Breif Guide to Welwyn Garden City

Welwyn Garden City is a town located in Hertfordshire, England about 20 miles north of London. It is the second garden city in the country and one of the first new towns. Unique among English towns, it is both a garden city and a new town and is an excellent example of the planning ideals of the time. The town was named for its beautiful flower beds, and many of the homes are still standing.

Welwyn Garden City was founded by Ebenezer Howard in 1920 and was the second garden city to be built in the United Kingdom. The original concept was to build a new town in the middle of a field, thereby creating a balance between the villages and the cities. The city was intended to provide industry and a pleasant atmosphere for its residents. It is located about 23 miles from London. After World War II, Welwyn became a new town and rapidly grew. According to a 2011 census, the town had a population of 46,812 in the urban area and 48,380 in the built-up area.

Head Height is crucial
When converting a Welwyn Garden City loft, you must have sufficient head height over 30 degrees and a roof pitch of more than 2.2m. The placement of the staircase is critical. Use a steep staircase that does not take up too much floor space, or a narrower one if you do not have the space for one. There are also many options for staircases that maximize the amount of space available. Spiral staircases are an excellent choice, as they can be easily moved between floors.

The first step in designing your loft is to take measurements of your existing rooms in Welwyn Garden City. The height of rooms in your home should be 2.2 metres at the midpoint. While this is not strictly a requirement of building regulations, it does have to do with access and staircases. If the ceiling of the room below the loft is lower than the floor of the loft, you can make a workaround by lowering the ceiling in that room. Taking into consideration the size of the room below, you can make the design of the staircase in the loft look more elegant and stylish.

Is it possible to convert my loft?
Before you do anything else, you must first determine whether your loft is suitable for conversion. Most properties come with permitted development (PD) approval, which means you can proceed with your conversion without seeking planning approval. Living in a conservation area may be more challenging if your roof space isn’t tall enough. You can hire a builder, architect, or surveyor to come to your home and inspect it for you, but there are a few things you can do yourself first.

Measure the height of your head. A loft conversion requires a minimum height of 2.2 meters. Victorian houses are often lower than those built after 1930s and may lack proper head height. Consider other factors, such as water tanks and chimney stacks, when planning your Loft conversion to older properties.

How long does it take to convert a loft?
Roof light conversions are usually the quickest to complete, taking four weeks. A dormer conversion can take as little as 7-8 weeks, while a hip-to-gable conversion can take as long as 8-10 weeks. A mansard conversion should take between 10 and 12 weeks to complete. 

The exterior of your home is usually where the work begins. The focus next shifts to the interior of your home, including the flooring, insulation, and stud walls. The final step will be dealing with plastering, electrics, and plumbing.

Types of loft conversion: what’s the difference?
Roof light, dormer, hip-to-gable, and mansard are the four primary forms of loft conversions. A variety of criteria, including the type, age, and budget, will influence your decision.

Roof light

Pros

• A cost-effective choice for first-time purchasers.

Cons

• Compared to a dormer or mansard conversion, it provides significantly less area.

Roof light conversions are by far the most cost-effective and least disruptive alternative, as they do not require any alterations to the roof’s shape or pitch. To make the room usable, it is needed to install skylight windows, install a decent floor, and the addition of a stairway. However, this form of conversion requires sufficient roof space without the need for an expansion.

Dormer Conversion

Pros 

• Most houses with sloping roofs have this option.

Cons

• Compared to a typical conversion, more structural adjustments are required so that construction can take a long time.

A dormer loft conversion is an addition to a home that protrudes from the roof’s slope. Dormers are the most common style of transformation, particularly flat-roof dormers. Dormer conversions are less expensive than mansard or hip-to-gable conversions, but they provide a significant headroom and floor area.

Hip to gable Conversion

Pros

• It is generally less expensive than extending outwards and more natural-looking compared to a dormer conversion.

Cons

• Only suitable for houses with a free sloping side roof and more expensive than a dormer conversion.

Hip-to-gable conversions operate by extending the slanted ‘hip’ roof on the side of your house outwards to create a vertical ‘gable’ wall, allowing you to expand your internal loft area. Because it requires a free sloping side roof, this conversion style will only work on detached or semi-detached buildings. You can construct on both sides of a detached house with sloping roofs to create a double hip-to-gable expansion that is even roomier.

Mansard conversion

Pros

• Creates a large amount of new usable space that is ideal for a wide range of properties.

Cons

• It can be pretty costly, and due to the roof slope change, they don’t look very natural.

Mansard roof extensions stretch the length of your roof and change the angle of the roof slope to almost vertical. These are the most expensive conversions, but they provide a large amount of additional space. Most property types, including terraced, semi-detached, and detached houses, are appropriate for mansard conversions.

You can contact us right now if you’re looking for a Loft Conversion in Welwyn Garden City or anywhere else in London.