is primarily made from old newspapers. We had this in our first house and it was probably original to the 1920s era when the house was built. There was rockwool insulation behind the board. Over the years the insulation caused the board to sag in the middle. Are you sure you don't have something similar behind the board?
If you don't you might as well just remove it and instal sheetrock over fiberglass batt insulation. As GeorgeH explains you will be able to ventilate and overall it will be a nicer job.
Safety of attic bedrooms is always an issue, but as long as you don't do extensive work you don't have to bring the area up to current codes. But emergency egress should be of concern.
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