With the price of property rocketing through the roof it’s no wonder that homeowners are deciding to stay put and make use of every available space. By converting a loft or building an extension provides an ideal solution for homeowners who need more living areas but cannot afford to move to a bigger property.

Matt Jackson and his wife have lived in their period cottage in Surrey for x amount of years. The cottage, built in 1841, typically only had two bedrooms which provided a perfect space for them and their little boy. However, with the exciting news of child number two on the way, Matt had to rethink the cottage’s living space.

Creating extra living space can be challenge for homeowners as planning permission is a long drawn out process. Luckily for Matt, his business ‘Natura Building Company’ has experience of carrying out loft conversions, therefore when it came to his own house; Matt was confident he could create an extra room.

To utilise the loft space, Matt came up with an ingenious plan, he explains:

'By taking off the slate roof and rebuilding it I could create a small living space that would be a perfect height for a children’s bedroom. The room would only 5ft 11inches high and 4m by 3m square but this is ample space for little boy to sleep and play in '

Like any other loft conversion introducing light can only be achieved by installing rooflights. Even though the cottage isn’t listed, Matt decided on a conservation rooflight rather than using a standard modern looking rooflight.

'I understand the importance of using conservation rooflights for period style properties. My company, Natura Building Company, regularly carries out renovations on heritage properties where the Local Authority’s conservation officer will specify that a conservation rooflight is necessary.'

A conservation rooflight differs from other modern rooflights as it is designed to sit flush and is sympathetic to the original architecture. On this occasion, Matt decided to use the Lumen Rooflight, a conservation rooflight manufactured by Tuscan Foundry Products,that replicates a traditional Victorian design whilst incorporating the highest specification of glazing (Pilkington Activ - the world’s first self cleaning glass).

'I have used The Lumen Rooflight for several other projects where it has met the requirements of the building. It was a piece of cake to install and provided the new loft room with a vast amount of natural light. From the outside, the roolight is honest to the property’s architecture and is in keeping with its heritage.'

Matt was offered a choice of bespoke mechanisams for the interior aspect of the rooflight but opted for a traditional brass winder which fitted in perfectly with the décor.

By introducing a rooflight Matt has now achieved his goal of creating a new living space. To complement the small space, he has also built all the furniture and the stairs leading up to the room to scale. Matt and his wife now have enough space to accommodate their new addition to their family without the expense of a buying a three bedroom house.

'Creating a small bedroom out of the loft space available is much more cost effective than having to buy a three bedroom property, I will also see a return on my investment as the extra room has increased the value of the property,' concludes Matt.

For more information please visit www.lumenrooflight.co.uk Email info@lumenrooflight.co.uk Tel: 01403 860040

Tuscan Foundry Products, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of traditional cast iron rainwater products, cast iron radiators and the Lumen conservation rooflight, is delighted to have moved its main office to Tamar Business Park to merge with its Holsworthy branch.

Both builders and homeowners alike are warmly invited to Tamar Business Park to view Tuscan Foundry’s extensive range of products at the new showroom.

Renowned for its expertise in conservation products, Tuscan Foundry Products aims to meet the growing demand for sought after heritage products for the renovation and refurbishment of historic and period buildings within the area.

Replicating traditional designs from the Victorian era, Tuscan Foundry Product’s cast iron radiators heat any sized room efficiently. The stylish Victorian appearance brings a touch of historical authenticity to both period and contemporary settings. The elegant ‘Nouveau’ model is enhanced by a scrolled relief pattern, making it an eye-catching centrepiece for any period-styled interior.

Reproduction radiators are available in sections and come with the option of an independent heating element. A wide range of solid brass, nickel or chrome radiator valves are also available to suit both contemporary and traditional interiors.

Tuscan Foundry Products boasts a comprehensive range of traditional cast iron rainwater systems, cast iron gutters, cast iron pipes and fittings. Their cast iron guttering comes in 19 different profiles, along with 3 different cast iron pipe profiles and more than 100 ornamental rainwater hopper heads characterised by their strength and durability. Their rainwater systems are expected to last for more than 100 years in normal conditions, making them a cost-effective option for all homeowners.

In addition, Tuscan Foundry’s Lumen Rooflight replicates a traditional Victorian design, which is unobtrusive and sympathetic to a building’s original external architecture yet offers a high specification of glazing by incorporating Pilkington Activ - the world’s first self-cleaning glass.

With its fine lines of steel, the Lumen Rooflight has a low profile and features a genuine glazing bar. It is manufactured in Great Britain and is hand finished using traditional craftsmanship. Available in standard or bespoke sizes, it offers a choice of mechanisms to suit both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Paul Trace, Managing Director of Tuscan Foundry Products comments; "I am delighted that we are now based in the South West. A large number of our orders already come from this area, for example, we recently supplied our British made conservation rooflights for the Grade II stable conversion at Youlston Park. In addition, our new showroom allows homeowners to come on site and see the products we offer, perfect for both traditional and contemporary settings."

For all standard stock products Tuscan Foundry Products endeavours to get your order to your home or site within 5 working days. Many of their products can be supplied on a next day basis subject to an extra carriage charge.

Come and see for yourself. Tuscan Foundry Products is at Unit 8 Tamar Business Park, down the third road on the left after you enter the Dobles Lane Industrial Estate just off the Bideford Road on the outskirts of Holsworthy. The showroom is open between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30 am – 4.00 pm on Fridays. For more information, just call 01409 255 403 or visit Tuscan Foundry Products online at www.tuscanfoundry.com.

Manufactured in the Great Britain, the Lumen Rooflight offers a range of standard sizes and can fulfil bespoke applications to meet tight deadlines; design or specification changes can be turned around in as little as 6 weeks. This reliable service coupled with British manufacturing excellence means the Lumen rooflight is unbeatable in both its performance and supplier flexibility.

Lumen offer a high level specification as standard, and the transparency to support claims made about their products.

The Lumen rooflight meets with ISO 9001 and complies with British Standard 6375 Part 1: 2004 for weather performance. All Lumen rooflights are fitted with Pilkington Activ™ Neutral self cleaning glass, Argon gas filled cavity and Pilkington Optitherm™ S4.

Pilkington Activ™ Neutral Self cleaning glass uses natural daylight to break down organic dirt and when it rains, or when water hits the glass, the dirt is loosened (both organic and inorganic) and gets washed away. Compared with conventional glass, self clean allows the water to dry very quickly, reducing unsightly streaks or marks that will ensure the rooflight is easier to maintain, making it environmentally friendly.

For energy efficiency, Pilkington Optitherm™ S4, an ultra low emissivity high thermal insulating glass, is added as standard to all Lumen products. The Optitherm™ S4 glazing works by reflecting heat energy back into the building. The transparent coating on the glass transmits heat from the sun and provides high light transmission to create a naturally lit, comfortable environment all year round. This ensures rooms can stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which is ideal for our climate and weather conditions.

There is a big difference between an easy clean coating and a Pilkington Activ™ coating; although some rooflight suppliers may claim they are the same. Unlike other factory applied coatings, Pilkington Activ™ will last the lifetime of the glass, removing any concerns you may have over access to reapply a coating after just a couple of years. By using a natural dual action process to clean it is therefore a more environmentally friendly option.

The Lumen rooflight range includes the Lumen conservation rooflight; replicating an original Victorian design by featuring casements and a glazing bar for added strength. Designed to sit flush, this low profile rooflight meets conservation requirements as it remains in keeping with listed architecture.

Apologies if I am repeating anything that you have heard before, but the overall objective of the LPOC is the provision of information, the sharing of knowledge and providing assistance to fellow members. To that end, it is hoped that all professionals will gain a modicum of information about the intricacies of VAT, which can be applied whenever you are carrying out work on members’ properties. It is an unfortunate fact of life that the guidance provided by the VAT Office is sufficiently complex to make many contractors charge VAT, "just to be on the safe side". The end result is that the VAT Office reap a tangible financial benefit, every day, that they don’t deserve. Hard earned cash is being paid in VAT by householders - VAT that simply isn’t due. I have been working with the LPOC for about ten years, during which time I have been assisting members in getting contractors to apply the correct rate of VAT, or else to refund over-charged VAT, some time after the event. During that time I have lost count of the number of times I have heard the following phrases: "They won’t zero rate the work." "They won’t zero rate it unless I get something from the VAT Office." "They said there’s no benefit to them in zero rating it." "I didn’t even know that there was any VAT relief on listed buildings until now." What I would like to do, therefore, is to increase the knowledge at the sharp end, with the people who should be applying the relief, where it can legitimately be applied. I therefore invite you to think about any work that you do on a listed property*, and perhaps give me a call. I should then be able to tell you whether or not VAT should be charged, or not. There is a possibility, of course, that it will take more than a two minute phone call, in which case I will advise you whether it merits taking proper advice, at commercial rates. *Listed property = house, flat and other property with a residential fee - eg a nursing home or similar. There are other buildings that qualify, principally charity run buildings - but only those with no ‘business use’. VAT relief - a quick summary that applies to the properties mentioned immediately above: Listed building relief: Property must be listed Work must require and get listed building consent Work must be alteration Repairs are not covered Supply-only is not covered Listed and non-listed relief Change from commercial use to residential use [5%] Change in number [up or down] of dwellings within a property. [5%] Empty for more than 2 years [5%] Installation of "energy-saving materials" [5%] Certain alterations for the disabled [0%] In closing, I would also mention that there is an opportunity to go back three years and correct any over-charges that you might have made. Dave Brown LPOC VAT Adviser Tel: 01795 844939 E-mail: dave@davebrownvat.com

"I am sure that I feel the same way as many other listed property owners; - that we are truly fortunate to be custodians of such wonderful historic buildings"
Mrs Taylor, Listed Property Owner, Wiltshire.

From North to South, East to West, the UK has approximately half a million Listed buildings. In addition there are numerous period properties dotted around the country in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty. These buildings form an important part of our countries history and provide a valuable insight into techniques and designs from years gone by.

Organisations such as English Heritage exist to protect and promote England's spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood. Supporting this work are the likes of SPAB; The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings which was founded by William Morris in 1877 to counteract the highly destructive 'restoration' of medieval buildings being practised by many Victorian architects.

Today SPAB is the largest, oldest and most technically expert national pressure group fighting to save old buildings from decay, demolition and damage. They represent the practical and positive side of conservation and have a firm set of principles about how old buildings should be repaired and the practical knowledge to show how these can be put into effect.

Their successes are visible across the country. Thousands of historic buildings survive which would have been lost, mutilated or badly repaired without their intervention.

Yet for all these success stories there is still a growing number of period property owners ignoring the past and using inappropriate materials to renovate or refurbish buildings that have stood proud for decades. With budgets currently being squeezed by the economic downturn and an ever increasing range of ‘fake/effect’ products coming onto the market, there is a real risk of these buildings being stripped of the very materials that create their charm and character.

Today, homeowners can choose from fake lead products, pre-fabricated chimneys, cast iron effect rainwater systems and modern bulky rooflights claiming a ‘conservation style’. With budgets tight these types of products are obviously tempting to period property owners, particularly as many of the manufacturers also claim that these modern materials even offer much coveted environmental benefits.

As Managing Director of Tuscan Foundry Products Limited, I have seen first hand the onslaught of plastic rainwater goods trying to emulate the benefits of cast iron. It is certainly true that today these alternative modern materials have made great advances from a few years ago but they still have a long way to go before offering anything like the benefits provided by cast iron. Reliable cast iron has proven its worth over the years in demanding applications, a historical track record unmatched by substitute materials.

A building contractor once said to me that ‘if plastic guttering had been available to the Victorians, they would have used it’. Whilst we will never know whether this might have been the case, we can be reasonably certain that it would not have stood the test of time in the way cast iron has.

It appears the reason for using plastic over cast iron is firstly price and second that it does not require painting. This in itself contradicts the reason why many people choose a period property in the first place. I cannot think of a single customer who chose to own a period property because it was cheap or did not require any maintenance. These buildings have history, need care and are usually a labour of love for the owner.

The Listed Property Owners Club is an organisation helping Listed property owners to be kept informed about their rights and responsibilities. Membership gives access to detailed advice, information and support for just about every conceivable issue associated with ownership.

Managing Director, Kellymarie Smith comments:
"Many owners buy listed properties because they fall in love with the character of the building, they are also proud to own a little piece of our heritage. Most owners enjoy researching the history of their property and sharing it's story making the property come alive. It's very disappointing when owners replace original architectural items with modern materials which detract from the character, quite often it is a lack of knowledge on the owners part when they don't realise the visual and sometimes detrimental damage they are doing to their building. We try to recommend owners think about the quality of the repairs and maintenance they are doing, rather than just looking at the price tag. It is also important for them to remember they will need to consult their conservation officer with changes such as the rainwater goods - if the builder says it's ok owners should still get a 2nd opinion."

Membership of LPOC will help you avoid potentially expensive pitfalls and stay on the right side of your conservation officer and ensure that owning a listed building becomes less of a chore and more of a pleasure.

There are many product manufacturers that have identified a potentially lucrative market in the refurbishment of older properties. They have taken existing products, designed for modern applications and pushed them as something they are not. A prime example is the conservation skylight, where cheap bulky framed rooflights that sit proud of the roof line have a plastic bar screwed to the front to give a so called conservation effect. Unfortunately a large number of owners and building contractors are choosing this type of product over genuine conservation rooflights; based not on quality but price.

Whatever company you purchase your products from, it is important that you choose the right materials. When making decisions about whether to use modern alternatives you should remember those quirky period features that originally attracted you to the property. By choosing inappropriate materials you may save money in the short term but this could be at the expense of the original period character and ultimately reduce the value of the property.