Loft, in architecture, upper space within a building, or a large undivided space in a building used principally for storage in business or industry. In 2015 the planning regulations in London were simplified and as a result, the number of householders opting to convert their lofts vastly increased with some households no longer requiring planning permission.
There are four main types of loft conversion: roof light, dormer, hip-to-gable, and mansard. The one you choose is likely to be determined by several factors, including the type and age of the house you live in, and your budget.
Roof light conversions
Roof light conversions are by far the cheapest and least disruptive option, as you won’t have to make any changes to the shape or pitch of the roof. Instead, it’s simply a case of adding in skylight windows, laying down a proper floor, and adding a staircase to make the room habitable. However, you’ll need to have enough roof space already without having an extension for this type of conversion.
Dormer conversions
A dormer loft conversion is an extension that protrudes from the slope of the roof. Dormers, in particular flat-roof dormers, are the most popular type of conversion. They are suitable for pretty much any house with a sloping roof. Dormer conversions are less expensive than mansard or hip-to-gable conversions, but will still add a good deal of extra headroom and floor space.
Hip-to-gable conversions
Hip-to-gable conversions work by extending the sloping ‘hip’ roof at the side of your property outwards to create a vertical ‘gable’ wall, creating more internal loft space. This type of conversion will only work on detached or semi-detached houses, as it requires a free sloping side roof. If you have a detached house with sloping roofs on either side, you can build on both of these to create an even more spacious double hip-to-gable extension.
Mansard conversions
Mansard extensions run along the whole length of your house’s roof and will alter the angle of the roof slope, making it almost vertical. These tend to be the most expensive type of conversion but will result in a significant amount of extra space. Mansard conversions are suitable for most property types, including terraced, semi-detached, and detached houses.
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