Loft Light, Switch and double socket

[pauloduarte]

Hello everybody.

Ive started the process of putting loft boards in my loft and making it into, initially a storage room and eventually a room.

Now I have installed new beams accross from the existing joist and half of the room is boarded up.

Now I want to put a light, light switch and if possible a double socket up there as well so i can have a fully functioning room.

Now to put the light, i dont think i have any issues, get the current light from the room downstairs get a jucntion box and wire the new light to it.

But, how do i put a light switch for it as well as a double socket?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Paulo

 

[Steve]

Ideally, both light and socket will be fed from an upstairs ring final circuit - via a fused spur.

Picture the scenario. You want to work on the upstairs lighting circuit. You need to isolate the upstairs lighting circuit to do this. But . . . your loft light is also on this circuit. Oops.

So find a suitable socket in a bedroom and spur from it. Near the ceiling or wherever, install a fused spur:

So that the whole feed to upstairs is protected by a 13 amp fuse, and you can have whatever you like up there then!

 

[pauloduarte]

thanks Steve.

Hadnt thought of that. That makes it easier for the work to be done and as you said safer as well.

much appreciated.

paulo

 

[Chri5]

Paulo- I hope you understand that the existing joists in an average loft are not designed to take any weight other than the weight of the material used to form it.

I understand that a no load bearing ceiling has , at most 30% of the strength of a load bearing ceiling with a floor above it.

Simply crossing the existing joists may not be good enough. I'd suggest you check the other DIYnot sections and post for details in the lofts section if you have any doubts.

 

[Steve]

Chris this may be true of preformed trusses, but in older homes which were built "rate" the roof joists are pretty sturdy!