"Matthew Durkin" wrote
| I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space
| into something useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back
| and roof windows on the front.
| In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900
| terrace so the loft covers most of the rooms below), but
| the roof is quite shallow, and at its highest point is
| only about 5'11''.
| Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a
| roof this low? Could we extend the roof height?

It is going to be difficult. There is no headroom requirement for rooms per
se, but there is for staircases (which I think applies to landing space at
the head of the stairs). In any case, as you will probably lose height when
the ceiling is strengthened to fit the new loft floor, you will end up with
a room in which most adults can't stand upright even at the highest point.
In terms of usefulness (and recouping the conversion costs on future resale
of the property) it doesn't look favourable.

Extending the roof height is not an easy option; it is more usual to rebuild
the roof to a steeper pitch or include a mansard or similar style. However,
going above the existing ridge height will almost certainly require Planning
Permission, and as you're in a terrace alterations to the roof line are
unlikely to be permitted. Even dormers at the rear might be problematical,
depending on local circumstances and policies.

One option that might be available is to knock out the ceilings of the top
floor rooms and take the room space into the attic. It doesn't increase
floor area per se, but might allow you to create more area with a bed deck
or mezzanine. If the top floor rooms don't get much sunlight velux windows
in the slopey ceiling could make them much brighter too. You might be able
to do something like:


/
/
/
/ attic space |
/ |
/ |
/ bed deck |
| -----------|-- - existing ceiling level
| | |
| | |
| bedroom | hall|
| | |
|=============|=====|==


Owain

Hi All,
I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space into something
useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back and roof windows on the front.
In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900 terrace so the loft
covers most of the rooms below), but the roof is quite shallow, and at its
highest point is only about 5'11''.
Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a roof this low?
Could we extend the roof height?
Any advice much appreciated. I started a new thread as the other loft
conversion one was a bit different!
Thanks,
Matt

"Matthew Durkin" wrote in message
...
Hi All,
I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space into something
useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back and roof windows on the front.
In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900 terrace so the
loft
covers most of the rooms below), but the roof is quite shallow, and at its
highest point is only about 5'11''.
Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a roof this
low?
Could we extend the roof height?
Any advice much appreciated. I started a new thread as the other loft
conversion one was a bit different!
Thanks,
Matt

There seem to be very strict regs on head clearance at the top of the access
stairs and loads of other safety related things to do with loft conversions.
Several properties of that era I've viewed turned out to have the so-called
extra bedroom(s) in un-official loft conversion that never would pass.
Purchasers' surveyors easily spotted them and the impact on selling price
can be quite large e.g. "Two bed" flat had to be changed to "One bed flat
with roof storage room" by estate agent...
Ask your local BCO, They can be quite helpful.
Info may even be on the LA's web site many have; just google search
"Loft conversion regulations"

BillV wrote:
snip
There seem to be very strict regs on head clearance at the top of the access
stairs and loads of other safety related things to do with loft conversions.
Several properties of that era I've viewed turned out to have the so-called
extra bedroom(s) in un-official loft conversion that never would pass.
Purchasers' surveyors easily spotted them and the impact on selling price
can be quite large e.g. "Two bed" flat had to be changed to "One bed flat
with roof storage room" by estate agent...
Ask your local BCO, They can be quite helpful.
Info may even be on the LA's web site many have; just google search
"Loft conversion regulations"

Is it legal to have low head-room, if you ensure that all occupants are
shorter than the average bear?

We lowered the ceilings in the rooms below - was a bit messy but turned out
OK - wasn't that expensive to do except it left me with a lot of
redecorating - gave us a loft room with max headroom just over 2m and rooms
below reduced to about 2.15m

HTH

Chris O
------------------------------------------------------
"Matthew Durkin" wrote in message
...
Hi All,
I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space into something
useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back and roof windows on the front.
In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900 terrace so the
loft
covers most of the rooms below), but the roof is quite shallow, and at its
highest point is only about 5'11''.
Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a roof this
low?
Could we extend the roof height?
Any advice much appreciated. I started a new thread as the other loft
conversion one was a bit different!
Thanks,
Matt

------------------------------------------------------
"Matthew Durkin" wrote in message
...
Hi All,
I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space into
something
useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back and roof windows on the
front.
In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900 terrace so the
loft
covers most of the rooms below), but the roof is quite shallow, and at
its
highest point is only about 5'11''.
Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a roof this
low?
Could we extend the roof height?
Any advice much appreciated. I started a new thread as the other loft
conversion one was a bit different!
Thanks,
Matt


"Chris O" wrote in message
...
We lowered the ceilings in the rooms below - was a bit messy but turned
out
OK - wasn't that expensive to do except it left me with a lot of
redecorating - gave us a loft room with max headroom just over 2m and
rooms
below reduced to about 2.15m

HTH

Chris O

Hi,

I almost wish they had done that when we had our loft conversion done a
couple of years ago. We had an ample loft height (modern mid 80s property)
but unfortunately they (Econoloft) squandered this by changing the design
and making the new floor about 6 inches higher than we had agreed. Bit late
for us but your solution sounds like a very interesting idea. As you say, it
sounds a bit messy, but, based on our experience, after a loft conversion
you'd typically be looking at re doing up most of the 1st floor anyway.

Good luck!

Regards,

Simon.

In article ,
Matthew Durkin wrote:
Hi All,
I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space into something
useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back and roof windows on the front.
In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900 terrace so the loft
covers most of the rooms below), but the roof is quite shallow, and at its
highest point is only about 5'11''.
Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a roof this low?
Could we extend the roof height?
Any advice much appreciated. I started a new thread as the other loft
conversion one was a bit different!

Am planning to hang my new loft floor from the wall plate (3"x4" timber
that the current ceiling joists and roof rafters sit on) at the cost of
some first floor ceiling height. This gives me an extra 3" and still
2.35m of head room below. You could hang your new joists lower. I'm using
9"x2" joists but you could use 8"x2" - an extra 1" saving there!
Neil

"Simon Stroud" wrote in message
...
------------------------------------------------------
"Matthew Durkin" wrote in message
...
Hi All,
I have wondered for a while about convering our attic space into
something
useful - the usual, add a dorma on the back and roof windows on the
front.
In terms of floorspace it's pretty good (we have a 1900 terrace so the
loft
covers most of the rooms below), but the roof is quite shallow, and at
its
highest point is only about 5'11''.
Are there any options here? Can we even do a conversion on a roof this
low?
Could we extend the roof height?
Any advice much appreciated. I started a new thread as the other loft
conversion one was a bit different!
Thanks,
Matt


"Chris O" wrote in message
...
We lowered the ceilings in the rooms below - was a bit messy but turned
out
OK - wasn't that expensive to do except it left me with a lot of
redecorating - gave us a loft room with max headroom just over 2m and
rooms
below reduced to about 2.15m

HTH

Chris O

Hi,

I almost wish they had done that when we had our loft conversion done a
couple of years ago. We had an ample loft height (modern mid 80s property)
but unfortunately they (Econoloft) squandered this by changing the design
and making the new floor about 6 inches higher than we had agreed. Bit
late
for us but your solution sounds like a very interesting idea. As you say,
it
sounds a bit messy, but, based on our experience, after a loft conversion
you'd typically be looking at re doing up most of the 1st floor anyway.

Good luck!

Regards,

Simon.


Oddly enough it was Econoloft who came up with the solution in the first
place but some of their other ideas were rather less imaginative and after
some other disagreements we opted to go with someone else.

C.

"Ian Stirling" wrote
| Is it legal to have low head-room, if you ensure that all
| occupants are shorter than the average bear?

If you're an agoraphobic pygmy then there's probably a challenge to high
ceilings under the Human Rights Act.

Have just heard on the radio that staff at the Health and Safety Executive
are burning their payslips because of a pay dispute. I hope they carried out
a proper risk assessment first.

Owain

but the roof is quite shallow, and at its highest point is only about
5'11''.

About your only chance is to lower the ceilings below if there is any space.
And use steel joists, instead of wood! My joists can go as low at 76mm using
steel, as opposed to 220mm using wood.

You're going to lose around 30mm off the roof line as well, unless you have
4"+ rafters.

Christian,