big problem

[joint fleetweed]

hey what the **** is up with every one today
n e way i have a question i need to biuld a trap door from in side my house going down to the crawl space because i'm nerves! but don't have a clue about that **** HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[joint fleetweed]

i really just need to know how to seal it?

 

[Flyinghigh]

Take a deep Breath and think about it..

 

[trillions of atoms]

well first i would sugguest reading the site rules-

then i would sugguest not using the F word in the first sentace when asking for help from our fine members here.... i doubt that will muster up a reply from most!

anyway i would go under the house and find a suitible p[lace in a walk in closet- laundry room etc...thats out of the way and where u can close a door lock it then toil away so if someone comes over unexpected they cant see any light comming through. once under the house and a proper place has been marked cutting supports fron under the house first might be good. the frame of the trap door will have to support alot of weight when ppl walk ovber it . it also needs to be flush with the floor and lightproof- those are the main things. i mean u can always throw a rug over it but lightproof is always good.

time to do some thinking because onl;y you know whats uner the house and what your dealing with- there are no DIYs here for a trap door so i suggust looking under google for how to trap doors.


goodluck!

 

[joint fleetweed]

i'm sorry about that i'm just exited about the whole thing and ya thank for the reponce

 

[joint fleetweed]

but when i do cut through how do i seal it from thr plywood to the carpet with it not being seen???

 

[trillions of atoms]

some kind of support frame from underneith to hold the lid while in place....a rubber gasket or foam tape around the inside to seal...inside hidden hinges and some sort of nick in the floor lookin like damage or something- some form of method to pull the lid up (if you know what i mean)

the carpet i would cut a hole bigger than what you think the door will need to be (room to work)

a sawzall should help along with a jigsaw-

make sure to chek everything BEFORE cutting-

dont want u zapping yerself on a wire with a jigsaw in yer hand (i can see it now)

 

[Firepower]

IMO this is not a job for just any handyman, in order to do this the right way and function properly you will need some knowledge of mechanics and definitely some type of experience relating to this install.
The reason why i say this is because in my younger days i use to make hidden compartments for vehicles and that got very tricky at times, installation principles are the same in a way and trust me, this is not an easy job.
Also i helped a friend of mine build his hurricane room with a similar opening and 2 years later he is still trying to make the door close flush and it has been impossible because the way his house was built.. Good Luck thou. :aok:

 

[slowmo77]

i did something similar but it was in a double wide trailer while makin other drugs. not easy. in a house the floor supports are under alot of presure. they hold your house up. so you would need to place supports under each board to hold the weight before you make the cut. then box it out but leave your floor intact untill to use 1x's to frame a lip for your new hatch lid to sit on. all this will need to be done from under the house. then drill holes at each corner of you future hatch lid so you know where it is when your in the house.. cut the carpet about 2 inches bigger than your door will. if you know anything about carpet this will help.. find the way your pile is runnin and hold your blade at a 45 degree angle with the pile. this will help the carpet blend together when your done. after you remove the carpet find the four holes you drilled and cut the lid out. put hinges on 1 side. to keep the carpet on the lid seperate the yarn on the carpet and staple with a big staple gun all four corners and a few down the middle. close the door and trim the carpet as needed so it blends better. these directions get alot more detailed. if you need more info pm me. hope this gives you an idea of what you need to do. good luck

 

[GeezerBudd]

Here's a good one.
Before I bought my house, the real estate agent showed me around.I had looked at the garage and everything inside the house up and down.
Of course I did not see a water heater or a furnace.
I asked her:
Where is the basement door?

"I don't think there is a basement."

There HAS to be a basement-How else would this place have hot water and heat??

(Looking around looking nervous)"I just don't think there is a basement here."


Well, I kept looking around and finally found it. A trap door on the back laundry room. The carpet was just long enough weave that you could hardly see it, and being it was right by the back door, it could have been very easily had a rug thrown over it.
There was a little slash made in the carpet that you had to pull up then you could grab a recessed handle.There were barn hinges put on underneath.

It is alot of work and if you did'nt major in woodshop and grow up in a lumberyard, you should really give it thought.

Gb

 

[joint fleetweed]

Here's a good one.
Before I bought my house, the real estate agent showed me around.I had looked at the garage and everything inside the house up and down.
Of course I did not see a water heater or a furnace.
I asked her:
Where is the basement door?

"I don't think there is a basement."

There HAS to be a basement-How else would this place have hot water and heat??

(Looking around looking nervous)"I just don't think there is a basement here."


Well, I kept looking around and finally found it. A trap door on the back laundry room. The carpet was just long enough weave that you could hardly see it, and being it was right by the back door, it could have been very easily had a rug thrown over it.
There was a little slash made in the carpet that you had to pull up then you could grab a recessed handle.There were barn hinges put on underneath.

It is alot of work and if you did'nt major in woodshop and grow up in a lumberyard, you should really give it thought.

Gb

guys appriate everything

 

[joint fleetweed]

thanks for all the good info

 

[GeezerBudd]

Don't know what "appriate" means...
Thats a true story though.
I think I was one of her first sales so she was real nervy.
LOL

Gb

 

[Bleek187]

go to home depot.... say... "hello, i want to build a trap door going to the crawl space. How can i do this and what do i need"

actualy if i were you id just go ahead and pay someone else to do it.. because if your on here askn about it... you prolly donno what your doing..

 

[FLA Funk]

Hey Geezer, why wouldn't she tell you about the basement in the house you were trying to buy?

 

[GeezerBudd]

Hey Geezer, why wouldn't she tell you about the basement in the house you were trying to buy?

I really think that she thought there was no basement.I think it was one of her first sales.
She got real nervous.
She was a newby real estate agent.

I've lived in the place for 15 years now.
Geez i hate thunder-gotta go
Gb

 

[HMAN]

Here's a good one.
Before I bought my house, the real estate agent showed me around.I had looked at the garage and everything inside the house up and down.
Of course I did not see a water heater or a furnace.
I asked her:
Where is the basement door?

"I don't think there is a basement."

There HAS to be a basement-How else would this place have hot water and heat??

(Looking around looking nervous)"I just don't think there is a basement here."


Well, I kept looking around and finally found it. A trap door on the back laundry room. The carpet was just long enough weave that you could hardly see it, and being it was right by the back door, it could have been very easily had a rug thrown over it.
There was a little slash made in the carpet that you had to pull up then you could grab a recessed handle.There were barn hinges put on underneath.

It is alot of work and if you did'nt major in woodshop and grow up in a lumberyard, you should really give it thought.

Gb

Sounds like MY old house!!! If you are using carpet over top of the door, only make 3 cuts in it. That way you'll have a flap of carpet that won't ever move around on ya. Use the 45 deg cut that SlowMo suggested, that should keep it fairly well hidden.