Is 18 mm chipboard too heavy for loft?

[Mike Mitchell]

I am clearing out the loft and want to lay chipboard over the central portion. (This is a three bed 1950s ex-LA semi.) Part of the loft has already been covered with 12 mm chipboard, which, while a bit 'springy' under foot, is after all only supposed to be walked over to get from one side of the loft to the other. That is, no cheapo "study" area or play area or something, but merely to stop me (or others) putting their foot through the plasterboard (which I did do once, and it was a real nuisance).

But 18 mm chipboard seems very heavy! At Homebase tonight I lifted the corner of a 2440 x 1220 sheet, and I thought, boy that sure is a weight to be adding to my poor old house!

One alternative I have seen used elsewhere is to use unplaned softwood and space it out so that there is a one inch gap between adjacent boards. Softwood isn't nearly so dense as chipboard, so it must be quite a bit lighter.

Recommendations, please!

Thanks.

MM

[Andy Hall]

I simply used ordinary T&G floorboards laid and fitted using screws. I didn't make gaps. Where needed, I ripped the tongue to make a board removable easily.

These worked out to be relatively inexpensive because I found a timber merchant who had overstocked.

It was certainly a lot easier to work with them than messing around with chipboard floor panels. I just took a chop saw up into the loft and arranged that SWMBO would periodically pass up some more boards. It went quite quickly and painlessly.

.andy

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[T i m]

[T] If you can't find any cleap T&G like Andy suggests whatabout some 12 or 15 mm shuttering ply?

It's not as 'dense' as chipboard and won't turn to Weetabix if it get's wet?

I'd rip it down the middle (giving 8' x 2') so you can get it in the loft then stagger the joints on the rafters?

I'd also screw them down in a couple of places (rather than nailing) so they don't move while you are laying them and you can get them up if needed later.

All the best ..

T i m