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Converting your loft is not something to take lightly. There are a lot of factors to consider:
To help you answer these questions and figure out which type of loft conversion is right for you, we’ve put together a section of this website dedicated to the different types of loft conversion.
Of course, if you still have questions, please get in touch.
When you’re converting your loft, often the one of the main considerations is, “how long does it take for a loft conversion?”
To help you answer this question, we’ve put together a timeline that lets you see the process from start to finish.
Please click here to visit the Loft Conversion Timeline!
The hammer is arguably the most used tool in any carpenters toolbox, even with the introduction of nail guns, the hammer is still widely used all over the world. There is also strong evidence which shows that the basic hammer is one of the oldest tools ever used.
The look of the hammer may vary but the basic design is the same, the usual trend being that the hammer will have a head with a flat striking point to it, designed for whichever job the hammer was made for. It also has a long shaft with a gripped handle at the end, these handles can vary in length to be used for the hammer with maximum effect.
Different hammer types are designed for different trades. A carpenter would use a claw hammer, which has a shaft which can vary in length, the longer the shaft the more force can applied to your swing. At the end of the shaft you would find a rubber grip as to stop the hammer slipping out your hands. At the head end you will find a weighted head, one side will have a flat striking point to fix nails and knock timbers together etc, the other end will have a claw to it which can be used to unhook nails out of the timber. Other hammer types can include sledge hammers, pin hammers, framing hammers, wooden mallets, rubber mallets, these types of hammers all have different jobs to do, but can be used in carpentry, usually the claw hammer is the most popular.
Now as the length of the hammers shaft can vary, so can the heads of the hammers, the flat surface can increase in size giving a larger suface area to strike things with, the claw on the other side can flatten out or curve greater, making you able to prize timber apart easier, or to enable you to pull out nails with better effect. Hammers also are made in a variety of materials depending on the job your doing, varying from plastic shafts and heads, wooden mallets, to the more popular steel shafted hammers, which are very hard wearing, which is good for making the hammer last longer.
No matter what the job is, from site work, commercial, or even private work, you can almost guarentee that there are alot of people on that job that will have a trade specific type of hammer to use.
In today’s climate it’s always tough to think about buying a brand new home, what with ever increasing property prices. Another option a lot of people are doing is to either buy a more run down property to renovate, or to renovate their existing property. This is always a more cost effective way of doing up your property and can add sizeable value to your home. Renovating your home can be done in numerous ways from extending your property, adding rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, redecorating, flooring, or even changing your windows. These are good ways to add value to properties.
Pro’s to having renovations on your property done would be the fact you can create an extra way of making space, making your home look better, to adding value of a significant amount to your property, and is a good way to save on money moving to a larger home. Adding a renovation could also add up to 15 percent on the home’s value, depending on what you have done. Plus you must remember that with renovations, you as the client can be in total control of the design.
If you plan on renovating your home then you may need to go through the proper channels of building regulations. Generally if you’re not going to disturb anything structural and your work is small enough, usually under 30sq m’s, then you might not need any regulations to build. For example if your replacing your windows, redoing your bathroom or kitchen, or even building a porch. So if you intend to change anything structurally then the general rule is that your project will need approval and proper building regulations to proceed.
With renovation works taking a huge chunk of your time, and if you bought a house to renovate then the amount of different jobs needed to be done and the worry of controlling everything may be too much for some. This is where bringing in a professional builder to overlook and complete the job for you may be a better option and more cost effective way of doing things, this means you can have less to worry about knowing your job is getting done professionally. Cooper Lewis Ltd is such a professional company that can run an entire job for you, based in West Sussex, Cooper Lewis Ltd have the experience to complete the whole job for you, starting from planning your whole renovation, to completing it to a high standard.
There are a lot of reasons for getting your home renovated, it may need new windows, kitchen, bathroom, extensions, flooring, electrics, plumbing, plastering, decorating, new walls, knocking down old walls, doors, skirting boards etc, There’s also the task of gutting the property to start with and disposing of all the rubbish that’s created. As you can see there are a lot of jobs for a lot of trades to be done in a renovation, and a lot to think about. All these tasks have to be carried out to a correct order, if they’re not, then it can be very expensive to put right. That is why it is a good idea to get a reputable company such as Cooper Lewis Ltd who know the process to complete the entire job for you, giving you peace of mind that a whole job will be done to your design professionally and to a high standard.
In closing it is a very good idea to start thinking about renovating your property, it is a useful way to smarten up your home. And above all it has the potential to add a large percentage of value to your home.
As a carpenter, cutting timber is a major part of any job, thus using the correct tool for the job is vital. A quicker option for cutting wood would be to use the very popular circular power saw. It is faster than cutting with a hand saw and can produce excellent straight line cuts, at a variety of angles.
There is alot of different brands producing power saws nowadays but one thing for certain is that they all come with virtually the same features.
Before you begin using your power saw there are a number of safety issues to take into consideration. If you are working on site you will either have to run your saw off a transformer or a generator therefore you are required to run it at 110v. It is different for working off site, for example doing a DIY job at your home you may use 110v or 240v to run your saw.
Safety on site requires wearing the correct clothes P.P.E. (Personnal Protective Equipment) to be worn, you’ll have to wear steel toe capped boots, a high visibility shirt, and a hard hat. Another piece of equipment to wear using a power saw would be safety goggles, these are very effective in protecting your eyes from any damage, espescially when there is such a variety of materials that can be cut.
There are a variety of blades you can puchase for a large amount of circular power saws. First obviously there are the timber cutting blades, these can be used on a variety of wood from hard to soft. You can also get blades with different amounts of teeth, the more teeth on the blade the better the cut, there are also different types of thickness to a blade giving a finer cut the thinner the blade gets.
Secondly you can purchase metal cutting blades purposely made for the circular power saw, this has the same effect as a disc grinder without having to purchase another tool to do another job.
Thirdly you can get blades which will do a variety of materials all from the same blade, which comes in handy when you may have to cut wood, metal, and plastic all on the same job. It’s fare to say that there is plenty of choice of blades for whatever job you need to do.
The most important safety feature of any plugged saw is the plug itself, if it’s not plugged in, you can’t get hurt. Other features some saws include are the trigger switch, which has to be pushed in first to then pull the switch in to start the saw. There is also a guard built around the blade of the saw to protect yourself from getting cut on the blade. The motor is protected by the casing of the machine, and a base plate is fitted for more stability in cutting whichever material you need to use for the job.
In conclusion to this, you will find that virtually every carpenter will have a circular power saw in their array of tools. You will find that it is a faster and more effective way of cutting materials than a hand saw, with different sized saws, with adjustable depths to cover cutting most timber sizes. This makes the circular power saw one of the most used and popular on the market today.
Last time out, we looked at home extensions. In this article we will look at Loft Conversions specifically as a way to add space to your home.
According to a Guardian survey, on average, a loft conversion costs £10,000 and adds £20,000 to the value of your home.
Considering this, you might be surprised to learn that of the 60% of homes with a loft, only 2% have loft conversions.
So with some planning, design and high-quality carpentry, you can create excellent space in your loft which will add value to your home.
This type of conversion is probably one of the cheapest to use, it’s main purpose is to create as much light as possible to come into your loft space. You use the Velux windows on your existing roof, opening a hole and fixing the window directly to your roofs rafters, and then the window is weathered in. It is also beneficial to the structure of your roof as not many structural changes are needed to add a Velux window to your loft conversion.
A dorma conversion is a popular and excellent way to increase walking space to your loft conversion by extending out your existing roof. It is built out further to your outer walls, thus creating more room in your loft. This style of conversion is suited to a total loft conversion where as you would be putting extra rooms in your home with a complete finish to maximise usage of space in your property.
Mansard conversions are one of the largest loft conversions you can have on your property. It totally maximises the space in your loft from one gable wall to the other gable. Mansard conversions have two slopes, one slope comes down at a shallow angle from the ridge line of the roof, and next slopes down virtually in line with the outside wall of the house, thus maximising space. It has the same effect of a dorma conversion except that it usually carries across your whole roof.
A hip to gable conversion literally means that you convert a hip end of a house into a gable end, which means you can maximise the space of that part of your loft conversion. This type of conversion usually needs a fairly big change to the structure of the roof as you are removing one style of roof, and replacing it with another style. But in doing this you can create enough space to add extra rooms if need be.
To begin with its a good idea to see if your property is able to have a loft conversion installed. A good check of this is to see how much head height you have in your loft, the general rule is that you must have a finished floor to ceiling height of 2.3 metres, allowing for the floor joists to be installed and to take into account that your ceiling may well be dropped.
One of the main considerations for loft conversions is the fire regulations. With this in mind a loft conversion must have escape windows set in place in case of an emergency. And as alot of loft conversions nowdays have dormas set in them, the dormas themselves must at least hold a half an hour fire restraint on it. Livable spaces in conversions tend to have fire doors, the only places where a fire door is not needed are wet rooms, such as bathrooms and toilets.
Loft conversions can be handy for many applications: adding bedrooms, studies, playrooms, etc.
Any professional carpenter, experienced in loft conversions, will help you figure out the best application of space for your property. For example, you may have a two bedroom bungalow and need another bedroom to accommodate a new addition to the family. Your first thought might be to move to a 3 bedroom house. But have you considered, it will probably be cheaper and easier to add an addition room to your existing home by converting the loft?
If you’re currently having similar thoughts about your home, please get in touch. Loft conversions are second nature to us, and we’d love to discuss our ideas with you.
The ever-increasing house prices in Worthing (and pretty much every where in Sussex) means it’s tough for the average family to move home when they out-grow their current accommodation.
But moving home isn’t the only solution to find more living space for your family.
Home extensions are a flexible and comparibly cost-effective way to add some extra space. And when done right, they are also a nice way to add value, personality and point-of-difference.
Whether you build up or out, on or in, there are 5 ways you can use your extension.
Bedroom
Families grow: Babies, friends, relatives. They all come with their own need for space. This is where a bedroom extension is an excellent option. Adding a bedroom to your existing home is much easier that buying a bigger house.
Playroom
A playroom addition to the home will give the children a room to themselves. This means that all those toys, equipment etc for the kids can be stored in the room, and used to play in a nice safe area all for themselves.
Kitchen
A very popular choice is to extend your kitchen, creating a nice large area to either have more space to cook, or to add a kitchen/diner to your house, where you and your family can have its meals.
Lounge
Extending your lounge area gives you a couple of options. You can either use the space for entertaining, with the addition of a dining table. Or you can use the extra floor space for sofas, which perfectly compliment that new widecreen tv you just bought.
Two-Storey
An excellent choice of house extension is to go for the two-storey build. This presents a lot of options to what type of rooms you would like. Whether you would want to have an extra bedroom and bathroom, kitchen and entertainment room, the choice is yours.
Laws regarding planning permission for housing extensions have changed. It used to be that a detatched house could add 70 cubic metres before planning permission was required, and a terrace house would be allowed 50 cubic metres added before planning permission was needed.
Properties can now have a two storey extension stretching ten foot back from the rear wall of the property, with no limit to the volume of the extension.
Of course, before starting out, please discuss your extension with us or another professional carpentry/building firm.
The main benefit to having a house extension is obvious. You get the added space and extra room without the additional stress (and cost) of moving home.
In addition, when building your extension, you also have additional control over the design and layout. This gives you greater creative freedom to make extra space for exactly what you need it for, rather than relocating and ‘shoe-horning’ your needs into a new home.
As with all of our carpentry and building work, we start by discussing your needs, plans and ideas in full. We are always happy to help you think of new and exciting ways to improve your home with an extension. You can find our contact details here.
Loft conversions are a great way to add value to your home. And many homes throughout West Sussex have done just that.
But how do you make your loft conversion just that little bit more unique, more interesting?
An effective way to improve the aesthetics (and the value) of your loft conversion is roof windows.
Not only is a roof window a great way to let much needed light into a loft conversion, with a bit of thought, they can also become a design feature.
For example, arranging 4 or 6 windows can look quite stunning. See this example.
As you can see, the room is lit and the roof windows add quite a bit of character to the loft conversion.
For all loft conversion work, our preferred supplier of roof windows is Velux. We’ve found their products to be built to a high standard, energy efficient and versatile.
As a local carpenter, specialising in loft conversions, the quality of the products and equipment we use is vital.
Because Velux have 60 years experience and an extensive range of roof window products, you can be sure there’ll be a window to suit your loft conversion.
Above all else, safety comes first. With current fire regulations and emergency escape and access requirements, you may have to install an escape window. Velux have a special escape window for exactly these circumstances.
Many people believe that roof windows can only used on pitch roofs. They can also be used on flat roofs to create a stunning atrium effect roof.
If you have a dull and dark flat roof extension or you’re worried that you’re new proposed flat roof extension is not going to let in enough natural light then this is the perfect solution, Velux have developed a window to be used at a shallow pitch. By installing 4, 6 or 8 centre-pivot windows you can create an atrium effect ceiling to give your home extension that real “wow” factor. The results of creating such an atrium are astounding, with the room being flooded with natural daylight.
Velux also make a range of coloured and designer blinds to match any décor. Whether you require venetian, roller, pleated or awning blinds, Velux make them, they also make black out blinds, fly screens and energy blinds which hold in 20% more heat.
With energy costs soaring it’s good to know that the standard glass panel provided with a Velux window reflects in 60% of the heat in winter and in summer reflects out 60% of the heat to keep your room from over-heating, there are 4 other glass panels you can choose from, which provide better thermal efficiency, noise reduction and obscure glassing for use in bathrooms and en-suites.
Of course a loft conversion isn’t the only place where Velux windows are used. Home extensions, new builds and also sun rooms are great examples of where Velux windows are commonly utilized to their full potential. It’s not just the windows that are versatile, the various flashing kits made by Velux ensure that no matter what kind of roof tile you have, the windows can be weathered in so no leaks or drafts occur.
So which ever building project you decide to undertake you can rest assured knowing that by using Cooper Lewis Ltd to carry out the works they will be using grade A products for a grade A finish. You can call today for a free quotation or just to run through ideas or questions you may have.
Howdens Joinery supplies over 400,000 inspirational kitchens each year to UK homes. What makes us different is our culture and our people. We are a British business that prides itself on a sense of local community, traditional values and long-established relationships that thrive in each of our 500 trade depots.
