PEMB ( Metal Building ) Overhead loft storage

[exalted512]

I recently built a 40x50 metal building from a Mueller kit. I'm looking on advice on putting in some overhead storage with limited or no ground supports.

Here's a picture of what I'm working with:

I'd like to put storage on the top 2 beams that you see. The bottom one has a single beer bottle on it towards the left hand side. I'd like that beam to be the bottom of whatever storage I do. I'm open to all suggestions at this point.

I searched for a few hours on this site for storage, but mostly came up with wooden buildings or regular garages, nothing for metal buildings.

Thanks,
-Cody

 

[readhead]

The girts are not load bearing. All they do is provide a place to screw the sheets to and stiffen the wall. Do not support anything on them.
Build a wall or separate post and beam structure to support the floor system.
By the way, all the girts are installed backwards but don't worry the building won't fall down.

 

[exalted512]

That's what I figured. Thanks for the info!

 

[Yeager]

Depending on what you are storing and how large an area you want, you could always look at using cable (or chain for that matter) hanging from the overhead beams to support the load of a raised shelf/platform area. Then tie that raised platform into the cross beams/girts to keep it rigid so it won't swing/move around.

 

[readhead]

The purlins usually have little or no collateral load included in the design. About the only thing you can hang from the purlins is lights.
Just cuz it is steel doesn't mean you can hang anything from it.
We had a building here in town that was being used for a video studio and they were hanging lighting and camera equipment from the purlins. First big snow and the roof collapsed.

 

[Yeager]

I agree. I was thinking the main trusses, but again, it depends on desired size and load.

 

[exalted512]

Yeah. I'm definitely not trying to put a load on anything not designed for it. To be perfectly honest, I don't know exactly what would be stored up there... I was just hoping for something that came out about 4 feet or so to get a little more usable storage and get things off the ground.

I've been toying with the idea of getting another girt to install about half way down to the slab as the middle one pictured and putting pegboard on it for tools and such.

Just kind of curious as to what other people do.
-Cody

 

[Yeager]

I did what I mentioned above for an older friend of mine. He wanted an area for a lot of light, but bulky storage bins and boxes; 80% of it was Christmas decorations. It worked great, everything up there was extremely light and stuff he only accessed once a year and it freed up a lot of space. If you've got stuff like that it will work great. Now if you are talking car parts, but some pallet racking or build something with posts.

 

[exalted512]

Thanks Yeager. I think that'd be a perfect place for those Christmas decorations now that you mention it.

 

[andersen24]

Here is a link to another post, but they didn't ask for the requirements of minimal to no leg supports. Something to think about as options.....

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103010

 

[exalted512]

Thanks! Options are just what I'm looking for at this point.

 

[mhoss44]

Furr with treated bottom plate. Easier for electrical, even plumbing. Ten foot walls or eight makes for good shelves and pegboard.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[stage20]

how wide are you wanting to build it? id do floor supports on each end, maybe one in the middle if you really wanted to load it. depending on the width, you can build a fetch plate from 2 bys and osb or plywood that will hold a **** ton depending on the span.

 

[tehach]

If it is a pre-engineered metal building the load bearing elements were designed for specific loads. Loads in addition to design loads must be within the capacity of the members.

 

[exalted512]

how wide are you wanting to build it? id do floor supports on each end, maybe one in the middle if you really wanted to load it. depending on the width, you can build a fetch plate from 2 bys and osb or plywood that will hold a **** ton depending on the span.

I'm thinking 25' (it's 50' long, so I would stop at the middle column) and about 4' deep.

 

[stage20]

I've got doubled 2x6 nailed with osb in the middle and have a single support in the middle. It spans 25ft Its holding well over a thousand pounds, maybe. Ton. Backwoods engineering. A properly engineered set up with 2 or 3 2x12s might could makke it without. Middle beam.

 

[exalted512]

Do you have any pictures of it?

 

[shortykorte]

I built two lofts in my like metal bldg. I had some floor joist so put them on standard 2x4 stud walls @16"oc. First one I placed joist on 24" centers with 7/16 osb decking. Ended up replacing 7/16 with 3/4 t&g osb. Much better. The second loft is on 16" centers and 3/4 t&G OSB. The 7/6 osb was used on support wall as shear plates.
Agreed that purlins are only for lightweight stuff.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The girts are not load bearing. All they do is provide a place to screw the sheets to and stiffen the wall. Do not support anything on them.
Build a wall or separate post and beam structure to support the floor system.
By the way, all the girts are installed backwards but don't worry the building won't fall down.

Unless Muller specifies otherwise, what makes you say this. Having the Z girt material with the inboard flange up makes for a huge dirt trap that cannot be cleaned.

Charles

 

[readhead]

When you start installing windows and doors it becomes apparent. I have had more than one building rep tell me it also discouraged people from using the gifts for exactly what is being discussed here. Note that I said the building won't fall down. I have erected more than forty buildings and the plans always show the verticle flange to the inside.

 

[exalted512]

Unless Muller specifies otherwise, what makes you say this. Having the Z girt material with the inboard flange up makes for a huge dirt trap that cannot be cleaned.

Charles

Mueller actually does specify it the way I have it installed, but maybe other manufacturers differ. But as readhead stated, it doesn't really matter one way or the other.

For reference, you can click here to see:
http://www.muellerinc.com/downloads/3dmodels/2424B12.pdf

That link is some weird 3d PDF thing that only seems to work on a computer with Internet Explorer, but it shows the inboard flange down.
-Cody