The Attic Project

Cary and Tonya came down this weekend to visit. Cary is always more than happy to help with projects around the house, so we decided to go ahead with building the attic above the Rec Room. We started by cutting a hole in the ceiling to find out what we were up against. There were several surprises. First was the fact that the space was already insulated. That saved me several hundred dollars I had been fully expecting to spend. Second was that the 2x10 (nice) ceiling joist were spaced a sturdy 16 inches on center. That was a nice surprise and means that we don't have to worry about weight up there. Third, the space was dry and clean, which meant it was ready to be converted to an attic without haveing to clean out critters or debris.

So we went down to the Depot and purchased some pull down aluminum attic stairs and everything we would need to wire up a light and lay a 5/8" OSB floor.

We started the project at around noon and with only one stop for supper, we had it all done and cleaned up by about 9:30pm. We trimmed out the stairs the next morning and it is sweet. Audra is ecstatic to have the storage space.

I figure I added about 350-400 square feet of storage to the house, which means we can now keep the closets and shed much more organized.

I will say that spending all day in a cramped space makes for a sore next couple of days though. I also have to give credit to Cary. At 59 he still stays neck and neck with me on projects, which absolutely amazes me. I tend to get really focused and work myself and him like a dog until the whole thing is done. We probably should have split it up into a 2 day project, but what the hell. I do suspect he'll be sore a couple of days longer that I will though.