The long sides of the loft boards should be laid at 90 degrees to the joists and the ends of every board should always meet on a ceiling or floor joist. All fixings to the joists or rafters should be done by screwing the panels down. This avoids the vibration caused by hammering nails through the loft flooring into the joists or rafters below.
How do you install a Loft Board?
Wherever the insulation meets the top platform of a Loft Leg create a small slit in the quilt with a Stanley knife and push the insulation gently down around the Loft Leg to form a snug fit. The loft boards should always be installed perpendicular to the joists or trusses. Lay the first board down and secure in place along the back edge.
How do you build a loft above the joists?
The best solution is to build a raised loft floor above the insulation (details of which are shown below ). You can still board directly on to the joists if you want, but it is worth noting that this would not pass a building control inspection, because you wouldn’t have the full 270mm depth of insulation required by regulations.
How do you attach chipboard to a loft leg?
Lay the first board down and secure in place along the back edge. The front edge cannot be fixed until the next board is in place. A screw driven through the chipboard will self-tap into the top platform of the Loft Leg securely holding the board in place (movie link).
How do you fix up a loft floor?
The long sides of the loft boards should be laid at 90 degrees to the joists and the ends of every board should always meet on a ceiling or floor joist. All fixings to the joists or rafters should be done by screwing the panels down. This avoids the vibration caused by hammering nails through the loft flooring into the joists or rafters below.
Can you lay loft boards directly onto joists?
You can still board directly on to the joists if you want, but it is worth noting that this would not pass a building control inspection, because you wouldn't have the full 270mm depth of insulation required by regulations. Whatever you do, make sure you put as much insulation beneath the boards as possible.
Which way do you lay loft boards?
The loft boards should always be installed perpendicular to the joists or trusses. Lay the first board down and secure in place along the back edge. The front edge cannot be fixed until the next board is in place.
Do you have to stagger loft boards?
Lay Out Your Loft Boards Try to lay out your loft boards in a staggered pattern. This is important because you don't want the joints in all your loft boards to meet up as this could compromise its structure. The best screws for the job include 4mm x 30mm countersunk multi-purpose screws.
Can I lay loft boards over insulation?
Placing boards over your insulation can be a great idea if done correctly. By boarding over your loft insulation, you can create a lot more storage space whilst creating a safe and stable environment.
How thick do loft boards need to be?
Standard loft boards come in two different sizes; 2,400mm x 600mm and 1,220mm x 320mm; both of which are 18mm thick.
Can you walk on loft boards?
Products such as Loft Legs consist of ultra-strong, recycled plastic legs that create a raised platform strong enough to walk on and support storage items. They are easy to fit, extremely lightweight, allow for pipes and cables to be present and do not create thermal bridging.
Can I board loft myself?
Boarding a loft is a process that is relatively simple, so it can be done by a homeowner or DIYer to keep costs down.
How far apart are loft joists?
3. The distance between your loft joists.Loft Storage Stilt Pack SizeLoft Boards/ ChipBoards sheets 1220mm*330mm *18mm thick 600mm Joist SpacingLoft Boards/ ChipBoards sheets 1220mm*330mm *18mm thick 400mm Joist spacing128( 2nd most Popualr )16.00 m212.10 m225632.79 m224.59 m2480Trade PackTrade Pack2 more rows
How do you strengthen ceiling joists for loft storage?
3:0514:03Loft Conversion Part 2 - Cutting & fitting the joists. Joist installation.YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI gone for a shorter joist that is slightly wider which maintains the strength of the joist. QuiteMoreI gone for a shorter joist that is slightly wider which maintains the strength of the joist. Quite simply to use the template.
Can loft boarding cause damp?
How Standard Loft Boarding Can Damage Your Property. Can cause damp – as standard boarding is placed onto the joists of your roof, this will inevitably squash your insulation, which stops it from working and will cause condensation to build up as it doesn't have room to breathe.
Should loft insulation be pushed up to the eaves?
Don't pack it in: squashing insulation to fit the space seriously compromises its effectiveness. Also avoid pushing the insulation into the eaves to keep ventilation paths at the edge of the roof well aired and roof timbers dry.
Does loft boarding add value?
Does Boarding a Loft Add Value to Your Home? Yes! You're adding to the square footage of your home while doing a job the next homeowners will probably want to do if you didn't do it before them – so you're adding value, and adding a useful extra layer of storage to your home, too.
Which way up do you lay chipboard flooring?
Lay boards lengthways Boards are laid lengthways across the joists and 'printed side' up. Loose lay the first board so that its grooved side is towards the wall. Align it so that it is square with the joists and leave a 10mm gap along the wall edge to allow for expansion.
How do you board a loft ceiling?
1:1415:10Boarding the walls | Loft Conversion Project 6.0 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then when it comes to the stud walls on a couple of them we're going to batten off so you justMoreAnd then when it comes to the stud walls on a couple of them we're going to batten off so you just put some Council battens on the outside of the insulation.
Why can't you use the loft in a new build house?
These are the main reasons given by house builders that advise you not to board your loft. It will compress the insulation – this is not true. The roof structure isn't strong enough to carry the extra weight – the roof structure is strong enough. It will cause damp – this is not true for any home.
How far apart should Loft legs be?
3. The distance between your loft joists.Loft Storage Stilt Pack SizeLoft Boards/ ChipBoards sheets 1220mm*330mm *18mm thick 600mm Joist SpacingLoft Boards/ ChipBoards sheets 1220mm*330mm *18mm thick 400mm Joist spacing128( 2nd most Popualr )16.00 m212.10 m225632.79 m224.59 m2480Trade PackTrade Pack2 more rows
How to measure loft area?
Simple enough in theory - you just need to multiply the width of your loft by its length. You will also need to measure the distance between your joists or trusses.
How many screws do I need for loft leg insulation?
The best screws to use are 4mmx30mm countersunk multi-purpose screws. We have specific recommended screws on our web-site. You will need approximately 6 screws for each Loft Leg you are fitting.
Can you use a flat board on a ceiling joist?
If you can, we’d also recommend setting up a temporary work platform using a flat piece of board across the ceiling joists. It’s safer, more stable and often more comfortable to work from one rather than precariously balancing on joists or trusses.
Can you board a loft with a leg?
As with many DIY tasks, boarding your loft can be easy if you are fully prepared and have the necessary kit and tools to hand. Loft Leg produce various products to help create an energy efficient and useful loft. Here we look at the four simple steps needed to board your loft using Loft Legs.
How thick is a loft board?
Standard boards are commonly available in two sizes: 2,400 x 600mm and 1,220 x 320mm; and either 18 or 22mm thick. The larger boards are available from your local timber merchant and are the cheapest and easiest way to board a loft. The smaller boards are sold in DIY stores.
How deep should a joist be?
But joists are usually no more than 100mm deep, so this would be impossible to achieve and still put a floor on top. Furthermore, squashing insulation down to fit joist height is a bad idea as this halves it’s effectiveness — doubling your heat loss.
How to avoid condensation in loft?
To avoid this you need to raise the boards up and permit a flow of air between the insulation and the boards. Only board directly on to the joists if you know there is no risk of condensation forming in your loft). If you intend to board directly on to the joists instead of having a raise floor, then start by placing the first board across ...
Where does wire go in loft?
Wiring in the loft often takes the most direct route from source to outlet. This means there could be wires strewn directly where you plan to lay a board. If there is enough slack in the wire, the joist can be notched and the wire run beneath the board.
Why do older houses have a mixture of roof joists and joists?
This can create a riot of different levels and cause problems with fixing boards.
How to cut a board with a hammer?
Slide them into position with gloved hands (the cut edges can be sharp). Lay a block of wood along the outer edge of the board and tap it with a hammer if the tongue-and-groove connection creates too much resistance. This method prevents damage to the vulnerable board edges.
What to check before buying a board?
Before you buy the boards, check the edges for damage. The tongues-and-grooves are vulnerable to clumsy handling, so be very picky when choosing.
What is a loft board?
The loft boards or loft panels have tongue and grooved sides and ends. This allows one board to be slotted into the one next to it giving it greater strength over any length of floor not supported directly by floor or ceiling joists.
How thick is a loft board?
To put a floor in your loft is not a difficult job. It is made much easier by the production of special loft panel flooring. These panels are 18mm thick, 1.2m long and only 320mm wide. This means they are easy to get through the loft hatch.
What is a horizontal rafter?
The horizontal rafter, or ceiling joist timbers in your loft are there purely to hold up the ceiling below, not carry weights beyond normal domestic storage items.
How much weight can a ceiling carry?
As above, where for loft flooring or loft storage, the ceiling or loft floor is designed to carry only 25kg per square metre.
Why increase loft insulation?
Building Regulations have recommended an increase in depth of loft insulation to make sure you do not lose too much energy from your house.
Why is my loft dirty?
In the majority of cases lofts are dirty and very dusty. All the dust in the air seeps through the tiles and roofing felt joints to settle on your ceiling. Add to that the dust created by old insulation and you have a pretty unhealthy environment.
Why do you need a circular saw for a loft floor?
There is always a lot of cutting involved in laying a loft floor and its a great idea to buy a circular saw to save you a huge amount of time and effort.
How deep should a roof truss be?
To do it properly, with no come backs, a structural engineer would need to be consulted, but as a guide, the bottom chord of the roof trusses should be a minimum 8 inches/200mm deep by 2 inches/50mm wide. Most just deck out a standard truss for access and storage.
Can you use existing ceiling joists as structural floor?
You should never use existing ceiling joists as a structural floor as timbers are normally 4+2 thick and these are not substantial enough you will also get cracking in plastered ceilings below you will need a suspended floor plan then you will never get any problems
