Owens Corning
Attic Storage Made Easy
The folks at Builders Square have suggestions about changing the attic from being a confusing catch-all to organized storage. The solution is using hanging storage shelves from the rafters with chain, carriage bolts or lag bolts, and wood shelving.

Begin by laying pieces of plywood over the attic insulation if no floor exists. Wrestling large pieces of floor into the attic is going to be the toughest part of the job.

The idea is to use the empty space between the roof and attic floor for storage using the uncovered roof from rafters as support. Study the structure and determine how wide and how deep you want the shelves to be. You can measure the distance between several of the rafters to determine the length of the shelves.

Keep your woodwork at a minimum and use a standard piece of lumber that is 8-feet long, 12-in. wide, and 3/4-in. thick.

Because the rafters slant, you will need to connect varying lengths of chain -- one higher on the rafter than the other -- with an eye screw and an S hook. These chains form the support for the shelves and should be connected every 32 to 36 inches for 3/4-inch shelves and 16 to 24 inches for shelves made of thicker wood.

Attach the chains first. Next, drill holes an inch from the edge of the shelves at each chain connection point. Insert the chains through the shelves. Adjust the shelving heights by using carriage bolts that pass through the chain under the shelf. This holds it in place and allows you to adjust the height of each shelf to your individual needs. Attach each shelf to the height you desire.

If you need to keep the unit from swinging, then attach the chain to the temporary flooring with an eye screw and S hook.


written by the editors of HouseNet
Copyright HouseNet, Inc.

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