Build House Use Attic

Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes.

Build house use attic.

It s important that the attic be properly insulated vented and sealed from the main part of the house. In general does it make sense to use an attic as a future expansion of livable space. Don t forget to factor in the inches you will lose with flooring and ceiling coverings. If you want to use your attic on a regular basis or to store large items you may need to enlarge the access opening and install an access ladder or drop down stairs.

Use of joists in attic flooring covering the ceiling joists in the attic using plywood is a cheap way to make better use of the wasted space in your house. Of course we don t want an in law suite but i was wondering if it makes sense to convert it into bedrooms and a play area later. The attic is an important part of your house but if it s not properly designed or maintained any number of problems particularly with ice buildup and water damage can occur. Standard joist spacing for the installation of attic flooring materials is 16 inches on center oc meaning the distance from the center of one joist to the center of the next joist is 16 inches.

Just put your insulation in the roof and don t build the traditional attic make it a loft. Attics need to be properly insulated. You can build a home with or without an attic. An attic sometimes referred to as a loft is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building.

That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters. Precise measurement is the most difficult as you need to consider all underlying obstructions carefully before proceeding with your plans. What are the pros and cons if any. The subfloor installation is easy.

In addition the living space must equal at least 70 square feet with a minimum width of 7 feet. Ie build the house now without finishing the attic and then later complete it. If your attic isn t ventilated well that humid moist air will build up in the attic space and can cause mold to grow. If the attic has the potential to become a regular living space talk with a contractor about adding a fixed stairway.

An attic may also be called a sky parlor or a garret because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the top floor of a building and the slanted roof they are known for being awkwardly shaped spaces with exposed rafters and difficult to reach corners. However most require that at least half of the attic has a height of 7 feet 6 inches.