Attic Conversion

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Hi ,

I live in a 3 Bed Semi with a hipped roof and have been given a quote of 16k to get the attic converted . This includes all the usual bits plus a fixed permanent stairs for which I am happy to sacrifice part of the 2nd bedroom. I have seen this guys work and it is excellent and I know of 2 other people in the area who have gone with him. My only worries are that he works on his own and I'm wary of his insurance status and also he says he only uses one RSJ running across the middle of my house from neighbours house to outside wall. He says it is no problem for me to get an engineer if I want . Am I right to question this and what should I look out for ????

Any advice appreciated ..
Thanks

mad m

Have you got others in to give you quote/advise?

311

This is fine if your roof is tall. Normally attic conversion joists are laid on the lower edge of the rsj ,giving you maximum height.

If he is using one rsj ,then the joists would be higher.

Gumbo

but if i understood the original post he will be bearing the beam onto a party wall????

if so then next door must be talked to and they must agree i think, dont quote me on that but you may want to ask the question just incase.

also, the beam will have to be fire proofed against the party wall as the existing party wall is a fire wall creating a compartment for yourself and the neighbour.

i may be rong on these items, but worth checking just incase.

PauloMN

First of all, you are dead right to question these things as getting the attic converted affects the roof structure and must be done right. Get an independent engineering company to certify the structural work after he's put in the RSJs and before he starts the fitting.

I'm no expert in attic conversions but I must say I don't understand the one RSJ bit, I don't know how that could work. Our conversion (also a semi with a hipped roof) has two big RSJs running across the house, one towards the front and the other towards the back.

Based on our conversion, I'd recommend you check the spec on the following:
- Windows (at least 2 x Velux windows, prob only 2 with the hipped roof)
- Electrical spec (4 x double sockets, one at each corner)
- Extra radiator for attic space plumbed in
- Cable/telephone connections
- Check if he offers plastered ceiling or wooden ceiling
- Lighting specs, 6 or 8 ceiling lights
- Smoke alarm (make sure this is put in)
- Tongue and groove flooring and proper stairs and bannister

Check what he'll do with the water tank - as far as I remember we had one large tank in the centre of the attic which was replaced with two smaller tanks placed at the side to maximise space.

Once he's done, he should allow you to do a snag list and fix anything you find (mainly just minor stuff hopefully).

The engineering cert is the important bit as far as I'm concerned, it'll give you peace of mind and help if you ever sell the house. Personally I'd be inclined to steer clear of one guy who'll do the lot for a number of reasons including the fact that the conversion will probably be prolonged, but that's just me. If you are happy with his work having seen it and you are happy with what he's including for the price, go for it once you can get it certified.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Thanks everyone for your replies . I'm going to look at a few more quotes first . It's really not worth while cutting corners on things like this . I'd rather pay 2-3000 more for peace of mind and proper certification etc.....

Thanks Again

Mellor

kceire wrote:

but if i understood the original post he will be bearing the beam onto a party wall????

if so then next door must be talked to and they must agree i think, dont quote me on that but you may want to ask the question just incase.

also, the beam will have to be fire proofed against the party wall as the existing party wall is a fire wall creating a compartment for yourself and the neighbour.

i may be rong on these items, but worth checking just incase.

Im afraid you are wrong, even if next door agrees, you still can't do it. Nothing my be built into a party wall, no sockets, no joists and certainly not an RSJ.

ircoha

mscull wrote:

Hi ,

I live in a 3 Bed Semi with a hipped roof and have been given a quote of 16k to get the attic converted . This includes all the usual bits plus a fixed permanent stairs for which I am happy to sacrifice part of the 2nd bedroom. I have seen this guys work and it is excellent and I know of 2 other people in the area who have gone with him. My only worries are that he works on his own and I'm wary of his insurance status and also he says he only uses one RSJ running across the middle of my house from neighbours house to outside wall. He says it is no problem for me to get an engineer if I want . Am I right to question this and what should I look out for ????

Any advice appreciated ..
Thanks

think about the design before u lose part of ur 2nd bedroom as, unless u deal with the fire issues, u wont be able to include the conversion as part of the habitable space on sale: there was a recent post on the issues

Gumbo

Mellor wrote:

Im afraid you are wrong, even if next door agrees, you still can't do it. Nothing my be built into a party wall, no sockets, no joists and certainly not an RSJ.

as i said, its worth it to just ask the questions.

johnnyrotten

My conversion has the standard 2 RSJ's. They sit on the exterior wall and sit into a bracket which is bolted into the party wall.

richie_rvf

I too don't understand how he can use only 1 RSJ - unless he is going to run the floor boards from the front and rear walls to the center?

Only thing I can see wrong with that set up is that I do not think it will provide suitable support for the roof, there should be 2 RSJs, each one supporting the roof with vertical supports.

The RSJ will need to be mounted to the party wall by means of a wall plate - as mentioned previously.

You cannot 'cut' into the party wall, especially in this case as it is a fire barrier also.

Also make sure that when the water tank is moved/replaced that it too is adequately supported, the existing timbers are NOT sufficient.

Having said all that your price seems very very cheap, I was recently quoted almost 4 times that :eek:

Best of luck - and keep us posted!

Richie.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Thanks for all the advice again .
I have since signed up with a new company who are extremely professional and were amazed when I told them of the other guys methods. They are only 3k more expensive but well worth it if there pre-sales is anything to go by.They are starting next week , so I'll let you know who they are when finished .....

jibberjive

Hi could you post who you are using & how you find them so far.

We are getting quotes at the moment & have been told by 2 builders space couldn't be classified as habitable & 2 that it could be.

Anthony_1980

i paid 12k for mine and got rode at the end

he didnt put skirtings or archtraves down in attic or ballustrade or handrail on stairs

but he's not a builder no more and said he'll pay for somebody else to do it

so not costing me anymore but just hassel

mad m

jibberjive wrote: »

Hi could you post who you are using & how you find them so far.

We are getting quotes at the moment & have been told by 2 builders space couldn't be classified as habitable & 2 that it could be.

After attic is done and height is over 2.3 or maybe little bit more meters(Not exactly sure of height) then it can be classed as habitable, but then you have to comply with fire reg's, downstairs all doors have to be fireproof doors and close automatically. Also stairs going up into attic has to be full width as normal one to ensure easy escape. Normally if converting attic they use a smaller stairs and attic is classed as storage.

Mellor

mad m wrote: »

After attic is done and height is over 2.3 or maybe little bit more meters(Not exactly sure of height) then it can be classed as habitable, but then you have to comply with fire reg's, downstairs all doors have to be fireproof doors and close automatically. Also stairs going up into attic has to be full width as normal one to ensure easy escape. Normally if converting attic they use a smaller stairs and attic is classed as storage.

Your definition of habitable is off. There is more than just the height, the area at a certain height matters. The rooms use also affects if it is habitable or not. As you said if it is a habitable room the stairwell needs to be protected. Partitions, doors etc

Paul Dee

If you are converting an attic as I did two years ago. I got a first class service from http://www.busteedattics.ie/ I have no vested interest in the company. I like to recommend services that exceed my expectations.