Attic Remodeling Planning

Summarized below are some key attic remodeling ideas to consider when contemplating remodeling your attic.

Have an Architect or your Local Building Inspector Evaluate your Unfinished Attic Space

One of the first things you should do as part of your attic remodeling planning is have an architect or local building inspector evaluate your attic to see if it can legally be remodeled. They will inspect for roof construction, the size of the existing ceiling joists, and the amount of headroom that is available in it. Most likely they will not disqualify the attic for remodeling, but instead give you input on what you will need to do to make it into a useful living space. For example, roof trusses are specifically designed for your home. Consequently they cannot be randomly cut to make headroom space. With proper architectural engineering however, counter bracing may be able to be included into the existing roof truss structure to enable some careful cutting of the roof trusses to create additional headroom space.

Inclusion of Adequate Ingress/Egress into the Attic An attic ladder system is inadequate for ingress and egress to a finished attic. When developing your attic remodeling plans consider how you plan to access the finished attic space. This may mean adding a new staircase in your home, or gaining access to the attic via the addition of a staircase in an attached garage. In some cases, where you might be finishing the attic space above an attached garage, you may be able to punch a doorway into the garage attic space via the second level of the main home.

Include Natural Light in Your Attic Remodeling Plans

One important attic remodeling idea is to include natural light into your attic remodeling plans. Consider adding skylights or dormers into the roof to let in natural light. There are narrow skylights that can easily slip in between existing roof rafters to help avoid significant construction costs. Dormers will cost a lot more to install, however certain dormers, e.g. a shed dormer, can help add floor space and additional headroom.

Sistering Larger Lumber to Ceiling Joists when Remodeling an Attic Most ceiling joists are not meant to support the weight of a living space above them. Do not be surprised if the building inspector or architect suggests the need for sistering up to the existing ceiling joists wider lumber. Your ceiling joists for example could be constructed out of 2×6 lumber. Consequently it may be necessary to screw to each ceiling joist an adjacent 2×8 board to beef up the ceiling joist, to support the extra weight of the finished attic living space. If you do not do this, you may wind up with cracked ceilings on the lower level, as the 2×6 ceiling joists will flex under the weight of a remodeled attic.

Heating and Cooling a Remodeled Attic

One critical attic remodeling idea to address is the installation of adequate attic heating and cooling. A remodeled attic can be extremely uncomfortable if heating and cooling are not properly addressed during the attic remodeling planning stage. Frequently it makes more functional and economical sense to install a separate and standalone heating and cooling system for the finished attic than to tie the attic into the existing heating and cooling system.

Attic Remodeling Safety Concerns

Finally, when planning an attic remodeling project you need to think about safety. Besides the main ingress/egress from the attic, you will need a secondary route, such as a large window. In addition, you may need to include a rope ladder near the second ingress/egress.

You will also need to include a smoke detector in the attic, and if your attic remodeling plans include a bathroom, a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) circuit will be required in the bathroom.

By considering all of these attic remodeling planning ideas upfront you will increase the probability of a successful attic remodeling project.