Many homeowners will face the struggle of wanting to build an addition onto their home, but not having the space to do so. While building outwards may not be an option, there’s always the possibility of building upwards with a custom attic conversion.
When you think of an attic, you likely picture all those Christmas-labeled boxes and old junk you wish you could just throw out.. An attic conversion will allow you to transform that wasted space into a fully-functional room.
Before you start looking into a carpentry project of this size, there’s a wide variety of things you should take into consideration.
Benefits of Custom Attic Conversion
An attic conversion will bring you and your family a variety of short-term and long-term benefits to enjoy. At the forefront, it’s giving you an extra room to design however you’d like. Looking further ahead, the extra room will help increase the value of your home.
Many contractors will look towards an attic conversion before an addition due to its simplicity. Already having a majority of the structure in-tact, a majority of the job will be spent finishing the walls, floor, and ceiling. This means a quicker and cheaper job.
An attic conversion will give you a wide range of options when deciding what to do with the room. They make for excellent home offices, bedrooms, recreational rooms, home theaters, and walk-in closets. If you feel comfortable enough, some homeowners will rent the room out for extra income.
Is Your Home Ready for an Attic?
Just because you have an attic, doesn’t mean it’s ready or even able to be converted into a functional room. You’ll have to ensure you follow code and meet the requirements set by your local municipalities. It’s best to have a professional take a look at your attic before getting too far ahead of yourself.
Two of the major drawbacks to an attic conversion will be with ceiling height and temperature. Many attics won’t clear the 7-foot minimum ceiling height requirement, while others will struggle to maintain a temperature of 68 degrees. You might have to raise your roof, lower the ceiling below the attic, or re-do the insulation.
Outside of that, your professional will also be double-checking the structure of the attic and whether or not you will have room for easy access to the attic.
Designing & Building
Once you’ve been cleared to start your project, the fun begins. First, you’ll have to put together a design that exemplifies what you were looking for. The design will include five main talking points — the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the windows, and the stairs.
Space will typically be limited, but creativity can make up for that in a heartbeat. For example, utilizing built-in shelves, drawers, and cabinets will help you add storage without sacrificing space.
The stairs will typically present a difficult decision. Some attics will have enough room for an actual staircase, some will work well with a spiral-staircase, while others might have to settle for a folding staircase. Either way, you’ll need some way of getting up there if you want to enjoy it!
There’s a lot to consider when converting your attic into a functional room, but our professional carpenters in Swansboro, NC and the entire Carteret County area can give you all the necessary advice and help you need for a job well done. You’ll be surprised when you realize that space has been there this whole time; it just wasn’t being utilized properly.
