[Tom5151]

Quick question,

We have a newer model townhome built in 2000. The garage was all drywalled (walls and ceiling) when we purchased it. It's roughly a 24' X 30' attached garage.

I am trying to install some simple ceiling storage racks (won't carry much weight at all) and from what my stud finders are telling me, it appears that the ceiling joists are spaced 48 inches apart, across the width of the garage. Along the length (running from joist to joist) there appear to be some type of furring strips or something like that. The drywall appears to be screwed into the joists and the furring strips. These strips do not appear to be very thick as we have driven a couple of finish nails in as tests and they poke right through.

Is this normal? I really don't want to pull down drywall to have to figure out exactly what's up there. I can probabaly run some type of cleat on the ouside of the drywall across the ceiling joists for what I am trying to do but i just wondered if what i am describing is fairly normal for a garage.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Gary in WA]

Is there an attic access nearby? There should be. Code requires this, 22x30", with 30" headroom above it. Perhaps in the adjoining room hallway? I would cut a small inspection hole to see exactly what is up. We'll go from there. Be safe, GBR

 

[Tom5151]

Is there an attic access nearby? There should be. Code requires this, 22x30", with 30" headroom above it. Perhaps in the adjoining room hallway? I would cut a small inspection hole to see exactly what is up. We'll go from there. Be safe, GBR

unfortunately no attic access....i hate the thought of having to make an inspection hole but that may be the answer.........i may just try the coat hanger trick and poke around and twist it to see what's there

 

[Gary in WA]

If a floor above, probably 16" or 19.2" on center for joist spacing. If attic above, 24" o.c.

If furring strips, at least 24" o.c.,(otherwise the wallboard wouldn't stay up).

A lot of times, builders do the basic minimum when finishing a garage. One fire-coat of tape and mud on the wallboard and joints. Then one light coat of paint primer coat. I would paint two coats on any warm walls (heated behind), and ceiling to protect against water vapor mitigation. After parking in garage, water goes airborne with the heat from engine, tires, brakes, etc., and travels to the warmest ceiling and walls. Normal science, so protect the wall assembly with a layer of paint. Be safe, GBR

 

[Tom5151]

Thank you sir...

They must have done a really cheap job on ours then. I have used 3 different stud finders and the joists are 48 inches apart. There are no other joists between them. That just seems really odd to me. I checked the entire garage. There is a room abaove the garage and I know that room has 16 inch o.c. floor joists but the garage floor truly has them 48 inches o.c. I have never seen that before.

 

[Gary in WA]

I would be concerned they could fall. Use a tall ladder, put your eyes at the ceiling level (close to), looking across the ceiling.

1.Do you see any sagging?

2.Are the nail or screw heads recessed at all (like dimples)?

You may have a support at 24" on center, it may be hard to see.

3. Is the ceiling painted, or can you tell where the joints and nail heads have been filled with compound? If painted, a stud finder running the same direction as the shortest span.

4. Try a small magnet to find the screws/nails. Be safe, GBR

 

[Tom5151]

The ceiling has not been painted, just taped. I can see where the drywall screws are. They line it with the 48 o.c joists and then they line up with where the furring strips are (running perpendicualr to joists) There are no screws at all where I would think another joist (running parallel to the 48 o.c joists) would be.

 

[DUDE!]

we have an attatched garage, someone, maybe the builder, added pull-down stairs above one bay. There is quite a bit storage space up there. I say this in case you want to consider this option. Mine is a two bay, one side has a plywood floor with some carpeting, other section is not covered. I crawl when up there but the storage room is great. Also, you might want to make an inspection hole in the ceiling to see what you have up there, you could use a mirror and flashlight, or a seasnake if you have access to one.

 

[Tom5151]

Thanks very much gentlemen.....

Essentially what I am trying to do is build a shelf on one wall that will be positioned about 18 inches down from the ceiling and about 18 inches deep. The shelf will be 8 feet long.

I am going to attach a 2X2 cleat on the wall into the wall studs and fasten the back of the shelf into that. However that leaves the front of the shelf unsupported. So I wanted to drive lag hooks into the ceiling joists and hang some allthread down from those hooks through holes in the front of the shelves and bolt in place from under the shelf. That will give me the front end support that i need for the shelf. It won't carry a ton of weight. The problem is finding enough ceiling joists. I wanted three so I could have three allthread rods supporting the front end of the shelf (both ends and the center). However there are only two ceiling joists that I can use because they are spaced so far apart (48 inches o.c.). I think what I'll do is lag a 2X4 cleat into the 2 ceiling joists that i do have to work with and then drive my lag hooks into that.

 

[Gary in WA]

I'm sorry I'm having such a time understanding tour situation. So, floor above, with furring running 4'o.c.? There should be another furring strip running with, and between those 4' strips. If not, it needs this.

Can you put diagonal brace legs under the box lip? A 2x2 under the front lip, supported up every 16"? Or build smaller boxes, using the ends to screw to a 2x2 ledger vertically on the wall? So each box would have support from the wall, at each box end.

Be safe, GBAR

 

[Tom5151]

The floor above is actually not an issue. There is a space (not exactly sure how much yet) between the floor above and the ceiling of the grage below. The floor above is properly constructed with 16 inch o.c. floor joists. That does not come into play at all.

The perplexing thing to me is the ceiling of the garage. That's where the joists are spaced every 48 inches o.c. with what I believe are furring strips running perpendicular to them throught the garage ceiling. The drywall seems to be screwed inot the available joists and furring strips. I don't really care too much what is up there. I am more curious as to whether or not this is normal for a an attached garage.

As far as the shelf goes, it's not a box. It will be one single peice of 3/4 inch plywood, 8 feet long by 18 inches deep. I cannot provide any support underneath the front edge of the shelf because right under the shelf will be cabinets and below them will be a workbench. My only real good choice is to support the front edge of the shelf from above. That's why I want to lagg up into the ceiling.

I think if i just attach a 2X4 cleat across and perpendicular to the two joists that i do have in the garage ceiling, I'll be able to lag up into that cleat then to provide the support i need for the front edge of the shelf with the all thread rods.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

If you will have cabinet under the shelf, why no tuse those to support the shelf?
Or as the shelf?
Just run the 3/4" ply along the top of the cabinets
That's what I plan on doing in my garage

I wouldn't suspend anything from the ceiling without verifying what is up there for support. The last thing you need is to pull down the garage ceiling

 

[Wildie]

The way I see it, is that drywall is unfinished anyway, so why not take a minute and a half and cut a hole big enough to put your head in and have a look.
Once you're sure of what you have, screw a couple of pieces of 1X3 in place. Screw the d/w back in, and slop some mud on it!

 

[Tom5151]

The way I see it, is that drywall is unfinished anyway, so why not take a minute and a half and cut a hole big enough to put your head in and have a look.
Once you're sure of what you have, screw a couple of pieces of 1X3 in place. Screw the d/w back in, and slop some mud on it!

i think that is exactly what we are going to do......the curiousity is killing me now