Hi

I have a couple of quotes from builders for converting my loft to a
third bedroom. My mid-terrace house has a ground floor and first
floor at the moment. Another flight of steps will be put in to lead
to the attic bedroom.

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations. The other builder didnt mention changing
anything outside of the attic space.

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance, ventilations, insulation,
fire escape? Are there legal requirements? Will a planning officer
come round and ask for it to be changed if it isnt done right?

THanks for any help

R.

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:43:31 +0000, Tez tez@none wrote:

Hi

I have a couple of quotes from builders for converting my loft to a
third bedroom. My mid-terrace house has a ground floor and first
floor at the moment. Another flight of steps will be put in to lead
to the attic bedroom.

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations. The other builder didnt mention changing
anything outside of the attic space.

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance, ventilations, insulation,
fire escape? Are there legal requirements? Will a planning officer
come round and ask for it to be changed if it isnt done right?

THanks for any help

R.

Ceiling / Floor has to be made strong enough.

You must have a fire escape route.

All doors and internal walls need to be uprated to 30mins fireproof.

This can make to job expensive.

Rick

Rick wrote:
On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:43:31 +0000, Tez tez@none wrote:

Hi

I have a couple of quotes from builders for converting my loft to a
third bedroom. My mid-terrace house has a ground floor and first
floor at the moment. Another flight of steps will be put in to lead
to the attic bedroom.

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations. The other builder didnt mention changing
anything outside of the attic space.

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance, ventilations, insulation,
fire escape? Are there legal requirements? Will a planning officer
come round and ask for it to be changed if it isnt done right?

THanks for any help

R.

Ceiling / Floor has to be made strong enough.

You must have a fire escape route.

All doors and internal walls need to be uprated to 30mins fireproof.

*All* doors and internal walls? I think not, and suggest you read the
building regs before posting on the subject again.

MBQ

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:43:31 +0000, Tez tez@none wrote:

Hi

I have a couple of quotes from builders for converting my loft to a
third bedroom. My mid-terrace house has a ground floor and first
floor at the moment. Another flight of steps will be put in to lead
to the attic bedroom.

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations. The other builder didnt mention changing
anything outside of the attic space.

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance, ventilations, insulation,
fire escape? Are there legal requirements? Will a planning officer
come round and ask for it to be changed if it isnt done right?

THanks for any help

R.


The main requirements are as you've listed.

In terms of construction and safety, the Building Regulations apply
and are handled by Building Control at your local authority.

You need to make an application to them and they will inspect it,
normally at specific stages during the work. if it doesn't meet the
requirements they can force it to be corrected.

Planning departments are separate and deal with predominantly
aesthetic issues in this context. You may or may not need planning
permission as well so should also talk to that department.





--

..andy

Tez wrote:

I have a couple of quotes from builders for converting my loft to a
third bedroom. My mid-terrace house has a ground floor and first
floor at the moment. Another flight of steps will be put in to lead
to the attic bedroom.

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations. The other builder didnt mention changing
anything outside of the attic space.

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance, ventilations, insulation,
fire escape? Are there legal requirements? Will a planning officer
come round and ask for it to be changed if it isnt done right?

Have a look at this very good site by John Rumm, who's a regular here,
and which probably answers your queries:
http://www.internode.co.uk/loft/

I also thought there was an FAQ on this topic at
http://www.diyfaq.org.uk but I can't see it now - either it's gone now
or I'm losing the plot?

David

Lobster wrote:
Tez wrote:

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations.

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance, ventilations, insulation,
fire escape?

http://www.internode.co.uk/loft/

From the link:
50 sheets of plasterboard up into the loft springs to mind. The sums
suggest that the total of 1.2 Tonnes.

So what else is going up the wooden stairs to Bedlington? There must be
quite a weight all told.

Weatherlawyer wrote:

From the link:
50 sheets of plasterboard up into the loft springs to mind. The sums
suggest that the total of 1.2 Tonnes.

Just as well the top set of stairs were not in at the time, otherwise
there is no way we would have got them up there whole!

So what else is going up the wooden stairs to Bedlington? There must be
quite a weight all told.

Hmm, good question... must admit I have never added it up in detail,
beyond thiking a "few" of tonnes or so.

The plasterboard was less than half the story (although memorable
because it all went up in the space of an hour or so!)...

The render on the outside also represents another tonne or so (although
a good deal more when it was wet and wanted carrying up the ladder!).
There were about 18 sheets of 18mm ply, so about 300kg at a guess, 500 -
600m of 4x2", and a kin big pile of larger timbers in the floor. 150kg
of steel, about 250kg of multifinish plaster, probably over 100kg of
tiles and adhesive in the bathroom, 100kg of sanitary ware. I forgot to
count how many rolls of roofing felt the roofers used, (3 layers, 20m^2)
plus the three or so I used elsewhere - so probably 250kg or more. Over
30kg of fixings I would guess. Even insulation foam adds a bit (some was
cork backed). Even the stairs themselves must have been over 100kg.

On the debit side, we did take off 1,200 concrete 9x6" roof tiles - so
perhaps 700kg there.



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Tez wrote:

I have a couple of quotes from builders for converting my loft to a
third bedroom. My mid-terrace house has a ground floor and first
floor at the moment. Another flight of steps will be put in to lead
to the attic bedroom.

What did you get quoted out of interest? What sort of conversion (i.e.
how many dormers etc?)

One builder mentioned increasing the thickness of the ceiling below to
meet building regulations. The other builder didnt mention changing
anything outside of the attic space.

For fire regulations the requirements get more stringent as you go above
two storys. So normally they like to see 12mm PB and skim on the first
floor ceiling. If you don't have that you can achieve the same result by
adding a fire resistant insulating material under the new floor
(rockwool etc).

Are there basic regulations that have to be met when converting an
attic to a third bedroom - fire resistance,

Yup, see above. In addition you will probably need to fit self closers
to any habitable rooms that open onto the exit path from the new room.
The room itself will need a means of escape window of some sort to allow
for the possibility of rescue via a ladder. You will need mains powered
interlinked smoke alarms on all three floors. The door to the new room
will need to be a FD20 or better fire door, and either have intumescent
strips at its edge, or the door stops need to be 25mm thick.

ventilations,

Windows will need either trickle vents, or get the type that have a two
position closer that lets them be locked while open a tiny bit.

insulation,

Lots of. 100mm PIR foam in the walls. 75mm on the pitched roof areas and
any flat dormer roof. (these figures may have been changed slightly -
see the building regs approved document). Windows will need to be double
glazed with suitable air gap and made with K glass.

fire escape?

Not explicitly - just means of escape through the house and the
possibility of escape from a window.

Are there legal requirements?

All of the above are dictated in the building regs which are legally
binding.

Will a planning officer
come round and ask for it to be changed if it isnt done right?

Planning officer - probably not. Many loft conversions do not require
planning permission unless you plan to make visible changes to the front
aspect of the roof line, or you are in a conservation area or it is a
listed building. (oddly changing my hipped roof, to a gable end they did
not consider as a change to the front aspect - go figure!)

You will need building regs approval. This will entail a full plans
submission to the building control department plus payment of the
appropriate fee (probably under £300). This will buy you a visit from a
BCO before you start, where you can grill him on anything you are
unclear about. You then get him back to inspect the floor structure,
then the super structure, possibly the insulation, then the access
(stairs), and at the end of the build to sign it off and get a
completion certificate. They will advise at each stage what they want to
see next, so you just give them a call as you complete that bit. You can
also phone them any time you need information about regulations or
advice on best practice etc.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/