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(NC)'Tree houses are great in theory but pose a number of safety issues and aren't ideally suited to cold weather play," says David Flood, Insulation Expert, Owens Corning. "If you have an attic with adequate headroom, a clever alternative is to create a year-round fun space for children in the upper reaches of your home. With a few renovations ' and some clean-up ' you can transform the attic into a playroom."

Your first step in the transformation is to check existing insulation for areas that will not be in the new room, and top up where required using PINK' Fiber Glass Insulation for Attics. For inaccessible areas in the attic, have a professional blow in PROPINKTM Loosefill Fiber Glass Insulation. Up to 35 per cent of a home's energy can be lost through the attic; topping up insulation to adequate levels, ensures that children are comfortable and, energy bills are kept in check. A properly insulated attic will prevent heat loss in winter and heat penetration in summer.

To make the room comfortable year round, install insulation batts to adequate levels in walls and ceiling of the new finished attic room with a new poly vapour barrier seal before the drywall is installed. To ensure an unrestricted flow of fresh air from soffits to the attic and areas above the ceiling of the new room, be sure to install raft-R-mateTM Attic Rafter Vents at each level and ensure there is ridge or equivalent top ventilation.

Finally, you'll need a source of heat for this new playroom. Best option: baseboard heaters as extending forced air ducts to the attic may be impractical and hydronic heating could freeze if your attic room were to become unheated.

Once insulation is in, install drywall, fixtures and decorate. Better yet, bring the children in to decorate and make the room truly their own!

For more information, call the Owens Corning answer center at 1-800-GET- PINK' or visit the website at www.owenscorning.com.

- News Canada