How do I get load bearing capacity of joists in Roof space assessed?

littlerock

When we bought our house a few years back, the owner said he had made improvements  to the loft space  some years earlier, intending to turn it into a roof room. But never completed it..He said he had put in a door and stairs to get into the roof space, replaced the joists with floor weight  bearing ones, and put. Mdf floor boards  on top of them. He said he used an architect but did not keep the paperwork. The space is currently used for temporary storage That was all a while back. We are currently  having veluxes put in to add light to the space.
We are now thinking of going ahead with  the roof room but first want to check if the joists in the roof are actually strong enough for a room bearing floor.  Our roofer cannot help. Nor can a surveyor friend. Both say it is not in their area of expertise. We do not want a roof room designed yet. But do have some heavy items we should like to store up there temporarily and would like to get weight bearing capacity of the joists in the roof checked out. Who should I get to do this? WOuld it be an architect? . Or a structural engineer? How much sbould it cost? 

daivid

Structural (or Civil) engineer.

DevilDamo

Ceiling joists are designed allowing for your typical loft storage items so anything you put up there for ‘storage’ purposes should be fine. Bear in mind, roof spaces usually accommodate the water tanks. A visit from a Structural Engineer may be your best and starting point. Costs for visits and assessments vary up and down the country so you can only look to approach a few and obtain comparable quotes.

@daivid Nothing to do with a Civil Engineer as they design roads, drainage, etc... Structural Engineers design structural elements in respect to the varying loads through a building.

daivid

DevilDamo said:

Ceiling joists are designed allowing for your typical loft storage items so anything you put up there for ‘storage’ purposes should be fine. Bear in mind, roof spaces usually accommodate the water tanks. A visit from a Structural Engineer may be your best and starting point. Costs for visits and assessments vary up and down the country so you can only look to approach a few and obtain comparable quotes.

@daivid Nothing to do with a Civil Engineer as they design roads, drainage, etc... Structural Engineers design structural elements in respect to the varying loads through a building.

Civil engineers also build houses (and many other things besides) and if chartered are suffieicently qualified to complete structural calculations and plans, it may not be in their usual repertoire but they can do the job.

DevilDamo

Last time I checked, builders generally build houses 

Civil Engineers and Structural Engineers are differing governing chartered bodies too 

theonlywayisup

Structural engineer - costs down here in Cornwall - for a new roof to a house circa £750 plus VAT.  You should ask for a quote as you would with any building works.