Convert Your Attic Into Living Space

The attic may be one of the spaces in the house that everyone prefers to avoid, but many people forget that an attic can be a great place for a bedroom or an additional living room. Converting your attic to living space ads square footage to your home, increasing your home value.  Thinking about converting your own attic? You’ll want to do your homework first. Be sure to check your local building code, and general spec guidelines for residential construction. But for starters, here are some topics to consider.

Access Routes

For an attic to function as a livable space, you will need to have access to it and there will also need to be a fire escape route. This means that, in addition to a staircase that has a minimum clearance height, you will also require a window that will function as another means of exit. If you're not interested in doing a lot of construction, fixing up your attic may not be worth the effort, but if you already have some of these features in place, you're on the path to a space you can really use.

The Floor

Most of us have seen the visuals in movies or on television of someone crawling up to the attic only to fall through the floor, and it's a familiar image for a reason. Because the attic floor will likely be relatively thin, it will need to be reinforced so that it can function as a space for consistent use. Also keep in mind that foot traffic creates noise. To keep noise to a minimum, consider bulking up floor joists. Don’t forget that how much floor you'll add will also impact the available height in your attic.

Adding In Insulation

Whether you want to use your attic as a living room or an exercise area, one thing for certain is that you'll need to install some insulation to keep noise from carrying to lower floors, and to keep the temperature consistent with the rest of the house. It will also be necessary to have heating and cooling units for cold winter weather and hot summer air, as these will ensure that you don't have to deal with any moisture issues in the space. However upscale or down home you want your attic to be, you'll need to consider how to control temperature.

Attics may be the stuff of many myths and scary movies, but by making some structural changes they can be a much-loved extra space in your family home. If you're currently renovating your home and are preparing to sell, give us a call! We’d love offer our professional advice.