Loft Conversion: Week One

Happy to report that work is underway.  It has been a messy, cold few days, but things are progressing.

The guys have been so good about trying to keep the house livable while the work is going on.

Day 1:  Floors and doors covered in sheeting.  'Tent' around the downstairs hall put up to cut down on debris and dust spreading.  Since there is some major structural work going on, the house had to be propped up on the ground floor and the first floor (that's second floor to us Yanks.)

From what I gather, the first week was the most painful/invasive.  So the worst is behind us.  The lathe and plaster ceiling came down.

So did a portion of the floor joists.  Then some major reinforcements went in, including a flitch.  (I think it's a steal beam with wood on either side.)  The new structure has to be able to hold an entire stairway, the weight of the roof and the loft floor, which wasn't originally designed for habitation.

Out came the insulation and in came drafts and cold.  Wow, what a difference.  It makes me glad that we insulated the roof so much in Phase I.


The plan was to open the roof for the dormer in Week 1, so the scaffolding (all £850 of it) got erected. Last week was dreary, wet and cold.   On the day of the roof opening is was rainy.  Very rainy and windy.  So the roof stayed on over the weekend.

On Monday the roof got opened, and the guys framed out the dormer.

And we had a big hole with a very nice view!

Panorama of the loft.

The dormer walls and roof are framed and have plywood, ready for the roofer and window.  Tomorrow the guys are going to start framing out the internal walls.  And the insulation is back!