A Deep Crawl Space Light-Weight Insulated Cover and Stairs Invention

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A Deep Crawl Space Light-Weight Insulated Cover and Stairs Invention 

This is the found-conditions crawl space access in the floor of a closet. Tug at the handle and feel a thirty pound anchor ready to pull you through a hole.

There are ways to drop the hatch cover in rotation off narrow ledges, out of the way.

Stowing back here is tippy and with too much dangerous hefting over the hole.

A new cover gasketed air-tight and insulated  R5, U 0.17 fits within the 1 1/2" thickness of adjacent 2x6 tongue and groove floor sheathing. The functionality of a cover only 1 1/2" thick is an important example to writers of the International Energy Conservation Code, which has failed of a proper statement for 2018 revision .

Here is the view down 60" to the crawl space floor, with a first try of a staircase that hangs from the floor sheathing.

Here are acceptable stairs, made better by removing the top step.  See that sides cut of 3/4" plywood are screwed to 3" thick sandwiches of 2x4. The on-flat 2x4 are bound to the floor sheathing by very many longest-usable  deck screws.

I deeply regret the set-backs cut on-job, to make the plywood sides less a block of passage. The passage to left side here is easier with the setback,  but I'm sure I should have stuck with my plans.

Here is a cross section view of the nine-pound lift-out cover. It is plenty strong. Very little could ever be placed atop in the low-ceiling closet.

Here is a plan view of the lift-out cover and gasketed frame.

As-built stairs, plan view. Note "Better 4th Step," achievable if I had not cut set-backs in the 3/4" plywood sides. The more-protruding step would not be in-the-way.

As-built stairs, cross section view from the side on right hand looking down-hole.

Many people have made this crawl, unhappily, during and since house construction in 1989. The improvement is an inexpensive matter of safety.