If you are looking for a way to add living space to your property, going for an attic conversion is a great idea. This is also one of the surest ways to add value to your house. Attic conversions can get very complicated, however, and there are some things you have to know before you start your project. If you ignore certain steps, you might end up causing irreparable damage to your property or going way over budget. There are also certain regulations you need to be aware of. Here are some of the things you should do before transforming your attic.
Know If You Are Allowed To Transform It In The First Place
Not everyone can transform their attic, and the laws where you live will dictate if you can do it or not. You must know what these rules are before you start as you don’t want to eventually have to tear everything down. The way the roof is constructed will weigh in the balance. The way you connect the attic to the floor below will also have to be up to code. Some places will require that you have fixed stairs for the space to be inhabitable. So, these are things you’ll have to review before you start your project.
One of the most important things you will have to check is head clearance. While requirements will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, you usually need at least 7″ of head clearance for the project to be up to code, and that is after the ceiling is finished. If you don’t meet this requirement, you might be obligated to raise the roofline which will add significantly to your total costs, so be prepared for that.
You Might Have To Clean It & Insulate It First
If it has been a while since you haven’t cleaned the attic and the insulation is getting old, you might have to think about hiring an attic cleaning and insulation service. You might be able to do the cleaning yourself, but it’s not recommended that you install insulation on your own. Insulation is extremely important if you want to make the attic livable and you want to preserve as much energy as possible. Cleaning the attic thoroughly will not only make renovations easier, but it will also ensure that there are no pests or pest carcasses there.
Think About Noise Insulation
You also have to think about noise when building a livable attic. You want to protect the room from outside noise, but you also want to prevent activity in the attic from disturbing other people in the house. Noise proofing can be done in different ways. One of the things you could do is add more robust floor joists. Insulating the floors can also work. But, if you want to keep costs to a minimum, you can also add some area rugs or carpet.
These are all things you have to consider before you even start thinking of finishing your attic. Once you have everything down, you can start looking at different design ideas.
