01/14/2026
I am planning on having a contractor build an unfinished flooring in my attic (next to ceiling access panel) in order for me to use for purposes of light storage. The space is located at the center of my attic, where there is an open space between the existing roof truss that is approx 23 ft long (left to right) and 8 fr deep (front to back). The ceiling joists from the level below span from front to back, making them perpendicular to the length of the space I’m looking to place flooring (meaning I can get load support from many joists over the 23 ft span).
The issue I am encountering is that I have about 16 in. of insulation above the ceiling joists, and trying to figure out how to apply the plywood flooring without removing or compressing any of the insulation. My understanding is that the best way to do this would consist of installing vertical supports (either 2’x6’ or 2’x8’ for added strength), followed by installing a joist-supported sleeper platform on top of the vertical supports, before installing the plywood boards on top.
What also is throwing me off is the fact that there are 2’x4’s that seem to sit on top of the ceiling joists in a perpendicular fashion (see photos attached); since these 2x4s sit on the ceiling joists, should my vertical supports sit on these or on the ceiling joists directly?
Could you let me know if this approach is the ideal way I should tackle this project? Would there be any risks with platform stability of the vertical support bars being over a foot tall in order to clear the insulation? Are there any other recommendations you have on how to best move forward with this effort?
