Can I board my garage loft?

[Maker]

As the title inferes, is it all right to screw chipboard down to the rafters in my workshop to give me more storage space or do I need to reinforce it or anything like that?
It's a double cantilever roof (I think that's what it's called), all the beams are 1 3/8" x 3 7/8" on 24" centres.

My plan is to make some deep shelves up there for most stuff (Motors and pumps mainly, I'm up to 20 now) but there will also be a fair bit of crap stuffed back into the corner.

I already have a lot of crap up there but it's balanced over the rafters or sitting on thin plywood. Nothings ever fallen except when I've been moving stuff around but it would be nice to not have to worry.

Assuming it is all right, what thickness chipboard should I go for?

I shall insulate the roof too.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I am not sure I would be happy putting much weight on those, they do the job of supporting the roof by design as much as cross section, I have always laid t&g flooring grade chipboard on 16" centres, I think 24" may not offer the support it requires.

I would probably use it for storage if it was mine but for lighter things than motors and pumps.

 

[skotl]

I am not sure I would be happy putting much weight on those, they do the job of supporting the roof by design as much as cross section, I have always laid t&g flooring grade chipboard on 16" centres, I think 24" may not offer the support it requires.

I would probably use it for storage if it was mine but for lighter things than motors and pumps.

Indeed. The rafters in your house's loft are supported by the inner walls, and are designed to take much greater stresses due to the weight of the much larger roof.

 

[Dee J]

Well loads of folks store stuff in their lofts, and I've been in plenty of lofts where I put my full weight on an individual rafter. So there are three routes 1. apply common sense and only store moderate loads or 2. do a full load calculation based on an analysis of the structure 3. locate loads over the loadbearing walls below.

 

[addjunkie]

18mm chip board, flooring with proper joints, but id be careful too with weight, a new roof when it comes down wont be cheap

 

[daleyd]

Guy I work with had a 4.2 Audi V8 and gearbox in his house loft....I think he took it down when he could no longer close the upstairs doors!

I'd personally be a bit more cautious and board it out but keep the loading light to moderate rather than anything too heavy.

 

[skotl]

Well loads of folks store stuff in their lofts, and I've been in plenty of lofts where I put my full weight on an individual rafter. So there are three routes 1. apply common sense and only store moderate loads or 2. do a full load calculation based on an analysis of the structure 3. locate loads over the loadbearing walls below.

It's a garage so I'd presume there aren't any

 

[CompoSimmonite]

You could always make a frame out of scaffolding that gave a suspended floor just above the rafters so no load on them. Obviously the poles would have to go from floor level but at 2" dia they aren't intrusive if right by the wall.

 

[gaz1]

if you do decide to store up there dont double board with 18mm due to the weight

put noggins along either side of each truss about 3/4 of the board size this is to aid your board and spread the weight between 2 trusses

middle weight keep light sides medium weight mainly to spread the weight along the roof

remember too much weight in the middle and not close enough to the edges and you will bring your whole roof down

one other question here are your trusses the staple metal plate design if they are you may need to metal strap them to stop them seperating due to the weigh your adding onto the top

if you could put an rsj down the center of the roof it would be different as you are supporting the roof

 

[Crater Creator]

Just make sure they are proper rafters and not "trusses". My house has trusses, and when I moved in I moved literally tons of stuff (i.e. crap) out of the floored loft - but it's really not a great idea.
My new garage is also trusses, but I've already got quite some stuff up there - but I'm trying to keep it to the sides, no central loads.
So to summarise, unless it's plaster-boarded and you're worried about cracks, yep you'll be fine within reason (no V8 engines, anvils etc).

 

[hareng]

T&G chipboarded mine around 20 years ago screwed to the rafters. Insulated and plywood underside with a hatch. I wouldn't put much weight up there you can see the centre start to flex with body weight.

 

[Nick67GT]

Mine has the metal plate joiners on the spans from front to back, so I ran a beam at 90* to them and supported it at each end where it met the wall. Boarded out a 'corridor' about 2m wide either side of beam using 18mm floor sheets and put in a loft ladder for ease of access. Whilst there's loads of stuff up their, it's all lightweight and evenly distributed. (It's also diminishing as my classic car gets put back together......)

Got my eldest lad to walk around up their and I struggled to spot any movement from below.

Guess you need to estimate the weight of what's going up there and keep it sensible.