Builders: What are these things in my loft? Pics within

[Obiwanquinnobi]

Hi there folks

I'm hoping a builder can chime in here with some advice.

I've just been up into my loft with a view to putting some boards down for storage and found there's a plank nailed over the joists on either side of the house coming off the wall with some steel/iron bar nailed to it - the iron bar is coming out of the breeze block wall (part of the wall I'm certain). The planks are just nailed onto the joists with a couple of nails that go through the steel bar. Each plank/bar meets about a foot short of each other in the middle of the loft - although not tidily.

Left hand side (Attached to next door)

Right hand side (Detached side of house)

Length of plank

This is a small 7 year old 3 bed semi (probably built cheaply)

The planks/bars come out from the detached side and from the semi side.

Anyone know what they are for? Are they required? Were they just put there to support the breeze block wall whilst the house was being built?

Cheers for any responses.

 

[knobby41]

by the looks they are quite important!

stringers are used to ensure connection from the wall to the joists.
you might get away with putting spacers under the boarding, and if possible dont nail into the same joists as the strips.

Ive not seen them on planks though......

hope it helps

 

[RonnyRaygun]

They are restraint straps, used to ensure your walls and floors stay joined together and to ensure that the building acts as one and not as lots of disjointed parts.

There should be noggins between the joists and the straps should be nailed to the joists and noggins. From what I can see there doesn't appear to be any noggins under the plank as it appears the strap is only nailed to the joists.

 

[Obiwanquinnobi]

The metal strap is sitting on top of the plank (Noggin) and the whole thing is nailed onto the joists.

Worrying thing is that one side is only secured down by 2 nails!!



Before I go any further, should I put some more screws through the strap>Noggin onto the joist to secure em or should I just leave it?

Any road, your responses tell me that I'll either have to board around them or put another layer of cross joists onto the existing ones and board onto those.

Just for info..the planks or noggins are about 3/4' x 5'

Thanks for your responses so far

 

[masona]

Before I go any further, should I put some more screws through the strap

Yes put in more screws

Noggin onto the joist to secure em or should I just leave it?

Need another photo further back to see the overall picture

Any road, your responses tell me that I'll either have to board around them or put another layer of cross joists onto the existing ones and board onto those.

You could cut a few strips of hardboard on each side of the brackets for flush level

 

[Obiwanquinnobi]

Before I go any further, should I put some more screws through the strap

Yes put in more screws

Noggin onto the joist to secure em or should I just leave it?

Need another photo further back to see the overall picture

Any road, your responses tell me that I'll either have to board around them or put another layer of cross joists onto the existing ones and board onto those.

You could cut a few strips of hardboard on each side of the brackets for flush level

Thanks for the reply (and the other guys who have responded)

I'll try to get another photo a bit later on.

Cheers again

 

[catlad]

You could take the strap up, continue your flooring marking the joists as you go, then nail the strap through the floor into the joists with some 4" nails or long screws.

 

[joinerjohn]

These straps are actually like an elongated L shape and should be fixed to the blockwork as well as the joists (possibly fixed to the blockwork on the opposite side of the face you can see)

 

[Obiwanquinnobi]

You could take the strap up, continue your flooring marking the joists as you go, then nail the strap through the floor into the joists with some 4" nails or long screws.

Would that be safe to do?

 

[Obiwanquinnobi]

These straps are actually like an elongated L shape and should be fixed to the blockwork as well as the joists (possibly fixed to the blockwork on the opposite side of the face you can see)

Yes they go through the wall - probably onto the other side.

 

[catlad]

I don't see why it should be a problem, it is there to keep your structure together, which you will be doing by nailing or screwing them into the joists. Anyway it will be better than the two screws that were in surely.

 

[Obiwanquinnobi]

I don't see why it should be a problem, it is there to keep your structure together, which you will be doing by nailing or screwing them into the joists. Anyway it will be better than the two screws that were in surely.

Good point and thanks for posting. Anyone else got any opinion on this?

 

[masona]

If you ever have a roof leaking or water tank and rotted the chipboards into weetabit then the brackets will be loose however it's unlikely but you won't have a smooth floor with the straps on top

 

[rjm2k]

If you ever have a roof leaking or water tank and rotted the chipboards into weetabit then the brackets will be loose however it's unlikely but you won't have a smooth floor with the straps on top

Why not just board upto them on either side?

 

[masona]

If you can get away with it but the straps are not straight in the centre of the joist however you could plant a timber batten on the side of the joist