Query about loft usage

Surbybird

After a bit of advice really.

I have a large unused loft space in my Victorian semi. It is partially boarded and has a fixed ladder and electrics installed and currently houses the boiler and a few boxes.

I'm a bit tight for space in the rest of the house and wondered what I'd need to do to it to make it a usable space. I'm not thinking like a bedroom or anything like that, just perhaps a study for occasional use. I do work from home sometimes and it would be nice to have a space (other than the dining table) where I could work for a few hours undisturbed by cats and young people.

My budget is tight but I am guessing that at the very least I'd need to insulate the roof, and get additional electrics added.

In terms of strengthening I only plan to put a bookcase, desk and chair up there so would I need to do anything to the joists?

And finally, is all of this subject to Building Regs? I've done a bit of Googling but all I've found seems to be related to fully converting the loft, which I am not planning to do.

If it is going to be too difficult/expensive I'll give up on the idea and carry on working at the dining table!

Thanks.

K

Ebe_Scrooge

A - slightly dodgy - money saving tip. If you want to convert the loft to a "proper" room, with a staircase leading up to it, you need building regs, planning permission, etc. If you just want to put a bit of boarding up there and access it via a "temporary" ladder, you can do pretty much whatever you like. If you go for this route, and you're sensible about it, you could make a temporary office space for not much money, add some insulation if you want to, if it's cold, run an extension cable up the hatch when you're using it for electrics, etc.

If you go for a full-blown proper conversion, there are loads of rules 'n' regs to follow ( insulation, lighting, ventilation, fire regulations etc etc ), and you'd almost certainly need the joists / roof strengthening.

Surbybird

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

A - slightly dodgy - money saving tip. If you want to convert the loft to a "proper" room, with a staircase leading up to it, you need building regs, planning permission, etc. If you just want to put a bit of boarding up there and access it via a "temporary" ladder, you can do pretty much whatever you like. If you go for this route, and you're sensible about it, you could make a temporary office space for not much money, add some insulation if you want to, if it's cold, run an extension cable up the hatch when you're using it for electrics, etc.

If you go for a full-blown proper conversion, there are loads of rules 'n' regs to follow ( insulation, lighting, ventilation, fire regulations etc etc ), and you'd almost certainly need the joists / roof strengthening.

Thanks for that. It's already got electrics up there although I'd add another power point and improve the lighting but essentially I just want somewhere that I can work in peace and quiet sometimes.

It'll definitely need some insulation in the roof though, but I'm not sure what sort to go for.

I'm really just hoping that I don't fall foul of Building Regs by using it as an ad hoc workspace.

K

MrandMrsB

Thanks for starting this thread as we are thinking along the same lines.

Mr B went up into the attic to remove DS's rubbish on Saturday and could not cope with the heat. I am puzzled about why the rest of our house, that has two foot thick walls, is lovely and cool, when the attic is like a furnace. If we convert the attic I wonder whether the rest house might be too cold in the summer - it's 60 degrees upstairs right now and is much cooler downstairs, and this is as hot as it ever gets!

Innys

MrandMrsB wrote: »

Thanks for starting this thread as we are thinking along the same lines.

Mr B went up into the attic to remove DS's rubbish on Saturday and could not cope with the heat. I am puzzled about why the rest of our house, that has two foot thick walls, is lovely and cool, when the attic is like a furnace. If we convert the attic I wonder whether the rest house might be too cold in the summer - it's 60 degrees upstairs right now and is much cooler downstairs, and this is as hot as it ever gets!

I can think of two reasons off the top of my head as to why your loft feels like it is an oven:

1) The tiles on the outside are likely to be dark coloured and so absorb light and, therefore heat. Part of this will, inevitably, be transmitted to the inside of the loft;

2) Heat rises. Any heat you generate from downstairs will rise and concentrate in the loft.

I'm sure there must be loads of other reasons.

ormus

its a well known fact. basic lofts are freezing in winter and boiling in the summer.

as above re change of use. you may need PP, and certainly building control to change its use to a habital room.

muckybutt

I converted my loft in our first house - a bungalow, didnt need PP but had to comply with building regs and got it signed off, I turned it into a living room, lovely and warm all year round. Had a few issues with the building ossifer corrected him on a few points one being he wanted a fire door installing when it wasnt required, but put him straght after a phone call to the brother in law who is a cheif fire officer and a complaint to the head of building control even got an apology.

27col

It is all very well saying that you only want to put a bookcase up there, but a reasonable sized bookcase full of books can weigh a hell of a lot, as can a metal filing cabinet. Just a point to bear in mind.
MrandMrsB, what you have described is the essential difference between the uninsulated transmission of heat(ie.the roof) and the much lower transmission of heat through either thick masonry walls (in your case) or insulated cavity walls(the majority of cases)

Owain_Moneysaver

It is subject to Building Regs as you are intending to use the loft as a habitable room.

You do have to check that the floor joists are strong enough to support you and your furniture as they are probably only strong enough to hold up the ceiling.

You also have a significantly higher risk of dying in a house fire above the first floor so you must ensure that your loft and its means of escape comply with the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations.

By the time you've spent the money on making the loft useful as a room you might as well spend the extra and get a safe, legal and official room that will add value to your house.