Would you install air conditioning in a dormer loft conversion?

[Homerenos1]

We are getting a dormer loft conversion in the summer. 1930s semi-detached so will become 3 storeys.
In two minds on whether we pay extra for aircon.
Anyone who has or hasn't installed aircon and whether they regret it?

Definitely. Our bedroom is pretty much in the roof space and it used to get boiling, to the point we would need to drag the mattress downstairs in heatwaves. We got Aircon installed March and I think it's the best money we spent - I am in a duvet in bed with it on now!

Probably depends where you live but we are in London and it is absolutely essential.

We have a Victorian house and I upgraded our insulation in the loft conversion (done last year) because I wanted to minimise AC use. We also have a rooflight over the staircase and windows front and back for a breeze. And even with all this the AC is still essential - it would be unbearable up there without it. We have a guest bedroom and a home office up there so it is used during the day mostly and sometimes at night. Again if it was for occasional guest use only I might chance it but even for resale it’s worth considering.

Fwiw our two units (1 per loft room) were about £4k Inc installation last year. It costs more to retrofit.

ETA - by upgraded I mean we paid more to have insulation beyond the minimum required by building control when we did the loft last year.

We did this - it's portable and we've only used it a handful of times in the last 12 months but for nights like this it's absolutely worth it. It was 32 degrees in our loft bed room 2 hours ago when we turned it on. I've just come up now and it's a lovely cook 23 👍🏻

And to add, we had our loft redone last year and it's properly insulated but it's still an entirely different climate to the rest of the house (Victorian detached). We have solar panels which are working wonderfully in this heat so it isn't costing us anything overall. We're in the NW.

Our basement on the other hand is utterly heavenly right now

@hairstreak

"Yes get aircon for a loft conversion - you've removed your insulating layer so you need something to help."

If you are in UK I don't think you'd get building regulations approval for a loft conversion that didn't confirm with modern requirements for copious insulation.

We’ve got copious insulation in our loft conversion - it was just 5 years ago, v reputable company etc - but it’s still over 30 degrees up there in this sort of heat. The best we can do it try to keep it no hotter than the outside. It’s fine normally, absolutely no problem keeping it warm in winter either, but in very high temperatures like this, it’s boiling.

We were looking into air to air a few weeks back but couldn’t find anyone in the UK who was installing them yet. Would you mind sharing some details of who is doing it? Feel free to pm me🙂

Get it done. Ours is an oven on hot days now. It wasn’t a problem 25 years ago but it is now. DS has slept in his old bedroom which is now the guest room the last four nights. We have a velux on the front and a proper window at the back and fan, but it’s not enough.