Loft legs or new timber frame

[danlightbulb]

I know this has come up before and Ive read some of the previous threads on the matter.

My 1930s house has 3x2 ceiling joists. But, there are also lots of internal brick supporting walls which stretch all the way up to the loft space that I can use as well if I wanted to sit on some new 6x2s and make a whole new floor.

It will only be for storage, but if loft legs increase point loads on the existing ceiling and I can take this away from using new 6x2's on the supporting walls directly, then I have zero risk of any point load ceiling issues.

Even a 6x2 on top of a 3x2 gives only 225mm of insulation space though meaning 270mm of insulation would be compressed into a 225mm space. I'd have to go 2x8 on top of the existing 3x2 joists to get an uncompressed 270mm of insulation in there. The cost of using timber will therefore be considerable as I'll need 400-600mm joist spacing to use with the tongue and groove OSB loft flooring.

From previous threads it seems like there is little consensus - some like loft legs some like full on timber. How do I decide what is best for my specific application?

 

[hllns]

For loft legs installed at the recommended spacing I don't see how the point loading fears work out, if it were a concern I don't think the joists I was standing on would be able to support my weight either.

 

[Mister Banks]

I used loftzone.

StoreFloor Kits | LoftZone Loft Boarding UK

LoftZone StoreFloor Kits are an award-winning loft boarding system designed for raised loft flooring. Our kits are lightweight, strong and simple to use.

www.loftzone.co.uk

 

[cdbe]

Just pack up the bearings of the new joists, and for a bit of loft access and storage you could get away with over spanning them a bit.

 

[pcaouolte]

Loft legs are fine when installed as the manufacturers instructions. How many reports have you ever seen of loft legs collapsing? I have them, I weigh more than 16 stone and I can walk around in the loft without them moving or collapsing.