Does the old wiring pose a fire hazard with insulation?
Joe writes from Cleveland, Ohio: “I have a ranch which was built in 1950. I recently discovered there was only a tin foil lining in the attic under the floor boards. The foil is all the insulation I have in the attic. We do use some of the space for storage so we would like to keep the floor in the attic. I also have old knob wiring which are on the 2×6’s under the floor. What product would best fit my needs? Can I get good insulation with just 6 in. of room? And does the old wiring pose a fire hazard with that type of insulation?” Answer: For a 2×6 cavity you can get R-19 or R-21. If you are keeping the foil in place, use unfaced Fiberglas™ insulation. If you are removing the foil, use Kraft-faced Fiberglas insulation. Knob and tube wiring should be kept at least three inches away from the insulation.
