Existing loft conversion - now building reg worries!

[3549950]

Afternoon everyone,

You're all clever souls on here, I wonder if someone could possibly steer me with some advice.

We moved into a small property in early 2002, it's a wooden framed bungalow, with two 'bedrooms' coming off a lounge (which then leads on to kitchen and bathroom).

The previous owners converted the loft to a bedroom, and put stairs in one of the bedrooms (this bedroom is now used as an office - the other is my small studio). A builder chappie came over and said "Do you know if this complies with building regs?" So now I'm worried - The door into it is very small, and I do have to bend slightly to get in. There also isn't a vast amount of ceiling up there (although I am 6'3")

When we moved into the property there was planning permission granted for an extension. Due to several reasons, we let this lapse, but have now submitted plans and have had permission granted for an extension at the side of the house.

Now, my concern: we're now going to appoint an architect/engineer to do the building plans to get through building control, but I'm just concerned that if we have a building inspector to the house he may look at it all and go "Um, and what is this?" It's all in good order, appears very safe, and there is nothing upstairs apart from a bed and a couple of plants. The point I'm making here is that there isn't a load of wardrobes etc, and all we effectively do is sleep up there.

So - should we just assume that it complies with building regs? It's all appears properly done. What's the spec to make it comply? It's been that way for about 10 years I guess now. The irony of course is that there's nothing up there (from a load perspective) that wouldn't be there anyway?

Do you think I'm worrying about nothing? Any advice or opinion would be very welcome!

 

[mikric]

Over 10 years old, don't worry about it

 

[3549950]

I did see something about a building control department not being able to issue a 'section 36' more than 28 days after building work has completed.

Surely this doesn't mean that there's nothing they could do though?

ddm*

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

They'll likely only do anything if there's an obvious structural danger to life.

 

[big-all]

it may effect your plans as in it counts toward your permitted development you need to check

 

[3549950]

That's a good shout big-all, the extension we're planning is 40sq M - and the loft conversion is around 22sqM - so I think we're okay (unless I'm crucially mistaken!)

freddymercurystwin - I guess that's the question. There's nothing up there apart from a bed, and there's a sound staircase. In the case of escape routes, there's the same as there would be in a normal small upstairs - i.e., 1st floor windows. The big 'risk to life' I suppose would come from fire protection etc. Like I say, it's been like it for 10 years, so I don't know. I don't think it's the sort of the thing someone would necessarily see and think was horrendous, but then I'm not a BC man!

 

[diyAlex]

A friend of mine got his loft converted, just by a builder. Then Building Control knocked on the door and said "I can see a velux window in your loft, what have you done up there?". Turns out he had to correct some of the work and pay a fine!

This was basically because the stairs came down into another room, not a hallway. Which as far as BC was concerned is a fire risk (well, I suppose, an "escape risk").

When my sister's loft was converted they had to have a self-close fire door and mains operated, linked smoke alarms fitted. These were Building Regs stipulations. That was a house though, not a bungalow.

I think the 10 yr bit will be what keeps you out of trouble though! When we bought our current property, there was an extension but no trace of any Planning Permission. The planning department (which aren't strickly LABC, I know) said that since there is evidence of it existing for 10yrs then they would have no enforcement powers unless it was clearly a physical hazard to someone.