floorboarding the loft

[Squibbly]

right, i have decided to use chipboard for the loft, but the measurements have come out weird regarding the size of each board, for e.g. about 5 joist beams have come to a length of approximately 214mm, now the diy shops only sell boards that go from 2400mm*600*18mm

what do i do? cut it up to 3 or 4 joists beam each? or leave it as it is, which would leave bits hanging off the end of it, therefore leaving unsafe areas? i know that i have to screw it down leaving the end bit of the wood to half fill a joist beam, as in normal floorboarding does

[Duffbert]

It seems that the joists always run out of pitch with the boards eventually, even if they start in pitch.

In my limited experience of the job I've always cut the board to overlap 1/2 the joist, if the amount a waste was only small (6" or so ). If the waste is going to be much more than this I've tended to insert a piece of 2"x1" under what would be an otherwise unsupported butt joint. You screw the 2"x1" to the boards either side of the unsupported junction. Yes, I know that there is normally a board only on one side of the board you're laying but you have to screw the remaining end of the 2"x1" when you lay the board on that side.

It's something of a nuisance, slows the job down and the ends aren't as well supported as if they were on a joist, but it saves all that cutting and waste of material and you would have to come down pretty hard to go through with the joints reinforced in this way.

[Rob graham]

You'd probably get it cheaper if you bought from a builder's merchant where you could get boards 1200 wide.

Mind you, you'd have to be able to transport them which might be a problem if you have no trailer - and get them into the loft.

Rob Graham

[Squibbly]

i cant get it from a builders merchant, you need an account with them, plus i wouldnt be able to get that width in my van, and loft

[Rob graham]

Well, I go to any number of builder's merchants and don't have an account with any of them.

plus

but I take your point on this.

Rob

[Squibbly]

so whats the name of the builders merchant?

[Rob graham]

Jewson, Graham, Travis Perkins, Ridgeons, to name but six (in Cambridge area).

Rob

[Squibbly]

ok i googled jewson and found one near me, cheers