marchitects home alterations

As well as considering the floor construction in terms of fire, the new attic floor is now considered to be an intermediate floor under the building standards and requires to achieve a specific noise reduction rating. There are approved constructions however it is difficult to reflect those when you are dealing with an existing situation. Depending on the council building controls view you may have to reline the ceiling below to achieve the density of plasterboard.  www.marchitectsltd.com

Once the position of the stair has been determined, consider introducing natural light if possible from the roof. This will give an attic sized stair the impression of space even though it is likely to be contained within a confined area. A roof window or even a light tunnel can have a dramatic effect. www.marchitectsltd.com

The creation of a protected enclosure can be frustrating for the home owner as it will affect parts of the house otherwise unaffected by the works. It will involve the installation of fire doors and may involve upgrading of partitions forming the protected enclosure where these do not meet the minimum fire resistance requirements (normally 30minutes). Depending on the route the stair takes it may also require localised upgrading of ceilings to rooms below. www.marchitectsltd.com

What height will your new floor be above ground? As a rule of thumb, if you are creating one above an existing first floor the stair will have be enclosed by a protected enclosure which needs to be created all the way to the front door. This provides a means of escape for the occupants of the new room. Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

The position of the stair itself is often determined by the pitch and configuration of the roof. The last riser on the flight needs to land at a position where there is a clear floor area (length x width) equal to the width of the stair with a headroom of no less than 2m. www.marchitectsltd.com

Another initial consideration is the size of stair you will need. Under current Building Standards if you are going to have more than one room served by the new stair then it needs a wider stair than that needed for a single room. Therefore this will have a greater impact on the existing rooms on the floor below. www.marchitectsltd.com

I was at an initial feasibility meeting for a potential attic conversion this morning. It prompted me to start listing some key issues that you will face in converting an attic space. Firstly, if your house is modern, or has been converted in the recent past it is important to consider the cost of the comprehensive strengthening required of modern prefabricated trusses. Other conversion keypoints to follow. www.marchitectsltd.com marchitects ltd, 20 Campie Road, Musselburgh EH21 6QG

This is my first entry. I am going to journal my work as and when I can. So I'll try and keep it as interesting as I can. www.marchitectsltd.com marchitects ltd, 20 Campie Road, Musselburgh EH21 6QG