Turn Attic Into Living Space

Storage is always at a premium in most homes and converting an attic into living space presents a wonderful opportunity to create some built in storage solutions such as this brilliant window seat storage unit with built in shelving and drawers to maximize the use of space.

Turn attic into living space.

In order to turn your attic space into living space the ceilings must be 7 feet from the floor. When we had our townhouse built we had the option to turn the unused attic into a functional living space. Think creatively about how to get the most out of the shape of your space. We chose not to do it and i ve regretted it since.

Make sure your attic has enough overall space and height to serve as a room. An attic with a steeply. Regulated for a reason like basement remodels attic conversions have restrictions that make them less attractive for remodeling as they might first appear. You ll need a much larger staircase and landing to accommodate furniture.

The stairs have to be wide enough to handle a dresser or sofa but also have a large enough landing to handle the turn at the top. At least half of your attic space must be 7 feet high by 7 feet wide with a total of 70 square feet. First things first you have to know how much of your attic space is actually usable. Converting an attic has house wide structural implications.

Make a plan to make it grand. Pull down stairs won t work for an attic room so you must add a permanent staircase. If your attic isn t 7 feet you could lower the floor or raise the attic height. One way is by working within the home s existing footprint and converting the attic into living space.

Got odd room angles. An attic conversion requires easy access from an adjoining second story room or a staircase to. Turning that attic into living space is going to add some previously unaccounted for load upstairs. Did you know a room has to have a certain amount of floor.

Think of load as weight that additional load at the top of your house was not planned for structurally when your home was built. Turning your attic into a practical living space is a great way to expand your home without paying too much for an actual build on. Here are tips to consider when planning an attic conversion for your home. Below you can see townhouses with and without a third floor.

Some attics may not be able to support the kind of room design you are looking to build. How is your attic built. If you plan to turn your attic space into a bedroom you ll have to have at least two exits. That third floor is how it would look with the unused attic space totally transformed.

Consider your area s building codes and regulations. Codes vary from place to place but the rule of 7 for using an attic as an actual room typically applies. How to turn the attic into a living space 1.