Boarding out loft (Timber Framed House)

[Johnking72]

Hi forum,

I've recently moved into a new build Timber Frame house (with external brick skin) and the house was installed with a loft ladder which gives access to a plug socket, light switch and aeriel in the loft.

The loft was not boarded out, and insulation was layed out throughout.

I planned on getting it boarded out so have had a friend of mine board the loft for me , we've placed timber which is now laying on top of ther floor joists perpendicular to allow the insulation to still be present with room to air and then placed loft boards on top. This was to distribute weight rather than using loft stilts.

Out of curiosity I searched why lofts dont come pre boarded and apparently it's because sometime their not supposed to be.

I cant help but worry about it now as I am worried the joists cant structurally support the board out. I'm not planning on storing much up there, just christmas decorations and other bits and pieces.

Does anyone have any opinions on this?

Many thanks,
John

 

[Why Not Indeed]

If your roof is made of pre-fabbed trusses [https://www.google.com/search?q=fink+truss&tbm=isch] then they're designed to support/be the roof and nothing more. If there was any way a house builder could sell more square footage, do you think they would turn the opportunity down?
So long as you don't go nuts with the loading [lots of boxes of books for example], you'll be fine.

 

[Johnking72]

If your roof is made of pre-fabbed trusses [https://www.google.com/search?q=fink+truss&tbm=isch] then they're designed to support/be the roof and nothing more. If there was any way a house builder could sell more square footage, do you think they would turn the opportunity down?
So long as you don't go nuts with the loading [lots of boxes of books for example], you'll be fine.

Yeah it does seem that's what's installed here. See the attached picture.

Makes sense, I just figured because the builder went to the effort of putting in a loft ladder and light that it would be safe to board.

Will the weight of the timber and loft boards not already be too much weight?

 

[Leofric]

Lofts don't come preboarded because they don't need to be unless it is a room in the roof and then they would be attic trusses on a new house. A nice gesture putting a loft ladder in to give easy access to the roof space. Useful for access to tanks in the roof space.

 

[Johnking72]

Do you think the pre-fabbed trusses in the picture above can hold the additional joists and loft boards? I've heard too much weight can make the roof sag. I'm not planning on storing much up there!

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Nobody is going to give you a definitive answer because [for example] we don't know how much the additional timber weighs, we don't know how much the ceilings hung off the roof structure weigh, we don't know what section timbers the bottom chords are made of, etc. However...millions of other houses with the same type of roof have the same kind of loft boarding, and [mostly] nobody died.
Don't go nuts with the loading and you'll be fine. If it turns out you're not fine even though you didn't fill your loft with heavy junk, then there was already a problem anyway.