Strengthening 3 x 2 joists in loft in shorter lengths?

[DanH]

OK, I've seen loads of threads on this and have decided I would like to strengthen my loft 3 x 2 joists by screwing/gluing 4 x 2 on top. I want to do it to a) raise the floor level to accommodate another layer of insulation and b) strengthen the joists for "peace of mind" light storage.

I am OK with what needs to happen but my problem is that some of the joists are spanning 5 metres. I have seen previous advice about making sure the 4 x 2 covers the parts of the joists most susceptible to flexing e.g. the middle of a length but what if, because of access, I can only get significantly shorter lengths into the loft e.g. 2-3 metres. Can the 4 x 2 be overlaid in 2/3 short sections or is that a no no?

Thanks

Dan

 

[phatrat]

Hi,


I am in a similar situation to what you have previously described. Did you follow through by strengthening the existing joists by screwing/gluing 4 x 2 on top?

 

[big-all]

adding odd bit off timbers on top will not add any strength just extra load
if you place the timbers at 90% that will help spread the load