Garage Attic Floor Joists

If you need a storage area above your garage strong ceiling joists are necessary to support the added weight.

Garage attic floor joists.

If the attic were designed as living space those ceiling joists would become floor joists and be much bigger. My son was in a power wheelchair so i built a new workbench out of the old bases and built a wheelchair ramp in my garage. If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists. These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation.

An inaccessible attic space on the other hand might have a live load of only 20 psf. The attic has 2 by 8 s also but it has a plywood floor hatch and a plasterboard ceiling. Strengthening attic joists for live loads by sistering. First floor live loads have higher requirements than second floor live loads 40 pounds per square foot vs.

If you have an attic over your garage these joists also bear the load of your attic flooring and any materials you store in the attic. I also put an attic in the back 2 3 of the garage. I used old kitchen cabinet bases to make the garage my shop. A room used solely for sleeping might need to carry only 30 psf whereas a garage floor over a basement would need 50 psf or higher.

Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be. Box out light fixtures. Find your zone on the map and then use the above insulation r value chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. Unless you re using mineral wool insulation or your fixtures are rated safe for contact with any type of insulation don t allow the material to touch or cover recessed cans or.

That s a big size and strength difference between the two types of attic joists even if the joist spacing is the same. 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. Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist.