Ok to remove lateral (light) restraint straps?

[Spacecowboy]

Hi all

Newbie to the forum and have a query - I want to install a loft ladder with new enlarged hatch (approx 1190mm) but there appears to be a light restraining strap in the way (see ihttp://www.screwfix.com/prods/9100...ht-Restraint-Strap-600mm-x-1-Bend-Pack-of-10)

Few questions:

What is the purpose of this strap?
Can I remove it altogether (a loft conversion chap I called today says he does this all the time!)
If not, can i re-site it and whats the process for that? Does it need to be directly opposite to the other side to keep load evenly distributed?

My house is a mid terraced built approx 1996 so relatively new (550mm between joists). The strap is simply nailed to the joist spanning a total of 3.

Any help and advice is much appreciated!

 

[mattylad]

Can you take photo's of the area, the strap & everything that it supports and post them here?

That would help others to advise you.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Unfortunately I'm not able to upload photos at the moment. Can email it to someone if they could be so kind to do it or me?

I've had a more detailed look at the area and can confirm there appears to be 3 of these straps per side with opposites on the other gable end (so 6 all in). They are spaced about 1.25m apart from each other and extend back into the room (with a piece of wood underneath) across 3 beams (joists).

Being a new-ish house the roof is of the truss type with inner 'W' brace construction. The straps start at the same point where the inner truss supports begin, one again in the middle of the floor (parallel with the highest point in the roof) and one on the other side where the trusses for the other side start again.

I hope I've explained this corrctly.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Oh and the one thats in my way is the one in the middle (parallel with highest point in roof). Therefore, the two outer ones would remain in-tact.

 

[Shytalkz]

They are restraint straps to the wall. Removal of it most probably would not make a blind bit of difference; however, it's best to keep the status quo.

thus, cut the offending one back, then put a replacement one at one end of the new hatch. It's preferable to put the short bend through into the cavity and tight to the blockwork face, but the alternative is to drill plug and screw to the inside face of the blockwork. Provide a sw noggin between the three ceiling members and also between the wall and first timber.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Thanks for the response. I feel confident that cutting it back and relocating it should be ok especially as there are restraints either side. Would you reccomend cementing it in to the wall (as they are now) or will simply placing behind the wall cavity but interference with it be ok? Also, me being dumb no doubt, whats 'sw' noggin?

 

[Shytalkz]

If you can cut a slot and feed the strap into the wall then pull it tight against the cavity face of the blockwork, then all well and good. If not, drill plug and screw to the inside face, with the short leg running upwards obviously, so you can actually insert the screws.

A noggin is a short piece of timber running perpendicularly to the truss ceiling member, at the strap position. The existing ones should have them.

SW is just sawn wood ie you don't need any regularised or pse (planed square edged) type timber.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Ah got the noggin bit. It was just the 'sw' i couldnt figure out! Right I think I have my answer - many thanks for the advice.

 

[noseall]

Slot and swivel or slot and feed is fairly easy to do, by stitch drilling holes and bolstering or cold chiseling the masonry out. It seems a more stable way than plug and screwing.

A bit more touchy feely. Que?

 

[Shytalkz]

Yeh, you're right, Nose: it is better than plug and screw, as any outward movement is resisted by the strap, rather than the pull-out capabilities of the fixings.

But, straps are only put in at 2m centres purely as a rule of thumb and missing one out or removing one completely is unlikely to result in problems.