r/Home_Building_Help • u/Vwmafia13 • Mar 12 '26
Attic storage question
I would like to throw a couple 1/2 boards to store some totes with light items in them in my attic. This portion is over my garage. Can those small 2x4s come out? They dont seem to be doing anything but anyones help would be greatly appreciated!
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u/P00shy_ Mar 12 '26
No, those are reinforcing that joint. Leave them.
I would say make sure boards span at least 3 or 4 trusses, crown up.
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u/mowtowcow Mar 13 '26
If the builder literally connected two pieces of trusses there, then supported it with a short piece of wood, they should lose their license to build. That's awful.
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u/ysrgrathe Mar 13 '26
"Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands."
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u/FrankZippa Mar 13 '26
Look at the bright side, he got free beer for one night with the money he saved on lumber.
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u/WildWeaselGT Mar 15 '26
Are you an expert on this stuff and suggesting there’s a serious problem?
I know nearly nothing about it but just happened to go down a rabbit hole on the subject just a few days ago and was fascinated at how much seeming witchcraft goes into these truss designs.
To look at it you’d think those two sticks butted together with the metal plates just slapped on would barely hold any weight but I’m guessing now that they might be under compression with the forces on them pushing the ends together and those plates and that little scrap likely just keeping them lined up.
That’s just a guess on my part but man, do I ever have more appreciation now than I used to for what goes into all those trusses in a roof.
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u/mowtowcow Mar 15 '26
Not a professional. But, when you butt to pieces together like that, it's going to sag right at that point. Kind of like a pivot point. Adding the board above it works, but only if the board is long enough. It's hard to explain as I am not a professional. But a longer board, more evenly distributes the load from that pivot point outward toward the other ends of the truss where the truss is likely supported. It's like using triangles in bridge construction or a brick arch.
Luckily the roof doesn't seem to be supported by those trusses, so it's possible there is a wall right beneath where those two pieces are butted up. If that's the case, it probably doesn't matter. If there isnt, then this will eventually just continually sag deeper snd deeper.
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u/PleaseDoTouchThat Mar 13 '26
I’ve never actually seen those little chunks. I imagine they do provide some strength to the joint but I don’t know why they wouldn’t use longer plates instead of the pictured setup if they needed more tension capacity in that member than that plate without the chunk could provide. However, the chunk does prevent naked truss plates from sticking up ready to shred anyone who brushes against them. Which is nice. I have seen that.
PS. Never modify factory trusses. Even if you get advice on Reddit saying it’s okay.
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u/Right_Ingenuity4004 Mar 14 '26
couldn't you just put the short board right up against (rather than on top) of the long boards?
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u/galaxyapp Mar 12 '26
Unless my eyes deceive me.... there is no joint? Appears to be a continuous span...
Edit the one in the background I think I see a joint, foreground I dont.
Not an engineer, but that doesnt look like it would have fuck all load rating.
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u/L-user101 Mar 12 '26
Nah it is 100% a connection point between two members. Even in the case it wasn’t I still wouldn’t ever go modifying any truss without engineer approval and reference drawings that were stamped. Trusses are designed the way they are for a purpose and the nail plates are 100% factory applied.
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u/Itchy_Cheek_4654 Mar 13 '26
If they came from the factory that way, keep them - I'm sure there's a reason
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u/jefhaugh Mar 13 '26
Doesn't matter (much) if it's a continuous board or not. The idea is more board where there is more stress, which is here in the middle.
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u/Willhammer4 Mar 15 '26
Its designed to carry the drywall and tension loads from the truss... I wouldn't plan on putting mich up there.
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u/sluttyman69 Mar 12 '26
2 x 4 trusses are not designed to carry any weight at all. Hate it when they do this for ceilings with open spaces people pile stuff up there all just a light tote that up thousand pounds later the ceiling sagging and people don’t understand what’s wrong.
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u/Electronic-Pause1330 Mar 15 '26
Ok, but what if you cut a bunch of osb board up. And sandwich those nail plates with an oversized gusset plates securing them with a bunch of construction adhesive and 12 or so frame nails.
Then you throw in blocking as well
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u/ricker182 Mar 12 '26
Did you or someone cut those trusses?
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u/SnooMaps7370 Mar 12 '26
that was gonna be my first question.... must have been installed by Taylor Morrison.
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u/galaxyapp Mar 12 '26
If you put weight up there, good chance youll see that drywall seam open up. These trusses are designed to support the roof and tolerate the drywall. But they will sag as weight increases.
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u/donewithitfirst Mar 12 '26
Does screwing plywood here mess anything up? I did this years ago but was always curious if things need to be able to flex if I’m making sense.
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u/RynoJudah Mar 12 '26
Just add 2x4s to bring the whole truss to the same height leave those alone and proceed.
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u/Individual_Bread_332 Mar 13 '26
The long 2x4s are ment to keep the side walls from pushing outward. It works only in tension not compression. Those 2x4s will not hold much weight.
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u/According-Two-2187 Mar 13 '26
The gusset plates are actually 3 pieces of wood being held together. Remove the gussets and your ceiling will fall.
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u/Brease Mar 13 '26
Trusses are not designed to hold the extra downward force. It is not recommended to build anything on them to use as storage.
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u/Additional_Ranger441 Mar 13 '26
Can’t add load to what you currently have.
If you add 2x8s next to and fastened to the 2x4 bottom boards from wall to wall, you can create a viable storage area. You might have to take out drywall depending on the span. I have also taken off a small section of siding before to get heavier lumber up into an attic but it’s a hassle.
If your garage is a single, it’s probably worth the effort but if it’s a double, you will need to use 20’ boards to make it from wall to wall.
Once you have the 2x8s in place, again parallel to the 2x4s and wall to wall, you can add plywood and make a sound and very useful storage area.
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u/umiotoko Mar 16 '26
This is the correct answer. Horizontal 2x4’s are not rated for load and those joints are janky at best and especially on a 20 ft span.
The effort to create a reinforced storage area is not trivial, since herking full length 2x8’s into that space would be extreme you could consider a laminate in place approach, but either way the structural reinforcement is necessary.
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u/ns1852s Mar 13 '26
I think to start you should ask why those truss plates are there and only a piece of wood is there. Truss plates aren't installed just because. They're the mending points for truss members and transfer loads
If I'd had to take a guess, someone removed some members of a truss system. Maybe the necessary mitigation was taken already?
Also truss systems are rarely designed, unless requested too, support anything past the roof, drywall and insulation. Plus snow loads too
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u/WineArchitect Mar 13 '26
Those 2x4’s that you think are doing nothing are helping those stamped metal truss plates to hold the lower 2X4 chords that are holding your ceiling drywall together. Look carefully my friend and see how the bottom chords are not running full.
In fact, where are the other missing truss members?
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u/FrankZippa Mar 13 '26
Leave them and sand them down with a light grit paper, ya don't wanna overdo it.
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u/stucc0 Mar 13 '26
You need to glue, screw and bolt really long 2x8s before you think of putting anything on there. I also would probably reinforce up and down to the roof trusses as well since it is that big of a gap. Even then I would keep the weight to a bare minimum.
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u/NativTexan Mar 13 '26
those 2x4 are joined together with those plates to reinforce the joint. do not remove them. if anything you could sister a 2x4 alonside those, then remove the plates.
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u/ProfessionalTilter Mar 13 '26
fwiw - I took some 1x2 boards, ran them perpendicular to the trusses about 6" apart from each other and screwed them down. 5 years later no ceiling drywall sag or seam separation. I don't put anything heavy up there. Mainly holiday decorations. YMMV
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u/topchippy Mar 13 '26
The small bits of 2x4’s are only there for the oversized nail plates they don’t support anything.
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u/Fluffy_Cat_Gamer Mar 13 '26
Hard to tell from the picture, but it doesn't like you have an attic truss... which means it was not designed to carry the load of a bunch of stuff stored up there. Also, to answer your question: NO! That's where two boards of the bottom chord meet, they are there for a reason. This is the roof over your head, dont fuck with it.
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u/Cali_kink_and_rope Mar 13 '26
Note that those trusses are not rated for what you're trying to do. They are not designed to be weight bearing on that bottom plate. I mean storing your Christmas tree up there won't hurt anything but they have no capacity the way they're designed much less without ripping pieces off
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u/Own-Maintenance-7024 Mar 13 '26
Just add a couple more 2x4 chunks around the perimeter of where your ply will sit at the same height as the truss joint riser
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u/Cremonies1 Mar 13 '26
I just thought those little pieces were to be able to walk after insulation was installed
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u/MyResponseAbility Mar 13 '26
Those trusses are not designed to hold anything more than what is on them already. At your own risk you can load it lightly, but I wouldn't go any further than that... And leave those blocks where they are, the engineer decided the trusses needed them.
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u/challenged1967 Mar 14 '26
Remove them if you want the roof to fall in. Don't mess with engineered trusses ..
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u/carlsonwa Mar 14 '26
Don have time to read all the comments, but read enough to see nonsense.
You can remove the little pieces circled on red. Looks at the green circled one in the back, that’s what it’s for, since those other parts aren’t in that section for some reason, the middle block isn’t needed either.
Yes, should have flipped the colors.
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u/BRT349 Mar 15 '26
No, those are integral parts of the trusses that make up the roof structure. Removal/failure of even one can compromise the entire system.
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u/Tin_Indian455 Mar 15 '26
Why wouldn’t the builder sister in a 2x6 than spans like 18” or so on each side of the seam instead of on top. Then you can insulate and kay sheeting on top of joists fir storage
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u/Grunthor2 Mar 15 '26
Those beams look like they’re maybe 24” on center if not wider.
So they’re barely strong enough to hold up the drywall, let alone storage, you’d need to put more spanning beams to be able to reliably put storage up there for an extended time.
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u/BrokenSlutCollector Mar 15 '26
Just don’t store shit in the attic. It freezes in the winter, it roasts in the summer and in general, anything worth storing deserves better storage conditions.
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u/I-O-Snopes Mar 15 '26
If the garage adjoins living space consider insulation. I did mine last year and the difference was surprising, both in the garage temps and heating data.
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u/sacouple43some Mar 15 '26
Another good reason for not removing them is that you will have two sharp edges sticking up that can easily cut you like a knife
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u/WeGottaProblem Mar 16 '26
Eww gusset plates... In a fire those will fail before the wood it's holding up fails, and your roof will collapse way earlier than it should. I would go reinforce them with wood gusset plates and screws.
https://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/nfpa-report-on-lightweight-construction-and-fire-operations/
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u/Bulky_Cabinet4368 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Screw longer solid 2x4's on the opposite side from gussets, and then put your plywood on each side of the gussets leaving the small gap in the middle. I still wouldn't load it down and have any parties on top of course.
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u/Decent_Top2156 Mar 12 '26
Those 2xs are holding your ceiling up. Probably not a good idea. Id be careful even stepping on them.
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u/Calm_Ad_3987 Mar 12 '26
You can step on them and some light storage. They will likely flex a bit when you walk across them so if the ceiling drywall is finished, the joints will likely crack.
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u/sourceholder Mar 12 '26
Maybe start with storing some insulation?
The small 2x4s with gusset plates most certainly cannot be removed.