Home Attic ....
- Thread starter Escape08
- Start date
Designed for the HVAC system, snow load, rain load, wind load.
But not for storing items.
But not for storing items.
This question is overly broad, but it's going to depend on the age of our home as it will dictate the size of the bottom cord. Attics can hold a lot of stuff. Just use common sense (no weight sets, pianos, etc).
Thanks
Also, using the truss design in positing 3, try not to put the heaviest stuff in the middle of the truss. Tuck it closer to the walls. For more tips, watch National Lampoon’s, Christmas Vacation. LOL.
Take an objective look at the load bearing walls, if any. In my previous home, the attic was good for storage. As the space went directly over a load bearing wall. Although all that went up there was lightweight holiday decorations and some boxes of packing materials from the move. I could have loaded that area up with 2000 pounds and not have stressed anything.
In my current house, I have (sort of) a "bonus room" over my 3 car garage. It has a specific weight rating. In both total load, and pounds per square feet. Nothing supports the floor from underneath. The roof trusses are designed to rest on the concrete walls, and the floor hangs down a few feet from the trusses. Literally, framework straight down from each truss, and 2x6's across provide the floor structure, in a "U" shape.
I'd be a fool to put diesel engine blocks up there. But it's a Dade County, hurricane rated truss setup, and is quite sturdy for it's 2000 pound rating.
Without knowing your configuration, also consider that it may be possible to use a "lally" column to improve the weight bearing capacity of your attic. I could do this in the middle of my garage, between both doors, and put my diesel engine block on top
In my current house, I have (sort of) a "bonus room" over my 3 car garage. It has a specific weight rating. In both total load, and pounds per square feet. Nothing supports the floor from underneath. The roof trusses are designed to rest on the concrete walls, and the floor hangs down a few feet from the trusses. Literally, framework straight down from each truss, and 2x6's across provide the floor structure, in a "U" shape.
I'd be a fool to put diesel engine blocks up there. But it's a Dade County, hurricane rated truss setup, and is quite sturdy for it's 2000 pound rating.
Without knowing your configuration, also consider that it may be possible to use a "lally" column to improve the weight bearing capacity of your attic. I could do this in the middle of my garage, between both doors, and put my diesel engine block on top
In our attic I sistered 2x6's to the old 2x4's just for the purpose of storing stuff in our attic. There's a load bearing wall down the middle. I'd say if you 2x4's I'd take a look at what's below it, 2x6's PLUS would be ok in most cases.
I've got tons of stuff in mine. I even had a third mini attic added above my theatre room when the main water pipe burst during the winter storm and the drywall for the ceiling, walls, and floor had to be replaced. Told the contractor to might as well add an attic ladder and put some ply wood down. Got more stuff up there.
A couple of years ago I was working on the AC unit in the attic and I kept looking at all of the junk that was stored up there . Nearly all of it was stuff that would never be used again . I called my oldest grandson and he came over with one of his buds and I paid them 20 bucks apiece to take EVERYTHING down and pile it in the garage . We sorted through it and threw most of it away . Donated some . NOTHING went back up . Best $40 I ever spent .
Look into Swedish death cleaning. I have an attic that you could eat off the floors. Someone is going to eventually go thru all your crap and dispose of it. Why not the person who accumulated it in the first place? The Swedish have it figured out. Leave your heirs a clean slate.
The attic cleanout was just the start of a general de-cluttering . In 2016 we flooded and lost nearly everything . We have tried to not accumulate as much " stuff" since then , but ......it happens .
The wife seems to think we need get rid of some those things we have and adopt a more simple lifestyle . Whatever . I think she is coming to terms with her mortality , if that makes sense . She's been making lists of things that she will leave to this person or that one and labelling things so that people will know what they are or who they belonged to , etc.
Long story short ... don't stuff the attic with junk someone else will have to deal with .
The wife seems to think we need get rid of some those things we have and adopt a more simple lifestyle . Whatever . I think she is coming to terms with her mortality , if that makes sense . She's been making lists of things that she will leave to this person or that one and labelling things so that people will know what they are or who they belonged to , etc.
Long story short ... don't stuff the attic with junk someone else will have to deal with .
