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Draiman
Let me see those devil horns in the sky
join:2012-06-01
Kill Devil Hills, NC

Draiman

Member

Re: Attic flooring

I was just talking with a co-worker who suggested just using standard 1" x 3" strapping since it's cheap. I don't mind the labor but would that work?
MrFixit1
join:1999-11-26
Madison, WI

MrFixit1

Member

Whatever material you decide to try , may I suggest a little test .
Place 2 blocks 16 inches apart . Bridge them with a sample of whatever you think you may use , spaced however you will use it in the attic .
Now jump in the middle .
Just my roundabout way of saying that a lot of " cheap " alternatives may not be safe to use

Draiman
Let me see those devil horns in the sky
join:2012-06-01
Kill Devil Hills, NC

Draiman

Member

said by MrFixit1:

Whatever material you decide to try , may I suggest a little test .
Place 2 blocks 16 inches apart . Bridge them with a sample of whatever you think you may use , spaced however you will use it in the attic .
Now jump in the middle .
Just my roundabout way of saying that a lot of " cheap " alternatives may not be safe to use

Not enough room to jump unless your under 4 feet tall.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County

CylonRed

MVM

That is ok - you want to know how it will handle with a worst case scenario like losing footing and falling over. Not quite a jump but then also not just walking either.

garys_2k
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI

1 edit

garys_2k to Draiman

Premium Member

to Draiman
Edit: ^^ Even better! A fall can create a very high load, plan for that.

Then stand on one foot on it and, holding onto something above you, press your weight down onto it. The point is to see if it can bear your weight PLUS what you might be carrying (and yes, you very well may have all your weight on one foot at some point).

Anything that's marginal for this test shouldn't be used, it's too weak.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
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tschmidt to Draiman

MVM

to Draiman
said by Draiman:

I was just talking with a co-worker who suggested just using standard 1" x 3" strapping since it's cheap. I don't mind the labor but would that work?

If this were my attic this is what I would do.

Since you have a small access portal and all you want is crude subfloor for storage I'd use dimensional lumber rather then plywood. IMHO 1x3 strapping is too narrow. I'd check with your lumber yard to see what they have that is cheap but wider, 1x6s are ideal. Since this is not tongue and groove lumber each piece needs to be able to fully support whatever load is placed on it. A crappy 1x3 with a big knot in the middle of a joist span means your foot might go right through the board.

Using dimensional lumber rather then plywood also makes it easier to add wiring or plumbing later since you only have to pull up a few boards in critical locations rather then large sheets of plywood.

/tom