Using loft in a new build house. Builders opinion please

hammy1988

We have been told in our New Build that we have just bought that we cannot use our loft for storage as its something to do with the way it is built. Could a builder who hopefully has knowledge on this elaborate for me please? We have a few bits and Bob's such as Xmas Decs and a couple of storage boxes that we were hoping to store up there

Could we put a board over the insulation and store a few things? Would this be safe? We have been warned that if we get a ceiling/loft issue that it will void the warranty if we use the loft. It just seems silly that you cannot use a loft at all.

A builders opinion on this would be greatly appreciated?

I_have_spoken

I expect it's because there 30+ cm of insulation, you need loft storage stilts so you don't compress the insulation and stop air movement

Gloomendoom

hammy1988 wrote: »

Could we put a board over the insulation and store a few things?

A pic of said loft would help.

Ash_Mc

hammy1988 wrote: »

We have been told in our New Build that we have just bought that we cannot use our loft for storage as its something to do with the way it is built. Could a builder who hopefully has knowledge on this elaborate for me please?

Can't you ask whoever you spoke to to elaborate?

EachPenny

hammy1988 wrote: »

...It just seems silly that you cannot use a loft at all...

The problem might be the insulation, but it could also be concerns over loading. New build construction pares to the bone everything which can be pared without affecting the pictures in the glossy brochure. Money can be saved by designing the roof trusses to take the roof load and nothing else.

Assuming your new build has roof trusses it might be the case that the bottom chord has been specified only to carry the load of the supported ceiling, and the internal loads of the truss. It takes very little additional load on the bottom chord for it to start sagging, which in turn allows the roof to sag.

hammy1988 wrote: »

We have a few bits and Bob's such as Xmas Decs and a couple of storage boxes that we were hoping to store up there

This is the problem.... a few bits and bobs becomes quite a lot of bits and bobs, and not just lightweight xmas decorations, but also boxes of papers, vinyl records, toys, redundant electrical equipment etc. The total weight of what some people store in their loft is frightening. Old 'built to last' houses will take this kind of loading in their stride, new builds do not have the spare load capacity and will start moving leading to cracking of ceilings and other undesirable features.

The only opinions which count are those backing the warranty - if they say you cannot use the loft and take advantage of the warranty then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Furts

If there are water tanks, heat recovery units, or anything else, located in the roofspace then there should be boarding and access walkways. If the roof is simply an empty void then you have to decide what you do.

There is a warranty, but this will not give a detailed list of do and do not. Here common sense has to take over, coupled by what is reasonable, and what a reasonable person would do.

In general roof trusses will form the roof structure and builders do not want home owners going up into the roof. The simple reason being it is a roof space and it is not designed to be a storage space.

getmore4less

Another major change in the last 20 or so years is the move to combi or mains pressure tank hot water systems that don't need a big(200+ltr) tank of water in the loft.

Use of the same trusses for the rest of the roof gave spare load capaity in the areas without the tank

hammy1988

Some of these replies are just the elaboration/explanations we were looking for! Thanks everyone. We have decided to not use the loft