Things you should Know about Loft Conversions in London
Are you planning to convert your loft in a guest room, workspace or child room? You can even convert your loft into stylist bathroom or even a toy room for babies to play. It is a great idea! Nonetheless, you should keep in mind the below tips before going for actual loft conversions in London.
Make sure that your attic is right for loft conversion
Most attics are not conversion worthy, this is especially the case if the pitch is too steep or the attic has a middle that is too low. The price it takes for the height of rooms below may be greater than the gain. Building laws state that ceilings should be 2 meters above the stairs and 2.3 meters below the apex.
Do the maths before loft conversion
The company you choose to carry out your loft conversions in London should give you the best possible deal. You can decide to get it done by yourself, however, make sure you do your research well to cover all expenditures so that you are not in for a surprise during the project. Experts recommend that you include in your budget about 15% of the total cost to take care of any miscellaneous expenses.
Selecting the appropriate company for Loft Conversions in London
There are various companies that can deliver in the East of London. These companies will take care of the total process from the design to obtaining the permits needed. It is recommended to obtain not less than three quotes and do not forget that the cheapest quote is not always the best deal. You should take everything into consideration, including their work schedules. A standard conversion should last anywhere from six to eight weeks.
Talk with Neighbours about it
When your loft conversions in London project will impact the ceiling, walls or floor of a property close to you, you will require an agreement from the particular neighbor. You should check if there are other parties that must be notified. For example, if your house has insurance then you will have to notify your insurer and the company that has your house mortgage. The premium is impacted by the build of the loft that will be converted. You can decide to go green when converting lofts in london, this will enhance the insulation and can add more solar panels to your property.
Get the needed permits
Loft conversions in East London do not always need planning permits. However, it is highly recommended that you get in touch with the planning office around you. There are building regulations to be met before you begin loft conversion. Your loft will be inspected during the conversion and after. A reasonable amount of funds can be saved by being relaxed that additions do not have to be taken out when it does not agree with important regulations.
Disruption is inevitable
It does not matter whether you do the work by yourself or employ a company to carry out the loft conversions in London, there must be some degree of interruption. Even though you do not leave the house, dust and noise is inevitable, no matter how much you try to eliminate them. There will be disturbance from individuals going in and out of your house.
Planning
Projects such as loft conversion must need planning as the first priority, and it should not be done by a novice. If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you are adequately competent to complete all the planning stages. You should be able to imagine the finished project. During planning it is appropriate to get in touch with the local authority that deals with loft conversion. You can ask questions such as can my loft be converted? Are there restrictions where I live? What development rights am I entitled to? In addition, you can look at the local authority planning records to discover local planning history.
Hint
Some lofts are not worthy of conversion. This may be because of the head room structure, and the load bearing of walls. They are important and play a vital role in making the project successful.
The space from Apex to floor should be at least 2.3 meters, If you go lower than that the loft will not be able to contain you when you stand. Hence, there will be no point in converting the loft.
Drawings and Plans
The plans and drawing can be done by someone else or yourself, it does not really matter who does it provided it is well done. However, if you are going to do it yourself it will not be a bad idea to learn Autocad. It is recommended that you get a qualified architect who has experience in loft conversion in london. Although the quote of each architect will be different from the next, you should consider not just the price but also the steel calculations.
Loft Conversions in London using beams
When considering loft conversion in London it is important to choose wisely the beams you will use. Builders and professional architects vary in their choice of the material to be used. The type of beam to be used in loft conversion are of two types.
Loft Conversion in London using Steel and Timber
The most used type of beam is the steel beam because of their super strength despite being small in size. They are also ideal when space is a cause for concern when undertaking loft conversion. In addition, steel beams are easy to use, but moving them around in small spaces can be hard.
An alternative to steel beams for loft conversion in London is timber beams, but it is difficult to use them sometimes. The steel and timber beams both have their pros and cons. Various companies will use both the steel and timber beams.
Steel Beams
If you choose to use steel beams the universal beam is the most used beam because they work well with timber beam joists. Just like universal beams, rolled steel joists are much taller than wide. The only disadvantage of rolled steel joist is that they possess tapered flanges and that results in it being difficult to use. The rolled steel and the universal are the commonly used steel loft beams, a universal column is employed when space is an issue.
Timbe Beams
Timber beams are not as commonly used in Loft conversions in London because of their relatively short span. Lofts and Modern houses that use timber beams, use factory produced timber “I” beams and they are designed exactly like steel beams. The composite wood at the central core of steel beams give them strength and will not cause shrinking.
The ultimate disadvantage timber beams have when constructing lofts is that it is a lot more expensive than steel beams. Two types of timber beams used in loft conversion are sandwich and laminated beams. The Laminated timber beam is the stronger of the two and it will still remain strong even if you cut it. The Sandwich timber beam is usually made on the worksite or by loft conversion companies in London. It is made by sandwiching a steel plate between two timber strips and mainly used as floor trimmers.
Loft Conversions London is a building company that renders expert guidance on materials to purchase and give you professional recommendation even though you want to do the loft conversion project yourself. We have refined skills and workforce to be experts in loft conversion in London. This strategy gives us the opportunity to fly in our domain, rendering insight and accurate information to converting lofts in East London.
If you are looking for loft conversion at your home, contact us soon. We are specialists in loft conversions in London and can offer you an array of benefits, this includes;
- A comprehensive knowledge of loft conversion, permissions, laws, planning, guidance and other recommendations.
- A record of successful loft conversion undertaking as proof of our abilities.
- A history of satisfied customers that gives proof that we walk the talk.
