Hi folks. We're looking at turning our loft into a utility room. Somewhere we can store things better and also have an area to set up my wife's sewing machine etc. We won't be using it to sleep in. I'm wondering what the basics would be to do this compared to a basic loft conversion using an expert. Previously I've worked on our house (installing kitchen, patios etc) with a friend who's more skilled than myself and able to do carpentry so I could use him. Or go with the experts!

 

Any help would be very much appreciated. 

 

All the best

 

As a store room it really comes down to load bearing capacity of the “floor”

a sewing machine will create a lot of vibration and be almost impossible to use if the loft floor and structure are too flexible.

do you have any pics of the loft as it is? Older property or fairly new build?

29 minutes ago, markc said:

As a store room it really comes down to load bearing capacity of the “floor”

a sewing machine will create a lot of vibration and be almost impossible to use if the loft floor and structure are too flexible.

do you have any pics of the loft as it is? Older property or fairly new build?

I'll try and get some but it's a regular 1930's semi. Skylight already installed but not much else apart from a few precariously placed bit of chip boards to store stuff on. I guess we'd like to be able to walk on it as HID would like to use it as a sewing room when needed. So floor would have to be a bit more substantial than say the LoftZone system. 

The current joists are ceiling joists only big enough to hold the ceiling up, you need to install floor joists (size depends on span) to cope with walking on/storing stuff. I have done a few of these “storage” loft conversions, not that difficult and much more relaxed on building regs.

47 minutes ago, joe90 said:

The current joists are ceiling joists only big enough to hold the ceiling up, you need to install floor joists (size depends on span) to cope with walking on/storing stuff. I have done a few of these “storage” loft conversions, not that difficult and much more relaxed on building regs.

That sounds about right. I know it's a finger in the air type question but roughly what kind of cost? Also, I'd read somewhere that insulating the roof and plaster boarding over changes the planning? 

1 hour ago, Invader75 said:

but roughly what kind of cost?

Ha, a million dollar question I am afraid (plus I have been retired a while and timber costs have soared). 
 

 

1 hour ago, Invader75 said:

I'd read somewhere that insulating the roof and plaster boarding over changes the planning? 

It should not, if not used fir sleeping and say it’s for “storage” no planning is required, I have installed fold down loft ladders in some (no room on the landing for additional staircase), frankly you could limit the insulation to your budget, I have even used the dubious “foil“ type insulation with acceptable results, plaster boarding is relatively cheap especially if you use tapered boards and just fill the joints and fixings.  We need photos and measurements for a more accurate answer to possibilities for you.