DIY loft conversion aside the electrician.

[fmck]

Know what you mean about it being horrible stuff. Shifting it about while setting packers out at the eaves was an experience I dont want to repeat again.

Its fine as long as its not disturbed. Remember you have to seal your living space from the loft space in order to prevent damp problems. Warm air getting into your loft space will condensate and bring dampness. The loft needs lots of venting (see the vents I attached on one of the pictures) I also have soffit vents at 450mm spacing (Cheap as chips)
The foil insulation board has to be taped to produce a vapour barrier into your loft space. The celotex foil tape is garbage as far as I can see. In a week its slowly debonding so I have taped it all then will use a polythene vapour barrier on top to go over board safe. The 22mm chipboard flooring has glass wool underneath but is also sealed with wood glue before being screwed down. I also have sealed loft access doors to install.

 

[underclassy]

Great looking job, about to break my roof for replacement and dormer conversion. Couple of questions - don't you have to put chicken wire over the joists to support the glass wool under the floor or does your lath and plaster have enough fire resistance? I've got some board and some lath.
I've also been looking at collecting offcuts of kingspan and similar, with all those different widths - how did you calculate the thickness required for your u value, or are you super-insulating?
Good luck with the rest.

 

[fmck]

My mineral wool insulation is between joists but not on any chicken wire. Its the way its always been but now the eaves area has an additional 200mm over the top. All this was added to the drawings by building control but he has said nothing about wire mesh. Building control want 30minute fire board to my steel RSJ and a double board to a hole under my party wall but thats it.

U value and insulation was specified in the drawings I paid for. This was the main reason I said at the beginning I opted for this route rather than do my own.

The electrician will fix cables plus RCD box on Monday but he said he had never seen such thick insulation before. Does seem over the top to me. Thank god the insulation is coming to an end didnt realise it was going to take so long. An old building has you carving kingspan to fit due to warps and poor alignment real time consumming.

 

[fmck]

Been a while since I up dated this really but hey ho. We all have stuff to do or there wouldnt be much point in this forum.
I couldnt believe how long fitting all that insulation would take, not to mention the wretching it had me doing because I could no longer take wearing that mask.
The unsolved case of the unmarked insulation board I bought off a bloke calling it sheffield insulation turned out to be Kingspan K15. This has a better R value, thicker reinforced foil yet is slightly cheaper than your standard foiled celotex.(Got the data for the BC of both) It was a very happy moment to get over the insulation and was crowned off (after the tidy) with a cele beer or two. This has been the biggest time consumming job by far not to mention very, very messy. Those wee balls of foam end up everywhere. They seem to stick like they have static.

JOB DONE

The spark did his bit putting the cables in and I put the boxes in drilled holes and fitted a ply board in the fuse box compartment for him.
I replaced the window cill in the living room with one of those big pine jobs from B&Q and stained and varnished it. It suffered a lot from a chimney going out the window and a load of big stuff coming in, such as stairs, beams,etc. It was just upvc stuck down with expanding foam but rather alarmingly when I pulled it up the top course of bricks came with it!

The hall had a concrete lintel, concrete padstone and an old hatch to hide so I dropped the ceiling in a bulkhead and finished painting it tonight. Same went with the bathroom ceiling where the ceiling was attached to an old hatch that had to be ripped out to allow the new floor joists to run through.
Framing it out

The sanding bit. The halls geting done next after the loft

Going to fit a polythene vapour barrier before getting BC round for the ok to plasterboard.

[/b]

 

[HammieUK]

Possibly a silly question, why do you need a polythene vapour barrier? Desn't the taped joints already make a vapour control layer?

 

[fmck]

Not a silly question a good un really. I dont need to but I chose to do it as an added extra.

The Building control guy after his first visit told me he was happy enough with the work and just to photograph everything and call him when about to plasterboard so he could inspect the vapour barrier. The foil tape does not impress me at all with its bonding so for 12 quid for the roll(vapour barrier) I reckon its worth it. As an added extra I will silicone seal the perimeter edge to the wood flooring therefore hopefully seal the loft as much as I possibly can.

 

[fmck]

Just a couple of pics showing the additional vapour barrier.

Marked out the position of the rafters, collers, etc with marker pen on the insulation to allow finding them with the 100mm drywall screws. Still had to use a kebab skewer to pock and find a couple.

Resilient bars on the party wall for sound proofing

Building control made their second visit on Wednesday. Went well with nothing poping up. Well chuffed when he said it was better than most builders. But I aint trying to make money out it so its likely to be

 

[fmck]

Just a wee up date :

Plasterboard now finished although the very last sheet I cut back to front but stuck it on anyway. (see picture. Can you spot it!) Guess it just means another coat of paint to get rid of the brown colour.

I wanted to build a partition wall and door over the small alcove. I also wanted to put a landing and door on at the top of the stairs. Building control were ok about the alcove but would require a drawing change for the room doorway. with all the insulation the main function of the door is to keep the heat out! I have to wear t-shirt and shorts working. Just have to leave the door for now.

Started to tape n fill the joints and hopefully see the spark back before the end of the week so I can get rid of the temp power and daft cable and light bulb. Gone through about 6 bulbs from catching the cable hanging down.

Blue sheets are the double layer of soundbloc for the wall we share next door

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[Mrdjc]

Looks like someone's been busy! Looking good.

What kind of material is the green stuff made of, does it not pose a fire/fume risk?

 

[fmck]

Its just an additional vapour barrier. Polythene sheets and yes I would hope I will be standing out in the street the time the flames reach it. I guess the foam board insulation would be very toxic to.
The room and below are fitted with mains operated smoke alarms. The two bottom velux windows on the duo windows are escape windows so more than required.

 

[fmck]

Almost there. Its been a long haul and I should change the name of the post to include the carpet fitter as I didnt want to chance the stairs.

I bought some solid oak skirting off B & Q that I had previously done my extension but needed 3 more lengths. I got sent round 8 stores before I realised there stock wasnt reliable on computer + they didnt mention it was now discontinued when I bought the original lengths the week before.
I managed to get a similiar but had to rip 30mm off them as they wouldnt.
Cheers B & Q after all the money I have spent there.

Heres a couple of pics before we get BC round for the final inspection.

 

[Mrdjc]

Very nice!!

Can you come do mine too please?

 

[fmck]

I would build a house or do another extension but never in my life will I do a loft conversion again.
I really didnt appreciate how much an impact on the whole house it would have unlike an extension.
The heat and dust up there + confined space working (agony at times!)

Nope thats the last

 

[Bahco]

Beautiful job.

You should start your own business.

 

[Terry7556]

thats tidy work. i wish you had built my extension, what a difference it makes when somebody cares about what they are doing