# How to store in the attic



## rhonda (Jan 29, 2013)

I have a huge attic. It naturally gets hot/cold and in the winter has a few mice running around before we can get them all caught and killed.

My question.. what can I store up there and how.. I know I could store TP but how to keep the mice from enjoying it. I just thought about plastic trunks or something, but would that actually work?? 

What else do you store in the attic or similara type places??

Rhonda


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## Chett (Mar 6, 2013)

I would also like to know the answer to this, if anyone has some experience - my attic doesn't get too many mice (too hot in the summer I think, I'm in Southern Utah, pretty close to Vegas), but would love to store some things up there is possible...thanks!


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*I would consider*



Chett said:


> I would also like to know the answer to this, if anyone has some experience - my attic doesn't get too many mice (too hot in the summer I think, I'm in Southern Utah, pretty close to Vegas), but would love to store some things up there is possible...thanks!


I would consider building an insulated pantry in my attic if 
I had that kind of room. It wouldn't have to be big enough to walk into, just bigenough to reach into with shelvingand a hindged front door or doors that you could open up to access it. I would run a small supply duct from my centeral unit to it and a small return from the other end to the return on your centeral unit. This shouldn't make a diffrence in your heating and cooling or your bill.

If you insulate this and seal it well it won't get any hoter or cooler than your house.

:2thumb:


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## Chett (Mar 6, 2013)

BillM - thanks, I like that idea! Of course, now I have one more thing added to my 'to-do' list....


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

rhonda said:


> I just thought about plastic trunks or something, but would that actually work??


If you're referring to the Rubbermaid type totes, mice can eat through those. _I store my bird feed in one and they ate right through the tub.

_Varying temps and varmints don't go well with a lot of preps._.. _If you have a basement, that's normally a better option.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

If you have a lot of stuff that is not heat sensitive like toilet paper then metal pails, ammo cans etc will keep mice out. 
I use galvanized trash cans out side for the same reasons, not too expensive for the amount they can hold.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Just be careful of the weight up there because it is not designed to hold as much as your floor. Those tall ammo cans would be great for TP storage but some peppermint oil and some traps should take care of the mice. You can also put a cat up there for a while... LOL


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

BillM said:


> I would consider building an insulated pantry in my attic if
> I had that kind of room. It wouldn't have to be big enough to walk into, just bigenough to reach into with shelvingand a hindged front door or doors that you could open up to access it. I would run a small supply duct from my centeral unit to it and a small return from the other end to the return on your centeral unit. This shouldn't make a diffrence in your heating and cooling or your bill.
> 
> If you insulate this and seal it well it won't get any hoter or cooler than your house.
> ...


Your kidding right?


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## rhonda (Jan 29, 2013)

Well, actually my house sort of weird.. we live in a basement. 

When we built the house we couldn't afford the WHOLE house so we built the basement part. (surrounded on 3 sides by dirt) our ship never came in/the oil well didn't start gushing crude....... so we never was able to afford the top. 

Then the kids grew up and now we don't need it. I have a back closet that is dark and cool I use that for storage like a basement.. but the attic has the sub floor ready for the upper floor to be built, I just won't be the one building it. I have all this lovely space for storage. I have a trap door to get up there fairly easy, but cannot get a big 55 gal. barrel up there becasue the trapdoor is too small. I could probably get a metal trash can. 

I just want to know what all I could store up there and suggestion on how.



Rhonda


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

As for what you can store up there.... 

Clothes
TP
Pasta
Rice
Beans
Anything dehydrated
Tools
Guns
Ammo
Pet Food
Camping Gear
Fishing Gear

The main thing you have to be concerned about is freezing and of course moisture on metal objects. Those need to be in a protected and sealed container with some sort of drying mechanism like they use in RVs


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

PackerBacker said:


> Your kidding right?


It sounds like a good idea. I think.....


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Absolutly not*



PackerBacker said:


> Your kidding right?


I am absolutly not kidding!

This is exactly what I did in my garage and it works great.

I retired from the HVAC business and still own half of my old HVAC contracting company.

I absolutly know what I am talking about.

As long as he has an attic space designed for storage, it should support the weight just fine.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

BillM said:


> I am absolutly not kidding!
> 
> This is exactly what I did in my garage and it works great.
> 
> ...


What area though? I would think that those in southern states - GA, FL, LA, AL, and LA would not really be that feasible during the summer months - especially ammo


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Toilet paper, clothes that sorta thin, all in metal. I'd vac bag any clothes I was gonna store there, ya can get them big ones what ya use yer vacuum sweeper fer.

I'd not put anysorta food up there. Them mice er gonna smell it an do there dangdest ta get to it an that includes metal. They won't be able ta get ta it, but there gonna pee an poop all over everthin, be what they do.

Now Bill M's idear ain't all that bad from the sounds a what yall got there fer a attic. Ifin it were me, I'd build me a super insulated box all round yer scuttle lid (be the hole ya got goin in the attic. 2x4's fer studs, metal sheetin fer the outside a the walls an ceilings, foam (pinks stuff not the cheap white stuff) in between them studs an plywood fer the interior walls an floor. Remove yer scuttle lid an replace it with a screened frame. Wouldn't take much more ta heat an cool it thata way. Put in some shelves an totes an ya got a upstairs closet.

With that there setup ya could then store food an such there to.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Any*



invision said:


> What area though? I would think that those in southern states - GA, FL, LA, AL, and LA would not really be that feasible during the summer months - especially ammo


Any Area. I am located in KY !

If you insulate correctly and don't leave leaks in or around the doors it is no diffrent than insulating the attic from any other conditioned space.


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## Friknnewguy (Jun 30, 2012)

Honestly , I've never been in my attic . When we bought the house the guy who owned it before me said it was all blown in insulation , but he'd never been up there either . The only access is a hatch in the ceiling of my closet , and I never got the motivation to pull my fat a&$ up there , maybe I should check it out though .


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Friknnewguy said:


> Honestly , I've never been in my attic . When we bought the house the guy who owned it before me said it was all blown in insulation , but he'd never been up there either . The only access is a hatch in the ceiling of my closet , and I never got the motivation to pull my fat a&$ up there , maybe I should check it out though .


Could be blown fiberglass, cellulose, rockwool. There be several types. Yeah, goin through them closet scuttle lids generally stinks!

I been in hundreds a attics, ya never know what yer gonna find!


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

This house has a 2 car garage..so the attic has a huge area above it.
One day I found 4 X 4 plywood pieces, with not very straight sides, bought several and made me a floor in that area 12 X 12.
It was one of the smartest things I did.
Great storage. I have totes stacked with lots of things, no food.
My laundry tubs, mop wringer, sleeping bags, military wood stove, totes with clothes for future use(jeans, shirts, underwear, socks, etc,).
If you have the space, if you can stand, look for plywood and make a floor.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

invision said:


> What area though? I would think that those in southern states - GA, FL, LA, AL, and LA would not really be that feasible during the summer months - especially ammo


Nothing wrong with using attic space as storage, insulated they are fine. I live in seriously hot country and have a 21 foot by 12 foot attic right under the roof space, well insulated and with a decent floor (ask an engineer if your not up on structural strength and loads) and you can store damn near anything. We keep any non food items up there. 
You need to do a bit more research on ammo storage ........... citation needed!


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Ive used the galvanized trash cans with good results. They are designed to keep rodents out of trash, and work well for many preps. I bugee-cord the tops down to make sure that they don't jostle off. Just make sure any food items are packed in food-safe bags so they dont contact the galvanized metal can.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Galvanized is a bit tricky when it comes to "food safeness", it will react with acidic foods so that is not considered safe. 
For dry, non acidic foods there is very little risk, in fact the majority of the grains you eat have been stored in galvanized bins (granaries) on farms.
That being said it is probably better to store foods within other packaging before placing it in a large container for many reasons and there is no harm in doing so.


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