Loft Conversion Guide – Part One

Part One of this Loft Conversion Guide will allow you to judge whether your roof space, currently a holiday home for spiders, dust and the water tank – could be converted into that extra room you have always dreamed about.

And, the good news, is that most lofts in the UK will be suitable for conversion though, naturally, some will be easier to work with than others.

The first step is to get up into the roof space, remembering to take a tape measure with you, and find out how much headroom you have.

Measuring vertically from a joist to the ridge in the centre of the loft you will ideally need 8 feet of space though seven feet can be OK.

Next, you need to determine how your roof was built. This is crucial.

If your property was built before 1965 your roof will almost certainly have been built using purlins and rafters.

If your home was built after 1965 then it is likely that it was built with a trussed roof - don’t worry if you’re not sure what purlins, rafters and trusses are.

The illustrations below should make things clear.

What does this mean? Lets see……

Loft Conversion Guide – Purlins and Rafters Roof (pre-1965)

Your roof space should look like this:

Have you got this kind of roof space? If so – you’ve cracked it. Your loft is absolutely ideal for conversion into basically any design you like.

This type of roof is exactly right for a loft conversion as it has a steep pitch and lots of clear space between the timber framework.

As a very general rule of thumb the older the house the more roof space you are likely to have as in the past the tendency was to build houses with a much steeper pitched roof than is normal today.

Loft Conversion Guide – Trussed Roof (post-1965)

Your roof space should look like this:

Have you got this kind of roof space with the timber trusses in a ‘W’ shape ? If so – then there is some work to do.

This type of loft is more difficult to convert and you will be wise to consult a structural engineer early in your planning process.

The problem with a trussed roof is that the very much lower pitch makes a loft conversion difficult – but not impossible.

And, if your house is very new, built after 2000, then your roof may have more steel than timber trusses which makes a conversion much easier.

One consequence of a trussed roof is that, to make a loft conversion possible, the roof-line of the house will almost certainly need to be raised. If this is the case then your work will require planning permission because part of your proposed conversion will be higher than the existing roof-line.

Loft Conversion Guide - The Cost

Loft conversion prices vary from region to region within the UK and, of course, no two conversions are likely to be the same. But, for a full scale, and well built loft conversion, the cost is usually somewhere between £14-£30,000.

For a more detailed guide to loft conversion prices click here

Loft Conversion Guide – Planning Your Project

Planning your loft conversion is a fun process in which you can let your imagination free reign to design the perfect room.

There are lots of design concepts on this site to give you some ideas but there are also some other things to consider at this stage – these are outlined in Part Two of The Loft Conversion Guide.

Loft Conversion Guide Part Two

Convert Your Loft

Mansard Loft Conversion

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