Framing An Attic Closet

Decide on the size of floor and remove insulation from between joists in that area.

Framing an attic closet.

Depending on the span you ll need at least a 2 by 8 joist under foot for flooring. In closets where the ceiling slopes very close to the floor or the knee wall is very short low shelving can often be installed along the walls behind the hanging areas. Attic closet with rod suspended from the sloped ceiling closet. Often times with sloped ceilings you need to think outside the box when it comes to a storage closet.

Cut each sole plate and top plate to the desired length. Do not add insulation between heated spaces. If the closet has a side wall return lay out the top plate and sole plate in the same way. Use a framing square to make sure this will be perfectly perpendicular to the front wall.

Mark the top plate and the sole plate together for stud locations using a square and a pencil. Framing nail a sheet of plywood to the existing floor joists so the short sides align with the joists and the long side is perpendicular to the joists. Make sure the joists in the attic are suitable to carry weight. A slanted wall closet while not ideal is better than no closet at all.

Cut 2 x 4s to the fit the length and width of the plywood and nail them flat on all four edges of the plywood as a base plate for the studs. Low shelving is installed behind the hanging areas to maximize all possible storage space. It s just a matter of framing the knee wall the short part of the wall and the slanted ceiling. Collar ties are horizontal members that like rafter ties extend from rafter to rafter but.

Most attic ladders are made to fit between joists set at 24 inches on center.