Hi

My sister has a barn like structure adjacent to and part of her house. Its
around 22' long, 9' wide, 24' tall and open on three sides. The
construction is of heavy (oak?) beams with a pitched slate roof all in sound
condition.

Its not an old building, just made to look old. Not been up more that 15
years.

Previous owners have put in a mezzanine floor - constructed of 9mm ply on 2
x 2 battens at 4' centres - needless to say I haven't walked on it!

Her plan is to clad it on the three open sides, replace the floor, install
stairs and an up & over garage door.

The planned use is as a garage/workshop below and a storage and craft area
above . It wouldn't be a 'habitable room' up above. Apparently no planning
issues involved.

My main concern is that the upper area could be a death trap in case of
fire. The only escape would be through the garage area. I think I would
need to install a MOE roof window?

Her plan is to insulate the walls & roof and line the inside with 6mm ply.
I've advised against this, again on fire grounds - I reckon plasterboard
would be safer.

Assuming I can overcome the fire hazard, would 6 x 2 joists at 16" centres
over a 10' span be sufficient for the floor? I also assume that the
underside of the floor should be insulated & plaster boarded?


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

My sister has a barn like structure adjacent to and part of her house.
Its around 22' long, 9' wide, 24' tall and open on three sides. The
construction is of heavy (oak?) beams with a pitched slate roof all in
sound condition.

Its not an old building, just made to look old. Not been up more that 15
years.

Previous owners have put in a mezzanine floor - constructed of 9mm ply on
2 x 2 battens at 4' centres - needless to say I haven't walked on it!

Her plan is to clad it on the three open sides, replace the floor, install
stairs and an up & over garage door.

The planned use is as a garage/workshop below and a storage and craft area
above . It wouldn't be a 'habitable room' up above. Apparently no
planning issues involved.

My main concern is that the upper area could be a death trap in case of
fire. The only escape would be through the garage area. I think I would
need to install a MOE roof window?

Her plan is to insulate the walls & roof and line the inside with 6mm ply.
I've advised against this, again on fire grounds - I reckon plasterboard
would be safer.

Assuming I can overcome the fire hazard, would 6 x 2 joists at 16"
centres over a 10' span be sufficient for the floor? I also assume that
the underside of the floor should be insulated & plaster boarded?


It probably does require planning permission and it certainly would need
building regulations approval.

Peter Crosland

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Would 6 x 2 joists at 16" centres over a 10' span be sufficient for the floor?

Only just:
http://www.ovolopublishing.co.uk/hou...les-753488.jpg

Here is a better link -get Foxit Reader and you can get the text out of
it and put it into a word processor for translating into English:
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/bcg006timberfloors.pdf

Hehe is an English translator:
http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/...56&ckey=217214

Weatherlawyer wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

Would 6 x 2 joists at 16" centres over a 10' span be sufficient for the floor?

Only just:
http://www.ovolopublishing.co.uk/hou...les-753488.jpg

Here is a better link -get Foxit Reader and you can get the text out of
it and put it into a word processor for translating into English:
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/bcg006timberfloors.pdf

What are you on about? It is English and the text selection tool in
Acrobat works just fine.

MBQ