Older houses have plenty of roof space to crawl through.

What do you use as a plank to kneel on when crawling through a roof?

mollwollfumble said:

Older houses have plenty of roof space to crawl through.

What do you use as a plank to kneel on when crawling through a roof?

I just stand on the trusses. I’m too big to get into the tighter spaces though, if that’s what you’re asking. If I had to though, I’d use one of the many small-ish pieces of plywood I have around here,

If i have to spend any time up there, i take up two short but sturdy planks, which can each bridge the gap between the ceiling beams.

That’s one plank to stand/sit on while i move the other one ahead, leapfrogging my way across the space.

captain_spalding said:

If i have to spend any time up there, i take up two short but sturdy planks, which can each bridge the gap between the ceiling beams.

That’s one plank to stand/sit on while i move the other one ahead, leapfrogging my way across the space.

The house in Armidale had an enormous open space between ceiling and roof – without trusses. I walked around carefully on joists. I took a painter’s plank up there when I installed the timbers to support the hot water system.

Spiny Norman said:

mollwollfumble said:

Older houses have plenty of roof space to crawl through.

What do you use as a plank to kneel on when crawling through a roof?

I just stand on the trusses. I’m too big to get into the tighter spaces though, if that’s what you’re asking. If I had to though, I’d use one of the many small-ish pieces of plywood I have around here,

Have to be like a snake to get through my tightly packed trusses.

mollwollfumble said:

Older houses have plenty of roof space to crawl through.

What do you use as a plank to kneel on when crawling through a roof?

I have some planks up there to move around on.
The thermal insulation is directly under the Colorbond which gives me a bit more space.

one of the worst jobs working in ceilings, no less so when hot.

transition said:

one of the worst jobs working in ceilings, no less so when hot.

Gets you out of the weather.

I had a couple of plank sized pieces of 19 mm MDF when I did the TV antenna at the old place. (Actually my brother did the roof space crawling, I was at the wall trying to catch the sting and lead weight down the cavity.

I pay people to do stuff in the roof space.

mollwollfumble said:

Older houses have plenty of roof space to crawl through.

What do you use as a plank to kneel on when crawling through a roof?

Two squares of thick wood with similar size to the roof access, the two pieces can be wider and longer if you put it on a 45 degree angle on at a time.

The idea is to place one in front, climb on it then move the other one from the back to the front again

Tau.Neutrino said:

mollwollfumble said:

Older houses have plenty of roof space to crawl through.

What do you use as a plank to kneel on when crawling through a roof?

Two squares of thick wood with similar size to the roof access, the two pieces can be wider and longer if you put it on a 45 degree angle on at a time.

The idea is to place one in front, climb on it then move the other one from the back to the front again

or three if you are taking up tools and bits and pieces

leave them up there for next time.

> I’d use one of the many small-ish pieces of plywood I have around here

3-ply, 5-ply, marine ply?
Smallish?

> i take up two short but sturdy planks … or three

Thickness? Length?

> I took a painter’s plank up there

Aluminium? Timber? Width?

> I have some planks up there

How big? Thick?

> I had a couple of plank sized pieces of 19 mm MDF

19 mm. OK. That’s thicker than fence palings (12 mm) and thinner than decking (>22 mm)
Width?

> Two squares of thick wood with similar size to the roof access

How thick?

—————

The thin timber MDF sheets I took up when I was doing the roof insulation all disintegrated before I finished. This time I want to do some electrical wiring for ceiling lights.

Sorta depends
Do you have a Truss or a cut roof?
How big is your man hole?
Are you moving around much ?

Brett

mollwollfumble said:

> I’d use one of the many small-ish pieces of plywood I have around here

3-ply, 5-ply, marine ply?
Smallish?

> i take up two short but sturdy planks … or three

Thickness? Length?

> I took a painter’s plank up there

Aluminium? Timber? Width?

> I have some planks up there

How big? Thick?

> I had a couple of plank sized pieces of 19 mm MDF

19 mm. OK. That’s thicker than fence palings (12 mm) and thinner than decking (>22 mm)
Width?

> Two squares of thick wood with similar size to the roof access

How thick?

—————

The thin timber MDF sheets I took up when I was doing the roof insulation all disintegrated before I finished. This time I want to do some electrical wiring for ceiling lights.

Really just whatever you’ve got to hand that will:
(a)support the weight of a person when placed over the joists. The wider the spacing the thicker your plank.
(b) fit through the manhole

Standing on the joists or bottom cords is fine but tough to kneel on
If your putting in lights , you will way to move around and kneel.
Two or so bits of ply 12mm or so ( not keen on using MDF it cracks pretty easy ) say 750 if 600c/c truss or 600 if 450c/c cut roof by say 300 wide , or as wide as your manhole will allow will be fine
If you screw 2 off cuts on the under side , a bit wider than your cord cc’s it wont side off .
Knee pads will be your friends
Brett

Thomo said:

How big is your man hole?

That’s a bit personal.

Divine Angel said:

Thomo said:

How big is your man hole?

That’s a bit personal.

Inspectors demand a minimum size, to satisfy them

(non-sci)

8-)

Thomo said:

Sorta depends
Do you have a Truss or a cut roof?
How big is your man hole?
Are you moving around much ?

Brett

Not truss – there’s hardly room to swing a rat in those.
About 38 cm wide.
For the third one, yes.

eg. should I go for 100 wide and 19 thick, or 150 wide and 22 thick,
or 12 mm thick like a fence paling (cheapest option),
or 16 mm thick by 295 wide white melamine sheet,
or 22 mm thick by 140 wide treated pine decking,
or masonite.

Or any simple guide, like deflection under my weight (105 kg) over a span of between rafters of less than 1 mm?

mollwollfumble said:

Thomo said:

Sorta depends
Do you have a Truss or a cut roof?
How big is your man hole?
Are you moving around much ?

Brett

Not truss – there’s hardly room to swing a rat in those.
About 38 cm wide.
For the third one, yes.

eg. should I go for 100 wide and 19 thick, or 150 wide and 22 thick,
or 12 mm thick like a fence paling (cheapest option),
or 16 mm thick by 295 wide white melamine sheet,
or 22 mm thick by 140 wide treated pine decking,
or masonite.

Or any simple guide, like deflection under my weight (105 kg) over a span of between rafters of less than 1 mm?

Oops, I mean joists, not rafters.

> Just use what’s to hand.

I don’t have anything to hand. This is my father-in-law’s place and two years ago his youngest daughter went through his garage throwing everything out. This is the third time I’ve had to replace what was disposed of.

mollwollfumble said:

Thomo said:

Sorta depends
Do you have a Truss or a cut roof?
How big is your man hole?
Are you moving around much ?

Brett

Not truss – there’s hardly room to swing a rat in those.
About 38 cm wide.
For the third one, yes. ….. sweet sounds like 450 centres

eg. should I go for 100 wide and 19 thick, …… the 100 is a bit thin
or 150 wide and 22 thick, ….. great if you have it
or 12 mm thick like a fence paling (cheapest option), … yeah nah
or 16 mm thick by 295 wide white melamine sheet, …. maybe
or 22 mm thick by 140 wide treated pine decking, ….. great if you have it
or masonite.

Or any simple guide, like deflection under my weight (105 kg) over a span of between rafters of less than 1 mm? …. its not taking a lot of load if you kneel near the joist

> 16 mm thick by 295 wide white melamine sheet

This is the one I’m inclined to at the moment, if I can get it.

White malamine I can slide across like a snake if I want to.