New builds and "unconvertible lofts"?

Smudger78

Hi,


We are buying a new build off plan and when I asked whether the loft was boarded I was told it isn't and the lofts in new build homes (or at least this one) are not suitable for boarding and/or converting as structurally they're not designed to take the weight? It's not something we would want to do now anyway but I'm just curious as to whether there is such a thing as an "unconvertible loft" as it may be something we want to look at in the future as I do believe there would be enough space up there to make it worthwhile.


Has anyone else come across this?


Thanks

tigsly

It will depend on the internal structure -if the roof is designed to leave limited space- you might have to change the way support is to make a room

Like wise the joists can be too 'thin' to support a room above- so you'd have to add more - substancial timber - to achieve a loft conversion..

Doozergirl

You generally two types of toof. Modern estate type houses are built using prefabricated trusses. They are quite lightweight and use a lot of crossbracing for rigidity. It fills the space that woyld be converted. So yes, you can have an unconvertible loft in the you would have to remove the entire roof structure and replace it.

Older houses tend to built with a cut roof. Larger, fewer trusses with little in the way of cross bracing. Easier to convert from the inside.

AlexMac

From experience of owning both Victorian houses, and now, a 1986 house, I'm inclined to agree with Doozergirl. We sold our last 100+year old end terrace with a classic Victorian roof easily, despite the fact that the original slates were all shot and leaky, because the buyer intended to extend into the loft and re-cover the roof anyway. Which they did. Even prior to conversion, you could walk around the loft.

But the newer place, despite having a pitched roof which looks big enough to covert, in fact has a complex, internal truss structure like a lattice of much thinner, lighter closely woven timbers, so while overall it probably uses less wood (thus cheaper and lighter) it is impossible to walk around in it.

So conversion or upwards extension would mean taking the whole thing off and starting again, rather than modifying the existing structure, thus adding considerably to the cost. And the timbers to which the ceiling is attached are probably also too flimsy to support the weight of floorboards, furniture, contents and humans, so they too would have to be strengthened, whereas the Victorians simply over-designed everything so it wouldn't fall down?

So in future you might have to sell and buy up for more space?

Or ask a structural engineer...?

ethank

Have you checked to see whether you there is also a restrictive covenant preventing you from replacing the roof.
Developers like the houses to look the same!

Vampgirl

The sales manager for the new build we are buying told us exactly the same, but also said that actually its the insulation that makes boarding the loft difficult because it stands higher than the joists. But he also said that there are solutions and that it possible to board it for normal storage so long as you make sure the insulation is not compressed (because that could cause damage to the ceilings below).

Assuming there is enough head height then I doubt that the loft is actually "unconvertable" - at the moment we live on a relatively new build estate (approx 10 years old) and many of the houses have had loft conversions done without physically removing the whole roof. I expect that its more work/expensive to convert a new build loft than an older style house, but it shouldn't be impossible.

Some useful info here:http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/existing-homes/converting-loft/beginners-guide

AnnieO1234

From buying ours, we know we will have to have the roof removed and rebuilt so in essence it's no longer a conversion but a tear down!

Xx

scottishblondie

My house was built in 2012. The loft has plenty of head room, but the roof trusses would prevent a loft conversion without taking off the roof and replacing them. I suspect that the rest of the structure would also need to be strengthened. The builder also said that it wasn't supposed to be used for storage, but I have boarded it out using "loft legs" so as not to interfere with the insulation. I only put lightweight things up there though.