Boarding a loft for beginners

[HandyJon]

How are you going to get out if a fire break out below?

As quickly as possible - but I have not really thought that far ahead.
I am assuming that I would need a means of escape from the loft in the event of a fire below.
I live in a 1st floor flat & I assume my current means of escape would be through a 1st floor window if my stairs was blocked by fire.

So long as the attic won't be an habitable room you don't need to bother with fire regulations. You can't state the room is a bedroom when you sell the house either. But even though you don't need to adjust the rest of the flat for fire regulations (fire doors etc) it's still a good idea to make sure you have some form of escape. A velux window would be a good idea though a tilt/turn type double glazed window elsewhere in the flat would be just as good. You don't need to jump out of it, so long as a fireman can get to rescue you. If you're really paranoid you can get the roll up fire escape ladders.

 

[GrantF]

The way I do mine is to use 3"x1" flat on top of the joists in opposite direction then lay the flooring on top. This way you get cross air flow ventilation and no need to chop out the notch for cable.

Great minds think alike.

I also used 3"x1" inch batons running across the joists to raise the floor level as in my new build house the nice electricians had left all the wiring for the downlighters and aerials lying on top of them, so wanted to leave some space. Also it gives a bit more room for all the downlighters I have in the rooms upstairs.
I bought a few of the small packs of wood from B&Q, to get started, but ended up just buying the large 2400x600 sections to cover the large area quickly and more cost effectively. I will use the small boards to patch up the edges and ther gaps where I couldnt but the boards together.

 

[KIDD]

Read with interest the loft boarding posts...question, if I want to use loft as study (adding velux windows) surely i couldn't board on top of original timber joists, I would have to strengthen loft floor or lay suspended floor, is that correct? and how's it done?

 

[masona]

Yes you will need bigger joists running along the ex-joists from wallplate and on top of bearing walls. Depending on your layout of the roof and wall you can also use RSJ for fitting joists in between after the stress load is calculated. Your BCO will help you what you need to do and it's free advice.

 

[KIDD]

Thanks, I knew this was gonna be an expensive project.

 

[masona]

Still cheaper than a extension though

 

[pgboys]

Sorry to be dense, but these 3x1 boards running accross the joists - what size gap is best between them? And I assume I'd need to run pieces down the joists too to stop the large boards flexing?

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This post is nearly 18 months old

 

[JohnD]

I put mine at an inteval which suited the boards I was using. I got a lot of those cut-to-size T&G loft boards and put the counterbattens so I had one at the join betweem the two boards end to end (so, suppose the boards were 48" long, put counterbattens at 48" centres) then one in the middle to support and prevent flexing.

I later discovered I could wangle an 8' x 2' board through the hatch and lie it down, so changed over to them. It's just within my strength to get up there, as well as being the limit of the fit.