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.
Strengthen roof trusses loft conversion.
This will often work out cheaper than using conventional steels once you factor in savings on labour access and plant hire etc.
New beams would be required.
This process involves the installation and use of steel beams.
Before work can begin a structural engineer will calculate the size of the steels required.
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.
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.
It typically costs around 4 000 for a set of 10 telebeam trusses sufficient for loft conversion of a small semi.
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.
Attic conversions are now possible by replacing the truss rafters with a shaped trusses or horizontal beams which in return create additional space.
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.