Garage Attis storage

[carguytroy]

I have an attached garage that I would like to use the attic to store some car parts for a Mustang I am restoring. The roof has trusses. I’ve read that they really aren’t made to hold any sort of weight at all. Is this true? And if so what’s a solution to beef them up or bypass them altogether? I’m storing things in a storage unit for the first time ever and it’s driving me crazy having it where I have an area I could possibly store the stuff. Thanks for the help.

 

[ratdoggy]

It all depends on the trusses...
You might have ones meant for weight.Such as "attic trusses"
How about a picture?

 

[carguytroy]

Not the best pic but here’s one. I’ll see if I can get a better one when I get home

 

[lakeroadster]

Very unlikely the trusses are rated for storage. If they were, there would likely already be decking of some sort on top of the truss lower chord for storage.

Are the lower chords 2x4's?

 

[ForceFed70]

Lightweight items only - sorry. Anything can be done, but there's no easy way to beef them up.

 

[carguytroy]

They are 2x4 lower chord. Any good thoughts on either beefing them up or bypassing them altogether?

 

[lakeroadster]

They are 2x4 lower chord. Any good thoughts on either beefing them up or bypassing them altogether?

What's the span of the trusses?

 

[carguytroy]

24' roughly, they run the width of the garage. I found a stamping on them that says 24" OC 30/7/5, trying to upload the pic but having issues

 

[rburke65]

Well, all depends on your pockets...$.....and the weight of the stored items.

 

[bad_idea]

My last garage was a small (14x20) attached. I installed an 'I' beam 8' from the back wall across the 14' width. Beam was 6" tall, so minimal impact to overhead height. I supported the beam with posts within the wall cavity, so no impact to the width of the garage. Had my BIL run the load calcs (he's a mech engineer), said the beam was good for 3800 lbs w/ a 2:1 safety factor. Was great for pulling engines and lifting heavy **** out of the truck.

In the attic I ran 2x8x10' floor joists hanging a foot over the beam and a foot over the back wall spaced 16", sheeted with 3/4" plywood. Gave me a 14x10 storage area in the attic independent of the roof structure. I hoisted rear axles into the attic and stored them up there. Worked great!

I forget the exact costs, but ran me right around $500 total in materials for the install. Did the install myself.

 

[carguytroy]

My last garage was a small (14x20) attached. I installed an 'I' beam 8' from the back wall across the 14' width. Beam was 6" tall, so minimal impact to overhead height. I supported the beam with posts within the wall cavity, so no impact to the width of the garage. Had my BIL run the load calcs (he's a mech engineer), said the beam was good for 3800 lbs w/ a 2:1 safety factor. Was great for pulling engines and lifting heavy **** out of the truck.

In the attic I ran 2x8x10' floor joists hanging a foot over the beam and a foot over the back wall spaced 16", sheeted with 3/4" plywood. Gave me a 14x10 storage area in the attic independent of the roof structure. I hoisted rear axles into the attic and stored them up there. Worked great!

I forget the exact costs, but ran me right around $500 total in materials for the install. Did the install myself.

Now that’s what I’m talking about. I’m thinking maybe two I beams running the length of the garage. Or width. Just bypass the whole bottom chord completely. Unless there’s a way strengthen that bottom chord I don’t really see any other way. Wish you had some pics of it.

 

[bad_idea]

Sorry, no pics. Sold that house. Didn't think to take pics of in process at the time.

 

[77Birdman]

Unless they are designed to carry a load they are not meant to be used for storage. Having said that, use common sense. You should be fine putting car parts there. There cant be that much weight that you will be adding. I'm not sure I would put a motor up there but doubt you would do that just for the logistics.

 

[FANTM58]

I did this I my previous home.
Just decked the top and cut around the stringers . I stored a lot of X mass decorations.
And car parts. Never had any issues. I used a pull down ladder system for access.
Added a light and a switch for it next to the access on the ceiling.
PS when your up there watch your head on the roofing nails!!

 

[bad_idea]

The ceiling in the garage in my last house was sagging about 2" in the middle due to the previous owner storing too much up there. It was a single woman, so I can't imagine she was storing engines up there. With trusses, when the ceiling sags that means the roof is too.

That was another perk of putting the beam in, it jacked the ceiling back up.

 

[77Birdman]

PS when your up there watch your head on the roofing nails!!

We put a new roof on a house a number of years ago. When we were done the elderly lady owner was raising a stink because of the mess inside the attic and the nails that were poking thru. We didn't know it at the time, but the attic was clear, she had carpet on the plywood decking that she would regularly vaccum, with the only access being a pull down stairway. The nails she complained about were a few 16d that we nailed the roof jacks on with that missed the rafters. To say she was a bit wacky is being polite.

 

[lakeroadster]

I found a stamping on them that says 24" OC 30/7/5, trying to upload the pic but having issues

Well that likely means the bottom chord is good for 5 lbs/sqft. Which is basically a drywall ceiling and some insulation.

So to answer your original question, no the existing trusses are not good for any attic storage.

 

[No Noise Dude]

About 3-years ago, I worked with a contractor on converting the upper part of my garage entirely into storage. The solution was to sister in 2” x 12” x 20-foot Microllam LVL beams to the original 2” x 6” trusses. We used an LVL beam at every truss to carry the load across the 19-foot width of the garage. If I remember correctly, I think I had about $1,600.00 into the project with the Microllam beams, plywood decking and contractor labor.

 

[carguytroy]

Well that likely means the bottom chord is good for 5 lbs/sqft. Which is basically a drywall ceiling and some insulation.

So to answer your original question, no the existing trusses are not good for any attic storage.

That’s truly a bummer. Need to figure out a way to bypass them then. This is turning into a mission. Or obsession

 

[carguytroy]

About 3-years ago, I worked with a contractor on converting the upper part of my garage entirely into storage. The solution was to sister in 2” x 12” x 20-foot Microllam LVL beams to the original 2” x 6” trusses. We used an LVL beam at every truss to carry the load across the 19-foot width of the garage. If I remember correctly, I think I had about $1,600.00 into the project with the Microllam beams, plywood decking and contractor labor.

That sounds super reasonable. Is your roof open or sheet rocked? I called an engineer guy I know just to see what he says. At first he said just do it and don’t worry about it. Then after he thought about it for a minute he said let me think about it and to send him some pictures. I’ll see what he says. I do like the beam idea and this LVL solution. Open to other ideas too of course.

 

[No Noise Dude]

With the exception of one wall, everything is completely open. Plans are in the works to insulate and Sheetrock the garage this summer. On both the left-side and right-side of the garage, the contractor lagged a 2x8 directly into the wall studs, 16-inches on center. A 2x6 nailed directly into the 2x8, flush at the top. The LVL beam sits atop the combination of the 2x8 and 2x6. I’ll take a few pics and try to post this weekend.

 

[carguytroy]

With the exception of one wall, everything is completely open. Plans are in the works to insulate and Sheetrock the garage this summer. On both the left-side and right-side of the garage, the contractor lagged a 2x8 directly into the wall studs, 16-inches on center. A 2x6 nailed directly into the 2x8, flush at the top. The LVL beam sits atop the combination of the 2x8 and 2x6. I’ll take a few pics and try to post this weekend.

Pics would be great! The LVL or a steel beam is what I had in mind also. It would have to be ran from the front to back of the garage in my case. That would be perpendicular to the existing trusses.

 

[No Noise Dude]

The first picture is of the left-hand side of the garage, with the finished wall of the house. The second picture is of the right-hand side of the garage with the unfinished wall. Both sides of the garage have a 2x8 lagged directly into the wall studs, 16-inches on center. The 2x6 is nailed directly into the 2x8, flush at the top. The LVL beams sit atop the combination of the 2x8 and 2x6. Sorry for the sideways pic's as I'm still trying to master the attachment side of things.