Desks Built Into Attic Joists

Often existing joist bays are filled with electrical and heating ducts that will need to be relocated.

Desks built into attic joists.

When a load is applied to a joist it creates a tension in the wood along the top edge. It needs more. I think the building department will want detailed structural calculations. Take a look around your home and look for unused or wasted space.

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

The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes. That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters. You can build your desk into this small nook and create a built in desk. Sistering installing new larger joists next to the existing ones is one way to bring your attic floor up to code.

Nook built in desk ideas. Hire an engineer to inspect your house s foundation and framing to ensure they can carry the extra load. Joist dimensions are only part of the equation. Positioning the new joist adjacent to the existing preserves precious ceiling but it does come with some potential complications.

Please read disclaimer at end of description sorry this is my first video and i do a terrible job explaining but. Beyond the size of joists the spacing between them should also be taken into consideration. Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes. Joists carry the weight of the walls furniture and people on them.

Attic joists for live loads. Here s how to make undersized and o. Currently they are supporting a ceiling and bracing the roof but you ll be adding furniture and people and possibly removing cross bracing. 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.

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. We extended into the loft and didn t need fire doors or escape windows.