Is my ceiling going to collapse?

[daveskirrow]

I live in a 60's ex-council 2 bed end terrace and a couple of years ago I boarded out the loft to store a few bits and bobs. The few bits and bobs has now grown into masses of heavy stuff, loads of car parts, books, records, and general crap. It's really heavy. The length of the loft is about 25ft, theres a chimney breast right in the middle that comes down in the middle of the 2 bedrooms and a partition wall separates the 2 rooms.

We have recently had a baby, and while we didn't really care before, now we are worried that the ceiling might cave in or something. I don't know if I'm just being paranoid or whether this is a nightmare waiting to happen. We have had multiple runs to the tip to try and deplete the piles of stuff up there but as we have very little storage space in the house, there is still what could only be considered a heavy load up there. I probably go up there once every couple of days for something so it gets it's fair share of movement too, although not as much as it would if it was lived in.

Can anyone suggest how dangerous this is, and if it's not dangerous, will it cause any damage to the house (other than the odd hairline crack in the ceiling.

Can anyone advise on this? Is it possible to get a builder to reinforce it, and is it expensive?

Thanks!

[Ian Stirling]

What is the size of the beams, and what's their spacing?

[John Rumm]

and have you got the stuff stacked over the central wall?

[adder1969]

It usually takes a lot to actually break through a ceiling. You'll probably be fine although I don't doubt that it could happen in theory.

[David Hansen]

On 25 Jan 2007 07:10:53 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

The only time I have seen a very worried looking civil engineer was after one had done a floor loading calculation of an old building which was stuffed full of full four drawer filing cabinets. He had the place evacuated that day and the building remained that way until some of the load was removed. The floors were notably bowed though and that was why he was asked to do the calculations.

Others have asked for more information. I'll add that if you are worried you should move the heavy bits near the chimney breast, partition wall (assuming that both are brick and are supporting the joists) and outside walls and also move things away from where the baby sleeps.

Generally such things fail slowly and it is obvious that something is going wrong, but it would be sad if you were to suffer an unusual failure.

[The Natural Philosopher]

If it is noticebaly bowed, than start getting slightly concerned. Wood bends a LONG way before it breaks. Unless its rotten..

I have hung two tons on an 8 ft long 6x3 beam end supported..

The middle dropped about 9" but it held..

[Robbo]

One way of getting yer wallet out of yer pocket

;-0)

[daveskirrow]

Thanks for the replies.

It's hard to tell the size of the beams as when I boarded it out I went mad and did every last bit, covering them all. I don't know much about the construction but when you say beams I assume you mean the ones the that the insulation goes between. It looks like they are just over 1.5" thick and spaced about 15" apart. Not sure how deep they are but I'll try to get another look tomorrow. The wall is NOT brick, just a plasterboard wall. Most of the stuff is stacked up near the end outside wall and down the sides where the roof comes down to meet the loft floor. Some stuff is stacked up next to the chimney breast. Most of this is over the spare room where I work, but there are a load of books stacked up against the wall between our house and next doors which is over our bed. They are stacked close to the wall as I thought this would provide more support, but I suppose if they do come down, they come down on our bed which we might be in.... Self storage might be the answer, I don't want to take any risks with the baby. (if it comes down on me while I work in the spare room it won't be too nice but as long as my family are not in any danger I'll take the chance!)

There's no bowing that I can notice anywhere and there's no cracks in the ceiling in the bedroom. One hairline crack that runs the length of the spare room, right down the middle.

[meow2222]

no big problem then is there.

NT