Many older Ladue attics have had blown-in insulation added at some point, and the fill often sits deep enough to hide every ceiling joist. A roofer has to cross that attic floor to reach the rafter tails, the roof hatch, the bath fan duct, and the lower part of any valley that drains toward the house. If the joists are buried, the crew has two poor choices: step on the ceiling drywall between joists, or guess where the next joist runs. Settle the walk path before the tear-off starts, because the answer changes the crew's route, the boards they carry up, and sometimes the start date.
Why the joists decide where anyone can stand
Ceiling drywall is fastened to the joists and was never built to hold a person. A half-inch board between two joists can break through under one adult's weight, and a plaster ceiling can crack in a single spot. A crew that works safely in an attic usually lays walk boards, short runs of plywood or dimensional lumber, across the joists so each step lands on framing. Those boards need a joist under each end. When insulation covers the joists, the crew either has to find the framing by probing or has to move the insulation aside. Loose fill that has been pushed aside does not always settle back evenly, so the attic can end up with thin spots and deep spots that the homeowner notices months later.
Experienced crews tend to have a standard path, usually along the main joists nearest the hatch. That path still has to be checked against what is actually in the attic, because framing spacing, old repairs, and stored boxes all change it. Ask the roofer to describe the path in plain words before the crew arrives, not on the morning of the work.
Measure the insulation before anyone else does
You can take the first reading yourself from the attic hatch, with a tape measure or a yardstick. Push the stick straight down into the insulation until it stops on a joist top, then note the depth. Photograph the stick with the depth visible, and photograph the hatch location relative to the room below. Do not dig into the fill to find framing. Loose fiberglass and cellulose irritate skin and airways, so wear a dust mask, long sleeves and gloves if you go up. A reading of a foot or more means the joists are fully covered and the crew will need a plan. A reading of a few inches means the joists are mostly visible and the walk is simpler.
Questions to put to each roofer
Ask each company the same few questions in writing, and keep the answers next to the bids you compare. Written answers are more useful than a verbal promise made on the driveway.
- Where will the crew walk in the attic, and who lays the walk boards?
- Does the bid include removing insulation over the bath fan duct, the ridge vent baffle, or any chimney area, and putting it back?
- If insulation is blown back in, what depth does the bid name?
- What does the crew do if it finds a ceiling that is already cracked or sagging?
- Will the attic be photographed before the first board goes down and again when the crew leaves?
Plaster and lath ceilings in older rooms
Some older Ladue houses still have plaster and lath ceilings in the front rooms, the dining room, or the upstairs bedrooms. Plaster is heavier than drywall, and it cracks along the lath lines when framing moves under it. Ask the roofer whether the bid assumes the crew will avoid those rooms' ceilings entirely. If the attic has to be crossed above a plaster ceiling, the scope should say which boards go where. A written note about existing cracks, taken before any work starts, is a simple record, and it belongs in the same photo file as the attic readings.
Cold winters, damp insulation, and the before picture
St. Louis winters put moisture into an attic in ways that are easy to miss from below. Warm air from the house leaks up through the ceiling, meets the cold roof deck, and condenses on the underside of the sheathing and the top of the insulation. Insulation near the eave vents or along the ridge may already be matted or stained. Before the roof comes off, photograph any dark stain, matted fill, or frost pattern on the deck, and note the date. That record shows what was there before the crew arrived, which helps everyone agree on the starting condition.
What the written scope should say about the attic
Keys puts a written scope with photos and measurements in the homeowner's hands before work starts. For the attic, that scope should name the walk path, the insulation depth reading, the joist direction if it is known, and any insulation that will be moved and reinstalled. If the bid does not mention insulation at all, ask for a line on it in writing before you sign. You keep the scope and the photos for your own records.
What to do this week
Take the depth reading and the hatch photo. Write down which rooms below have plaster ceilings and whether any ceiling already shows a crack. Then send each roofer the five questions above and compare the written replies, not the sales pitch. If you want to talk through the attic before you choose, call the Keys office at (314) 220-2333 and ask for the walk path in writing.