Help needed with loft conversion

[Gillywibble]

Any architects out there?

My loft has a support beam centrally along the floor. As you can see from the pictures, this is to support the floor joists and presumably to stop them raising up with the weight of the roof.

The question is whether this support beam was needed initially, i.e. before the trusses were put in place and can now be removed, or whether this is still load bearing.

I presume that the central support column will have to remain in place also?

Thanks for your help,

Jon.

[MikeF]

more to the point why is your crotch area inhansed in the fourth photo eh eh eh

[TaviaRS]

& the colours on that shirt are soooo last decade.

HTH

[simonsheil]

The beams are in tension and are there to stop the roof spreading, not sure about the one down the middle mind.

Also if converting a loft you may well need to strengthen the beams as they are generally not deigned to room loadings.

[pdhealy]

Judging by the size of the central floor beam and the fact that it seems to be built into the wall structure, I would imagine it is load bearing - possibly transferring the roof load to the outer walls. I would imagine that the walls upstairs are timber stud partitions and as such are not load bearing.

It would appear that the support column is to prevent the collars (horizontal timber between slopes) from bowing under roof load. The central floor beam seems to act as a support for the columns also. I'm not an Architect (lowly Quantity Surveyor here), but I would imagine that the collars could be raised in level, as long as vertcal supports could be installed on each side, further down the roof slope. There would need to be a support beam installed supporting each of the vertical supports.

As stated above, I am not an Architect, and you should consult an engineer or Architect before getting your saw out!

[oil]

Hi

Again no architect, or structural engineerbut would comment as follows:

Horizontal beam is there to support ceiling joists known as a binder beam.

Stops them sagging.

Ceiling joists will be nailed to rafters at ends and thus form triangle to stop roof spreading.

You should definitely NOT build floor on the ceiling joists (or the binder beam)as they are not big enough to support floor loads. over spans.

Old houses often only have 3x2 ceiling joists, newer ones maybe 4x2 or 4x1.5

From my expierence it is usual to insert some heavier beams, maybe even steel RSJ's to take the new floor load and keep it of the ceiling joists. These rest on outer walls (inner leaf)

From pics it looks as though you do not have modern trussed rafters and thus have a degree of freedom to alter things.

Again vertical beam is in all proabability just a hanger strap to help support the ceiling and may well be in tension. Is there more than one?

Are there any purlins in the roof ? If so these might be able to transfer some of the floor load to the roof structure but a design engineer should look at all this.

Council Building control will need to be told of what you are doing, and they will require structural calcs, drawings, fire provision etc etc.

Altering lofts to make habitable rooms is a complex issue and should not be undertaken without proffesional guidance.

Best of luck

[simonsheil]

Horizontal beam is there to support ceiling joists known as a binder beam.

Stops them sagging.

Wondered what it was for, I'm far too young for these prehistoric roof structure.

[big k]

looks like my old house where the original roof was lightweight slate, then replaced with concrete tiles with the extra weight adational beams are put in to stop sagging and roof beams collapsing in.

[Snoopie]

& the colours on that shirt are soooo last decade.

HTH

:rofl::rofl: