Attic storage?

[Punchdrunk]

I moved into a house built in the 50's an have spent the last three years or so doing improvements and making it mine. Now it's time for the garage. I think it's a standard 2 car but I haven't taken exact measurements yet. I've got a ton of things I want to do the, first being an enclosed attic space with two drop ladders in the center. One in the front and one in the rear. Has anyone ever done this? How do I know how much weight the existing garage frame can handle? I don't exactly know where to start or how to construct it so it can hold a moderate amount of weight. I want to try and avoid installing center vertical beams for support due to the fact that work area is already limited. At this point, I don't think I'm going to do any drywall, just leave it bare wood, to give it that old school look. Any info would be appreciated......

 

[rodrelic]

My trusses are in 2' centers, probably not regulation but I made a stairs that went between a set after a year or so of using a ladder. Still wide enouth to get totes and smaller boxes up. I have french doors in the front that my wife likes to decorate, open up to 4' for yard furniture, christmas trees, big stuff. I imagine it's safe to cut a bottom cord to get a pull-down between, I don't think they are too stout and I have 10' celing. I was going to build a pull down stair with weights and pulleys, saw that at an amish place. I have 30' truss with an attic space that turned out 9'6" (if I recall correctly) with the
6' headroom on the sides.

http://www.directimagehost.com/is.php?i=120629&img=DSC03124.JPG

 

[mleichtle]

STOP!!! Cutting any chords or webs on a roof truss system is looking for disaster, a huge no-no.

Whats the size of the garage, ceiling joists, rafters? If you don't have attic trusses, contact an engineer.

 

[rodnok1]

He didn't say anything about hacking into trusses dude...He's just asking some questions.
If you double up the floor beams you'll gain alot of strength, add some vertical boards to tie it into the roof rafters will help some too. You still wouldn't want to put really heavy items up there. I used mine for extra tires/rims things that weren't too heavy just bulky and taking up floor space. If you have anything kind of heavy keep it towards the walls. If you want to put really heavy stuff up there(I wouldn't to hard to get stuff up there) you'll probably need a center support beam/posts

 

[Rickster]

Take the time to really plan out the locations of your drop down attic ladders. I had to move my original location because it didn't allow access after I parked my project car there. Than I move to the second car bay figuring access room for not moving the wife’s car. But now the second bay has a second project car and it just rubs the quarter panel because I didn’t allow for extra clearance to accommodate the car being up on jack stands. I'd recommend having the access ladders deploy in line with a walkway to avoid possible interference with any parked vehicles.

 

[1984_911_Porsche]

Punchdrunk,

I live in the OC, so our houses might be similar. I put 2x6 across with a drop down staircase. We put plywood across, it was a huge improvement.

 

[muddy]

I have a set of trusses in my garage.
I too am looking for some sort of stairway deal.

I was wondering if a section of 1 truss could be cut out, and boxed in?
or would the whole roof cave in?

Basically, could you make a 22 OC into a 44 OC, by cutting out say a 54" long piece between the 2. And then box in the 44 OC at the ends.

I am not looking to go out and do this with my saw... I am mainly asking what is possible, and yeah, a contracter would do it if possible.

Not to say it's okay to do it, but it has been done with proper triangulation used around the boxed area.......

 

[StingRay]

Standard roof trusses may or may not have a bottom chord live load capacity depending on when the house was built, the height of the attic, and the region you live in. Here in Canada no bottom chord live load is built in for the bottom chord on non storage type trusses. 7 PSF dead load is built in for insulation and cieling materials. Some older rafter construction with actual joists in attic may be more tolerant of extra loading. The bottom chord of an engineered truss is really a tension member only. It is possible to reinforce a truss but you need an engineer or truss designer to tell you how and at that they will never admit that they told you how. If any load capacity is added it has to be done so that load is carried through the nodes of the truss and no bending is introduced into the chords. The connector plates may also require strenthening but must not be made too rigid either. Truss reinforcing is a slippery slope. NEVER and I mean NEVER cut a cord or web member of a truss. Never for that matter even drill a hole.