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So far,
we've taken you through ways to assess the feasibility of
using your loft as part of the living space in your home,
concentrating on the structure and the available space.
Now, one of the key areas to consider is access. We'll
look at some of the options available to you, whilst keeping
within the guidelines of the Building Regulation for
staircases (in UK). To use your loft as a habitable room
you should have some form of fixed stairway - a retractable
loft ladder wouldn't be acceptable. A simple,
straight flight of stairs may provide the easiest access but
it also takes up the most space and for most houses this isn't
an option. But, with a little imagination and using one
of the innovative and attractive stairs available, you could
have an inviting and stylish access to your loft room. |
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a conventional style of staircase, using a quarter or half
landing may make better use of your available space.
This would blend well with a traditional style of house.
However, if you have limited space for a staircase, you could
consider a spiral stair. A spiral stair will fit into
quite a small area, a typical spiral to a loft conversion
could only need about 1200mm (48") of floor space and
there are even square spirals which are designed to fit into a
recess or alcove. Spiral stairs are available in a
myriad of styles from contemporary metal through to
traditional solid timber and many of the models come in kit
form for self installation! |
| A
spiral stair isn't to everyone's taste and it may not even fit
into the space you have available. For situations where
space is extremely tight, the spacesaver stair may solve your
problems. This type of stair has alternating treads
which are partly cut away leaving a paddle shape so that
comfortably fit one foot on each tread. This design has
a huge advantage in that it takes up about half the space of a
conventional staircase and can be an innovative solution for
access to a loft conversion which consists of one single room,
or one room plus a bathroom. |
| Failing
all else, the Building Regulations will allow a fixed ladder
as access to a loft converted to one room - but only if
nothing else will fit. I think for most people this
really would be a last resort! |
| When
you are assessing what space you have available for a
stairway, don't forget to keep an eye on the headroom. A
2m (6'6") headroom is usually required above stairs but
the Building Regulations do make some allowances for reduced
headroom in some loft conversion projects. While
you are pondering on your choices of stairways, it is worth
taking time to think about the safety aspect. Turning a
roof space into a living area in a two storey house will
effectively make it into a three storey building - with
implications for fire protection and emergency escape. We'll take a look at these issues later in the series but, if
you would like further advice, just ask the Building Control
Surveyor at your local council (in UK) who will be able to
advise on all these aspects of a loft conversion. |
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