Loft conversion done the wrong way with pics.

[Dammusernames]

Hi my first post here on this forum, so i thought i would show you guys how not to do a loft conversion. Heres an example of job i did earlier this year.

The lady whos house we were working on asked us if we could skim a room for her. While viewing the room. i commented on how her ceiling was bowing and all the cracks, she told me that it had only started to happen since the loft conversion.



I knew straight away what the previous builder had done. He had just boarded out the loft without fitting any steels or new floor joists. In the following pictures you can see how much the ceilings are bowing. When i told the woman about how dangerous this had been and that the ceilings could have come down any time she was nearly in tears, thinking about her children sleeping under this disaster waiting to happen. She was so greatfull that we had rectified the ceilings and we have had loads of jobs off the back of this one, from her recomendation.

We ended up having to rip down all her upstairs ceilings and reinforcing them with 8 x 2 timbers.

I hope this helps as a warning for anyone thinking of doing a loft conversion on the cheap, its really not worth the risk.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So did you get Building Control involved?

 

[Dammusernames]

Na

My job was to straighten the ceilings, obviously she must have never had permission in the first place because no building inspector would have ever passed that. Im sure if we had of informed b/c that would have opened a can of worms.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So you bodged a bodge. Congratulations.

 

[conny]

I'm not a builder so forgive me if I am wrong but it looks to me that you have installed your 8"x2"'s and then 'levelled the loft floor out by putting in 'packers'. Is this correct?
I would have thought the best way would have been to use acro's and some scaffolding boards to raise the loft floor level then install the 8"x2"'s to the underside of the flooring. The old rafters could then have been removed completely. Your method looks a bit precarious to me.

 

[daneski88]

Conny - not sure precarious is the way I'd put it. Although to be fair, it's a lot stronger than building it on the old 3 by 2's.

What I'm curious about op (apart from the obvious concern about not getting BCO involved which may well have led to even more work coming your way as part of a regularisation) is that now the loft floor is laid on 4 by2 which rests on 4 by 2 which rests on packers resting on 8 by 2's. So from the underside of the chipboard floor to the top of the plasterboard is some 16". I take it you didn't make any effort to insulate while you were there.

Anyway, thanks for showing it to us on here. Personally I'd have liked to have heard the story coming to a happy and fully "passed" conclusion with the customer not having to worry about having to have the whole lot ripped out again to make it legitimate prior to a potential future sale.

 

[conny]

Agreed it looks stronger but what concerns me is that none of the new timbers appear to be 'tied-in' to either the floor or joists by means of right angle brackets. I can just imagine a couple of 6-7 year olds playing Batman & Robin by jumping off any piece of furniture, (bed, settee, cabinet etc), in the loft and landing with a thump on the floor. Too much of that and I envisage the whole lot working loose!

 

[gregers]

and as you(op)have now had a hand in attempting to carry out so called repairs,would you not be held liable as you have aided in the so called bodge?

just make sure you cover your back side.

 

[Mickymoody]

I'm not an expert, but that last picture looks bad to me. A bent beam, with some packing, with a new bit of wood over it...it looks ready to snap? Sorry OP, dunno what work you have done exactly, or how bad it was before. Surely you prevented the house from falling down. For now.

 

[daneski88]

Agreed it looks stronger but what concerns me is that none of the new timbers appear to be 'tied-in' to either the floor or joists by means of right angle brackets.

Indeed. Also there aren't any intermediate cross-braces/longitudinal spacers along the lengths of those 8 by 2's (at that time anyway)

 

[conny]

Strange how the O/P hasn't replied to defend his work.

 

[1john]

Perhaps the title should read 'loft conversion done the wrong way TWICE with pics' ?

Although it is better than it was, it doesn't look any way near substantial enough compared to any loft conversions I have seen.

I wonder what would happen to the OP should something go dangerously wrong with that, like is someone got injured or worse?

 

[daneski88]

It would have been useful to know more about the extent of the loft conversion - such as whether the roof was modified for a new dormer, or just velux installed (were the rafters doubled up?), or whether it involved a relatively simple bit of boarding up and skimming. Also, what new rooms were created (bathroom?? - especially in in light of the floor not being strengthened nor straightened )

 

[mnb]

I think you guys have spotted it right. Perhaps the clue is, he was skimming when the loft was brought to his attention. There are joists below joists and joists alongside joists and packing pieces that will vibrate our at the first bounce.
Why didn't he remove the inititial, sad floor and insert say, 9"x3" joists?
Given an old lady was mentioned ,and the power saver lamps would confirm this, come on mate and do the right thing.

 

[daneski88]

The op has lived up to his reputation - quick visit, made a splash, got his money and scarpered. Did it at the lady's house and done it on here