Loft boarding

[Den Hill]

Just checking to see if this is ok. I want to board my loft out, not all of it just half for now then maybe half next time I can be bothered haha.
I've got access to alot of pallets at work 9ft long. Strong wood, about an inch thick on each plank. Would that be suitable to use for my loft?! I would break each plank off obviously not just lob a load of intact pallets up there.
Just worried about weight, but then I guess 8x4 sheets of OSB 11-18mm thick weigh a fair amount.
I don't have heavy things in the loft just mainly the otherhalfs bits and bobs!!
I've also got a boiler being fitted up there in a month's time (combi) so need the space to move things around.
Cheers

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Sounds like a good use of old pallets to me, pallet wood is nothing like 1" thick though, what's the span between the joists?

 

[Den Hill]

Nice
They are polish pallets and Latvian pallets and they are about 2cm so just under an inch. They are very sturdy! I have about 1.5 feet between each rafter/joist. So Im estimating about 20 lengths of 9ft, 10cm wide will do an area roughly about 5 meters square. So to do the whole loft wouldn't be that bad, but best of all it's free, even the screws I can get from work for nothing

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Fill yer boots then.

 

[The Samaritan]

IMO, you should use proper boards as you will end up putting a lot more in there and come sale time you will more than recover you money IMo
Thanks

 

[Den Hill]

This is true I guess to certain degree, but wood is just wood isn't it?! An 8x4 OSB weighs 24kg roughly. Pallet wood weighs less than that I assume over the same space (8x4) obs board is designed for strength and is compacted so must weigh more than sawn timber on a pallet?!

 

[The Samaritan]

I'd be tempted to do what you are doing but in the end I'd use the proper stuff.
Good luck.

 

[Den Hill]

Thank you

 

[Notch7]

I've also got a boiler being fitted up there in a month's time (combi

I’m sure I read somewhere that safety railings have to be fitted around the loft hatch for a boiler to be installed in the loft - maybe somebody could clarify

 

[333rocky333]

I have been looking for wood to clad a shed and even secondhand wood on facebook market place is not cheap, maybe if you had enough 4 x 1 you could sell it and get enough cash to buy the boarding you prefer.
I would likely pay 80 pound for 80 9ft lengths

 

[Notch7]

even secondhand wood on facebook market place is not cheap

yes I’ve noticed crazy prices for half rotten wood on Facebook marketplace

 

[Den Hill]

Wow this has escalated quickly!!
As for the guard rail yes that's correct and a fixed ladder (loft ladder). I have horizontal joists from one side of the roof to the other at 3ft tall either side of the hatch so that will stop anyone falling down the hatch. I can always screw some vertical posts to them from joist to floor.

Pallets are easy to break up we do it all the time to save space at work, takes about 2 minutes per pallet with a club hammer and the blocks I take home for my outdoor log burner.

Wood has become so expensive recently. Put up a 25m fence a few years ago with feather edge 5x6 panels, concrete posts and boards cost about 1000, quote this year for other side (before the winds) 2500 same company!!

I will start smashing up pallets this week and start Saturday in the loft. Thanks for everyone's help and the Lol's along the way!

 

[Justin Passing]

If you use strips their ends will fall in the middle of the joist spaces somewhere and be springy as a bouncy thing.
That's why "loft board" packs have T & G ends.
If you want to use 8 x 4s you can cut them to length and cover most of the areas with big pieces, then use your poallet wood for the infills. There will be a lot of things to cut round.
Yes for boiler you need a light, a decent loft ladder, and a rail round the hole, technically. Depending, there may be other "supposed to have" items, which people will argue about. Remote cutoffs, alarms etc.

 

[Den Hill]

Joists are a foot and a half apart so I can cut the 8foot lengths accordingly. The wood is thick enough to not be too springy but good point!