Loft Hatch

[Roger Cain]

My 1820's build house has a rediculous sized loft opening of 60x30cm. V. difficult to use. I want to install a loft ladder which need far more space than this. I could make a decent sized hatch but this would need a 2-3 ft. length of one joist to be removed. I have visions of ceiling collapsing and a shower of ton slates on my head. Can anyone reassure me that there will be no calamity? Any precautions I could take while sawing out a 3ft. section?

TIA

[philipuk]

Yes, you could get a man in ;)

Philip

[philipuk]

I really wouldn't cut the joist.

Philip

[Tim Lamb]

I suppose you could temporarily support the joist to be cut by screwing a length of 4"x2" to the top and spanning the joists either side. I doubt there is anything other than the ceiling load on that particular joist.

Someone with more knowledge will be along shortly:-)

regards

[John Rumm]

Easy enough...

lay a pair of 4x2"s on their side across the joist you want to cut either side of the planned opening position. Stick a couple of long screws down through the side of the 4x2s into the joist you are going to cut. It now can't move anywhere!

Cut the section out of the joist, and install a pair of stringers to fix the lose ends in place. Then remove the temporary brace.

Original:

## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##

Temporary straps:

## ## ## ## ## ## ######################## ######################## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ######################## ######################## ## ## ## ## ## ##

Cut joist:

## ## ## ## ## ## ######################## ######################## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ######################## ######################## ## ## ## ## ## ##

Install stringers - nailing/screwing at positions marked[1]:

## ## ## ## ## ## ######################## ######################## ## ## ## ->####################################

[chris French]

Cutting the joist is standard practice, how else do you think you make a decent sized hatch?

Once the joist is cut, you fix a couple of lengths of timber (like the joists obviously) across to support the end of the cut joist, and make the sides of the hole.

As for cutting the joist. If it's a lath and plaster ceiling, then removing the laths and plaster and cutting the joist will probably make a bit of mess round the edge of the hole, as it's hard to do it really neatly, and the plaster tends to fall off a bit, but it's easily patched/filled afterwards.

I didn't bother when I did mine, but you could fix a couple of bits of

4x2 or whatever across the joists each side of the opening to support it while it is cut

But really, it's not hard task, the joists are only normally supporting the ceiling, it's not all going to come tumbling down.

[Tim Watts]

[e-mail] ( [e-mail]) wibbled on Wednesday 09 February

2011 16:54:

Isn't the stock answer to this to frame the hole:

=================================================== | | | | | | | | | | =========| |============= | | | | | | | | ===================================================

=== Are the original joists

| is wood the same size, fixed at both ends and the intersection with the middle joist ends.

Tradtionally they banged some big nails in - but I would use 120+mm screwes (decking type, Paslodes, or similar) 2 on each joint for 4x2" or 3 per joint for 8x2" timbers.

The cut ends are now fully supported and carried by the side joists via the new timbers.

The middle joist must be supported while cutting or it will damage the ceiling under its own weight, never mind anything else on it.

Cheers

Tim

[Lobster]

[...]

I would totally concur with John's answer, except I'd want to eyeball the situation first! TBH I can't think of any specific gotchas but I think I'd want to be reassured that the joist/ceiling/roof structure is as we're assuming, before going ahead.

David

[SS]

I agree with David, best to be sure. Can you take a few pictures showing structure above / below and actual area to be cut as that might help others to advise. Link the pics on here.

[stuart noble]

Best to make the frame out of 4" x 2", hang the door on it, then fit the whole thing to the surrounding joists.

[Man at B&Q]

What are you afraid of?

MBQ

[geraldthehamster]

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There's only one thing to add to that, which is sheet the landing and close all the bedroom doors while you're doing it.

Cheers Richard

[george [dicegeorge]]

Can you put the hole somewhere else? Good to have headroom above it. And make it long and thin, It doesnt have to be square, I can now get 4x8foot sheets up my new long thin loft hatch! [g]

[geraldthehamster]

sized loft opening of 60x30cm. V.

You'd struggle with a piano though.

Cheers Richard