Build An Attic Knee Wall

Access the attic using a stepladder at the attic access panel or the attic stairs.

Build an attic knee wall.

Step 1 use a stud finder to locate the studs in the knee wall where you intend to install your storage doors. Mark the line that the angle forms along your 2x4. Rigid air barrier material could include rigid foam insulation drywall plywood or osb among others. You can see the image below for an example of a knee wall.

Snap a chalk line. This project is something that most homeowners could complete in just a few hours. Cover rafters with an air barrier. You ll gain a full size eight drawer chest without sacrificing a single square inch of floor space.

Here you ll recess a chest of drawers into the knee wall of an upstairs bedroom. Support and follow me. You can convert hidden unused spaces into valuable storage areas. Use a miter.

Draw a line across that angle. Install a continuous air barrier on the exterior side of the attic knee wall framing with a rigid air barrier or other supporting material to prevent the knee wall cavity insulation from sagging and to create a continuous thermal barrier. Knee walls are the short interior walls built beneath the roof rafters. Cut six lengths of 2x4 each 2 1 2 feet long.

To reduce air infiltration the u s. How to construct knee walls in attics 1. Knee walls are short usually wooden walls installed around the sides of an attic where the rafters meet the floor. Department of energy recommends that you complete several steps.

To make better use of this empty space build knee wall storage doors for easy access to the space behind the wall. Determine the location and line of. Determine the length of the knee wall from end to end and double this to determine the lineal footage of the. Use a template to determine the angle on each of those six pieces of 2x4.

Use your saw to cut along this line. One of your 2x4s. In most instances they are no taller than 3 feet but some builders may custom fit them according to the roof s shape and size. Caulk all other holes or cracks or stuff with fiberglass batt insulation or spray foam.