# What Tools can I safely put/operate in my attic above the garage?



## Oni (Sep 16, 2018)

Hey Lumberjocks.

What tools can I safely put in my attic above the garage and operate? I would like to put my shop vac and dust collector up there to cut down on the noise in the shop. What are somethings I need to consider to safely use them up there? The attic has a slanted ceiling and I would build a base on the exposed studs to support the weight. Any tips and concerns would be appreciated.

Thanks.


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## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

If u could put a air compressor up there that would definitely b a noise maker. 
My concerns would b the extra heat and weight. Make sure u have plenty of ventilation and make sure the weight won't sag any of the rafters. Also if the DC is up there won't u have to go up there and empty it all the time?


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

Nothing! its an attic and just that an attic
its primary designed to support the ceiling and fittings and that's just about it. its not designed as a load bearing area apart from maybe where the wall locations are.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I'm with the above comments. If there are any electronics on the equipment, the heat could be a killer…but even without electronics, getting up there to maintain them will quickly kill the joy of extra space.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Weight is an issue. Unless the attic was engineered for at least "light storage" it is probably unsafe. 2×4 trusses? Not enough. 
Getting heavy machines up there can be a problem. 
Consider where the air from the DC will be going and where it comes from from the shop. If HVAC, you want to return or else you are heating the world, not your shop. 
Sucking hot air into the compressor is less efficient. 
If a bag type DC, then you will be filling the attic with vary dangerous ultra fine dust.

All these can be mitigated if you think and plan.

FWIW, I am in the process of moving my big compressor and DC into the other side (car) side of my shop for both noise and space. I find I only use my pancake in my wood side.


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## bmerrill (Mar 14, 2018)

All of the above comments are valid.
Since a shop vac is relatively light (less than 50 pounds), locating it in the space supported across 2 or more joist centered above a load bearing wall shouldn't be an issue. 
Placing a heavy (more then 50 pounds) dust collector could be located on a platform supported by adequately sized floor and joist supported by 2 load bearing walls. Joist sizing is dependent upon the dead load, wood type, spacing (cl-cl) and span (from load bearing wall to load bearing wall).


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Depends totally on how the space was built. If trussed using a 2×4 bottom chord, not a lot.

If the floor above the main areas ceiling uses 2×10 floor beams, set 16 on centers, you have a sturdy floor.

IOW it was built to either have used space, or it wasn't. After the fact it's hard to add to what is there.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

How are going to empty the dust bins when they are full? Seems like it would be a real pain to have to go up into the attic every time to empty a bin and what about periodically cleaning the filters?


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## Oni (Sep 16, 2018)

Thanks for your input. I can already see dropping the dust bag on my way down. I would still keep the 2nd stage on the garage floor and make sure that never gets full to collect dust in the bag. The fine particles and the heat, mixed with static sounds like a bad time. The attic is more like a crawl space below the roof of the house and is insulated while the garage is not. It's big enough to walk from one end to the other, and there's vents the length of both sides. The shop vac is a good candidate though.


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## AndyJ1s (Jan 26, 2019)

If DC is a cyclone, I would rig it such that the collection bin was below the ceiling.
For the compressor, I would plumb the tank drain/valve below the ceiling also. Note the vibration of the compressor is likely to transmit through the ceiling structure, meaning the noise reduction might not be as much as you hoped.

The shop vac is not going to work well, unless you have a dust deputy, and put it below ceiling.

The nearer a load bearing wall (in a garage, that means a wall of the garage), the better. If in doubt about the structure (anything less than 2×8 joists), I would use 2x lumber to span three or more joists for the platform to support the equipment.


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## them700project (Aug 12, 2015)

I have my Dc up there. Its a cv1800 so hanging on the wall. vents outside so no filter maintenance. and drops to 40 gallon can in garage. I love it up there. It makes life so much better, less noise and less space taken up. The can sits between the garage doors so its not in the ideal spots that I can use for other stuff.

Its a pain to get up there so if I had filters or anything that required regular visits I wouldn't have done it.


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## MNgary (Oct 13, 2011)

Install bridging between the to the lower chords (aka beams or ceiling of the garage) of the section that will support the weight and also install a couple solid pieces of 3/4 inch plywood connecting the lower chord to the top chord (aka rafter) 4 feet apart.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

My rafters are not designed for loads, HOWEVER, I installed walls that run under a rafter, so that area could be used for 3 horse compressor or dust collector. In short, with just a little planning. . .

I installed an attic ladder, so can store light things up there too (replaced the 2x's tying all the rafters together with 3/4" OSB).


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