Building regs on stairways support

[ucsl2011]

I would like to install a stairway into my loft from the first floor. The height of the loft is only 2 metres to the ridge. I do not have many options to where the stairway lands other than the centre of the loft. I have uploaded a bmp of where the best location for the stairway would be. This is not the finished design but just gives an idea where the stairway would sit in an existing plan.

As you can see the stairway runs adjacent to the bathroom and turns left before a supporting wall. The stairway is 41 degrees and will achieve the 2metre headroom limit. The only dilema I have is will I be able to support this where it is now located to meet building requirements.

Untitled

• ucsl2011
• 26 Mar 2011
• 1

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If you have only 2m to the underside of the ridge you're gonna end up with no practical space in the loft. Are you doing this as a loft conversion to the regs?

 

[ucsl2011]

From the floor to the ridge is 2metres, the plan is to convert into a kids bedroom. A few of my neighbours have already converted their lofts and have achieved building regs however my house has diffrent layout.

Here is one possible sollution if its viable shown on this image. Turn the stairs right and attach to the load bearing walls of the bathroom and then support the ceiling with a beam's as shown underneath it's a bit more work than I plannned but could be a solution.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You realise you're highly likely gonna have to increase the size of your floor joists (increasing your Floor-Floor height) and insulate beneath the rafters too BTW?

 

[ucsl2011]

It's already been done, the floor is sufficient I need to know if you can support the ceiling in the way I have designed it to meet building regs and distance.

 

[geraldthehamster]

It's already been done, the floor is sufficient I need to know if you can support the ceiling in the way I have designed it to meet building regs and distance.

Why not ask the Building Control Officer who will be signing all this off?

Cheers
Richard

 

[DevilDamo]

Or employ a structural engineer who would be able to give you a yes or no and provide details/calculations to the LABC if they're requested?

 

[ucsl2011]

I would love to pay for a structural engineer to give me all the answers however I have a child on the way and don't have that kind of money to pay for one. I am sure their is enougth literature on the internet to find out if no one can help.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If I were you,

I'd start a new thread in the Building Section of the Forum, as you seem to be able to draw, draw up your existing joist layout in plan form in the vicinity of your stair opening, mark on the sizes and centres of the joists, which walls are loadbearing etc and dot on the size and shape of the hole you want to make.

Paste a link to this thread at the end of your new thread to give additional background info.

We can't tell you how to trim the hole without this info.

 

[big-all]

From the floor to the ridge is 2metres, the plan is to convert into a kids bedroom. A few of my neighbours have already converted their lofts and have achieved building regs however my house has diffrent layout.

Here is one possible sollution if its viable shown on this image. Turn the stairs right and attach to the load bearing walls of the bathroom and then support the ceiling with a beam's as shown underneath it's a bit more work than I plannned but could be a solution.

whilst your drawings are petty they show several joists on the right hand side that are floating in mid air with no support
the ones on the left hand side need a structural calculation as you are trying to support several joists from one requiring extra support or extra strength up to or above the level required to support the weight
if you give the timber sizes spans involved along with the centres you will be part way towards getting a useful answer
your design would require walls and or steels each side off the staircase
unfortunatlly you need to involve a structural engineer because off the problems i have pointed out above

 

[ucsl2011]

To Big Head All

The drawing that was done on AutoCAD 2009 that costs approx £4000 drawn to a 1:1 scale is only indicative to show the orientation and where I will support the stairway, and if you can open your mind a little and pretend their is no wall at the front of the house and if ou like pretend they are special anti gravity joists and float in mid air.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

To Big Head All

The drawing that was done on AutoCAD 2009 that costs approx £4000 drawn to a 1:1 scale is only indicative to show the orientation and where I will support the stairway, and if you can open your mind a little and pretend their is no wall at the front of the house and if ou like pretend they are special anti gravity joists and float in mid air.

This is not the way to get help! If you want help you will do as has been recommended!

 

[big-all]

To Big Head All

The drawing that was done on AutoCAD 2009 that costs approx £4000 drawn to a 1:1 scale is only indicative to show the orientation and where I will support the stairway, and if you can open your mind a little and pretend their is no wall at the front of the house and if ou like pretend they are special anti gravity joists and float in mid air.

big head definitely not
big beer bell definitely yes
helpful definitely yes
confused in this occasion definitely yes

 

[tkmax]

God help the BCO that gets this job

 

[freddiemercurystwin]