Widening The Loft Hole

[username#132]

Sorry if my terminology isn't up to scratch but I'm a total DIY noob (20 yrs old and the height of my dad's DIY was sellotaping my bike brakes on as a kid!).

Anyway, mum wants to store stuff in the loft but the "loft hole" is barely big enough for me (slender) to climb inside. It's also just a hole with a peice of board sitting on top.

What I need to do is widen the hole and eventually construct some kind of stairs thing so we can pull it down and have some stairs up into the attic and push it back up when not in use.

What problems am I likely to encounter? Do I need to scan with one of those scanning deelees incase of pipes or wires? And then should I just take a saw and saw a big ole square shape in the ceiling? Are there any resources on the topic directed at my level?

 

[masona]

Can you take a photo the from top of the loft trap?

 

[Nige F]

Biggest prob is a Trussed roof construction don`t get that saw out yet.get the photo to the site.as Masona requested DIY noob

 

[username#132]

That wasn't much fun! Our ladder only has three rungs so I had to improvise for the rest! Anyway, here's the recon;

Edit; how do you get the pictures to show?

__________________________
Moderator, all done

Instead of this

 

[JohnD]

That has the look of a traditional roof. What size are the timbers that you stand on (width x height) and how far apart are they?

Is it quite an old house?

 

[Diyisfun]

username#132

Sorry if my terminology isn't up to scratch but I'm a total DIY noob (20 yrs old and the height of my dad's DIY was sellotaping my bike brakes on as a kid!).

Tell mum the job is to big for you to do & get an expert to give you a quote.

 

[username#132]

Aww, spoilsport! Mum couldn't afford to have it done proffesionally, so if I don't do it, it wont be done at all. I'm not in any rush. I've got a year or more to do this but I would appreciate the learnin' and reduced expense of being able to do this myself.

I'll get the measurements later tonight. Is there anything else I should do whilst I'm up there, 'cause going up and down is a chore!

It and old terraced house in the central business district. What's all that sandy grit on the insulation?

 

[JohnD]

If you want something else to do up there, you could take a couple of panoramic views of the loft showing the layout of all the timbers.

What's all that white stuff scattered on the insulation?



Oh - and measure up the loft hatchway accurately. You could hone your woodworking skills by making a neat hatch that fits onto battens

 

[Steve]

the idiots who did our loft hatch left the timbers hanging in mid-air, but it wasn't too bad because there are walls supporting them less that a foot away on 3 sides. Still bad practise though - dont do this!

It looks like all you need to do is cut back the joists and make up an end-piece for them, so they are still properly supported at the end.

just like that! Dont forget you will need some nice planed timber to make up the opening and some architrave to make the ceiling look ok. And some white paint

But show us a picture of the area surrounding the loft hatch first, so we can tell you if there are other issues. Be very careful with that insulation - wear gloves and a good breathing mask and eye protection.

 

[masona]

Also it's good practise to put in a extra joist screw to the side of the ex-joist on the long length which will give extra support for the middle section joist that been cut.

 

[Gary-GMC]

Just make sure you double up every joist and use joist hangers, this way you are sure to have a solid opening.

But if possible get a expert in

 

[username#132]

I think the stuff scattered on the insulation is the same stuff that is binding the roof tiles to the beams of wood overhead.

I don't understand Masona's advice - you want me to put a screw (or does it have to be a "joist screw") in the side of the ex-joist? You mean like the joist that isn't a joist anymore? I'm confused. Where do I put the screw?

And also, what are joist hangers? How do I double up the joists? Do you mean stack another joist on top and nail the two together for more strength?

What are the potential problems with the insulation? Is it likely to be toxic? It's got to be at *least* 14 years old (we've been here about 14 years). Should we replace it? If I step on the insulation, what is underneath it to support my weight?

Anyway, here's the measurements;

joist width 37 mm
joist length 6360 mm (I'm not sure if they're made of smaller peices of timber joined together)
joist separation 410 mm

Here's the panoramic view from left to right, spanning about 180 degrees...ish

This is taken looking down on the hatch

 

[JohnD]

You have an excellent roomy loft. I take it your house is more than 100 years old?

If you step on the insulation, nothing will take your weight. You will fall through.

Apart from the width of the timbers, their depth is important to their strength.

The white stuff is most unlikely to be toxic, if it is also stuck to the inside of the tiles. If you have a look you will probably find it is mortar, or it might even be mashed up paper. Or maybe plastic foam. If it is a fluffy white material, let us know and don't inhale the dust.

 

[MisterMuddle]

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