Loft Conversion

Loft conversions are often the simplest and most rewarding way of expanding the usable living space of your home without getting involved with extensive building work and in most cases without even having to apply for planning permission. So while we would always choose to come and have a look at your loft and how you want to convert it the probable answer to 'can I convert my loft?' is yes you can.
 
What's Involved
That depends on the type of conversion you have in mind but for many people a loft conversion is all about adding another room under the roof and that in itself is not a really big job.  There are still some safety issues to be dealt with, most notably ensuring that the floor is reinforced to take the weight of a footfall it was not originally built for and that building regulations are complied with including smoke alarms and fire doors. Most lofts will need skylights since there would not have been windows planned on construction and there will probably be the need for more insulation for both heat and sound. Plus the electrics will need to be installed up there and of course there will need to be a safe and usable set of stairs to gain access.
 
Plumbing
Plumbing is slightly more complicated than simply converting a loft to a bedroom but it so often makes all the difference. Modern tastes run to a lot more bathrooms in a house than when a lot of them were built so if you're adding another bedroom you probably want to equip it with plumbing as well. Whether that means a full en suite bathroom, or simply a shower unit or loo, or just a simple vanity unit you have many options when it comes to extending that living space into the loft.
 
Dormer Loft Conversions
Dormer loft conversions are where an existing sloping roof is modified to provide a flat roof that extends out from the sloping roof and in the process gives you a lot more headroom under the eaves. As well as all that usable space that you gain a dormer loft conversion also solves the light issue and may mean you don't need skylights as the new wall of the dormer extension can have large windows to let the light in.
 
Water Tanks and Building Regulations
When looking at modifying roofs to enable loft conversions we have a few things we need to watch out for including the current location of water tanks and chimney stacks. A lot of pre-conversion lofts are used as space for water tanks and the hot water plumbing and if you're planning on reusing that space we will need to move that for you and quite possibly suggest replacing it with a sealed system. All of these kinds of modifications may be exempt from planning permission but are still required to comply with building regulations including fireproofing and heat efficiency which is one of the reasons why you want your work done by reliable professionals.