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ball
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Flooring
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Aug 24 13:25 UTC 2008 |
An item for the discussion of flooring...
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| 41 responses total. |
ball
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response 1 of 41:
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Aug 24 13:31 UTC 2008 |
What are sensible choices of materials for flooring an attic? I suppose
I'm looking for something strong yet light. I would like it to be
something that's either grown renewably or, in the case of a composite
material, something with a recycled component. I anticipate having the
planks or boards raised a little from the rafters, so that there's room
underneath for more insulation. Thoughts or suggestions are invited.
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keesan
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response 2 of 41:
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Aug 24 15:00 UTC 2008 |
We did ours with three layers of scrap 1/2" drywall, a renewable resource,
glued together with latex paint that the neighbors did not want (I think
we mixed it with sand to make it thicker). We topped it with something -
drywall compound and then more sand paint? I can ask Jim. Three layers
make it strong enough to walk on. YOu can use whatever old nails or
screws you have around that are long enough.
We started by nailing short scrap 2x4"s across the 24"-spaced rafters, with
about 4" between them, so the drywall would not need to span so far. If you
want to add insulation space, you could start with one layer of 2x4's on
edge at 24" spacing, following by the flat 2x4's at 4" spacing, then the
drywall. Two layers might be enough but we had a whole bunch to use up and
it seemed a bit flexible with only 2.
We have 15" insulation. You need a vapor barrier UNDER it (on the warm
side) - plastic sheets taped together - to keep moisture from condensing
in it.
Check building sites for scrap lumber, and call a drywaller to ask where you
can pick up the drywall scraps. It will be a lot of cutting and piecing.
Anything leftover can go in the compost pile or the fireplace.
We may have used drywall compound in the top layer. If you want I can ask
Jim the details. Maybe sand
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rcurl
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response 3 of 41:
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Aug 24 19:13 UTC 2008 |
Don't try burning drywall scraps in the fireplace.
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keesan
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response 4 of 41:
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Aug 24 20:15 UTC 2008 |
Lumber takes quite a while to compost.
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ball
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response 5 of 41:
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Sep 1 01:42 UTC 2008 |
The general consensus seems to be plywood, though oriented stranded
board has also been suggested as a possibility. That's inexpensive, but
I'm not sure how well it would hold up in the event of moisture ingress.
Sheets seem to be 8'x10', but I would have them cut down the middle,
4'x10' boards should be more managable for me. I would prefer to find a
light, sustainably-grown wood that's available in half-inch x 2' boards,
but that would probably cost a lot more than ply.
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keesan
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response 6 of 41:
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Sep 1 02:34 UTC 2008 |
Bamboo flooring has become fashionable.
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rcurl
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response 7 of 41:
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Sep 1 05:27 UTC 2008 |
You don't need much area of that 2x1/2, do you? I'd suggest plywood, and it
comes in 4x8 foot sheets.
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keesan
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response 8 of 41:
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Sep 1 12:47 UTC 2008 |
If you don't have a vapor barrier already on the warm side of the insulation
(the ceiling below) plywood, which has enough glue to be a vapor barrier,
could trap condensation and rot. (It happened to us and we had to replace
the flooring, but our plywood also had MDO plastic on top of it).
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ball
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response 9 of 41:
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Nov 17 05:59 UTC 2008 |
Okay. I'm off to Lowes in the morning to buy the first board
or two. Depending on the cost, I'll also buy some more
fibreglass insulation to put under the boards.
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tod
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response 10 of 41:
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Nov 20 13:09 UTC 2008 |
I'm curious how this turned out. My attic doesn't have much clearance but
it'd be great to have the additional space if just for storing suitcases.
I had an electrician install a light in the attic when we had the
bathroom exhaust fan put in. Now, I want to have the kitchen exhaust
ducting repaired (when we bought the house, they'd installed a stove
vent which doesn't exhaust but rather recycles the air out the front of
the hood back into the kitchen, feh..)
I have a hood ready to install which has a duct on top but need the ductwork
in the attic to go out the roof (all parts are there but in a pile)
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keesan
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response 11 of 41:
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Nov 20 17:08 UTC 2008 |
If you don't have a gas stove, you save a lot of heat by recycling instead
of throwing out your warm air from above the stove. Just change the filter
once in a while if you fry things. If you have a gas stove, you are breathing
methane and carbon monoxide. You could pay for an electric stove outlet.
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rcurl
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response 12 of 41:
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Nov 20 19:22 UTC 2008 |
There is neglible CO or CH4 from a properly functioning gas stove. Of course,
it must be "properly functioning" and that caveat is why it is not recommended
heating a space with a gas stove.
When I was a kid my brother and I had a lab and shop in a room in an unheated
garage. In winter we used a kerosene space heater that vented into the room
for hours-on-end. We never had symptoms of carbon monixide poisoning. These
were very common in the country for space heating of single rooms.
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keesan
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response 13 of 41:
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Nov 20 20:11 UTC 2008 |
It takes a while for the symptoms to be noticeable. Studies have shown that
children living with gas stoves have more respiratory problems.
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drew
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response 14 of 41:
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Nov 20 21:37 UTC 2008 |
On the subject of CO, I have heard, but have been unable to confirm, that
alcohol fuelled motors are considered carbon-monoxide safe for indoor use,
(the particular application being discussed being motorized wheelchairs).
Is this so? And would E85 also be acceptable?
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keesan
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response 15 of 41:
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Nov 21 02:56 UTC 2008 |
The web says complete combustion of alcohol gives carbon dioxide and water.
Complete combustion of methane probably does the same, but how do you assure
complete combustion?
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rcurl
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response 16 of 41:
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Nov 21 06:48 UTC 2008 |
Household gas also contains a trace of methyl mercaptan, which burns to
produce some sulfur dioxide, to which some people are very sensitive (sulfite
allergy), and it is an irritant for all people.
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keesan
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response 17 of 41:
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Nov 21 16:11 UTC 2008 |
Another good reason not to go with the fad for gas stoves. I wonder if the
sulfur is the cause of increased asthma in people with gas stoves.
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rcurl
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response 18 of 41:
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Nov 21 18:43 UTC 2008 |
There is the problem that using an electric stove also produces sulfur dioxide
in the combustion of the coal used to generate electricity - in fact much more
than using natural gas because coal has more sulfur than that in or added to
natural gas.
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keesan
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response 19 of 41:
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Nov 21 19:07 UTC 2008 |
The sulfur is not generated inside your house, and it can be removed at the
smokestaff with scrubbing devices (I think they convert it to carbonates).
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rcurl
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response 20 of 41:
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Nov 21 20:32 UTC 2008 |
(You can't convert sulfates to carbonates....) A great deal of SOx in
everyone's air is a bigger problem than a tiny amount in your home air.
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keesan
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response 21 of 41:
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Nov 21 21:24 UTC 2008 |
A great deal of pollutant in a much greater amount of air is far less
concentrated than what a gas stove puts into a house. We got monoxide
readings in a friend's house which were too high on the third floor when the
oven was running on the first floor.
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rcurl
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response 22 of 41:
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Nov 22 06:50 UTC 2008 |
The oven is not operating correctly. Have it inspected and adjusted. The
burners may be dirty or the air inlets gunked up.
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glenda
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response 23 of 41:
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Nov 22 08:07 UTC 2008 |
Gas stoves are not a fad. They have been around for a long time. I am
looking forward to the day that we get to the kitchen renovations and I
can get my gas stove. They cook better than electric stoves. I have
never had an electric stove that can reach the temperature needed for my
wok to cook properly.
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keesan
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response 24 of 41:
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Nov 22 16:09 UTC 2008 |
Have you tried an electric wok? The element is built in. Gas stoves are a
current fad. Before that it was smoothtop electric stoves, and before that
euro-style electric stoves. Most people had switched to electric. I wonder
if the gas stove fad started about the same time as the nostalgia fad (for
fake dormers on houses) in the mid 80s. Most gas burners do not get as hot
as electric burners, though they are more rapidly adjustable. Radiant burners
(cook with lights) are also rapidly adjustable. Not sure about convection
burners, which require special pots and never got popular. Also expensive.
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