Rant: My garage ceiling almost caved in from stored junk last month

After I pulled down a box of old paint cans that had been sitting up there for 3 years, I saw the drywall screws were barely holding, and that's when I swore off using my garage attic for anything heavier than holiday decorations - anyone else ignore that storage limit until something breaks?

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1 Comment

sage_rodriguez2d ago

Those drywall screws were never meant for that kind of weight in the first place. Most garage ceilings are just 1/2 inch drywall nailed to rafters that aren't built for storage. The paint cans alone could be 30 pounds each if they're full. That's way past what a few screws can handle over time. People treat attics like extra closets but forget that the structure underneath is just for ceiling finish, not holding loads. You might want to check your trusses and see if they're even rated for storage before putting anything else up there.