The selling feature in many homes is the attic, an ideal space for not often-used but keeper-worthy stuff we accumulate. In many new homes there’s access to an attic, but it’s useless without a floor; the same is true in some older homes. To take advantage of the untapped storage space in the attic, you can add flooring and make it useful to stash your stuff in a safe place. One solution is to use 4-foot-by-5-foot OSB panels or 4-foot-by-8-foot plywood sheeting, readily available at lumberyards.
One solution is to use OSB panels plywood sheeting, readily available at lumberyards. (Dreamstime/TNS)
A carpenter will charge $576 to lay a 23/32-inch (approximately 3/4-inch) thick floor panels in an area approximately 10 square feet. That includes labor and material. If you have carpentry experience and tools, you can do the job for $250, the cost of the plywood and screws, and save 57%. For tools you’ll need a circular saw, a carpenter’s square and measuring tape. You can cut full 4-foot-by-8-foot panels of plywood into 2-by-4 sections so they can be easily moved up an attic stair and into place. OSB tongue and groove panels are more expensive, but don’t require cutting….