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In this section, we will take a step-by-step look in-depth at the various stages involved in converting a garage, and roughly what must be done in each to satisfy the Building Regulations stipends.

1. In-fill Garage Door
A traditional garage door designed for the easy access of automobiles is unlikely to be suitable for your garage conversion. It is neither practical in terms of insulation and light, nor aesthetically pleasing. To this end the old garage door will have to be filled in with a new wall to house a new door and possibly a window. The original foundation of the garage will most likely be a shallow slab and thus insufficient to support the new wall, in which case a deeper foundation needs to be dug. Soil type, adjacent buildings, nearby trees and the resulting drainage conditions need to be assessed in order to estimate what depth and type of foundations are necessary, especially if your house was built on a landfill site.

2. Walls below Ground Level
Depending on what foundations are deemed necessary for your particular conversion, a greater or lesser amount of wall construction needs to be undertaken. Walls underneath the ground (substructure) must support the construction above (superstructure) and, to be effective, these sub-walls must be made from brick that is resistant to ground frost and sulphates present in the soil.

3. New External Walls
It is likely that at least one completely new external wall will be needed for your garage conversion, such as in the case of the in-fill garage door. External walls constructed of timber and/ or masonry come in two types:

Solid wall - Just a single wall. Due to present day thermal insulation requirements, it is unlikely that such a wall will be suitable.

Cavity Wall - Two walls separated by an internal space, usually filled with thermal insulation.

Any external wall must be constructed in such a way as to repel and divert moisture coming from the ground (damp proofing) and stand up to the outside elements (weather resistance). Thermal resistance is the term given to how much heat the wall will retain and this is naturally affected by your construction materials. Fire resistance is crucial to stop the spread of fire in any eventuality, this is ascertained via minimum standards and affected by the proximity of any neighbouring structures. Lastly, the wall will have to bear its own weight, that of the other walls, the roof and any openings (doorways) as required.

4. Existing Garage Walls
It is most likely that your existing garage walls are of the solid wall (single) variety as detailed above. As such, they will probably fall short of Building Regulation minimums across a variety of categories such as Fire Resistance, Insulation, Weather Resistance and Damp Proofing. Furthermore, they may not be able to safely support any new roof you have planned. Therefore, they will need to be upgraded with a new internal skin and carefully assessed in terms of Damp-Proofing.

5. Flooring
The existing garage floor is unlikely to be suitable for regular domestic use. The solid concrete floor can either be upgraded in terms of strength, damp-proofing and thermal insulation or, alternatively, a new suspended timber floor can be built on top of the existing concrete one. The process of making your garage fit for habitation differs according to which floor you wish to install:

6. Solid Floor - This will need to be upgraded with a Damp Proof Membrane (DPM), which comes in solid and liquid form. Liquid DPM is often best suited for garage conversions. If required, thermal insulation should be placed on top of the membrane and a separation layer may be needed in between to see that the two layers do not react with each other. Finally, the floor is finished with what is known as a floating floor, a layer of wood or screed - depending on the insulation below. If screed is used, it should be around 75mm thick and safeguarded against cracking with a wire mesh.

7. Suspended Timber Floor - Unlike your garage, the floor of your house may be constructed fairly high above the ground and, if you wish, you can install a suspended timber floor in your garage conversion to match this. Timber joists are laid from wall to wall with a minimum gap of 150mm maintained between the original concrete floor and the new timber one. A Damp Proof Course (DPC) should be laid underneath the timber floor and an intermediate wall may be necessary for further ventilation.

8. Ventilation - Any room in a house must have adequate ventilation and the level of ventilation required depends on the room type - bathrooms and kitchens obviously require more than bedrooms or studies. An opening window must be installed which equals one-twentieth the rooms total floor-area. Additional ventilation comes in the form of trickle ventilators and alternative means of ventilation may be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the Building Control Body. New kitchens, toilets, bathrooms, shower rooms and utility rooms must be fitted with a mechanical extractor fan with performance levels measured in litres per second.

9. Electrics - Any electrical work needs to be carried out in accordance with the British Safety Standards 7671, you can find out more at the website of the British Standards Institution (BSI).

10. Decorating -The space is now ready for decoration.

Assessing your loft space’s suitability for conversion involves considering numerous factors, including:

available head height
roof pitch
roof structure
obstacles such as water tanks or chimney stacks

When you measure from the bottom of the ridge timber to the top of the ceiling joist, you need to have at least 2.2m of usable space for a conversion to be suitable.

While the Building Regs impose no minimum ceiling height for habitable rooms, you will need to factor in the 2m headroom required for stairs (although you could relax this to 1.8m on the edge of the stair if needs be).

A your designer we would clearly illustrate how much headroom there will be across the floor in the finished space.

Some people are disappointed by how much standing space they actually have, and this isn’t always easily conveyed on plans. Remember that below 1400mm this area is classified as uninhabitable space.

If the initial roof space inspection reveals a head height of less than 2.2m, there are two available – but costly – solutions that will require professional input. 1) Raise the Roof 2) Lower the existing bedrooms ceiling heights to the floor below.

Stay with us on this one - below is a comprehensive step by step guide for what to expect during the loft conversion process:

1. The roof space is inspected for suitability - An inspection of the inside of the roof space will provide information as to its suitability for conversion. The main features to initially consider include height, access and obstacles. Here, a water storage tank and chimney stacks formed the main obstacles, but the height and pitch suggested that conversion was possible.

2. An architect or surveyor will confirm suitability and create plans - The architect or surveyor will confirm the loft’s suitability for conversion. It is also necessary to take into account whether the building will be adequate to take the added load of a conversion. Following this, plans are drawn which also provide a basis for cost analysis, and what tasks can be done on a DIY basis.

3. The loft is cleared and prepped - With Building Control approval, work can be started by clearing the loft space. In this example the water storage tank was redundant because a new combi boiler was fitted. If this is still required then it will need to be moved to a convenient space to the side. Two chimney stacks were removed.

4. Rewiring is assessed - The electrical wiring and other services that are attached to joists and binders must be removed and rerouted. It provides a good opportunity to replace and improve the original wiring. This requirement is likely to mean that some services may not be available until the new wiring and any pipework can be replaced.

5. New floor joists fitted - The new floor joists can now be fitted. The actual sizes will depend upon the spans, but might typically be 50mm x 220mm C24 or C16 timbers spaced at 400mm intervals. Where there is a window or door opening below this is bridged by doubled-up timber suspended between doubled-up joists. The intermediate joists are attached to the window bridge using joist hangers. New wiring and any required pipework can now be installed.

6. Floors are insulated - The spaces between the joists are filled with insulation to a depth of 100mm. Following Building Control inspection, the joists can be covered with floorboards. The roofing struts and hangers are temporary but securely reinstalled until suitable replacement arrangements are in place. Floorboards are then laid.

7. Rafters reinforced - Work can now be started in rafter reinforcement in accordance with the structural requirements, so that the purlins, struts and collars can be safely removed. This will open up the area.

8. Dormers installed (if applicable) - Dormers can now be installed. This will involve opening up the roof, so dry weather is desirable to avoid the risk of water damage. The Building Control officer will inspect to ensure that the roof structure reinforcements are as specified.

9. Rooflights installed - Roof windows are an effective way of letting in natural light. In this project a roof window was fitted above the stairwell. These require the surrounding timbers to be reinforced but are easier to fit than dormers.

10. Staircase fitted - The point at which the staircase is fitted will depend upon individual circumstances, but when in place will give easier access to the loft area. In this example the hallway was widened by knocking down a non-loadbearing front room to the hallway wall and rebuilding the wall 450mm into the front room.

11. Windows fitted - The windows are fitted in the dormer / skylight openings previously accurately measured. PVCu Class ‘A’ windows were fitted here with an egress hinge on the side-opening sash to provide a good fire exit.

12. The roof is insulated - Insulation is placed between the rafters, with a 50mm air gap between the roofing felt and the insulation, for ventilation purposes. Over this is further insulation giving a total of 100mm. In the roof space above there is 300mm of mineral wool insulation. Building Control inspection is required before the rafters and insulation are covered.

13. Partition walls erected - The partition walls are erected. These use 47mm x 100mm timber studs at 400mm centres, with additional noggins. A quilt is placed within the spaces between the studs as the plasterboard is attached.

14. Walls are plasterboarded and architrave/skirting fitted - Plasterboard attached to the studs and rafters with drywall screws will provide the basis for the decorative plaster skim. Following this, the area is painted as required, and door architrave, skirting etc. fitted and painted.

15. Second fix, heating and finishes - With wall and floor tiling complete, the shower room items can be positioned and fitted. Second fix electrics and plumbing is progressed at a suitable time. The radiators are fitted in place, and connected to the central heating system. This picture also shows cupboard doors fitted to make use of the area behind for storage. Finally its time to decorate.

16. Decorating -The space is now ready for decoration.

Interior design packages are suited to the clients needs and requirements. We will develop a layout for your new space so that it is functional, safe, and accessible by examining the needs of your end users, as well as local building codes, traffic flow, and requested adjacencies or relationships.

The Interior Design Process is a series of steps that a designer takes when working on an interior design project. The details of each stage will differ depending on the type of design but the approach will always be similar. It is vital to stick to the design process during a project as skipping a stage, completing stages out of order of not using the process at all will result in a lower quality outcome, an outcome the client is not happy with or even worse no outcome at all.

The steps of the interior design process are outlined below, they are not definitive but they are the recommended stages in order to achieve a successful outcome.


1. Analyse The Brief - Each design project will begin when a client delivers the designer with a brief. The brief will outline what the client wants although as the client will likely have no design experience it is important for the designer to carefully analyse all details given by the client and if necessary to make further enquiries about the needs of the client. The success of an interior design scheme will depend not only upon on the skills and creativity of the designer, but their ability to answer the brief set by the client. A good brief will be as detailed and project-specific as possible. It will outline the client's requirements and aspirations, set down a budget for works and the time scale in which the project must be realised.


2. Identify The Key Requirements - Based on the analysis of the brief you must identify the most important parts. Ask yourself, what requirements must I fulfil? It is therefore important to identify and prioritise the key requirements of the brief.

3. Create An Accommodation List - An accommodation list is a list of spaces/areas (as opposed to rooms) that will accommodate the activities of the client. If the brief is for the interior design of an entire house or office then the list may include activities such as living, dining, receiving, sleeping etc. While for a single space brief the list may include activities such as seating, storage, playing etc. Designing a space by rooms can be very restrictive and therefore designing to meet the needs of the client is a more direct and accurate approach.


4. Draw Relationship Diagrams - Relationship diagrams follow on from the accommodation list and, as the name suggests, they diagrammatically present the relationship between the selected spaces. During this process it is important to consider factors such as light, noise, function etc. The function of each space will have an effect on where it is positioned within a building or, on a smaller scale, the function of an object/furniture piece will have an effect on where it is positioned within a space. To give just a single example of the multiple factors of relationships that are associated with an object, a desk will be best positioned near a socket (to allow a computer to be plugged), where it gets good natural/artificial light, away from nearby noise (so as not to distract from work), facing out a window or toward objects of interest (for inspiration) and of course where there is room to sit comfortably at it.


5. Research Existing Designs - Research is important to identify possible design styles and ideas which may also suit the needs of your client. These samples can be used when meeting with the client to identify the style of design which they prefer.


6. Create a Concept Design - Based on prior meetings, a preliminary conceptual design scheme and plan to scale is compiled. This will show what can be achieved accurately and successfully within your space. Various interior elements are depicted through the use of photos, sketches, design journal shots and samples of finishes in order to convey to you our thoughts and ideas. A few appointments may be necessary to complete this stage depending on the size and complexity of the project.


7. Obtain Client Feedback
As an interior design project cannot be easily edited, like digital designs can, it is vital to get feedback from the client before proceeding with the implementation stage. As the Client you may often be uncertain about what they you want (People can and will change their minds on a daily basis as the design and materials evolve) so it is important to present the scheme to you numerous times to make sure you're getting the right space suited to your needs and requirements.


8. Implement The Design - This is the fun part. Realising your design concept and seeing it come to life. For residential projects we would follow on from the initial layout plan and closely work with you to put together the perfect colour scheme fulfilling all your requirements. This will include suggestion of materials such as curtains and upholstery, wallpapers, paint colours, lighting and additional furniture pieces such as settees, chairs, tables, mirrors, rugs, cushions etc.

9. Implementing the Design - Once items are agreed by you , purchase orders are created and placed with manufacturers on your behalf. We will follow up and track all orders ensuring lead times and deliveries run smoothly and on time. We will encourage site visits with contractors and sub-contractors to go over and clarify all design details. We will be on site regularly to monitor trades and provide problem solving solutions when necessary.

This is specifically dependant on the requirements of the client so please feel free to consult us on any ideas you may be thinking of.

The enjoy of designing itself, since i was young the first job i wanted when i grew older was to be an architect, not a spaceman or a rocket scientist. And i've had a passion for architecture ever since. The ability to use design and rational thinking to create existing spaces is something of a passion of mine. If i'm not designing architectural solutions for people i'm either sketching, writing notes, building or getting involved in another aspect of design. Being creative and addressing the problem solving issued associated with it is what i enjoy the most. Architecture and the ever evolving design process is a real passion of mine.

Traditional architecture practices usually have a standard of design and aesthetic they will eventually impose onto the client after the design process concepts have been chosen. Being self employed and running my own business allows me to run my own individual creativity through each project, creating beautiful and bespoke pieces of architecture that are truly unique from the rest.

As mentioned before, the first job i wanted when i grew older was to be an architect. So my interest to enter into the design industry has never been money led. For me, the ability to use design and rational thinking to create existing spaces is something of a passion of mine. If i'm not designing architectural solutions for people i'm either sketching, writing notes, building or getting involved in another aspect of design. Being creative and addressing the problem solving issued associated with it is what i enjoy the most. Architecture and the ever evolving design process is a great process to experience and i involve my clients in the designing of their projects as much as i can.