Loft Conversion - 1950s Semi Ongoing

[Tilski]

Hello,

I'm new here. This forum seems a lot more active than others.

I'm converting my loft. I'm a DIYer but know when to get the pros in.

Luck for me they're my friends too!!

Here's a link to the blog so far. Starts from the bottom to the most recent at the top.

https://loftroomblog.wordpress.com

Cheers

 

[Screech20]

Looks good, very interested, I'll be following closely!

 

[Tilski]

Thank you. All pointers welcome. Even unhelpful ones

 

[Screech20]

That's a sh*t with the beams! Are they taking them back and redoing them?

I'd be interested to see any drawings and structural calcs that you've had done.

 

[Tilski]

Hello Screech20,

Panic over. They called this morning and apologised. It was the actual welder / fabricator that called me. He said he must have been having an off day and he could see there was no point worming out of it. Really respected him for his honesty.

They're being collected tomorrow etc.

 

[Tilski]

I'll figure out a way of putting the structural paperwork on display shortly.

 

[leewallbank]

All the best with it, I know what you're going through - I've been at mine for around 2 years now off and on, needs to start back up there now after Christmas 'off'! My thread is a couple of pages down, it may help at some point.

What size are you're beams, etc?

 

[Tilski]

Hello all,

Almost a year on and the rooms plastered.

https://loftroomblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/wet-room

 

[Screech20]

I have been watching closely. It's coming along nice - great work.
I don't think any of that plasterboard is going anywhere, there was me thinking I over did it on the screws

Would be good to see the drawings for it

 

[Tilski]

Thanks. Yes a friend said the same although did comment that at least my screws were mostly in a straight line. Unlike his which looked as those someone had let loose a monkey with a machine gun in his loft. I'll try and post structural engineers doc soon.

 

[Guitar_man]

Nice blog! Thanks for posting it. Great work.
I have a few questions for you!
Are the steels only supported at the ends? I guess you bolted them together in situ.
The door is required for buikding regs? Non negotiable? Shame as it takes up a lot of the room. Could you alternatively fitted it downstairs if you had room?
What was your internal head room measurement from joist to roof before you started?
I'm surpriused BC let you fit the staircase across the door downstairs?
Did you get quite detailed instructions regarding the building from the SE or BC, in particular the support etc or did you wing it.

 

[Tilski]

Hi Guitar Man,

I'll try and tackle your questions one by one.

Steels are supported on concrete pads at either end. Two in the party wall and two on the external side wall. Because of the hip roof the beams had to be cut at an angle and had a flange plate welded onto the bottom. In hindsight I should have extended the hip roof and done a dorma conversion. Don't forget to get a party wall notification done. Templates online.

Yes we bolted them together in situ. Took 4 to carry in and up and support etc.

Regarding the door. Depends who you ask. BC said needed for fire block. Builder said not needed as you could not state it as a living space. I thought I'd just do what BC says. Though I think they are open to ideas as well. Yes could have box in downstairs but that would close the landing down and make it dark. Also, it's going to be teenage bedroom so want the noise shut in at the top end.

I think my floor to roof was 2.4m. Now have about 2.2m

BC can be very flexible when it comes to older houses. They didn't say anything the door when they visited. I think they're more concerned with the installation of fire doors at the end.

SE details were pretty detailed in terms of where to place stuff and what was needed. It read more like a shopping list than a design.

The drawings themselves looked as though they'd been done by a child!!

They specified the steel positions and the horizontal wood beam positions but not the verticals. Under advice from builder friends and the Haynes manual I doubled up the existing roof beams and placed the vertical support studs onto a wooden head plate on the steel beam. The only winging so far has been the plaster boarding because I knew the plasterers would make good.

Good luck!!!

Let me know if I can help any more.

Tilski

 

[Tilski]

Looks like I can upload drawings here:

 

[Tilski]

I have been watching closely. It's coming along nice - great work.
I don't think any of that plasterboard is going anywhere, there was me thinking I over did it on the screws

Would be good to see the drawings for it

Some of the drawings uploaded.

 

[Ian H]

Looks good.

Dormer next year?