Attic flooring

CheersforBeers

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I'm looking to put some plywood down in my attic above the section over our garage. Any recommendations on the plywood thickness to use? Also, any general tips and advice before I begin this project is appreciated.

TexAg1987

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11:24a, 11/18/19

Plywood has span ratings. Measure the spacing of your joists.

https://schmeling.com/file_library/plywood_span_ratings.pdf

You can cheat on the thickness some if you are not going to load it heavily or don't care about a little bit of bounce.

Also the span ratings are assuming full length sheets. You may not be able to get that up into your attic thru your access point.

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Ducks4brkfast

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11:33a, 11/18/19

AG

I decked the area above my garage a couple months ago and went with 19/32. Plenty strong.

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Buck Compton

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11:37a, 11/18/19

AG

Also, if you're going to do anything besides store boxes and stuff up there, make sure the joists were designed to support that new load.

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txag2008

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12:26p, 11/18/19

AG

No need to use plywood, can just as easy use OSB and save a few bucks. 1/2" is fine as long as your spans don't exceed 24"

I'd recommend ripping the sheets down to 2x8' pieces, makes maneuvering them in the attic much easier. If you have romex, coax, etc running across the joists, lay down some 1x4 furring strips to attach the decking to.

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Flashdiaz

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12:34p, 11/18/19

AG

they sell attic flooring plywood at Lowe's\Home Depot that has grooves for interlocking with each other if all it's gong to be used for is storage and your old penthouse magazines

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Dr. Doctor

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1:39p, 11/18/19

AG

One thing I have used in several houses is 1x4 boards (1"x4"x8'). Easier to carry by yourself, usually come in a pack of 5 banded together and can be removed piece-meal to access an area you need.

I use drywall screws (x3) on each board. And you can maneuver around vertical pieces/pipes/etc without having to draw what you need to cut out to put down plywood. And the boards are usually smoother, so you can go without shoes in the attic. Use a cord or cordless recip saw to cut in the attic with cordless drill/impact driver.

When I ran the numbers, the prices per sq. ft were about the same.

~egon

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chickencoupe16

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In reply to Dr. Doctor • 5:21p, 11/18/19

AG

Dr. Doctor said:
One thing I have used in several houses is 1x4 boards (1"x4"x8'). Easier to carry by yourself, usually come in a pack of 5 banded together and can be removed piece-meal to access an area you need.

I use drywall screws (x3) on each board. And you can maneuver around vertical pieces/pipes/etc without having to draw what you need to cut out to put down plywood. And the boards are usually smoother, so you can go without shoes in the attic. Use a cord or cordless recip saw to cut in the attic with cordless drill/impact driver.

When I ran the numbers, the prices per sq. ft were about the same.

~egon

This! Or maybe... I did this about a year ago and was given similar advice from TexAgs. It worked out so much better, especially with all of the romex and braces in the way. If you don't have many obstacles, then plywood may be easier. But I even like the way it looks better. I may have some pictures that i can put up when I get home.

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sam callahan

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5:14p, 11/29/19

I used furring strips and have been really happy with it. Easer to manage getting up to the attic. Easy to cut around fittings. Plenty strong. Looks good. And the no shoes thing is an added bonus.

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