You want to make sure you can lift the boxes easily and if they happen to tumble over they don t hurt anyone.
Boxes in attic.
Use the attic to store anything that is impervious to heat.
Those cardboard boxes stacked up in your attic could become a veritable buffet for mice and bugs if you re not careful.
Whether a birds or moths in the attic a raccoon in the garage or mice in the basement critters aren t concerned with taking care of your belongings as a general rule of thumb nothing in your attic.
Heat can damage things such as photographs and wood.
As a very general guide if the joists are only 2x4s don t plan on storing much in the attic other than very lightweight items.
Boxes also break down and disintegrate which will attract pests even more.
Think empty boxes and suitcases.
Pests are attracted to the cardboard and to the glue used in construction of the box says santoro.
Joists that are 2x8 or larger can likely support more weight.
In the basement store everything in clear plastic bins labeled and not packed too heavily.