Lower Ceiling advice wtd,

[compact]

I'm looking to lower the ceilings to gain extra headroom in the attic.
I'm thinking anything up to 12inches as the rooms have good height.

Questions:
1) The inner skin of bricks are loose, broken etc. I presumer these need to be repointed, replaced etc. Is this something for an average DIY'er (never really laid bricks before) or better call in the experts?

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• 11 Jun 2012
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(I will most likely have to replace the wooden lintel over the window)

2) Which is the better approach, cut out slots in the brickwork (or build in when re pointing) to take the joists. Or bolt beams onto the wall and use hangers for the joists?

3) I'm guessing this wooden beam will need replacing due to new building regs, if I end up having the lowered ceiling joists sitting on top of it, or will it still be strong enough???

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• 11 Jun 2012
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Thanks

 

[tony1851]

Lowering the ceiling is occasionally done to achieve greater headroom in the loft. There are various ways of supporting the new (lower) floor joists depending on the state of the existing structure; you can firmly bolt beams to the walls, and joist-hanger the new joists off those, or you could put in steel beams to carry the joists. Cutting holes in the brickwork doesn't look a good proposition judging by the state of your brickwork.
However, that is only one of the problems. Once you remove the existing ceiling joists, you will remove the triangulation of the roof, and there will be a tendency for the rafters to 'spread' and push out on the front and back walls.
You will need to devise a scheme of tying-back the rafter feet to prevent this happening.
Most loft conversions involve considerable structural work, and you really need to speak to a SE; you will almost certainly need structural calcs to give to Building Control.

 

[compact]

Yep, will be speaking to an architect and SE, just getting to ideas up front on how to do things beforehand.

Any thoughts on how people stop the spread.

Some more details on what I am planning.

On the front sloping of the roof, I'll be mainly leaving it as is, with a couple of Velux windows.
At the rear I am looking to make the whole roof into a dormer.
I presume I will have to put a steel in at the apex to build off.
Where it meets the rear outside wall, will I be able to build the wooden frame up off that wall?

Are there any good sites with plans for dormer lofts I can look at to get ideas?

I will be talking to loft companies as well, but wish to gain as much info beforehand.

Thanks