"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

(1) How long is a piece of string :-)

(2) Looking at possibly buying a bungalow and converting the loft.
The joists are 2*4 on about 13" spacing ( standard for older style
houses
and bungalows) and so would not be up to current building regs.
I assume from reading various threads over the years that the best way
to go
would probably be to have steel beams inserted to provide the main load
bearing structure, and then joist and floor over the steel.
[I am aware that there are other options also]
I know neighbours who have been quoted abot £25k for a full loft
conversion
of a similar area on a two storey house.
Does any one have a guide to how much the basic structural work (new
load
bearing structure plus stairway) is likely to cost to give me an idea of
how
much I can save by DIYing the rest?

Yeah, I know (see question re piece of string) but if someone has done a
similar job and has ball park figures it would give me a start before I
begin involving architects, builders and the like.

Even with the lost space due to new floor and extra insulation I reckon
I
should be able to fit in two bedrooms and a shower/toilet. This is
withoput
a dormer of any kind.

All very tentative at the moment - weighing up potential and future
costs in
buying a detached 2 bedroom bungalow compared to buying a 3 bedroom
semi.

TIA
Dave R

Let me take a wild tack here, something I've always wondered. Usable
area depends on available height, which is often deficient or at best
tight. If one added a foot onto the brick wall height it would make a
great difference to what one could do up there. So... here goes: is it
possible to jack up the entire roof structure - or perhaps one side at
a time - and build up the brickwork course by course?

My barely formed thinking is that most or many roof structures are
safe enough to work on when supported only along the 2 sides, with
additional top support removed. With jacks it ought to be possible to
lift one side of it, do a couple of brick courses, and once hard lower
the roof, jack the other side...

Sounds kinda crazy, but why isnt it done?

May as well remove the roof. run up the bricks and replace the roof with a
warm roof made of SIP panels. This does not have supports so a clear area
tat can be easily used as an extension. Can all be done in a day. Just
hire a crane to remove the old roof (if necessary) and crane in the new
SIPs. Easy. High insulation and lots of space.