Strengthen Roof Trusses Loft Conversion

Use a chalk line to draw a line along the floor parallel to the lower edge of the roof from one end of the attic to the other on both sides.

Strengthen roof trusses loft conversion.

This process involves the installation and use of steel beams. For small loft conversions this can be done by installing additional wooden rafters but for large projects steel beams are usually required and these can be quite costly. The role of the horizontal beam is to tie the truss together and carry the load that would otherwise be sustained by the support and vertical timber also known as the king post. Measure in from the lower edge of the roof to a point 1 4 the width of the truss on either side of the attic.

New beams would be required. This will often work out cheaper than using conventional steels once you factor in savings on labour access and plant hire etc. They also take up a lot of space and the process of installation can be quite involved. In addition the design means the trusses occupy majority of the space within the loft therefore the whole structure will need strengthening if you decide to convert your loft.

In addition to the way your loft is constructed occasionally the height of the roof may be too low when constructed with truss rafters which means that it may need to be raised in order to accommodate a loft conversion. Attic conversions are now possible by replacing the truss rafters with a shaped trusses or horizontal beams which in return create additional space. Before work can begin a structural engineer will calculate the size of the steels required.