Investing in a loft conversion is the best thing one can ever do to increase the home’s value. Loft conversion by professionals may be expensive and still not be of your desire. Have you tried Diy Loft Conversion?
If not, we have brought you several do it yourself loft conversion plans so you can mould a place of your dream.
What Is a Loft Conversion?
Essentially, loft conversions transform empty attics or lofts into useful or liveable space, including bedrooms, offices, libraries, and gyms. It can be done to add extra space to your home.
Inventive loft conversion ideas
Currently, you are wasting all the extra space in your loft. Another bedroom can add value to your home or serve as an additional guest room. Most homeowners install a luxurious bathroom to unwind after a long day at work, but some also install an office or study separate from the main house.
A dormer or internal design is another option worth considering from many Diy Loft Conversion ideas. Unlike the former, the latter adds additional space by adding windows, whereas the former utilizes skylights instead.
Permission for Loft Conversion
You may wonder whether Diy Loft Conversion is legit or not.
The conversion of lofts usually does not require planning permission as they typically fall within the scope of the permitted development rights of a homeowner. It is not necessary to obtain full planning approval for a loft conversion.
What are the different types of loft conversion?
- A mansard loft conversion is a great choice when you have a high budget and want to improve your home dramatically. The mansard loft conversion expands the square footage of your house by adding a floor. This conversion will result in a 70-degree change in the roof slope, which increases the width of your home.
- An ordinary loft conversion without structural modifications is a roof light conversion. Window conversion refers to converting an attic space into a light-filled room by adding one or more windows to the roof.
- The hip to gable loft conversion method uses the space between a detached or semidetached house’s gable end and the edge of its hipped roof. The new loft is created by extending the hipped roof and raising the gable wall.
- A DIY truss loft conversion may limit the amount of space in the loft and make it more challenging to use. However, there is a solution. You can convert the area into an additional part of your house.
- It’s possible to convert a dormer loft into a few different types, but the majority are box-shaped extensions of the existing roof that create more room and headspace. Adding a dormer to a house with a small loft is most effective since it can create additional space.
- Loft conversions with VELUX are usually the most straightforward project for a DIY enthusiast. It is possible to install Velux windows between existing rafters in this project without modifying the roofline.
Generally, Velux loft conversions are cheap to install; however, they have less usable space than loft conversions done with additional dormers.
Is My Loft Suitable For Conversion?
You should find out if your attic is suitable for conversion before proceeding. A loft conversion must comply with specific specs. Therefore, it is advisable to consider factors like the roof structure, height, area, chimneys, and felt when converting a loft.
Roof
Identify Whether Your Loft Has A Cut Rafter Roof, A Purlin Roof, Or A Trussed Roof
Traditionally, the typically built houses with thick rafters, joists, and purlins cut on-site. Since minimal battening supports the roof, there is less obstruction, resulting in a more incredible central void. It is not too hard to convert these traditional cut roofs if they are tall enough and have enough pitch to make the conversion feasible.
Height
Roof heights of traditional roofs are 2.2 to 2.4 meters, and for the sleekest of modern trusses, they are 2.4 to 2.6 meters.
Area
In addition, you need to be sure that the loft’s area is sufficient to fulfil the conversion requirement.
Chimneys
If you have obstacles such as chimneys or water tanks in your loft space, you can expect extra work to get rid of them. Alternatively, you might replace your tank with a cylinder that runs off the central pressure and eliminates the need for a tank. If they obstruct the space, you can remove the chimney stacks. Alternatively, you may build built-in cabinets and shelving in alcoves or gable walls. +
Felts
In addition to this, it would be wise to check if there is a layer of felt under the roof tiles since it is essential to weatherproof your roof and prevent moisture from infiltrating the cracks in the roof structure.
Considering Different Types Of Loft Conversion
Your choice of a loft conversion can be influenced by the kind of roof, the loft’s purpose, and your budget. You can choose from three main loft conversion options based on these factors
- Internal Loft Conversions
- Velux loft conversion
- truss loft conversion
- hip to the gable loft conversion
- mansard loft conversion
Loft Conversion Cost
You might be thinking about what is the DIY loft conversion cost. As you have to do most of the labour yourself in do it yourself loft conversion plans, the price will only be of the material you will be using. A Simple roof light conversion may cost £1,200 to £1,500, whereas a Dormer conversion may be a little more than a simple roof light conversion, i.e. £1,680 to £2,400.
There are numerous options out of which you can choose one in which you want your loft to be converted. You can convert attic to bedroom, gym, library and many other usable spaces. Loft conversion costs vary greatly depending on your goals, what you plan to do with the loft, where you live, and any challenges you face – for instance, whether you require planning permission.
The price of your new roof will also be determined by how involved you are, what kind of roof you have, and how much heating and electricity you will need.
Planning permission for a loft conversion
Loft conversions may qualify as permitted development depending on the circumstances, meaning they are not subject to planning approval. However, in some cases, you may not be covered by permitted development if you live on designated land or have a specific type of property that you won’t easily convert.
When Is Planning Permission Not Required?
Some exceptions do not require planning permissions for the loft conversion.
- Terraced and semi-detached houses gain no more than 40m3 of space from the new roofing. The last extension of the roof will be counted towards this allowance.
- No extension of the roof slope goes beyond the existing slope.
- All extensions are below the highest roof part.
- The roof slope does not rise further.
- A new roof is either identical to or very similar to the original.
- If possible, dormers should be set back at least 200mm from the original eaves – except for hip-to-gable extensions.
- No extensions are overhanging the original wall.
To sum up
If you don’t have the time to handle the Diy Loft Conversion on your own, it might be a better idea to hire a professional company to handle the job entirely.
It can take anywhere between two weeks and two months for a company to complete the work. Similarly, the year’s season also influences how busy or slow companies are.
Managing your project requires making sure the contractors you hire are fully qualified and can work within your timeframe.