I have an awful lot of DIY related tools and equipment but basically only the cupboard under the stairs and an externally accessible cupboard in which to keep them.

The external cupboard will soon be disappearing into our kitchen extension.

In the absence of a garage (unpowered in a block near my house went for £16k the other day! ) and wanting to keep them relatively accessible I'm thinking about putting them all in the loft.

When I factor in tools and materials for domestic electrics, plumbing, wood work, decorating etc. etc. there really is a lot of volume.

Have a largeish loft but keeping them on the 'floor' in their strikes me as a good way to crack my ceilings so thinking of attaching shelving to the end wall and stacking them their in some new packing crates.

Do you think this (apex) wall will be up to holding a couple of hundred kilos (guestimate) of tools?

It's an end of terrace house and this is the external wall.... I don't really want to pull the whole row of house roof down with lateral forces!!!

Pics here:

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/photos.php?action=gal&user=James&folder=Tools%20on%20loft



Strong enough for tools?


The wall is breeze block too which will mean some decent rawl bolts I know!


Cheers,
James

[Edited on 28/9/10 by James]

What size are your ceiling joists 4x2?

quote:

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Originally posted by nick205
What size are your ceiling joists 4x2?

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Board it out lay the boards longways 90 degs to the joists and screw down, my uncle had a whole library in his loft

Yup, my impression would be board it, it'll make the structure a whole lot more rigid and you can bung some insulation underneath it for good measure

They now do boards with insulation attached! They're about 30cm deep tho

Loft is already 18mm fully chipboarded, electrics and strip lights!

Right then, just start loading it up and stop when GF calls up from the bedroom

of you find you're in the bedroom.

Bear in mind if you have stud partition walls they may also be supporting the attic rafters.

(least thats what i tell myself)

You won't stress the gable wall, by shelving it out and filling with stuff. even heavy stuff!

wouldn't even bother with the rawlbolts, you would be amazed how much weight plugs and screws will hold, just use a good few to spread the load.

Al

I have the prefabricated trusses in my loft, you're not supposed to put much weight on them , I have boards and some lightish stuff , but I also made up multiple shelf brackets from angle iron and rawlbolted them to the wall each side (terraced house) and then can store lots of stuff without adding weight to the ceiling below.

any doubts about the boarding, double board it with the second layer running 90 degrees to the first...

I've Tough crates piles 3-4 high full of books in mine...

PS You got a water tank up there? If so, note how it's mounted - bet that'll be far heavier than the tools you're going to store..