Loft Floor Beams - laying one on top of another?

[Rockfordk]

The floor beams/joists in my loft are 4 inches deep. I have partially boarded out the loft over the supporting walls, but wanted to make more use of the space. In the past when I have walked on the beams it has started to crack the ceilings downstairs.
If I put, say 4 or 6 inch beams on top of the existing 4 inch ones, would that have the same effect as having a 8 or 10 inch beam, or would the extra weight just put more strain on my existing 4 inch ones.
Ultimately I was hoping to convert but I have, what i believe is called, an A frame. The beams come down from the top with a piece across from one side to the other about half way down. Can some of these be removed and replaced with an alternative?
Hope someone can help!

 

[Chukka63]

putting 2/4" timbers on top of eachother will not be as strong as an 8" timber

 

[Rockfordk]

Thanks for that. Would yousay it would still be better than just one 4 inch or just put more strain on it?

 

[DIYWell]

Ok, multiple questions here ...

The floor beams/joists in my loft are 4 inches deep. I have partially boarded out the loft over the supporting walls, but wanted to make more use of the space. In the past when I have walked on the beams it has started to crack the ceilings downstairs.
If I put, say 4 or 6 inch beams on top of the existing 4 inch ones, would that have the same effect as having a 8 or 10 inch beam, or would the extra weight just put more strain on my existing 4 inch ones.

The answer is no, not unless you bond the two peices together and probably screw/bolt at regular intervals to prevent movement.

If you are trying to make a simple storage platform, you might be better thinking about putting the timbers across the trusses rather than along them. Also you don't say what the truss spacing is - 600mm is common in newer houses, 12" ro 16" in older.

Just remember that all that extra weight has to go somewhere, and that includes the extra weight of the timber you lug up there.

If the cracking concerns you, and depending on the span of the trusses and what's underneath them, you might want to ask a builder about adding noggins between the trusses to add some rigidity to the structure.

Ultimately I was hoping to convert but I have, what i believe is called, an A frame. The beams come down from the top with a piece across from one side to the other about half way down. Can some of these be removed and replaced with an alternative?
Hope someone can help!

If you take the horizontals out, your roof will be a floor come stron winds or snow. Those beams tie the sides of your roof together to prevent it simply flattening.

A loft conversion may be a very expensive exercise. Quick way to find out is to contact a loft conversion company and ask for a free loft assessment.

And if all else fails, phone your local Building Controls department at the council and ask for some advice. They really are quite helpful mainly because they hate the paperwork that goes with a collapsed house.