Supporting loft landing

[buffster]

I posted something similar in the loft and stairs section but unfortunately have had no response so I hope it's OK to try an updated post, with more information here in the general building section.

Basically I'm looking for a way to support a small landing at the top of a flight of stairs up to a loft. With what I hope to do, room for the loft stairs is very tight and about the only way I can get it to work is by doubling them back on themselves, but I would then need to find a means of supporting the small landing at the top of them (and, realistically, the top support of the stairs themselves).

Is it viable to support this with a timber or beam from the concrete ground floor? If so, is it likely that I would have to provide foundations or would the existing concrete slab be OK given that there wouldn't be hugely significant load on it (the landing will only be about 1200mm by 700mm). Would timber be OK or would it have to be a steel?

As an alternative, would it be possible to support the landing just off the spine wall and the double joist framing the stairs? Or would I have to replace the double joist with a beam and then bolt on an "L" shaped bit of steel to run off that beam and onto the spine wall to frame the landing (or would that not be viable either?).

I'll be getting a structural engineer in at some point but I'd like to have an idea of viable alternatives for him to consider if he doesn't come up with anything I'd like.

Many thanks in advance.

Untitled

• buffster
• 22 Feb 2015
• 1

 

[buffster]

Bump.

Anyone?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Your post is quite confusing, is this part of a loft conversion?

 

[buffster]

Your post is quite confusing, is this part of a loft conversion?

More or less, yes. It's a Victorian house that has an original attic room with a very steep set of stairs up to it that I'm looking to improve (as part of a separation into 2 flats). I suppose because I know what I'm trying to do my picture (to me) explains the situation but obviously not

My problem with the layout that I think I'll have to adopt is that the stairs to the loft will arrive in mid air so to speak; not against the spine wall, the party wall, or perpendicular to the loft joists, and so I foresee an issue with fixing the top of the stairs to something and supporting a small (1.2m by .7m) landing at the top. The landing would have its long edge alongside a doubled up joist framing the stairs, and a short edge on the spine wall. However, it will have 2 unsupported edges with an unsupported corner between them (the long edge overlooking the stairs, the short edge that the stairs will arrive at).

I doubt very much this would be structurally sound, hence why I'm looking for ways to support it, either from below (ideally with timber), or, if need be, within the loft floor with a backward "small h" shaped steel with the 2 legs of the h on the spine wall and the head of it on the rear wall of the house.

Hope this makes a bit more sense.