Loft Conversion, week by week

First week
The scaffolding goes up and the skip arrives.
By the end of the first day the old loft space has been cleared out through a hole made in the the roof.

It's a dirty and sooty job, but thankfully because the loft hatch into the house is sealed, the householder is unaware of it until the old material appears in the skip.


The internal space of the loft is seen,  new features will soon be visible.

Diagonal and vertical trusses will be removed, and replaced by steel joists running horizontally from wall to wall.




Before the floor is boarded over, insulation is beefed up to meet current standards.

The roof must be opened at the ridge to receive the steels, the existing structure is held up by temporary supports.

The "steels" are lowered into the roof by a crane. This operation often causes great interest from neighbours, and sometimes annoyance from passing traffic, so it is very important that everyone on the team knows what to do and how to achieve it with least disruption.

 The load is lifted by remote control, operated by the crane driver.

 The steel in the new ridge will take the weight of the  roof, and the joists for the new floor are supported by a steel laid over the front bedroom ceiling.

Second week
The dormer is built before the old roof is removed.

The new structure is boarded over and weather-proofed, then the old roof is removed.























The window frame is apparent in the dormer wall.


Week three


The floor is insulated and boarded over.

The plumbers and electricians have arrived and have started to lay in the cables and pipework. 

Velux windows have been put into the front facing roof......

........and the picture window is now in place in the new dormer wall.

Week four.
The roofer has tiled the ridge of the roof and is now tiling the outside of the dormer.

The shiny stuff is insulation which covers the walls and ceiling. Steve and Nathan are fixing plasterboard over it.

Week five


The big news in this week is the arrival of the staircase.
The floor of the loft must be cut away to make the stairwell. This is quite an important moment for the householder, as the loft is at last open from the interior.
Lots of thought has gone into reducing the dust impact. By sealing the area around the stairwell and by keeping the floor of the loft as clean as possible, minimum mess is experienced.


The staircase has been made to order and has to be assembled on site. As it's put together, it must be connected to the original fabric of the house so that it blends in beautifully. This is where craftsmanship and skill count.

Testing the position of the bathroom suite

Time out for a donut

Interior walls are appearing.

Week six


Outside, the tiling is completed. The new fascias, guttering and downpipes are being installed.

Inside, the walls are ready for the plasterers, and

the sanitary ware; (i.e the toilet and basin) and shower.

Week seven


Plastering is finished and so is the staircase:

 Steve is laying the floor on top of a thermal insulation and noise reduction foil and foam sheet.

Next, the bathroom to unpack and fit: