Shop Attic Cat-Walk

[mod600]

I'm hoping to do my blow in insulation in the attic of my shop soon. Before I do so, I have a few things to button up first. The major one is I want to put up a Cat-Walk down the center. It's a 32x64 pole barn, only half of it is going to be heated and insulated...so 32x32 shop. Trusses are 4' on center. I was thinking of adding 2x4s about 20" or so up from the bottom of the trusses. Screw them to the angled 2x4s of the trusses. Then lay down a couple 2x4s or 2x6 on them for the walk way.

Or would 1/2" OSB ripped in 16" or 24" strips x 8' long work? Like I said trusses are every 4'. I don't want to spend a fortune on this as it mainly will be used for doing the blow in. Down the road I may toss some light bulky stuff up there to store.

What have others done?
Thanks!
mod600

 

[Highbeam]

Since you will start in the rear and blow in the insulation as you walk out you don't need an attic catwalk, just walk on the ceiling framing and trusses. You have the regular rat runs or ceiling rafters between trusses don't you?

 

[mod600]

I have a 2x4 running down the center now, on top of the bottom 2x6 coord of the truss. I know I could do without the cat-walk, but still like to put it in...a lot easier to do it now than later.

 

[kbs2244]

How about renting a scaffold on casters?

 

[Rookie2]

I got lazy and didn't add a walk way in my bldg. . I wish I would have at least put a 4' deck the length of my building for storage and future maintenance.

 

[volleyball]

I could see where it would be handy for any future work.
To keep it cheap, finding scrap lumber would help. Since you are going to cut short legs, why start with long lumber? I would put up legs in a larger area than you think you will need. Use them for depth markers and joist locators for now and something to lay a temp scaffold across. Save from trudging through all that insulation.

 

[Joe Reed]

I wouldn't use OSB if your supports are going to be on 4' centers...

 

[TLCObsession]

Do it - you won't regret it. run a horizontal across the truss at the height you expect to blow to. Do this every other truss. Nail a 2x4 across the 8' span at 24" wide (because you are going 32', so 2 sheets). on the truss you did not block, put the 2x4 cross piece under the 2x4 'joists' rip your OSB 16" wide, glue it and screw it.

You can make these on the ground and then lift them up and put them in if you find it easier. It should cost you tops $40 for the length to gain a solid place to walk and if needed store things.

 

[e015475]

I recently added catwalks in my shop before I blew in insulation, but the trusses were on much closer centers - 24". I'd add some stringers for 48"

I did exactly what the previous poster did in the attic - I used 2x4s to create a base for the platform and screwed them to the trusses with square-head screws. Drywall screws could have worked too, but it is hard to get good leverage on the screw in my attic.

I laid it out so the OSB would all be the same size and had it cut at the HD on their panel saw - sort of a modular approach - then hauled it up the drop down ladder into the attic

I set the OSB in place with drywall screws and marked where I put them so if I ever had to remove them for maintenance of any kind, I could - no glue

Took me three evenings to put up about three sheets of OSB catwalks

 

[Steevo]

I did a similar setup in my attic:

It was handy for a few things, from installing attic lighting to finishing the vent for the heater, to blowing in the insulation.

I used 2x4 horizontals and 2x6 planks.

 

[mod600]

Thanks for the thoughts/info. I think I'm going to something similar to what Steevo did on his. My roof is a standard 4-12 pitch, I have two angled braces that come down from the roof to the center of the bottom truss chord, like Steevo's, but I don't have the vertical one in the center like his attic.

 

[Mattlt]

Could you use a ladder, laid horizontally? Cover the rungs with plywood somehow.

 

[bygasper]

I put one in mine and it has paid for itself many times over in the effort saved by me and contractors to do work up there. 2x6 frames with plywood on top. 8' truss spacing.