Just completed and discovered loft conversion

Fire_Fox

mahoney wrote: »

Thanks all. I don't think I'll use it at all until I know how it has been done. Scared of going through the ceiling. Until I know what it can hold i might just put a few boxes up there. It has a window so that would be the fire escape... The steps upto it would not be much good in a rush though.

If it isn't a proper conversion (which I doubt it is), any ideas how much would it cost to put it right? Do I need to do anything now about building regs? I understand I might need to post some more building related questions on the diy forum.

I paid 300£ for the home buyers report (after bank survey) hoping it would pick up on any major stuff. Amazingly surveyor pointed out that the chimney breast had been removed but not that there was a room in the attic.

Fire regs will specify the size and location of the window as it needs to be accessible by the fire brigade. To pass buildings regs the loft conversion will need a proper staircase with full head height and a fire door either at the top or the bottom. It may well cost more to put this right than it would have done to start from scratch.

Surveyors often don't report on areas they can't get access to; if you want a thorough job you would need to request permission to lift fitted carpets and check that there is loft access so they can check the roof timbers. Having said that I can't understand how your surveyor didn't notice a velux window!

mahoney

I don't know how it wasn't spotted . Do you think it's worth me going back to the solicitors to see if they can find out anything from the previous owners ? ... we have completed tho and paid up.

Are we breaking any building regs if we don't use it as a room? ie just use it for storage.

Am really tempted to walk on it

LandyAndy

mahoney wrote: »

We had a home buyers report done and it said he couldn't access the loft so didn't inspect it. .

mahoney wrote: »

To be clear, there are no stairs up to it, just a full down ladder. The window is quite big - I could fit through it easily.

Do you mean a pull down ladder, if so why could the surveyor not access the loft?

mahoney wrote: »

I don't know how it wasn't spotted . Do you think it's worth me going back to the solicitors to see if they can find out anything from the previous owners ? ... we have completed tho and paid up.

Are we breaking any building regs if we don't use it as a room? ie just use it for storage.

Am really tempted to walk on it

Lets face it the previous owners didn't carpet the loft to just admire it. You didn't pay for a loft conversion so just treat it as any other loft.

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

chappers wrote: »

The reason it wasn't mentioned is because it isn't realy a legit conversion the lack of a staircase for one, along with probably a hundred and one contraventions of the building regs.
What the previous owners of you use it for is up to you.
Just remember that a large proportion of the regs surrounding loft conversions are to do with fire safety(allbeit some are over the top), would you feel safe using it as a bedroom, your call.

Legally because it doesn't have a fixed staircase it cannot be used as a bedroom. My brother has one without a fixed stairs. The floor is usually attached to the roof, its classed as a floating floor. Unless it has been converted differently. They had to jump through hoops to have this done to building regs standard it also cost thousands of pounds to do it.

mahoney

Sorry I meant a PULL down ladder yes. You need something to stand on though to open the hatch to get to the ladder which then pulls down. The house was completely empty when the home buyers report was done but you would have thought a surveyor would have at least a small ladder to hand.

mahoney

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK wrote: »

Legally because it doesn't have a fixed staircase it cannot be used as a bedroom. My brother has one without a fixed stairs. The floor is usually attached to the roof, its classed as a floating floor. Unless it has been converted differently. They had to jump through hoops to have this done to building regs standard it also cost thousands of pounds to do it.

The floor is attached to the roof here (with wooden beams IIRC). What's a floating floor? Also, what does your brother use the loft for?

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

mahoney wrote: »

The floor is attached to the roof here (with wooden beams IIRC). What's a floating floor? Also, what does your brother use the loft for?

I think the floor floats because its hung from the roof. As for he uses it for its basically an office, computer etc.They have a velux (sp) window which lets in a lot of natural light plus they have obviously electric and heating in there. I don't think it has enough insulation to be used as a bedroom anyway.

I will phone them tomorrow and ask for you

Running_Horse

I may be incredibly dense, but how does a floor hang from the roof?

mahoney

Thanks. I think for a home office it would be suitable. By hanging floor , I think it means there are beams in the middle of the room supporting, where as in a proper conversion they wouldn't be there.

Am so tempted to walk on it. Do you think I can without ending up in the bedroom? Tell me what you think - I won't hold anyone to it if I do go thru.

Swipe

Of course you won't fall through. How you you think they laid the carpet? Any unconverted loft, even just standing on the joists with no boarding, will hold the weight of a single person, unless you are Rick Waller that is.