Glenn Thompson
GT Building Design
Chartered Architectural Technologist
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To see examples of my current and previous projects please visit my blog
Thinking of improving your home by extending, altering or converting your attic? I have 35 years experience in Architecture and promise to offer you a professional, reliable & friendly Architectural Service. I specialise in obtaining Planning Permission and Building Control Approvals for homeowners. Please feel free to contact me for initial advice on how I can help you.
Loft conversions
A loft conversion isn’t as straightforward as it first seems and needs a great deal of thought taking into consideration all the Planning & Building Control Regulations. Where a conversion is carried out without expertise and approvals the future sale of your property will be jeopardised when solicitors acting on the purchaser’s behalf carry out conveyancing procedures.
As a general guide the following issues must be considered and catered for in any roof space conversion and with my experience I can help and advise you on all the issues:
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Consideration of insulation to reduce heat loss and expensive heating bills.
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Floors, walls and doors need to resist the spread of a fire to ensure occupants can escape safely.
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Provision of automatic smoke detection is essential to give early warning of fire.
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Escape windows are a crucial aspect of life safety in any roofspace conversion.
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Existing ceiling joists are rarely adequate as a floor and a new floor has to be designed to prevent collapse.
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Additional ventilation provision is essential to prevent unhealthy living conditions and comply with regulations.
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Condensation if not properly catered for can cause serious problems, leading to expensive remedial action. The roof construction type will require careful consideration & detailing to prevent this.
Kings Road, Belfast
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The Grange, Old Holywood Road, Belfast
This was removed to make way for a new extended dormer
three times the size and room enough to provide a new bathroom and ensuite
the one on the left shows a badly designed dormer, the new one at this property compliments the existing house
old ensuite was stripped out, removed and extended
with new shower, wash hand basin and wc
new bathroom with full height ceiling, my clients no longer needed to stoop down to avoid the sloped roof
St. Johns Park, Ormeau Road, Belfast
Strathearn Park, Belfast
as part of the works my client asked for the front of the bungalow to be improved, the timber cladding was removed and rendered, new front door and steps provided
just enough room in the alcove to fit a great new staircase
bright and spacious as if it had always been there!
floods the stairway with natural light
once converted it became a great space for an extra shower room, store and two new bedrooms where the grandchildren can sleepover
just what my clients asked for
Manselton Close, Bangor, County Down
While repairs were being made to the roof my client asked for the loft over the garage to be converted into a double bedroom. This meant removing the hipped roof and installing a dormer window
The loft conversion provided plenty of space for a good sized double bedroom and by providing a dormer window it gave great headroom inside the room
designed and detailed correctly these can look great and the modern advanced flat roof system comes with a 15 year guarantee
it would be hard to notice that the loft was extended, the right choice of materials and the design meant it all blended in nicely with the existing house