How to Board a Loft | ADVICE | Homebuilding
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มี.ค. 2020
- SPONSORED | How to board a loft from Homebuilding & Renovating in association with LoftLeg Ltd
In this video we show you how to safely and effectively board your loft space to create more storage area, and ensure your insulation is as effective as possible.
We outline the reasons behind loft boarding, the equipment you'll need, safety aspects, and a steep-by-step guide to installing Loft Legs and boards to create the ultimate storage area.
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If you intend to use a downlight cover cap and actually seal it into place (not seen them sealed into place before tbh) surely you should also include the wiring connector block and/or the transformer. If you don't, you won't be able to easily maintain or replace the lamp unit(s) from below, you would have to do so from the loft only and will therefore have to pull up the flooring and tear out the seal(s).
"Lucy's hats and scarves" clearly contained CDs. Bloody kids eh? Otherwise great video :-)
I’m just about to floor my loft, and I’m tremendously grateful for such a clear, straightforward and easy to follow video. Thanks!
Glad it helped!
I thought the same, very very helpful.
Did you manage to do your loft?
Agreed.
Wow, I've never heard or ever seen this way of boarding out a loft before, it's definitely given me food for thought, I knew the that the boards had to be a certain thickness for H&S purposes, but never seen this way of boarding out before, many thanks for this video it's definitely helped me alot, 👍👍👍
I really appreciate you guys explaining this, making something daunting much less scary that I originally felt it was. My house is only 2 bedrooms, and with my 4 years olds toys constantly increasing causing utter chaos after every christmas, i now feel i have the confidence to attempt this in the crawl space above my kitchen and in the main loft. Thank you 👌✌👋🤜💪
drink every time he says loft
We're not playing... ;-)
Or loft leg 🙄
Your having a loft aren't you
🍻 that sounds like a better plan 😂
what a great instructional video. kudos to the director.
Great to see such a helpful, precise and well detailed turorial, Brilliant!
VERY HELPFUL TO SEE IT DONE. THANKS
That was a very clear tutorial...thanks!
Great easy to follow video! I think I’ll save myself a few hundred and do it myself following this!
Yours and my reactions couldn't be more different. I thought "bugger it all. I'll hire someone" after the legs appeared.
Super helpful video! Thank you
Really good video - cheers! Given me more confidence to have a go and will check out your products to help me.
Very useful video. Thanks
I wish my loft only had 2 suitcases and a box in it! 😳 going to take me a week just to empty it!
Such a great video, thank you :)
Glad it was helpful!
Saved. Straightforward explanation and no faffing. Perfect example of an instructional TH-cam video.
Sticking this on my CV ;-)
Fab instructions, helped me do my first loft boarding. 👍👍
Great stuff, Mark - Thanks for the feedback!
Nice one! Wish me luck!
Good Tutorial video for the Diy people very good.
Justin @ Brickright 👍👍
If you want to fully floor the loft, raise the height to suit the insulation depth by laying, lapping lengths of treated timbers across the trusses, screw down to fix. Then lay & screw down square edged 25mm treated sarking the opposite way. This way you get the whole roof. Just check out sarking around truss/rafter intersections. Sarking is much easier to lift & access for future fittings like light cables, junction boxes, mains smoke detectors, water pipes or instal any of the aforementioned at a later date. It will give ever so slightly underfoot but it is the better solution. Keep the sarking to easy manageable lengths in order to lift. Form an apron with plywood around the loft hatch to finish neet to the sarking. The loft ladder can be fitted & stored better as well. Mark up services on the sarking surface that are underneath the sarking using an indelible heavy marker pen for future reference. I’ve done this in all the houses that I’ve bought/sold & lived in plus others. It helps distribution of the loads as well.
Hi. What sort of loft ladder are you using with these raised floors?
Hi Gary, spotted a few loft-ladder queries. To clarify, you wouldn't do your whole loft with these boards, you'd do smaller areas within the loft. So for example, you wouldn't board directly in front of where your loft-ladder access is. The boards allow you to store things without squashing or compromising your insulation, and should be used as a platform for that, rather than a "floor" for the whole space. Hope that helps.
This is a very useful and easy to follow video. Much appreciated!
Glad it was helpful!
Uffff, who put books inside Lucy's hats + scarves box? scandalous :P
Great video guys.
When I moved house I labelled my boxes in code. C1, C2, C3 were clothes box 1,2 and 3. Kitchen stuff was K1, K2, K3. You get the idea. Then I made a list on my phone of contents and which box to find them in. Not only did I know to put K boxes into kitchen when I moved, but I know which box to find to get the red mugs. And even then when I use the box for something else, my spreadsheet is updates to say job interview clothes are in K4 :) basically a mini warehouse system except the codes aren't necessarily logical but they sont have to be if you log your stock properly :)
Yep, did a similar thing when we moved across Europe. Made life very easy.
That’s a very good system. I always struggle finding the red mugs when I move. It makes me have to unpack everything on the first few days of moving. Of course the mugs are in the last box. Bloody mugs
quick question. after using the loft stilts. the will be a raised gab between the loft entrance and the new raised loft floor (where you'll see the insulation) how does one cover the sides of the loft entrance as I don't see a way you could attach side panels to the stilts. do you have a video or could you explain how to do that.
At 6:22 that board on the right is barely supported, sitting right on the edge of the leg.
I think you should explain WHY you have to do this i.e. moist warm air comes through from below and will damage the joists as it gets trapped if you don't use loftlegs. A lot of people don't understand and simply board over cramming all the insulation in.
But they just added more insulation around the legs in this video. Any rising damp will still stay under the boards even in this example. They did not creat an air gap. This feels like a loft leg sales video. Pretty sure if i used loft legs in my loft i wouldnt be able to stand up in the middle let alone edges.
@@rorywestfold1657 yes this is bollox.losing headhight correct.
@@rorywestfold1657 I've read that the minimum insulation height is 270mm so you can't just fit boards onto the rafters.
Nonsense. The reason it's a bad idea to compress insulation is that it loses effectiveness. Insulation generally works by forming many separate air pockets, which all get smaller when you compress it.
If we were to board directly onto joists in our new build house, it'd invalidate our 10 year NHBC warranty. To keep it valid the boards must be at least 270mm above joists, hence why 270/ 300mm legs are available.
You should add some affiliate links for all the products you suggest :) Great video thanks
nice video
My loft ladder folds and stores on top of the access hatch. How much unraised space should I leave around the hatch for initial access before raising the floor?.
£60 of loft legs to do 2-3 sqm?! Ouch.
Help advise please. Moved into new house 2023 im wanting to floor the loft can this be done and what problems could ventilation problems can occur if done? Do you have to use loft legs??
Yeah I think I will get a man in :)
What products should I look for in the USA?
I noticed the boards weren't arranged in a staggered formation in this video, but I've been told that a staggered formation is critical. Could you provide your view on this formation please?
Aren't the joints meant to be staggered for more strength?
I am interested in flooring my loft area as shown in the video. My loft has ‘fink’ style roof trusses. The existing insulation in my loft is barely as high as the bottom chord (a few inches) so additional insulation will be required to achieve the recommended depth. I have purchased new insulation but noticed on the packaging that it advises that one should not cover electric cables as doing so could cause additional heat and lead to fire. I have existing (flat grey) electric cables running along the bottom chord (where the loft legs will attach) part of the roof trusses, do you have any advice on what to do in this situation? Obviously safety is my main concern and would not like to do anything that might jeopardise that.
Hi _Gillan. This Q gets asked a lot, and I think much depends on a couple of things: What do the cables connect to? - on the top floor of the house it's likely to be either lighting, an electric shower or possibly even a boiler. Lighting puts a fairly low load on the cable, and while showers put a larger requirement on the cable, they're only on for 10-20 minutes at a time - so neither should be making that cable too hot. If your boiler is upstairs, that's a different matter, and you should check with a qualified electrician before covering those cables.
The other thing is how much slack is on the cables - can they be tugged gently up to allow for insulation to be laid underneath? That's the ideal scenario - add the extra rolls of insulation and manoeuvre the cables to lie on top.
In all honesty, cables in walls are covered up and potentially covered with a variety of insulation types, so I don't think there's a huge danger here, but if those cables are carrying power to something quite power hungry, it's worth checking with a sparky. Good luck!
Cheers for the video! What kind of weight can you place on the boards. I've got loads of vinyl, dj equipment I could do with storing. Thanks
Plenty of weight - we tested them with people walking over them, and they're very strong.
Generally it's recommended that you store no more than 25kg per sq metre of flooring. Hope this helps
Hi, so we have quite an old house and the joists are only 30cm apart. Should I put the legs on every joist (30cm apart) or every other (i.e 60cm apart) joist? Using 320mm x 1220mm boards. Thanks!
Hey Laura, our advice would be to go for every joist. You may need to cut your boards to fit - it's best to lay out the materials (on the patio or the drive - a big flat space!) and work out what sizes work. Those 1220 boards might need to come down to a round 1200mm in order to sit on top of the loft leg platforms. Cut your boards before taking them up the loft!
Superb
Glad it was helpful!
@@HomebuildingMagazine Clear, concise and plenty of detail. The only thing I did slightly differently was to pre-drill the base of the loft legs and part-install the four screws. It was quick and made the job easier.
This is a really helpful video and answers a lot of my questions. What is the best way to finish off where the insulation and loft boards come up against the loft hatch to create a neat finish whilst making it possible to easily get into the loft from the ladder?
Hard to say without seeing what the current situation is, but I would imagine there would need to be a wooden frame around the hatch, giving you a: a place to connect the loft ladder to, and b: to keep the insulation in place around the hatch.
I have a pull-down loft ladder and am struggling to see how that could work once the loft legs are installed.
If the loft is already insulated and the insulation is flat with the floor joists, do you still need to use the loft legs? or can you screw the boards straight onto the joists?
If you have 270mm or more of insulation, and you can lay boards onto your joists without squashing it, then you must have very deep joists! The Loft Legs also help you avoid any pipes & cables that may be laid or fixed over joists. That said, if you have the proper amount of insulation, it's possible to fix the boards directly to the joists if you're sure it won't squash the insulation.
I did my loft with Loft Legs and (Touch Wood) all ok, but I have one question? I laid my boards down in the same manner across the truss but, cascaded like a brick pattern... is this ok?
Did you get an answer to this?
Sorry but it looks like Lucys hats and scarves have been stolen and replaced with dvds?
Ha! We'll inform the local constabulary ;-) Thanks!
HA HA No No Lucy is just a bit odd. She wears hats and scarves made from DVD's! 😂
Are you not creating point loads by using those legs?
Our loft has two different height levels. The original part of the house has a lower joist height and joist span than the extension part, which has taller joists. Should I not bother with the loft legs and just board each section and having two heights?
There's no reason the loft legs & boards have to join up, so you'd be completely fine using the loft legs in both areas. However, if the taller joists give you enough height to properly insulate the loft, and board-over WITHOUT squashing the insulation, then the loft legs would not be necessary in that area.
Make sure the loft is well lit...so you can see the massive house spiders poised to drop down the back of your neck or run up your arm. From experience.
🤣i used to cohabit with a large black house spider, he always came down to the livingroom in the evenings when i dimmed the lights. My cat didnt touch him. We called him Sinclair. ♥️🕷Then he just disappeared. 😥
Any one check if the truss cords are load bearing ones as some are not, most in fact are not unless speced when ordered.
How much will the cost ?
Hi, how strong are these legs and what are they made of? Can a quite heavy person (106kg) walk safely on such a floor?
The legs are very strong, and we tested walking on it with no issues at all.
@@HomebuildingMagazine I thought they were only rated for 25kg per m2?
I'm using 14mm mdf. Would I need to double this up for it to be sturdy enough? My insulation is flush with the joists so could I just put the mdf straight down or would this cause issues in the future?
Check how deep your insulation is - if it's on or above 270mm you can cover it over directly on to the joists. However, if it's less than 270mm deep, you should add a layer of insulation to bring it up to regulations, and then use a system like LoftLeg to board over without squashing it down.
Finally, MDF isn't ideal as it bows over time - a chipboard or loftboard will be much stronger and more rigid.
@@HomebuildingMagazine Thank you for this information. Muchly appreciated.
Maybe you can help me. I am currently doing my loft and the middle is done now. Roof legs are brilliant. I would like to board the sides too though. However on my roof every single frame has that diagonal bracing. I have checked videos and pictures and have seen that usually it is not like that. I'd like to remove one each side to be able to crawl through easier. However as I am not an architect I am not sure if that could cause any harm at all. I'd think those were used when they put the roof structure in place 15 years ago and now it is not really needed but want to be absolutely sure. Just don't know who could help me to confirm :) I am talking about the bracing that is visible around the end of the video when that additional shelf like is being fitted.
If you could asnwer this that would be greatly appreciated!
In return a lazy DIYer tip: I prepared all the legs with the four screws in my garage, made it way easier to fit them while I was balancing on the frame trying not to kneel through my plasterboard ceiling :) Ahh yes and putting screws at the very last frame on the wall side is a bit of a challenge but a ratchet does the trick ;)
Gab - without seeing it's hard to say, but I would definitely advise NOT to remove any part of the roof truss structure. Speak to a structural engineer and take some photographs of the areas you're talking about - they'll be able to advise.
@@HomebuildingMagazine thank you for taking the time to reply to me! Very much appreciated!
Will the warranty be voided in new built?HNBC
Is there a reason that there is no mention of the added benefit of staggering the placement of the boards and also lining the tongue and groove with wood glue? I’m halfway through my loft project and a builder made a mention of this.
Also, can someone tell me that it is absolutely ok to walk on the boards once installed in this way? I’m installing 1220x320x18mm loft boards over joists that are 600mm apart.
^using the 175mm loft legs
Hi John. As far as we know, there's no benefit to adding wood glue to the tongue and groove - they form a pretty tight fit. It makes the construction very difficult to "undo" for any reason. If you're worried about air gaps, it's better to tape over the joins.
In terms of weight bearing, we tested it on site, and it's absolutely fine to walk on these boards once installed.
Staggering the joins doesn't really add much in terms of strength - it just means you'll need to cut more boards, so it might end up meaning you pay for more materials!
Thanks for the reply, greatly appreciated. My project will be full steam ahead tomorrow. Keep up the good work and thanks again for the video! 👍
@@johnallan903 I agree with the HB&R team. I insulated & boarded my loft last weekend and found slotting the boards together and fastening them to the loft legs with screws was sufficient without the need for glue.
Good call with regards to the 1220mm boards though, I bought 6000mm boards and ended up chopping them down with a jigsaw because they were heavy AF!
@@HomebuildingMagazine Surely staggering would use fewer boards and cuts. If for example you needed three 3.2m rows then not staggered you would need 6 boards and 3 cuts, wasting 3 x 2/3 boards which you cant use because the tongue and groove wouldnt line up. If you were to stagger them then you would only need 4 boards and 2 cuts. 1st row: full + 1/3 board, 2nd row: remainder of 2nd board + 2/3 board, 3rd row: remainder of 3rd board + full board.
Also staggering can avoid a weakness when you have an area just a bit longer than a board.
I'm doing it today... don't forget to pre-install screws (little bit) into loft leg, it will save you a lot of time working in the loft.
HELP! If joists are 600mm why are loft boards 1220mm!! It makes no sense - the joins will not meet at the joists. What is the solution here please?
I'm afraid the solution is saw-shaped...
Do the boards not need to be connected in a staggered fashion? I read that not doing that causes weakness at the joins? Hoping to loft leg board my loft any help would be great!
Hi Katie, as far as we know there's no need to stagger the layout of the loft boards. As the boards are supported in the middle and at both ends, they should be strong enough to take the weight of your storage boxes etc. Staggering would also mean lots more boards would need cutting! Good luck with your project :)
This is more of a comment on the insulation than the loft legs. It’s correct that to use loft lids over the lights in the room below. Surely though it’s important not to bury cables in insulation. This can cause cabling to over heat.
Do you need need to stagger the boards to make it stronger to walk on or does it no matter?
I don't think it makes *much* difference, as the strength mostly comes from the LoftLeg supports, rather than the wood itself.
@@HomebuildingMagazine another question if I may, is it fine packing plywood underneath chipboard when the does all lay level. as in plywood between loft leg and chipboard?
That sounds ok as long as the screws you use to fix the 2x boards to the Loft Leg platform are long enough - the chipboard loft boards SHOULD be strong enough without extra ply, but if you're concerned about strength I can't see why this would be an issue... it shouldn't add too much weight to the overall structure.
Can I screw the boards directly to the joist or do I need loft legs
I wouldn't. Squashing insulation decreases it's efficiency, can cause damp issues and can crack plaster if squashed too much. A friend of mine boarded straight onto the joists and the force of the insulation being pushed down onto the plaster board started creating cracks in his bedroom ceilings.
how much weight can it hold without damaging the celing
To be honest, Richard, this relies more on the strength / construction of the loft / top floor ceiling than the Loft Leg platforms. They're pretty strong - can easily support a person walking. However, as all lofts are different in their construction, you'd need a structural engineer to tell you how much load the roof joists can bear without damage to the ceiling below.
What if your loft isn’t big enough to use loft legs?.
So is it not recommended to screw the boards directly to the trusses? Do you have to raise the floor?
There's no reason you CANT do that but your home will not be thermally efficient by doing this as it's now recommended you have at least 270mm of insulation, so you'd either not have enough insulation, or crush down the existing insulation, both will waste money on your heating bill. Best to kill 2 birds with one stone and use loft legs and install extra insulation, as shown in the video.
What ^he^ said :)
How much HH did you loose?
Do you really need loft legs? My loft already has insulation... Not as thick as here but I have no problems with heat in my house and if I put loft legs in I think I'd be taking alot of head height away... Can I just lay boards onto my joists that are already there?... P.s this is purely for storage... Thanks in advance
Hi Aidan - the decision is yours of course, but laying boards over joists is likely to squash the existing insulation IF the insulation is at least 270mm deep as recommended... and squashed insulation isn't as effective. The idea isn't that you do your whole loft this way, though - just areas of storage. Best of luck!
I’d rather cross batten with 4x2 and cover that rather than having a 45cm high floor.
The loft legs aren't supposed to provide a floor, they're a storage platform. Strong enough to walk on, but not intended for use across the whole loft area.
Should there be a gap between boards and insulation for any air flow?
No gap is required, as long as the insulation is not squashed.
@@HomebuildingMagazine 10cm insulation between joists, plus 20cm insulation on top of the joists. Would you go for the 17.5cm or 30cm XL Loft Leg? Thanks.
Doesnt adding weight to the joists cause them to sag?
No, if that were true, no houses would have a first floor.
@@HomebuildingMagazine I should habe said shouldnt adding weight to joists that were only designed to hold ul the ceiling below sag due to the extra weight? Roof joists are typically thinner than flolr joists?
Typically the joists in a loft will support about 40kg/m2 of weight so providing you're storing less than this you won't need to do any additional work to strengthen the joists.
It's always a good idea to think about how you store stuff and spread the weight out over a larger area and always away from the middle of the joists (where they are likely to bend most).
If you plan on storing more than 40kg/m2 of weight up in the loft, you may need to strengthen the joists to prevent them from bending.
If you're planning on anything other than basic storage, it's probably best to consult a structural engineer.
Done everything as on yours video.
After 3 days all boards were wet from underside.
Condensation between the loft,insulation and boards.
Video doesnt tell the true.
Hi @Mkmusic20192... if the boards hadn't been here the condensation would have been on he inside of the roof structure instead (on the felt or whatever the inside of your roof structure is made of.) The boards don't cause condensation, nor amplify it, they simply give a new place for the water vapour to condense. At this time of year (early > mid January) in the UK, the outside / indoor temperatures are so different that condensation is almost inevitable unless you live in a Passivhaus. A remedy is a dehumidifier... but as it warms up outdoors the issue should disappear reasonably soon.
@@HomebuildingMagazine so you are saying this isn't a long-term problem if the boards dry out fully later?
We're saying it's not a problem that can be solved by removing the boards, or that is caused by the boards themselves. The boards may require replacing if they're damaged by condensation over time, but this would take some prolonged exposure to dampness.
That *might* be possible yes, Peter, and I can't see that it would affect the integrity of the boards too much ... but not sure how much difference it would make, though as the boards aren't in any way air-tight or blocked off at the sides. The air flow should be pretty free already.
Yes, this is a major flaw in the video. Many experts advise a 25 - 50 mm gap between the insulation and the floor board, so that an airflow can prevent condensation. Thus I cannot see that 175mm legs are useful for 275mm of insulation. You need 200 mm legs (+ the 100 mm of the original joist) to allow for this.
i dont really get why you need loft legs?i’m an electrician and I don’t recall ever having been in a loft that has loft legs fitted.the boarding just gets screwed straight onto the top of the joists
Because if you have the correct amount of insulation, it normally rises higher than the joists. Squashing it down by boarding over it reduces the effectiveness of the insulation. Over time the extra money spent on heating through heat loss will outweigh the cost of the Loft Legs.
The Northern Vince Vaughan
We all know a tidy loft never lasts long
Is this something a novice could do themselves? And when I say novice I mean I can barely put a shelf up. Great video though and seems straight forward enough
Hi Jonathan, thanks for the comments. Should be fine for a novice - it just might take you a bit longer. But none of the techniques involved are difficult, as long as you have the right bits of equipment, and are confident / comfortable moving around in your loft space, there's not much that can go wrong. Make sure to avoid any cables or pipes, and check your measurements before you screw anything in! Good luck :)
I did find this helpful but one thing is not right. the box in the loft with a note saying Lucy hats & scarfs . its full of C.D,s. Someone needs to get her told.put it in the proper box.
Haha, thanks Samantha - the day we filmed it someone mentioned that and I said "nah, don't worry, nobody will notice..."
@@HomebuildingMagazine Sorry
lose a lot of head height with this method don t you think
This is just an ad for Loft leg products, so I can't trust anything you say because you're just trying to sell something I don't need.
Why would I want to put the boards onto "loft legs" and lose almost 1ft in height? Just put the boards directly on the joists.
That's an ad
Hi Rich, yes, it's sponsored editorial content, and is labelled as such.
Why do we need goggles for this job?
I could understand if sawing open a loft hatch from below, but I'm confused about when else they would be relevant.
We recommend goggles because of the insulation fibres present in the loft, which can easily cause some serious irritation if they get near your eyes!
@@HomebuildingMagazine ah yes, fibreglass insulation can be a nuisance to work near
I don't understand the benefits of this. Looks like waste of money to me
If your loft is properly insulated, crucial in places with cold or changeable weather like the UK, the Loft Legs provide a platform for a storage area that protects your insulation and your property.