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Thread: New Workshop Question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Arkansas
    Posts
    60

    New Workshop Question

    I am currently in the planning stages of a 24 x 36 workshop. I plan on having 10' ceilings with the wall studs being 16" o.c.. I'm going to build on a concrete slab foundation. I plan on using engineered trusses for the roof construction as i don't want any beams or colums in the way.I want to use room and attic trusses so that i can have a full upstairs for storage of rough lumber and junk that has appeared over the years. My question is that the attic is rated at 60 lbs. per sq. ft. @ 16" o.c... Is this enough load bearing for an attic? I just want to know what ya'll think. If not i'll do some tweaking in the design aspect of the building.

  2. #2
    I wonder if the place that is selling you the trusses has an engineer that can answer this? If not they should be able to give you an option price to upgrade...
    ken

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Fallbrook, California
    Posts
    3,562
    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Higginbotham View Post
    I wonder if the place that is selling you the trusses has an engineer that can answer this? If not they should be able to give you an option price to upgrade...
    Ken has the right idea. You should also check your local building codes. They should have the information on load requirements for an attic. When I had my shop built the county required full certified engineering plans and specifications showing how the plan met or exceeded all code requirements.
    Don Bullock
    Woebgon Bassets
    AKC Championss

    The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.
    -- Edward John Phelps

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    east coast of florida
    Posts
    1,482
    There is a different truss type you can get if the attic is being designed for storage beyond a normal attic. The base of the truss is a 2x6 in place of a 2x4. My neighbor has that type and it greatly increases the load capacity but I don't have a figure.

    If you are going to store wood up there you will want more than 60 lbs per square.

    I don't think you ever want to use the max rating. 60 lbs/ ft2 probably isn't the safe working load. I would bet it is 25% of the max which is more like 45 lbs per square. And if you are in a wind borne area you could have truss failure easier if it is loaded.

    In short. Have a beefier truss designed.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New Hill, NC
    Posts
    2,568
    81 Lumber sells a "garage appartment" kit building that is a 24 x 32 footprint. My former woodshop was built inside of one, and it worked well. The roof was 12/12 pitch; but I don't recall the upstairs floor loading.

    It was an 8' height downstairs, but if you couldn't spec 10' you could always build some 2' masonary walls around the perimeter, and set the building on those.

    It was priced very agressively. Mine was plan number 2384.

    Some of their premium kits are really nice too: http://www.behmdesign.com/garageplans/84default.htm
    Last edited by Scott T Smith; 04-07-2009 at 9:06 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    739
    There have been other ideas on various WW sites about bolting a rail to your ceiling and using it with a powered winch to move heavy machinery around. To do so you will need a much beefier truss. If you are going to increase the load capacity upstairs, now is the time to do it.

    I wish I had done so.
    Wood'N'Scout

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