Hi there (bit of a essay but bare with me please)
I've read most of the threads on lofts and insulation but i have a few questions that i hope someone can help me with, i am wanting to board out my loft the house is a 1912 end terrace the joist are 3 x 2 that run from front to back there is a join in the middle where they sit on the centre wall of the house i wanted to raise exsisting joists with 3 x 2 add more insulation and board with 8 x 2 chipboard, problem is the joist are not level there are 12 joists in total and when i laid a piece of 3 x 2 at 90 degrees sitting on joists 1 to 7 there is a big sag in the joists(in one quarter of the loft space) of 3.5 inches at the max so much so one of the joist hangers has split away from the rafter above, i can stand on them and there is very little movement so they seem pretty safe or is that wishful thinking?. So i'm stuck with all the wood and a big problem it seems???? The room beneath has had a false palsterboard ceiling put in it seems to cover up the problem so raising it would mean taking the ceiling down which i did'nt want to do really so here's my questions
1. Should i board the level half that sits on the centre wall and support the joist with 2 x 2 hangers screwed into the purlins (would this be safe worried this side will end up like the other) giving me 15ft x 8ft of storage and leave other half well alone.
2. Or should i risk trying to cross batten the sag in the hope that the screws will lift the joists up to it or am i playing with fire?
3. If you cut a section out of a joist then crossbatten to the two adjacent joists to enlarge a hatch will this a) weaken the ceiling? b)do you need permission will it devalue the house stupid question i know when half my house sagging but still a question?
any scrap of help with this would be great as i'm starting to freak out and thanks in advance.
Mark
I've read most of the threads on lofts and insulation but i have a few questions that i hope someone can help me with, i am wanting to board out my loft the house is a 1912 end terrace the joist are 3 x 2 that run from front to back there is a join in the middle where they sit on the centre wall of the house i wanted to raise exsisting joists with 3 x 2 add more insulation and board with 8 x 2 chipboard, problem is the joist are not level there are 12 joists in total and when i laid a piece of 3 x 2 at 90 degrees sitting on joists 1 to 7 there is a big sag in the joists(in one quarter of the loft space) of 3.5 inches at the max so much so one of the joist hangers has split away from the rafter above, i can stand on them and there is very little movement so they seem pretty safe or is that wishful thinking?. So i'm stuck with all the wood and a big problem it seems???? The room beneath has had a false palsterboard ceiling put in it seems to cover up the problem so raising it would mean taking the ceiling down which i did'nt want to do really so here's my questions
1. Should i board the level half that sits on the centre wall and support the joist with 2 x 2 hangers screwed into the purlins (would this be safe worried this side will end up like the other) giving me 15ft x 8ft of storage and leave other half well alone.
2. Or should i risk trying to cross batten the sag in the hope that the screws will lift the joists up to it or am i playing with fire?
3. If you cut a section out of a joist then crossbatten to the two adjacent joists to enlarge a hatch will this a) weaken the ceiling? b)do you need permission will it devalue the house stupid question i know when half my house sagging but still a question?
any scrap of help with this would be great as i'm starting to freak out and thanks in advance.
Mark
