Loft joist tie-in on 1 1/2 story cottage

[Dano]

How do the loft joists tie into the wall of the cottage. I see the loft floor detail on page 5 of the plans but am unclear on this and we are near this part..............Thanks

[John Raabe]

First, the ledger is notched into the continuous studs and the 2x12 rafters are supported on this ledger. The location of this ledger determines the ceiling height and loft floor height.

If you are doing a closed (drywall) ceiling in the lower floor you have it easy. See the lower diagram and nail the joists to the rafters when they align.

If you want an exposed beam and deck for the lower floor ceiling it gets a bit more complex. See the upper diagram where the Dbl. 2x12 beam supports the 2x6 decking. Because you may need to have some areas of the loft floor with a closed ceiling to hide plumbing, you will need to align the top of the decking with the top of the 3/4" subfloor. These two systems have a difference of 3/4" and that is why the bottom of the Dbl 2x12 beam is notched where it bears on the ledger. The ledger stays in the same position for either system.

If you don't have anything dropping through the floor of the loft you could do the entire floor with beams and 2x6 decking and then wouldn't need to notch the beams.

PS - Thanks for the question. I have added this note to the plans for the next printing.