Loft conversion ridge height
Discussion
I think I know the answer to this but thought I should check.
I'm getting some quotes to do a big dormer to my house next spring. 2 bedrooms and a bathroom.
Of the builders I've had over thus far, all bar one have said that as I've only got just over 2m of head height as it is, then my only option if I want it to feel spacious is to lower the ceilings of the bedroom below. Fair enough they know more than me.
However this adds about three grand to the price. I've walked around my local area quite a bit and noticed some conversions are higher than the ridge, some by a good foot or more. All the builders I spoke to said none of them would have been granted planning permission for this and they should have been built in line with the the existing ridge height. But there are loads of houses with higher roofs! How do they get away with it?
Taking down the ceilings sounds horrendous . We don't have kids but 110 years worth of crap and soot floating through the air. ...
I'm getting some quotes to do a big dormer to my house next spring. 2 bedrooms and a bathroom.
Of the builders I've had over thus far, all bar one have said that as I've only got just over 2m of head height as it is, then my only option if I want it to feel spacious is to lower the ceilings of the bedroom below. Fair enough they know more than me.
However this adds about three grand to the price. I've walked around my local area quite a bit and noticed some conversions are higher than the ridge, some by a good foot or more. All the builders I spoke to said none of them would have been granted planning permission for this and they should have been built in line with the the existing ridge height. But there are loads of houses with higher roofs! How do they get away with it?
Taking down the ceilings sounds horrendous . We don't have kids but 110 years worth of crap and soot floating through the air. ...
Little Lofty said:
If the height is only 2m at present then I can't see how using smaller joists really helps, its already at the bare minimum head room for a completed loft. Even if the existing floor wasn't raised,(unlikely) height will still be lost due to ridge beam, roof joists and insulation. I'm not exactly tall and my loft is 2.1m, I wouldn't want it any lower than that, 2.0m is the height of a standard door, too low for a ceiling imo . If the starting height is 2m then the finished height will be 1.7/1.8m ish which is way to low for regs and practicality.
Yep. Looks im stuffed and the ceilings will have to come down. I'll have To concentrate on the positives. I must admit I was a bit sad when he said it would be about another three grand bringing the total projected cost to 48kish.
That three k is almost exactly what I was going to spend upgrading my 300 quid almera when the loft is finished next year. Looks like Ill be spending a bit more time smoking about in the old girl yet!
That three k is almost exactly what I was going to spend upgrading my 300 quid almera when the loft is finished next year. Looks like Ill be spending a bit more time smoking about in the old girl yet!
Had another couple of chaps over today.. They said my loft wasn't ideal but they explained a similar technique to someone eilse who contributed to their thread, I.e steel and joists are kept to a minimum height and they can 'steal' a bit of height from the resisting ridge 'without causing s problem to building control or the planning chaps'. He said all in all, he could do it so as that I have just over 2m of head height from floor to ceiling without the ridge being noticeably increased .
Still sounds very tight to me. But I'm going to go and see a couple of recent lofts he's done in Walthamstow in similar houses to see if 2m or so is acceptable or not. I really would rather not take the ceilings down unless totally required but whether that's avoidable or not is another thing..
Still sounds very tight to me. But I'm going to go and see a couple of recent lofts he's done in Walthamstow in similar houses to see if 2m or so is acceptable or not. I really would rather not take the ceilings down unless totally required but whether that's avoidable or not is another thing..
Edited by princeperch on Friday 21st October 20:47
well I have now heard from my neighbours. they made a restrospective application for consent to raise the ridge of their loft conversion and although its taken a few months, they have now been granted that permission. I am not sure, as long as I don't apply for permission to go higher than their ridge line, how the council can refuse me planning to increase my ridge line now they have granted permission ?
if so, whilst it will cost a few hundred quid to do the paperwork, that will buy me another foot of head height, without the mess of lowering the ceilings, which will bring me in at about 2.2m headheight which should be just fine I think..
if so, whilst it will cost a few hundred quid to do the paperwork, that will buy me another foot of head height, without the mess of lowering the ceilings, which will bring me in at about 2.2m headheight which should be just fine I think..
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