Attic Conversion Ceiling Joist Loft Framing

Loft floors loft floor construction.

Attic conversion ceiling joist loft framing.

Ceiling joists consist of two narrow low grade timbers often bolted together sistered above a supporting wall. In other words if your attic has 200 square feet over which the ceiling is at least 5. You might open up your attic and find bare joists with fiberglass or cellulose insulation between the joists. There are many ways of altering roof structures for loft conversions but they all have one common element the ceiling joists will almost certainly be inadequate as floor joists.

At least 50 of the usable area calculated above must have ceilings of at least 7 feet. Lining walls and ceilings with a double layer of acoustic plasterboard can also be very effective as can laying a carpet over thick rubber underlay. If your attic joists won t bear the weight necessary to finish out a living space but the engineer cleared them to support floor decking for light storage you can install inch plywood or. You can sister the joists by cutting 2 x8 boards the same length as the joists applying construction adhesive and affixing each to a joist with nails.

Fortunately this is a fairly easy fix. One of the best materials for sound insulation is mineral wool in quilt or batt form which can be stuffed between floor joists or stud work in your loft conversion.