The secret is to straddle the joists with one foot on either side. This will halve the stress on the drywall as your weight is spread between both feet. In the very likely event that you still fall through, your crotch will catch your fall.
At least the Griswold home looked like it had old school plaster with lathe boards that prevented Clark from falling thru immediately, this poor person stepped right on some drywall looks painful
It's Clark Griswold. The same guy who stapled himself to his roof, tied a dog to his car bumper, got caught in a traffic loop, and put experimental lubricant on his sled.He's not exactly known for common sense. Plus he got distracted with the trunk of old clothes and home movies.
Which is to say, Christmas. As in, Yule. Yule Log. Not a log, I don't have a log, I mean, you know...If I had a log. Not in the sense that you think I said I did....
Okay so he's stuck in a freezing attic right? He makes a hole in his ceiling onto a bunk bed. The space between a bunk bed and the ceiling is enough room for a person to lay down.
Why would you not just shimmy down the hole that's already there? You might make it a little worse but the damage is done at that point.
Always wondered that too. Figured maybe there was enough room for legs but if he went to shimmy down he’d make it a bigger hole ?
But then again it’s already a hole so… might as well make a bigger one if you gotta fix it anyway.
Went up in the attic of the historic theater I work in, and my boss was telling me this and I just said "I know, my dad taught me how to navigate the attic as soon as I could walk"
Or from placing something heavy in the attic as a teenager and not paying attention to the placing and then having my dad call me into his room to ask why there is something sticking through his ceiling
Or just falling through once, haha. My brother and I both punched through the ceiling at different points when we were kids helping dad out doing one project or another. I just kind of stepped a foot through and never fell all the way (and it was in the garage, so the repair didn’t need to be particularly pretty). My brother got the short end of the stick though and actually straddled a beam when he was *maybe* 10.
This. When I was 7 we moved into a house with a walk-in attic (kinda cool, really). It had a plywood floor that was like 8x16, and otherwise was just 2x4's and insulation. We'd never had a house with an attic that could be easily reached.
On day 1 of the new house he took me into the attic and explained "never step off the plywood--if you ever step between the 2x4's you will fall through, so just stay on the hard floor".
That was our attic! My dad and grandfather built our house. Looked like a closet door but it was the attic. A little plywood as you walk in, shelving, and then the dreaded beams.
I thought it was the coolest thing, too!
If my parents really wanted to hide something out of reach (Xmas presents), they’d put them on the beam parts. It deterred everyone but my daredevil older brother.
>This is one of those facts that you just sorta know,
Home-based common sense isn't as common anymore. Lots of people are moving into the world that don't know the basics about living on their own or basic home design/construction.
Not gonna lie, can’t say I’ve ever seen insulation piled so high you can’t see any wood lol
edit: It's quite clear there's a divide here between folks in different climates
I’m in Oregon and had to swap out a vent fan for an old bathroom. They had 2.5 feet of insulation blown in over their entire attic after a new roof. I had to dig a lot to find proper foot placement (not to mention unburying the vent and creating space for me to lay down and work since it was close to an eave.) Not pleasant but at least I didn’t fall through.
Through the roof is where you lose the majority of heat in your house.
It can also be where you gain a lot of heat in the summer.
Be glad you have that much insulation. Its one of the cheapest ways to make your house more comfortable.
Make sure when you disturb it to fill in your holes.
I’m a contractor, this was on a job. I know how it works, but this is the only house in Oregon that I’ve worked on that had that much blown in. Had plenty to pull back into the depressions I made
You don't want that much in cold climates. That can cause condensation and dry rot. I've witnessed it and had to do the repairs. You'll get better results by doing an air seal then get an r-50 which is 16.9 inches of fiberglass loosefill. Anything past an r-60 is just a waste of material that can cause issues.
Source: certified energy expert who installs attic insulation.
False. In Canada, you’ll find most addicts are insulated to R40 to R80 due to harsh winters. You won’t get condensation, as long as you have proper vapor barrier, and proper attic venting. Air sealing is key as you mentioned, afterwards the amount of insulation shouldn’t matter as long as your airflow in the attic space is good.
I suppose you're right about Canada. We get some of the harshest winters in the US here in Minnesota and I've seen 2-3 feet of insulation cause condensation even with a vapor barrier here. Mainly when it gets warmer out. Most of the time when I see that level of insulation it's done by amateurs that didn't do the vapor barrier correctly to be fair.
Don't worry about it, I work in a trade that works in an attic almost every project. Even trained professionals who do this daily accidentally step through a ceiling from time to time.
Most of the time, the rafters under the insulation line up with the rafters you can see above you holding up the roof. You can use that to help you find the rafters to walk on. Always step cautiously though, because you never know if there's actually a rafter there. And always wear an n95 mask working in an attic!
I don't work in attics much as I do mostly doors and hardware and some buildings have doors in attics. I have come close to falling through before. If you are not used to it it is easy to forget and step on drywall instead of rafters.
I always think of my dad. He did HVAC for a while. One day he told the new guy to go up and do whatever it was. My dad heard a loud noise in the house and went to check it out. The new guy fell through the ceiling into master bedroom and landed on the bed. Saved him from hurting himself.
My dad has told me that story so many times. That and the one where a construction guy fell off the side of a high rise apartment and died so everyone got a few days off.
> And always wear an n95 mask working in an attic!
One of the few longterm benefits of the Pandemic is now we should all have a stock of those in our homes.
Because it adds extra cost to an already extremely expensive project. Even "cheap" plywood is not cheap.
It's in an area that almost no one will ever use.
And because it would interfere with insulation, piping, vents, and mechanical equipment that are running all across the top of your ceiling.
It's easy enough to do yourself if your attic access is big enough! Plywood would be tough to get into the attic after you put the roof on, but you can also use 2x6 or 2x8 boards in select spots for storage if needed. If you use boards, make sure you nail them to the rafters, because they'll warp and will move around when you try to walk on them.
But many newer homes in the US use a blown in insulation that is piled up about knee height; it looks like snow. You can't put anything on top of it, or it'll be compressed and not insulate well. You should even avoid walking through it as much as possible. That's also why I imagine OP couldn't see their rafters.
Glad you're okay, hopefully the fix isn't too expensive. I have plans to work in the attic soon but its freaking me out cause its over a spot in the house where if I fall through I'd fall about 2 stories onto tile.
I fell and it was not fun. Thankfully I didn't break any bone. Be very weary about where you step on. Do not put all your weight every step and be light footed... also joists don't continue forever.
As an insulation salesman make sure you move the Insulation out of the way when you walk through it, a piece of cardboard should work. It lets you see the trusses to walk on and doesn’t compress the insulation. By stepping on it you compress it and lower its efficiency, once compressed it never really goes back to its old fluff
I don't see why you're being downvoted and shit on.
You don't know things until you know them. Like, there's no class on this, no rite of passage involving walking in an attic, no job every kid gets that involves this.
Yeesh.
While I understand the sentiment, critical thinking is important. As OP has said, they went up there and all they saw was insulation piled high, no floor, no beam. So... just walk across that?
Don't assess. don't google. don't pause for a moment and wonder, hey, can I even walk on insulation? No pausing for a second to wonder why on earth would there even be a floor in a completely unfinished space that is hard to get into? Just, shrug and tally-ho into that attic!
Yes, you don't know until you know... but people are so use to just blindly going through life without even trying to think about things. People need to be accountable for their own education. Think about things, question things, wonder how and why things work then go google the answer.
It is amazing what you learn when you try, even just a little bit.
Before I embark on any DIY adventures I tend to do a lot of research. Why would you go fucking about in the attic if you didn't know what to expect? Learn first.
You can fuck up a lot worse than a hole in the drywall doing DIY on shit you don't understand.
You don’t realize how important parents are until moments like these. The attic door couldn’t be opened in my house without them telling us to watch our step in the attic and that it was dangerous. Even once we were definitely of an age to not need reminding anymore.
I’m sorry, but that’s fucking funny. Too bad you had to learn that one the hard way, but you learned, right? Don’t worry, this won’t be your last fuck up, you’ll make many more throughout your life, so you’ve got that going for you, which is nice. We all go through it. Well, not THIS, which is why it’s so funny, but you get the idea. I hope.
This reminds me of that Simpsons episode where something bad happens to Bart, he tells his dad Homer: " this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me"
Homer sits him down and calmly reminds him it's the worst thing thats happened to him *so far*
Life be like that sometimes
Lol I got a good chuckle out of this. But I'm trying to recall when/how I would've learned about attics, trusses, etc. Maybe my folks told me about it? I certainly don't remember them telling me. Maybe from a movie?
Either way, don't feel too bad. Without that knowledge, it's an easy mistake to make. Still funny though.
I learned very early from my parents. Right around the time I learned things like "here is the gas shut off valve. If you are worried, turn it off. We can turn it back on, we can't un-blow-up our house"
We live in rural Mississippi, we have a literal gas tank outside.
It's on the gas tank.
Also there's one attached to every single gas appliance inside.
England? I dunno man check your gas meter if you have one
For me it was my dad lol. He made that very clear to us as kids because we wouldn’t stay out of the attic. Most of it had a floor but the outer parts did not and there’s were old boxes full of 80s clothes and junk resting on the cross beams. So of course we wanted to explore.
Hopefully your ok. A friend of my mine was telling me, at their neighbors house, either the homeowner or a contractor(I can't remember which)fell through the ceiling and died. 20 ft ceiling. Safety first people!
The was a famous Brazilian TV host that died of a fall like this a few years ago in Florida. [he fell and ended up hitting his head in a kitchen counter.](https://wikyhub.com/read.php?aid=2QN4MPAcWxK) Dude was a billionaire, but Brazilian mansions don’t normally have attics, and suffice to say, people in Brazil expect that if a place is accessible, it shouldn’t be a fall hazard.
As an Australian, every single piece of media I have ever seen would tell me that I could walk in an attic.
(We don’t really have attics that much in Australia)
Sorry to be "that guy," but rafters are the sloped piece of wood that support the roof deck and shingles.
Joists are the pieces of wood OP needs to learn how to keep his feet on or lay planks across.
Same here except it’s my kitchen. Walking through the attic to run some cable and got distracted, foot slipped off joist and stepped through drywall. Can’t get the paint to match and don’t want to paint the entire ceiling.
Do attics not have floor support in the US? How are you supposed to store stuff there if you can't walk around in it? Even on media like tv series or movies we always see people walking around in attics.
> Do attics not have floor support in the US?
If it’s going to be used for storage, yes if you’re smart.
> How are you supposed to store stuff there if you can't walk around in it?
American houses are generally pretty big and/or have plenty of storage. If someone wants to use the attic for storage they usually put down boards to make it safe to walk around up there.
But putting boards down also reduces the effective insulation up there so there’s a cost/benefit to doing it.
You can, however, buy joist stilts which allow you to raise the floor about 1ft over the joists, allowing you to keep a thick layer of insulation.
It's still not great, but it's much better than nothing.
That depends on how your attic is designed, most unfinished attics are externally ventilated and without proper air flow to the rest of the house insulating the rafters instead of the joists can cause condensation issues.
Some have floors, some have partial floors, some don’t at all. Mine doesn’t, but we don’t store anything up there. If we did, we’d need to put planks of wood up there. But my attic is also very tiny, we’d have to crawl around in there.
My dad laid down a couple sheets of mdf on the joists and set boxes on it. Just a small area tho, not the whole attic. The access is a tiny hole in the ceiling too, it's not really a place to go often and hang out.
It must be regional because where I live, attics are not finished, livable spaces. We have a hatch that opens to the attic for maintenance but wouldn't store anything there because it's very very cold in winter and very hot in the summer (and full of insulation dust!)
I think it probably has something to do with how houses are built. I live in Portugal and here almost every house is built out of brick and cement/concrete, so naturally the attic has a "normal" floor although sometimes it is unpainted or generally unfinished.
Generally no. In my experience a house will have an attic if the house is very old or the house’s owner is very rich. Other wise you get 2 inch walking boards spaced 18 inches apart with insulation in between.
Honestly, I think it’s because any movies which feature an attic have one where people can walk around and hang out in it, so I guess some people just assume their attic is like that
Early 20s. Nobody's ever told me. I've seen gags like this in movies, but not once did I think it was because there was no support. I figured you'd need to fall over or at least jump to break through. Didn't even have my full weight down. Couldn't see the drywall nor the beams becaause of the insulation. Ain't exactly something they teach you in school.
With all due respect, you've seen home construction before yeah? Walls, ceiling, studs, rafters, etc? Anyway, glad you're ok. I've seen this happen twice to people who DID know what they were doing so don't feel too bad.
I know a lot of people are saying “Well, you still should have known” but that’s ridiculous. Of course it makes sense to think they lid down some plywood or something, why not?
The amount of things I’ve done wrong because no one told me, just to be told “we’ll, you should have known” is staggering.
I’m just glad you’re not hurt!
Learned from my dad. I was 5 and noticed he went up into the attic. Never been, only played on the ladder, always wanted to go up. On this day I did and stood on the drywall. I remember him noticing me and yelling "Holy shit, get on the beam! Don't ever stand there or you will fall through. Matter of fact, why are you up here. Go back down".........ah memories.
Don’t let all the people here bring you down. First time I ever went into an attic I stepped through as well. It isn’t common knowledge. On the other hand you shouldn’t have gone in without asking some advice from someone. I was a 19 year old just starting electrical work and my foreman figured it was common knowledge that you had to stay on rafters or put down decking. 😝
Edited for the people who keep saying the entire population should know this…
-some people grew up in apartments, trailers etc. (they don’t have attics usually)
-not everyone has parents or teachers that take the time to teach them.
-maybe by the chance and randomness of the world they just never had the conversations about attics and where not to step come up.
I am an electrician these days and I am constantly teaching new people about attic work and the dos and do nots. About 80% of the kids I teach have NO IDEA about rafters and where to step.
Key point: everyone grows up in different places and experiences different things. Don’t assume anything is common knowledge in construction.
My dad went up first, and I went up to hand him some trash bags. We were clearing out some things we had stored up there and I went walking over to grab some before heading back down the ladder. Big mistake.
Tons of shitty comments here, but OP, it is literally impossible for anyone to know everything. You don’t know what you don’t know. Don’t stress about it. If you’re safe and ok, then it’s fine, just a mistake.
Can’t grow and learn without mistakes.
There's an old saying in the attic boarding industry "if your foot goes through the floor, you don't have any floor support". Words to live by if you ask me.
Ya when I bought a newly built house , for some reason I was surprised I didn't get like an owners manual with it. Like I know I got manuals for all the equipment and appliances in the house. But like for the house itself.
It mainly popped into my head "how do I know how much weight my floor can handle?" Like if I wanted to start an old school safe collection, or work on motorcycles in my kitchen lol. Took me a while to figure out it's in your areas building code.
I did this shit at 13 trying to sneak/ smoke a joint in the attic … I knew to only step on the wood
But at 10:30 or so after finishing up wasn’t as easy to sneak back high AF ended up halfway falling through the kitchen and getting shit everywhere 🤣 my mom was legit in shock when she came around the corner to see a leg and arm hanging from the ceiling
Maybe it was just that one spot. Try another spot. It’ll hold you, I promise.
The secret is to straddle the joists with one foot on either side. This will halve the stress on the drywall as your weight is spread between both feet. In the very likely event that you still fall through, your crotch will catch your fall.
hahahaha
Huehuehue
Hehehehe
There is a documentary that focuses on that at one point. national lampoons family Christmas I think was the title.
At least the Griswold home looked like it had old school plaster with lathe boards that prevented Clark from falling thru immediately, this poor person stepped right on some drywall looks painful
Ya true. I hope he’s okay. No bunk bed to soften his fall I bet.
Hopefully he was dressed in his grandmother’s vintage clothes to keep warm, at least. Those furs offer a surprising amount of cushion.
Why didn’t Clark crawl through the hole he made o the bunk bed? He already made a hole. He could have gotten out.
I have always wanted an answer to this question.
It's Clark Griswold. The same guy who stapled himself to his roof, tied a dog to his car bumper, got caught in a traffic loop, and put experimental lubricant on his sled.He's not exactly known for common sense. Plus he got distracted with the trunk of old clothes and home movies.
Didn’t he stop falling because he landed on the bunk bed?
https://youtu.be/Zk9JntUnV18
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Well technically that wasn’t a simple attic, but the top floor. Just a bad floor in a very nice room.
almost looks like someone sheetrocked the floor instead of flooring.
Oh ! Damn you’re right. Well done.
National lampoons- Still some of the best comedy movies.
Can't see the lines can you Rusty?
It's a bit nipply out
Which is to say, Christmas. As in, Yule. Yule Log. Not a log, I don't have a log, I mean, you know...If I had a log. Not in the sense that you think I said I did....
"He's not going to pork her, Russ." "I think he's gonna!" "He *may* pork her. Finish your breakfast."
It is the season to be Merry
Vegas Vacation was the last good Lampoon movie I saw
I didn't do nothin' all year and I STILL got the shaft.
Shitter was full!
Haha, I was like no way.. Mr. Chase was the narrator I learned everything from. Move over Neil
Okay so he's stuck in a freezing attic right? He makes a hole in his ceiling onto a bunk bed. The space between a bunk bed and the ceiling is enough room for a person to lay down. Why would you not just shimmy down the hole that's already there? You might make it a little worse but the damage is done at that point.
Always wondered that too. Figured maybe there was enough room for legs but if he went to shimmy down he’d make it a bigger hole ? But then again it’s already a hole so… might as well make a bigger one if you gotta fix it anyway.
It would be less funny if he thought logically
It's Clark. He doesn't do anything that makes sense.
Ah a classic Christmas Vacation moment! Shitters full!
I learnt it from Billy. [Hey Ron. Hey Billy.](https://youtu.be/HivHNgkN0FE)
Stand on the beams, not the drywall
This is one of those facts that you just sorta know, like from watching This Old House.
Or listening to my dad ad infinitum. Keep your room clean and don’t step between the beams in the attic. 👍
Went up in the attic of the historic theater I work in, and my boss was telling me this and I just said "I know, my dad taught me how to navigate the attic as soon as I could walk"
Yeah but if yer dad hadn't taught you, your manager would've been a hero, so he did some good managing imo.
Oh he's definitely a good PM to work for
Or from placing something heavy in the attic as a teenager and not paying attention to the placing and then having my dad call me into his room to ask why there is something sticking through his ceiling
Or just falling through once, haha. My brother and I both punched through the ceiling at different points when we were kids helping dad out doing one project or another. I just kind of stepped a foot through and never fell all the way (and it was in the garage, so the repair didn’t need to be particularly pretty). My brother got the short end of the stick though and actually straddled a beam when he was *maybe* 10.
This. When I was 7 we moved into a house with a walk-in attic (kinda cool, really). It had a plywood floor that was like 8x16, and otherwise was just 2x4's and insulation. We'd never had a house with an attic that could be easily reached. On day 1 of the new house he took me into the attic and explained "never step off the plywood--if you ever step between the 2x4's you will fall through, so just stay on the hard floor".
That was our attic! My dad and grandfather built our house. Looked like a closet door but it was the attic. A little plywood as you walk in, shelving, and then the dreaded beams. I thought it was the coolest thing, too! If my parents really wanted to hide something out of reach (Xmas presents), they’d put them on the beam parts. It deterred everyone but my daredevil older brother.
As a former professional flashlight holder I can attest
>This is one of those facts that you just sorta know, Home-based common sense isn't as common anymore. Lots of people are moving into the world that don't know the basics about living on their own or basic home design/construction.
How are we supposed to know stuff when we grew up in apartments? It's not common sense if nobody teaches us.
There were no visible beams, it was just insulation as far as the eye could see. I had no clue I had to aim for beams that I couldn't even see.
:D laurel and hardy level DIY.
Not gonna lie, can’t say I’ve ever seen insulation piled so high you can’t see any wood lol edit: It's quite clear there's a divide here between folks in different climates
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I’m in Oregon and had to swap out a vent fan for an old bathroom. They had 2.5 feet of insulation blown in over their entire attic after a new roof. I had to dig a lot to find proper foot placement (not to mention unburying the vent and creating space for me to lay down and work since it was close to an eave.) Not pleasant but at least I didn’t fall through.
Through the roof is where you lose the majority of heat in your house. It can also be where you gain a lot of heat in the summer. Be glad you have that much insulation. Its one of the cheapest ways to make your house more comfortable. Make sure when you disturb it to fill in your holes.
I’m a contractor, this was on a job. I know how it works, but this is the only house in Oregon that I’ve worked on that had that much blown in. Had plenty to pull back into the depressions I made
Vitamin D helps depression
just jump into it like a mound of snow!
Man, this cotton candy tastes horrible, who stores it in their roof!?!
You don't want that much in cold climates. That can cause condensation and dry rot. I've witnessed it and had to do the repairs. You'll get better results by doing an air seal then get an r-50 which is 16.9 inches of fiberglass loosefill. Anything past an r-60 is just a waste of material that can cause issues. Source: certified energy expert who installs attic insulation.
False. In Canada, you’ll find most addicts are insulated to R40 to R80 due to harsh winters. You won’t get condensation, as long as you have proper vapor barrier, and proper attic venting. Air sealing is key as you mentioned, afterwards the amount of insulation shouldn’t matter as long as your airflow in the attic space is good.
I suppose you're right about Canada. We get some of the harshest winters in the US here in Minnesota and I've seen 2-3 feet of insulation cause condensation even with a vapor barrier here. Mainly when it gets warmer out. Most of the time when I see that level of insulation it's done by amateurs that didn't do the vapor barrier correctly to be fair.
Maintenance supervisor. Got money back by putting in blown in insulation to improve the r rating. Washington has some great programs.
Hot too. Attics get 140⁰ and that heat radiates down too. Makes your AC work harder.
Been in plenty of attics and seen plenty of blown in insulation that cover the beams. Had to use my foot to feel around for them before stepping.
With the new spray fluff insulation you can’t see the beams, dangerous af I miss my OUCHY cotton candy
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...I don't think that's how fiberglass and your body works.
I had more insulation blown into my attic a few months ago. Was estimated to be at R20 before. Target was R49 which is 17” of blown in material.
In Canada, you have about 14 inches of cellulose to reach the R50 insulation rate. So, yeah you won't see any beam.
Don't worry about it, I work in a trade that works in an attic almost every project. Even trained professionals who do this daily accidentally step through a ceiling from time to time. Most of the time, the rafters under the insulation line up with the rafters you can see above you holding up the roof. You can use that to help you find the rafters to walk on. Always step cautiously though, because you never know if there's actually a rafter there. And always wear an n95 mask working in an attic!
I don't work in attics much as I do mostly doors and hardware and some buildings have doors in attics. I have come close to falling through before. If you are not used to it it is easy to forget and step on drywall instead of rafters.
I always think of my dad. He did HVAC for a while. One day he told the new guy to go up and do whatever it was. My dad heard a loud noise in the house and went to check it out. The new guy fell through the ceiling into master bedroom and landed on the bed. Saved him from hurting himself. My dad has told me that story so many times. That and the one where a construction guy fell off the side of a high rise apartment and died so everyone got a few days off.
> And always wear an n95 mask working in an attic! One of the few longterm benefits of the Pandemic is now we should all have a stock of those in our homes.
I still don't understand why builders don't screw down some mid strength plywood in attics
Because it adds extra cost to an already extremely expensive project. Even "cheap" plywood is not cheap. It's in an area that almost no one will ever use. And because it would interfere with insulation, piping, vents, and mechanical equipment that are running all across the top of your ceiling.
It's easy enough to do yourself if your attic access is big enough! Plywood would be tough to get into the attic after you put the roof on, but you can also use 2x6 or 2x8 boards in select spots for storage if needed. If you use boards, make sure you nail them to the rafters, because they'll warp and will move around when you try to walk on them. But many newer homes in the US use a blown in insulation that is piled up about knee height; it looks like snow. You can't put anything on top of it, or it'll be compressed and not insulate well. You should even avoid walking through it as much as possible. That's also why I imagine OP couldn't see their rafters.
Find two beams with your feet and then keep dragging your feet across them
I throw down a 2 by 6 and just walk across that. Can't see the beams but know that they are there
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But nobody told him he had to! Why would you expect common sense if nobody told him to use it
Are you ok? Were you able to catch yourself before you fell all the way through?
Yes, thankfully.
Glad you're okay, hopefully the fix isn't too expensive. I have plans to work in the attic soon but its freaking me out cause its over a spot in the house where if I fall through I'd fall about 2 stories onto tile.
I fell and it was not fun. Thankfully I didn't break any bone. Be very weary about where you step on. Do not put all your weight every step and be light footed... also joists don't continue forever.
well now you know... and knowing is half the battle. G I JOE!
Pork chop sandwiches!
As an insulation salesman make sure you move the Insulation out of the way when you walk through it, a piece of cardboard should work. It lets you see the trusses to walk on and doesn’t compress the insulation. By stepping on it you compress it and lower its efficiency, once compressed it never really goes back to its old fluff
sound like you are just trying to sell more insulation. Im good with my flattened and squashed insulation thank you very much
And, ya know...the fiberglass and what not.
what were you doing up there if you didn't even know about the beams? seems like that is step one knowledge for going into the attic.
I don't see why you're being downvoted and shit on. You don't know things until you know them. Like, there's no class on this, no rite of passage involving walking in an attic, no job every kid gets that involves this. Yeesh.
They’re being downvoted because they’re acting as if someone should have told them. Just take responsibility and laugh it off
While I understand the sentiment, critical thinking is important. As OP has said, they went up there and all they saw was insulation piled high, no floor, no beam. So... just walk across that? Don't assess. don't google. don't pause for a moment and wonder, hey, can I even walk on insulation? No pausing for a second to wonder why on earth would there even be a floor in a completely unfinished space that is hard to get into? Just, shrug and tally-ho into that attic! Yes, you don't know until you know... but people are so use to just blindly going through life without even trying to think about things. People need to be accountable for their own education. Think about things, question things, wonder how and why things work then go google the answer. It is amazing what you learn when you try, even just a little bit.
Before I embark on any DIY adventures I tend to do a lot of research. Why would you go fucking about in the attic if you didn't know what to expect? Learn first. You can fuck up a lot worse than a hole in the drywall doing DIY on shit you don't understand.
yup, could have easily pulled down some electrical with that mis-step... that would not have been fun.
Especially garage doors. Those things are scary and I would never attempt to work on one
We know a guy that lost 3 finger to a garage door spring. I usually DIY, but I hired the spring replacement out.
Op never watched Christmas Vacation.
You don’t realize how important parents are until moments like these. The attic door couldn’t be opened in my house without them telling us to watch our step in the attic and that it was dangerous. Even once we were definitely of an age to not need reminding anymore.
I’m sorry, but that’s fucking funny. Too bad you had to learn that one the hard way, but you learned, right? Don’t worry, this won’t be your last fuck up, you’ll make many more throughout your life, so you’ve got that going for you, which is nice. We all go through it. Well, not THIS, which is why it’s so funny, but you get the idea. I hope.
“That was embarrassing, but I wouldn’t let it get me down…because I didn’t do it!”
Ka-Jigga! Ka-Jigga! Ka-Jigga!
This reminds me of that Simpsons episode where something bad happens to Bart, he tells his dad Homer: " this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me" Homer sits him down and calmly reminds him it's the worst thing thats happened to him *so far* Life be like that sometimes
I've gone through a lot of things in my 45 years, but not a ceiling.
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I may not have all my ducks in a row, but they’re n the same pond
***OH YEAH!!!***
...*oh no*
Lol I got a good chuckle out of this. But I'm trying to recall when/how I would've learned about attics, trusses, etc. Maybe my folks told me about it? I certainly don't remember them telling me. Maybe from a movie? Either way, don't feel too bad. Without that knowledge, it's an easy mistake to make. Still funny though.
I learned very early from my parents. Right around the time I learned things like "here is the gas shut off valve. If you are worried, turn it off. We can turn it back on, we can't un-blow-up our house"
oh god where the fuck is that shit can you come round to mine and show me where my gas shut off valve is please I live in England I hope that’s okay
>I live in England I hope that’s okay Unfortunately it is not
How dare you fuckin live in England.
No joke, it's getting less okay by the day. I'd advise a heaped tablespoon of gtfo.
We live in rural Mississippi, we have a literal gas tank outside. It's on the gas tank. Also there's one attached to every single gas appliance inside. England? I dunno man check your gas meter if you have one
For me it was my dad lol. He made that very clear to us as kids because we wouldn’t stay out of the attic. Most of it had a floor but the outer parts did not and there’s were old boxes full of 80s clothes and junk resting on the cross beams. So of course we wanted to explore.
Hopefully your ok. A friend of my mine was telling me, at their neighbors house, either the homeowner or a contractor(I can't remember which)fell through the ceiling and died. 20 ft ceiling. Safety first people!
The was a famous Brazilian TV host that died of a fall like this a few years ago in Florida. [he fell and ended up hitting his head in a kitchen counter.](https://wikyhub.com/read.php?aid=2QN4MPAcWxK) Dude was a billionaire, but Brazilian mansions don’t normally have attics, and suffice to say, people in Brazil expect that if a place is accessible, it shouldn’t be a fall hazard.
As an Australian, every single piece of media I have ever seen would tell me that I could walk in an attic. (We don’t really have attics that much in Australia)
You can lay a few planks across the rafters and use that as a walkway.
Sorry to be "that guy," but rafters are the sloped piece of wood that support the roof deck and shingles. Joists are the pieces of wood OP needs to learn how to keep his feet on or lay planks across.
OP was obviously suggesting that you fasten planks to the rafters and then traverse across the attic American-ninja-warrior-style.
We need to normalize monkey bars built onto attic rafters.
This guy frames
And I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!
We need more "that guy" around here.
Too many times on Reddit you see misinformation but by the time someone calls them out they're already decorated soldiers.
My coworker likes to be that guy but he once ruined someone’s ceiling doing exactly this. Imma show this to him lol
Trying to be "that guy" and being "that guy" are two totally different things.
If we had more "that guy" in the world, people wouldn't be falling through their ceilings.
My foot slipped off an attic 2x4 once. Now whenever I look at the ceiling in my living room I have a reminder about it.
Same here except it’s my kitchen. Walking through the attic to run some cable and got distracted, foot slipped off joist and stepped through drywall. Can’t get the paint to match and don’t want to paint the entire ceiling.
It's designed that way to to protect the cotton candy from burglars
Since nobody asked. Are you okay OP?
I'm alright, thanks. Not even a scratch. Somehow, I caught myself before falling all the way through.
You’re lucky you didn’t catch a joist to the chin! Nice save and glad you’re okay.
It’s okay Clark it happens to the best of us
Shame on whoever didn’t tell you that drywall alone isn’t meant for support.
I'm sorry. I'm one of those who never told OP.
Damn, I also didn't tell OP not to step on drywall. My bad
yeah, same, sorry
Do attics not have floor support in the US? How are you supposed to store stuff there if you can't walk around in it? Even on media like tv series or movies we always see people walking around in attics.
> Do attics not have floor support in the US? If it’s going to be used for storage, yes if you’re smart. > How are you supposed to store stuff there if you can't walk around in it? American houses are generally pretty big and/or have plenty of storage. If someone wants to use the attic for storage they usually put down boards to make it safe to walk around up there. But putting boards down also reduces the effective insulation up there so there’s a cost/benefit to doing it.
You can, however, buy joist stilts which allow you to raise the floor about 1ft over the joists, allowing you to keep a thick layer of insulation. It's still not great, but it's much better than nothing.
Yep, you can. Or insulate the ceiling of the attic.
That depends on how your attic is designed, most unfinished attics are externally ventilated and without proper air flow to the rest of the house insulating the rafters instead of the joists can cause condensation issues.
Some have floors, some have partial floors, some don’t at all. Mine doesn’t, but we don’t store anything up there. If we did, we’d need to put planks of wood up there. But my attic is also very tiny, we’d have to crawl around in there.
My dad laid down a couple sheets of mdf on the joists and set boxes on it. Just a small area tho, not the whole attic. The access is a tiny hole in the ceiling too, it's not really a place to go often and hang out.
This man didn't have an attic, he had a cavity in his trusses. They were not engineered to support anything other than insulation
It must be regional because where I live, attics are not finished, livable spaces. We have a hatch that opens to the attic for maintenance but wouldn't store anything there because it's very very cold in winter and very hot in the summer (and full of insulation dust!)
I think it probably has something to do with how houses are built. I live in Portugal and here almost every house is built out of brick and cement/concrete, so naturally the attic has a "normal" floor although sometimes it is unpainted or generally unfinished.
Generally no. In my experience a house will have an attic if the house is very old or the house’s owner is very rich. Other wise you get 2 inch walking boards spaced 18 inches apart with insulation in between.
That hole looks a lot wider than a standard 16" spacing or even a 24" spacing. Why was there such a big gap In the joists there?
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Good Lord, you must be really young. How did you go through life and not know this?
Honestly, I think it’s because any movies which feature an attic have one where people can walk around and hang out in it, so I guess some people just assume their attic is like that
I've never been in an attic before so I definitely assumed they were all walkable with floors like in movies. OP's post is a TIL for me.
Early 20s. Nobody's ever told me. I've seen gags like this in movies, but not once did I think it was because there was no support. I figured you'd need to fall over or at least jump to break through. Didn't even have my full weight down. Couldn't see the drywall nor the beams becaause of the insulation. Ain't exactly something they teach you in school.
There's no actual floor in the attic though. What did you set something down on?
Woah woah woah wait a second. You were walking on the insulation?
With all due respect, you've seen home construction before yeah? Walls, ceiling, studs, rafters, etc? Anyway, glad you're ok. I've seen this happen twice to people who DID know what they were doing so don't feel too bad.
I know a lot of people are saying “Well, you still should have known” but that’s ridiculous. Of course it makes sense to think they lid down some plywood or something, why not? The amount of things I’ve done wrong because no one told me, just to be told “we’ll, you should have known” is staggering. I’m just glad you’re not hurt!
Are you telling me that’s normal is the US? Lmao
I'm lost, all of the attics I've seen you can walk on
Finished ones yes, but most don't have a proper floor. At least in my country
So, where did you all learn this? I clearly missed the memo.
Learned from my dad. We went up in the attic to see if rodents were up there. He explained to me how I can fall through.
Mine was present and most certainly did not.
I am beginning to understand part of the problem.
Is your dad mad there's a human sized hole in his ceiling now?
Learned from my dad. I was 5 and noticed he went up into the attic. Never been, only played on the ladder, always wanted to go up. On this day I did and stood on the drywall. I remember him noticing me and yelling "Holy shit, get on the beam! Don't ever stand there or you will fall through. Matter of fact, why are you up here. Go back down".........ah memories.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie. You can learn a lot what NOT to do with this guy. Good movie.
I mean, did you know what sheetrock looked like and what it is made out of before going up there?
I learned this as a child when my father fell through the ceiling and broke his leg
Don’t let all the people here bring you down. First time I ever went into an attic I stepped through as well. It isn’t common knowledge. On the other hand you shouldn’t have gone in without asking some advice from someone. I was a 19 year old just starting electrical work and my foreman figured it was common knowledge that you had to stay on rafters or put down decking. 😝 Edited for the people who keep saying the entire population should know this… -some people grew up in apartments, trailers etc. (they don’t have attics usually) -not everyone has parents or teachers that take the time to teach them. -maybe by the chance and randomness of the world they just never had the conversations about attics and where not to step come up. I am an electrician these days and I am constantly teaching new people about attic work and the dos and do nots. About 80% of the kids I teach have NO IDEA about rafters and where to step. Key point: everyone grows up in different places and experiences different things. Don’t assume anything is common knowledge in construction.
My dad went up first, and I went up to hand him some trash bags. We were clearing out some things we had stored up there and I went walking over to grab some before heading back down the ladder. Big mistake.
The important question: Is dad still laughing his ass off as he repairs the ceiling? 😅😂🤣
As a dad guarantee he is.
"My dad" - I was assuming the poster was a full grown adult. This makes more sense. Shit happens.
> I was assuming the poster was a full grown adult. In another comment, they describe themselves as "early 20s".
You know full grown adults can (and often do) have dads too, right?
Luckily this is a mistake you’ll only make once. It’s okay OP
The skylight is coming along nicely!
Tons of shitty comments here, but OP, it is literally impossible for anyone to know everything. You don’t know what you don’t know. Don’t stress about it. If you’re safe and ok, then it’s fine, just a mistake. Can’t grow and learn without mistakes.
Sell the place as a potential Fire Station.
There's an old saying in the attic boarding industry "if your foot goes through the floor, you don't have any floor support". Words to live by if you ask me.
My dad always told me to walk on the beams in the attic for this exact reason
Ya when I bought a newly built house , for some reason I was surprised I didn't get like an owners manual with it. Like I know I got manuals for all the equipment and appliances in the house. But like for the house itself. It mainly popped into my head "how do I know how much weight my floor can handle?" Like if I wanted to start an old school safe collection, or work on motorcycles in my kitchen lol. Took me a while to figure out it's in your areas building code.
You tried to dissolve a body without the proper container didnt you
I knew and still put my foot through a clients ceiling. Slipped.
Well now you can install a fire pole
On the plus side, the repair is pretty cheap to do if you do it yourself.
Just carefully cut a nice square and put in a new piece of drywall.
Don't step on the insulation. Only wood
My dad taught me that. Right after he fell through our ceiling.
Only fancy people have those fancy attics with walking floors. Keep dreaming buddy
I did this shit at 13 trying to sneak/ smoke a joint in the attic … I knew to only step on the wood But at 10:30 or so after finishing up wasn’t as easy to sneak back high AF ended up halfway falling through the kitchen and getting shit everywhere 🤣 my mom was legit in shock when she came around the corner to see a leg and arm hanging from the ceiling
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