Loft insulation depth and use of loft legs

[whatknot]

We used the LoftZone Storefloor system and they installed it for us.

I paid £1875 which included the floorboards system and chipboard, an additional 100mm insulation (taking me up to 200mm), a ladder, hatch enlargement, covering nearly 19m2. This included a 25% discount for doing the order as I dithered for a while, and they said it's a promotion they do every year in the summer. I had it installed at the start of July.

I have a hot water extension tank in the loft, so they boarded around that.

There is a weight limit per m2, approx 25kg IIRC, so keeping under that you'll be fine avoiding issues like sagging chipboard (I guess go for OSB boards, that's what a lot of people use on YouTube). Just be realistic with what they want to put in the loft, as the weight you put on any support system will include the joists, too, and I've read some stories of people seeing their ceilings dipping after lugging heavy audio equipment in their lofts.

Also, if you do DIY it, keep clearance around the eaves and do not let insulation touch the underside of the boards you lay down (or at least don't compress it) otherwise this will create a moisture problem.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for yours, interesting to know what it cost for yours, I am not absolutely certain but think it may be timber for our daughters, cost being one part but where we want to add a walkway and some storage falls over nice sturdy brick walls, mind you I haven't priced the timber required yet ;-)

Plus the rafters are unevenly spaced which wouldn't suit the storefloor idea

 

[Doug B]

I quite like the simplicity of that, I will have a measure up tomorrow and see if thats a possible way round it, are you screwing through the rafter into the upright?

The timber legs get screwed to the side of the new floor supporting joist if that’s what you mean.
You don’t necessarily need to go for 4x2 I recently boarded my sons new build house & used cls 63x38mm I just used timber legs every 600mm.
I also used OSB t&g flooring for his which was both cheaper & lighter than chipboard. I don’t have costs to hand on flooring sheet materials but a 3m of cls 63x38mm was £3:50 with the vat the last time I bought some

 

[whatknot]

The timber legs get screwed to the side of the new floor supporting joist if that’s what you mean.
You don’t necessarily need to go for 4x2 I recently boarded my sons new build house & used cls 63x38mm I just used timber legs every 600mm.
I also used OSB t&g flooring for his which was both cheaper & lighter than chipboard. I don’t have costs to hand on flooring sheet materials but a 3m of cls 63x38mm was £3:50 with the vat the last time I bought some

No I meant where the upright joins the joist (I misunderstood your earlier post) are they screwed through the joist into the upright or vice versa ?


Edit to add, I can't see if there is a gap between the upper timber and the joist? my situation would require a gap between the top timber and the joist, do you see any problem with that?

 

[Doug B]

No I meant where the upright joins the joist (I misunderstood your earlier post) are they screwed through the joist into the upright or vice versa ?

Through the joist into the upright at the top, the upright itself sits on the existing ceiling joist & is screwed at an angle through the upright into the joist. Hope that clears it up.

 

[whatknot]

Through the joist into the upright at the top, the upright itself sits on the existing ceiling joist & is screwed at an angle through the upright into the joist. Hope that clears it up.

Yes thank you, it wasn't obvious in the photo due to the insulation, I was thinking it was screwed to the side of the joist

As my set up is supported mostly by internal brick walls below I am fairly happy the joist will support it

At present there are just a collection of loose boards to get to the boiler