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Bungalow Loft Conversion - Building Regs & Fire
- Thread starter bl0at3r
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bl0at3r
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I have a bungalow so am aware the regs are slightly different regarding fire escape.
In a house you effectively add a third floor so the loft conversion becomes above 4.5m so you need a stairwell that is protected by fire doors top and bottom.
The way I read it is that in a bungalow - where the loft becomes floor one, it is unlikely to be above 4.5m so provided you have windows that allow egress you don’t need a protected stairwell.
The reason I am asking is because I want the stairs to start in the open plan lounge leading up to a hall in the loft with the bedroom and the shower room leading off - both behind fire 30min rated doors.
I presume this is acceptable to building control.
The other query, again relevant to a bungalow is that of the strengthening to the floor/existing ceiling and the thickness of the steels/joists that will impact on the overall ceiling height.
Any help appreciated
In a house you effectively add a third floor so the loft conversion becomes above 4.5m so you need a stairwell that is protected by fire doors top and bottom.
The way I read it is that in a bungalow - where the loft becomes floor one, it is unlikely to be above 4.5m so provided you have windows that allow egress you don’t need a protected stairwell.
The reason I am asking is because I want the stairs to start in the open plan lounge leading up to a hall in the loft with the bedroom and the shower room leading off - both behind fire 30min rated doors.
I presume this is acceptable to building control.
The other query, again relevant to a bungalow is that of the strengthening to the floor/existing ceiling and the thickness of the steels/joists that will impact on the overall ceiling height.
Any help appreciated
boyfalldown
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For the little its worth my loft conversion doesn't have a protected stairwell. It was done in 2008 so regs may have changed. But an architect or however is looking at doing the loft for you will understand the regs far better then people on TP and be a much better course of advice
gman
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We converted our attic last year and only just finished with the fire doors last week so finally ready to get it signed off. We got a surveyor to design and structural engineer who also liaised with the council (Glasgow). It's not a bungalow but other than the fire escape I reckon most things will be fairly similar, depending on your council. We did it all officially through the council, it only needed building control and not planning. I was told that things may become more tricky with councils if adding a bathroom because drainage is involved.
We had to double up every floor joist even though the current ones were huge and also triple the joists around the new stairs. Also the bolts joining then were big and not exactly cheap. The bay window needed a steel h-beam to add more strength to the original and gigantic timber lintel with props being installed not only directly below but also below that again (you wouldn't need to worry about the second lot though). The roof rafters needed steel brackets to give extra support and prevent movement.
We had a custom staircase built which has many turns so it needed hangers to the roof for extra support. The staircase had to comply with regs obviously.
The big element was insulation and lots of it. Kingspan seems to keep the council the happiest but it's expensive. However, the room temperature is perfect all the time so probably worth it.
I also hardwired CAT6 when the electrics were being installed. You'll probably need a hardwired smoke alarm also.
Fortunately we used to have a hot water tank in the attic so the pipes were all there for adding a radiator.
We also had semi invisible doors installed in the walls on both sides to access the eaves. We floored it all which provides lots of storage space.
Also worth making sure your roof is in excellent condition before starting as once everything is plastered it will be harder to spot any leaks until damage is done. We decided to renew the whole roof to be safe.
A good joiner to do it will be invaluable. Ours spotted structural failings which both our engineer and the council engineer missed and he problem solved solutions. I kept a log of all the costs so feel free to PM me if you want the figures. Hope this helps a little.
We had to double up every floor joist even though the current ones were huge and also triple the joists around the new stairs. Also the bolts joining then were big and not exactly cheap. The bay window needed a steel h-beam to add more strength to the original and gigantic timber lintel with props being installed not only directly below but also below that again (you wouldn't need to worry about the second lot though). The roof rafters needed steel brackets to give extra support and prevent movement.
We had a custom staircase built which has many turns so it needed hangers to the roof for extra support. The staircase had to comply with regs obviously.
The big element was insulation and lots of it. Kingspan seems to keep the council the happiest but it's expensive. However, the room temperature is perfect all the time so probably worth it.
I also hardwired CAT6 when the electrics were being installed. You'll probably need a hardwired smoke alarm also.
Fortunately we used to have a hot water tank in the attic so the pipes were all there for adding a radiator.
We also had semi invisible doors installed in the walls on both sides to access the eaves. We floored it all which provides lots of storage space.
Also worth making sure your roof is in excellent condition before starting as once everything is plastered it will be harder to spot any leaks until damage is done. We decided to renew the whole roof to be safe.
A good joiner to do it will be invaluable. Ours spotted structural failings which both our engineer and the council engineer missed and he problem solved solutions. I kept a log of all the costs so feel free to PM me if you want the figures. Hope this helps a little.
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