Removing wood from attic

[marsaday]

I just want to check that it is ok to remove the 2 struts in this photo.

They are nailed into the rafters and the ceiling plate (a piece of wood nailed across the ceiling joists)

I am going to put in 2 velux's where they are and so need to remove them.

They will have to come out anyway as i am doing an attic conversion, but i wondered if the ceiling would sag a bit. The ceiling which these struts are tacked onto has really deflected over the last 100 yrs. I would say there is 50-70mm of bow at the maximum point.

Do you think i should couple this ceiling to the new floor when it is made. the engineer said to keep things seperate, but i just want to see some other opinions.



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[Deluks]

No, not until your new floor/roof structure is in place. you can put your windows in after that has happened.

Your engi is right, maybe you should replace the ceiling at the same time as getting the other work done?

 

[foxhole]

Is this a loft conversion or are you just using it for storage?

 

[marsaday]

deluks

Do i really need to replace the ceiling ? It is perfectly sound, apart from it has bowed a lot. We never noticed until i have started on the attic conversion and you can see the bow is huge. When you walk on the ceiling joists you actually feel yourself going downwards

Yes this is a full attic conversion with B.Regs.

 

[Burnerman]

I wish you the very best of luck with your project, but are those ceiling joists really substantial enough? They look as if they were never meant to support a room here.....and I'd certainly leave the struts in until that work is done.
(I've just been asked to floor out a loft like this for storage - the movement on the joists was enough to crack the ceiling below).
John

 

[Deluks]

you don't have to, if you are happy to live with the bowing. But fixing the new one to this won't do it any favours. It won't bow any more once those straps get taken out and the roof load is off of it.

 

[marsaday]

i will leave them in and imagine the the joists are not big enough to take the 5,5m span.

i am going to replace the front bedroom ceiling which has cracked very badly, but this was like that when we bought the house.

The big bedroom (where the large span is) has been wall papered and looks pretty nice, so i dont want to mess with this ceiling if i can help it.

 

[marsaday]

Deluks

Ok, so i will not fix it to the new floor once it is in place, but in the meantime i should leave the struts in place until i put in the new floor ?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Is your engineer not specifying new steel beams and floor joists?

 

[marsaday]

No we are using the 4" ceiling joists

Of course there is a full floor going in using the gable and party walls to load off and in the center a steel. So spans will be 3m and 4.2m.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So yes, just strap the existing ceiling joists to the new floor joists and then remove the ties.

 

[marsaday]

Excellent, thanks