Hello,
I am diy renovating my first house a victorian 1890 semi detached - it is quite the experience!
I am currently looking at the 1st floor ceiling which is lath and plaster with joists at 330mm centers measuring 40mm x 94mm. During the 1st lock down I installed a loft hatch and borderd out a sizeable area 4mx6mish with a loft zone kit over the central brick wall between the two main bedrooms. During the installation I noticed that the joists had sagged in the center of the rooms, room 1 with a larger span of 3.4mx4.2m and room 2 measuring 3.2mx3.5m room 1 required 50mm of packers at the center of the joist in the center of the room to create a level surface and room 2 required 20mm of packers at the center of the joist in the center of the room.
When walking on room 1 side of the loft boarded area you can feel it is a bit springy and on room 2 side it is quite secure. Room 1 additionally has cracks that have been repaired in the lath and plaster ceiling by a previous owner while room 2 only has a crack in a straight line near the Chimney breast, roughly one joist into the room.
I am looking to strip the internal exterior walls of room 2 and fit celotex panels but would like to remove or overboard the ceiling to allow for a nice finish, currently popcorn - my question is will I need to strengthen the joists? I should mention that the joists for room 1 and 2 are not continus and sit next to each other on the cental wall, the extent of the bowing can be seen here with either end of the joist looking raised up creating a squashed x shape if viewed in profile. On this basis that they are not continus can I also do any strengthening repairs at different times? I.e. Sister joists onto the joists of room 2 and then do room 1 at a later date?
I would appreciate any advice that can be given thanks - CVHO (clueless victorian house owner)
In 2019 I had the roof fully stripped of the original slates and retiled with new slates and felted if this makes any difference
I am diy renovating my first house a victorian 1890 semi detached - it is quite the experience!
I am currently looking at the 1st floor ceiling which is lath and plaster with joists at 330mm centers measuring 40mm x 94mm. During the 1st lock down I installed a loft hatch and borderd out a sizeable area 4mx6mish with a loft zone kit over the central brick wall between the two main bedrooms. During the installation I noticed that the joists had sagged in the center of the rooms, room 1 with a larger span of 3.4mx4.2m and room 2 measuring 3.2mx3.5m room 1 required 50mm of packers at the center of the joist in the center of the room to create a level surface and room 2 required 20mm of packers at the center of the joist in the center of the room.
When walking on room 1 side of the loft boarded area you can feel it is a bit springy and on room 2 side it is quite secure. Room 1 additionally has cracks that have been repaired in the lath and plaster ceiling by a previous owner while room 2 only has a crack in a straight line near the Chimney breast, roughly one joist into the room.
I am looking to strip the internal exterior walls of room 2 and fit celotex panels but would like to remove or overboard the ceiling to allow for a nice finish, currently popcorn - my question is will I need to strengthen the joists? I should mention that the joists for room 1 and 2 are not continus and sit next to each other on the cental wall, the extent of the bowing can be seen here with either end of the joist looking raised up creating a squashed x shape if viewed in profile. On this basis that they are not continus can I also do any strengthening repairs at different times? I.e. Sister joists onto the joists of room 2 and then do room 1 at a later date?
I would appreciate any advice that can be given thanks - CVHO (clueless victorian house owner)
In 2019 I had the roof fully stripped of the original slates and retiled with new slates and felted if this makes any difference
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