Loft boarding project

[JohnD]

Do you mean a bedroom in an approved and properly constructed loft conversion?

Or people sleeping in a loft with no staircase and no fire protection?

 

[bagstone]

Or people sleeping in a loft with no staircase and no fire protection?

Ok, I see your point that you're getting hung up on. Forget that then, I'll just not even mention the sleeping. Let's just say when the house is overfilled with guests when the in-laws family from halfway across the world made their once-every-5-year-travel to us, we can send the kids up there to play on the loft floor instead of in my office (where the mattress will then be placed to alleviate your concerns of people sleeping in unsafe spaces).

Look I completely get that we're not building a correctly planning-approved converted loft with all safety permissions. There's some corners to be cut. But not ALL of them. For example, I could just say "**** it" and put the chipboard on top of the joists. Instead, I'm gonna add additional beams to distribute the load and attach them to load-bearing walls. I'm thinking of going for 270mm instead of the initially presumed 180mm insulation (unless a potential insulation in between the rafters counts towards the government recommended insulation, which is what my question was and what I can't find an answer for).

We're doing what several other houses on the streets have done. Unfortunately I haven't found a neighbour yet who has done the loft conversion themselves so that I can ask for advice on what they did. I have a joiner coming next week for a quote/advice to see what they say. Rightmove here (Northwest countryside) is full of houses with non-planning approved loft conversions.

 

[RandomGrinch]

In the eyes of building control, there is no grey area - a room is a habitable space, or it isn't.
Your proposal for its use - even just allowing the kids to occasionally play up there, would count as a habitable space and that comes with certain fire safety stipulations etc.

Yes, there are thousands of homes across the country, with unauthorised conversions - but if you look at it from our point of view, given the information you have provided, I would find it problematic to provide advice, on an open forum, knowing that your family may be put at risk by inadequate fire safety provision.

If however, you were looking to create a 'non-habitable', 'loft storage room' - you could have a look on YouTube - a couple of examples here...