How To Make An Attic Entrance Box

The attic access door is often the name used to describe push up type access panels knee wall doors or any type of entry point into the attic space.

How to make an attic entrance box. Use a pencil and draw a box within the joists. Attach the two layers of foam board together and apply them to the hatch. The edges of the box should be flush with the. Lay boards across the attic framing to hold small boxes for storage.

Use a straight edge knife to cut any drywall paper that wasn t taken care of with the drywall knife. You can construct these out of cardboard and staple the cardboard to the joists and to the 2 by 6 inch boards you installed. Run the rope through the pulley that was not attached to the eye hook. Make sure to check your local building code for attic access size minimums to ensure that your finished opening will still meet these requirements.

With the hinge secured gently open and close the. Using drywall knife start cutting the ceiling out along your line. Then run it through the pulley attached to the attic beam. Decorate and finish the entrance as desired.

Cut out two pieces of rigid foam board that are 1 4 inch smaller than the hatch so homeowners can slide the attic access panel open easily. Take the drywall out. Screw the unattached side of the piano hinge to the framing member. Position the newly constructed box over the attic stair opening.

Most attic ladders are made to fit between joists set at 24 inches on center. Install fiberglass batt insulation on top of the foam board. Having searched online for a simple design in the past i knew that there was literally not a single good article or resource on constructing a truly airtight attic hatch. Consider adding insulation dams to retain loose fiberglass insulation at the sides of the opening unless you are adding a partial floor landing inside the attic.

If the attic is large enough lay a plywood floor and run lighting.