DIY Loft Conversion

Gizmosmum_2

Forgot to mention - got a fab book from Amazon this morning - Haynes Manual on loft conversions - can you believe it!! Lots of ace ideas and not too dear at £12. Only problem - not too many mentions for those raising the walls as well as converting.

darich

ormus wrote: »

you better make sure you can get PP first. dormers are generally ok, but raising walls by 1 metre is very rare. rasing the roof line is virtually impossible.
next problem is the footings?
adding that sort of weight to the walls, the PP dept will want an inspection trench digging. and if the footings are not good enough, you can add big money for underpinning.

Dormers are sometimes frowned upon depending on the surrounding houses/area so I think it depends more on the surrounding houses.
My neighbour recently removed the roof from their bungalow and replaced it with a higher pitch to allow the space to be used as rooms....so they now have a 2 storey bungalow....with velux windows.

Underpinning isn't such a big deal - simply a case of doweling into the existing foundation and pouring additional concrete. May be costly but technically, not difficult.

The walls will also have to be certified as strong enough to carry the extra load.

paddy's_mum

Another vote for the Haynes Manual here. A really useful book, with good, practical explanations and plenty of get-you-thinking photographs.

Others I looked at were either highly technical tomes for experienced builders or else too wishy-washy, more a Book of Ideas than a how-to-do-it manual.

Good luck with your conversion OP.

cyclonebri1

Have you put in for building regs yet???. Regardless off the increase in wieght due to the gable ends, because you are adding a 2nd floor they will require you to excavate the footings area somewher around the existing shell of the bungalow to determine the depth of foundation.

Believe it or not, this was easier for us to do internally, as the BI was particularly concerned with the internal mid wall which would now have to carry all the mid point loading of an extra storey.

All was well :T:T

Gizmosmum_2

Meeting with Planners and Building regs with first draft of plans on Thursday - hoping we can iron out any problems then (apart from the lack of cash!!!:()

I'm hoping that as the roof is coming off competely and we're putting a load of rsj's in that there won't be any need to strenthen the founds. I've had a quick chat with BR last week and they didn't seem to think it was needed but if they change their mind I guess I'll just have to get on with it ...

Creating lists of materials required and starting to cost - scary:eek:

fluffpot

You need to notify the electrics first to BC if you are doing them yourselves and organise an inspection at first and second fix. Registered electricians are not legally allowed to sign off work that they haven't installed so you can't jut phone up your local spark at the end of the job and ask him/her to do you a cert.

Fluff

Gizmosmum_2

Thanks Fluffpot - one of our best mates works with us on all of our jobs, we do the grunt work and he does the techie stuff and then signs off. BC are fine about this but you're dead right most of the time you wouldn't have a hope of getting a sparky to sign off work he/she hasn't completed themselves.

Just taken over the whole of the garden this afternoon with a mock up of the layout trying to work out exactly where the velux should go and whether we really need 4 and 2 gables or if we can get away with less. I want loads of light but need to keep warm too!

cyclonebri1

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Meeting with Planners and Building regs with first draft of plans on Thursday - hoping we can iron out any problems then (apart from the lack of cash!!!:()

I'm hoping that as the roof is coming off competely and we're putting a load of rsj's in that there won't be any need to strenthen the founds. I've had a quick chat with BR last week and they didn't seem to think it was needed but if they change their mind I guess I'll just have to get on with it ...

Creating lists of materials required and starting to cost - scary:eek:

I have been involved with several of these in our area, and I can categorically state that our local building control dept will not entertain work commencing on any bungalow where a 2nd storey is being added without the existing foundations being exposed.

This is when the conversion is taking place within the original shell. In your case by also building up you will be adding considerably more load than a standard LC.

Even if you use a private company for building reg inspections, which id now often a cheaper option, pm me if you want to know why, they will not put their neck on the line without a foundation dig.

Gizmosmum_2

Thanks for that - I guess I'll have to brace myself for having the foundations checked.

Having read more I'm now worried that I haven't got a lintel big enough over the living room window which is 3m wide and that's where the one of the new gables will be built.

I'e got a builder coming this afternoon to quote for labour etc so I'll be picking his brains. He's a trusted friend of the family so I'm hoping for a frank discussion. Having checked the plans yesterday I've discovered that many of the measurements are wrong so I won't be using the same guy to carry on with the plans - all good fun!!

keith969

The house I recently bought started life as a bungalow, and had a loft conversion about 12 years ago. Couple of things to think about:

- insulation. Make sure you have plenty as its almost impossible to change it once the roof is up.

- storage space. I really miss having a loft to fill with junk! You might be able to make small areas of the roof space (behind vertical bedroom walls) accessible, even a little is useful.

- electrics. Make sure anything above the ceiling that needs to be accessed can be. Again without removing part of the ceiling/roof its impossible to get to...