Raised Sleeping Area

[KipVr]

Are there any regulations for raised sleeping areas? We have two kids sleeping in the one bedroom at the moment, and I'd like to give them a bit of their own space by giving the older (5) brother his own sleeping area under the rafters. When we had the roof replaced I sistered/doubled up the loft floor joists in that area with 6x3 inch, and had a velux installed which had a first floor flat roof below it.

The thing is, at what point does a raised sleeping area become a loft conversion? One thing I've noticed is that most of them seem to have ladders and not stairs, with it being for a young child I'd like it to be a stairs- but there is no way the br 2m minimum height to the ridge. It's more like 1.7m

I'm talking the kind of thing you see here

http://www.houzz.com/loft-space

Cheers Kip[/img]

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Is it going to provide an area purely for a mattress or for other area too?

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo and welcome KipVr

is the area part off the bedroom as it is now or after the changes
has it been built to bc requirements with insulation and strength requirements

 

[^woody^]

If it is part of a single room, with no partition or it's own door, then no regulations will apply. Obviously, the thing should be done to ensure that it is safe to use in terms of protection from falling - in which case adherence to relevant regulations or standards would be wise even if not a legal requirement.

 

[KipVr]

Hi and thanks for the replies😄

I have already created the 'platform' part of it when we restored the house last year, but the platform covers quite a large area and could be seen as a separate room. So I figured the best thing to do was reduce the area so it definitely looks more like a sleeping area than a loft conversion. I have followed the br in terms of insulation and floor joists for the platform, fire escape and alarms, but cannot meet the regs for a loft conversion stairs.

 

[KipVr]

I would definitely make sure there is no way they could fall off the edge! My wife would never let that one slip anyway😄

 

[luisdesign]

The Building regulations cover the possibility for space saving staircases such as those with alternating treads. They aren't the nicest things in the world but are better than ladders imo.(as a note, fixed ladders are covered under building regs too).

The regs cover the min and max distances of treads / risers and also limit the number of rooms that can be accessed from such a stair.

Another option may be a spiral stair.

However, someone please correct me if I am wrong, I was under the impression that minimum room ceilings heights were no longer part of the building regulations only a minimum head clearance on stairs.

 

[DevilDamo]

The Building regulations cover the possibility for space saving staircases such as those with alternating treads.

Alternating tread stairs can only be used where it is not practical/feasibility to provide a traditional staircase. An argument we had with a BCO resulted in him eventually agreeing on an AT stair.

Another option may be a spiral stair.

An option, but not space saving as one would expect as you'd need an opening of at least 1500 sq.mm to make it work.

However, someone please correct me if I am wrong, I was under the impression that minimum room ceilings heights were no longer part of the building regulations only a minimum head clearance on stairs.

Correct. Heights are primarily used for planning, not BR.

 

[KipVr]

Yes that's how I understand it, and I wouldn't be able to meet the head clearance at the top of the stairs. I have plenty of room for a stairway in the room below so I don't need a space saving stairs. So I guess the question is- does a stairway leading to a raised sleeping area need to meet minimum head clearance at the top? I'm guessing it does, which would explain why most of them have ladders..

 

[luisdesign]

If you have a staircase then it must meet with the regulations associated with that staircase - so imo - yes, it would need to meet the head clearance.

Technically though, even a ladder must maintain this head clearance between levels as the AD'K describes the height requirements for "between levels" as opposed to ascribing them to a particular type of stepped access.

As a note though, the acceptable reduced head clearance going into a loft is 1.9m (at the centre of the stairs) raking down to no less than 1.8m of course, this still doesn't help you if you only have 1.7.

You may be able to discuss the height issues with the building control officer to see if they would be happy to accept the lower head clearance based on the fact that the sleeping space is itself only 1.7m high anyway? Long shot, but still worth a shot and beats having to lower the ceiling heights just for a place to sleep.

An option, but not space saving as one would expect as you'd need an opening of at least 1500 sq.mm to make it work.

Agreed, it all comes down to how the space you have works out.

 

[^woody^]

From what has been said, it seems that the b/regs won't apply, so talk about headroom is moot