Building A Room In My Attic

Other options include creating more open flex spaces if you have a large open attic.

Building a room in my attic.

An attic room must measure 10 5 foot at the ridge line and at least 50 percent of the finished space must be 7 5 foot tall or more. Transform an empty attic room into a sanctuary of book lovers. Consult a structural engineer or professional builder for assistance. White walls and furnishings make the small room appear larger and more open.

You ll need a stationary staircase not a pull down in order to meet most building codes as well as ceilings that are at least 7 feet high in more than half of the attic. Measure the headroom in your attic using your measuring tape. You may need to reinforce. If you prefer generating income from your home or would like a family member to stay with you if your attic is large enough you can turn it into a cozy apartment.

A freestanding midcentury modern fireplace fits nicely into the corner of this attic apartment. As home improvement expert bob vila explains most building codes require a load capacity of 30 pounds per square foot. How to reinforce an attic floor with sister joists clear the joist spaces pull out all insulation and any debris from all of the joist spaces so you can see the full. If you re building a stair case from scratch consider a switchback layout.

Measure the old joists measure the length of the old joists and note how much they overhang any supporting walls or. Whatever you do likely your attic space is bonus space. Attic flooring intended for a living space must be installed in compliance with building codes. Paint the walls with a relaxing tone such as grey.

Provide a minimum of 6 8 of headroom the entire walking length of the stairs. The last step is to fill the room with unique furniture. When converting your attic you need to consider live loads people animals and anything that moves. To convert your attic to living space you cannot provide access via a ladder.

It needs more room than a straight run roughly 45 to 50 square feet per floor versus 33 but its footprint is more squarish than linear so it will often fit in spaces where a straight run can t go. Some communities will allow homeowners to do their own construction but they are still subject to. Decorate the walls with framed paintings that trigger your imaginations.