Loft Conversions: Where Do I Start?

If you need some extra space in your house, you might think about getting your loft converted. There is so much to do to achieve this and this is perhaps why a lot of people either do not go ahead or leave the project for the future. In this article, we are going to look at some of the considerations you should keep in mind to make your loft conversion go as smoothly as possible.

Can the Loft Be Converted?

Before you call a contractor, it is important to first check if the conversion is possible. If your house already has an allowance for additional development, you can start the conversion without looking for additional permits. However, there are some cases where conversion is not possible such as when you live in a conservation area or if your roof is too low.

To remove any personal bias which could cloud your judgement, it is always best to get in touch with architectural designers, surveyors, builders or contractors to inspect the space you have and tell you if the conversion is possible.

Is the Space Usable?

Even if it is technically possible to convert the loft, it is still important to assess if the space you end up with will be usable. One of the things you need to check is the internal height. This is the length from underneath the ridge board to the top of the ceiling joist. A length of at least 2500 millimetres is adequate.

Next, you need to check the roof‘s pitch. This is the angle of the roof and the higher it is, the higher the height of the centre of the loft will be which will give you additional space.

Consider the Main Floor

Many people forget about the main floor when doing their conversion. It is important to think about where the staircase to the converted loft will go. Even in well-designed houses, the staircase can take up a lot of space, leaving you with too little floor space. This could be a problem if you are leaving the main floor as is but it is not a problem when the loft conversion is being done concurrently with a house extension.

Can I Do the Conversion Myself?

There is certainly nothing stopping you from doing the loft conversion yourself. The thing is that loft conversions are incredibly complicated. It is therefore a good idea to get in touch with a local company that will do the conversion for you. With some online research, local experts should be easy to find.

For instance, those in Hull and East Yorkshire will find CK Architectural which is an architectural firm that does a lot of work in and around Hull. In addition to helping you with your loft conversion, they can help you with a lot more including house extensions in Hull and the surrounding areas, architectural project management, structural engineering and a lot more.

Firms like this one have the necessary experience behind them to ensure that the project is well managed and that the end result is exactly what you wanted. If you want your conversion to be perfect, find the firm that achieve that for you.

Converting your loft into a usable space is a good way of increasing the size of your home. Remember to get in touch with a professional firm to do the conversion for you so it can be done right.