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When thinking about the right insulation material for your loft, some of the first few things that comes to mind is the various properties of that material as well as how good they fit with your home’s needs.naturally, you’d like to ensure that the insulation will be efficient enough to add to the overall energy efficiency of your home, however there are also other features that may not get as much attention but also happens to be equally important. As the primary function of an insulation is to blanket your house to offer a barrier against heat loss, going for an insulation material that’s also fireproof is crucial as loft insulation can burn. Although most insulation materials are fireproof, a myriad of problems can actually make your insulation burn.

For instance, fibreglass insulation is produced using glass combined with plastic polymers and is naturally resistant to fire. However, even at that you’d have to be careful with batts that are supported with foil or paper due to the fact that these materials can burn pretty quickly. Cellulose, on the other hand, is not fireproof and is required to be treated by other flame retardants in order to help reduce combustion. Some of the best insulation materials that are resistant to fire includes the following:

• Fibre glass. This is made of glass that’s spun into fibres, then combined using plastic polymers. As a result, fiberglass insulation is naturally resistant to fire.
• Mineral wool. Having a high melting temperature, this insulation material happens to be a great fit for thermal applications due to its superior fire resistant properties. In fact, mineral wool is still naturally non-combustible even if composed of recycled iron and steel by-products, or from actual mineral rock itself.

Planning permission is not normally needed for a loft conversion as they are covered by permitted development rights. A conversion company will tell you if you do and help you with this. For more information, see our article about planning permission.

Are you interested in extending your home to create more living space? If yes, then you’d probably want to know how much value it can add to your property in order to compare the building costs to the potential value gain. Well, as long as you know what you’re doing, your house doesn’t necessarily have to be a money pit. So what are your options when talking about home extensions and what’s the associated value to be gained?

• Bathroom Extensions

Although you should have it in mind that bathroom extensions isn’t usually that cheap, but once done, it can increase the value of a standard UK house within the range of £12,000 to £15,000. Meanwhile the finishing cost of a bathroom can range from £2,500 to £7,000.

• Single or Double Storey Extensions

Single storey extensions are always huge when it comes to increasing the value of your home - giving about 4 to 7 percent increase. If it goes that far, then literally nothing beats a full spectrum, double storey extension which can give up to 11 percent increase in the value of a property - equalling about a whooping £33,000 for a standard home in the UK.

• Conservatory Extension

With conservatories becoming more and more popular in the UK due to the weather conditions, several buyers are now including it’s availability as part of the criteria for purchasing a house. Wonder why? This is simply because everyone wants to enjoy their garden all throughout the year. As a result of this high demand, adding this type of extension to your house can go a long way to increase it’s value. However, it’s very important to incorporate high quality materials during construction. With glass conservatories offering, on the average, up to £5,000 increase in value, the cheaper PVC alternative offers much less value and can also deter potential buyers.

How To Convert Your Loft Into A Room

The loft is the space on top of a home that’s most often ignored by home owners due to having to consider the space’s configuration, the lighting as well as energy efficiency. However, when successfully converted into a room, it can serve several purposes which would even add more value to your property. So how can you convert your loft into a room? Let’s have a look.

• Take Into Account The Size Of Your Loft

The size of your loft is a major determinant of the type of room it can be converted into. A small-sized loft there’s a chance it can still be converted into an extra bathroom or home office while bigger lofts can be converted into an additional bedroom. The minimum head height is 2.3m, if your loft is lower than this, you’d have to get a planning permission to detach some parts of the room for extension.

• Include A Skylight

When a loft is poorly designed, the room become dark, shady and airless. Adding a skylight to your loft will let in fresh air, deliver better ventilation and more light.

• Insulate Your Loft

Loft insulation will not only prevent heat from escaping through the roof, but also lead to an improved energy efficiency which ultimately helps you save up on your heating bills.

• Use Modern Colourization

When you use bright, neutral and modern colours to paint your loft, you’re adding that elegant look to the space. As a result, the loft looks a lot more attractive and comfortable by the time you’re done with the conversion.

The conversion of your loft into a room can be a very tedious task if you wish to do it by yourself. We’d recommend you employ a seasoned professional for help in order to ensure the best results and also to avoid making costly mistakes.

The short and simple answer is yes, fitted wardrobes add value to any home or property. Owning a home is mostly the single most expensive asset that a person can possess. And as a result, your home is a very special asset that you’d want to make conducive and maintain to the best of your ability. To retain the value of your home or even add to it, you have to learn how to maximize its potentials using different means. In the UK, a big issue for most households is usually the lack of storage space and most especially, the quickly shaped bedrooms which is really affected with storage problems. It almost always seems like there isn’t enough space to keep our clothes as well as the never-ending portfolio of accessories, devices and gadgets. Therefore, an extra or excess usable room inside a home is always a premium.

In other words maximizing the space you have, especially the unused ones, is a great way to add value to your property. Custom made fitted wardrobes are a great means to making the most out of the space within your home and are also designed to last for several years. Unlike the freestanding wardrobes, modern and fitted wardrobes are not only visually appealing, but they’re also customizable to fully maximize every inch of space within the room. As a result, they’re the ideal solution especially for loft rooms where the bedroom may be slope or oddly shaped to make the best out of the space available.

Potential investors are always eager to invest in homes with enough space that are well maximized. Therefore, a fitted wardrobe will not only help you create a better demand for your home at the point of selling, but it’ll also go a long to increase its value in so many ways.

A dormer loft conversion is a type of loft conversion that’s built making use of a roof’s existing slope. In other words, it’s an existing roof’s extension which is constructed in such a way that allows for an additional floor as well as head room especially suitable for lofts lacking good amount of usable space. The dormer loft conversion is simply an addition to the existing roof looking much like a box-like build constructed onto a pitched roof as it creates walls that are vertical to the slope while also being 90 degrees to the floor.

This type of loft conversion is the most common amongst homeowners in the UK mainly because it represents a cost effective means through which you can add an additional usable space to your home or property. The structure extends for the slope of the existing roof and can easily be altered to suit various tastes or styles. Furthermore, if you’re looking for a type of loft conversion that aids to foster reduced disruption to work, then dormer loft conversion is also your best bet. This is due to the fact that the structure is built from a scaffolding made outside a home.

There are different types of dormer loft conversion and the one which will best suit your property will depend on the property type, be it detached, semi detached or terraced as well as the existing roof shape and size. The dormer loft conversion is a popular choice for a lot of homeowners for a variety of reasons. Let’s have a look!

✓ It’s very cost effective

✓ The dormer loft conversion does not require planning permission so far it complies with certain conditions and limitations

✓ It adds an extra headspace as well as floor space.

If you have a loft, then the next thing that’s crucial is a loft insulation. Asides from cutting down on your carbon footprint, when you’re able to install an effective loft insulation you can slash your heating bills by up to £250 per year. What’s more? Besides making your home more energy efficient, it can also increase the value of your property a great deal. So if you’re also considering the insulation of your loft, one of the few things that comes to mind is, what loft insulation is the best to incorporate? In order to help you make the best informed decision possible, this post is going to address this issue and put you on the right path.

In truth, there’s no way to say exactly which type of insulation is the best as all types usually have a different purpose as well as usage. The insulation you choose for your home’s loft is be based largely on the how you’re going to make use of the space as well as any unique challenges you might face given the shape of your home’s loft. Below are some types of insulation to give you a better idea:

• Blanket insulation. This is the most common type that comes in rolls of rock, glass or mineral fibre ( or foil-backed felt ). It normally the most affordable and also a good all-purpose insulation which is easy to fit although not suitable for the roof.
• Loose-fill insulation. This type of insulation features a loose, lightweight material such as cork granules, cellulose fibre, mineral wool etc. It can either be incorporated as a top up or on its own. The primary drawback is it isn’t very secure and can also be very messy.
• Sheet insulation. This is the best solution for the roof’s underside as it offers a highly effective insulation for your loft space and can also be decorated over. The drawback here is that it’s usually the most expensive type to purchase and install.