How to Clear an Attic in an Older Redding House

On an older house in Redding, CA the attic hatch is usually the smallest opening in the building, and it sets the limit on what can come down. Anything that does not fit through it gets cut up, lowered another way or left, and the notes at junk removal redding acronym official cover the hatch before they cover the junk. Attics here also get hot enough in a Shasta County July to make the afternoon unworkable.

How big is the hatch and what fits through it?

Measure the hatch before the day of the job. Many houses built before the sixties have a panel barely wider than a pair of shoulders, so a steamer trunk, a full size box spring or a rolled rug will not pass whole. Plan on cutting a rug, folding a mattress and breaking down shelving at the opening, and keep a rope and a tarp at the bottom of the ladder.

Where is it safe to step?

Only on the joists. The ceiling below is lath and plaster or thin drywall, and a boot between two joists goes straight through to the bedroom. Lay a few sheets of plywood across the joists from the hatch to wherever the stored items sit, and move the boxes to the hatch on that path instead of carrying them across open framing.

What is the insulation doing up there?

Loose fill, often gray and settled, covers the floor of most old attics, and some of it is thirty or forty years old. Moving boxes through it kicks up dust, so a fitted respirator and eye protection are standard. The insulation itself is not bagged and hauled as part of a casual cleanout. If the house is old enough that the material might contain something hazardous, stop and get it identified first.

How hot does an attic get and when should the work happen?

An attic runs far hotter than the air outside, and a Redding afternoon with triple-digit highs turns it into an oven. Start at first light, finish by mid morning, and take breaks at the bottom of the ladder with water. After the Carr Fire many homeowners also keep the attic clear of anything flammable, which is a good reason to finish the cleanout rather than leave half of it stacked.

What goes down first and what stays up?

The lightest items go first so the hatch area clears and the heavy pieces have room to move. Old holiday decorations, cardboard, broken fans and abandoned luggage head to the dumpster or the box truck. Documents and photographs are sorted right at the hatch, in the light, before anything else is carried down.

What happens to electronics up there?

Old televisions, monitors and computers are common attic finds, and they count as e waste. They go to electronics recycling and stay out of the general load, so they get their own corner of the staging area on the driveway.