Boarding a loft

I am wanting to make the best use of my loft space. I have had some quotes, for boarding it out (£1,000) and for a nice space without building regulation, so just a drop-down staircase £5,000

Just boarding and a new loft hatch sounds like a lot of money at £1,000 so I am thinking about doing it myself.

The guys that gave me the quotes seemed to say that to strengthen the loft floor, its only steel girders that will comply with building regulations.

The guy boarding out the loft said that his method would be to lay wooden beams across the joists that are already in place.

Are building regulations too strict, as my next door neighbour has a loft room, without steel girders.

With building regulations the cost would be £20,000+

If you want to use loft for a bit of storage just throw a few boards up but dont go daft. Remember do not put stuff up that can be deemed a fire hazard common sense. Any more get in touch with building control sort it out properly

or your insurance will be invalid .

Loft spaces are dirty filthy horrible places touch the glass wool insulation and it will fly all over the place you should not go up without a mask on warning

Loft spaces are dirty filthy horrible places touch the glass wool insulation and it will fly all over the place you should not go up without a mask on warning

I agree, I need to buy one. I have some boards, just on top of the insulation, and the dust gets to me.

I have solar panels, so at the very least I want to make it better for when I read the meter.

If you want building regs, you'll need a couple of steels to hang new floor timbers off.

If you want building regs, you'll need a couple of steels to hang new floor timbers off.

I am sure we all want building regs, but don't want to pay the price; steels seem like overkill just to reinforce a floor.

In most homes, including most modern homes, the existing timber joists that form the "floor" have not been designed to take a significant load.

This is doubly-so if there are alterations to the existing roof trusses to make additional space, which may weaken the existing structural design.

Hence an upgrade has been suggested by both - the suggestion to add additional timbers on top of the existing is a new one to me, are you confident this will not greatly increase the load to the existing structure? I would be certain as you are gambling your most expensive asset - your home.

To achieve building regulations steels may be required to support a typical storage load.

You could ask a structural engineer to head round, review the existing structure and advise on your intended design if you are looking to DIY yourself and save costs?

If you make a nice room with building regs (and preferably a permanent staircase) you will add value to your property.

To achieve building regulations steels may be required to support a typical storage load.

 

You could ask a structural engineer to head round, review the existing structure and advise on your intended design if you are looking to DIY yourself and save costs?

I have had a couple of quotes(£4/5,000) without regs, for 'hobby rooms'. One firm seemed happy to remove the roof supports(purlins?), which would make it the same as my next door neighbours house.

In a similar way to the link below.

I would absolutely get an independent structural engineer in if any structural alterations are required to mine or my client's properties.

They are not expensive and give peace of mind and additional/cheaper ideas.

I would absolutely get an independent structural engineer in if any structural alterations are required to mine or my client's properties.

They are not expensive and give peace of mind and additional/cheaper ideas.

Does a structural engineer do some form of drawings for the architect? I may not go ahead with this project if it is complex and too expensive. So I don't want to waste my money and the structural engineers time, if that is the case.

£100 worth of these: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Chipboard-Loft-Panels---320-x-1-22m-Pack-of-3/p/116420, and a weekend with a power drill and screw driver

A structural engineer typically annotates over an architect's drawings as well as providing calculations, but can provide their own drawings at a higher cost.

Appreciating you have had two sets of advice already, a 1-hour consultation with a Chartered Architect and Chartered Engineer will give you a set of options to choose from, all of which comply with regulations for you to choose the best-value option.

Also worth noting, you can add Velux rooflight windows without needing planning permission in some cases, if Permitted Development rules apply.

An architect should be able to advise if this is allowed in your case and a competent roofer may be able to install cheaply, depending upon the number, type and current roof structure.