Removing boards from roof truss

[violentvinyl]

Hello,

I've been lurking here for a few years and have gleamed a ton of information from you guys, so thank you very much for that. I've finally had a question that I couldn't find the answer for, so I'm hoping someone here might be able to help.

I've moved into a new build house with a detached garage, and I'd like to make use of the space up among the roof trusses. In order to do this, I'd like to board it out a bit so I can store things like empty suit cases and Christmas stuff.

Amongst the roof trusses, which appear to be made primarily of big thick 2x8s and 2x6s (this may not be exact!), there are several thinner boards (maybe 1x4s?) that look like they may have been used to keep the trusses stiff while they put on the roof and then just left there. I've attached some images taken from below and marked the boards I mean in red. If these are no longer necessary, I'd like to remove them, as it would make it much easier to board out these areas. They don't appear to be load bearing, and I would have thought that once the roof was on the whole structure would be stiff enough without them, but I wanted to get advice before I started pulling them out (my wife would never forgive me if I collapsed the roof on our new garage).

Anyway, thanks for looking guys!

 

[bobsuerita]

the 4 x 1 in the roof are bracing for stabilty so no they cant be removed it dosnt need 4 along bottom cord like that but may have been specified

 

[violentvinyl]

Thanks bobsuerita. It's actually 6 on the bottom, two "Z" shapes running opposite each other! It makes sense now that I think about it, as I suspect they would have removed them and used them again if they didn't need to be there. After 70 something houses on the estate, the cost would add up.

Let me ask you this then if you don't mind... If I were to take up the horizontal 1x4s one by one and lay down lightweight sheet material instead, would that have the same bracing effect as the 1x4s? I'd leave the vertical ones in place of course.

 

[bobsuerita]

the diagonals on ceiling are sway bracing yes you could remove some of the ceiling bracing if you replace with flooring fix well but dont remove any thing from higher in roof i.e. diagonals or node bracing i would put two rows of flooring from eaves out both side for storage just go carefull as you have cut gables so no ladders to help support wall other than screwed on restraint straps

 

[violentvinyl]

Thanks again, that's a huge help!