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Help with larger overhead storage design

Crytone

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
5
Location
Alberta, Canada
Hi everyone.

I'm trying to design some overhead storage but just have a few concerns.

My garage a 24x24 attached garage. Above the garage is a bonus room so it has IBeam joists at the ceiling. About 5' from my garage door, the ceiling drops just over 2', at the bottom of the drop is an engineered beam that spans the entire 24' to support the upstairs outer wall, which I would lag to for strength. The entire shelf would need to be hung, with no beams to the floor.

My plan is, that at this drop, to add storage area that spans the entire length of the garage. I would ideally like to have this storage be 4' wide so I can use full sheets of plywood for the decking. The rear track support (there's a mid track support) for the garage door will need to be attached to the bottom of the storage area also. Total dimensions would be: 4’ W x 2’ H x 23’ L

I've been playing around with a few ideas but no sure where to go.

A few ideas I had:
  • Build the frame out of unitstrut. Lagged into the dropped engineered beam and the side walls. Attached every 4' to the overhead IBeams, likely with threaded rod or more strut, with extras support where the garage door track is being supported.
  • Build the frame out of 2x4's. Same setup as above for support but a 2x4 doubled on the front for extra strength. Somewhere in the 12-24" OC spacing for joists.
  • Same as the 2x4 but with 2x6.

My current plan for this storage is just general stuff storage; holiday decorations, old kid stuff, etcetera. No engine blocks, axles or anything but just help get some of the clutter out of the way (and possibly eliminate one of my pallet rack shelving units as they are too large I feel). But with an area of about 2 feet high, 4 deep and 23 long, I could see it getting heavy no matter what is up there really.

I just want to make sure what I'm planning is safe at 4' wide and which route would be best. Thank you for any assistance.
 
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j-guenth

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
177
Location
Surprise, AZ
I had a company bend some 3/16" aluminum sheet. It started as 4' wide, I had a 4" lip bent to screw onto the wall, and a 2" lip to give it support to use threaded rod and struts to attach to the ceiling.

I saved a lot of weight by using aluminum sheet. The cost was a bit more but well worth it.
 

GMCGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,264
what you put underneath will take away from the capacity up top. Just make sure you dont have your row of kegerators over the shelf. Just have it open and dont have 50 people up there at once.

Do you have drawings or know what size the beam is, it might have additional capacity too.
 
OP
C

Crytone

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
5
Location
Alberta, Canada
what you put underneath will take away from the capacity up top. Just make sure you dont have your row of kegerators over the shelf. Just have it open and dont have 50 people up there at once.

Do you have drawings or know what size the beam is, it might have additional capacity too.

From my drawings it does not give a dimension for the beam. From the pictures I took during construction, I can estimate it to be about 6" wide x 24" high. It's a massive beam.
 
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matt_i

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
10,741
Location
SE Michigan
No drillage of the I-beams is allowed without possibly seriously reducing the capacity. Especially in the upper and lower flanges where the max stress is borne.

Have to use unistrut "window" clamps (or similar method) to "clip" to the bottom flange.
 

GMCGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,264
From my drawings it does not give a dimension for the beam. From the pictures I took during construction, I can estimate it to be about 6" wide x 24" high. It's a massive beam.

Do you know what PSF the upper floor was designed for? you say its 6"x24", is it soild wood, or a steel I beam, or wood I beam?
 
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Crytone

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
5
Location
Alberta, Canada
Do you know what PSF the upper floor was designed for? you say its 6"x24", is it soild wood, or a steel I beam, or wood I beam?

I'm not sure about the PSF rating. The beam is solid wood, appears from my pictures to be a glulam beam.

The overhead ibeams for the floor above are wood ibeams/joists. 11 7/8".

Below is a picture of the beam, joists and shows the area I plan on adding the storage. There is obviously sheetrock/insulation now though.

yp8jJyV.jpg
 
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