Make over YOUR LOFT

IT’S TIME FOR A SEASONAL REFRESH!

Stuck for living space? Your loft could be the answer. While these overflow areas in your roof are usually just reserved for storage, Rebeka Morgan, co-author of Buildher, explains how to convert them into the extra room your family needs.

GET BRAINSTORMING

With the right space and a little creativity, you could create a teenage retreat complete with study area and bathroom, or perhaps a playroom leading from a kid’s bedroom. Think about what space would create the biggest impact on your lifestyle.

NOT ALL LOFT SPACES ARE CREATED EQUAL

To build out a good loft space you will need two things: access and space when you are up there. If you are unable to access it easily or to create a staircase, it may be difficult to use conveniently. If your ceiling cavity is too small to stand in or to use, it may only be suitable for storage.

THE CHALLENGES

One of the biggest challenges is access. Often, the access point has been a manhole in the ceiling of a bathroom or laundry, allowing you to climb through to the roof cavity, but this is not a good solution long term. So you will need to think about how you can create a more accessible ladder or staircase, which may mean sacrificing some space below.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

The main concerns are ceiling height (whether you can stand up in the finished space), bearing capacity of the floor (what’s needed to ensure you have the correct floor and won’t fall through the ceiling) and natural light. Most lofts won’t have natural light, so windows or skylights might have to be added. This can be made trickier by the sloping roof structure many lofts will inherit.