How To Improve Attic Storage

An attic can easily become messy if you aren’t careful when it comes to storage. That’s especially true if you don’t put a lot of thought into storage. Many homeowners understandably want to know how to improve the storage space in their attic. 

Go through your attic and separate your belongings into a list of items you can sell, donate, and discard. Store boxes and totes on shelves, and keep them near the walls to create plenty of room to walk around. It’s also a great idea to store boxes between the trusses and hang seasonal clothes on garment racks. 

Never store an item in your attic if it’s so heavy that you need a lot of help to get it up there. That is a red flag that it’s probably too heavy for your attic floor, and that is dangerous. Follow along as we explore how to improve attic storage. 

How To Organize Your Attic

1. Declutter

Some homeowners unfortunately treat their attic like it's a trash can. Maybe you’re not filling the space with trash, but you may not use everything in there. Get realistic about what you keep in your attic and whether or not you’ll ever use everything.

There’s a good chance that your attic contains clutter and items you don’t need. This is a great chance to sell, gift, donate, and discard some of your belongings that are in the attic. Look into what Salvation Army and Goodwill accept, and donate items as needed. 

You can also easily sell some of your belongings via Craiglist and Facebook Marketplace. Otherwise, it’s worth throwing anything away that is old, worn, and damaged, as places like Goodwill may not accept them. Now that your attic is clutter-free, you can easily improve storage and organize the space. 

2. Set Up Shelves

Shelves make organizing any space easy, and that includes an attic. Whether you build or buy shelves, you must consider the weight capacity before filling them. The last thing you want is for your shelves to collapse due to excess weight. 

Buy boxes and totes that can easily fit on the shelves, and try to keep them all the same size. Stick to lightweight items if possible and distribute weight evenly. Ideally, you should label the boxes and totes so you can access the contents without guesswork.  

However, you must be careful and leave some headroom between the top of your shelves and the ceiling. Otherwise, it will be hard to remove boxes and items from the top shelf. A little extra space can also help improve airflow if your attic is tight and stuffy. 

3. Maximize Vertical Space

Your attic may not look suitable for storage at first glance, that is until you get creative. That’s especially true if your attic is unfinished and has space between the trusses. You can improve attic storage without making a mess if you utilize this space to store boxes. 

That’s especially true if you find boxes and totes that are slightly narrower than the space between the trusses. You can easily fit boxes of seasonal decorations, clothes, books, and even unused kitchenware between the trusses. The more vertical space you use, the more room you have to walk around your attic and organize the room. 

Some people even hang shelves on the beams in their attic to boost vertical storage space. However, it’s worth consulting a contractor to ensure the weight won’t damage the beams. The last thing you want is to be woken up in the middle of the night by a crashing sound in your attic.

4. Set Up Clothing Racks

Finding a home with enough closet space is quite difficult, especially as you accumulate more clothes over time. It’s even hard to justify setting up clothing racks throughout your home, that is unless you use your attic. Why not consider your attic as a temporary storage space for seasonal clothes?

Seasonal clothes, like winter coats, scarves, and parkas take up a lot of space in most closets. You can avoid this problem if you get them out of the way during the spring and summer and put them in the attic. Conversely, you can store your summer clothes in the attic during the winter.

This may seem inconvenient, but you don’t need to go back and forth until the seasons change. That way, you can maximize closet space without setting up a garment rack in your bedroom or office. 

5. Hang Pegboards

In most homes, you can find pegboards in the garage, as that’s where people often store their tools. However, your attic is a prime candidate for tool storage if you have the wall space. That’s especially true if you’re a hobbyist or DIY enthusiast who has a wide variety of tools. 

You can also use pegboards to hang small baskets and boxes for lightweight items. However, it’s important to read the label and figure out a pegboard’s weight capacity. Pegboards also come in handy for artists who can use them to hang canvases and photos. However, you shouldn’t store art supplies, like paint, in an attic. 

What Should You Not Store In An Attic?

Musical Instruments

It’s tempting to store your instruments and music gear in an attic. However, doing so can cause some serious damage. That’s because attics typically get cold in winter and hot during summer, which can damage guitars and amplifiers. 

Flammable Chemicals And Items

The last thing you want to do is to store flammable substances in your attic. Attic fires can quickly spread throughout a home, causing serious damage and even deaths. This includes solvents, cleaning chemicals, bug spray, spray paint, and more. 

Carefully read labels and research online before you store something in your attic. Flammable chemicals and items can catch fire due to extreme heat fluctuations. 

Bulk Items

Many homeowners have made the mistake of storing bulk items in their attic to get them out of the way. However, doing so can cause the item to fall through your attic floor. Not only does this cause serious structural damage, but it can also harm anyone below. 

If an item is so heavy that it’s hard to carry into your attic, it’s probably too bulky to sit on the floor. That’s why you must also be careful and not overstuff boxes and totes in your attic. Furniture is typically too heavy for an attic and is better off in a storage unit. 

Exposed Linens

While you can store linens in a box in your attic, you should never leave them exposed. The moisture and temperature fluctuations can easily damage the fabric. Even worse, you run the risk of pests, like mice, nesting and chewing through your linens. 

How Much Weight Can An Attic Floor Hold?

Attic floors can typically hold live loads of 20 pounds per square foot. Some attics can hold up to 30 pounds per square foot, but it varies based on the size of the attic and the type of wood. However, this is naturally hard for many people to approximate without construction knowledge. 

It’s worth the cost of hiring a contractor to evaluate how much weight your attic can hold. In some cases, they may be able to give you an answer just by looking at the blueprint . Overloading your attic can cause structural damage, which costs a fortune to fix. 

Summing It Up

The best way to improve attic storage is to declutter and set up shelves to store small boxes and totes. You can also maximize your space by setting up clothing racks and pegboards in your attic. Never store exposed linens and musical instruments in your attic as temperature fluctuations and moisture can damage them. 

Related Guides:

• 6 Types of Attics (With Photos)
• Do All Houses In The US Have Attics?