The Attic
I had been planning to run some network cables from my bedroom—where the only upstairs cable outlet is—to my office. The plan was to keep the cable modem in the bedroom, since it has to be, but to put the network router in the office, and reduce some of the clutter in the bedroom. (Not to mention all of the blinking green LEDs, that brighten up the room when we’re trying to sleep!)
Unfortunately, I took a look into the attic, and I saw this:
Now, I was expecting there to be some insulation. But I wasn’t expecting a 1- or 2-foot-deep sea of it, as far as the eye can see! I can’t even tell if there are places to walk; I tried digging around in the stuff in a few places, to see if there was a sturdy place to put my feet, but couldn’t find anyplace.
So my plans for attic wiring are temporarily on hold, until I can educate myself on the best way to proceed.
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3 comments:
You see where those wood things go into the insulation? They are nailed to rafters. Walk on those (the rafters).
That’s my assumption, too. Well, it’s more than an assumption; it has to be the case, right? But I dug and dug and dug, and couldn’t find any rafters within reach of the entrance, where I was standing on the ladder.
So really, my main concern right now is to figure out what kind of insulation it is, and the health effects of rooting around in it. Was the dust mask I was wearing good enough, or do I need something better? Am I okay with long-sleeved shirts, or do I need a hazmat suit? (That was a joke; I doubt I need a hazmat suit…)
And, when I’m done, do I have to do anything special to put back the stuff I’ve rooted out? Or is it good enough to just sprinkle it back on? Or do I have to buy more, and replace it, and throw out the stuff I moved around?
Once I’ve got some more information on all of that, I’ll go back up there and do a more thorough search for rafters. Maybe I’ll bring a snow shovel with me.
It appears to be blown insulation (insert your own George Michael joke here). Breathing it should be just fine, it's not meant to be any more toxic than normal insulation, just easier (for the contractor) to put in. Problems involve settling, which may not be an issue if you can't find your rafters, and the itchiness normally involved with fiberglass insulation. You can move it around all you want as long as you don't go making insulation castles or dunes in there. And a shovel is a good idea. I do recommend insulation blankets over blown insulation though for additional R-factor. Vapor barrier is optional, but, of course, always goes on the warm-in-winter side, which would involve moving a bunch of it and since you're planning on running things through the ceiling that you would need access to, may be pointless.
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