5 Tips for Building a Garage Attic

Getting more storage space and adding some square footage to your home is something many of us dream about. You could always buy a storage unit, but they can be expensive and are less convenient than having storage located inside the home. One of the best solutions to adding more storage space into your home is by building an garage attic.

Having an attic garage allows you to remove clutter from your house and your garage floor to free up room. Searching for something in a garage packed with things you rarely use can be a frustrating task, and adding an attic garage is a perfect solution to this. Below are five tips for building an attic garage.

Before you start building, you have to determine the overall weight capacity of your garage (and the roof). If you build a garage attic above the weight capacity, this could lead to holes forming in your roof. Look through your home’s blueprint to see what trusses your garage has, where they are, and how many there are. If your garage has too few trusses to sustain any more weight, you may be able to install more trusses. If you’re still unsure whether or not your garage could hold any more weight, you should contact a structural engineer.

If you’re DIY to the core, then you may choose to build your own loft ladder; however, purchasing a premade one will save you time and you can rest assured that it can bear your weight. To install the kit, you will need to cut a hole in your ceiling to assemble the kit and the hatch to open and close it.

Properly building floorboards is an essential part of building your garage attic. They ensure that your storage items won’t fall and that you can actually reach them without putting yourself in danger. To install the floorboards, use ¾” or 1” sheets of plywood that go over the joists. Measuring the floorboards and fitting them will make this process much simpler so that they will fit easily across the floor of the attic space.

Once your floor is built, think about storage solutions. You can get much more out of the space if you use shelves or wire racks. This will also take some of the weight off of the attic floor. Also, consider a system for organizing your storage so everything is easy to find.

To ensure your storage items don’t become ruined by moisture, mold, or heat, you’ll need to install some ventilation. This process is much easier before you add your storage items. Consider adding vents, soffits, or attic fans. Installing a garage exhaust fan is an extremely effective solution to properly ventilating your garage as a whole, with your attic included.

While building an attic garage can take time, labor, and money, it pays dividends by increasing the amount of storage your home has considerably.