Loft Rooms

A loft conversion is the best way to make use of wasted space in your home – the space between your roof and ceiling. And  what's more, it can add considerably to the value of your property.

Full scale loft conversion means converting your roof space into an inhabitable room. Full scale loft conversions are possible in most homes, though the amount of work needed will vary from home to home and the strength of the existing foundations will come into play.

If you simply wish to use your loft for storage then there shouldn’t be any issues. But, for larger loft conversions, it is necessary to assess the potential in your roof space before making plans. The advice of a builder or architect will be needed before your plans are finalised, but you can quickly work out if your homes roof space is suitable for a conversion by inspecting the loft for yourself.

Prior to making any firm plans climb into the roof space and take a quick look around. The key to most loft conversions is how the roof was built and the headroom available.

A truss rafter roof will essentially mean that a number of structural alterations will be necessary to the property whilst a traditional rafter and beam style roof should mean that any loft conversions will be relatively straight-forward.  Find out where your load bearing walls are located and if they will support the extra weight.

Types of roof

Trussed rafter – will be a shallow pitch with the supporting timbers formed into a distinctive ‘W’ shape – usually built post 1965
Rafter and beam – steep pitch to the roof with supporting timbers shaped like an ‘M’ – usually built pre-1965

As a very general rule of thumb the older the house the more roof space you are likely to have as in the past the tendency was to build houses with a much steeper pitched roof than is normal today.

Other points to consider

Headroom – the headroom in the existing loft should be between 2.2 and 2.5 metres, though obviously the more room the better.

Staircase – a staircase is an absolute must if planning a habitable room in your roof space. There are different options when thinking about loft stairs, but one thing you must be clear on is the actual location of the stairs. Often it may be necessary to sacrifice a second floor room in order to accommodate a staircase to the loft

Safety – when assessing the suitability of your roof space bear in mind the need for safety - especially escape windows in the loft and fire safety.

Planning – most loft conversions don’t need planning permission, but if your roof space is restricted then you will probably need to install a window projecting from the roof, in which case planning permission will be needed. Also remember to take into account the NHBRC building regulations.

Plumbing – if you are planning to include a bathroom in this area, will your current plumbing system be able to cope with the addition of another bathroom.

The cost – adding a conversion to your home will increase its value, but obviously the initial outlay or available budget will impact on your plans.

Apart from these basic considerations most loft conversions will be possible though it is obviously best to have your plans professionally drawn up to your own specifications.

If you work with an architect or specialist loft conversion company make sure you are consulted every step of the way in the design process and don’t commit yourself to a design until you are absolutely certain that it meets your needs 100%.