Plans & Calculations
For most people converting their loft is the alternative to moving house. Locations of schools and jobs and crucially house prices make it more prudent to stay where you are and expand. Once you have decided to have a loft conversion, let us take the weight of your shoulders. For a fixed fee we can arrange to come out and survey your loft and together with our structural engineer, draw up the plans ready for approval. Full planning permission may not be needed if the volume of your loft falls under a certain area. In this case a certificate of lawful development would usually be needed. For a comprehensive list of regulaions go to www.planningportal.gov.uk
We have 35 years in loft conversion regulations and work very closely with planning authorities, taking the strain of you so you can go about your day to day activities. Many people do not realise the complexities of planning their new loft when they decvide to self build, and below is a list of key details to be taken into consideration. If you agree to go with us for your plans you can be sure no stone is left unturned.
- Can the property take the load of a loft conversion- It is important that you make sure the foundations are structurally sound to be able to take the weight of a loft conversion.
- Is there enough head room in the loft- You will need 2 meters head room as you step into your loft from your staircase. If you have more than 2 meters already it should be fine but the position of the staircase is paramount.
- Position of the staircase- You may just want a loft ladder to pull down onto your landing but in order for it to be classed as a 'Habitable Room' you would need a fixed staircase, at least 700mm in width,to comply with regulations. In many cases the new stairs has two winder boxes in order to get in as many steps as possible into a small area and would go either above the existing stair case or start off in the smaller bedroom.
- Strengthening the floor joists- The ceiling joists in your loft are simply not strong enough to take the load of a new floor and would need replacing with joists at least 200mm x 50mm set into steel joists which would sit on the existing wall plate.
- Fire safety- The new floor would need at least 30minutes of fire protection and any doors leading into the new and at the bottom of the new stairs would need 30 minute fire protection also. Any new windows being fitted would need at least one with an opening large enough for fire escape.
- Electrical system- Do you have spare RCD circuits to be able to supply power to the new sockets, showers and lights?
START A COMPLETE LOFT CONVERSION QUOTATION HERE
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