Simple Storage Space For The Attic
By Benjamen Johnson
Depending on your climate, covering your attic insulation may lead to moisture problems. But Metro Products’ Attic Dek allows the insulation to breathe while still providing solid and durable decking to store your boxes and other junk.
They make tiles in two sizes, either 16″x16″ or 24″x16″, to accommodate the most common joist spacing. Each panel supports up to 250lbs and removes easily with a few screws so you can access duct work, wires, or pipes underneath.
You secure the lightweight interlocking panels to the attic floor joists with five 2″ flathead screws. Since they’re sized to fit the floor joists exactly, there’s no measuring and cutting involved. Besides storage areas, you can also use Attic Dek panels to create walkways or crawl-ways.
The 16″x16″ tiles come in packs of eight and cover about 14 sq. ft., and the 24″x16″ tiles come in packs of four and cover about 10 sq. ft. You’ll pay somewhere around $30 to $45 for packs of either type.
Attic Dek [Metro Products]
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January 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Hey those are pretty sweet! I like that concept a lot.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Damnit Ben! Well, I’m gonna have to get some of that.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Doubtful that those will work up here in the great frozen north. My attic insulation is way too thick for those. I would have to rake it thin in spots in order to use these.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Be very careful before you go and add a live load to your attic floor. Although that flooring is rated to ~144lb/sqft there is probably no attic in existence that is rated for a live load of 144lb/sqft.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I love this idea and will be using it in the attic of the Stone House.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Anyone know if these things are available in Australia?
January 9th, 2009 at 2:35 am
I say “PhotoShop”!! No way my wife would ever do that!
January 11th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Kai, if you find them in Aus, I would be interested to know where too.
January 14th, 2009 at 12:30 am
I have seen these “solutions” many times before. For the price you don’t get much surface area covered.
There must be some other material one can get, maybe some thick plywood and have it screwed into the floor studs.
2 cents,
F.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Fabian — the usual method is either taking a full sheet of ply and cutting into quarters or buying the pre-cut attic panels they sell (which have tongue and groove edges for added strength at edges). I prefer the pre-cut ones, since the price difference is negligible and the added strength is nice.
IIRC, it’s generally 11/32 ply or OSB. Used both, don’t really have a preference. If you need additional height for insulation then just screw some 2×4s/2×6s to the joists first, then put the boards on top.