Garage Loft Extension Without Support Beams

[Imatk]

I have a loft in my garage currently. It was there when we moved in. I would like to extend it so that I can 1 have more storage space and 2 be able to access the loft without having to get a ladder every time I need to get up there.

I have stairs that go up from the ground in the garage to the house, and I'd like to extend the loft out to those stairs so it can be accessed from the stairs.

The way the current loft is secured is from hangars that look to be lag bolted into the truss on the ceiling.

My idea is to hang the extension the same way since I don't want to have support beams standing in the middle of the garage (wouldn't be able to park the cars in it with the beams there)

I've attached some screen shots of my idea.

I basically want to know if this is possible (I'm guessing it is since the current one is setup this way?)

I've attached screen shots of my plan. It would be 10' x 7' 9"

 

[Imatk]

 

[mogandave]

Your roof was likely designed to hold only itself up.

 

[readhead]

Pictures of the existing condition would be helpful. The screenshots don’t really tell us anything.

 

[nvrenufrm]

Agree with @mogandave the stress/weight on the trusses not designed for that purpose, is a potential fail.
If a person were to extend the floor/loft area undoubtedly it would encourage more storage, therefore more weight, adding further burden on a structure not designed for that purpose.

 

[racecougar]

How would a beam get in the way of parking? Do you mean a post? I agree that the trusses are almost certainly not rated for the existing loading, not counting what you're wanting to add on. A post supported beam could be utilized to transfer that loading to the ground.

 

[Imatk]

Yes a post from the floor to the loft is what I was talking about. I'll take some photos and post back

 

[Steve W.]

How about a post at each side wall that will support a beam between them that will hold the loft?

You would only lose a few inches of space at the sidewalls, with nothing in the middle.

Depending on what you want to store up there, it might not hurt to do at least TWO beams under the loft.

.

 

[Imatk]

Here's an image of what's already there.

From the looks of it someone installed this that probably didn't know what they were doing? It looks kind of janky to me but let me know what you think.

 

[Imatk]

 

[Imatk]

This is the staircase I shot the first two from

 

[Half-fast eddie]

It looks kind of janky to me

No kidding. He tried to make it look substantial with the yellow handrails, but it doesn’t look secure. Maybe for light storage, but not for walking around.

 

[Imatk]

How about a post at each side wall that will support a beam between them that will hold the loft?

You would only lose a few inches of space at the sidewalls, with nothing in the middle.

Depending on what you want to store up there, it might not hurt to do at least TWO beams under the loft.

.

Yeah I could definitely do that. I was thinking since the side wall will have the base bolted in that it would be secure enough, but I can add a post if necessary

 

[racecougar]

What is currently in place is not at all safe. If you want to pursue/continue to utilize the trusses to carry weight, I would pull your plans or get up in the attic and check the truss tags to see what they are rated for. It's very likely that the bottom chord is not intended to carry that weight, meaning you run the risk of pulling the whole roof down, if the attachment points shown don't fail first.

That whole arrangement calls for a "re do".

 

[billconner]

It deserves investigation above the drywall. No one here knows what the trusses were designed for nor exactly how the hangers are attached to the structure. It could be as dire as some suggest or not so bad. Some with the right training, knowledge, and experience needs to have eyes on over the ceiling.

Your opening statement said lag bolts. Are you sure or could they be bolts and nuts to something across the lower chords of the trusses? Many possibilities from what I see in photos.

 

[Imatk]

Yeah I'm not 100 percent how it was constructed. I've sent messages to contractors to come out and look... thanks for all the information.

HOPEFULLY it's not a dire situation.

 

[racecougar]

This right here gives me zero confidence in anything else being done correctly.





Yes, it is possible that the trusses were rated for a substantial bottom chord loading, but that would be the exception rather than the norm.

Yes, it is possible that the person who installed the loft installed some form of hanger over multiple trusses and bolted the shown 2x4's to it, but look at what he/she did to connect the uprights to those.

 

[Imatk]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking as well. I can add 4x4 posts to each corner of this without getting into any pathway of the cars which is what I'm going to do just in case.

As for as the rest. Not sure.

 

[Imatk]

Oh this ceiling is NOT the roof truss. This is the floor for the second floor of our house.

Would a floor be able to support something like this better than a truss?

 

[Innovate1]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking as well. I can add 4x4 posts to each corner of this without getting into any pathway of the cars which is what I'm going to do just in case.

As for as the rest. Not sure.

The corner posts would be a be a big improvement but you also need a much bigger joist between the posts to carry the weight. That's a big span between posts.

 

[Innovate1]

Oh this ceiling is NOT the roof truss. This is the floor for the second floor of our house.

Would a floor be able to support something like this better than a truss?

Yes, the floor is made to hold all the weight of the stuff put on it so much better able to handle it. But it still wasn't designed to hold up an additional floor. I would be looking at which way the floor joists run - are all the supports attached to the same joist or different joists. Much better if the joists run perpendicular so they are tied to different joists. And I would at least improve how things are connected.

 

[racecougar]

Oh this ceiling is NOT the roof truss. This is the floor for the second floor of our house.

Would a floor be able to support something like this better than a truss?

That makes a significant difference here, as Innovate detailed.

 

[Imatk]

Yes they're tied to different joists. So each joist has a post so the load is spread out over all of those different attachments.

 

[Imatk]

Yes, the floor is made to hold all the weight of the stuff put on it so much better able to handle it. But it still wasn't designed to hold up an additional floor. I would be looking at which way the floor joists run - are all the supports attached to the same joist or different joists. Much better if the joists run perpendicular so they are tied to different joists. And I would at least improve how things are connected.

I absolutely agree. What would be a good way to secure those beams? I was looking at post holders, but those are all 4x4 and these are 2x6, all I've been able to find are joist hangers, not something that would attach like this.

 

[My Old Tools]

I did exactly that in my previous building, but it was red iron and I used angle iron for straps.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

This right here gives me zero confidence in anything else being done correctly.

Yeah. Everybody who watches youtube knows you’re supposed to use the gold colored sheetrock screws ….

 

[strutaeng]

WOW. That's sketchy as heck! Drywall screws, wrong connectors, all hung from roof trusses?

Is this all hung, in addition to, from the sky with a big, monster chain?

 

[Imatk]

Still wondering what to use to secure the beams.

Right now they're basically using L-brackets with some bolts.

 

[racecougar]

What are you planning to use as a beam? What type/size of post?

 

[Imatk]

2x8 probably, the current ones use a 2x6