IP rating stands for 'Ingress Protection'

An IP number is used to classify environmental protection of enclosures around electronic equipment.

The first digit relates to foreign bodies such as tools, hands, fingers and dust.

The second digit related to liquids.

First Digit - Foreign Bodies

0 - No protection 1 - Protected against solid objects greater than 50mm2. (eg hands) 2 - Protected against solid objects up to 12mm2. (eg fingers) 3 - Protected against solid objects greater than 2.5mm2. (eg tools and wires) 4 - Protected against solid objects up to 1mm2. (eg small tools and wires) 5 - Protected against dust, limited ingress (eg no harmful deposit). 6 - Totally protected against dust.

Second Digit - Liquids

0 - No protection

1 - Protection against vertically falling drops of water (example, condensation. 2 - Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical. 3 - Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical. 4 - Protection against water sprayed from all directions - limited ingress permitted. 5 - Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions - limited ingress permitted. 6 - Protected against low pressure jets of water, limited ingress permitted (eg ship deck). 7 - Protected against effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m. 8 - Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure. (eg. swimming pools)

Example IP Ratings

An IP rating of IP44 is protected against solid objects greater than 1mm and water sprayed from all directions

An IP rating of IP68 is totally protected against dust and can be immersed under water at high pressure for long periods

The higher IP Rating more protection offered for your home lighting.

Having right level of protection is especially important in Bathroom Lighting

Now, popular press would have you believe that they do not add value or have limited appeal. However, that blanket broad brush, slightly disrespectful opinion does not ring true for most of our clients. So what is going on? As always, devil is in detail - detail in this respect is mainly focussed on two primary areas:

1. DESIGN and 2. DESIGN.

It's just like location, location location slogan for house values & desirability. Fortunately, planners have got to grips with a lot of loft conversions these days & they now have a great more control of schemes that a few years ago could have been built under Permitted Development. This means that they have encompassed 'good design guides' in an attempt to stamp out ugly full width box dormer that turned a beautiful victorian semi into a something that looks like a car sized packing crate trying to escape from a neighbours roof.

Conversely, many people have argued that 'chocolate box' cottage type pointy roofed dormers (as suggested by planners) are quite simply impractical & do not provide enough space for a fully functional room which in many cases is a very valid & true point. HOWEVER, life is all about compromises & choices have to be made. Fortunately, most members of public are now becoming far more 'design aware' than they ever used to be & slowly by slowly they are beginning to accept that formation of more space must not be at expense of a poor external visual impact that simply jars with whole look of locality. This type of poor dormer design can not only decrease value of your own home but that of neighbours as well.

But yet again there are exceptions. Some suburbs of London for example have a plethora of these types of loft extensions & ones that have not yet been converted look out of place. These types of areas pay more attention to internal design of living space than grotty externals - goes with environment I suppose. Also, some areas are 70's & 80's built estates where whole so called 'architect design' was for this style of flat roofed box dormer which is a commonly accepted fact for area & enjoyed by many.

So, back to my original question - Does a loft conversion or extension add value? In my opinion YES in practically all cases baring a few exceptions. Should it be my first choice of residential development if my site has surrounding ground that allows alternative solutions? Well no in my opinion unless your property is a bungalow. A loft conversion for standard 2 storey dwelling house (detached, semi or terrace) should perhaps be on 'last option' list rather than your first choice - more to do with peoples perceptions rather than anything scientific I could quote.