- Rafters def give you more flexibility for storage or future finishing.
- But honestly, most folks I know never end up using that extra space beyond random clutter.
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"Fast forward five years...and it's still just boxes of holiday decorations and old camping gear up there, haha."
- Maybe ask yourself realistically how much you'll actually use it?
I went through this exact decision a few years back when we remodeled our home. Initially, rafters seemed ideal because of the flexibility they offered. My thinking was similar—potential storage, maybe finishing the space later on. But realistically, after careful consideration, we opted for trusses.
"Fast forward five years...and it's still just boxes of holiday decorations and old camping gear up there, haha."
This rings painfully true. Before remodeling, our attic was filled with boxes that hadn't moved since the day we placed them there. I even found camping gear I didn't realize we still had. When planning the remodel, I analyzed our actual usage patterns and realized we'd never genuinely utilized that extra attic space beyond occasional clutter. Structurally speaking, trusses also provided more consistent load distribution and simplified insulation and ventilation planning—something worth considering if you're detail-oriented about energy efficiency.
Ultimately, it comes down to your realistic needs versus potential future scenarios. Just make sure you're not paying extra for flexibility you might never use...like we almost did.
Your attic situation sounds exactly like mine. We went with rafters thinking we'd have this amazing bonus space someday...but honestly, it's just become a catch-all for stuff we can't part with yet never use. Plus, dealing with insulation around rafters turned out trickier than we expected. Trusses probably would've saved us some headaches there. Good call thinking it through realistically—I wish we'd been more practical from the start.
We went with trusses because the builder strongly recommended them, and honestly, I'm glad we listened. Our attic's still cluttered with boxes of stuff we never unpacked after moving in...so I doubt we'd ever have turned it into usable space anyway. Saved us some insulation headaches too.
Haha, your attic sounds suspiciously like mine. We went with rafters because I had these grand dreams of turning the attic into a sweet home theater or a cozy reading nook. Fast forward five years and it's basically become a dusty museum of forgotten hobbies and old holiday decorations. Still no home theater, unless you count the spiders watching Netflix on my old tablet...
Honestly though, trusses probably would have saved me some headaches too. Rafters do give you that potential for usable space, but it's easy to underestimate how much extra hassle comes with insulating and finishing them properly. I thought I'd just slap up some drywall and insulation over a weekend—yeah right! It turned into weeks of awkward angles, itchy insulation battles, and more than a few choice words muttered under my breath.
On the plus side, rafters gave us flexibility when we had to reroute some ductwork later on...but unless you're really committed to using that attic space (and I mean really committed), trusses seem like the smarter move overall. I guess hindsight is always 20/20.
Anyway, at least you listened to your builder's advice—I stubbornly ignored mine because "I knew better." Famous last words, right? Now excuse me while I go dig through my attic boxes for that old Nintendo console I know is hiding somewhere up there...
