June 10, 20215 yr Hi All I really love that this community exists and i can ask for advice I am looking to board my Loft to use as storage/server room. i have been looking at my options and can really do with some advice. so what i know so far is that i would like to board the whole loft this is to keep the dust levels down. the size would be approx 12m x 7m. i have from what i can see 200mm of insulation up there and this has been the focus of my attention. I know that i have to raise the floor so that it doesn't crush the insulation. but this is where i am torn. I am unsure if i should use Loft legs a and place 18mm Caber T&G on top. or should I use timber to build a frame to put the floor on? the house was built in 2000 and the existing beams up there look to be 4 x 2s. i can screw the loft legs to them and place the floor on top. or i can build another 4 x 2 frame in the other direction and use that. what would be best for me to do and how would i manage the insulation? with the loft legs there is no issue its going to raise it above and i have no issues. but if i go down the timber frame route i have to consider the insulation as its 200mm so i will need to maybe replace it for 100mm in one direction and 100mm in the other? my issue with the loft legs is how sturdy will the floor be on the legs? im unsure about which way to proceed but also don't want to pay a fortune. i have already got a Fakro Loft Ladder which i can fit. Some advice would be great Edited June 10, 20215 yr by sohail
June 10, 20215 yr It’s really about putting stress on ceiling joists which are not meant to be used as floor joists , if you use legs, the point loads may be a bit high for the ceilings joists whereas additional timbers will spread the load a bit. Also depends what you put up there (load).
June 10, 20215 yr I placed additional 200x50mm timbers across the joists around the area to be floored to create a "box". I also tied these in to the existing angle rafters that connected to the purlins. This helped spread the loads around a bit. If you are placing anything very heavy up there, try to have it at the edge or corner of the room, or above a supporting wall, rather in the middle of the timber spans. This is why cold water tanks are nearly always placed in the corner eves or on top of a supporting wall.
June 10, 20215 yr Author 1 hour ago, Conor said: I placed additional 200x50mm timbers across the joists around the area to be floored to create a "box". I also tied these in to the existing angle rafters that connected to the purlins. This helped spread the loads around a bit. If you are placing anything very heavy up there, try to have it at the edge or corner of the room, or above a supporting wall, rather in the middle of the timber spans. This is why cold water tanks are nearly always placed in the corner eves or on top of a supporting wall. which 200 x 50mm timber did you use i would imagine that becoming very expensive?
June 10, 20215 yr 1 hour ago, sohail said: which 200 x 50mm timber did you use i would imagine that becoming very expensive? Just standard carcassing. I costed it up and there wasn't much difference in using 100% loft legs or timber / 50% loft legs. I did it mostly for the stability of the boards. Didn't trust the plastic legs on their own! Plus I formed a step around the loft hatch and a handrail.
June 11, 20215 yr Author 13 hours ago, Conor said: Just standard carcassing. I costed it up and there wasn't much difference in using 100% loft legs or timber / 50% loft legs. I did it mostly for the stability of the boards. Didn't trust the plastic legs on their own! Plus I formed a step around the loft hatch and a handrail. OK i have been leaning towards this but the timber from what i can see is really expensive, where did you buy it from and how did you fix it to the beams? did you jut screw through them into the beam? more importantly what do i do with the insulation? simply put the 200mm i have in the tracks i make?
June 11, 20215 yr 2 minutes ago, sohail said: OK i have been leaning towards this but the timber from what i can see is really expensive, where did you buy it from and how did you fix it to the beams? did you jut screw through them into the beam? more importantly what do i do with the insulation? simply put the 200mm i have in the tracks i make? It was about three years ago when timber was cheap, even from B&Q. Just screws at an angle. From memory I only need a couple lengths as the area was only about 2x4m. I kept the 100mm insulation between the joists and put 200mm across.
June 11, 20215 yr Author 2 minutes ago, Conor said: It was about three years ago when timber was cheap, even from B&Q. Just screws at an angle. From memory I only need a couple lengths as the area was only about 2x4m. I kept the 100mm insulation between the joists and put 200mm across. OK great thanks for all your advice its really helping. I keep hearing about issues with condensation is there anything i need to be weary about?
June 11, 20215 yr Don't block any vents, don't stuff insulation right in to the eaves. No further than the edge of the wall. Keep all insulation in the floor. Keep the loft sealed from the rest of the house - e.g. minimise gaps around the ceiling light fittings, fit a sealed loft hatch.
June 11, 20215 yr Author 14 minutes ago, Conor said: Don't block any vents, don't stuff insulation right in to the eaves. No further than the edge of the wall. Keep all insulation in the floor. Keep the loft sealed from the rest of the house - e.g. minimise gaps around the ceiling light fittings, fit a sealed loft hatch. got it ?
June 11, 20215 yr I have areas of my loft boarded using loft legs above a couple of layers of insulation. But not the flimsy clip over ones that are common in the likes of B&Q, the sturdier type like this: Raise Loft Floor Above Insulation | London, UK | Loft Leg I'd recommend them. Just be mindful what you are storing as weight soon adds up.
July 28, 20215 yr Author Just digging this up again with the amount of insulation i have i have derided to use 4x2 it gives me plenty of height without loosing too much headroom. what would be the best way to screw them down through the side at an angle or straight down? are there any recommended screws to use?
July 28, 20215 yr Using screws at an angle will be fine, they only need to hold it in place, gravity and the boards above will hold it in place. 80mm should b fine.
July 28, 20215 yr Author 25 minutes ago, joe90 said: Using screws at an angle will be fine, they only need to hold it in place, gravity and the boards above will hold it in place. 80mm should b fine. Excellent thanks would something like this do? https://www.selcobw.com/spax-yellox-wood-screws-5-x-80mm-pack-200
July 28, 20215 yr 35 minutes ago, sohail said: Excellent thanks would something like this do? https://www.selcobw.com/spax-yellox-wood-screws-5-x-80mm-pack-200 Yup, Spax are good ?
August 9, 20215 yr Also consider making "I" beams (Z beams) using some OSB and thin sticks if the layout is amenable. Say 250*2500*9mm OSB screwed every 300 to the side of the existing truss at ceiling level - including the bottom beam of the truss - then say a 38*63 mm batten to the side of the OSB at the top with the existing truss and the OSB screwed to it. Now you have an "I joist" that doesn't bend and you can run insulation between.
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