Loft Conversion

[pickles]

I am just about to start a loft conversion. Dormer at the back Velux windows at the front and a new internal staircase. At present i'm at the planning application and building regs stage although I have found a specialist builder to do it

I would welcome any comments, advice or tips from anyone whose done this, particularily as to how disruptive the work was and how long it took or just anything else useful anyones got to say

 

[masona]

Dusts from loft will find it way everywhere!!! I made a temporary timber stud frame out of 2"x1" where the staircase area and box it in, also made a overlapping door with the sheet or better still make a door! I did mine in approximately 8 weeks bearing in mind I was working at work as well!

Also a lot depends on if you're having RSJ or bigger joists side by side. The RSJ way is quicker but depending on your stress load calulation.

 

[toxictoad]

I was equiring about a loft conversion and had a structural engineer look at it, I have 2 17.5" joists in place (holding the roof) at the mo and was advised that replacing them with RSJs would be required but also give more overall space as they would be a lot smaller than the current joists.

 

[pickles]

I was equiring about a loft conversion and had a structural engineer look at it, I have 2 17.5" joists in place (holding the roof) at the mo and was advised that replacing them with RSJs would be required but also give more overall space as they would be a lot smaller than the current joists.

I should think they would be. 17.5 is huge. How old is the house

 

[Otto Sump]

I completed our loft conversion last summer, my own experiences (and the wifes) was that the work was very intrusive, lots of mess, lots of sweeping and hoovering.

We had to extend somewhere, teenage daughter and 9 year old where sharing a room and killing for domain space, the loft seemed the most practical solution. First thing I done was to install the velux, enabling natural light, cooling and ventilation.My central heating is of the open type had to move the expansion tank and pipework, this was hidden behind the stud partion wall.

Cut out loft access, to enable easier movement of new floor joists, flooring boards (8x2), insulation boards (8x4) and eventually plaster boards. This was all very hard work, which I was doing in my spare time and days off work,

I found the hardest part was the allocation of materials, trampsing up and down stairs, hossing things into the loft, and the polystyrene still make me wake up in a cold sweat, never knew the stuff could get into places that it did. All in all, its very much worth it, I'm proud of what I acheived, although very modest in size, it did provide my eldest daughter with a bedroom, study and storage for all her paraphernalia.

Funny thing was, three weeks after completion, she bought a flat with her boyfriend and moved out.

 

[littlecookie]

we had our roof raised by 1 metre for our loft doing ,the builder was very good hardly any mess at all he put up scafolding and used that for access in and out, all messy materials etc went up out side he also made the plasters use the ladders ,we also used attic trusses which speeded up the processs the only time he made a mess was when he cut the hole in the roof for the new staircase and he did that right near the end
2 hipped roof dormers front and 2 at the back, building regs required we build a new stud wall downstairs to form a seperate exit and self closers on all bedroom doors that was the only downside as we had to cut our living room up . he used a big blue plastic sheet to cover the roof while he worked on it for when it rained ,

 

[breezer]

littlecookie, please check the date a post was made.
pickles (the OP) only asked almost 3 years ago (Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 20:44 ) so probability is its been finished for some time

pickles also no longer posts. Last post was made on 15 September 2007 9:50 pm

 

[littlecookie]

oops... did not notice the date but to be fair i have found some good advice from some of the older posts when searching the forum but true maybe a bit late for my reply