Thinking About Starting an Attic Renovation?

If you are thinking about an attic renovation you are among the many homeowners who want to expand the usable space in their home. Renovating an attic is especially popular in older homes, where attics are much more common than in newer home designs. Another reason why attics are attractive remodeling projects is that the basement area of many older homes is not suitable for such a project, causing the homeowner to turn upward for more options.

Before diving into detailed planning for your attic renovation, it is important to first take a close look at the structural aspects of your attic to determine if renovation is even possible. Most local building codes require at least ten feet of headroom directly under the ridge line and at least seven and one half feet of headroom over at least 50% of the attic floor space. The roof construction is also critical to whether or not you can renovate your attic space. A roof supported by a great deal of “X” or “W” shaped framing means you will have a hard time creating usable space in the attic because all of that framing has to remain in place. If, however, the roof is supported by cross braces that create a lot of open area in the attic then you are on the right track.

Attic Renovation

Another important structural consideration is the floor of the attic. Remember that the attic floor is also part of the ceiling structure for the rooms below so you have to make sure that structure is strong enough to hold the weight of using the attic as living space. If the floor joists are not strong enough then you can end up with cracked or sagging ceilings, and perhaps even sections of the ceiling that actually collapse. The best way to assess the strength and suitability of your attic structure is to consult with a professional who has the training and experience to tell you everything you need to know right up front. Once you are assured that the structure is adequate, you can move right on to complete planning for your attic renovation.