Hello All,
I am currently looking to convert my loft space into a bedroom and en-suite, at the moment my existing staircase is in my lounge. If i was to go into the loft and effectively then make my house 3 storeys high would i still be ok with my staircase coming down in my lounge ? It is my understanding that when you have a 3 storey dwelling you have to create a fire protected lobby with no exit through a habitable room, is this correct ? Also i am intending to put the doorway for the loft conversion on the first floor, not sure if this will help the situation or not. If my thoughts are correct can anybody think of any suggestions to get around it, one of my thoughts was to install a first floor fire espape window to the enclosed lobby area of the bedroom.
Also i am thinking of trying to as much of the conversion work as i can, obviously there are lots of aspects which will need the proffesionals for, but upgrading the rafters and the floor i thought i could do. At the moment my roof is made up of trussed rafters, i know this is harder to convert than a traditional roof but still achievable/
My initial plan of attack to get the loft structurally sound is as follows:
1. I will strengthen existing rafters with new 150 x 50mm timbers fixed to existing rafters.
2. Get a builder to insert new steel beams, 1 at ridge level to support rafters and 2 at lower level to support the bottom end of the rafter. Then a further 2 at ceiling level to hang my new floor on, at moment i have no solid walls and the overall span of the building is 6.8m so this would be to far to span a single joist. (Does anybody have any other thoughts on the new floor ?) My idea for getting the steel into the roof was to punch a small hole in the gable wall and slide the beams across, does this seem the best option here ?
3. Once all the steel was in place and the rafters have been upgraded i then intended to cut out all the remaining setions of the existing trussed rafter.
Does the above plan of attack seem like a good route and does anybody have any suggestons ?
Cheers
Darren
I am currently looking to convert my loft space into a bedroom and en-suite, at the moment my existing staircase is in my lounge. If i was to go into the loft and effectively then make my house 3 storeys high would i still be ok with my staircase coming down in my lounge ? It is my understanding that when you have a 3 storey dwelling you have to create a fire protected lobby with no exit through a habitable room, is this correct ? Also i am intending to put the doorway for the loft conversion on the first floor, not sure if this will help the situation or not. If my thoughts are correct can anybody think of any suggestions to get around it, one of my thoughts was to install a first floor fire espape window to the enclosed lobby area of the bedroom.
Also i am thinking of trying to as much of the conversion work as i can, obviously there are lots of aspects which will need the proffesionals for, but upgrading the rafters and the floor i thought i could do. At the moment my roof is made up of trussed rafters, i know this is harder to convert than a traditional roof but still achievable/
My initial plan of attack to get the loft structurally sound is as follows:
1. I will strengthen existing rafters with new 150 x 50mm timbers fixed to existing rafters.
2. Get a builder to insert new steel beams, 1 at ridge level to support rafters and 2 at lower level to support the bottom end of the rafter. Then a further 2 at ceiling level to hang my new floor on, at moment i have no solid walls and the overall span of the building is 6.8m so this would be to far to span a single joist. (Does anybody have any other thoughts on the new floor ?) My idea for getting the steel into the roof was to punch a small hole in the gable wall and slide the beams across, does this seem the best option here ?
3. Once all the steel was in place and the rafters have been upgraded i then intended to cut out all the remaining setions of the existing trussed rafter.
Does the above plan of attack seem like a good route and does anybody have any suggestons ?
Cheers
Darren