What if one’s loft head Height is much lower?
Loft conversion and head height
What if one’s loft head Height is much lower?
Due to different building regulations in different buildings, the headroom of lofts can vary. Though the regulations have minimum limits to make sure the room is comfortable to live in, still some builders recommend that one should at least have 2.3 – 2.4 m so that there’s adequate space to stand and walk inside a room. In some cases, there’s not enough space in the room to make a conversion in accordance with the building regulations or to compose another usable room. There are many solutions to these kinds of problems some of them may need planning permission in order to make huge changes. The loft conversion head height simply converts the loft in one of the best cost-effective ways and adds extra space in the room.
Lowering Your Ceilings
Some people may plan on lowering their ceiling if it’s too high. They can lower the ceiling of their top story in order to add space to the loft. This specific job needs new floor joists along with new contact points to stop the spreading of the walls. Remember this work has a higher effect on the household than a common standard loft conversion. So before considering this option, it is essential to talk with your family as it can create a lot of disturbances. But if one’s ceiling is of the British standard i.e. 2.4 m then lowering can have an ill effect on the room’s feel. Hence prefer looking for other available choices before going for this option.
Using Thinner Insulation
Installing some thinner boards on the floor or the ceiling can help you shave off a few centimeters from the thickness of the walls & the floor. This can help you to add a few centimeters easily without causing much disturbance to you and your family. Whilst the normal insulation can take a lot of space i.e. up to 27 cm, some new technologies offer other types of thermal efficiency which doesn’t take space as much of the old headroom.
Raising the Roof
It causes a lot less disturbance than lowering your ceiling but requires planning permissions. If this is your preferred option then you also have an option for elevating the roof. You can also go for Mansard loft conversion to add more to the usable space in your preferred room. But this option is not available for all the houses due to their structure and built. Usually, some planning permissions are not permitted for terraced houses & even the building structure doesn’t allow such changes until it is made to the nearby houses too.
We have gained a lot of experience here at S3DA design. We also have been working on varied varieties of loft conversion during this time. And we’re more than happy to help you find the perfect solution for your loft conversion-related issues. Along with this we also offer helpful advice to help you make the right choice for yourself & your family!