Help with attic access. Not your average ? sort of advanced

[jayrod]

Okay guys I can usually figure stuff out on my own but I am seriously running out of ideas here! We just bought a 2 story home, built in 1974, and it doesnt have an attic or atleast a way to get into it. Im only worried about the
2nd floor attic. They have the wiring for the ceiling fans, lighting, etc. coming out of the wall, stapled up the wall, and stapled across the ceiling to each component. Its just plain ugly! Not to mention I also need to fix the hole in the ceiling where some kind of wood burning stove used to be. (As seen in the video). I need to re-route the wiring, fix the hole, and some extra storage space would be nice. Problem is I cant find anyway to peek inside the attic. I can take my chances and cut the hole for the attic door out but then I run the risk of it possibly being in the wrong spot where alot of framing or something is. Then I will have a big hole to fix. The entire 2nd floor ceiling is as you see it in the video with exposed beams running the entire lengths. Anyone have any ideas, tips?? Any advice is appreciated. PLease take a look at the video to get an idea of what I'm working with. Thank you.


Just found out I cant post the link for the video. It would really help.

[HayZee518]

what you have is a new home owners nightmare. the guy that had the house before you should have been sited by the building inspector and locked up! exposed wiring is a big no-no. you say the second floor ceiling is nothing but exposed joists. so where's the problem looking into the attic? pick a spot in a room where the joists are and install a pull down ladder. you're gonna have to strip out all wallboard and reroute your wiring onto the exposed studs. where there are fixtures with no boxes, you are going to need to install wiring boxes. and above all have the installation inspected by a ul approved inspector.

[jayrod]

No the wiring isnt completely exposed its wrapped in the white, off-white covering thats common in house wiring (cant remember what its called) its just you can see where its routed to each component. The house has exposed beams that are part of the finished look. Kinda like what you see in ski lodges. The ceilings are finished, there is nowhere to peek into the attic. All the fixtures do have electric boxes but they are screwed to the ceiling and are visible. In other words, they're on the wrong side of the ceiling for some reason or another. Definitely not a nightmare but I am gathering all options right now.
As you can see, if I could possibly post the link to the video you can see what Im talking about. Mods??
Oh and the walls are tongue and groove wood. Thanks.

[jayrod]

Do this if you have time. Go to Youtube, type in Dude wheres my attic
and its the first video that pops up. Thank you all.

[HayZee518]

ok, now that I have sort of an idea what you got, we'll proceed. the wiring is called romex, the off-white covering is called the jacket. even tho it is stapled to the surface it is still exposed wiring. romex is meant to be "fished" into wall spaces. exposed wiring needs a sort of mechanical protection. wiremold is such a product. romex cannot be installed into emt conduit or pvc conduit. [absence of an attic] you say your ceilings are finished. then I would assume your ceiings go up at an angle following the rafters and then level off. the level surface that it is nailed, screwed to is called collar ties. these stiffen the rafters and give you a flat surface to nail sheetrock to. if it went all the way to the peak, you'd have a cathedral ceiling. if you have collar ties, then you won't have much room for storage. collar ties aren't meant for a load bearing surface.

[HayZee518]

you don't have much room to do anything for an attic! the roof pitch is almost that of a flat roof. other than an access door just to crawl into is your best bet. as far as storage, I don't think so. your walls have wainscoat tongue and groove. the ceilings are pine boards with a tongue and groove called V groove. a high power stud finder will find your ceiling joists above the ceiling wood. it triggers on difference in sub surface density. a magnet will detect nails. they make a magnetic stud finder that is just that. a magnet on a pivot with and indicator. pass it over a wall and when it finds a nail the pointer will pivot showing you the nail head.

[jayrod]

There is room, maybe not as much as a regular V shaped roof but there is room. Anyway, storage is not my main goal here. If I can get some storage out of the deal great. If not, then thats okay too. I just want to hide the wiring, and fix the wood stove hole.
BTW, what is wainscoating?
What do you think of using a camera snake to look inside a small drilled hole? I dont always trust those stud finders.
You seem to know your stuff so I will ask, what would you do about the wiring?

[pushkins]

Those "beams" probably are the ceiling joists, with the tongue and groove 1x material as the ceiling. If the interior ceiling is horizontal then you will have some room, albeit limited in the attic space, but it may be just enough to do what your wanting to do.
If the interior ceiling is flat and the exterior roof is pitched then cutting a small hole in the 1x tongue and groove to stick your head up inside to get a "real" look is probably your best idea, if you cut it out neatly you can always re use it as a man hole type opening.

Wains coating is the grooved paneling on your walls.

[jayrod]

I ended up finding out how to get in. There is a big entryway on the balcony. It so well hidden no one could find it but let me tell you, the attic is huge!! There is plenty enough space to make another room up there.
Thanks everyone.