Account for codes and safety photo by casey dunn.
Build house and finish attic later.
Every attic is different but a few established norms and practices will guide your renovation.
In most cases though the joists cannot support live loads and may not even be covered with boards.
Ie build the house now without finishing the attic and then later complete it.
The ceiling load may include items like drywall ducts recessed lights bathroom fans and attic insulation.
However in some cases the joists are intentionally built strong enough for the homeowner to later build out the attic.
Whether you envision your house s top floor as an away from it all master suite a quiet home office or a hangout spot for the kids read these 14 tips to help you finish your attic remodel.
To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes.
Keep in mind that all building requirements for the project are governed by the local building authority and local code rules.
In general does it make sense to use an attic as a future expansion of livable space.
If the attic passes the space test chances are you can make everything else work but there are a few other big issues to consider before getting serious about finishing.
What are the pros and cons if any.
Once you have a permit install subfloor panels over the floor joists so you can lay down flooring.
Before finishing an attic get the necessary permits from your local housing commission so you don t get in trouble later on if you try to sell your house.
Attic renovations require homeowners to finish an otherwise unfinished space and is not the same as remodeling other rooms in your house.
The total cost of an attic renovation includes the labor cost of contractors inspection fees license fees and materials.
Reclaiming the space under your roof also avoids many zoning and easement concerns common chores when adding onto a house.
Most houses attics are built without flooring and are not designed to carry the heavy load of finished space.
In rare cases especially in new construction homes the attic may have been built unfinished with the correct flooring in place with the idea that the homeowner could later on finish the space.
So if you re planning to get a few years of use out of it the investment might make more sense.
An attic bedroom exploits roof space previously devoted to high school yearbooks and nesting sparrows.
