Firstly, you want to step off the ladder, at the highest point in your roof- there’s not much use in putting the ladder, say, in the laundry, if you step off the ladder and it’s only a metre high… You’ll be banging your head every time you go into your roof space.

Your existing manhole, is a good start, so grab a ladder, stick your head into your roof space and have a look where the highest point in your roof is located. Quite often it’s in the passageway, or a room, which is central in your building.

The other factor is the foldout and the standout dimensions of your chosen ladder. The fold out is the amount of space you’ll need to unfold the ladder- a diagram hereabouts shows the measurement of our Eco ladder.

You’ll note that in this particular ladder model, you’ll need to allow enough space for the ladder to be folded up and down without obstruction.

The other things people get concerned about, but don’t have to be, is the air conditioner ducting in your roof.

When we build a storage space in your roof we often insert additional sections of ducting and then re-route the ducting around the storage area. This makes no difference to the performance of your air-con, but leaves the storage space free of ducting that you’d have to constantly step over.

Next comes the issue of electrics and pipes.

When electrical cables cross over the potential ladder location we bring in a licensed electrician to re-rout the wiring for lights, smoke detectors etc. around where we’ll be working. When water or gas pipes obstruct the ladder location, we’ll organise a plumber to do the same- now understand that getting these additional services done will cost you extra, so it may be better if we locate the ladder opening somewhere where these issues don’t exist.

Hangers, collar-ties and support struts can also play a part in where you locate your in-roof storage area. You don’t want to be playing dodgem and having to jump over or limbo under these timbers.

Ideally, we want to put the storage area over load bearing walls, where there is a clear access and a good open area where you’ll be moving around within the roof storage area. If we need to relocate any supporting structure, we have our Registered Builder attend and instruct our installers the easiest, safest and most cost-effective way to ensure you get an open area, free of obstacles and still maintain full structural integrity.

So, before you decide where the ladder is going to be installed, check the height of where you’ll be exiting the ladder. Make sure that you have enough foldout space for the ladder, and that’s the ideal place to install your ladder.

Then have a look around for other obstacles, wiring, pipes, hangers etc.

OR, just call us, we’ll do it all for you, and we’ll give you a FREE quote and lots of options and advice- After all what would you expect from the best attic installation company in the known universe? (Well, according to one customer we are!).

Pip pip!

Tony

I organised a photographer to go to the install and take some photos for our before and after gallery- OK sounds relatively simple so far.

Our ‘Gun’ installer gets to the job, cuts the ceiling and starts to put the ladder in, and the photographer climbs into the roof, loses his footing and puts his bloody great foot straight through the ceiling…

Plaster and dust all over the room- and furniture and a hole the size of a basketball. Quick phone calls, Emergency Plasterer arrives, fixes, sands, patches, and after a few frantic hours and repainted the entire ceiling- it’s all good as new.

And we sent flowers…

YES, of course we have stuff-ups, just like every other business that ever existed, we rely on people to do our work and sometimes people make mistakes, nothing is ever going to change that, but by constantly looking at what happened, why it happened and what can we do to ensure it doesn’t happen again, our company experiences far fewer problems than we’ve ever had before. In the case of the photographer, we had his feet removed surgically to ensure he never does it again- Joking!

We completely understand that mistakes happen, and most of our customers understand. Particularly when we fix the problem as fast as we can.

A couple of years ago we all got together and devised a ‘Values’ statement, it’s on a plaque on our reception desk, there’s a photo of it hereabouts.

Yes we’re human, yes we make mistakes, and yes we treat our mistakes seriously so we can fix them.

I gotta say though that some people make complaints over some amazing things… Like the lady who phoned me a complained bitterly that our installer didn’t put the toilet seat down, or the lady who rang me at 8:30 on a Saturday night because she couldn’t find her cat- She accused our installer of stealing it… Then called me back at 7:00 am on Sunday to say she’d found it- WOW! Thanks for letting me know.

Bearing in mind that the average conversion will involve the following specific areas of expertise:

Draftsman

Structural Engineer

Estimator

Getting the amendments done because the owner’s always change their minds, then back to the draftsman, then the structural engineer… et al.

Back to the Estimator

Attix Client services manager

Builder

Supervisor

Councill Planning dept – they take anything from 2 weeks to 8 weeks

Council building licenses dept- as above in delays and some take longer depending on their efficiency…

Pay the Verge Bond to the council and eventually get it via snail mail.

Deal with all the OH& Safety stuff off and on-site

Then get quotes from at least two reliable:

Sparkies

Plumbers

Insulators

Roofing Carpenters

Finishing Carpenters

Plasterers

Scaffolders

Air Conditioning guys

Stairway manufacturers -Who always have to get the timber from the East- (No, I don’t know why either)

Painters

Then quotes from at least two suppliers of;

Timber, Steel, Insulation, Fittings, Gyprock, flooring, plumbing supplies, aircon, electrical fittings… Are you starting to get the picture here?

Then…

Accepting the best value for money and quality quotes from the above tradies, then booking the tradies, then getting them to actually turn up on the day they’re due, co-ordinating with the clients, and the variations when they change their mind, organising suppliers, e.g. stair manufacturers, getting the clients to choose their fittings, then ordering and getting the fittings, and then making sure the job’s safe, getting the waste picked up etc. etc. Then you find out that behind the wall that we need to demolish is actually a steel beam supporting a structural beam in the roof…

How long will it take? The quick answer is- as fast and as reliably/safely as we can, but in EVERY stage listed above, there are delays, unexpected events (The sparky dropped a hammer which fell on the scaffolders helmet, who dropped a bag of cement on a plank, at the other end of the plank was a brick, it flew into the air… and that’s why we had to take your dog to the vet…

There; so now you know…

Caveat Emptor- Buyer Beware!

Every industry has its leaders, they base their business on integrity, professionalism and they ‘stick to the rules’ the rules being professional qualifications, building registrations, structural engineers, council approvals and licenses etc.

Unfortunately, every industry also has the ‘Fred and his Ute’ type fellows who tell you, nah, you don’t need to tell the council and if you make it cash I can do you a great/cheap roof conversion. Quite often you’ll see these guys featured on A Current Affair or Today Tonight for ripping people off, taking their money and doing a ‘dodgy’ job.

Let me fill you in on something that you need to know- you cannot get a cheap/ripper job when doing a roof conversion. It’s mutually exclusive; you can get a great job, OR a cheap job, but it won’t be a great/cheap job because it’s impossible.

The plan may look ok scribbled on a bit of paper, but what happens after a couple of years when all your ceilings start to sag because the weight of the room in your roof is too great for the ceiling joists? AND the dodgy renovator has gone out of business? Yep, you’ll have to rip it all out and replace all of your ceiling joists and a new ceiling- Doh!

Or worse, what happens when the whole ceiling collapses when fat aunty Margaret and her two delightful chubby kids come over for a week and stay ‘upstairs’?

Here’s the truth: You DO need to have a structural engineer inspect and draw up plans for your new roof space addition or conversion. You DO need to get local Council planning and building permission for any habitable area within your roof, YES you do need building licenses, you DO need to use a company that has been licensed by the Builders Registration Board of WA and you DO need a licensed builder to supervise the project and you absolutely NEED Home Owners Indemnity Insurance for the project.

If you don’t have ALL of these vitally important things you will have paid good money for something called an ‘Illegal Build’. This means that when you come to sell your home, and you don’t have all the necessary documentation, in all probability you will be A) Prosecuted and B) be given Orders to replace the space to what it was before you started the project. C) Maybe, they’ll give you retrospective approval…Maybe.

And believe me, you don’t want any of those scenarios to take place- it will be damned expensive and time consuming.

You get what you pay for, and if you get a quote from a reputable, professional roof-space conversion company and a quote for half the amount from Fred and his van, why do you think the amounts will differ? You don’t need a degree in rocket-science to work that one out. Cheap materials and dodgy workmanship!

There are a lot of ways you can get the in-roof conversion you’ve always wanted and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of up-front cash to do it. We offer finance options. We send out a professional finance broker, they do the numbers and it may be that by refinancing your home, you’ll get a better deal AND have the cost of your in-roof conversion for a very small additional amount.

So if you’re thinking about converting wasted space in your roof into a new bedroom, studio, games room, home theatre – whatever, make sure you get a quote from a WA company that is registered with the Builders Registration Board of WA, it does have a licensed builder on staff and they follow all the rules and regulations and you’ll end up with something that you love, it’s legal and it adds a lot of value to your home.

Pip-Pip!

Tony Walton
General Manager -Attix

Depending on what you have planned to store in your roof space, it’s probably a good idea to think about ventilating the area to reduce the temperature inside your room.

We stock the Edmonds clear, Perspex turbo ventilator and we stock it for a few very good reasons:-

• A clear acrylic head provides high efficiency roof ventilation and allows natural light to enter the roof space – great for attic storage spaces.

• It is a wind-powered roof ventilator that has been designed to both exhaust heat and provide natural light to the roof space – improving comfort in your home.

• It’s been designed to be strong enough to withstand severe wind and rain, is backed by a 15-year warranty for peace of mind, and the unique design allows us to fit it upright no matter what the pitch of the roof is.

• Another reason why we recommend this product is that it features stainless steel bearings which don’t rust – there’s nothing worse than lying in bed listening to the squeak, squeak of a dud roof ventilator!

Another way to ventilate if you use your roof space for hobbies etc. is to install a small reverse cycle air conditioner/heater. Yes it will cost a bit more, but let’s face it, when it’s cold in Perth it’s cold, and when it’s hot it’s hot. You can buy a small unit and have it installed for around $800-$900.

When we build dust-proof storage areas we ask if you’d like to have insulation installed in the space between the roof panels and the dust-proofing material – this helps with temperature as well. Another trick is to cut into an existing air conditioner duct and create a new outlet within the storage area. Cost – around $75. Neat huh?

It’s a disease of the 21^st century, called the ‘fartoomuchcrap’ syndrome… Yes all the stuff that’s too good to chuck out, but where the hell do you put it?

Did you know that up to 30% of the volume within your building structure is in the roof-space… and this is a fantastic (and doh! – obvious) storage space to put it.

Now, just for a moment don’t think about the spiders and other creepy crawleys up there; we’ll get to that later.

First things first – you are going to need some storage space up there, preferably enough space to climb into and be able to put down some flooring for the storage area.

So the best thing is to grab the ladder and a torch and go have a look, I’ll wait for you to come back… go on.

Ok so you’ve got some room up there, good, first storage space step completed.

Next, go out and see what attic access ladders are available, if you’re on the East Coast of Australia go to www.atticladders.com.au or call them on 02 9018 0000 – they make a great range of ladders. If you’re in Western Australia, have a look at the site you’re on right now – www.attix.com.au. As far as storage and in-roof storage space solutions go, they’re highly recommended – cause I’m the GM there.

Decide on a ladder according to your budget. Our ladders start at $680 for the Eco model.

Next step – buy a ladder and carefully cut out the ceiling so the ladder will fit into the ceiling joists. There’s a fact sheet at www.attix.com.au on how to install a ladder.

Once that’s completed you can go buy some flooring; we get ours from Bunnings. It’s called 19mm structa floor, and it’s strong but light and easy to cut.

BIG TIP: Don’t lay the flooring directly onto the ceiling joists, build up with 35x70mm pine framework so it criss-crosses the joists to ensure strength and it makes sure you don’t screw the flooring into a water pipe cause you just don’t wanna do that, unless of course you’d like a new water feature in your bedroom.

Here’s a pic of what a floored in roof storage space can look like.

Screw down the flooring, don’t nail it or glue it, just in case you need to access the aforesaid pipes (or telephone cables etc).

Bung in the ladder, paint the hatch cover and there you have it… a new in-roof storage space area, easy to access, and you can put all your treasured ‘stuff’ up there.

If you have a tile roof, you’ll need to store your stuff in dustproof boxes because you’d be surprised how much dust and debris enters your roof space.

Alternatively you could cover the entire area with some dust-proofing material. Here’s a pic of one of our Attix dust proof storage rooms… Neat huh?

Now, if the space between aspiration and your own DIY capability is largish, call us on 08 9371 8525 or visit www.attix.com.au and we’ll arrange for one of our consultants to come and have a visit and give you a free quote. The entire job usually takes only one or two days to install by professional and fully qualified carpenters. We can supply and fit a storage area ladder for around $800. That’s pretty cheap when you consider that you’ll have somewhere to put all your ‘stuff’ and you won’t have to pull your hair out anymore.

By the way, your ceiling area won’t handle a lot of weight; you have to use special structural engineer expertise for that. We recommend 40-50kgs per square metre, but if you want to build a new room like the one below, drop us a line, we’d be happy to help.

Tony 
General Manager
Attix
www.attix.com.au

A True-ish story.

OK, let’s face it. In the entire history of mankind we have never had so much ‘stuff’ and nowhere to put it! It’s become a 21st century disease called ‘waytoomuchcrapos’.

Take my teenage daughters (I wish someone would) they have between them more shoes than an established emporium, more handbags, clothes, books and magazines, hats and not to mention large fluffy stuffed ‘things’ than they know what to do with.

I remember one Sunday morning I was inspired to take all of the ‘stuff’ out of our spare room which had sadly, somehow, become the general storage girl junk and shoe room. I had an inspiration that I could create a ‘Dad only’ reading and music room.

I remember grabbing armfuls of fluffy pink, green and yellow things ready for the local charity shop (I think they had been breeding in there) when daughters 1 and 2 were away one weekend. Just when I was about to throw them all into the boot and take them on a little ride, the loves of my life returned home early and saw their years old moth ridden fluffy things in a pile on the garage floor. Screaming and gathering them up again they ran back into the house and put them back into the ‘spare’ storage room.

Needless to say, I was severely chastised and was on hug ‘rations’ for a week. They even started bringing their stuffed ‘things’ to the dinner table to tell me stories about where they were and who gave it to them and why is was so special to the rest of their lives.

Let’s not even go into the sports equipment I’ve purchased over the years; I sincerely think none of it has ever experienced life outside the ‘spare’ storage room.

Now the important ‘stuff’ of mine used to live in the garage, you know the stuff I’m talking about, the camping stuff (which was used about 310 years ago) the 28 fishing rods which can be used on anything from 2” trout to world record marlin hunting, the spare bits for my vintage Jaguar, scuba gear, chainsaws etc., and all that manly ‘testosterone stuff’.

Only problem was, trying to get into the cars cause all my stuff was stacked (neatly of course, and completely organised) along the walls of the garage. Reversing into the garage meant everyone getting out and then reversing with the precision of a surgeon just to fit the car in, then closing the windows and crawling over the seats to get out the back window.

Dad put on his research hat, Ok if I can’t get rid of the fluffy kingdom, where can I move it too?

Internet: Storage Solutions, Google?

Oh boy, who would have thought that there were so many storage solutions to general storage dramas. The only problem was that most of them were selling shelves or garden sheds… until I came across this little treasure – Attic Storage | Attix

This is good I thought, that’s a good storage solution I thought, I hadn’t thought of putting stuff in my roof space.

Yeah, I know it’s obvious in hindsight.

I called Attix in Perth, they came, measured, installed a fantastic ladder, great storage room, installed a whole heap of shelves too and I liked the company, the people and their work so much I joined them, I’m now the General Manager.

Got a general storage problem, visit our site, www.attix.com.au.

Let’s talk about ladders!

So you want to access your roof space to create some attic storage? The first thing to ascertain is the measurement between your floor to ceiling. This will determine the model and size of the roof ladder you will need for your attic storage project.

There are a number of things to take into account before you decide on the right roof ladder for your roof access storage system. The first questions are, how often will you be using the ladder, and what will you be taking up and down the ladder?

Some people may be using their roof ladder only occasionally, and storing things like empty luggage, or the Christmas tree. For this kind of usage, a roof ladder with a weight-bearing load of 120 kilograms would be fine. Of course you have to remember to take into account your own body weight!

If you are going to be using the roof ladder on a regular basis, and will be utilising your attic space for the storing of heavier items, or even if you’re undertaking a loft conversion, you will want a heavier weight-bearing capacity ladder. A ladder with a full-length handrail is desirable for safety reasons.

Another major factor in choosing an attic access ladder is the incline angle (or how steep the ladder is to climb). It is harder to climb a straight and vertical ladder than to climb a roof ladder with a gentle incline, particularly when carrying something. The best angle for incline is between 55 and 60 degrees. Cheaper varieties of roof ladders are often set at a 45degree angle and very few have safe handrails, making it difficult to climb the ladder whilst carrying things meant for storage. At Attix we carry a full range of attic stairs and roof access systems.

The price is not the most important factor when considering which ladder to purchase. The weight bearing capacity, and your safety when using the ladder are far more important. There is no sense in buying a cheaper ladder set at a steeper incline and with less of a weight bearing capacity if you fall off it and end up in the hospital!

The old but true saying, “you get what you pay for” is still very relevant, but even more so when you consider the safety of yourself and your family. Don’t take the risk, just get a SAFE ladder, you and your family’s safety is the most important factor.

Whether you decide on an alloy scissor-ladder, or a solid wood attic ladder is really a matter of your own personal preference. There are great models available from a range of manufacturers, with the entire range of Attix ladders and accessories available for climbing, folding and viewing at our showroom.

The showroom is located at 797 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley and is open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, as well as Saturday 9am to 12pm. We also have a display at Homebase in Subiaco.

Our phone number is 08 9371 8525, so call us or visit www.attix.com.au

Our friendly team is always on hand to help you to decide which ladder is the best for you, and to give free appraisals and advice. We look forward to seeing you soon.

You can create anything, as long as you have the space and budget...

Ok, so you’ve got some room between your ceiling and your roof, as most people do – so what can you do with it?

There are two simple strategies, one is to convert this space into a storage area, and the other is to convert the space into a usable, habitable room such as an additional bedroom, studio, office, home theatre, or maybe even a teenager, or parent retreat.

This article is about the basic steps you need to take to convert usable space within your roof to a habitable, additional room. At Attix, we have a checklist, which we have developed for performing successful loft conversions.

The first thing to consider is the height between the ceiling joists and the inside of your roof line. Our rule of thumb is that you’ll need a minimum of 2.8 metres for loft conversions. The reason for this is simple – when we build up and reinforce your existing ceiling joists, and frame up the roof for plasterboard ceilings, you still need to be able to stand upright, so we are probably going to want 2.3-2.4 metres for the room height.

If you haven’t got close to this height within your new proposed loft, there are other options like lifting your roof height, but that’s where you start to talk megabucks and structural work that will cost more than you’d want to pay. The other option is to convert the space into storage area only so that you can still get some mileage from your space.

If you do have enough height for a loft conversion, how much usable (and stand-upppable) space do you have? My advice is, you’d want a minimum of 25 sq metres for an office or studio, 30 sq metres for a decent bedroom and 50-60 sq metres for a home theatre or retreat.

Yes the room can be smaller than these measurements, but not much smaller because you’re going to be spending around $2,000 per square metre for a professionally finished job by licensed specialist builders like Attix.

OK, so you’ve got enough room. The next step is to get an engineer in to survey your loft area, he will take into account the supporting walls around your proposed loft conversion, and he will product some structural drawings as to where to change and support the floor areas. This will cost you around $2000-$3,000.

At this point, it’s advisable to apply to your local Council for a building permit. You’ll have to apply, produce engineer’s drawings, supply your licensed builders name and registration number, along with a whole heap of other information. They may also require designers or draftsman’s drawings showing all structural and relocated roof supports. (Of course, if we do the job for you, we’ll arrange for all the permits you’ll need).

Eventually, they will give you approval to proceed, or not. If not you’ll have to change the specifications to suit the local planning authorities, so let’s assume you’ll eventually get approval.

The thing that comes is to decide what sort of roof ladder or staircase you will want. Attic Ladders vary in design and cost, and usually fold-away when not being used. Staircases can be wood/steel/spiral etc and your budget will determine the choice you make.

Now we have concept drawings, council approval, and a quote and scope of works, which outlines what you want and where you want it. You’re now ready to get started on converting your loft into something special.

The time taken to complete a loft conversion will vary according to the size, and function, like bathrooms, toilets, showers etc. Something to remember here, if you have the construction done in the height of Summer, when the temperature can well exceed 50ºC the job will take longer (unless you want to find dead tradesmen in your roof).

A simple idea can be complex and unless you’re really skilled at DIY carpentry, roof engineering, electrical etc, you’re probably going to be better off using a professional loft installer. Of course, it can be done in stages where you may want the flooring and framework done for you, and you complete the gyprock and finishing work yourself. The most important thing is to ensure the flooring is structured for heavy use, and your ceiling won’t collapse when fat Aunty Margaret just ‘has’ to see what you’ve done up there.

Visit our Attix Living page to get an idea of what you can do with your loft conversion.

Tony Walton
General Manager
www.attix.com.au

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