RESIDENTIAL // COMMERCIAL // INDUSTRIAL
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A room inside a roof
With limited space available to build , some homeowners opt to create vertical spaces by building roof or attic rooms . We explore various options and how to erect them .
By Ntsako Khosa | Photos by TJ Roof Group
During installation , there is a process that needs to be followed .
The above is a classic example of what a completed roof room looks like .
Trevor Williams of TJ Roof Rooms describes a roof room as a pure green home .
“ It is a timber or steel structure cladded with Nutec and insulated with different types of insulation from wall to roof . It is then drywalled on the inside and has electricity and plumbing like a conventional building ,” he says .
Williams and Andrew Gove , director at GWR Roofing , says there is a big difference between an attic room and a roof room .
“ A roof room is a room that is installed on top of a house , these rooms would have four square walls and a flat ceiling with a complete roof on top of the walls ,” shares Gove .
An attic room is a room that ’ s constructed within the timber roof structure , using the existing structure .
“ For an attic room , we keep the existing roof intact and create space within the existing structure ,” adds Williams . “ These often have dormer windows that protrude from the tiles and have raked ceilings in some areas . Erection of these rooms is possible when houses have a steep roof pitch of more than 30 degrees . This is a requirement as the pitch increases the height of the ceiling area and therefore allows standing space within the roof ,” says Gove .
“ An attic room design and installation include timber or steel construction and may comprise ridge beams and rafters or prefabricated attic trusses where a void is designed into the gang-nailed truss . Floors are usually made from shutter boards and walls are constructed from gypsum boarding ,” Gove says . Many of the projects completed by GWR Roofing are designed to fit in with the existing style of the house to enhance rather than change the general architectural style .
JUNE 2018 21