Finish Off Attic Space

Here are some must do tips to follow when finishing your attic.

Finish off attic space.

Follow the rule of 7s. Finished attics need stairs that meet all of the standard staircase requirements. At the lyons house this meant that only a portion of the attic was usable though some of the low clearance area was tapped for storage. Just because it seems like there is enough space in your attic to be converted into a finished room doesn t mean it s actually a good idea to try it.

Building code also requires that the. It needs a certain amount of loft to work properly. Stairs can take up a lot of space in both the attic and in the floor below so they are important considerations for planning. When done without proper planning or adherence to local building codes it can actually reduce the value of your home or stall a sale.

To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes. In general stairs must be at least 3 feet wide and provide at least 6 feet 8 inches of headroom. If you re finishing your attic insulating it to the proper r value can cause a dramatic loss of headroom if you limit yourself to fiberglass batts. For a finished attic to be to code it must satisfy the same living requirements of other rooms sometimes called the rule of sevens any living space in a home needs to have at least 7 feet 2 1 m of clearance from the floor to the ceiling and there needs to be at least 70 square feet of space available at least 7 feet 2 1 m in each direction.

User 3093107 posted in construction techniques on september 16 2020 09 17pm i m building an outdoor office for my wife. Finishing the attic into liveable space nets an average of 9 3 out of 10 joy score or sense of happiness the owners have upon completion on nar s renovation report. Staple insulation between the wall studs and ceiling joists image a. The building is new 2 4 stud construction on a concrete pad.

Just keep structure safety and purpose in mind as you plan out your new space. Finishing an attic space. Every attic is different but a few established norms and practices will guide your renovation. Most of the time it turns out to be unfeasible and here are the four main reasons why we usually don t see these projects move forward.

The botton story has an 8 ceiling with can lights. Enforcement varies but codes typically say that at least half of a finished attic must be at least 7 feet high and that this area must be a minimum of 7 feet wide and 70 square feet. At least 50 step 2 make sure the attic has a full size staircase. The building is 20 x10.

If building a knee wall for storage like karl did with this project make sure to insulate that area as well. For the right home and market a finished attic can feel like a cherry on top of the property. Finishing your attic can add space and utility and increase the value of your home as long as it s done properly. So if you re planning to get a few years of use out of it the investment might make more sense.

Step 1 check the ceiling height.