Is My Attic 2x4s Or 2x6s

Steve demoor of wildlife solutions takes you through a first hand encounter with extensive attic damage due to squirrel problems in a home.

Is my attic 2x4s or 2x6s. If joists are only 2x6 they may need reinforcement. If the answer is to get a structural engineer then that s out of their budget so we ll just probably be forced to put in the 2x6s though i bet the 2x4s or sistered 2x4s would actually be enough for such a low attic space. But i want to do it right and if 2x6 would be way better i ll do them. I talked to a structural engineer and he advised to sister the existing 2 4 joists.

When you start a 2 4 project you can figure out all of your measurements in advance. My ultimate plan is to sister the joists to make a sturdier attic ceiling blow in insulation on the roof and put plywood across the joists for a storage platform for my boxes christmas decorations etc. Only reason for not choosing something bigger than 2x4 would be that they will be significantly cheaper if i can get away with them. If the joists are larger they might.

Many older homes have actual 2x4s not the 1 1 2 x 3 1 2 that we call 2x4s today. But you can still double the capacity of the existing 2x6s in the attic floor so first let s make sure that s enough for your situation. If you have room to stand up then the strongbacks look like a good idea. Should i do 12 ft 2x4s across as roof supports between the 4x4s or something bigger like 2x6s.

That means that for a 2 400 square foot house the interior of a 2x6 built house will be about 33 5 square feet smaller overall than that of a 2x4 built house. For example if you need 4 5 cuts of 2 4 you want to buy 2 10 2x4s instead of 4 8 2x4s. But if you only have 3 4 ft. The building inspector should be able to check things outs.

If you do this you can plan what size 2x4s you want to purchase then see if there s a good combination so you are left with the least amount of scrap. A lot depends on how much height you have available in this attic. Jumping up and down may reveal little or no bounce in attic floor but it s not the same as when furniture and books are added. Because 2x6s are 2 inches deeper than 2x4s a house built with 2x4 vs 2x6 walls will be a total of 4 inches wider and deeper inside than the same house built with 2x6s.

My calculations tell me assuming 2 southern yellow pine joists which are common in my area that 2x6s 16 inches on center will span 9 feet 9 inches with allowable deflection being the governing factor.