loft board size of 1220mm?

[mreco]

hi
just boarding my loft, ive read some other posts on this but it doesnt answer my question.
my Loft:
600mm center rafters, (80mmx33mm in size)

i bought loft board packs from BnQ and started , then only to realise that the board sizes are 1220mm long!!??
To me thats 20mm too long and i cant get the joins of the boards exactly over the centers of the rafters.
Am i going mad, ive stopped and hoped someone will help out here.
is this normal and the joints will be off centre, seems this will just add weakness for no reason.

Help much appreciated, its a new (to me) house thats 11 years old.

also
1. is 600mm spacing ok for loft light storage? seems a bit on the light side.
2. i guess that i dont screw the boards down at the short joints as the screws would be too close to the edge of the board. if i just screw at the middle of the boards will this be good enough?

Thanks for help.

Simon

 

[JohnD]

easy fix:

run timber counterbattens crossways to your existing timbers. this will spread your weight when you are clambering about up there, and you can space the new batten to suit. I use 75x37mm and space them to have one at each end of the boarding, and one in the middle, with all board short-edge joins over a batten. You can buy it in 2400 lengths fairly cheaply. It also gives you additional depth where you can put more loft insulation, at right angles to the existing, and you can space the boards away from any cables or pipes which cross your existing timbers.

If you screw the timbers down, and the boards, it forms a nice rigid floor. However it will not make the loft as a whole any stronger, so light storage only. 600mm spacing is OK but you can add an extra batten if you want.

With chipboard it is vital to drill before screwing.

p.s. if you haven't bought all the boards yet, see if you can carry an 8x2 ft board up there. Fewer joins so firmer floor and is also cheaper.

 

[mreco]

thanks, ive read all about battening in the other posts, i dont need to do this for any other reason (ie cables, insulation etc) having to do this because the boards arnt 1200mm seems crazy to me, nearly all houses are 400 or 600 rafter spacing so why make boards 1220 long lol
I boarded my old house (10 years ago), never needed battens, they just fit fine. whats going on, is the world going mad?

surely everyone has this same problem, if so, im gonna go into production of 1200mm loft boards lol.

anyone else go the same problem? to be honest id rather take them back to BnQ and use there cutting service and get them to lop 20mm off the ends of all of them.... for free.

the plot thickens....
On the board pack.. quote.. "boards are manufactured to fit 406mm joists centres"
who has joists 406mm centres?
isnt it 400 or 600 centres in houses?

a 1200 board would fit 400 OR 600 joists, but a 1220 fits? none?

as sellers only sell this board size , i figured it must be right

who else had this problem?

thanks guys (girls too)

Simon

PS shouldnt the ends also be tongue and groove? mine are flat
PPS i looked at 8x2 boards.. bit big for me sorry

 

[big-all]

having to do this because the boards arnt 1200mm seems crazy to me, nearly all houses are 400 or 600 rafter spacing so why make boards 1220 long lol
I boarded my old house (10 years ago), never needed battens, they just fit fine. whats going on, is the world going mad?

surely everyone has this same problem, if so, im gonna go into production of 1200mm loft boards lol.

anyone else go the same problem? to be honest id rather take them back to BnQ and use there cutting service and get them to lop 20mm off the ends of all of them.... for free.

the plot thickens....
On the board pack.. quote.. "boards are manufactured to fit 406mm joists centres"
who has joists 406mm centres?
isnt it 400 or 600 centres in houses?

a 1200 board would fit 400 OR 600 joists, but a 1220 fits? none?

as sellers only sell this board size , i figured it must be right

who else had this problem?

thanks guys (girls too)

Simon

PS shouldnt the ends also be tongue and groove? mine are flat
PPS i looked at 8x2 boards.. bit big for me sorry

16"=407mm most sheet material is still in imperial as are several hundred years worth of houses with 16"spacings
only houses built within the last 40 years or so have metric spacing

 

[mreco]

thanks big all,
least thats the reason

im gonna take em to BnQ see if they will retro cut them for me. otherwise ill get a refund....pick up some more... get them to cut em... then pay for them

easiest option

 

[mreco]

we all sorted, took boards back, got refund, bought the flooring thats 2.4m by 0.6m by 18mm thick and got bnq to cut them in half to make it easier to handle. Good think is they have TnG on the ends, unlike the pre packed ones

If you have a house thats less that 20-30 years old, DONT buy the 1220mm pre packed loft boards, they dont fit a 400 or 600mm truss spacing house.

 

[masona]

600mm center rafters, (80mmx33mm in size)

Are they gang nailed trusses, if so, you have to board it a difference way

 

[mreco]

my trusses are like your pic yes

 

[masona]

Can you take a photo of your roof?

 

[Deluks]

my trusses are like your pic yes

hmmmm, counterbattens would really have helped here.