Garage Loft

swhtech · 02-21-07, 10:39

I have a two car attached garage, with 10' ceillings. I have tried to put as much as possbile on shelving units or hanging from the wall, but we still have tons of stuff on the floor. Especially during the alternate season.....in winter we still have kids bikes and toys on the floor which make it so difficult to get in and out of the cars. I have been thinking for a while about building a loft to store off season stuff to clear up some of the floor space. I found plans to build a loft, but it seems a bit ambitious for me.....I recently found this kit from a company in Canada. Has anyone else used it or seen it? I am thinking of putting two together and making a 4'x8' loft.

LoftMaker @ garagewares.com

Danase · 02-21-07, 10:50

Well, one thing to keep in mind is that your roof, rafters, trusses, where not designed to carry a load. I see tons of people storing tires and stuff in their "attic" space in the garage and it takes its toll on the roof for sure. It doesn't take long for the wood to warp and you could see your roof bowing. Do you have room for a shed on your property? That is what I did. I bought an aluminum shed and that is where I store the bikes, yard equipment, and anything else I can get out of the garage. You will fit a lot more in a shed than a hanging loft for sure.

lland · 02-21-07, 10:56

I have a pretty big 3-car garage but like you, I'm still pressed for space and have things filling shelves and hanging from the walls and ceiling. I built a 2 foot wide shelf above my garage doors anchored to a 2x3 screwed into the wall above the door and hug by chains bolted into the joists in the ceiling above. I don't have a lot of very heavy things on it but it's nice to have a place to put seasonal or not often used things (of just things I can't get myself to get rid of). I could have made it 3 or 4 feet wide but two seemed about right. If I get a chance, I'll post a few pictures tonight.

LL

swhtech · 02-21-07, 11:00

I would love to see the pics, if you get the chance. Thanks LL

kompressornsc · 02-21-07, 12:18

Check out HyLoft - Storage Solutions for the Garage, Closet, Home, Office, Basement, Attic, and more! . I have some of their narrow wall cabinets, and helped my Dad install 3 of the ceiling lofts in his garage. High quality product. And unless you're putting tons of weight on them, I wouldn't worry too much about damaging the sturcture. My thought is that if it's that heavy, you're probably not going to want to be lifting it that high anyway.

swhtech · 02-21-07, 01:09

I had a hyloft in my last house, and it was great. But the garage ceiling was much lower, so it was easily accessible. The Hyloft only comes down 28", where the Loft maker comes down 36", so it would be a bit easier to load/remove things from it. I will still checkout the Hyloft again to see if it would be feasible...thanks for the reply.

lland · 02-21-07, 03:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by swhtech

I would love to see the pics, if you get the chance.

Here you go...the turnbuckles are so I could level the shelf. I left a little space on the left side so I could store tall items (I have some 10' PVC pipes there now). Any questions, please ask.

LL