Assess potential problems by evaluating your attic space:

• Roof leaks – believe it or not but roof leaks are often neglected because the cost of repairing them is considered too big. The problem is they will cost you further down the road if left in disrepair. So how can you tell if your roof is leaking? It might not be obvious at first glance so you have to check for the signs. Check for stains on the ceiling(s) beneath the attic for stains or damp patches. This is usually the best way to be sure of a roof leak. Just a small leak can lead to huge problems. If anything the items you are storing in your attic can get extremely damaged by leaks.

• Climate – for insulated homes that have been well maintained there shouldn’t be too many problems. However, if the home has not been insulated appropriately and has not had its climate adjusted accordingly, this can create the wrong environment for temperature sensitive items and create cold, damp and humid conditions. Humidity differences and variations can destroy books and fabrics that are left unprotected or unsealed.

• Floor framing and roof framing – these two elements are key to determining strength, space and storage capacity.

So if you have checked all these off your list and everything is okay, move forward into organising your stored furniture and accumulated belongings.

In the previous blog we talked about using other spaces for storage so that your attic could be converted without clutter. What we didn’t discuss is what you should NOT store in your attic unless you have had it converted successfully:

• Obviously, safety first; avoid storing anything in your attic that could be considered a fire hazard or have the potential to cause a fire. Papers, flammable materials, ignition liquids etc.

• Leaving food up there is also a no-no. Unless you have a fridge/freezer connected (even this is not recommended) there should be no need to keep food in the attic – this can lead to all kinds of problems including attracting insects and animals if the food has not been stored properly.

• Any kind of storage media and electronic devices will not survive damp or dusty conditions very well. For instance; that old VCR that you haven’t used for the better part of a decade, try rolling it out and starting it up; chances are it’s not old age that’s killed it but the conditions it’s been kept in.

• Perishables such as paintings, musical instruments (from wood to brass), expensive jewellery or clothing. These are common items to be found up in attics but ultimately will end up being inevitably ruined if left to the dust mites.

• Heavy loads – if you haven’t had an attic conversion carried out extremely heavy loads could cause collapse in the attic infrastructure so please be careful.

• Avoid paints, solvents and chemicals – they give off poisonous fumes and in small spaces can prove deadly.

You can safely store things like ceramic, glass and metal based items as long as they are appropriately covered or packed away. Just be sure that everything is appropriately insulated and organised in an orderly and safe way.

In this Modern Attics Guide for your home we will take you through the before and after process of protecting and safely storing furniture that has come from or is going into your attic conversion.

Before your attic conversion

First of all, attic storage is possible in most homes. In fact, attics and lofts are generally used for that purpose anyway. You may even have random boxes and empty suitcases stacked to the roof up there. The trick is to consider just how secure all these items really are.

If you have ever read or heard those horror stories about attic floors caving in due to buckling under the strain of heavy loads you’ll know just how important this process of safely storing goods can be.

So before you implement you attic conversion you need to go up there and get your hands a bit dirty by sifting through the chaos.

Ask yourself;

What items/furniture have you found up there?

Out of all of it is there anything you want to keep?

Do you have spare storage space within your home (e.g. garage, basement, spare room?)

Once you have established the answers to these questions and you have inventoried your goods, it’s time to start preparing your attic for conversion/refurbishment. You want that space to be clear for when a survey or assessment is carried out on the property.

If you have a garage with free space, use it to store all the accumulated materials that have been sitting in your attic until further notice. If you have a lot of times you may need some help to move everything, or even ask those who are carrying out the attic conversion for their assistance. Consider if there really is anything that you can simply throw away or give to charity shops.

If there is no extra storage space to be found in your house, ask a friend if they can help you store these items until a later date. Alternatively, you may need to pay for the use of self-storage facilities and services. Either way, you need to de-clutter that attic before work can begin.

After your attic conversion

Once the attic conversion has been completed, it is time to reassess your situation with your stored furniture/belongings. You may have been hording a spare sofa or a desk that you want to use for your newly converted attic space – so you can put it to use now!

If you have had an attic conversion then most likely there will be new storage space that has been created in which you can utilise. For the items in the attic that were merely collecting dust before you can now either implement it for the new space or restore it safely and securely in the professionally designed areas created for you.

There might not be enough space for all the boxes of belongings that you have accumulated over the years so there will definitely be the need to catalogue and sift through what is worth keeping and what is worth throwing away.

Modern Attics will return with a follow-up blog to this one that continues dispensing advice for safe storage and tips on how to do that. Contact Us for any further advice or for a free quote or a free loft survey.

Many of us could have a small boat or something of a similar volume hidden under the junk we have lying around in our attics for all we know. But is there anything of any use really up there? How much of the contents of your attic actually belong there, and how much belongs in the bin or elsewhere? You guessed it… Modern Attics are stepping in to give you a guide to sorting out the contents of your attic!

There are quite a few reasons why someone would want to tidy up their attic. Perhaps you’re considering converting your attic to make an extra bedroom and you need to get rid of as much of its contents as possible so your new sleeping area has enough room to put a bed! Maybe you’re having cavity wall insulation or some other home improvement and just need to make enough room for the workers to get in? Whatever your reason, it’s good to work to a plan when undergoing a process such as this. Systems work!

First of all, and possibly most difficult of all, clear your loft out. If you’re going to be rearranging and tidying up you need to know what space you have available before you begin – it’s also an awful lot easier to deal with your stashed away possessions when you don’t have to crouch under beams or worry where your footing is while clumsily gripping a torch, for example.

The next step is to separate the contents of your loft simply into what you feel you absolutely have to keep and what you feel you can get rid of. This is quite a sensitive stage – don’t be afraid to be a little bit ruthless here (after all, if it’s been untouched for that long, what are the chances you’ll use that trouser press again?), but equally don’t get overzealous when it comes to sentimental objects, especially when they’re sentimental to other people. If you come across photo albums, books, collectibles or generally anything that looks fairly old, ask your family about it. It may be that they will offer to take things off your hands if you personally have no use for them.

Next, sort the items you’re keeping into (preferably plastic) boxes to protect them a little, before carefully replacing them. Remember to put the items you’re less likely to need access to at the back or at the bottom of stacks, and don’t forget to label the boxes so you can find anything you may end up needing at a later date. Additionally you should decide on the fate of the loft-dwelling items you no longer need – charity shops will accept a great deal of books, clothes and other useful things as donations, which is a much better thing to do than simply throwing them away.

Once you’ve tidied your attic, you may consider contacting us to arrange a free survey and quotation for any extension or attic conversion ideas you may have – don’t hesitate to choose Modern Attics.

But what about solar power? You may have read intermittent articles about it over the years; or overheard conversations about it; someone may have even tried to sell you it; but what exactly is it?

We thought that we would take some time to explain to you what solar panels provide to a home, whether it’s part of the attic conversions process or an independent choice on the part of the homeowner. You may know some of this already, but it’s surprising how many people don’t know what solar panels actually offer.

Solar panels are devices that convert light (primarily light from the sun) and convert it into electricity. Think of it like light-electricity. Within a single panel there is a collection of solar cells that are spread over this large panel area working together to provide power; the more light that is absorbed and stored by a cell the more power it produces.

Before or during attic conversions and loft conversions, this is often a package that is offered to homeowners as a choice.

Modern Attics follows the school of thought that containment of energy should be a top priority in our line of work. Well, solar panels help to contain and distribute energy without wasting any of it. This is such an important factor when considering attic conversions because the production of energy is vital for the future. As with wind turbines, solar panels are being strongly promoted to the public. This is not a cynical attempt at increasing revenue streams for a product that doesn’t work. So many sceptics cry foul when they hear the words “renewable energy sources” or “alternative energy” because they are under the very mistaken impression that these concepts are a con job!

This is truly a tragic irony because renewable energy sources are not just the genuine article, but they might just help to save our planet one day. Solar panels are helping to make an effective contribution towards our energy needs, particularly when integrated through loft conversions. They can provide electricity for your house and they cut down substantially on fuel bills! One of the greatest aspects of the solar panel revolution is that you can sell back any excess energy you produce to the National Grid.

It’s like the world is given an answer, or many answers, to a problematic – how can we sustain ourselves without fossil fuels? How can we afford the cost of living when the price of energy is going through the roof? – and yet the world does not believe in this answer because it sounds too simple to be true. Solar power is one place where the future of energy resides.

If you want to start helping your environment, your planet and your future, consider renewable energies, help towards sustainability and consider solar panels with your loft conversions and attic conversions.

Contact Us for more information.

A loft conversion that recreates the space into a more appropriate storage area is an easy and low cost method and a sure-fire way to make full use of the formerly wasted space in your roof. Generally speaking, loft conversions are implemented to create a NEW habitable room in a property whether it be a new bedroom, playroom, study, bathroom, home office, den, guest room etc. That said, converting loft space so it is a more economic and roomy storage area saves on the amount of work and expense greatly as it is a simple conversion process.

In the case of a simple conversion like this; building regulations don’t always apply but that doesn’t mean there won’t be certain standards to meet full-stop. This is work that can be carried out by your conversion specialists quickly and efficiently with minimum fuss for to the occupancy of the property.

Most loft storage spaces require new floors and joists. The reason for this is that the existing joists in your loft won’t be sufficient to bear heavy loads and as you want a decent storage place that’s kind of an integral aspect that needs to be addressed early on.

What most people will be happy to hear is that work on these loft storage areas can be completed in quick-smart fashion (usually just 2 days – a weekend!) and the loft contractors can implement the new joist installations, floor layout and structure, loft hatch installation, lighting set-up and a new loft ladder.  Typically all of these elements can be completed within 48 hours. These loft conversions are commonly known as Shell loft conversions.

This is one time when doing the work yourself versus hiring the professionals actually works out a hell of a lot cheaper for when you hire the professionals. No time or money wasted.

Your loft conversion specialists will recommend you have a skylight installed, especially if you are planning on going up in there a lot. Some type of loft window addition is definitely a plus. You may even get a deal on it.

Contact us at Modern Attics to get a free conversion quote for this type of operation or keep looking until you find what it is that you are looking for.

The first reason for choosing us is a no-brainer, really: we offer a free, no obligation survey to professionally assess how suitable your available loft space is for your proposed conversion and give our advice from our years of experience based on your current specifications and associated legal permissions – all completely free of charge!

Modern planning permissions and building restrictions are legal minefields, as with anything involving great deals of ‘small print’.  Our holistic service allows us to guide you through all the necessary paperwork and we will apply to the local Council on your behalf, even if planning permission is not required, in order to obtain a lawful development certificate for your new build.  Unlike many contractors, we will not keep you in the dark, and will regularly update you on the progress of any necessary approvals.

We are a cut above the competition as one of the directors at Modern Attics is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, an independent global organisation acting in the public interest to ensure the highest degree of competence and integrity in all members, formed in 1792.

Not only would we aim to create a practical and accessible living area around your specification but we would aim for a result which is both aesthetically pleasing and complementing to the existing structure.  Our service is entirely customer oriented and we will keep disruption at a minimum throughout the build.  Most of the conversion process will take place entirely via the roof without our workers having to enter your house at all until the later stages of the process, of which you will be informed well in advance.

We are very conscious of the national increase in awareness and interest of environmental issues and strive to be as ‘green’ as we can.  Offering additional features such as solar panels, wind turbines and grey water repurposing as well as loft insulation, Modern Attics takes advice from the government and independent environmental organisations very seriously.  This enables us to bring you energy saving solutions that can reduce your financial implications as well as your energy usage.  Guiding you through the options open to you to be more environmentally conscious is just part of our service.

It’s simple, really; nowhere else do you get the same level of efficiency, reliability and excellent customer service.  As the customer, your vision or idea is paramount, and you are involved in and informed about the process from conception to completion.  If you’re still not convinced, just contact Modern Attics and ask for a free survey and an accompanying quote – we’re sure you’ll find it’s a first step in the right direction.

We’re all familiar with how much of a pain the gas bill can be – all that money just going towards keeping warm!  More and more people are understanding the impact of this on a global scale too, with the use of finite fossil fuel resources that release environmentally damaging chemicals.  This has led to an increase in the use of insulating materials to economise a home’s energy usage.  After all, keeping heat in your house means you don’t have to use as much energy in the first place, being kinder to both the environment and your bank balance!

Existing building regulations are already leaning towards environmentally friendly by encouraging the use of such insulation but we at Modern Attics like to stay a step ahead, and offer even greener alternatives to the standard insulating material such as sheep’s wool.  Clearly these higher quality products will cost a little more initially but their greater effectiveness leads to bigger savings in the long term.

Insulation is all well and good, but there are other ways to make a loft conversion ecological.  Consider, for example, all the water that gets wasted every time you wash your hands, shower or do the dishes – the leftover ‘grey water’ isn’t exactly the cleanest thing in the world, but is still a viable alternative to fresh water for purposes such as in flushing toilets.  Considering the average toilet uses around 7 litres per flush, the potential benefits of this process are clear, and this system can be incorporated into many of our loft conversions – just contact us for a free survey.

If you’re interested in bringing your bills down as well as minimising your fossil fuel usage, consider the use of solar panels in your loft build.  Along with wind turbines, these are being strongly prompted by the government and conservation organisations as a way of reducing national energy requirements.  Granted, the UK isn’t the sunniest place in the world, but modern solar panels are far more efficient than they used to be.  They don’t need a constant supply of tropical sunlight in order to work and can function even on cloudy days, providing your home with a supply of electricity to reduce your electrical bills and environmental impact.  If any surplus electricity is generated, you can sell it back to the National Grid too!

In addition, all the timber we use for our loft conversions comes from a renewable source – so whether you choose any of the aforementioned environmentally friendly features or not, it’s always a green choice when you consult Modern Attics.  Get in touch with us today for a free loft survey and quotation or to assess the suitability of your plans for any of these ecological options.

The choices available to bungalow homeowners are varied – for instance they may choose to have their loft converted into a new bedroom with en suite so they can rent it out. Sometimes though, the need for more space in the bungalow itself is the main demand and therefore the loft has to be dealt with in order to free things up.

Some homeowners decide to take the converted loft as a new bedroom and then convert the downstairs into a bigger living space or for a larger kitchen by knocking down the interior walls.

Building regulations specify that a “fire protected stairway must be installed.” In the case of a bungalow the circumstances are different when compared to regulations that stipulate terms for 2 story+ houses. In some cases it isn’t possible to install a protected stairway in a bungalow so instead escape windows will be added to the new loft room to satisfy building regulations.

The biggest hurdle to overcome with a bungalow having a loft conversion is that the building was originally and more to the point specifically) designed and built to only have one floor! Some bungalows are ideal for conversion work however.

Pros of a bungalow loft conversion

Bungalow’s that have a steeply pitch roof (usually older bungalows) are actually the best type of property for a loft conversion. These types of buildings allow for plenty of headroom and provide an easy conversion overall when it comes to the work being carried out.

The best advantage of bungalow conversions is that building regulations are not as strict and there is a lot of leeway to get things done without too many restrictions. Bungalow conversions are far less of a hassle for all parties simply because it’s not taking a 2-story house and turning it into a 3-story.

For homeowners this will greatly reduce cost and the scope/time scale of the project. Bungalow loft conversions are certainly the most profitable types of loft conversions when it comes to what you spent versus value added to the overall property.

Cons of a bungalow loft conversion

The biggest issue to tackle is adding a second floor to a home that was only ever intedned to have one floor in total. Some bungalows are built without the support of internal load-bearing walls which does mean the loft conversion needs to be thoroughly planned out and potential additions made to the structural integrity of the bungalow itself (this is not always the case however, it varies from bungalow-to-bungalow). The process required to counter-act this potential issue is called underpinning  (which can be an invasive part of the build).

This is why it is crucial if you are thinking about having a loft conversion on your bungalow you need professional contractors brought in to assess the situation. DO NOT attempt a DIY job yourself!

For more information on loft conversions for bungalows please get in touch with us at Modern Attics and we will do our best to advise you and even give you a free loft conversion quote.

With this in mind, deciding to increase the size of your home through a loft conversion can seem like a controversial decision, but there are many ways to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of your build, both at the construction stage and for years to come. Having the treetops at eye-level doesn’t have to be the only thing that’s green about a loft conversion!

First of all, an ever stricter array of legal building regulations exists with the health of the planet in mind, and it goes without saying that each one of Modern Attics loft conversions are of course fully compliant with these protective measures.

If you want to go beyond the norm, however, you can also opt for a number of innovative green alternatives to regular materials and building standards, each specifically tailored towards lightening the environmental burden of your attic conversion.

As the primary material component in any loft conversion, the origin of the timber used to construct the basic frame for your build plays an important role in determining the size of the environmental impact your project has. Choosing a sustainable source, as Modern Attics does for each of the loft conversions we perform, is one way to majorly reduce the negative environmental impact of your build.

Similarly, selecting natural materials such as sheep’s wool to insulate your attic conversion, instead of non-biodegradable man-made fibres such as polystyrene which are traditionally used, will have a lesser impact on the natural habitat surrounding your home in the long-run. Of course effective insulation also reduces heat loss from your attic conversion, saving both the planet and your precious pennies.

In fact, if diminishing the size of your energy bill is a big concern, you can even choose to have solar panels or wind turbines installed to harness the power of the natural elements around your property. What’s more, if you don’t find yourself using all the renewable energy produced by these devices, you may be able to use it to profit from your environmentally-friendly investment by selling it back to the National Grid.

In addition to energy consumption, there are also measures you can take to cut your water usage, such as systems which redirect the used ‘grey water’ from your showers, sinks and washing machines and use it to flush your toilet.

With all these measures in place, an extra room in the house need not mean a heavier load for the environment, so you can relax and enjoy your newly converted loft guilt-free.

So what needs to be factored in and considered?

Gable wall properties are the most suitable for conversion. They can support new additions such as beams and floors. Hip structures often present some challenges due to the fact that they reduce the internal space, which is ideally needed for conversion purposes. Hip structures are less likely to support new beams. Of course, this doesn’t automatically mean that hip roofs cannot be converted but it does make development a tad more difficult. Impracticalities can always be overcome through professional planning hence why the early stages of loft conversions are so vital to the process!

Hip-to-Gable conversions exist for this very reason. See our previous blogs on this particular conversion for more information.

Many properties in London feature impractical roofs like this (sometimes known as terraced or butterfly roofs). In these cases radical alterations need to be made in order to make a loft conversion possible. The external structure needs to have its surface removed and replaced with a flat roof. To do this, householders have to obtain planning permission.

London is an interesting place for loft conversions because of the diversity of the buildings and therefore require multiple approaches. It is because of the complexities involved with buildings and conversions that it is always recommended to contract a professional loft conversions specialist to make the alterations required. DIY loft conversions (unless you have experience and know what you’re doing) rarely ever work out that well, and even when they do, the new loft space is nt optimised to its fullest potential.

Considerations have to be made to other factors like the location of the chimney. These may have to be moved or removed if a dormer window is being built. Chimneys take up roof space that is often needed to increase the size of your loft (dormer designs in particular). Of course if the chimney is no longer in use then removing it completely is the best option (and the cheapest).

Building regulations can often dictate this process.

When planning the external specification of a new loft the importance of factoring in emergency access, electrical fittings, plumbing and drainage need to be looked at. Building regulations will insist that that emergency exit windows are fitted and are reachable.

Drainage is an external issue. Fixing drainage pipe-work is a straight-forward process and a concentrated effort is made towards making in aesthetically pleasing.

You can discuss the details of your loft conversion and roofing concerns with your contractor. For some advice on these issues and processes please contact us at Modern Attics.