'Loft room' not to current regs

gardner1

JoolzS wrote: »

We had a loft room built a few years ago - no planning permission, no building regs - we have simply used it as storage. I would have no worries about sleeping or playing up there - it was a cheap job, but we've had tons of stuff stored up there for years without a problem.

If the loft room bothers you, then simply act as though it doesn't exist and consider the property without it. I doubt it has had any structural impact on the property.

"but we've had tons of stuff stored up there for years without a problem"
just wait till it comes thru the ceiling

spannerzone

Blimey! it'll be fine if it was done properly or until the day it all collapses because you find out the idiot that 'converted' it cut through various roof timbers.

You should at least have agood look at the work that's been done and not base purchasing on the guesswork of forum members

BobQ

JoolzS wrote: »

We had a loft room built a few years ago - no planning permission, no building regs - we have simply used it as storage. I would have no worries about sleeping or playing up there - it was a cheap job, but we've had tons of stuff stored up there for years without a problem.

If the loft room bothers you, then simply act as though it doesn't exist and consider the property without it. I doubt it has had any structural impact on the property.

A very reckless attitude IMO. Its less of a concern because you do not sleep in the loft room but just because a few heavy boxes have sat on the floor for a few years does not make it safe.

Of course as you are a Chartered Architect/Surveyor you need not worry as you will have done the calculations and ensured the chap who did the cheap job did not cut out too many important roof timbers.

jc808

its going to be a few toys and a couple of kids

perspective?

pioneer22

BobQ wrote: »

A very reckless attitude IMO. Its less of a concern because you do not sleep in the loft room but just because a few heavy boxes have sat on the floor for a few years does not make it safe.

Of course as you are a Chartered Architect/Surveyor you need not worry as you will have done the calculations and ensured the chap who did the cheap job did not cut out too many important roof timbers.

:T

ha great

JoolzS

gardner1 wrote: »

"but we've had tons of stuff stored up there for years without a problem"
just wait till it comes thru the ceiling

I wasn't completely stupid - purlins were removed and joists were put in. I have absolutely no worries about anything "comiing thru the ceiling"

I think the world has gone mad. It used to be normal to board out a loft and store stuff up there (and occasionally let a kid sleep there).. I do understand some of the safety issues - such as escaping a fire - but I don't understand most of the others. Growing up, my mum stored scads of stuff in the attic (mainly straddling the rafters) and I don't believe it occurred to anyone that this might be a problem.

I have never seen "loft collapsed" as a news item. I'm not saying it has never happened, but I very often use a car and I know that "car accident" is a regular news item. - I'll both continue using a car (high risk) and storing stuff in my attic (low risk) - and, on a daily basis, worry about neither.

MatyMoo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-16166722

Never say never

anselld

JoolzS wrote: »

I wasn't completely stupid - purlins were removed and joists were put in. I have absolutely no worries about anything "comiing thru the ceiling"

I think the world has gone mad. It used to be normal to board out a loft and store stuff up there (and occasionally let a kid sleep there).. I do understand some of the safety issues - such as escaping a fire - but I don't understand most of the others. Growing up, my mum stored scads of stuff in the attic (mainly straddling the rafters) and I don't believe it occurred to anyone that this might be a problem.

I have never seen "loft collapsed" as a news item. I'm not saying it has never happened, but I very often use a car and I know that "car accident" is a regular news item. - I'll both continue using a car (high risk) and storing stuff in my attic (low risk) - and, on a daily basis, worry about neither.

Have you ever tried to lift a child into the loft? Probably too heavy right!
Do boxes jump up and down whilst they are stored in the loft?

Storage of liftable items and use as a playroom are completely different from a loading viewpoint. You say joists have been put in and that is fine, however there are plenty of "loft rooms" out there which are just 18mm of chipboard sitting on the ceiling joists ( which are already part of the load bearing structure of the roof). Foolish to use these as a bedroom or playroom.

seven-day-weekend

When we bought our house forty years ago, it had a room in the loft, all boarded out and plastered with a roof window. We have extended it by taking the plasterboard out at both ends so that there is more floor space, and added another (larger ) roof window. It has the original purlins and proper stairs.

We think the room may be original, rather than a conversion, certainly it looks as old as the rest of the house, which is mid Victorian (although the plasterboard that we took out was almost certainly added later). However, we don't know for sure.

If/when we sell we will advertise it as two bedroom and large loft room because we are pretty sure it will not meet today's regulations. However, over the years it has been used as a bedroom and for storage, and now it is used as a study/music room. It has not fallen down yet. I will tell any prospective purchasers these details and they can make up their own minds.

chris_m

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

If/when we sell we will advertise it as two bedroom and large loft room because we are pretty sure it will not meet today's regulations.

It doesn't matter if it doesn't meet today's regulations, it's whether or not it met any regulations that applied at the time it was built or converted that matters.

It's like wiring - many times we see prospective buyers come on here panicking because the surveyor has said that the wiring doesn't meet current regulations - probably 90% plus of houses over 5 years old won't meet the current regulations but met those in force at the time they were built or last rewired and are still perfectly safe. If every house had to meet the current regulations at all times we'd have a dire shortage of sparkies to do all the work every time the regs changed.