Garage Loft Space - Boarding for Storage
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 2:56 pm
Hi folks,
First time user of these forums, please be gentle :) haha!
So, we have an attached double garage with a pitched roof. Property built circa 1985.
The garage is approx 40sqm in size (5.2 wide x 7.7m long) although 1 rear corner is actually consumed by our kitchen.
The roof is built with M75 SC5 trusses with an internal W shape (I’ll try and upload associated images and diagrams asap). These are approx 32mm x 100mm in size.
There are 10 trusses in total, running from the front of the garage to the rear, so are 7.7m long (joined around 5m point).
I have been using the loft space for light storage, not completely boarded by any means. All seems fine.
However, I now want to fully board the area, install a loft hatch, and be able to walk on the above area and use for storage - again most of it will be light and distributed, or at least around the outside edges.
I will then plasterboard the garage ceiling, and insulate between the plasterboard and the flooring of storage area.
This will not be a habitable area, just storage. I use the double garage to park 2 cars in, and the rear section is a workshop.
Anyway, cutting to the chase, I don’t believe the c16 trusses are designed to take weight or boarding, and so I need a solution. I’ve had a few builders around, both coming up with different solutions.
My preferred solution would be to “sister” the existing trusses with 5x2 joists, and then fully board on top which I understand will also add some strength laterally.
But I’m not a structural engineer (and neither are the builders, to be fair) - so I was reaching out to you to see what you’d recommend.
I’ll get the diagrams and stuff uploaded now - and a picture should speak 1000 words!
Thanks in advance!
Paul
First time user of these forums, please be gentle :) haha!
So, we have an attached double garage with a pitched roof. Property built circa 1985.
The garage is approx 40sqm in size (5.2 wide x 7.7m long) although 1 rear corner is actually consumed by our kitchen.
The roof is built with M75 SC5 trusses with an internal W shape (I’ll try and upload associated images and diagrams asap). These are approx 32mm x 100mm in size.
There are 10 trusses in total, running from the front of the garage to the rear, so are 7.7m long (joined around 5m point).
I have been using the loft space for light storage, not completely boarded by any means. All seems fine.
However, I now want to fully board the area, install a loft hatch, and be able to walk on the above area and use for storage - again most of it will be light and distributed, or at least around the outside edges.
I will then plasterboard the garage ceiling, and insulate between the plasterboard and the flooring of storage area.
This will not be a habitable area, just storage. I use the double garage to park 2 cars in, and the rear section is a workshop.
Anyway, cutting to the chase, I don’t believe the c16 trusses are designed to take weight or boarding, and so I need a solution. I’ve had a few builders around, both coming up with different solutions.
My preferred solution would be to “sister” the existing trusses with 5x2 joists, and then fully board on top which I understand will also add some strength laterally.
But I’m not a structural engineer (and neither are the builders, to be fair) - so I was reaching out to you to see what you’d recommend.
I’ll get the diagrams and stuff uploaded now - and a picture should speak 1000 words!
Thanks in advance!
Paul