boarding out a loft for playroom use

amandathepanda

can anyone advise of a good site that give details on boarding out a loft to use as storage and playroom use. No fancy stairs required, just a loft ladder, floor strengthened, plasterboarded and light and velux put in. We have a 1930's 3 bedroom semi, close to Newcastle upon Tyne, anyone any idea of how much we would expect to pay?

Hellion

Fitting a velux requires building regs.

YorkshireBoy

I'd suggest contacting the local council's building control department. When we converted part of the Garage into a bedroom/study 4 years ago I got loads of great advice on insulation, ventilation, fire regs, etc before I started the project.

Downside is that I had to pay for "building notice" when I started (£100+vat and covers their costs for site visit/inspection sign-off etc), although the certificate of inspection is invaluable for insurance/mortgage/selling on purposes.

You may be in to full blown building regs (£££) here though and, as I see it, your main areas will be:

Means Of Escape - back down the loft ladder or on to the roof?
Structural - possible issues with the existing joists (may be OK in a 30's property but in a modern house with 4" joists - no way!)
Insulation/Ventilation - building control will advise here
Heating - will your central heating pump cope with pumping up to the loft space?

Think I saw on one of the TV property programmes recently where it was virtually impossible for many of these loft ladder and tight/steep stairway accessed conversions to gain certification as "sleeping" rooms.

Regarding websites, I'm assuming you've already looked at https://www.velux.co.uk ?

I put the following into Google...

velux building regulations building notice means of escape

...and it threw up some really good stuff (if it wasn't so late I might even have read it!) - mainly from the various local authorities' websites around the country, and one or two installers of such systems.

HTH
YB

Sofa_Sogood

"Attic conversions can be broken down into two types; those involving access to the roof space by ladder and those involving the installation of a properly constructed stair. If you wish to use your roof space as living accommodation – as an additional bedroom for example – then a properly constructed stair will be necessary. If you are using a ladder, then the attic can only be used for domestic storage."

I checked a site out earlier and got the above.

I've forgotten how to post a short url so apologies for not sourcing it.

Always thought as long as it wasn't avertised as a bedroom or whatever, it was ok to use as more than a loft/attic?

Anyway ...HTH

fairenoughclough

Velux windows from about 550 pounds fitted.

Best way to find a contractor is to ask people local that have had it done.

Make sure you put down plastic sheets, it's a very messy business - in your case 75 years worth of dust.

In my case 125 years of dust, meant a lot of cleaning.

amandathepanda

Thanks for the feedback.

tricky_3

Have a look at these threads....lots of good advice

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=9681

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=11235

poppet

it is my understanding that a fully-boarded loft, with loft ladder (as opposed to a set of stairs) cannot be used nor marketed in a sale as a proper "room" as such, if it dosnt have building regs it cant be classed as a proper room.
However i *think* what you're suggesting is to just board it out and strengthen in for safety and then use for storage of toys and for the kids to set their train set up in (for example).
I recon you can do that without needing planning permission...you might need building regs for the velux but your local lpa will be able to help you with that.
p

ricflairandy

im also interested in doing somthing like this. just need extra storage space.

amandathepanda

Thanks poppet you thought right, just for storage and a train set etc. I will check it out.

theGrinch

yes fitting a velux will require building regs. and possibility scaffolding, which is a big extra. tip here is to look for either a velux fitter that will use a mobile platform (on wheels) or a rope system.