Anybody know about loft conversions ?

[Derek W]

Ignore the people saying sparkies won't touch your work

If your not bothered about regs

I'd say ignore the people saying not to bother about the regs

 

[MassiveJim]

This it's perfectly legit to sell a house with a converted loft or sellar that wasn't done to specs and just list them as storage space.

Ignore the people saying sparkies won't touch your work, plenty will sign off first fix work done by others as it's a crappy job they don't want to do and they still make nearly the same money for doing the second fix and certifying so they don't need to get dirty.

If your not bothered about regs I'd just inulae board and install a ladder chances are it will be fine, I knew loads of people growing up who had loft like that as play rooms etc. I wouldn't want it as an office though for any serious length of time as the lack of natural light would make it horrible to be there for any length of time!

So using this logic,
it isn't worth spending lots of money on the loft as it won't add any value to the property.
I don't think my joists would stand regular use, I have seen people mention a method of joist strengthening where you add a thicker stronger joist on top of the one that is already there, is this sufficient ?

I flat out will NOT do this if it is going to cause damage to ceilings below etc.
I also do not want to spank 10K+ on a full loft conversion as I just won't see the money back and it does not give me enough extra space to warrant the outlay

 

[pitchfork]

New build?

Forget it.

You can't even put a christmas tree in the loft of a new build without.

A. Voiding the hom******s warranty

and

B. Messing up the ceilings because they're not built for storage, let alone conversion. Major work would need to be carried out.

I've done loft conversions without telling anyone but then I like to live dangerously, and plus I know what I'm doing. Just don't list it as livable space when you come to sell, if at all "Insulated heavy duty storage space in loft" is about what you can get away with.

 

[a1ex2001]

I'd say ignore the people saying not to bother about the regs

Why you only need building regs if you want to convert your loft or cellar into additional living space if you want to convert it for storage and occasional use then you don't need regs you just need to be aware that your not adding value to your house just utility while you live there. Thousands have been done like this upand down the country for the model trainset bregade or people looking for a play room for the kids etc.

 

[Derek W]

Why you only need building regs if you want to convert your loft or cellar into additional living space if you want to convert it for storage and occasional use then you don't need regs you just need to be aware that your not adding value to your house just utility while you live there. Thousands have been done like this upand down the country for the model trainset bregade or people looking for a play room for the kids etc.

The OP is talking about upgrading the ceiling ties to 7 x 2s as he's only got 5 x 2s. As myself and Pitchfork have stated on new builds its best not to do a DIY job simply because the OP is talking about a structural upgrade but with no means of support other than the external walls in a 'loft conversion'.

Folk need to stop using the phrase loft conversion cos its not, its flooring and lining the roofspace.

 

[NoobCannon]

Strong first post

 

[sdavlaws]

Surely boarding out the loft floor is pretty standard nowadays so you can store stuff up there.

If anyone asks me about boarding them out I don't recommend doing it, as only 250N/m2 loading is allowed for light storage (unless its requested specifically to be higher, a true "storage" load is dependant of the height of the zone) and boarding out the loft can eat half that capacity, people will then be more likely to store even more up there further increasing the risk of ceiling problems. If I am designing a roof for a customer and they ask for a storage loading I start asking a lot more questions about what they are planning to store up there.

to the OP I would say don't alter anything without talking to a structural engineer, the truss designer will have designed the trusses to meet the building designers requirements and nothing else. The chances of getting anything to work without a complete redesign/replacement are slim.

 

[mattyg]

If anyone asks me about boarding them out I don't recommend doing it, as only 250N/m2 loading is allowed for light storage (unless its requested specifically to be higher, a true "storage" load is dependant of the height of the zone) and boarding out the loft can eat half that capacity, people will then be more likely to store even more up there further increasing the risk of ceiling problems. If I am designing a roof for a customer and they ask for a storage loading I start asking a lot more questions about what they are planning to store up there.

to the OP I would say don't alter anything without talking to a structural engineer, the truss designer will have designed the trusses to meet the building designers requirements and nothing else. The chances of getting anything to work without a complete redesign/replacement are slim.

I'm sure the OP has done whatever he was going to do and probably sold and moved on by now........He asked the question in 2014...lol

 

[phrases]

As a teen my sister moved back home. So the only choice was to send poor me into the loft. They had the ladder fitted one of those slider ones made of galv. The noise still goes through me to this day.
Had all the electrics done plywood flooring and used cheap 6mm board nailed to keep the insulation in the roof cavity. I wonder how ***** up my lungs will be in another 10-15yrs time. Can't of been great sleeping with all that fibreglass crap around.