Let's say you would like more living or bedroom space and are considering an attic conversion, the most important thing you should do is to find out your local council's regulations.
Supposing there are no such complications, get a torch, a ladder and a measuring tape, squeeze through the manhole and check out the roof space.
If you can't stand up in the middle of the space, you've got problems. An ideal roof pitch for the attic is from 32 to 38 degrees. If your roof isn't steep enough you can include headroom therefore add to the cost by elevating the roof, or you might consider the alternative of adding another storey.
A top-storey addition may well give you about a third extra space than an attic conversion but would cost a great deal more.
If you're able to stand up in the roof space, so far so good. Measure for height, then, taking care to step only within the joists for preventing crashing through the ceiling, measure the floor area. If half of the area has headroom of 2.3 metres or more, it probably meets most councils' requirements for an attic living room or bedroom.visit
roofing in Manchester for more info .If flashing the flashlight around reveals a forest of trusses, don't despair. Modern trussed roofs, with rows of triangular frames, are more challenging to convert than older roof styles, but it's still doable.
Some trusses will need to be removed to allow space for the room, as well as other timbers strengthened. Just bear in mind the old chippies' saying, ``It's the roof that holds the house up", and get expert advice.
Exactly the same thing goes for the ceiling timbers. They weren't designed to carry a floor and should be reinforced.
So if you intend doing it yourself rather than just hiring a builder or attic conversion specialist, be cautious and first get yourself a building inspection by a designer or engineer.
The procedure involved including structural changes would depend on the purpose of the room.
If you need an unpartitioned living area or bedroom, complications must be minimal. If you need to turn a large attic into two separate rooms, you need to consider where to place separating walls and doors to provide separate access. And if you should add a bathroom or toilet, linking into existing plumbing limits your layout options but tend to save a packet.
Regardless of the planned use on your attic, light and air are prime things to consider. Attics are famously cosy but there's such a thing for being too cosy dark, stuffy and claustrophobic. To take advantage of natural light and ventilation and views, if you're lucky aspect in standard windows, dormer windows, skylights or etc.
Standing in the roof space, you'll be reminded that heat rises. It can be 20 degrees hotter up there than below, so effective insulation is definitely important.And to cut down noise, plan to insulate the floor, too.
The space between ceiling and also the new attic floor can also be useful for concealing pipes and wiring.
Lastly, figure out best places to put the staircase. Usual staircases occupy a surprising amount of room so the ideal site for any attic stair is an existing dead space such as a section of corridor or a cupboard. For houses with small or no space to spare, there are certainly options to the conventional staircase. A spiral staircase takes up much less room, or, if even that could be too cramped, you could choose for a fold-down ladder.