Monday, 9 February 2009
Above-It-All Blog
A new blog is created by Above-it-All.co.uk to let you know what is happening in the loft industry, with the Loft Conversion business and for us to provide a community resource.
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3 comments:
Alot of things have changed re: Loft conversions in the past months.
The most important changes are that you now no longer need to have an emergency escape window in your loft, nor do you need self closers on all your doors. More importantly is how the planning department have now relaxed its criteria on dormers.
Any questions you have or advice that you need, just ask!
Just had an email regarding what size joists should be used over certain joists spans
This is an excellent question! You can't seem to find this advice anywhere on the web, well accurate advice anyway...
So here we go
Joists size Allowed Joists span
in inches in feet
5x3in up to 8ft
6x3in up to 12ft
7x2in up to 12ft
8x2in up to 12ft
8x3in up to 14ft
8x4in up to 14ft
Thats about all you need to know really. Any span bigger than that and you will need steels.
So i hope this has helped you DIYer's out there.
One of the questions i get asked more and more these days is 'Can i just board out my loft, and have a staircase and a roof window fitted?'
Well... Let us provide you with guidance for making alterations to the loft space of an existing house which is no more than two storeys high.
The regulations will be applied to ensure, for example:
The structural strength of the new floor is sufficient
The stability of the structure (including the existing roof) is not endangered
Safe escape from fire
Safely designed stairs to the new floor
Reasonable sound insulation between the conversion and the rooms below.
You may wish to make these alterations to enhance the storage facilities available or to increase the living space of the home. If you plan to make the loft space more accessible or more habitable by, for example, installing a staircase to it and improving it by boarding it out and lining the walls / rafters etc, more extensive work will be required and the Building Regulations will apply.
It is recommended that you contact us to discuss your plans before you start your project, we will be happy to give you advice.
Boarding-out for storage
In most homes, the existing timber joists that form the "floor" of the loft space ( i.e. the ceiling of the rooms below) will not have been designed to support a significant weight (known as "load"). The joists tie the pitched members of the roof together to prevent them spreading and support the ceiling lining of the rooms below.
An excessive additional load, for example from storage, it may mean that the joists are loaded beyond their design capacity. If you decide to lay flooring boards over the existing joists in the loft space, then this may require a Building Regulations Application to Building Control. Or the other alternative is to have new structurally sound floor joists installed. We will be more than happy to advise you on this.
Creating a liveable space
If you decide to create a liveable space in an existing loft space of a home it is likely to require a range of alterations. Many of these could have an adverse impact on the building and its occupants if they are not properly thought out, planned and undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the legislation.
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