Best way to get into a blocked Attic.

[Clarence Martinn]

Here is the situation

Old House , built in 1800's. Plank wall construction. Back part of the house is newer. Figure somewhere in 1920's the back half was put in. The back part of the house , is where the access to the Attic is located. BUT!! when you get into the Attic, you can clearly see the wall of the old section of the house, where it meets the newer section. I know there is Attic space in the old section of the house. The problem is, when they built the new part , they never cut a door opening, to get into the old Attic section.

Have no idea what that old Attic looks like. Should I cut an opening to check it out, or should I just leave it closed off?

[Brian Henderson]

If it's your house, do what you like. I'd look.

[John K Jordan]

Old House , built in 1800's. Plank wall construction. Back part of the house is newer. Figure somewhere in 1920's the back half was put in. The back part of the house , is where the access to the Attic is located. BUT!! when you get into the Attic, you can clearly see the wall of the old section of the house, where it meets the newer section. I know there is Attic space in the old section of the house. The problem is, when they built the new part , they never cut a door opening, to get into the old Attic section.
Have no idea what that old Attic looks like. Should I cut an opening to check it out, or should I just leave it closed off?

I would cut an opening and board it back up if I spotted the skeletons. Or make it bigger if there is gold.

When I was a kid we discovered an empty space plastered over between the kitchen and the dining room in our old Lockmaster's house. We tore it down and found it was a pass-through for food and such from the kitchen staff. There was a skeleton. Of a mouse.

JKJ

[Joe. Rivera]

Sawzall to the rescue !
Cutt between studs, have fun. If there's a fortune up there, share.

[Bill Dufour]

My house the attic is blocked by a whole house fan. But when I installed some turbine ventilators I looked through the 14" holes to check out the attic. It looked dry with extra blown in insulation taller then the ceiling rafters so it would be hard to walk in there.
Bill

[Jim Becker]

The attic space in the 250 year old portion of our home is small and not really "accessible", but I can still as least see into it through a small opening from the center part of the house's attic. (to insulate that oldest part, the contractor had to cut a large hole in the roof to blow material in, which was then closed off prior to the new roof going on)

Personally, I'd cut through, but try to avoid damaging any studs. The alternative would be to install and access from the house interior somewhere on "that side" of the world.

[John Terefenko]

As said your house. I would have to cut a peek hole for sure. Don't cut studs and you always can close back up if you find bodies.

[Justin Ludwig]

If there is a doll sitting at the corner staring at you as you poke your head through the first hole... politely apologize for the noise and disturbance, patch the hole quietly, retreat and never speak of what you saw. Now you know the pitter-patter sounds at night were not a rodent.

Maybe I've been listening to too much of the Lore podcast.

[Pat Barry]

Go up a ladder and take a look through the gable end vents. Note - you probably want to add insulation up there anyway

[Myk Rian]

Step back from the house a ways, and look at the size of the attic.
You can get a good idea of what you have to work with, and where in the house an opening would work best.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Till three years ago, I lived in an old 1860's farm house. I pulled up the attic floor to put insulation down. Found jewelry, old photos, and a half dozen pair of super huge ladies old fashioned drawstring bloomers. I mean like a waist size of 60 inches. Why they were stuffed down below the floor is anybody's guess. There were also two old red glass bullet shaped tail lights. Not sure when car makers stopped using glass tail lights.

[Myk Rian]

Till three years ago, I lived in an old 1860's farm house. I pulled up the attic floor to put insulation down. Found jewelry, old photos, and a half dozen pair of super huge ladies old fashioned drawstring bloomers. I mean like a waist size of 60 inches. Why they were stuffed down below the floor is anybody's guess. There were also two old red glass bullet shaped tail lights. Not sure when car makers stopped using glass tail lights.

That's funny. :)

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Till three years ago, I lived in an old 1860's farm house. I pulled up the attic floor to put insulation down. Found jewelry, old photos, and a half dozen pair of super huge ladies old fashioned drawstring bloomers. I mean like a waist size of 60 inches. Why they were stuffed down below the floor is anybody's guess. There were also two old red glass bullet shaped tail lights. Not sure when car makers stopped using glass tail lights.

Originally, there were bodies in those bloomers, and then.....

[Michael Weber]

.All I found in my old house attic was a complete Marine Corp dress blue uniform but the name didn't match any previous owner of the house. Finally tracked down the original owner who thought they were lost. He and I were both happy.

[Dave Richards]

Is it possible that there is already an access in a closet or something? Maybe you don't need to cut an opening to get to the bloomer-wearing skeletons.

[Chase Mueller]

Did you ever get in the attic?

[James Runchey]

My 1873 house had a walkup attic that was fully plastered and floored, a nice attic, as attics go, but there was an addition perpendicular to original house. I took my trusty Sazall and cut a new door to the closed off section and then I could insulate and add much needed wiring. When I bought the old farmhouse it was in pretty much the original 1873 condition....no indoor plumbing, bare minimum wiring. A brother and sister had been born in the house, handed down from father and grandparents. It was a labor of love restoring it. We owned it forty years, living in it for twenty of that time, moving to town 4 years ago. Nothing in the new attic but cobwebs.