Loft boarding - loft legs or timber?

Zimchenko

Hi guys, hoping you can help me out of a spiral of overthinking and researching.

I'm having my loft boarded - the quote I've accepted involved using timber to raise the level about 2 inches above the joists to accomodate cables and pipes. Having done some further reading I came across concerns re compressed insulation and condensation by restricting the airflow.

The joiners will use loftlegs instead if I want. I don't mind the extra cost and they don't seem to be recommending one way or the other.

Are loftlegs better? Sufficiently stable? I tend to stress too much and struggle with decisions when the professionals don't steer me one way or the other.

scottishblondie

We used loft legs previously and they were great. Easy to install, very stable.

ryan7

You would only use the loft legs if you have the thick insulation wool underneath. 
If you're only boarding then the two inch timber technique to allow ease of feeding cables is perfectly fine. 
I'd probably go with this method as the loft legs are taller and will give you less headroom when in the attic. 

scottishblondie

ryan7 said:

You would only use the loft legs if you have the thick insulation wool underneath. 
If you're only boarding then the two inch timber technique to allow ease of feeding cables is perfectly fine. 
I'd probably go with this method as the loft legs are taller and will give you less headroom when in the attic. 

Good point re the headroom.  Do you already have sufficient insulation?  Is it above the level of the joists?

Zimchenko

scottishblondie said:

ryan7 said:

You would only use the loft legs if you have the thick insulation wool underneath. 
If you're only boarding then the two inch timber technique to allow ease of feeding cables is perfectly fine. 
I'd probably go with this method as the loft legs are taller and will give you less headroom when in the attic. 

Good point re the headroom.  Do you already have sufficient insulation?  Is it above the level of the joists?

Thanks for the replies. It's a little above the joist level but a lot less than the recommended 27cm thickness - was thinking I'd buy an extra roll to put down if I go with the legs. Plenty of headroom currently.

FreeBear

Zimchenko said:

scottishblondie said:

ryan7 said:

You would only use the loft legs if you have the thick insulation wool underneath. 
If you're only boarding then the two inch timber technique to allow ease of feeding cables is perfectly fine. 
I'd probably go with this method as the loft legs are taller and will give you less headroom when in the attic. 

Good point re the headroom.  Do you already have sufficient insulation?  Is it above the level of the joists?

Thanks for the replies. It's a little above the joist level but a lot less than the recommended 27cm thickness - was thinking I'd buy an extra roll to put down if I go with the legs. Plenty of headroom currently.

If you currently have minimal insulation, then it really is worthwhile putting more down.

Been boarding my loft out recently, and have ~200mm of insulation up there. Fitted 300mm legs so that I can put another 100mm of fibreglass down. Yes, the longer legs are a bit more expensive, and I won't save a huge amount on heating with the extra 100mm, but it will future proof me against changes in recommended levels in the future. Also gives me a chance to kill any cold spots up there.

The boards I've put down so far are stable and don't wobble around.

purplebutterfly

We were going to use loft legs but have since been told that we need a raised timber sub-frame supported by the purlins as our 1920s ceiling joists won't support loft legs.  It's added to the cost but I suppose better safe than sorry.  

FreeBear

purplebutterfly said: We were going to use loft legs but have since been told that we need a raised timber sub-frame supported by the purlins as our 1920s ceiling joists won't support loft legs.  It's added to the cost but I suppose better safe than sorry.  

Who told you that ?

My loft, also a 1920s property, has 3x2 joists, and they are more than adequate for legs & boards. As long as you are mindful of the weight and spread the load around, there shouldn't be a need for extra timbers. But if you are using the loft as a habitable space, then extra suppot is required.

purplebutterfly

Thanks @FreeBear.  We had two loft boarding firms and a local joiner who does boarding and conversions and all three said that they recommended a timber frame due to the age of the house, the fact that the ceilings are very weak lathe and plaster and because the loft itself is a bizarre layout.

It is split in half down the middle by a brick wall that runs to the top of the roof and then split the other way by being on different levels.  So, essentially, the loft is 107 square metres of floor space but split into 4 separate quarters for the purposes of boarding it.