Services
Loft Conversions in Rainham & Essex
A loft is the cheapest room you will ever add, because the roof and the walls are already there. Done properly it gives you a genuine extra bedroom rather than a cupboard with a skylight. We build dormer and Velux conversions across Rainham and Havering, and we spend the time up front on the two things that make or break a loft: where the stairs land and where the light comes from.
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Will your loft actually convert?
The first thing to check is head height. Measure from the floor joists to the ridge at the highest point: if you have got around 2.2 metres you are usually in business, and if you are short of that a dormer can often buy back what is missing. The shape of the roof matters too, since a traditional cut roof gives you more to work with than modern trusses.
We will come and put a tape measure on it and tell you straight whether it is worth doing. If your loft is not a good candidate we would rather say so at the first visit than take you halfway down the road and hand you bad news.
Getting the stairs right
This is where most disappointing loft conversions go wrong. A staircase has to come off an existing landing, meet the head-height rules, and not eat the bedroom below on the way. Work it out first and the whole floor plan falls into place. Leave it as an afterthought and you end up losing a room downstairs to gain one upstairs.
We plan the stair run at the design stage and show you exactly what it does to the floor below, so there are no surprises when the carpenter turns up.
Insulation, fire safety and sign-off
A loft conversion is a building-regulations job, and the two areas that always come up are insulation and fire escape. Adding a floor to a house changes the escape route, which usually means fire doors on the landing and interlinked alarms through the property.
None of it is difficult, but it does need doing properly and it does need signing off. We build to that standard and deal with the inspector on site so the certificate at the end is straightforward.
Three proper sit-downs before any work starts, so the layout, the materials and the price are settled before a tool comes out.
Fletcher Smith · Director
One job, start to finish
A rear dormer built under a scaffold roof, from stripping the tiles to the new slates
One loft, one house. With a temporary roof over the whole job the old roof comes off, the floor and dormer go in and the new slates go on without a drop of rain getting into the house.
Scaffold up and the temporary roof on The old roof stripped back to the rafters New floor joists in on the steels Dormer walls framed Rooflights fitted into the front slope New slate roof finished
Tap any step for a closer look.
Loft conversions we have built
152 photographs from F.W.S sites, taken by the team as the jobs went on. Nothing here is stock. Tap any photo for a closer look.
Loft Conversions: common questions
How much head height do I need for a loft conversion?
As a rule of thumb you want about 2.2 metres from the top of the joists to the ridge. Less than that does not always rule it out, since a dormer can create the height you are missing, but it changes the job and the cost.
How long does a loft conversion take?
Most run to around eight to twelve weeks depending on whether it is a Velux conversion or a full dormer, and whether there is an en-suite going in. We give you a programme with the quote.
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
Many conversions go through under permitted development, particularly rear dormers within the volume allowance. Anything on the front elevation or a property in a conservation area is more likely to need an application. We will tell you which one you are at the first visit.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
Yes, most people do. The bulk of the noisy work happens above you and we keep the access route covered and cleaned down at the end of each day.
Thinking about a project?
Tell us what you have in mind and we will come out, take a proper look and give you a clear written quote before you decide anything.
