Securing Ceiling Joist

[jassdhali]

Hi guys,
Around 15 years ago had our kitchen extended around 5 feet which then required the sloping roof to be extended also.
Have removed plasterboard from ceiling as I am renovating the kitchen and can now see the ceiling joists have been extended when the kitchen was extended out. The ceiling joists only appear to have had a longer strip of 4x2 nailed onto original joists.
These ceiling joists are directly under the tiled portion of the roof and have no further loading on them bar the roof itself.
Can anyone suggest if they would require any further mechanical fixing, bolt through etc?
If so what would be the best fixings to use.
Thanks

 

[ladylola]

You could put in some bolts now for peace of mind but if the ceiling hasn't sagged in 15 years I wouldn't in all honesty worry about it.

 

[Possel]

Did Building Control inspect the kitchen extension? Were the rafters extended in the same fashion? THAT would worry me! You could add the odd screw if it makes you feel safer, but otherwise I agree with ladylola.

 

[jassdhali]

Thanks for your comments.
Have ripped out the rest of the roof to expose celing joists completely, Original joists have only been extended by about 2 feet.
The extension to the joists run about another 3 feet into existing joists so no real cause for alarm, may put some screws in for piece of mind
Just curious though are ceiling joists actually structural in regards to the roof?

 

[Possel]

From what you say, the rafters aren't attached to the joists so no, the joists aren't a structural roof element. The roof load must be taken by separate A-frames; the joists must be supported by the walls and simply carry the ceiling. If you had roof trusses then the joists could be the bottom part of that and would be structural components in tension.

I found on my old house that someone had bodged the back bedroom ceilings a very long time ago. The joists were mostly 2x2 but some were 2.5x2 or 3x2. The trouble was that there is a supporting beam across the top so the thicker joists had a one inch notch cut in them so the beam could lie flat. However, unfortunately some numpty had also cut notches in some of the 2x2s as well, so they were effectively 2x1! I did a lot of strengthening on those before we re-plastered; I added more 2x2 alongside with lots of screws with, I think, a minimum three foot overlap as well.

 

[jassdhali]

Possel,
There are beams either end of the kitchen supported by the dividing walls running all way from wall to joists, so as you say these are the structural elements.
Cheers