Alright, so I’m thinking of laying down some plywood in my attic above the garage. I just want to make sure it’s strong enough to hold all the stuff I plan to store up there. Nothing too heavy, just your regular plastic bins, decorations, and random household items. I don’t think any box will weigh more than around 30 pounds.
The lumber I have for the attic floor is 2×12, SPIB No. 2, spaced approximately 19.2 inches apart, with a span of around 19 to 20 feet. I was checking out the International Building Code (IBC) Chapter 5, specifically Table R502.3.1(1), which deals with floor joists. Even though it’s not technically a floor, I figured that turning my attic into storage space kind of makes it like a floor, right?
According to my understanding of the table, for a dead load of 10 pounds per square foot, the joists I have should only span around 16 feet and 10 inches. Now, I’m not entirely sure if I’m interpreting this correctly, so I’m looking for some more guidance on this. Can anyone shed some light on whether my attic joists are up to the task of supporting the weight I plan to put up there?
In a nutshell, I want to make sure my attic can handle the weight of the storage items I intend to put up there without any issues. I have the lumber dimensions and spacing, but I’m unsure if they meet the necessary criteria for supporting the load. Any advice or further explanation on this matter would be greatly appreciated.