There are many ways of altering roof structures for loft conversions but they all have one common element the ceiling joists will almost certainly be inadequate as floor joists.
Fitting new floor joists loft.
I have plenty of trade experience as i am an electrician but am unsure of a couple of aspects regarding some of the.
Total loft dimensions are 5 2m left to right 7m front to back.
I would really appreciate some advice on fitting some new joists for a loft conversion.
A basic floor system is installed in about 10 stages from preparation to boarding the floor.
How we install a new loft floor.
Hard lines are the walls on the first floor underneath joists on the first floor landing run left to right so does that mean the central wall running front to back is load bearing.
A new floor system is installed using a frame trimmer joists to support the floor joists that span the width of the loft.
Most new construction uses 2 by 8 lumber for joists although 2 by 6.
Structural engineer has specified 9x3s as the new floor in the loft.
Installing new joists for loft conversion.
I ve read previous posts on this topic but found conflicting views.
If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists.
This means that new floor joists are fitted alongside them slightly raised above the ceiling plasterboard to avoid contact with it.
In the case of 2x6 joists you can pair them up with additional 2x6 joists by nailing them together side by side.
Furthermore squashing insulation down to fit joist height is a bad idea as this halves it s effectiveness doubling your heat loss.
Measure the width and length of the existing joist.
The best solution is to build a raised loft floor above the insulation details of which are shown below.
By flyingveepixie sun may 03 2009 10 09 am.
Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist.
You can still board directly on to the joists if you want but it is worth noting that this would not.
I plan to leave the old joists in and sister them up.
First off basic floor plan of the loft.
Purchase the type of lumber that matches the width of the existing joist.