Every home gets condensation at some time - usually when lots of moisture and steam are being produced such as bath times, when cooking meals or washing clothes. Fish tanks and indoor plants can also put large quantities of moisture into the air.

In any house experienced builders like CD Hood who specialise in Cambridge loft conversion would considerate it quite normal to find a bedroom windows misted up in the morning after a cold night, this is to be expected and is not indicative of a serious condensation problem.
But if your home never seems to be free from condensation, or you have black mould growth as well, as condensation you might want to take steps to try and reduce it.

What can you do for yourself is produce less moisture-Dry your washing outside whenever you can, if you hang it in the bathroom, keep the door closed and the window wide open.
Never use portable gas bottles or paraffin (flueless) heaters...always cover pans and don't leave kettles boiling.

The other thing you can do is ventilate well, when a room is in use, keep a small window and/or a trickle vent open, ventilate bathrooms and kitchens. Keep bathroom and kitchen doors closed even if they have extractor fans. Finally it is important to insulate and heat your home. Keeping your home warm with insulation, draught proofing and heating: this reduces the risk of condensation. A constant, low-level form of heating provides the most economical form of heat and reduces the likelihood of condensation.

One of the trickiest parts of any loft conversion is getting the stairs right. CDHood Ltd who are experienced builders and specialise in Cambridge Loft Conversions know that getting the stairs right is vital to extending your home into the loft.

The first thing to focus on is the layout of the staircase and the size of the staircase. Will it take up and the size of the stairwell or indeed have you got enough room for the required stair case? More often than not space is a problem but one that CD Hood Ltd can help you solve.

The first thing to do when planning for new staircase is to figure out the total rise, this is the measurement from finished floor to finished floor level. Once you have established the rise the next step is to establish the number of risers required for this particular staircase, for a domestic staircase the individual step rise must be no more than 220mm to stay within building regulations.

The height of a riser on a standard staircase is 200mm so ideally you should be looking to get as close to this as possible.(Eg :- 2600mm Total Rise (floor to floor) divided by 13 would equal 200mm, equalling 13Nº risers.) When you know the number of risers required you automatically know the number of treads required, you require one less tread than the number of risers. Eg :- 13Nº risers 12Nº treads. The top tread is only a nosing that attaches to the Trimmer Joist at the top of the staircase. Too much jargon wells it’s good to know what you are investing in but CD Hood Ltd can take care of all your Cambridge loft conversion requirements starting with the stairs.

Experienced Cambridge loft converters CD Hood Ltd know that provided there is sufficient headroom, most lofts can be converted into a useful living space. The main thing you need to think about is what type of loft conversion you want, where the stairs will go and what changes may be needed to the plumbing system. 

Professional loft conversions from CD Hood Ltd recognise that  most roofs can be converted into  stylish loft conversion, from the traditional rafter and purlin to the modern trussed roof. Generally the older type of roof is easier to convert as it has a steep pitch that gives the headroom required. Most houses built before the 1960s will have the traditional rafter and purlin design.  As a general rule the headroom you need will be a minimum height of 2.3 metres across around half of the floor area to make a conversion worthwhile. There isn't much point having an extra room if you can't stand up in it!

An important consideration is where the stairs for the new loft conversion will go. There are all sorts of interesting and creative possibilities when it comes to creating access to your new loft conversion, sometimes there is simply enough room for normal stairs to continue up, sometimes a spiral staircase can work, it is even possible to shave a bit of space from the corner of  the master bedroom to make room for the stairs.  To access your loft Cambridge, loft conversion CD Hood Ltd are happy to look at all the possibilities.

Hopefully you will have gone further than dreaming about your loft conversion and really pinned down what it is you want out of converting your loft space. Once you have decided the function of your up and coming loft, it is best to call for professional from companies like CD Hood Ltd to help you pin down the design before you start. This will always save you time and money in the long run as disastrous mistakes in the plan and structure will be avoided.  We use a team of highly qualified architects to ensure the best designs and the best possible use of space for your home.

A qualified architect will be able to design a cost and space efficient floor plan for your dream loft. You could also ask for architectural details in cabinetry, door and window details, ceiling and wall finishing, electrical, sanitary, plumbing to be part of the design.

A qualified construction team like CD Hood Ltd will then continue the process by taking care of all the permits and related paperwork for the construction. It is always wise to get quotes and estimates from 2 to 3 reputable construction companies. Ask friends and associates for referrals too. They might know of good contractors like us who have worked for them.  

Make sure that the contractors like CD Hood Ltd are experienced in loft construction. Check out construction jobs done by them and ask former clients (if possible) look at their website and make sure you are happy with the quality of work done for other people.