Attic usage and accessibility

[jaymd_123]

Hello,

Thinking about best practices for attic space and have a few questions:

 

Any issues/observations I should be aware of while considering attic trusses?

Are attic trusses appropriate whilst using solar panels (noticed the pitch is going to shift due to height requirements)?

Is it worth having stair access to the attic vs a hatch and ladder? 

Can we keep our mech (mvhr, heat pumped, solar batteries etc) in the attic, and if so, does it need to be enclosed within a mech room?

 

Cheers

[saveasteading]

  On 11/10/2024 at 10:56, jaymd_123 said:

Any issues/observations I should be aware of while considering attic trusses?

Are attic trusses appropriate whilst using solar panels (noticed the pitch is going to shift due to height requirements)?

Is it worth having stair access to the attic vs a hatch and ladder? 

Can we keep our mech (mvhr, heat pumped, solar batteries etc) in the attic, and if so, does it need to be enclosed within a mech room?

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1.  offsite fabricated trusses are the cheapest way, but there is little space left for movement or storage. You must tell them if you want space.

2. tell them so they allow for the weight.

3. absolutely.   and if you have  pull down ladder it is always  there, tidy, and secure. and much safer to use.    again check you have space between trusses. I have a scissoring one which is very compact...but I have high ceilings and need a stepladder to release an re-stow it..

4.   I am not expert....others will be along who know. BUT it probably needs a sturdy base and some noise absorption.  I think batteries are very heavy and would need lots of support.

[jaymd_123]

  On 11/10/2024 at 11:17, saveasteading said:

1.  offsite fabricated trusses are the cheapest way, but there is little space left for movement or storage. You must tell them if you want space.

2. tell them so they allow for the weight.

3. absolutely.   and if you have  pull down ladder it is always  there, tidy, and secure. and much safer to use.    again check you have space between trusses. I have a scissoring one which is very compact...but I have high ceilings and need a stepladder to release an re-stow it..

4.   I am not expert....others will be along who know. BUT it probably needs a sturdy base and some noise absorption.  I think batteries are very heavy and would need lots of support.

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Good feedback. Thank you. It is interesting you mention ceiling height for the hatch; we're planning 2.9m which I assume would be similar to what you have now. Any reason you'd opt for a hatch and pull down ladder vs a set of stairs?

[saveasteading]

  On 11/10/2024 at 12:33, jaymd_123 said:

vs a set of stairs?

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You mean permanent stairs? Space, cost, building regulations.

[ProDave]

  On 11/10/2024 at 12:33, jaymd_123 said:

Any reason you'd opt for a hatch and pull down ladder vs a set of stairs?

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I may be wrong, but a set of stairs would have to meet building regs regards to pitch, width, etc and in particular clear headroom above the stairs and landing.  That will mean you forming a permanent compliant landing "upstairs" then with a door through to the loft.

 

I might be inclined to wait for completion, and then fit a space saving staircase and some form of easy to open loft hatch when you get to the top of the stairs.

[jaymd_123]

  On 11/10/2024 at 12:47, ProDave said:

I may be wrong, but a set of stairs would have to meet building regs regards to pitch, width, etc and in particular clear headroom above the stairs and landing.  That will mean you forming a permanent compliant landing "upstairs" then with a door through to the loft.

 

I might be inclined to wait for completion, and then fit a space saving staircase and some form of easy to open loft hatch when you get to the top of the stairs.

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ProDave to the rescue once again. Nice strategy to wait for completion. Thank you, sir! Will plan to install a hatch to start with and if we need stairs later, we can go down that route. Don't want to over complicate things (even more)

 

  On 11/10/2024 at 12:46, saveasteading said:

You mean permanent stairs? Space, cost, building regulations.

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Good call. As Dave mentioned, timing would be important. I think I'll go with the hatch as you both suggest. Sounds like a much more straight forward route. 

[saveasteading]

  On 11/10/2024 at 12:51, jaymd_123 said:

Don't want to over complicate things

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if you are thinking of a room in the roof, then we return to point 1. the trusses have to be designed to suit.

 

[ProDave]

I would definitely get attic trusses, so much better and not that much more expensive.

[jaymd_123]

  On 11/10/2024 at 13:03, saveasteading said:

if you are thinking of a room in the roof, then we return to point 1. the trusses have to be designed to suit.

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We aren't planning for a usable room in the roof for completion. The loft will be for storage and potentially where we keep the mvhr, heat pumped & solar batteries. In the future, it may become an activities room. By the sound of it, the easiest way to plan for the chance we decide to use the space as more than just storage, will plan to have a hatch in the area we would add stairs if we choose to create the additional usable space. 

[jaymd_123]

  On 11/10/2024 at 13:07, ProDave said:

I would definitely get attic trusses, so much better and not that much more expensive.

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Completely agree. It makes sense to have better access and more space regardless of what we use it for. I just want to make sure the attic trusses are appropriate with solar panels in terms of pitch and load capacity.

[crispy_wafer]

  On 11/10/2024 at 13:07, ProDave said:

I would definitely get attic trusses, so much better and not that much more expensive.

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Agreed, probably one of the best couple of hundred pounds extra spent on my project.

[saveasteading]

As above. An extension is expensive. Modifying the attic is expensive. 

So now is the time to design accordingly for a relatively small cost.

Not a couple of hundred unfortunately: that will buy your ladder. A few thousand.

BUT I'd also allow for doing it properly. Make sure that the layout allows that a compliant stair can be added later. 

Building regs are for our safety plus it will arise at any future sale.

[jaymd_123]

  On 11/10/2024 at 13:59, saveasteading said:

Make sure that the layout allows that a compliant stair can be added later. 

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I will need to investigate this further. I haven't given stairs much-to-any thought as we've planned a bungalow. We had thought that we could add the stairs to the garage, and we've seen a few houses with outside staircases leading in which would be suitable considering the use (currently: storage / future: activities like playing instruments).

[saveasteading]

  On 11/10/2024 at 15:12, jaymd_123 said:

suitable considering the use

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The uses acc to bldg regs are not that subtle.  Is it heated? Is it inhabited by people ( ie not cars/storage)? Then it needs to be insulated, of certain dimensions and safe from fire.

If it is an attic used as a den, then that will be its value at any future sale.

[jaymd_123]

  On 11/10/2024 at 15:23, saveasteading said:

If it is an attic used as a den

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This is exactly what it could become if we use it for more than storage. I don't imagine it will ever have installed heating, though I will likely add insulation regardless. This is why I was playing with the idea of stairs. Imagine the kids want to have band practice kind of thing...

Edited October 11, 2024 by jaymd_123

[DevilDamo]

  On 11/10/2024 at 12:47, ProDave said:

width

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No minimum requirement for a private dwelling.

[joe90]

In my last build I had a warm roof (insulation at tile level), a good quality wooden fold down loft ladder and hatch. MVHR and storage in the loft, was very usable.

[jaymd_123]

  On 12/10/2024 at 09:02, joe90 said:

In my last build I had a warm roof (insulation at tile level),

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I've been reading a lot about warm roofs, especially for our living area, which has vaulted ceilings with exposed oak trusses (though not so important for the rest of the house). In your experience, what were the pros and cons of a warm roof?

[joe90]

I wanted the loft to be within the heated envelope (but not any heat source) it meant no, or little insulation on the MVHR input pipes. No membrane at bedroom ceiling level which wiring, pipes etc have to breach. The loft hatch then does not need to be air tight (tho mine had a rubber seal) and no insulation on the hatch itself.