What Is A Trussed Roof And Can It Be Converted?

Seeking new space to make use of in your home will usually lead you up into your rafters. Loft conversions are hugely popular now and everyone wants to bump the value of their property while extending the usable space available to them. But what about lofts where the design might not lend itself to a conversion? This is a particularly common issue for people with a trussed roof, putting them off a conversion and in some cases, being turned away by conversion companies and builders.

What Is A Trussed Roof?

Firstly, we should explore what a trussed roof is. Trussed roofs are pretty common, having been built into many homes from the 1960s onwards. The difference in a trussed roof is that there is a ‘W’ shaped support system in your loft. These wooden beams, placed into triangular sections to help boost the strength of the roof, constitute a trussed roof and tend to put a lot of people off having a loft conversion.

Why Is It Difficult To Convert?

One thing which is well known about trussed roofs if that it’s a more complex structure so removing it puts your roof at risk, and it’s for this reason you could be turned away when you want to have a loft conversion. The strength of a trussed roof comes from its triangular web shape created by the beams. Clearly this blocks the potential living space, so they need to be removed in order to make any loft room a usable one.

How Do We Get Around The Problem?

While some people might not want to take on the task of converting a loft where there is a trussed roof, we can tackle the job and the issues it presents. The main thing to keep in mind is that the load of the roof needs to be taken care of, you can’t just remove the trusses and stick some plasterboard up. By inserting steel beams or timber ‘I’ beams across the length of the floor you can strengthen the roof and keep the triangular strength, pushing the triangle frame back towards the low end of the roof.

Are There Other Difficult Roofs?

While a trussed roof presents a hurdle to be overcome, there are other roof structures which can be difficult to convert, along with a few regulations which need to be kept in mind with any loft conversion. The most lengthy and messy conversion involves a complete removal of the roof due to a lack of headroom. From here the room has to be rebuilt and it’s often more than people are willing to take on. Fire safety and building regulations are both important when it comes to your loft conversion so ensure you have done some research before hand.

Here at AKB Loft Conversions we are specialists when it comes to truss lofts and conversions. If you’d like to discuss how your trussed loft space can be converted, or to get advice on the regulations governing your potential loft conversion then simply contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.