Boarding collar ties

Hi, I have collar ties on my loft with a decent amount of space above so was hoping I could board them and use for light to medium weight storage. Is this ok? I don’t want to risk putting weight where it shouldn’t be. There’s also 2 thin strips of wood joining the tops of the collar ties, o think just to line them up when the roof sections were installed, it’s so thin I can’t see that it’s adding any structural strength, would it be possible to remove these. I’ve attached a pic below, thanks in advance

Matty2000uk, good evening.

Did you take that image with your back against a gable wall??

If so ?? then that metal strip on the timber does it "Disappear" into that wall??

Why the question, that metal strip may be a restraint strap, there should be several of such restraint straps at [fairly] regular intervals around the gable, between wall and roof trusses.

The restraint strap should within the loft space be "braced" meaning a piece of timber [generally] the same dimensions as the roof truss it is attached to two or more roof trusses, the restraint strap is then fixed to the timber brace, the logic is that the brace attached to the trusses will provide a support to a large area of gable wall. In a good going storm, the "suction" on the lea side of the building is at times high enough so cause suction damage to exposed roof gables.

So where are we?? if the metal strip [all as above] is a restraint strap and fixed to that thin timber board in the image, it may not be advisable to remove the metal strip.

The "professional answer" is to ask the designer of the trusses what can and cannot be removed, there will be a small tag secured toa truss somewhere in the loft with the name and address of the designer.

Ken.

Thanks Ken,

I hadn’t even noticed that metal strap truth be told but that does all make sense as my back is against a gable wall in that pic. I’ll leave it all in place then I don’t want to interfere with the integrity of any of it. I can just board the collar ties either side of the wood strips and leave them running up the middle. As long as collar ties are ok to support a mild amount of weight?