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Loft Height 2.15m - Any creative solutions?


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Hi all

 

We are really keen to get a hip to gable loft conversion done on our 1930s semi detached house. We had a company come in who measured the height from top of joists to ridge using a laser. They said the height is about 2.15m and that the only way to get the 2m clearance would be to lower the ceilings below. Whilst I am not averse to paying the additional cost to do this. The hassle of having to renovate all the rooms below and having to move out of the house is putting me off. Are there any creative solutions to do the conversion and maintain the required clearance?

 

Many thanks


Omar

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I doubt that your existing ceiling joists on the first floor will be man enough to become the floor joists of your new second floor. Normally much larger joists are placed inbetween the existing ceiling joists in order to form a new floor. So i doubt that at 2.15m you have enough height for a loft conversion that would give you a 2m internal floor to ceiling height.

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3 hours ago, Omariqy said:

Hi all

 

We are really keen to get a hip to gable loft conversion done on our 1930s semi detached house. We had a company come in who measured the height from top of joists to ridge using a laser. They said the height is about 2.15m and that the only way to get the 2m clearance would be to lower the ceilings below. Whilst I am not averse to paying the additional cost to do this. The hassle of having to renovate all the rooms below and having to move out of the house is putting me off. Are there any creative solutions to do the conversion and maintain the required clearance?

 

Many thanks


Omar

Where are they intending to use more than 150mm?

 

Even allowing for a makeup of insulation and PB I cannot see it needing to be greater than 150mm especially if you can make up for it in thicker insulation in other parts of the build.

 

Even allow a worst case of 25mm for the floor makeup.

 

If they are clever with their insulation calcs they can increase it on the sloped sections etc. letting them reduce it on the flat section, also you have your rafter thickness, even allowing for a 25mm air gap you should still have space for a decent wedge of insulation in there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Are you allowed to have a ridge beam bridging the  insulation in a loft these days?  eg Is Option (c) "Beam at Ridge" with insulation between the rafters allowed?

 

 

1983810115_RidgeBeam.jpg.a6a0140376c49093d2a4829a457b3e09.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

I doubt that your existing ceiling joists on the first floor will be man enough to become the floor joists of your new second floor. Normally much larger joists are placed inbetween the existing ceiling joists in order to form a new floor. So i doubt that at 2.15m you have enough height for a loft conversion that would give you a 2m internal floor to ceiling height.

He will if they put in new engineered or metal joists in between and just slightly higher than the existing.

 

It can probably be done, there is just not enough thinking happening.

 

Another consideration is replacing the ridge with a smaller steel - can be done from the inside.

 

Not my original ideas but a very clever structural engineer friend of mine who gets things working in tight spaces!

 

 

 

 

Edited by Carrerahill
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34 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

I doubt that your existing ceiling joists on the first floor will be man enough to become the floor joists of your new second floor. Normally much larger joists are placed inbetween the existing ceiling joists in order to form a new floor. So i doubt that at 2.15m you have enough height for a loft conversion that would give you a 2m internal floor to ceiling height.

That is what I have been told but was just wondering if they were missing a trick. 

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20 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

He will if they put in new engineered or metal joists in between and just slightly higher than the existing.

 

It can probably be done, there is just not enough thinking happening.

 

Another consideration is replacing the ridge with a smaller steel - can be done from the inside.

 

Not my original ideas but a very clever structural engineer friend of mine who gets things working in tight spaces!

 

 

 

 

I need to find a creative structural engineer in the Midlands!

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18 hours ago, Carrerahill said:

He will if they put in new engineered or metal joists in between and just slightly higher than the existing.

 

It can probably be done, there is just not enough thinking happening.

 

Another consideration is replacing the ridge with a smaller steel - can be done from the inside.

 

Not my original ideas but a very clever structural engineer friend of mine who gets things working in tight spaces!

 

 

 

 

Does he work in the Midlands by any chance?

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On 12/10/2021 at 16:15, Omariqy said:

I need to find a creative structural engineer in the Midlands!

Find a small independent SE and talk to him about dropping in metal between the existing and underslinging them from steels across the house (which can be put in in sections and bolted up).

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