Desks Built Into Attic Joists

Standard joist spacing for the installation of attic flooring materials is 16 inches on center oc.

Desks built into attic joists.

Attic joists that are made from 2x8s may be acceptable for building your attic floor but because every room is variable there are no absolutes. We extended into the loft and didn t need fire doors or escape windows. It needs more. Even though townhouse loft conversions have become extremely popular in the last couple of years the process of transforming a common truss into an attic truss isn t as easy as it may sound.

Joist dimensions are only part of the equation. You could create a desk in the space under your staircase on the landing at the top of your stairs in a larger hallway or the nook meant for your laundry appliances. Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes. Often existing joist bays are filled with electrical and heating ducts that will need to be relocated.

You can build your desk into this small nook and create a built in desk. Please read disclaimer at end of description sorry this is my first video and i do a terrible job explaining but. Take a look around your home and look for unused or wasted space. Currently they are supporting a ceiling and bracing the roof but you ll be adding furniture and people and possibly removing cross bracing.

I think the building department will want detailed structural calculations. Positioning the new joist adjacent to the existing preserves precious ceiling but it does come with some potential complications. Nook built in desk ideas. Attic joists for live loads.

When a load is applied to a joist it creates a tension in the wood along the top edge. Joists carry the weight of the walls furniture and people on them. The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes. You also need to ensure that the joist spacing is adequate.

Hire an engineer to inspect your house s foundation and framing to ensure they can carry the extra load. Here s how to make undersized and o. At a minimum you may need to strengthen the attic s floor joists which are often too shallow or spaced too far apart for the job. Even a little drill in the wrong place can cause the structure to weaken resulting in annoying bounce and sag you experience every time while crossing the weakened floor.

Beyond the size of joists the spacing between them should also be taken into consideration. According to the nationwide building society adding a loft conversion to your home can increase the value of an average property by more than 54 000.