Using attic space above garage for storage. Recommendations?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Using attic space above garage for storage. Recommendations?

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8331 posts

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#2205043 26-Mar-2019 10:51

qwertee:

Thanks for your feedback.

Yes its an internal garage.

I am over-thinking the whole thing and with the advise from others my plan is to:

1. get plywood sheets (12mm) and screw them straight to the rafters around areas where there are supporting walls and store stuff

2. install attic stairs later (when I have enough $$) using the existing trap door

cheers

Also while you are at it look at some form draught sealing on your internal access door,

it looks like there is a healthy gap under it....

(the garage will be a huge heat loss in winter as it has a lower insulation rating than the house)

qwertee

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#2205053 26-Mar-2019 11:28

wellygary:

qwertee:

Thanks for your feedback.

Yes its an internal garage.

I am over-thinking the whole thing and with the advise from others my plan is to:

1. get plywood sheets (12mm) and screw them straight to the rafters around areas where there are supporting walls and store stuff

2. install attic stairs later (when I have enough $$) using the existing trap door

cheers

Also while you are at it look at some form draught sealing on your internal access door,

it looks like there is a healthy gap under it....

(the garage will be a huge heat loss in winter as it has a lower insulation rating than the house)

Thanks and well spotted.

I do have a draft excluder that has come off. Need to screw it on this time than relying on the adhesive tape.

tukapa1

725 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2205358 26-Mar-2019 21:47

I put one of these in when we did our renos.

Gotta get round to putting some ply up there at some stage. At the moment have some cutoffs strategically placed over supporting timber storing some stuff up there. Easy to get up and down with the stairs.

How are you going to get your plywood sheets up into the roof space?

qwertee

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#2205373 26-Mar-2019 21:58

Does yours have a pull ring?

I like the FAKRO design where there is a hole to unlock using a pole.

There are 1200x600 MDF sheets up there already. So I am guessing using similar sized plywood sheets through the existing attic access door.

tukapa1

725 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2205476 27-Mar-2019 08:17

qwertee:

I like the FAKRO design where there is a hole to unlock using a pole.

Mine is the same as that - hole with a pole to unlock.

qwertee

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#2205490 27-Mar-2019 08:54

tukapa1:

qwertee:

I like the FAKRO design where there is a hole to unlock using a pole.

Mine is the same as that - hole with a pole to unlock.

May I ask how much was the cost ( ladder and installation ) and was it Hometech in CHCH ?

Did you have an existing access door before and did you use this location?

thanks

tukapa1

725 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2205734 27-Mar-2019 15:41

I got mine from Bunnings as per the link.

Had a standard manhole in our hallway like in your garage. We replaced all the ceiling with new gib so boxed up the space for the attic stairs then.

Father in law did it so no cost for installation....

Sharesies

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openmedia

3332 posts

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#2911041 6-May-2022 13:47

We've just had our loft ladder installed and after some guidance around flooring.

MDF vs Plywood vs OBS
12mm vs 18mm
Straight onto rafters vs 2x4 beams vs Attic stilts

One concern is getting larger sheets of ply up thru the loft ladder gap.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Jase2985

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#2911046 6-May-2022 14:01

My situation is slightly different as my attic was designed to have a floor in it, and it was laid during build. but mine is Laminex Strandfloor Wood Panel tongue and groove and it runs so it covers as many joists as possible. its 20mm as it provides less flex.

you will struggle to get a full sheet up through your standard loft ladder. about the biggest size we can get up there is 1m but even then you need to factor any sort of angle you need to put the sheets on to get it into the attic space, it may reduce it further. My access is on a 2.7m stud and goes up almost to the peak of the roof which is 1.8m but there is no way i would get a full sheet up there.

nickb800

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#2911064 6-May-2022 14:45

openmedia:

We've just had our loft ladder installed and after some guidance around flooring.

MDF vs Plywood vs OBS
12mm vs 18mm
Straight onto rafters vs 2x4 beams vs Attic stilts
One concern is getting larger sheets of ply up thru the loft ladder gap.

OSB/Strandboard is ideal for this and probably most economic (although these are strange times with material supply. Needs to be 18/20mm to span any sort of distance and support modest weights.

Straight onto rafters vs beams/stilts depends on insulation - do you have ceiling insulation involved, and does it stick up past the rafters? How far apart are your rafters? Strandboard (and any sheet good) will span 600mm max but rafters are often 800-1200mm spacing, in which case you will definitely need to go the beam approach, running 2x4s at 600 (maximum) centres perpendicular to the rafters.

Getting sheet goods in the ceiling is tricky and can be a very expensive mistake if you cut everything down first! I suggest getting some cardboard and prototyping.

openmedia

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#2911143 6-May-2022 18:50

Yeah I did a loft over in the UK 20+ years ago with these which were ideal

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Structural-OSB-Loft-Panels---18mm-X-300mm-X-1220mm-Pack-Of-3/p/234908

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

openmedia

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#2915683 18-May-2022 15:52

Looks like our gaps are 900mm so we need to put some new framing in place.

What kinds of screws have others used to fit the additional framing as 90x45 framing means we'd need a 150mm screw.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

nickb800

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#2915688 18-May-2022 16:11

Easiest (probably not cheapest) would be a 12G/14G bugle head screw - something like 125mm should do as it's not transferring major loads, it's sort of just holding the floor framing in place. Once the flooring is nailed/screwed to that framing, it will be stiff as.

A smaller gauge screw would probably be fine too, but hard to find in that sort of length (screws tend to get fatter as they get longer).

A cheaper (but trickier) option could be skew nailing/screwing, which would mean much shorter/skinnier screws/nails. This would be a piece of cake with a 90mm framing nailer.

Ge0rge

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#2915703 18-May-2022 16:53

openmedia:
Looks like our gaps are 900mm so we need to put some new framing in place.

What kinds of screws have others used to fit the additional framing as 90x45 framing means we'd need a 150mm screw.

Z nails.

BlargHonk

148 posts

Master Geek

#2915895 19-May-2022 10:19

Ge0rge:
openmedia:

Looks like our gaps are 900mm so we need to put some new framing in place.

What kinds of screws have others used to fit the additional framing as 90x45 framing means we'd need a 150mm screw.

Z nails.

Screws are easier if you ever want to move/remove it. The previous owner nailed down sheets of ply in our roofspace and they were a real pain to remove.

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