Garage Attic Storage Weight Limit

Is a safe estimate.

Garage attic storage weight limit.

I got a few questions in regards how much stuff i can put in it. The past few days i have been organizing the terrible mess on my two car garage. Garage attic storage space weight limits. An uninhabitable attic not designed for storage can handle a 10 pounds per square foot live load.

I m guessing you don t have the plans and don t know what live load the attic was designed for. If you want to use your attic on a regular basis or to store large items you may need to enlarge the access opening and install an access ladder or drop down stairs. Fine homebuilding notes that 2 inch by 6 inch garage joists will support a weight of up to 50 pounds per square foot. Although you can construct a garage using thicker stronger joists 2 inch by 6 inch joists are sufficient for most garages even if you intend to build an attic storage area above your garage.

If your attic joists won t bear the weight necessary to finish out a living space but the engineer cleared them to support floor decking for light storage you can install inch plywood or. The horizontal bottom chords of most garage trusses are designed to carry the weight of drywall and insulation. This is probably easier than wrestling with plywood but when it s finished it ll weigh even more than plywood. Just like plywood if you re worried about your attic weight limits then don t use 2x6 planks.

This video will. Access to attic storage. Walk across the floor looking for weak spongy or sagging areas. If the attic has the potential to become a regular living space talk with a contractor about adding a fixed stairway.

So if your ceiling is unfinished you have some excess carrying capacity up there. An uninhabitable attic designed for limited storage can handle 20 pounds per square foot live load. Test the floor strength of the garage attic to ensure it can hold the weight of your storage items.