Attic or no attic?

I created a thread a few months back (link below) in preparation for my build and was able to sort out all of my questions but one, to do attic trusses or not. My options are;

* Storage trusses on each end of the building and scissor trusses between them which will allow me two large off floor storage areas.

* Attic trusses that will allow me to complete the attic at a later date should the need arise.

Cost on both should be close to the same. I hate stairs and I don't want to create a haven for rodents. I also don't want to eat up shop floor space with a staircase.

I can't see ever using an attic for myself but do have two children that aren't far from college age and can imagine a day where they would want to stay at home without being at home, an attic bedroom in the shop would be perfect.

What it comes down to is that I don't want an attic, don't see ever needing one but if I don't do it now, it can never be done. Thoughts?

To make matters worse, my slab has been done for over a month while I keep going back and forth on this issue. I need a quick resolution so that I can continue the build.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390815

Attic rooms are typically really hard to cool, especially in Texas. IMHO, attics are good for storing stuff, not living. Plus a low floor space use access stair would be a pull down Wagner like what I use - way not sufficient for moving anything of size like furniture or regular people access up into an attic space. You'd need a full stair case for that with the attendant loss of floor space. Make it 12' deeper (72') and add two bedroom/ground level storage areas.

It will depend somewhat on the pitch of your roof - if it's shallow you won't have much room up there anyway, but if it's relatively steep (say 8/12 or more) then it can be useful storage space. I have attic trusses in my garage with a fold up stair, and it's a good spot for stuff you don't need to access often.


As for making it into a bedroom, that would require more forethought since the floor in an attic trusses is typically designed for storage and not living space - it would need to be stiffer. Also, you'll probably run into occupancy issues above a garage, for one thing I imagine the stairs would need to be outside rather than inside for fire safety reasons.

I don't know your sizes of areas but each storage area is going to need a staircase of some sort. The 22-1/2" fold-down stairs are pretty sad when it comes to actually storing stuff. Along those lines you may want to stack the trusses differently to gain a wider opening but the truss engineering + building company should be involved.

I would highly recommend doing as much attic as you can, though, just due to the very low cost of gaining dry storage as compared to building more square footage from the dirt-on-up. The attic will have some challenges heating and cooling, in my experience it gets cold and hot much faster than other ground-floor areas. Mini split(s) could be your answer especially in your climate.

Even if your kids never sleep in that space, they gain "stuff" as they goto college, and a lot of it has to be moved back home over the summer and needs a place to go. That might be a nice place to put it.

I solved the staircase issue by building a tilting staircase which goes level with the lower ceiling and hangs that way, and drops down when needed with an electric hoist. Because 98% of the time it will probably be in the "storage" mode. Planning on some removable insulated panels to preserve heating and cooling of the main space below.

Falcon67 said:

Attic rooms are typically really hard to cool, especially in Texas. IMHO, attics are good for storing stuff, not living. Plus a low floor space use access stair would be a pull down Wagner like what I use - way not sufficient for moving anything of size like furniture or regular people access up into an attic space. You'd need a full stair case for that with the attendant loss of floor space. Make it 12' deeper (72') and add two bedroom/ground level storage areas.

Click to expand...

I'm doing closed cell insulation and a full HVAC system so heating and cooling shouldn't be an issue. I would be doing a full staircase because pull down stairs at a 12' plate would be a no go. 72' is also a no go, the slab is already poured. Even if it wasn't, the wife and HOA are in agreement, the 36'x56' is already "huge". It's those full stairs that give me pause, I'll likely never use an attic but will use my shop, I don't like the idea of losing valuable floor space.

Stuart in MN said:

It will depend somewhat on the pitch of your roof - if it's shallow you won't have much room up there anyway, but if it's relatively steep (say 8/12 or more) then it can be useful storage space. I have attic trusses in my garage with a fold up stair, and it's a good spot for stuff you don't need to access often.


As for making it into a bedroom, that would require more forethought since the floor in an attic trusses is typically designed for storage and not living space - it would need to be stiffer. Also, you'll probably run into occupancy issues above a garage, for one thing I imagine the stairs would need to be outside rather than inside for fire safety reasons.

Click to expand...

If I do the storage/scissor trusses I'll go with a 6/12. If I go full attic it will be 8/12. It won't be cavernous inside but should be usable. I shouldn't have any code or occupancy issues, my neighbor just built a shop with a full attic and inside stairs.

matt_i said:

I don't know your sizes of areas but each storage area is going to need a staircase of some sort. The 22-1/2" fold-down stairs are pretty sad when it comes to actually storing stuff. Along those lines you may want to stack the trusses differently to gain a wider opening but the truss engineering + building company should be involved.

I would highly recommend doing as much attic as you can, though, just due to the very low cost of gaining dry storage as compared to building more square footage from the dirt-on-up. The attic will have some challenges heating and cooling, in my experience it gets cold and hot much faster than other ground-floor areas. Mini split(s) could be your answer especially in your climate.

Even if your kids never sleep in that space, they gain "stuff" as they goto college, and a lot of it has to be moved back home over the summer and needs a place to go. That might be a nice place to put it.

I solved the staircase issue by building a tilting staircase which goes level with the lower ceiling and hangs that way, and drops down when needed with an electric hoist. Because 98% of the time it will probably be in the "storage" mode. Planning on some removable insulated panels to preserve heating and cooling of the main space below.

Click to expand...

I shouldn't need stairs, just a ladder. Something like the picture linked here.



You can never have enough storage, that is true. That's where I'm stuck now, it costs me about $900 to put the trusses in and if I never use them, no harm no foul. If I don't use them and should I ever need them, it'll be impossible.

My biggest concerns are losing shop square footage for a staircase and creating an upstairs habitat for rodents. Do you have pictures of the stairs you built? Any ideas on rodent control? Something like a cat without it being an actual ... you know ... cat?

With a building that size, the minimal floor space the stairs will take up should not be an issue, and you can room off the area under the stairs and use it for something, maybe put your compressor there. All that said, I use my attic for storage and, apart from the camping gear, most of what is up there could be purged and I wouldn't miss it.

My rodent control was accidental. I had a 20L glass jug in the attic. It was once used for making wine. I was going to toss it, but I saw there were half a dozen dead mice inside it, so I cleaned them out, and put the jug back.

Do pull down attic stairs....it's there when you need it....up and out of the way when you don't.

Attic's are great places to store stuff you don't want to get rid of, but don't need access to on a regular basis.

jscoggin said:

Do you have pictures of the stairs you built?

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https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...rnal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319602&page=9

Warning: a *lot* of pictures about the stairs and other tangential projects. Building the stairs themselves is 1 page back.

I'd think the attic to be as mouse resistant as the rest of the construction. If you have an issue, give them a trap baited with food. Works every time.

I have considered half attic trusses and half scissor like you suggested and would absolutely go that route if I were you. However I wouldn't consider it ever being a living space, just storage. That way you can finish it with simple osb and use a ladder to access when needed.

I specified storage trusses when I built my 32x54 garage.

Waste of money. I used the storage at first, but the pull down stairs become problematic as you age. It’s no fun climbing up there with things in your arms, and they are too narrow with shallow tread depth.

The space is now a junk collection area that I access maybe twice per year, if that.

I would have been better off spending the truss upcharge to increase the slab footprint by a foot or two.

Do you have a wife that REALLY likes Christmas trees? Does she see available storage space as an opportunity? If so, then I vote no!

ddawg16 said:

Do pull down attic stairs....it's there when you need it....up and out of the way when you don't.

Attic's are great places to store stuff you don't want to get rid of, but don't need access to on a regular basis.

Click to expand...

I hate pull down attic stairs, especially if they were to be installed at a 12' plate. It makes carrying anything up or down them almost impossible.

I don't really need an attic for storage, the one in the house is sufficient. This would only be for potential living space down the road. I can't ever imagine using it but it just nags at me that if I don't do it, I'll end up regretting it. It is almost free square footage. Then again, I like the idea of how the scissor trusses will make the ground floor feel more open. Better to make the space I'll actually use be better. This is why my slab has been sitting so long, I can't make up my darn mind.

matt_i said:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...rnal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319602&page=9

Warning: a *lot* of pictures about the stairs and other tangential projects. Building the stairs themselves is 1 page back.

I'd think the attic to be as mouse resistant as the rest of the construction. If you have an issue, give them a trap baited with food. Works every time.

Click to expand...

Wow, that is slick. Your skills are much greater than mine though, I couldn't pull that off.

I'm hesitant to use bait as I have dogs that love to eat rats. Maybe I'll buy a few 20l jars.

MrElectric03 said:

I have considered half attic trusses and half scissor like you suggested and would absolutely go that route if I were you. However I wouldn't consider it ever being a living space, just storage. That way you can finish it with simple osb and use a ladder to access when needed.

Click to expand...

This is the way that I'm leaning but I've changed my mind at least a dozen times and that was just in the last hour. Agreed, it would be 100% storage and I'd only do the front and back 10' of the shop which would leave the middle 36' open with scissor trusses. Any deeper than 10' and you end up with black holes of **** that you don't need.

finn said:

I specified storage trusses when I built my 32x54 garage.

Waste of money. I used the storage at first, but the pull down stairs become problematic as you age. It’s no fun climbing up there with things in your arms, and they are too narrow with shallow tread depth.

The space is now a junk collection area that I access maybe twice per year, if that.

I would have been better off spending the truss upcharge to increase the slab footprint by a foot or two.

Click to expand...

This is why I would use scissor trusses in front of the storage opening like in the picture I posted above. True, you're still using a ladder to get in and out but I'm thinking it would only be used for things like tires or things that rarely if ever get used. Maybe I can even build in some type of dumbwaiter.

I DID use the truss upcharge to add additional square feet, it's how I ended up at 36x56 vs the 36x50 that I had originally planned. Unfortunately, scope creep is a real thing. I need to just order the lumber package and be done with it. That is the purpose of this thread, I just want to get opinions from people that have done them and love/regret it or people that haven't and love/regret it. That way I can lock it in and move forward.

Jeff95TA said:

Do you have a wife that REALLY likes Christmas trees? Does she see available storage space as an opportunity? If so, then I vote no!

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I do but I'm lucky, the new house has a massive understair storage closet. ALL of the Christmas/Thanksgiving/Halloween etc stuff is in there so I never have to be hounded to drag the tree out of the attic or put it back in. I can't even put into words how much I love that. The shop is 100% off limits, I'm giving her the garage and anything that creeps out is getting whacked.

A 3 foot wide staircase will only take up about 35 sq. ft. Now or never.

Put the trusses in and dedicated them to your kids. They can store all their stuff until they get a house of their own. You can create a stairway that is hinged and can be pulled up when not in use. But definitely put the storage in. It will also help the appeal of your house if you ever decide to sell. Value increase probably not but a potential buyer will consider it one more plus for the property.

2level said:

A 3 foot wide staircase will only take up about 35 sq. ft. Now or never.

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Or spiral staircase like I did.....takes up even less space

I used attic trusses and have a walkable 12 x 32 room. I went with permanent stairs. I love having this man-cave/storage room. I figured it was a relatively cheap improvement when building the garage. The garage is 28 x 32 with 12' ceiling.

Tom

Do full attic and put the floor down when building. I seriously regret not going the extra for usable space up there. Now i'm looking at a mezzanine for ten times the cost. If a kid wants to live up there put in real stairs or the circular stairs. Rig up an elevator as others have here for getting things up there for storage. Go as high as allowed on pitch

Better to have it & not need it than to need it & not have it.

thammel said:

I used attic trusses and have a walkable 12 x 32 room. I went with permanent stairs. I love having this man-cave/storage room. I figured it was a relatively cheap improvement when building the garage. The garage is 28 x 32 with 12' ceiling.

Tom

Click to expand...

Kaizen said:

Do full attic and put the floor down when building. I seriously regret not going the extra for usable space up there. Now i'm looking at a mezzanine for ten times the cost. If a kid wants to live up there put in real stairs or the circular stairs. Rig up an elevator as others have here for getting things up there for storage. Go as high as allowed on pitch

Click to expand...

Jinks said:

Better to have it & not need it than to need it & not have it.

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I think I've made up my mind, attic trusses it is. Even if I leave it as just naked trusses, Jinks it probably correct. Thank you everyone, this was a big help.