Attic and Bonus Room Finishing in Vancouver, WA
AvilaCo Drywall does attic finishing for homes across Vancouver, WA, Camas, WA, Battle Ground, WA and the rest of Clark County. Once your attic or bonus room is framed, we insulate the rafters and knee walls, hang the sloped ceilings, then tape, texture and paint. One crew takes it from bare rafters to a finished room, and we schedule around your other trades.
Free Attic Finishing Quote
No strings. We respond within 24 hours.
Free Attic Finishing Quote
No strings. We respond within 24 hours.
AvilaCo was a great company to work with for my home addition project. Their professionalism was top notch throughout the process, and their finish work is superb! As an architect, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any of my clients or general contractors.
Attic Finishing From Bare Rafters to Painted Walls
Finishing an attic starts after the framing is done. Your general contractor and licensed trades handle the structure, stairs, windows, electrical, HVAC and roofing. When they're ready, we take over with the insulation and drywall, then tape, texture and paint the room.
Insulation and drywall are two trades we already run, so the attic is one crew from the first batt to the last coat of paint. Converting an attic to living space needs a permit in Vancouver, WA and Clark County.
- Insulation between the rafters and in the knee walls
- Ventilation baffles where the roof is vented
- Vapor barrier on the walls and ceilings
- Drywall on sloped ceilings, knee walls and dormers
- Tape, mud and texture matched to your house, or a smooth finish
- Prime and paint to a clean boundary
- Optional sound insulation in the floor below the attic room
What Goes Into a Finished Attic
Every attic finishing job uses some or all of these six pieces. Which ones your attic needs depends on the roof, the framing and how you plan to use the room.
Insulation Between the Rafters
The sloped part of an attic ceiling is the roof, so the batts go right between the rafters. We fit each piece to its bay with no gaps, because a gap in the insulation is the first place the room loses heat in winter and gains it in summer.
Baffles for Roof Ventilation
Where your roof is vented, air has to keep moving from the eaves up under the sheathing. Ventilation baffles hold the insulation back from that channel so it can't block the airflow. Your roofer or general contractor tells us where the roof needs them.
Knee Wall Insulation and Drywall
Knee walls are the short walls where the sloped ceiling meets the floor. We insulate behind them, add a vapor barrier, and hang and finish the board.
Sloped Ceiling Drywall
Hanging board overhead on a slope takes more hands and more patience than a flat wall. Our crew cuts each sheet to the rafter layout, screws it tight and keeps the seams where they'll finish clean. It's slow, detailed work, and it shows when it's done right.
Dormers and Angled Corners
An attic room has more corners than any other room in the house. Dormers, window returns and places where the slope meets a wall all need corner bead and careful finishing so the angles stay sharp and straight in every kind of light.
Texture, Prime and Paint
We match the hand texture on the rest of your house, or leave the attic smooth if you'd rather. Then we prime and paint the room, so the room is ready for furniture when we leave.
Insulation Is What Makes an Attic Room Usable
An attic is the hottest room in the house in August and the coldest in January. It sits right under the roof, so the room only works year round when the insulation is done right. A finished room with gaps in the batts will still feel like an attic.
We fit batts snugly into every rafter bay and knee wall, keep the baffles clear so the roof can breathe, and add vapor barrier before the drywall goes up. Our insulation page covers the materials we install.
Sloped Ceiling Drywall Is Slow, Detailed Work
A sloped ceiling in an attic is hung overhead on an angle, with knee walls, dormers and window returns breaking it up. Each plane change is a seam that has to be taped and finished. And every one of them shows in window light if it's off.
That's why finishing quality matters more in an attic than almost anywhere else. Our guide to drywall finish levels explains what a smooth, paint-ready surface takes. The sloped ceiling in this upstairs loft is finished smooth and primed.
We take our time on corners, bead and the long seams along the slope, so the room looks as good in the afternoon sun as it does under the work lights.
Bonus Room Over the Garage Drywall
A bonus room over the garage is one of the most common spaces in newer homes around Ridgefield, WA and Battle Ground, WA. It has one special rule. Code calls for 5/8-inch Type X drywall on a garage ceiling under a living space.
That heavier fire-rated board also helps with noise. Add Rockwool in the floor joists and the garage door, the car and the workshop get quieter upstairs. Our garage drywall guide goes through the fire rules in detail.
The bonus room itself gets the same attic treatment as any other room: insulation, board, finish and paint, all from one crew.
Rooms to Build in an Attic or Bonus Room
Most families start with one idea for the space. These are the rooms we see people build.
Kids' Playroom
A playroom upstairs keeps the toys out of the living room. Sloped ceilings and cozy corners make it a fun space, and a durable painted finish holds up to years of kids climbing, crawling and leaning on the walls.
Guest Bedroom
An attic guest room gives visitors a private floor of the house. The egress window a bedroom needs comes from your window installer or general contractor, and we schedule our drywall around it.
Home Office
A finished attic puts a door between your work and the rest of the house. Add sound insulation in the floor and calls stay quiet, and a smooth painted ceiling gives you clean light for the desk.
Media Room
Movie night upstairs is easy to love and easy to hear downstairs. Rockwool in the floor and the walls keeps more of the sound upstairs, and a sloped ceiling finished smooth looks right in a darker room.
Craft and Hobby Room
Sewing, painting, models or music all want a room of their own. An attic gives you the space, and a finished, painted room with good light is a lot nicer to work in than a storage loft with exposed insulation.
Primary Suite
Some families turn the whole upper level into a primary suite. That takes a lot of coordination between trades. We handle the insulation and drywall, and we work around your plumber, electrician and HVAC contractor.
How an Attic Finishing Project Runs From Walkthrough to Paint
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Walkthrough of the Attic
We look at the framing, the rafters, the knee walls and the dormers with you. We note where the roof is vented and where your other trades still have work to finish.
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Scope and Quote
Your quote lists what we insulate, hang, finish and paint, and what the floor between the attic room and the room below gets if you want sound insulation.
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Insulation, Then Drywall
Our crew protects the stairs and the floors below, installs baffles, insulation and vapor barrier, then hangs every wall and sloped ceiling.
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Tape, Texture and Paint
Tape, three coats of joint compound, texture or a smooth finish, then prime and paint. Most of the time is drying time between coats.
Attic Finishing That Fits Around Your Other Trades
An attic conversion pulls in a lot of people. Framers, an engineer, electricians, an HVAC contractor, a window installer and a roofer all have a part. We come in when the framing is ready and work around everyone else's schedule.
A Finished Attic Without the Guesswork
Structural work, stairs, egress windows, electrical, HVAC and roofing come from your general contractor or licensed trades. We handle the insulation and drywall, and we tell you plainly which part is whose.
We plastic off the work area, cover floors and furniture, and clean up at the end of every day. Estimates are free anywhere from Washougal, WA to Longview, WA.
Insulation and Drywall for Your Attic Conversions
Hand us the insulation and drywall scope for attic and bonus room projects. We schedule after your framing, electrical and HVAC rough-in, and we hang and finish on the timeline your inspections set.
Send the plans or call (360) 904-3878 and we'll put together your quote.
Sloped Ceiling and Insulation Work From Our Crew
Vaulted ceilings and insulated framing on jobs across Clark and Cowlitz Counties. See more on our insulation and drywall installation pages, or browse our projects.
How to Get an Attic Finishing Quote
Tell us about the attic and how you plan to use it. "A bonus room over the garage for the kids" or "a home office under the roof" is a perfect start. Let us know whether the framing is done and send a few photos of the space.
Every attic is quoted after a free walkthrough, because the angles, the insulation and the roof ventilation are different in every house. Use our contact page or call (360) 904-3878. More about how we work is on our FAQ page.
Want a head start? Our guide on how to prepare your home for a drywall project covers what to move before we arrive.
Attic Finishing FAQ
What Does Attic Finishing Include?
For AvilaCo Drywall, attic finishing means everything that turns a framed attic into a finished room, from insulation to paint. That covers insulation in the rafters and knee walls, ventilation baffles, vapor barrier, drywall on the walls and sloped ceilings, tape, texture or a smooth finish, and prime and paint. Sound insulation in the floor is optional.
Do I Need a Permit to Finish an Attic in Vancouver, WA?
Yes. Converting an attic into living space is a remodel that needs a permit in Vancouver, WA and Clark County. The permit usually belongs to the homeowner or your general contractor, and our drywall work goes on that same project. Our guide to drywall permits and code in Vancouver, WA covers what to expect.
Can Any Attic Be Converted Into a Bonus Room?
It depends on the structure, the headroom and the stairs. Those are decided by your contractor or an engineer, not by us. Floor joists often need to be checked for a living space, and a bedroom needs an egress window. Once the framing is ready, we insulate, hang, finish and paint it.
What Are Knee Walls?
Knee walls are the short vertical walls in a finished attic that connect the floor to the sloped ceiling. They often have a small storage space behind them. We insulate and hang drywall on the knee walls.
Why Do Attic Rooms Need Baffles?
A vented roof needs air moving from the eaves up under the roof sheathing. Insulation packed tight into the rafters can block that path. A baffle is a thin channel that holds the insulation back so air keeps moving. We install them where your roof is vented before the insulation goes in.
What Drywall Goes on a Bonus Room Over the Garage?
Code calls for 5/8-inch Type X drywall on a garage ceiling under a living space, and walls between the garage and the house need drywall on the garage side too. Insulation between the joists helps with temperature and noise. Our garage drywall guide goes through the fire rules.
Can You Soundproof the Floor of an Attic Room?
Yes. Rockwool Safe'n'Sound between the floor joists absorbs sound before it reaches the room below. Heavier drywall on the ceiling underneath helps more. Footsteps travel through the framing itself, so a pad under the new flooring does the rest. Our soundproofing page explains the options.
How Long Does It Take to Drywall an Attic?
An attic usually takes longer than a flat room the same size, because sloped ceilings, knee walls and dormers add cuts, corners and finishing. Most of the calendar time is joint compound drying between coats. We give you a schedule on the walkthrough, based on your attic and your other trades.
Should I Texture an Attic Ceiling or Leave It Smooth?
Either works. Texture is the choice if you want the attic to match the rest of your house. A smooth finish looks clean on a sloped ceiling, but it shows every flaw in window light, so it takes more finishing time. See our guide to smooth and textured walls.
How Much Does Attic Finishing Cost?
It depends on the size of the attic, how many knee walls, dormers and angles it has, how much insulation goes in, and whether you want sound insulation in the floor. We quote every attic finishing job after a free walkthrough. Request yours here.
Let's Turn Your Attic Into a Finished Room
Tell us about your attic or bonus room and we'll walk it with you. Serving Vancouver, WA and all of Clark and Cowlitz Counties.
