Attic Access Ideas

[spitfire557]

I'm looking to finish the inside of recently built pole barn. I plan on doing batts of insulation, vapor barrier, and then metal paneling. Electrical will be surface mounted.

My question is this - is there a standard method of framing in some sort of attic access panel? I plan on doing blow in insulation up there, and will obviously need some way of getting up there.

I'm sure I could frame up a simple access panel from scratch, but was curious if there's a 'proper' or tried and true way of doing it.

My trusses are 4' OC.

Thanks!

 

[bad_idea]

I'm sure other's will chime in. I THINK they are typically just framed up and a wooden panel dropped in the hole. In my last house I hinged that wooden panel to flip up. I then installed an eyebolt on the panel opposite of the hinges. Then made up a pole with a hook on the end of it. With the pole I could flip the hatch open while standing on the floor. Put a fan in the roll up door opening pointing in and the air would blow up into the attic. This created a decent airflow that cooled the attic and then cooled the garage in turn.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If your trusses are four foot on center, I'd consider making a scuttle hole access 2x4 in size. While it seems huge, the first time you need to get up there or hopefully not a firefighter in turnout gear, you'll be glad you made it big enough.

I made the one in the house garage this size and the cover is 3/4" plywood. It's also far enough from the edge to allow clearance from the roof line.

 

[jbwilkins]

Since you're insulating the attic you ought to consider insulating the scuttle hole.....compression weather stripping and some sort of insulation attached to the back isn't hard to do........

A 'neat' solution I've see that's 'factory made' uses exterior door jamb material, that already has a notch cut into it for 'q-lon' weather stripping.....something that an individual could easily throw together....