NOT a loft room

[nigelm]

I looked at converting my loft, but with the building regs as they are it proved to be impractical.

I also looked at using it as a storage area, boarded out, insulated with cuborads etc with a ladder access, but having talked to building control it would seem that even this would be too close to being a potential habitable space so would be treated as such and so would not comply.

My current idea is to open out a small area of the loft as a mezzanine, insulated and boarded out etc with a fixed ladder access. Would this still fall within the habitable room description, (the finished floor area will only be 2.5 meters square once the storage is fitted).

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You can only class a room as a habitable room if it complies with the regulations. If it does not comply with them it is not a habitable room. Whether you have a fixed ladder or stair is irrelevant, it still has to comply with the rest of the regs.

 

[nigelm]

You can only class a room as a habitable room if it complies with the regulations. If it does not comply with them it is not a habitable room. Whether you have a fixed ladder or stair is irrelevant, it still has to comply with the rest of the regs.

BC are only interested IF it is considered to be a habitable room, my question is would it be considered a habitable room even though it is an open mezzanine and as a small floor area.

 

[joe-90]

What do you mean by mezzanine?

 

[noseall]

As soon as it becomes 'mezzanine' it becomes habitable. Creating a mezzanine would be more troublesome than a simple conversion.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

BC are only interested IF it is considered to be a habitable room, my question is would it be considered a habitable room even though it is an open mezzanine and as a small floor area.

Your mezz floor would be considered to be a 'gallery' in terms of Part B (fire) and will need to comply with those regs http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/Pp...portal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADB1_2006.pdf page 21 section 2.12.

 

[^woody^]

boarded out etc with a fixed ladder

On this basis alone, if a fixed ladder is going in, then a b/regs application should be going in too

 

[stellaman]

if you want a fixed ladder that complies with part of the building regs (part K) then there are space saver stairs on the market, not good for everyday use but they work. Depends on what you want to use the space for really, if it is only storage then put a decent loft ladder in, if you want to use it as say an office area then space saver or alternate tred stairs are good if your stuck for space.
If you dont go for building regs approval you cant add this space to your house area when you come to sell.