Building a loft conversion presents a creative and affordable solution when adding extra bedrooms to your London or Hertfordshire home. There are many possibilities when it comes to extending lofts. This guide will show you how to choose the best loft conversions that suit your property from the main types of loft conversions.
Convert your unused attic into a guest bedroom or a playroom for the children.
Create an additional room as well as extra floor space and height.
More extensive than Velux or Dormer, it gives you the most headroom.
Also referred to as a Velux loft conversion since these are type of roof windows commonly used in this home renovation project, This design is the simplest type of loft conversion. As a result, it’s also the least expensive. It involves reconstructing the pitched roof and adding a couple of skylight windows. The existing structure and size of the roof itself don't change.
Good for:
No need to require planning permission for this type of conversion.
Listed properties and homes in conservation areas.
Bathrooms with window above the shower for ventilation.
Bad for:
An attic with a low ceiling (you need at least 2m head height).
Design limitation - stairs will have to be in the centre of the loft space.
Dormer loft conversions are prevalent amongst homeowners as they don't require a great deal of change. This type of loft conversion can be added either to the back or the front of the house and involve removing part of the existing roof and erecting vertical walls a small distance away from the original roofs edge. A flat roof is then constructed giving a box-like shape.
If your original house roof is sloped on the side as well as the front and back of the property, you might need to do a hip to gable loft conversion before building the dormer.
Good for:
All types of properties - terraced, semi-detached and detached.
Possibility of having a Juliet balcony added
Bad for:
Its shape isn’t particularly appealing in an aesthetic sense
A Mansard loft conversion involves removing most of the roof space and adding a vertical wall that rises from the original roof edge at around 70 degrees (rather than the 90 degrees typical for a flat dormer conversion). For this type of loft conversion, a slightly sloped horizontal wall is then constructed to connect the top of the roof and the vertical wall. The result is a roof design that has three sides instead of two.
Good for:
Being slightly sloped it looks better than a dormer.
Provide the most headroom in a conversion.
You can add windows on both the vertical and the horizontal part of the roof to bring in more natural light.
Bad for:
Being the most expensive loft conversions.
You will need planning permission from the local authority.
About Author
Michaela Mrockova
Creating quality content for local construction businesses, including building companies and interior designers
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