Storage in the attic

[Pete]

We live in a small home with very limited storage.

We have a garage but can never get the car inside because of all the junk we have in there.

We don't have the yard area for a storage barn.

I have been told that storage in the attic ruins whatever is put up there. Is this true?

[home improvement guy]

I am against attic storage unless the attic was designed for storage during the construction of the home or garage. I am also against storage in a crawl space unless it has a concrete floor and a dehumidifier.

There are very few household items that can withstand the heat generated in a typical insulated attic. There are other problems associated with attic storage such as the insulation being crushed and no longer protecting the home against the heating and cooling cycles in the attic or the wiring could be covered and overheat which could cause an attic fire. Then there are those who store heavy boxes on the exposed ceilings in between the ceiling joists.

Yes, the ceilings can cave in. If you have to store items in an attic, set the items on top of the ceiling joists. If the attic is in a garage and the roof is a manufactured truss, the truss is normally designed for the weight of the roofing only and storing items on the few ceiling joists in the garage can cause structural damage.

How to gain storage in a limited space? Hanging wire baskets attached to the walls of the garage and off the floor will gain extra storage space.

The baskets or even wooden shelves can be located above the overhead door and above the exit door, attached to the walls. Make sure there is room for the doors to open and close without restrictions.

If you have a single-car garage that has roof trusses, you can add heavier single piece ceiling joists to provide added storage. The joists must span from one outside wall to the other without bending (deflection).

For a two-car garage, the added ceiling joists will require a center support beam and most likely one or more support posts.

The ideas are to store your possessions off the floor and out of your way and maybe you can find room for a car.