Building Out An Attic To Usable Space

Considering usable floor space.

Building out an attic to usable space.

Attic conversions allow homeowners to build up rather than out for a renovation that maximizes space. Figure out how you re going to get up and down from the finished attic space. However in some cases the joists are intentionally built strong enough for the homeowner to later build out the attic. If your home is smaller than other homes in your area or simply lacks the necessary amount of storage or living space for your family finishing your attic is a relatively inexpensive way to increase your usable space.

A straight run stair will chew up 10 to 14 feet of floor space. Whether you want another bedroom or just extra living space there is some major value to adding an extra room. Converting your attic into usable finished space can increase the value of your home by maximizing the available square footage. While local codes vary many communities will not permit the ceiling in a finished.

Revamping your attic to create additional useable space is a great way to avoid having to add an addition or even completely uproot yourself and your family in favour of a new bigger home. If the space and budget permit you can create an awesome living space that can even add some extra value to your home. Your attic has a climate of its own. Warmer in both summer and winter if it s well insulated.

Enlarging an existing stairway or adding a new one will affect spaces below. That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters. The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes. The ceiling load may include items like drywall ducts recessed lights bathroom fans and attic insulation.

Most houses attics are built without flooring and are not designed to carry the heavy load of finished space. For maximum comfort create a separate zone within your hvac system for the finished space. If one gets stained swap it with one in a less conspicuous part of the room. The hunt for extra square footage in your home never stops.

A modular sectional makes a great place to snuggle and lounge. There s a chance you ll need to enlarge the system if your attic wasn t heated or cooled previously so call in a pro to make sure it s up to snuff. An attic bedroom exploits roof space previously devoted to high school yearbooks and nesting sparrows. Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes.

Carpet tiles are also a brilliant choice for playrooms. Reclaiming the space under your roof also avoids many zoning and easement concerns common chores when adding onto a house. The headroom in the attic will determine how much usable floor space you have.