Joist issure with Walk In Wardrobe in loft space?

[connorsj]

Apologies for the long post...

I have a 3 story mid-terrace house, with a bedroom on the 3rd floor (which is original, not a conversion). Behind the bedroom wall to the front of the house is a loft space that has plenty of room to cut in a doorway and build a large walk-in-wardrobe.

The joists in the room look to only be roof joists(?), as opposed to proper floor joists. They are around 50mm*75mm, and spaced about 12in apart (apologies don't have measurements with me). They stretch from the existing bedroom wall (that I will be making doorway in, which has a interior wall beneath) to the front wall of the house (probably around 3500mm).

Will these joists be sufficient to just lay loft flooring on, as they will only need to support the weight of one person, and some cupboards and clothing (though these may hung from the roof beam), or do I need to look into replacing the joists? If so how do I go about doing this?

Many thanks.

 

[masona]

I know it's difficult to put it in writing, can you do a photo or drawing?

 

[connorsj]

I know it's difficult to put it in writing, can you do a photo or drawing?

I have put together a word doc with some photo's and crude drawings! What is the best way to upload this?

 

[masona]

Here

 

[connorsj]

It's a 2mb word doc that I need to show. Any ideas - email?

 

[connorsj]

It's a 2mb word doc that I need to show. Any ideas - email?

I've shrunk it and uploaded it here;

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Connorsj/house_pics.doc

 

[masona]

What is the headroom height, is there plenty of head height without banging your head?

Are the 2 outer walls brickwork?

How far in you want the walking wardrode?

 

[connorsj]

There is plenty of headroom. I am 6'3" and I can stand up in there.

The two outer walls are indeed brick, and the interior walls (house built in 1880s).

I want the wardrobe to go in about 6 feet.

 

[masona]

Just one more question sorry about this, what is the width from wall to wall approx?

 

[connorsj]

 

[masona]

I was looking at to put in wallplate on 2 end of the wall with joist hangers but 4.567m span over the ex-ceiling joists mean it will need 9"x2" joist @ 400mm centre which is too high and less headroom, the 3.6m span the other way same as your ceiling joists will need at least 6"x2" @ 400mm centre, so ex-ceiling joists is (75mm - 150mm = 75mm) will be approx 100mm higher including the flooring. If you don't mind the 100mm higher then run the joist next to or anywhere as long it's 400mm minimum centre and need to rest on both wallplate, if that's not possible then another possibility to have a metal angle iron made up there in box section and rawlbolted to the wall to give you more headroom.

Unless others may have better idea

 

[connorsj]

Thank you for the advice. I'll look into adding some 6" x 2" joists next to the existing joists. I was hoping to get away with what is already there, but I guess i'd be risking damaging the roof in the bedroom below.

 

[masona]

Thank you for the advice. I'll look into adding some 6" x 2" joists next to the existing joists. I was hoping to get away with what is already there, but I guess i'd be risking damaging the roof in the bedroom below.

You may get away with 5"x2" if you put in extra joists in about 200mm centre

 

[connorsj]

You may get away with 5"x2" if you put in extra joists in about 200mm centre

Apologies for my ignorance, but can you please explain exactly what you mean by 'about 200mm centre'

Presumably you mean 200mm distance between the centre of the new joists?

 

[masona]

Instead of 400mm centre using 6"X2", put in extra joists at 200mm centre using 5"x2". I'm trying to give you more headroom but will mean more timber joists