If you are looking to improve your home you need to speak to our structural engineer Croydon from GL Design Services, a group of engineers with extensive experience in alterations and extensions to private homes. We specialise in home extensions and loft conversions increasing the space and comfort of your house, adding value to your property at the same time. A loft conversion is an excellent way of maximising the potential of your house. In most homes the loft does nothing except store Christmas decorations and suitcases for occasional holidays. It is exciting to think that you can get a lot of extra space to create a bedroom or even two habitable rooms for much cheaper than if you were to look for a bigger house. The roof has already been built and our structural engineer Croydon will help you make the most of the space.
Factors to consider for a loft conversion
Although loft conversions are relatively simple there are still many factors to take into consideration. By assessing your roof we will be able to help you make the right decision. Firstly, most homeowners stand in the loft under the highest point of their roof and assume that they have lots of head room. What you need to consider is the width of the roof and the fact that you need adequate headroom across a wider space. Here in the UK the building regulations do not set a minimum height for habitable rooms in private homes however there are practical limits of what can be used as a habitable room. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors sets a minimum of 1.5m headroom when surveying a property for sale. Any space with less headroom than that does not count towards the square footage of the property. To address these issues we can remove part of the existing roof and rebuild it to create additional headroom such as a dormer loft conversion.
We also have to take into consideration insulation and we will decide what is the best type of insulation for your home and your budget. We will discuss fire regulations and whether you will have a protected enclosure which means that every door off the stairs must be a fire rated door, this includes all existing doors not just the new ones. You can also find out about suppression such as the use of sprinklers and again we will help decide which is the best option for you.
If your existing loft has the necessary insulation and space for a room or multiple rooms then you can speak to our structural engineer Croydon and we can help design the best layout for you. We can design a safe and secure staircase that meets regulations and is efficient without taking up a large chunk from the existing space. A loft conversion can create a bedroom with an ensuite or even two bedrooms increasing the value of your home by approximately 20%, depending on the existing value of your property. If you are thinking about adding a loft conversion to your house then speak to our structural engineer today and let us create the best space for you.