Fire board ceilings?

[Kevfrodsham]

Hello everyone,

We are in the process of buying a 1930's semi, with a view to converting the loft. All the ceilings upstairs require boarding and skimming but I am curious to find out if to if I am required to fire board all second floor ceilings or if the floor can be fire proofed in the loft to satisfy regs?

Thanks for the help

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Is it plasterboard or lath and plaster?

 

[Kevfrodsham]

Currently it is lath and plaster with artex. Rather that rip it all down, I was debating on lowering ceiling and skimming in order to decorate the children's rooms as soon as possible.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Typically rockwool suspended on chicken wire will meet the regs for lath and plaster. No need to rip it down or underboard it.

 

[Kevfrodsham]

Thanks Freddie, the artex is in a very bad state with considerable cracks so will have to be replaced. The rockwool, would that be in addition to other insulation or instead of? Would my loft floor require raising more thus resulting in loss of head space?

 

[Ian H]

Your loft joists are likely to be an 8x2 rather than a 3x2 what's there now so you will loose headheight.

If you chose to drop all the ceilings you could lower them at the same time to gain height in the loft.

First thing I would do is get a recommendation for someone to do your plans, then speak to a structural engineer. I didn't do that and ended up regretting it.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Your loft joists are likely to be an 8x2 rather than a 3x2 what's there now so you will loose headheight.

Why? I've never done a lofty where we lowered the ceiling. Maybe if existing ceiling height is generous and if the loft ceiling will be inhibited and money is not short but otherwise you wouldn't do that.

 

[Ian H]

I'm saying if he puts a new loft floor made of 8x2's over the extisting 3x2's he will loose head height in the loft. A minimum of 6" if the new ones run parallel with the old ones.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes I know what you are saying but its rarely necessary, its costly and a monumental disturbance to a house that's being lived in.

 

[Ian H]

It might not be nessasary on his house, I'm just mentioning it as an option.

We dropped the ceilings upstairs so lowered them with the new loft floor at the same time. But we were not too bothered about moving in fast and didn't live there at the time.

 

[chappers]

Just overboard and skim