Figure 1 - Finished attic space
Whether you need a family room, bedroom, or office, finishing the attic, depending on its construction, can provide that additional space at a fraction of what an addition to your home would cost.
No matter what the construction method, angles or height, the attic immediately provides you with weather tight space.
In this article we are discussing converting an attic to livable space (adding a bathroom in the attic is not discussed), not adding a second story to the house. Not all attics can be conveniently, and that is a relative statement, converted to livable space. Whether or not your home’s attic can be converted is dependent upon two items.
- Roof framing:
- Access:
New homes generally use trusses, as shown in Figure 2, as the method to frame or create the roof. Trusses are engineered roof supports that are made in a factory. Their primary advantages are that they are much less expensive in material and labor than handmade roof framing. But they have numerous cross members called a web, unlike a handmade roof, and hence do not provide free space that can be converted into a livable attic.
The new finished attic space must be easy to access and that means a set of stairs. If the access to your attic is currently a trap door or attic steps, consideration must be given to the installation of a stairway.
Stairways take up a lot of space and positioning one in your home may not be an easy or even feasible exercise.
Note: If you do not currently have a stairwell, but believe that you have the necessary space to install one, I suggest you invest in some 3D software. 3D software, is easy to use and will allow you to see the effects of adding the stairwell into your current home before you hammer in the first nail. It is definitely a worthwhile investment.
You may also need a building permit and the 3D software will be able to provide you with the plans for submission to your local building department.
Additional information on 3D software.
If you have a handmade framed attic space and have a stairway as attic access or have the space to install a stairway you have the initial requirements for an attic conversion.
Additional information on building stairwells
Additional information on building stairs.
No one can provide you with detailed instructions on how to finish your attic space, as no two attics are identical. However there are some common elements and tasks that are common in all cases.