4 DIY Step By Step
Loft Conversion Ideas And Designs
Need ideas for your loft conversion?
Is your attic a mess and you want to turn it into something useful or better still you want to do a loft conversion stairs?
No problem, the team at Diligent Development have put together a wonderful resource for you to use right now. Get inspired now.
4 Free Beautiful Loft Conversion Ideas For Small Lofts For You
It sounded like a great idea at the time – extending your inside space upward for a loft conversion. Maybe your attic is a mess, and you want to turn it into beautiful and usable space. Now, you’re searching for design ideas and wonder where to turn. No problem! Following is a step by step loft conversion ideas and designs DIY guide with four free beautiful attic conversions and loft extension ideas for a small loft conversion.
Determine if your loft is able to be converted
First things first
First, determine whether or not your loft is suitable for converting. For starters, unless you live in a Conservation Area or in a historic home, you probably won’t need to seek special permission to develop your loft into livable space above. Of course, it is possible that your loft doesn’t have enough height to properly convert the space. The minimum height needed to convert the loft is 2.2 metres. If you have this height to the area, you should be able to do a loft conversion with no issues.
Type of roof
Also take a good look at the type of roof you have to work with in your loft conversion plans. It will most likely have some form of trusses or rafters.
Rafters are going to run along the edge of the roof and are most likely triangular shape.
Trusses are supports that cross through the loft. If you have trusses, converting the loft is going to require extra structural support, possibly replacing the trusses, which can hike up the expense quickly.
Where will the staircase be?
One consideration that is often overlooked until the very end, but is very important, is where to place the loft conversion stairs that lead to and from the attic conversion area. Before you begin construction, have a plan as to where this staircase is going to go. The steps can easily take up more space than you realise, so choose carefully what portion of the room you are willing to give up without losing necessary living space. Also keep in mind, that the steps are going to take a chunk out of excess room below the loft as well. That is why many choose to run the steps along a far wall as out of the way as possible and to design the stairwell to follow all regulations while still retaining some personalised elements of design.
The steps will get you there
What’s my style, and how does it work with my existing roof lines?
Choose the style that best fits you
What kind of loft conversion best suits you and your family’s needs and design style? There are four main kinds of roof conversion techniques, including Roof Light, Dormer Loft Conversion, Hip-to-Gable, and Mansard.
If you want the look of dormers but simply can’t afford them, a roof light is a good way to go to provide plenty of natural light from the sun without the high cost of building out dormers, since roof lights won’t require your making expensive changes to the pitch of the roof or its shape. In a dormer loft conversion, a portion of the extension protrudes from the slope of the roof. They are very popular with loft conversions. They look great on almost every house that has an existing sloping roof and open up more inside loft conversion space.
Hip-to-gable conversions extend the “hip” roof out to form a vertical gable-like wall. This creates quite a bit more inside room in the loft area but only works on detached or partially detached homes since you need to already have a free sloping side roof to begin the project.
A Mansard conversion is the most expensive but will also add quite a bit of value to your home. This is suitable for property types that are terraced, semi-detached or detached. Mansard conversion extensions work well on detached or partially detached homes, since you will need a free-sloping side roof to get the job done. This kind of extension runs along the whole length of the roof and changes the angle of the roof slope, changing it to become almost vertical. Some choose to build on either side of the detached home’s sloping roofs to design a lot of roomy space with a double hip-to-gable extension.
Choose the best builder for your loft conversion plans
Once you have thought about every feasible aspect of your new small loft conversion possibilities and then mulled it over and mulled it over again until you have come to a conclusion as to not only what you want in terms of style but also what will work best for your existing attic, roof, stairs, and budget, it’s time to choose a builder and possibly an architect. Start with word-of-mouth recommendations from family and friends. Also, check out online forums for recommendations.
Find local contractors who are reliable by first asking to see samples of their finished work. Before any work begins on your attic conversions and loft extension, gather at least three quotes to choose from with your loft conversion plans.
Hire a professional attic conversion expert
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