We have a small (5 x 3m) second loft space in our home which we would like to convert to a dry long-term storage area.
We have a number of items of small furniture, toys, etc that we'd like to long-term store. Having seen the state things get after 20+ years in a recent clearance of my parents loft, we'd prefer not to leave these items to suffer the effects of the extreme temperature change and inevitable moisture ingress a 'normal' loft space experiences.
Considering we don't need the loft to be habitable (i.e. no need for natural light, fire escape, stair case etc), what its the minimum we'd need to do to achieve this? Any ballpark estimates of costs? It's an 80's house, pitched roof, wooden rafters etc.
I was about to post something on this too, my question is more on the actual construction I can use.
If correctly ventilated your loft should not be damp and moisture ingress should be minimal/non-existent?
You need a look at the roof space. Some houses are built for the bare minimum roof structure with no consideration to weight on the ceiling. So you might need structural work to support any adition stuff you add and anything you want to store.
If correctly ventilated your loft should not be damp and moisture ingress should be minimal/non-existent?
This.
Loft should be cool and dry, perfect for storage. If its damp then you have issues you need to sort out getting ventilation or stopping leaks (if needed) ASAP. Mt house is 110 years old with its original roof and is cool and perfectly dry. My previous house loft suffered from damp until I found that someone had put an extractor fan from the bathroom direct into the loft and also pushed all the insulation into the eaves blocking the ventilation.
