The whole loft scenario

[JimKW]

OK here goes.
I'm not a builder by any description but I'll have a go at most things provided I'm sure things are ok.
To set the scene:
I want to board my loft to use as a general storage area, boxes and such, nothing heavier than me.
I have a timber framed house which seams very sturdy but the joists in the loft are very shallow, 2" shallow in fact. I can stand on them without feeling any movemet, but I suppose that doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.
I want to pull out the old mineral fibre insulation and tidy things up before dropping in new stuff.
Insulation regs say 200mm which is a real pain for me as the joists are only 50mm so increasing the height is going to be a laff.
I came up with an idea to use YBS super quilt, 25mm thick but with properties of 200mm fibre, great....not.
YBS original told me it was fine to use, but then (after I had bought £1400 worth) told me that it can only be attached on the pitched section and cannot lay flat in between the joists on the floor..er..ceiling..whatever.
The frames in the loft are W shaped, if that means anything to anyone, and the electric cables run over the top of the joists....another pain.
Ok, scene set...now for questions.

Should I give up now as my loft just won't take it? (I'll still re-insulate, just not board)

How can/should I raise the effective height of the joists to combat the cabling/insulation depth problem?

I now know super quilt has got to go on the pitch but can loft quilt sold by screwfix be laid flat as a replacement to mineral fibre?

Does anyone want to buy 6 unopened rolls of super quilt off me for £1200 if I can't use it hehe?

Why is it that vitrually everyone I know store things in the loft but lofts only ever designed to hold the roof up?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Jim

 

[Static]

Lofts are designed for general storage, or have been for last 30 odd years. When you say your ceiling joists are 50mm deep are you sure? that seems awful small, that sort of size would be VERY bouncy and liable to fail. What age is the property, and can you take some photos.

 

[JimKW]

Thanks for the reply.
The property is around 15 years old, it's a timber frame set up.
It's more thermally sound than any of the standard double brick with cavity, houses I've lived in. But it's a pain trying to hang anything on the walls as they are all plasterboard, and I do mean all, even the external walls. But then it's easy to change a single socket to a double just by using a stanley knife hehe.
The roof joists are very narrow/shallow, but I assume the W frame accounts for alot of the integrity. I'll double check the dimesions when I get home tonight, but I know the current 100mm insulation sits higher that the top of the joists.
I can get some photo's, how do I attach then to the furum posting??
Our water tank is up in the loft spaced over 2 joists and that set up will weigh around 20-25 kilos.

 

[Static]

I would be suprised to see less than 100x50 joists unless you have a very small roof.

 

[Julii]

I might want to buy some of that insulation off of you, Jim, seriously!
But am still figuring what options we have.

 

[shaunthebuilder2]

THE ROOF TYPE YOU HAVE IS CALLED A TRUSS FRAME ROOF AND SHOULD NOT BE USED TO STORE ANY WEIGHT AS THE W SHAPE DESIGN AS YOU STATE IS PRE LOADED AND ANY DOWN FORCE ON A LATERAL STRING EG CEILING JOIST CAN DISTORT THE ROOF. SMALL AMOUNTS OF WEIGHT CAN BE DISPERSED OVER THE STUD WALLS BUT MAKE SURE THE JOISTS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE WALLS LIKE YOUR WATER TANK SHOULD BE

HOPE THIS HELPS


SHAUNTHEBUILDER2