Building Out An Attic To Usable Space

Converting your attic into usable finished space can increase the value of your home by maximizing the available square footage.

Building out an attic to usable space.

Enlarging an existing stairway or adding a new one will affect spaces below. The hunt for extra square footage in your home never stops. The headroom in the attic will determine how much usable floor space you have. A stair designed with an intermediate landing and two runs needs about 8 feet on the lower level.

Warmer in both summer and winter if it s well insulated. If one gets stained swap it with one in a less conspicuous part of the room. A straight run stair will chew up 10 to 14 feet of floor space. Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes.

Figure out how you re going to get up and down from the finished attic space. While local codes vary many communities will not permit the ceiling in a finished. Carpet tiles are also a brilliant choice for playrooms. Most houses attics are built without flooring and are not designed to carry the heavy load of finished space.

If the space and budget permit you can create an awesome living space that can even add some extra value to your home. The ceiling load may include items like drywall ducts recessed lights bathroom fans and attic insulation. A modular sectional makes a great place to snuggle and lounge. If your attic is a playroom pile on vibrant colors to make the space bright and happy.

Whether you want another bedroom or just extra living space there is some major value to adding an extra room. That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters. Your attic has a climate of its own. 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.

The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes. Attic conversions allow homeowners to build up rather than out for a renovation that maximizes space. However in some cases the joists are intentionally built strong enough for the homeowner to later build out the attic. Reclaiming the space under your roof also avoids many zoning and easement concerns common chores when adding onto a house.

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. Converting an attic to a living area yields a modest return on your investment. 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.