Weights in the loft

[Tony 1]

Hi was just wondering if i would be able to put/use my gym work bench and dumb bells in the loft. The loft has been partly converted prior to moving in. I don't know anything about loft conversions so i'm not sure if the joists get changed etc but my loft has the original joists and the floor is about 1inch and 1/4 ply wood and carpeted. The previous owners had it as a bedroom with wardrobes and bed etc for their son but it could not be classed as a bedroom when we bought the house due to no proper staircase etc. The weight of my bench and dumb bells are about 200kg in all. Is it safe to use the weights in the loft?

Many thanks

 

[cmother1]

Couldn't say without looking at the timbers, but a standard cold water storage tank containing 50 gallons will weigh more than 200kg. Most lofts that have one seem to stand this weight OK.
I'm very impressed by your flooring!

 

[noseall]

There is no doubt that storing stuff in a loft is not a problem, particularly if you have 32mm of ply deck protecting it!

"Using" this space is a different proposition. As soon as the weights are moving then their force (mass-velocity-force, etc) increases. Impacts from weight and gym equipment to a standard loft ceiling will cause flexing, though your 32mm deck will go some way to protect it.

I would not recommend using a standard loft ceiling as a gym floor.

 

[Tony 1]

Thank you for your replys. Apologies noseall but what do you mean by standard loft ceiling?

 

[Alastairreid]

Thank you for your replys. Apologies noseall but what do you mean by standard loft ceiling?

the ceiling of the rooms below are attached to the loft floor trusses.

 

[noseall]

Thank you for your replys. Apologies noseall but what do you mean by standard loft ceiling?

A fairly common loft ceiling would be say 4"x 2" joists. Suitable only to hold the ceiling, some insulation and a light load. These are usually accompanied by a stiffening member at mid-span known as a ceiling binder or summil beam.

 

[^woody^]

A few years ago, I went to a property where a guy on the first floor had dropped a weight and it caused a big chunk of concrete to spall off from the ceiling of the flat below. We could not guarantee the serviceability of the floor( some sort of pot and beam) so an RSj had to be put across the room - which totally messed up the open plan design

I did not really want to be the one to tell him to stop using the weights. He was bigger than me lol