Loft conversions are one of the most popular types of home alteration and, as this book shows, they can be an enormously useful and stylish addition to a house. If you have not been involved in a building project before, The Complete Loft Conversion Book guides you through the entire process with chapters arranged so that they follow the sequence of events in a real project.Shows how to identify whether your roof space is suitable for conversion and how designers work out ways to make the best use of available space.Using three-dimensional sketches and colour photographs of actual projects, the author illustrates the options for fitting in a staircase and indicates how to estimate the headroom that will be available. Considers the requirements of the local authority planners and building control officers, and provides tips on how to make applications and approvals run smoothly. Presents highly detailed drawings and photographs showing the conversion process. Provides advice on how to avoid cowboy builders and track down the ideal company, how to draw up a fair contract and how to deal with the legal issues that may arise. Supplies checklists and specifications to help monitor progress and ensure that the work is completed to a good standard. A practical, informative book which guides the reader through the entire building project following the sequence of events for a real project. Brimming with useful advice, it contains information not found in other publications. Aimed at all those considering having a loft conversion, those who have made the decision to convert but are still carrying out research and those just about to have work started. Superbly illustrated with 303 colour photographs and highly detailed drawings. Julian Owen MBE is a chartered architect with over twenty years' experience.

Full of detailed construction drawings, this book covers cut roofs,bolted truss roofs, trussed rafter roofs, trimmed openings andventilation. A major section deals with loft to attic room conversions, givingguidance on planning procedures, as well as dealing with structuralmatters and specifying conversion work. The Fourth Edition features a new chapter covering the growingnumber of engineered timber components available in the housebuilding industry. The use of I beams and roof cassettes isdetailed for roof and room-in-the-roof construction. The text hasbeen fully updated to current standards and features additionaldetailed construction drawings. The chapters on attic conversionand construction have been expanded and a new attic conversiondecision flow chart added. The book will prove invaluable to architects, house builders, roofcarpenters, building control officers, trussed rafter manufacturersand students of building technology. The Author C.N. Mindham BSc has had a wide experience in the constructionindustry. After three years with TRADA as Eastern Regional Officer,he spent 11 years developing a timber engineering business tobecome one of the country's largest producers of trussedrafters. He became Managing Director of a company designing andmanufacturing trussed rafters, joinery and prefabricated timberbuildings, a post he held for eight years. Subsequently he startedhis own consultancy for the timber industry which has led him tohis current position as Managing Director for a joinery andengineering company. Also of interest Loft Conversions John Coutts 1-4051-3043-1 9781-4051-3043-1 The Building Regulations Explained and Illustrated Twelfth Edition M.J. Billington, M.W. Simons and J.R. Waters 0-6320-5837-4 9780-6320-5837-4 Cover design by Garth Stewart Cover illustrations courtesy of VELUX and Mr C. Lovell,Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

Behind the dirty, cast-iron facades of nineteenth-century loft buildings, an elegant style of life developed during the 1960s and 1970s. This style of life -- of using the city as a consumption mode -- was tied to the presence of artists, whose "happenings," performances, and studio spaces shaped a public perception of the good life at the center of the city.

As the demand for living space increases, more and more people are looking to convert their lofts into an extra room. But which lofts can be converted? How can the best possible results be achieved? Can a competent DIY enthusiast complete all or part of the work successfully? And, if not, how best can the job be contracted out or overseen? Loft Conversions answers these questions and more with step-by-step notes, tips, and advice throughout. It is designed to assist anyone planning a loft conversion, and to ensure the project meets all the requirements of good building practice and complies with building regulations.

The majority of home-owners, especially those with young families, find that living space in their properties is at a premium. For many, converting a garage that has been used as little more than a disorganized storage room into an additional living area offers great opportunities. The extra room could be in the form of a granny annex, an extra bedroom, a dining room, an extended kitchen, a children's play room, or a games room.

The approach of the millennium has heralded a renaissance in urban living that has seen the widespread conversion of former schools, factories, hospitals, warehouses, and commercial spaces to provide stylish accommodation in our increasingly overcrowded cities. Formerly a marginal residential option, favored mostly by artists whose oversized artworks required the big, open spaces offered by industrial or commercial buildings, lofts have now become the fashionable choice for those who want to break free from the restrictions of conventional apartments. Designed along the lines of classic New York lofts, these vast spaces offer urban dwellers inspirational space. With stunning photographs of some of the world's most innovative conversions-- including the work of leading international architects and designers-- "Lofts" is the ultimate sourcebook for stylish, urban living. Combining the aspirational with the practical, it provides design solutions on a vast scale, whether you choose to commission an architect or interior designer or take on the work yourself. With creative ideas and key information for everything from space-planning and maximizing design characteristics to decorative schemes, fabrics, and furniture," Lofts "illustrates how to create the definitive living space that complements your lifestyle and combines aesthetics with comfort.

With their vast open spaces and high ceilings, barns are the country equivalent of urban lofts, with a similar fluidity and flexibility.