Adding an Attic Bedroom

Simply running some electric wire, throwing in some insulation, and sheetrocking the walls and ceiling of an attic typically won’t cut it from a code compliance perspective. Most attic framing is not designed to support the weight or openness of a finished room such as an attic bedroom. The ceiling joists from the lower level room are often not large enough to act as floor joists for a finished living space, so sistering of larger lumber may be required.

Also, if roof trusses were used in the roofs construction they simply cannot be cut to make more open area. Cutting roof truss members, even small ones, can seriously weaken your home’s roof structure and could lead to catastrophic failure. An architect or structural engineer should be called in to evaluate your roof trusses and to best assess what you can and cannot do relative to your attic bedroom plans.

Attic Bedroom Ingress/Egress Besides the existing structural concerns of an unfinished attic, sufficient attic ingress and egress is another major issue that needs to be addressed during the planning stages of adding an attic bedroom. The attic bedroom will need a standard stairway or door opening to enter and exit it. This may mean utilizing some of the lower level finished space to support a new staircase. In addition, a large window, or a second door to exit the attic will also be required.

If a window is to be the second means of ingress/egress to/from the attic bedroom, then it will need to meet code requirements to allow a fully outfitted fireman to enter the attic bedroom.

Attic Bedroom Roof Pitch Another major issue that needs to be addressed up front from when adding an attic bedroom is the evaluation of the roof pitch. If the roof pitch is too shallow there may be inadequate space for adding an attic bedroom. In some cases, you may need to consider adding a large dormer onto the roof to open up the attic for additional headroom space. In many cases you will need to include knee walls in your attic bedroom conversion plans to limit the lowest roof height of the finished attic bedroom. Attic Bedroom Lighting Adequate lighting is also often a problem when adding an attic bedroom. You may want to include skylights in the roof, and certainly windows if your plans include the installation of an attic dormer.

Attic Bedroom Heating and Cooling

Sufficient heating and cooling is another major concern when contemplating adding an attic bedroom. Attics get extremely hot during the summer months so the need for air conditioning is a must. Likewise, heating needs to be factored into the plans. Sometimes it makes more sense to install a standalone heating and cooling system in the attic bedroom versus trying to extend the existing HVAC system up into the attic. Often the existing HVAC system is not capable of supporting the additional living space and the work to pipe it in can be extremely difficult.

Attic Bedroom Safety

Finally, besides having sufficient ingress and egress into your attic bedroom, there are a number of other safety issues that you will need to address. When adding an attic bedroom you will need to incorporate smoke detectors and suitable bedroom electrical circuits into the plans. Also, if your attic bedroom plans include a bathroom, a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) electrical circuit will be required in the bathroom.

Though adding an attic bedroom into your home does present its own set of unique challenges it still does provide one of the highest rates of return for home remodeling projects. However, as with any major investment in your home, proper planning is essential for its success.