Insulated Attic Walkway

The floor must extend beyond the insulation so that the insulation is properly covered.

Insulated attic walkway.

With any attic insulation project an all important first step is to air seal the ceiling plane below at every electrical plumbing flue and duct penetration. Pull down stair or ladder. The blown in insulation can be blown right over the ductwork. Do you just wade through the insulation on your inspection.

Insure there are no air leaks around plumbing vents electrical wiring or in corners. If you need a second layer of batting insulation lay it perpendicular to the first layer. There is no walkway or landing in the attic. If you can insulate below the floors use rock wool or fiberglass batting to the depth of the floor joists.

However if you need to make it narrower i would recommend standing some unfaced blanket insulation on end along the edges of the walkway to hold the loose. If conditioned air is seeping into the attic in winter it can condense it s moisture out in the cooler layers of the insulation sometimes to the point of dripping through onto the ceiling but it also increases the moisture content of the wood in the attic. If you find leaks seal with an appropriate foam. Affix rigid foam insulation to the attic side of the hatch or door.

The only means of traversing the attic is by walking the joists. The insulation is 12 15 deep. I would recommend fiberglass blown in insulation rather than cellulose because it is not conducive to insects. You could also lightly spray for insects over fiberglass if needed.

Attic hatch or door. Add weatherstripping around the perimeter and a sweep to the door of a walk up attic. This is because the horizontal chords are the strongest part of the attic. Because of this the space is able to supporting heavy loads.

The attic walkway is constructed so that sits above the horizontal chords of your attic.