Attic Attractions
If you had the chance to add an extra room to your home, without changing the footprint, would you do it? All you have to do is look up. An attic renovation can add lots of valuable, livable square footage to your home. From storage space to a master bedroom, or a playroom to an office, an attic doesn’t have to be a dark, unused, unlivable space. Put it to good use!
The Paulis, Inc. team can help you design and build attractive and useful attic space to add value and space to your home. Here are some helpful ideas to keep in mind when considering an attic renovation:
Roof restrictions. All attics are built differently. Take a look at your attic’s ceiling to determine how the room can be built. An ideal ceiling will have an A shape with open space underneath the rafters. The more ceiling height, the better! This doesn’t mean a flat ceiling won’t work, but it may take some additional adjusting to create the room. Your design team can help determine the structural framing and what type of room will be best.
Stairway access. You’ll likely need to widen an existing stairway to gain attic access. Most attics are designed with minimal stairs or ladders and won’t be wide enough to carry people and objects up and down daily. A straight run stairway takes up about 10 to 14 feet of floor space, so factor that area in to determine how big your room can be. A space saving idea? A spiral staircase takes up much less room.
Leverage lighting. The most attractive attic renovations usually require adding skylights and windows. You’ll want lots of natural light streaming in, with the added benefit of not having to add costly window treatments, since privacy on the top floor won’t be much of an issue from the street view. Quality, insulated windows will be crucial for adding heat in the winter and cooling in the hot summer months. Choose windows wisely!
Plumbing plans. In addition to HVAC considerations, you’ll need to factor in adding plumbing if you’re building an extra restroom. Your expert designers will be able to assess if your attic floor joists are strong enough the support weight of bathroom features. You can cut costs slightly by locating the new bathroom next to the main stack – reducing the length of pipe you’ll need to carry water to toilets, sinks and drains.
