Loft conversion / strengthening questions

Solarchaser

Yeah 1/2 hour of work on a cad type program where you load in the values for span and load, and it tells you the beam size you need, and where it needs to be.

Not £1200 worth.

tonyh66

Notching beams renders them useless, they effectively become the strength of the depth of the notched part. Im not saying you should pay £1200 but by your comments on here you clearly have no expertise in this area, can you not wait until all this virus stuff has died down? Do it right or do it sh1te. thats my last comment.

DevilDamo

Solarchaser said:

Only 1 replied and he said it would be £1200 before even seeing it.

I’m quite surprised at that, unless that quote is assuming full structural details and calculations for a loft conversion along with a dormer, etc...? At this stage, you are really only wanting one or maybe two beam calculations. Granted that for an engineer to assume and plan for a future loft conversion, they would have to calculate all the predicted loads for a full conversion/extension but the price shouldn’t be anywhere near that. Engineers’ may be thinking it could end up being more involved than it needs to be hence the increased cost and therefore covering themselves.

Solarchaser

Yeah I'm surprised too, I did tell him it was simply for a straightforward loft conversion, reinforcing joists and moving roof supports, no dormers etc.

And assumed loads are derived from the tables, so 2kn/m2, so then its simply about span, which I have already measured, but... meh!

Tony, I'd have to notch the beams to attach them to the binders, but thanks for your.... input

tonyh66

If as you should be, are putting new deeper beams in for the new loft floor and they are properly calculated for deflection and properly supported on load bearing walls you should not need the binders, fix the ceiling to the new joists. If you are concerned about the ceiling sagging, support it temporarily and install the new joists.

Solarchaser

There's actually no spacial need to remove the 1/4 and 3/4 binders as the usable space stops before then, so I planned to leave them in to help tie everything in, and spread the load between the side walls (binders) as well as the front and back walls (joists) better to have too much support.

Yes they are deeper, and are calculated by the tables to be more than adequate for the span... as long as I have a support beam in the middle to take the load. 

And now we are back to the point where I started this thread, the spec of the beam.🤯

I thank you all for your input, it seems without an se, I'm going nowhere.

Doozergirl

Solarchaser said:

And now we are back to the point where I started this thread, the spec of the beam.🤯

I thank you all for your input, it seems without an se, I'm going nowhere.

There was only one answer in two pages.  You cannot guess it and it doesn't matter what the neighbours did if you want to get it right.  

This is actual work for us and I've got a massive project mothballed because even though we have a good idea, we have not been categorically told what is safe.   That's my living, not just an inconvenience because I can't do what I want, when I want.  Do what you can.  

I'm volunteering, collecting shopping and prescriptions for people who need it, instead of winging it.   

Solarchaser

Lol, good one 👍