How to support a loft floor for an attic conversion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- There are a lot of cowboy loft storage companies who do not strengthen your loft before boarding it out. What is the single most important thing these systems are missing? Find out in this video how to board out your loft for storage the structural engineer's way.
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I am a Chartered Civil Engineer with a specialism in Structural Engineering. While I try to be correct and to present useful information, this video is just for entertainment and educational purposes. You will need to seek professional help on your individual project:
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It is good to see that you are back producing videos again. Most informative as always. It would be useful if you could do a video on the design of a traditional cut rafter roof and also the design of a hipped roof?
Thanks David. It's good to be back!
Excellent video, very informative but.. It's a bit unfair with the "cowboy loft storage companies".. We do quite a bit of work in both truss roof houses and older hand cut roof houses. When we offer to do the job properly by ensuring there is more strength in the exsisting ceiling the cost goes up and we almost always loose out to other firms.. If we just offer the customer a timber raise and slap some boards on top we normally win the job.
People only seem to care about how much it costs, wether or not it's safe doesn't come into it!! You wouldn't belive the amout of people we quote that say "cant you just nail the boards the the joists?" or "why raise the floor when you can just cut out of the joists for cables". Clearly we refuse but that's what we have to deal with with our customers.
I've been in more truss roof houses than I'd like to mention where the owner, or worse, the actual builder, has cut through trussess to fit the loft hatch in then they complain that their ceiling has cracked!!!
The market (IE the customers) push companies to do a "cowboy" job becasue they just don't want to pay to do it properly.
That's great insight. I totally understand where you're coming from. Get in touch - I may have something of interest for you.
Would love to see a video on how to do a conversion of a steel trussed roof built in the 1950's, with no load bearing internal walls upstairs. Without taking the roof off.
Great model. Is that all done on sketchup? You must have put in a few hours to be so proficient with it!
Dropping the new floor joists down and in-between the existing ceiling joist is a nice idea but typically the ceiling joist level void is filled with all manner of services (cabling, wiring and pipework) that would prevent this.
Another Excellent Video
Existing Joist sizes are the main concern, older houses had small joists
New builds are all min 9 x 2 as a rule of thumb due to room sizing
Your videos should be used in technical colleges as a learning aid
Brilliant as usual Robin
Great videos.
If this was a terrace house how would you fix the flitch beams to the side walls ?
Hi Robin. Another really clear demonstration in what's needed in engineering a ceiling in to floor space. Would you happen to have any videos demonstrating how to do a similar installation of a 'steel' beam or 'flitch beam, in to an existing floor below allowing that space below to be opened up. As an example; changing the existing timber bearers that are supported on piers at 1800 cts, for steel 'UB' or 'flitch' Beam, that could span 4.0m, supported upon brick piers either side. By the way, is there a method that would enable that UB beam , or a 'flitch beam', to be inserted up between the floor joists to create more head room without creating too much drama, as it is a lived in space with a kitchen above. Or would it simply be best to excavate more earth below to create that needed head space. Thanks Robin. Of course almost anything is possible with enough money and time splashed at it but this question is about trying to do something as cheaply as possible.
cool. Tell us, what have you put between the flitch and internal load bearing wall that you use to support it. A padstone of some kind
Hi, do you have any videos on mansard lofts.thank you
To create the flitch beam could the existing Binder beam, that's set in the gable ends, be used? Could you just sandwich your new steel between the binder & the new length of timber to create the flitch beam?
Hi Scott. Yes you could, if it is in the right place.
Would this still be possible with a fink truss roof?
isn't it possible to use the existing joist hangers (ceiling binders) instead of putting new RSJ or flitched beams? Also, it is possible to splice joint flitched beams?
Great video. What is the connection between the fitch beam and the wall?
It would be supported on a padstone or if the load isn't too great, a high strength steel hanger.
@@RobindeJongh Does it mean it needs to be fitted through the gable wall? Can the flitch beam be assembled on the loft?
@@RobindeJongh thanks for the reply. Is there any reason why the flooring can't span between the existing joists instead of the flitch beam? Cheers
Do you need a party wall agreement to fit this fitch beam for a semi-detached house? Does using a high strength stell hanger rather than a padstone make a difference? Do you need one to put shelving into that wall.
Hi there
I've been thinking of creating space in my loft for a long time now but I'm not syre of how to go about it
I would really like to do it myself for the experience
And to cut down the cost
I enjoy DIY too
Oh my loft looks nothing like a standard loft
If you like I'll send you some pictures
Hello Robin I have watched my of your video clips and they have been a great help, thankyou. one question you keep referring a loft conversion to a storage space and not a living space is there a difference on how you convert the loft space?
Hi Brian. Some videos are just converting the floor for storage. For habitable space usually you also support the roof and add in additional rafters and insulation. Also additional staircase regulations / fire regs, etc.
thank you for your reply Robin. I don't suppose you have vids on fire regs you explain them very well.@@RobindeJongh
Thank you for great video. Can you attach shelving to gable wall or do you need to also include that in SE calculation?
Usually no need for calculation
Can you use 2x4s from ceiling rafters to hang as support to ceiling joist? would that be too much weight?
Hi. Happy to take specific questions on your project here: www.robindejongh.com/ask-the-structural-engineer
Hi, thank you for the time you take out to make these videos. Some companies just lay 4 by 3 timber down, nail that to the beams on the floor then put flooring down on that. Is that ok for light storage or will it causes problems?
Hi Peter. Do these companies provide structural calculations? It's a structural renovation so their work needs to be checked by building control.
@@RobindeJongh thanks for the reply. Does this apply for just loft boarding for storage?
A flitch beam. How thick dose the steel have to be and dose it have a be one continuous length or can it be in sections. Could it be that you could weld two short sessions together.
Cracking videos.👍
Hi Anthony. It has to be a continuous length. See my video on flitch beams here, and the next in the series showing how to size one: th-cam.com/video/hy0-zljOcbw/w-d-xo.html
@@RobindeJongh thanks 😊. But would it be possible to butt weld them together as I don't have the space or the man power to lift a 4meter length of steel into my loft space.
@@anthonybrown7959it’s not safe to carry out welding in a loft space. It’s better to remove a small section of roofing and tiles and slide in a beam
these are excellent videos. can I ask what software you use to make them.
Glad you like them Steven! geni.us/sketchup
Where R u based, I'm in need of a se
What is this program you are using?
Hi Burak. It's geni.us/sketchup
@@RobindeJongh thank you
So you’re telling me I have to get 4m joists up through the loft hatch?!
Well, do you want to convert the loft or don't you?
@@RobindeJongh not really. Probably only going to board it out for storage.