Building Regs - Original Loft Room

david1951

I have a loft room that I might want to renovate. It is an original room, which in my case means it dates back to 1850s and so doesn't need to comply with modern building regs (I think...?).

Let's say I want to renovate the room. At what point does the room need to comply with modern regulations? For example, if I knock down and rebuild a wall, do I suddenly have to comply with building regs for the whole room (e.g., safe stairs, structural strength of floor, sound insulation etc.), or do they only apply to whatever is built (i.e., the wall).

Any thoughts?

Furts

Two rules of thumb are repair and maintenance is exempt from the Regulations, and also you should not make matters worse than they are now - so like for like replacements are OK.

If you are putting walls in a roof then clearly this is new work. Likewise if you are putting in doors into this wall, or proposing a new staircase access. So repair and maintenance cannot apply here.

But also step back and consider your Duty Of Care to yourself and others. The Regulations exist for everyone in terms of health, safety, fire, insulation, access and so on. Hence those with a conscience, and a moral high ground, will try to meet requirements where ever possible. Unless you are a developer seeking maximum profit at all costs it would be foolish to ignore insulation, ventilation, sound proofing and so on when doing works such as yours.

tacpot12

Furts is right. The building regs are minimum standards, not maximums. If you are a householder, you only do these big jobs once, so do them right and reap the benefits. If you are a cheapskate developer, just hope the customers you are selling too don't look too closely at the work otherwise you could be left with an unsaleable property.

david1951

You are both right, of course. At the moment I am just painting the room, but I will need to give some thought as to whether the room is fit for purpose given its age.