Dormer Loft Conversion

ShandyAndy_2

We want to add a Dormer loft conversion to our 1901 Terrace, I have been also thinking of re wiring at the same time, wiring is not that old but not that new either, we want to stay here for the foreseeable and didn’t want all the mess of a loft conversion then have all the mess again having a re wire.

The thing that really breaks me is that we have not long re decorated and had new carpets in some rooms as we had said we were going to move instead.

I didn’t want to go down the fire doors route for the loft conversion but may just have to as we want to stay in current location, has anyone had these works done and can inspire me?

Many Thanks 

DOH_a

Fire doors and a protected staircase is the normal and most common way of complying with the BR’s when adding a new floor to a 2-storey dwelling. But it’s not the only way as in some situations, historical doors may exist throughout or people have open plan layouts on the ground floor. In those situations, you could achieve compliance via additional smoke detection (to each room) or domestic sprinkler systems. You would need to check with BC as to what compliance method they’d accept and you’d have to work out the costs of each.

ShandyAndy_2

DOH.a said:

Fire doors and a protected staircase is the normal and most common way of complying with the BR’s when adding a new floor to a 2-storey dwelling. But it’s not the only way as in some situations, historical doors may exist throughout or people have open plan layouts on the ground floor. In those situations, you could achieve compliance via additional smoke detection (to each room) or domestic sprinkler systems. You would need to check with BC as to what compliance method they’d accept and you’d have to work out the costs of each.

You used to be able to just have wired smoke alarms but they changed the regulations and now it has to be fire doors and wired smoke alarms, going to hate getting rid of my stripped pine doors but the space is more important than aesthetics, not going to enjoy the mess though, may have to move out for a couple of months.

DOH_a

From when I worked in Building Control from 1999, I am pretty sure you have always needed mains linked with battery back up smoke alarms. Prior to 2006, the BR’s used to accept an escape dormer/rooflight window for a loft conversion to a 2-storey house, but since 2006 that was changed to a protected staircase with fire doors, etc... So how long ago are you referring to, pre 1999? Are you in Scotland?

ShandyAndy_2

I’m in England and the architect advised I would need fire doors on every door apart from the bathroom, as basically all the other doors lead to an exit in the event of a fire. 

DOH_a

Building Control have in some cases relaxed the approach to doors that serve a Bathroom as there is a low chance of a fire starting in a wet area but people do take candles, etc... into these rooms.

The bottom line is if you are forming a protected corridor, all doors that are off this protected corridor need to be fire doors, irrespective if the door serves a Bathroom. Doors that serve En-suites would not need to be fire doors.

ShandyAndy_2

I’m now thinking of moving out whilst the work is carried out as can’t imagine living in a house being re wired and a dormer loft being installed, guessing the mess and upheaval horrific.

DOH_a

I’d agree. A lot of people think they can live in/on a building site but a loft conversion/extension is very different. Not to mention the mess, disconnection/reconnection of services but also from a health and safety point of view. The majority forget to factor in temporary accommodation costs.

ShandyAndy_2

Could potentially move in with mother in law but would probably prefer to sleep in a tent 

rach_k

Do you actually need a re-wire or are you only doing it because you think doing the loft will be really messy?  We recently had a loft conversion and it was nowhere near as messy as I expected.  We lived there throughout with two kids and a cat with no problems... except when the cat got stuck in the roof when the builders left for the day!

For the first part of the work, they made a hole in the roof and accessed it via the scaffolding so there was no mess at all inside.  There was one messy day when they broke through the ceiling to make the hole for the stairs but it was cleared up within a couple of hours and the mess was limited to the immediate area.  After that, there was some carrying of materials through the house (plasterboard mainly, everything else still went up the scaffolding I think) but nothing dirty or that got in the way.  I think it took a day to put in the staircase but it was all pre-cut so, again, not messy.  

When we had our kitchen redone including rewiring just that room, THAT was messy!  The dust from that went everywhere, despite everybody's best efforts.  

Regarding doors, we replaced all doors to habitable rooms along the escape route as the ones we had weren't original, were horrible orange pine and had damage from the previous owner's toy guns!  However, the architect did mention that it is sometimes possible to make old doors compliant - I have a vague memory of him saying something about special varnish or paint and adding a strip around the edge of the door but don't quote me!  

ShandyAndy_2

rach_k said:

Do you actually need a re-wire or are you only doing it because you think doing the loft will be really messy?  We recently had a loft conversion and it was nowhere near as messy as I expected.  We lived there throughout with two kids and a cat with no problems... except when the cat got stuck in the roof when the builders left for the day!

For the first part of the work, they made a hole in the roof and accessed it via the scaffolding so there was no mess at all inside.  There was one messy day when they broke through the ceiling to make the hole for the stairs but it was cleared up within a couple of hours and the mess was limited to the immediate area.  After that, there was some carrying of materials through the house (plasterboard mainly, everything else still went up the scaffolding I think) but nothing dirty or that got in the way.  I think it took a day to put in the staircase but it was all pre-cut so, again, not messy.  

When we had our kitchen redone including rewiring just that room, THAT was messy!  The dust from that went everywhere, despite everybody's best efforts.  

Regarding doors, we replaced all doors to habitable rooms along the escape route as the ones we had weren't original, were horrible orange pine and had damage from the previous owner's toy guns!  However, the architect did mention that it is sometimes possible to make old doors compliant - I have a vague memory of him saying something about special varnish or paint and adding a strip around the edge of the door but don't quote me!  

Useful to know thank you, thought we would re wire whilst in a mess then the dirty jobs would be done, it’s not desperate for re wiring by any means, possibly I’m making work?