Attic Project Creep – 2 the expanding floor and shelves

We emptied the entire attic into our small first and only floor. There are stacks of boxes everywhere leaving pathways with the promise it will only be there a short time. The attic project was to insulate the entire floor and cover a third of the attic with a secure floor to stack boxes, camping gear, etc. The plan was to latter go back and build more flooring. Um, excuse me but the attic is empty now. The help is here now. Can’t we do the whole floor now? With that we had the next project creep. The entire 800 square feet was going to be covered so there would be no risk of things falling through the ceiling. The next project creep came with a suggestion of shelves around the chimney. Um, no that would be a possible fire hazard so instead of one set of shelves there we went for 2 in the roof peaks.

Okay, the construction should be done now. But, excuse me…. We have this beautifully done storage area with these rickety old wooden folding stairs that look (and feel) like they have seen better days. Can’t we install new heavier duty aluminum stairs? Consider it curb appeal to really show off the rest of the work upstairs. Understand I just talked the guys (husband and handyman) into the entire floor and 2 sets of shelves (be it for the husbands stuff). I was meeting some resistance so I went out and bought one and had it ready for them. I have to say when I got the email telling me it was installed and SO MUCH BETTER than the old one that they both wished we did it first I felt vindicated. Then there was just one more thing and I would be done with expanding this project. Yes, there was one more thing to complete the ‘attic project”. It was actually what sort of started the whole mess. I saw an advertisement in the Sky Mall magazine for an attic tent. It is a great way of reducing draft for folding attic stairs. Just when the whole attic was under insulated it really didn’t make sense. So after the new stronger more stable stairs were installed the attic tent was installed over it.

Needless to say the project went over budget. We doubled the wood needed and added the cost of news stairs too. BUT I think it went well and all involved are REALLY happy with how it turned out and that is finished…. Well all but carrying all that stuff back up. Hmm, might be time for a trip to the thrift store or have a yard sale.