DIY attic storage, help me avoid ruining my ceiling

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AlDrag

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#319087 20-Mar-2025 22:54

I want to install attic flooring in my new 2 storey home (fletchers build). It would give us access to soooo much more space, as it's a big attic.

I was thinking of diying it with my Dad, but I'm worried our attic can't take much, especially since we already have a/c and ventilation up there and it's a trussed roof.

I had an attic storage guy check the place and he reckons it's more than strong enough, but I'm skeptical.

Is this a good idea? Any advice?

Here's a few images of the attic.

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#3355805 20-Mar-2025 23:28

We have a similar space and we have a lot of storage area up there now.

First we had a big enough hatch for a ladder fitted at the optimal entry point.

We got a couple of quotes for flooring, but we went DIY. First we installed cross beams to take the floor leaving enough room for the insulation. Then used OBS for the flooring All up we're at about 16 sqm of floor space as we went past the joists to provide storage into the eaves.

You might need to re-direct some of the Air Con pipine, luckily we installed our ducted system atfer the floor.

Framing 90x45x4.8m
Flooring - OSB Topnotch TG Floor 1220x2440
Lights - Philips Essential SmartBright Wide Body Batten 30W, 3000lm, 1200mm 4000 Kelvin

The lights are awesome. We've got two and as part of the Air con we got them to properly wire them in.

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.

eracode

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#3355810 21-Mar-2025 04:39

I think it’s a great idea - we DIY’ed this in two homes over the years. @openmedia has covered it well and we did it almost exactly as he described it - ‘joists’ and panel flooring.

IMO it’s important to install an attic ladder if possible for the obvious reason that it makes the space much easier to use. However another reason is that, if you’re going to use 2.4x1.2m panels (OSB, particle board, MDF) for the flooring, you need to think about how you get large sheets up there - it requires a large opening. In your case it looks that you have enough headroom to be able to manoeuvre the sheets up and into the space. You’ll need to get the sheets up there before the ladder is installed. However use smaller-dimension panels if necessary.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

AlDrag

247 posts

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#3355840 21-Mar-2025 09:17

Thanks guys. I luckily already have an attic ladder installed. Haven't measured yet, but it's decent length wise, maybe not super wide, as it's one of the thinner sell wood options.

You guys weren't concerned at all about loading causing cracks in gib etc? That's my concern. Reading a lot about attic storage for trussed roofs, and it seems to be a bad idea? But maybe if I installed my battens from wall to wall of internal rooms (attic size is about 10m by 6m), it would be fine? E.g. Batten just the hallway walls and my 3m x 3m room walls?

AlDrag

247 posts

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#3355841 21-Mar-2025 09:19

Also, would metal battens be a good idea? Could potentially be a lot lighter, still strong and thus provide less loading on the ceiling?

wellygary

8315 posts

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#3355845 21-Mar-2025 09:33

The weight is generally not a problem as its generally a static load...

Remember there are load bearing internal walls in the house that are helping to bear the truss weight, its not all being carried by the outside walls..

1st thing to do would be to take a weekend and re direct the Ventilation tubing, get some wire strops and hand the tubing high up on the trusses, that will give you a good idea of how much space you actually have ( and it will be alot)...

then you can look at deciding how much you need to brace up and cover...

timmmay

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#3355852 21-Mar-2025 09:44

Attic ladders can let a lot of heat out. We had insulation added to the hatch to reduce the heat loss.

I've chucked a couple of bits of wood across existing beams to create a bit of storage in our attic as well. Very handy.

AlDrag

247 posts

Master Geek

#3355855 21-Mar-2025 09:47

wellygary:

The weight is generally not a problem as its generally a static load...

Remember there are load bearing internal walls in the house that are helping to bear the truss weight, its not all being carried by the outside walls..

1st thing to do would be to take a weekend and re direct the Ventilation tubing, get some wire strops and hand the tubing high up on the trusses, that will give you a good idea of how much space you actually have ( and it will be alot)...

then you can look at deciding how much you need to brace up and cover...

Right. Maybe the concern I've been reading is related to garages and houses with muuuch bigger rooms, like a lounge. All my rooms are only 3m x 3m basically. Besides the stairs landing area which is probably 4m x 4m.

Luckily my Dad is in the commercial ducting space, so he can easily help me get all that ducting raised and nice and clean. To be fair though, I don't really need to touch it, less then half the attic would be enough storage for now (and cheaper). Will see.

DIY seems easy? Like you guys say, just cross batten on internal walls and screw some ply on top, done.

I assume the pros will do the same thing. I've been quoted $3000 for 17m2 of flooring.

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AlDrag

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#3355856 21-Mar-2025 09:48

timmmay:

Attic ladders can let a lot of heat out. We had insulation added to the hatch to reduce the heat loss.

I've chucked a couple of bits of wood across existing beams to create a bit of storage in our attic as well. Very handy.

I did have that concern. How did you add insulation on top in a way that the ladder is still usable and not annoying? (for some reason, I feel like I've asked you this before).

timmmay

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#3355914 21-Mar-2025 10:08

We have a lowered ceiling. The builder built box sides between the lower and upper ceilings, we insulated around the sides with a hot water wrap. We have a second hatch above it, instead of a single piece of wood it's two pieces with insulation between them. It's so heavy it has gas struts to help open it. It's works well but only really works when there's an old lowered ceiling.

With a newer house and single ceiling... tricky. You might need to build a hatch over the top that you can lower down once you're leaving the ceiling.

wellygary

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#3355918 21-Mar-2025 10:18

timmmay:

With a newer house and single ceiling... tricky. You might need to build a hatch over the top that you can lower down once you're leaving the ceiling.

A simple insulated Ply hatch you pull across into place when you leave is pretty easy to do.

As long as its above the ladder "recess" you simply move it out of the way when you go up the stairs..

Remember this is a storage space, not a daily room space. taking another 30 sec going in and out is neither here nor there...

eracode

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#3355937 21-Mar-2025 10:50

AlDrag:

Thanks guys. I luckily already have an attic ladder installed. Haven't measured yet, but it's decent length wise, maybe not super wide, as it's one of the thinner sell wood options.

If using large panels for the flooring, you will probably have to temporarily remove the ladder to get the sheets up. So long as the opening is not less than 1250mm on the diagonal you’ll probably be OK.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#3355939 21-Mar-2025 10:58

AlDrag:

You guys weren't concerned at all about loading causing cracks in gib etc? That's my concern. Reading a lot about attic storage for trussed roofs, and it seems to be a bad idea? But maybe if I installed my battens from wall to wall of internal rooms (attic size is about 10m by 6m), it would be fine? E.g. Batten just the hallway walls and my 3m x 3m room walls?

It depends on what weight you’re going to be storing up there and loading on the floor. I would think ‘joists’ not ‘battens’. If you’re really concerned about this, use heavier joists than the 90mm suggested above - maybe 140 - and/or put them closer together - to reduce any flexing of the floor.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

openmedia

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#3355947 21-Mar-2025 11:30

timmmay:

Attic ladders can let a lot of heat out. We had insulation added to the hatch to reduce the heat loss.

I've chucked a couple of bits of wood across existing beams to create a bit of storage in our attic as well. Very handy.

I used some plywood to create a cover on the loft side of the ladder and it made a huge difference.

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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#3355948 21-Mar-2025 11:32

eracode:

AlDrag:

Thanks guys. I luckily already have an attic ladder installed. Haven't measured yet, but it's decent length wise, maybe not super wide, as it's one of the thinner sell wood options.

If using large panels for the flooring, you will probably have to temporarily remove the ladder to get the sheets up. So long as the opening is not less than 1250mm on the diagonal you’ll probably be OK.

With our hatch I had to cut the panels to 600m wide to get them thru the hatch. I didn't have an angle for wider panels.

I spent quite a bit of time pre-planning all of the cuts so that the installation in the loft itself was relatively quick.

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.

Ruphus

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#3355955 21-Mar-2025 12:03

wellygary:

Remember there are load bearing internal walls in the house that are helping to bear the truss weight, its not all being carried by the outside walls..

This is generally not true. I used to design and build trusses for houses and avoided introducing load bearing walls to support trusses wherever possible. Load bearing walls require extra slab thickening or flooring design to account for the extra load. Also, the bottom chords (the horizontal timber that the ceiling battens fix to) are sized according to the design specs of the space. If we know the ceiling space was going to be used for storage, we'd increase the size of the bottom chord to account for the extra load.

The OP may need to get a copy of their house plans from the local council to see if there are any load bearing walls in the house.

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