How to Convert Your Loft into a Guest Room
The loft is the space directly below the roof of a house. It is usually an unfinished room which is mostly left empty and unused. Although the walls and the small windows might seem a little bit out of place, it does not stop a loft from being transformed into a useful part of the house, especially a guest room. Below are a few tips that would help you transform your unused loft into an amazing guest room.
1. Find out if your loft is a usable space
Although most lofts can be converted into a guest room, some cannot be transformed as there are few factors that would determine the process:
Internal height of the Loft.
Take measurement from the top of the ceiling joist to the bottom of the ridge timber,the measurement needs to be 2,500mm for an efficient conversion.
The pitch of the roof
The higher the pitch angle, the higher the central head is likely to be. The pitch of the roof should be at least 30 degrees. The roof can be worked on so that the floor can be increased.
Roof structure
There are basically two kinds of roof structure:
The traditional framed type which is found in most old homes of the 60s. This type of structure has more firmness and so is the best form for conversion. The raft can easily be opened by adding supports as specified by a structural engineer.
The truss-section type which is the more recent roof structure which use thin and consequently, cheaper timbers but are made firm by the addition of braced diagonal timbers. These are not the best for conversion as there are no load bearing structures beneath. Opening up the space would require the addition of firm structures like steel beams in between load bearing walls to support the floor joist and the rafter section.
2. Insulate your loft
Loft insulation is an effective way to make your home energy-efficient and reduce your bills. In a home that is not properly insulated, a quarter of the heat is lost through the roof, another quarter is lost to the walls. If your loft does not have unreachable corners and damp issues, it would be easy to insulate and you might be able to do it yourself. Since you are changing the loft to a guestroom, it would be best to insulate the roof rather than the loft floor by inserting stiff insulation boards in between the roof rafters which would becovered by plaster boards.The rafters are not so deep, hence you might have to insulate them as well using the plaster boards insulators for best performance.Walls in the roof space should also be insulated as well using rigid boards.After you are done, make sure you do some thorough home cleaning, as the place will be in need of such.
3. Pick Your Guestroom style
Depending on your budget, available space and your taste, you can easily come up with guestroom ideas that would thrill your guests every time they come to visit,transforming you into the perfect host. Achieving this won’t be as easy as house cleaning, but it won’t be that hard either. You can e a sily go with the simple and traditional, yet cozy feel by using small or medium sized beds and leaving the wooden supports obvious or go for a more exotic feel by playing with paint colours. No matter what option your go for,keep in mind it’s going to need maintenance and cleaning service.
4. Add Visual space
You should create the illusion of having plenty space in your loft. While some homes may come with lofts that have extensive area for bath and a small living room,others have just enough space for one bed. Learning how to create the illusion of having space would enable to make the most of whatever space you have. Here are a few tips to help you add visual space to your loft:
Hang Mirrors.
Make use of Glass.
Use Chromatic colours.
Make use of suitable furniture
Make use of solid continuous flooring.
Make strategic use of paint
Raise your curtains and widen them.
Keep the place clean and often perform domestic cleaning.
5. Ceiling and floors
Putting more attention to the decoration of the ceiling floors would make the room very unique while not making it different from the main level rooms below the loft.To the best effect, keep the guest room in the loft as close to the main rooms as possible so that there is a sense of continuity and your guest do not feel alienated.
6. Mind Blowing staircase
It would do a lot of good to start impressing your guest from the staircase, but in doing so, make sure that this complies with the codes of the building and is safe and secure. Include welcoming carpet and make sure you stay on top of carpet cleaning so that it doesn’t become a mess.
Transforming your loft into a guest room is not as difficult as it seems, although it might cop a few pennies from your pocket but with creativity, you can achieve the best results with a low budget.
1. Find out if your loft is a usable space
Although most lofts can be converted into a guest room, some cannot be transformed as there are few factors that would determine the process:
Internal height of the Loft.
Take measurement from the top of the ceiling joist to the bottom of the ridge timber,the measurement needs to be 2,500mm for an efficient conversion.
The pitch of the roof
The higher the pitch angle, the higher the central head is likely to be. The pitch of the roof should be at least 30 degrees. The roof can be worked on so that the floor can be increased.
Roof structure
There are basically two kinds of roof structure:
The traditional framed type which is found in most old homes of the 60s. This type of structure has more firmness and so is the best form for conversion. The raft can easily be opened by adding supports as specified by a structural engineer.
The truss-section type which is the more recent roof structure which use thin and consequently, cheaper timbers but are made firm by the addition of braced diagonal timbers. These are not the best for conversion as there are no load bearing structures beneath. Opening up the space would require the addition of firm structures like steel beams in between load bearing walls to support the floor joist and the rafter section.
2. Insulate your loft
Loft insulation is an effective way to make your home energy-efficient and reduce your bills. In a home that is not properly insulated, a quarter of the heat is lost through the roof, another quarter is lost to the walls. If your loft does not have unreachable corners and damp issues, it would be easy to insulate and you might be able to do it yourself. Since you are changing the loft to a guestroom, it would be best to insulate the roof rather than the loft floor by inserting stiff insulation boards in between the roof rafters which would becovered by plaster boards.The rafters are not so deep, hence you might have to insulate them as well using the plaster boards insulators for best performance.Walls in the roof space should also be insulated as well using rigid boards.After you are done, make sure you do some thorough home cleaning, as the place will be in need of such.
3. Pick Your Guestroom style
Depending on your budget, available space and your taste, you can easily come up with guestroom ideas that would thrill your guests every time they come to visit,transforming you into the perfect host. Achieving this won’t be as easy as house cleaning, but it won’t be that hard either. You can e a sily go with the simple and traditional, yet cozy feel by using small or medium sized beds and leaving the wooden supports obvious or go for a more exotic feel by playing with paint colours. No matter what option your go for,keep in mind it’s going to need maintenance and cleaning service.
4. Add Visual space
You should create the illusion of having plenty space in your loft. While some homes may come with lofts that have extensive area for bath and a small living room,others have just enough space for one bed. Learning how to create the illusion of having space would enable to make the most of whatever space you have. Here are a few tips to help you add visual space to your loft:
Hang Mirrors.
Make use of Glass.
Use Chromatic colours.
Make use of suitable furniture
Make use of solid continuous flooring.
Make strategic use of paint
Raise your curtains and widen them.
Keep the place clean and often perform domestic cleaning.
5. Ceiling and floors
Putting more attention to the decoration of the ceiling floors would make the room very unique while not making it different from the main level rooms below the loft.To the best effect, keep the guest room in the loft as close to the main rooms as possible so that there is a sense of continuity and your guest do not feel alienated.
6. Mind Blowing staircase
It would do a lot of good to start impressing your guest from the staircase, but in doing so, make sure that this complies with the codes of the building and is safe and secure. Include welcoming carpet and make sure you stay on top of carpet cleaning so that it doesn’t become a mess.
Transforming your loft into a guest room is not as difficult as it seems, although it might cop a few pennies from your pocket but with creativity, you can achieve the best results with a low budget.
Mind Blowing staircase
Q