"Booby Trapped" Attic

Well, I just finished installing a 4 way splitter in my attic which I'll soon hook an HDTV antenna to. One of the good things about my house was that they had pre-wired it for cable with RG-8 but ran part of the co-ax through the attic which makes it easy to splice in a splitter for hooking the antenna to. In my case, the cable TV starts near where the ultilities come in (gas, phone, electric)
goes up to a jack in the master bedroom then splits off there and goes through the attic then down to the den and then the living room. I have also planned to add an additional jack in my bedroom.

Well, here's the booby trap part. While bringing my tools and supplies into the attic, I had to cross over some A/C ducts. There was a spot where the A/C duct splits off and heads downstairs somewhere over the kitchen. I had the 3watt MagLED with me when I was about to step over a duct when I noticed the insulation on the opposite side was a little lower. So I lifted the insulation up and...

:eeksign: :wow:

Good thing I didn't step on that spot otherwise, I probably would have fallen into and gotten stuck in that chase. Anyway, everthing else went fine and I got the splitter in. BTW Attics sure get quite warm :sweat:

One rule when walking in attics-always walk on the beams. Even without booby traps like that it's possible to exert enough pressure on a sheetrock ceilng and fall right through.

open shafts like that are generally against code as they serve as a way for fire to spread quickly from 1 floor to another. i've got some similar places in my own attic, but they aren't covered with insulation so they are more obvious.

I ALWAYS have my cellphone in my pocket when I'm working in the attic. If i were to fall or otherwise incapacitate myself I can call for help...

i hate working in the attic, it's dirty and dark, (except for the parts in front of my flashlights of course ) and god only knows what else might be sharing the space with me...

One of my summer jobs in college (in Texas) was installing security systems. It got so hot (even the ones still under construction) -- the rafters were too hot to hang onto for balance. Glad I don't have to do that anymore...

Existing home installations sucked even worse...

JM-99

Falling thru the sheetrock by not walking on the beams is not the worst, it's falling thru and straddling a beam that really sucks!

One rule when walking in attics-always walk on the beams. Even without booby traps like that it's possible to exert enough pressure on a sheetrock ceilng and fall right through.

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I already know that but the way the roof is held up, they put a lot of the framing over those spots which make it a bit difficult unless you want to hug the frame and you do have to do a lot of ducking. From what it felt like as well, it seems as if the ceiling was mostly framed with 2X4's. There are some spots where it is difficult cross without stepping on insulation with only sheetrock underneath but I don't stay on those spots for long. When I start feeding the cable to my bedroom, I'll have to be working above the living room which has a 20' foot ceiling. Very bad spot if you fall through.

Hopefully, that's the only 8 foot deep shaft covered with insulation that I'll have to encounter. It's not completely dark in the attic; there's a decent ammount of light comming in from the vents but it is sure dusty. You still need a light though to see what you're working on.

Looks like a perfect excuse to go shopping for a headlight. Running cables in an attic with only one hand free sounds frustrating.

I had to hook up 6 new flourescent fixtures to existing wires in the attic at the shop (essentially a 4 car garage).

I wasn't up there more than 10 minutes and I was SOAKED! And that day was so humid I never got dry until getting home and showered!

Of course days like that are the norm for SE Texas!!!

Remember that 2x4's used as stretchers over even fairly short distances won't hold a lot of weight. Whenever possible when I work in attics I use a few pieces of fairly heavy duty plywood to spread out the load of my weight and any tools. Those few separate pieces work nicely and usually fit through most accesses.

yuandrew said:

Well, I just finished installing a 4 way splitter in my attic which I'll soon hook an HDTV antenna to. One of the good things about my house was that they had pre-wired it for cable with RG-8

Click to expand...

Just wondering about the RG-8 for TV use RG-8 is 50 ohm impeadance I would have thought it should have been something like RG-6 75 ohm impeadance.

RG-8 spec. http://computing-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/RG8
RG-6 spec. http://www.accesscomms.com.au/Products/Y8041.htm

It's probably RG-6 actually; I might have typed 8 instead. It is very thick compared to the RG-59 cable I have between my TV and VCR

LumenHound said:

Looks like a perfect excuse to go shopping for a headlight. Running cables in an attic with only one hand free sounds frustrating.

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Here, here! Totally agree! Especially when the other option is putting the flashlight in your mouth. It's really dirty/dusty up there. You want to keep you mouth closed as much as possible.
[except for mouthing those expletives when you drop a tool in some inaccessible area!]


[..speaking from way too much experience.]
Danno

Walk on the beams is excellant advice. One summer we were adding a second floor to my uncles home. I was being passed up a 2x4 from the ground. My aunt was in the kitchen cooking chili for everyone on the stove. My dad pushed a second board up before I was ready, and it knocked me off balance. I stepped off the beams and thru the ceiling of the kitchen. I caught myself with my arms as I fell, my feet were inches from a large pot of chili in the end. Could have been nasty. As it was, dinner was wrecked only, and a hole needed repairing.

MScottz said:

Falling thru the sheetrock by not walking on the beams is not the worst, it's falling thru and straddling a beam that really sucks!

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:laughing::laughing::laughing:
Mag 3D, if you drop your light from waist high in the attic, the light might fall through...

LumenHound said:

Looks like a perfect excuse to go shopping for a headlight. Running cables in an attic with only one hand free sounds frustrating.

Click to expand...

sounds like a perfect excuse to run a conduit and install a light there, then use plywood over that region, spraypainted a black mass over it labeled "Warning-manhole"

jtr1962 said:

One rule when walking in attics-always walk on the beams. Even without booby traps like that it's possible to exert enough pressure on a sheetrock ceilng and fall right through.

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You're telling me. Happened to me before at my friends house when i was a teenager. His really gorgeous mom was getting ready to get into the shower too. I ended up falling right in front of her walking path about 2 feet away. Quite an interesting experience. I was walking on the beams at all times but then when a wire got stuck i turned around and wasn't paying attention and i stepped into the insulation. Luckily only a few scratches but i never heard the end of it from the friend.

Now if i was only about 15 seconds later...

You know what else sucks? When the floor rots away and you fall thru without expecting it.