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Free Call: 0191 3561008
Call Us Now
Our Location:
Stockton-on-Tees, TS21 4AJ
LBNW Timber System • Victorian/Edwardian Specialists • Ceiling Protection
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We come across a lot of older weaker ceilings or ceilings with smaller joists than normal. We advise not to just board direct to the joists or batten and board directly to the joists because the ceiling joists are too weak to allow the additional boarding & storage weight (load).
Mainly older terraced and detached houses pre WW2 and after WW2 when we started building again we had a short supply of materials so houses were built to a very minimal specification.
Although your ceiling joists are adequate (in most cases) to support your ceiling only, they were never designed to take any extra weight on them, so they must be strengthened or built above correctly to allow boarding, storage items and you to walk about safely and by adding more support this will prevent major expensive repairs in the future.
You’d be surprised how much stuff we put in our lofts over the years and it accumulates to the point where you are over loading the ceiling. Time to get a proper storage supporting floor installed before you damage the ceilings for good.
You can get a load calculation done for your loft storage requirements before you have loft boarding installed, but this is not required and can be quite costly.
We do however, highly recommend extra strengthening and it would be silly to ignore as anyone can see, adding more weight to a ceiling without support can and will damage a ceiling beyond repair.
Get a LBNW solid timber supported sub-frame, and feel confident that your ceilings will never be overloaded and is ideal for older Victorian/Edwardian properties.
Loft safety is very important, accidents can happen and helping prevent them especially in lofts is very important. The most common accidents in lofts are falling through the ceiling and falling down the loft hatch opening.
In both cases we can help prevent this from happening, by installing good quality strong flooring in the areas you want to access and install a rail or balustrade around the opening of the hatch, to stop anyone from walking backwards or stumbling toward the loft hatch.
It’s a long way down and could be quite nasty, so it’s worth considering installing a safety balustrade or railing.
Understanding the unique challenges of period property construction
Period properties were built using different standards and materials:
Older ceiling joists have specific limitations that must be respected:
Our LBNW timber system creates a storage platform supported directly by the internal structural walls and roof purlins, transferring all storage weight away from your ceiling joists entirely. This structural support system protects your ceilings while providing safe, stable storage designed specifically for older property challenges.
Direct boarding can cause irreversible ceiling collapse
Engineered specifically for older homes with comprehensive load distribution
Our LBNW system uses quality structural timber selected specifically for load-bearing applications in older properties:
The LBNW storage platform is supported directly by the internal structural walls (usually central in the property) and the roof purlins, transferring the weight of stored items away from the ceiling joists entirely. This structural wall and purlin support system protects your ceiling structure from any additional loading.
Expert fitting by qualified technicians with 15+ years experience in period property loft boarding
Expert solutions for every era of British home building
1837-1901
1901-1910
1918-1939
1945-1960
Post-war homes often used smaller timber sizes due to material rationing, making proper load distribution even more critical for safe loft storage.
Protecting you, your family, and your property investment
Professional safety railings and balustrades around loft hatch openings to prevent accidental falls.
Professional property survey and assessment ensures safe installation tailored to your older property.
Professional electrical installations and safety compliance with current building regulations.
Expert answers to your period property loft boarding questions
YES - A subframe is essential for older properties to prevent ceiling damage.
While load calculations can be performed, they're costly and our experience shows that older ceiling joists require additional support. Our LBNW timber system, supported by the internal structural wall and purlins, provides this crucial reinforcement.
Adding weight to weak ceilings without proper distribution will cause damage beyond repair. The investment in a raised sub-frame protects your property long-term.
Older properties have several key differences:
These joists were designed only to support the ceiling below - any additional weight requires careful load distribution.
Professional loft boarding significantly improves safety through multiple measures:
We strongly recommend hatch safety barriers - falls from loft height can be serious.
Weight capacity varies significantly in older properties:
Older ceiling joists should only support the ceiling itself - no additional storage weight.
Our storage platform bears directly on structural walls and roof purlins, transferring storage weight away from ceiling joists entirely, allowing safe storage while protecting your ceiling structure completely.
We provide professional property surveys and tailor our system to your property's specific requirements.
We use different systems optimized for different property types:
Our experts assess your property and recommend the most suitable system for your specific needs.
Get a free professional property survey and quote for safe loft boarding.
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