The attic floor has to support you as well as your valuable stuff. The decision regarding the thickness of plywood to use for the subfloor in the attic has a lot to do with how you intend to use the attic, and it also depends on the spacing of the ceiling joists. Oversizing is an unnecessary expense, but you don't want to fall through. Plywood Thicknesses Plywood comes in 4-by-8-foot sheets with thicknesses ranging from 1/4 to 1 1/4 inches. The thickness that builders use most often for subfloors is 3/4 inch, and when they need extra reinforcement, they use 1-inch material. Thick plywood sheets are durable, but they're also heavy, and it may be safer to use 1/2-inch plywood -- which is actually 15/32 inch thick -- to avoid loading the ceiling joists with extra weight. Two considerations will help you choose between the only two viable options for your attic: 3/4- and 1/2-inch plywood. Joist Spacing and Attic Use The joist spacing in some attics is 24 inches, and 1/2-inch sheets will sag and possibly break when spanning that distance.

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. Thinner plywood can flex when you walk on it -- even with 16-inch spacing -- and this will damage the flooring. References Home Elegance: Plywood Grade and Span Ratings Stamps Photo Credits Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a Correction Read This Before You Finish Your Attic Whether you envision your house's top floor as an away-from-it-all master suite, a quiet home office, or a hangout spot for the kids, don't lift a finger until you've read TOH's expert advice Account for Codes and Safety Every attic is different, but a few established norms and practices will guide your renovation. Follow the "rule of 7s": Enforcement varies, but codes typically say that at least half of a finished attic must be at least 7 feet high, and that this area must be a minimum of 7 feet wide and 70 square feet.

A contractor or a local building official can help you assess how the rule will apply to your attic and how modifications like dormers can resolve height shortcomings. Have a pro check the structure: A finished attic weighs a lot more than boxes of off-season duds. Hire an engineer to inspect your house's foundation and framing to ensure they can carry the extra load. At a minimum, you may need to strengthen the attic's floor joists, which are often too shallow or spaced too far apart for the job. Assess your access: If you're building a stair-case from scratch, consider a switchback layout. It needs more room than a straight run (roughly 45 to 50 square feet per floor versus 33), but its footprint is more squarish than linear, so it will often fit in spaces where a straight run can't go. Just make sure the landing is large enough to maneuver furniture upstairs. Pictured: A focal point at the top of an attic stairway, like this peaked bookshelf, draws people up. Ceiling Finish: "Wall" Frames

Paneling with applied moldings is an elegant touch for a traditional space. Ceiling Finish: Beadboard Panels A timeless classic, these tongue-and-groove panels are easy to install and will protect the low ceiling from dings and dents. Ceiling Finish: V-groove Wood Paneling Stained or left bare, wood makes a low-ceilinged attic feel snug and cozy. You can vary the look by using boards of different widths. Put in a Ceiling Fan for Better Climate ControlBlack Wolf Hybrid Puppies For Sale In Canada If you've got headroom, a fan will make a finished attic more comfortable in warmer months by giving you a cool breeze indoors. Hot Tub Time Machine Drinking GameFlip the reverse switch in wintertime and it will push warmer air down to keep you cozy.Fishing Rod Wrapping Machine For Sale

The Best Attic Lighting Recessed LED fixtures tuck completely out of the way, don't generate unwanted heat, and can have insulation installed snugly, and safely, around them. Hush Up the Floors Attic activity can cause a racket in the rooms below. Beefier floor joists will quiet things down, as will filling the bays with blown-in dense-pack insulation. And don't forget the low-tech fix: carpet or area rugs. A Can't-Fail Color Scheme: All White Painting walls, ceilings, floors, and even furnishings in a light hue ties together disparate materials, making even the tiniest attic feel larger and airier. Opt for warm whites, like ivory or cream, to avoid an antiseptic hospital look. Splurge on Spray-Foam Roof Insulation It costs two to three times more than fiberglass batt insulation. But the roof is a major pathway to heat loss—and gain—so it's worth shelling out the extra bucks for spray foam. It forms a much tighter air barrier, and you'll get the same R-value with fewer inches of the stuff, so you'll have extra room overhead.

"Zone" the Area Under a Dormer In addition to adding more headroom and bringing in natural light, a dormer can shelter a miniature room of its own within an open floor plan. Add a desk and you've got a new home office; a pint-size table and chairs becomes the kids' craft area; or keep it simple with a comfy reading chair and footstool. TIP: Soften sharp corners. An attic's quirky angles are charming, but they can gouge you if you're not careful. Where drywall forms an outside angle, a bullnose corner bead will protect you and keep the wall's surface from getting all dinged up. If You're Planning to Put in a Bathroom These pointers will help you achieve a comfortable, restful retreat. Site it Above a Bath or Kitchen Minimize the distance between new and existing plumbing to reduce costs and limit wall damage as pipes are installed. You can sometimes tie new pipes to old ones, but it's often preferable to run the attic's supply and drain lines all the way to the basement, for optimal water pressure and proper venting of sewer gases.

Opt for a Claw-Foot Tub This low-profile, small-footprint soaker can be squeezed in just about anywhere. A fiberglass model is easier to hoist to the top floor than cast iron. Gain Headroom with a Skylight Because it's cut into the rafters, a skylight can provide a few much-needed inches above a sink or toilet that's tucked under the eaves, so you can use them without fear of bumping your noggin. Order these upgrades with your skylights—they're worth it: • Remote-control operation to let you open and shut high skylights with the touch of a button. • Roll-up insect screens to keep out bugs and debris. The screens can be retracted for cleaning the glass. • Solar shades to prevent indoor temps from climbing too high. They're juiced by the power of the sun. Storage: Recess it into Knee Walls Perimeter drawers, cabinets, and cubbies save space. Get the how-to on recessing a chest of drawers. Storage: Use Every Nook and Cranny Even awkward niches—alongside chimneys and pipe chases, or near low walls—offer an opportunity for installing DIY open shelving..

Storage: Delineate Space With It Look for ways to work storage into the room's interior. Here, a half-wall along a staircase doubles as a bookshelf next to a home office. Storage: Consider Bumping In If there's no room for recessed storage, go the other way. Built-in cabinets with drawers or doors below make handy window seats. Put Twin Beds Head-to-Head Sure, you could place beds side by side under opposite eaves. But this fun arrangement will allow kids to giggle together before falling asleep. Plus, it frees up the other side of the attic for a different use. Make Emergency Egress Easier Required by code for bedrooms, and a good idea for any attic room, is a window that can be used for an escape in case of an emergency. An in-wall rope ladder installed beneath it, hidden by a cabinet door, will give you extra peace of mind. Two Handy Things to Have When It's Finished 1. A broom closet to house cleaning supplies you won't want to lug upstairs again and again, including a spare vacuum cleaner.