Overhead Storage in a Cathedral Styled Garage

[ideal2545]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to owning a house and I was hoping I could have some assistance trying to figure out what to do about overhead storage in a garage that has cathedral or vaulted type ceiling. I hope not to mix up any terms here.

When you look up, the ceiling looks like this ^ with no trusses, its just in a ^ shape with a long beefy looking header than runs the width of the garage. Looking up, you see the the roof rafters which are supported by a giant header. It looks like this -

Is it safe for me to just attach to the sides of the trusses, or do i need to attach the bottom of the trusses with metal plates and 45 degree cut 2x4s? Are there weight requirements that I should be aware of? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Jon

 

[pauls340]

Jon, your picture link does not open.

 

[bczygan]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to owning a house and I was hoping I could have some assistance trying to figure out what to do about overhead storage in a garage that has cathedral or vaulted type ceiling. I hope not to mix up any terms here.

When you look up, the ceiling looks like this ^ with no trusses, its just in a ^ shape with a long beefy looking header than runs the width of the garage. Looking up, you see the the roof rafters which are supported by a giant header. It looks like this -

Is it safe for me to just attach to the sides of the trusses, or do i need to attach the bottom of the trusses with metal plates and 45 degree cut 2x4s? Are there weight requirements that I should be aware of? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Jon

Jon, A big welcome to GJ!

We need to see photos of your actual structure.

Is the thing that you call a header up at the top of the rafters? If so, it is a ridge board is light in size, or possibly a ridge beam, if beefy. A header is a beam above a door or window opening.
What ties the walls together at the bottom of the rafters? There should be a ceiling joist that sits with both ends on top of the side walls and runs from between the bottoms of each pairs of rafters. This ties the side walls together and prevents the bottom of the rafters from pushing the top of the wall out.

You say there are no trusses and then ask how to attach to them. Again, photos needed and correct terminology. Do some Google searches for stick built roof terms. Like this:



And yes, weight must always be calculated and taken into account.

For that we need to know spans, codes, loads and existing member sizes as well as roof slope and type of shingle, number of layers and type of roof deck. And add your location.

 

[kbs2244]

It sounds like he has a ridge beam style construction.
Not a ridge board.
The ridge beam is structural and the rafters in tension vs. a non-structural ridge board and the rafters in compression with ceiling joists in tension.

It is not as common a roof framing as the ridge board construction shown in the PIC.
But it is nice in that it gives a lot of interior volume.
The ceiling is the bottom of the roof.

For light weight, X-mas decoration, type storage, attaching the attic floor anywhere along the rafters should be OK.

 

[jlckmj]

I did a write up on the soffit cabinets that I built in my garage;

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198872

check the link to see if that is similar to what you are trying to do. With these cabinets the weight is distributed to the side wall and the trusses (above the ceiling) I have loaded a few of them with a lot of weight and so far so good.

jim

 

[ideal2545]

Hi Guys,

Here are some quick pics I snapped this morning before running to work to show how it looks on the inside:

http://imgur.com/a/0KzLn#0

Those runners or "rafters" look like 2x6's.

 

[ideal2545]

Sorry Guys, - I can't figure out how to edit the previous post to shrink the pictures!

After looking up a couple of pics online, it definitely looks like I have a ridge-beam construction garage roof. In this case would it be fine to attach storage to rafters?

My original thought was to create a hanging type of storage where I have some 2x4's that's hanging down and then attachments at the bottom with some plywood to create a base. (I also really dig jlckmj's SOFFIT cabinets).

In the hanging down type of storage, would it make more sense to bring the 2x4 hangers to the side of a rafter and drill a hole through the rafter and 2x4 and bolt them together with some heavy duty bolts or would it make sense to use those metal framing construction plates (or are they called straps?) and meet at the bottom of the rafters and then use screws in conjunction with those plates/straps?