Types of floorboard for loft?

[brettjbuckley]

I have 3x2 celing joists and plan to board the loft for light storage. Because I have numerous ceiling hangers (vertical pieces of wood hanging from roof to joists to stop celings sagging), I decided not to use chipboard panels, but rather normal floorboards which would prove easier to cut and work around the vertical hangers.

What kind of floorboards should I buy? I would have presumed pine 3/4" thick? [Mental note - I'll have to get the timber yard to cut them in half anyway to stand a chance of getting them in the loft (not to mention in my car)].

I have already decided to screw the boards rather than nail to minimise celing damage below - how often should I screw the boards to the joists. I have just had the house rewired so don't expect to take them up again any time soon.

 

[big-all]

get them from your local wood yard
the sizes they deel in [pun ] is 1.8 2.1 2.4 2.7 3.0 3.3 3.6 3.9 4.2m and larger i would go for 6x1par that comes out at 3/4" by 5 3/4" and get them to deliver
you need to join on a rafter so short lengths will be very wastfull

measure the length between rafters and order the longest length you can get into the attic with the least amount of wastage

if you do get them cut get them cut exactly to match the joist spacings and save you cutting them avoid 2 joints side by side
use 8by2" or 10by 2 inch 2 every plank every joist avoid services and mark the location of juntions roses ect in pencil and chalk on the laid floors [chalk easier to find and pencil is more perminant ]

 

[brettjbuckley]

Great advice - thank you!

 

[brettjbuckley]

I have now bought £300 of pine T&G floorboards from my local timber yard - they kindly cut and delivered to my requirements. I will start to fit these as soon as my foil blanket insulation arrives.

The tounge and groove do not sit central to each floorboard edge - but nearer one surface than the other. Which side up do I lay them?

 

[masona]

Best to put down 3"x1" flat in opposite direction of the ceiling joists then the T&G flooring on top. This will allow a cross air-flow ventilation underneath and no need to notch out for cables or pipes.

 

[brettjbuckley]

Thanks - a good idea!
However, my electricians have already done all of the drilling through joists...

I screwed down the first floorboards last night - doubly at every joist and it feels very solid so far.