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The strength of your ceiling joists is an important consideration when you’re about to begin a loft conversion project. If you don’t plan for this part of the project carefully, you risk running into structural problems. If you have to strengthen your ceiling joists for a loft conversion, there are generally two approaches you can use – overslinging and sideslinging.
Overslinging is a good approach when you’ve got more room to work with. It involves laying new joists over your old ones, running perpendicularly. For projects looking to avoid steel beams, consider exploring loft conversion without steel beams. Overslinging can provide you with the additional strength you need for your project without complicating the loft layout too much. It’s the option most builders would recommend to you by default if you’ve got the room for it.
On the other hand, sideslinging involves running new joists alongside the original ones. The new joists may or may not be secured to the original ones, and this is mostly down to the personal opinion of the builders working on your project. Sideslinging is a good option when you don’t have a lot of overhead room available and want to make the most of your current layout.
If you’re planning a loft conversion, your current joists will most likely not be able to handle the additional load of a new room. In very rare cases, this may be possible if your house was originally constructed with the intention of a loft project. For a comprehensive guide, see how to plan your loft conversion.
That’s not often the case though. If you need to add extra support to your joists, it’s important to get the job done by a professional who understands the full implications of this type of project.
Loft