6x2 first floor joists

pedros

ive just moved in to a 70 year house,i pulled down the ceiling which was 4mm sort of ply,ive noticed the first floor joists are just 6x2 timbers,they have furlong pieces on top of them going from the centre out to the walls of the house.the floor boards are level but the ceiling is bowed underneath is this common practice and should they be alright to keep,cheers for any advice

A fella called fish

I certainly hope that bowed ceilings are not common practice for some people!

You would need to provide joist spacing and span obviously, however I suspect they're the old 38x150 joists which (depending on span) can rarely withstand modern domestic loadings as required under the current codes of practice. The bow in the ceiling already suggests that the joists are not up to the job...and i'll wager theres a nice lively spring in the joists when you jump or stamp your feet?

With that in mind, I suggest that you engage a local Chartered Structural Engineer to assess the floor (and other areas of the property) and provide the appropriate remedial solutions where required.

Your Engineer will no doubt also be aware that the ends of the joists should be checked for evidence of rot.