1930 bathroom design

in this clip we're going to look at building regulations and loft conversions. loft conversions are very complicated to build and there are lots of technical requirements that you need to take into account. you'll often see properties advertised with useful loft storage area, or attic room, and this usually means that there's been an

illegal loft conversion carried out. homes from hell and cowboy builders programs often cover loft conversions. usually these projects have had no contact with building control. building a loft conversion is often much more expensive than you might think. it's not just a matter of a new staircase and roof lights. ask yourself if you can

afford to lose all your storage space. once you've decided to go ahead and you've established that you don't need planning permission, you'll probably need some professional design help anyway. there are lots of very important issues to consider and many are life safety issues. building control are interested in the structural stability of the

property. they're interested in the fire protection for the property, particularly the means of escape in case of a fire. so first of all we need to establish the existing structural stability. do the load-bearing walls continue all the way down to the ground and do they have foundations? we might need to see some trial holes to prove this. the existing

beams will all need checking out because your ceiling joists are just designed to carry your storage. can you imagine the weight of a floor and a carpet, the partitions, a bed and a bath full of water? we have to make sure the structure can take this extra loading. you'll need new joists and you might need some new steel or timber beams and these will

probably need calculations. lots of roofs have trusses or purlins which encroach into the roof space and you can't just take them out. it might need some quite extensive roof work if it is a trussed roof. the rafters might need strengthening and you'll need work around the roof lights or any dormers that you want to build.

the roof, the dormers and the walls will then all need insulating. we need to make sure there are no gaps in this insulation and no cold areas as this can cause condensation and mould. the room needs ventilation to keep it healthy and reduce condensation, and the bathrooms will have to have extractor fans even if there's a window in there. you need to

consider how you're going to get into the room. you'll need a staircase or a fixed ladder and you can generally only use an alternating tred or a paddle staircase where there really isn't enough room. the staircase has to comply with the building regulations in terms of the rise and going, the headroom and continuous fixed handrails. there isn't a

minimum width. we'll also look at the fire protection of the staircase and of the means of escape from the room out of the building. this is absolutely critical and you'll need a protected staircase to the exit of the property, unless an alternative solution's been agreed. you'll need to know if there's a fire which means you need linked main smoke

alarms, and you might even need sprinklers if your house is open plan. it's too dangerous to consider escape by windows from floors above the first floor level. all the rooms off the staircase will need a door and new doors have to be fire doors. you're probably able to keep historic old doors if they're in good condition

and they properly close but some may need upgrading and lightweight hardboard doors will all need replacing. any glazing on to the stairwell has to be 30 minute fire resisting. you don't need self closers to your doors unless it's a door to a garage. your loft conversion might need sound insulation. this is required between

habitable rooms and also between terraced or semi-detached houses. building control might also ask for sound insulation between the converted loft and the neighbour's loft to be improved. they may also ask for a test to be carried out. the existing party wall will need to be upgraded to provide sound

insulation between the properties. it's always best to use a full plans application for a loft conversion. would your builder definitely know all of these rules and requirements? a full plans application means everything is listed on the plan. if you choose a building notice you'll still be asked for calculations and possibly layout

plans for us to check the means of escape. it's very important to make sure that you request inspections of your loft conversion as work progresses. we'll need to check out the existing foundations which you'll usually do at commencement. the structural elements and the floor and the walls and the stairs will need to be inspected. the roof will

need inspecting including the carcass of any dormers, any trimming around roof lights, and around the new staircase enclosure. we'll check out the insulation, the sound and the thermal insulation. and finally we'll inspect the work when it's complete. do remember that your job isn't complete without a completion certificate. if you've bought a property

that has a loft conversion that you don't think had permission, or you're thinking about buying a property with an illegal loft conversion, talk to your local authority building control team about a regularisation.

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