How To Make Attic Space Livable

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

How to make attic space livable.

Wire the attic for electricity. Floor covering area rugs are awesome lighting especially in an attic that might not have tons of natural light wall color could be fabric or can you paint. Pull down stairs won t be appropriate in this case and you ll need a permanent staircase. The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes.

That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters. Most attics will need a sub floor to be laid that you can build on top of. Dormers range in sizes so decide which will work best for you and your existing structure. Remove any existing loose or blown insulation in the attic.

Your attic needs to be easily accessible in order to fulfill its function well. Carpet tiles are also a brilliant choice for playrooms. Making sure your attic loft or mezzanine can be a usable living space is key. How to turn the attic into a living space if you re ready to turn your attic from a storage area to a bedroom home office or other living space here is what you need to know tips on how to make it happen.

You also have to decide where the loft stairs will begin and check how much space it will need. You can increase the space in your attic by adding a dormer which is a window structure that protrudes from the roof slope to provide more headroom space in the attic. Four key ingredients to create a livable moment in an empty space. Make a plan to make it grand.

Use a builder s vacuum to get all of the small pieces. Insulating and wiring 1. Lay a sub floor if necessary. Marketing and communications manager of builderscrack jeremy gray points out that a ceiling isn t typically designed.

Codes vary from place to place but the rule of 7 for using an attic as an actual room typically applies. At least half of your attic space must be 7 feet high by 7 feet wide with a total of 70 square feet. If one gets stained swap it with one in a less conspicuous part of the room. Attics don t generally offer a great deal of floor space and ceiling height.