These people are all talking about the space over the garage. No insulation, and the span is more like 24' with a butt splice @ the middle of the bottom chord. I can't remember the load rating with the splice, but I do know it's not much.

Ok, but if you stored stuff over the interior walls there would be insulation.

If the span is 24' that bottom beam must be 2x8 or 2x10 I guess.

I saw only one pic of a truss being nailed in place and that one looked like the second pic.

The builder must know or the design dept.

According to my neighbor at least 300 pounds because he was up there the other day;)

how did he fit thru the opening:a040:

It's a good point the workers are walking all over them as are the home owners and contractors, but that is live load vs dead load.

Also let's face it if a box was heavy, how can someone climb the steps with a 100+ lb box?

Step by step if you have ladder stairs to the attic.

Ezattic.com has easy flooring you can do yourself

plywood is half the price of that and HD has it no shipping, I would also guess a bit more stable to walk & store on.

Yes weight should be a concern for any attic storage but we have found a bigger issue is HEAT. I dont know what you are storing in the attic, but the heat will even do a job of ordinary cardboard boxes....they absorb mosisture from all the humidity. Most people will use the plastic storage containers for in the attic or at an absolute minimun storage or moving cardboard boxes that are heavier and able to withstand the heat better.

Be very careful on what you are storing....clothes with absorb the moisture and be ruined, wax figures or candles will melt, paper products sucha s books or note pads just will not make it over a period of time. WE primarily use it for Xmas decorations, coolers , or stuff used once a year.

Best to always locate attic storage where there is/are support wall(s) directly under the storage space. Storing heavy items on an area with a long span between bottom support structure is not advisable.

I'm never going in the attic again. I didn't know about the attic bears.

The bottom chord is a 2x4. Hence, the concern with weight. I suppose you could get to a supported area if your home had flat ceilings, but with vaulted ceilings, as a lot of homes here have, the only accessible area is over the garage.

The bottom chord is 2x6 with it joined in the middle. I store all my items by the kitchen wall in the attic thus giving the bottom chord more support. Nothing really heavy is up there XMAS tree and decorationc, suitcases tax receipts and the like. All our photos which should NOT go up there I scanned into the computer and backed up. As for clothes I added extra shelves to the closets and store them in there. Once a year we purge the house. If we haven't used it or worn it we donate it.

:agree: heat would be a bigger issue

jimbo2012 I always love your answers you leave with diagrams.

tks, nut'n to it.

this is for Rich

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6...e7efee63_z.jpg