If you want to maximize your home and you have an attic, converting it will be a great idea. While contemplating renovation of the attic, it will need you to be having key information before.
In this article, I have highlighted 5 essential things that you must know:
- Insulation
In every home, you will find that an attic will be the warmest or coldest place. However, it will depend on the specific time of the year that you will need extra insulation. In some cases, you need a place for getting more sunlight into the loft.
For insulation, spray foam will be expensive than others but offer you the best solution. Insulation below the attic floor, on the other hand, will provide excess heat loss, especially during winter. Besides, the other benefit is that it acts as a sound barrier that mutes attic sounds from outside to floors below.
- Structural Reinforcement
Do you want to add a bathroom in your attic or any other structure? It is a question that you need to ask yourself. So, it will be better to hire a professional to decide on the place to install it. If you hire an engineer a skilled expert, you will be told whether the foundation of that house can hold more weight.
At some point, you might be forced to ensure you have strengthened the floor joists that are shallow sometimes. Besides, these floor joists can also be far and therefore not serving as adequate floor. It’s only an expert who can advise you what you must do.
- Stairs
While renovating your attic, how will you access it? It is therefore essential to think of a loft ladder. So, while flooring, you have to create a space for the staircase that goes up to the attic. It is something that you must consider.
On the other hand, installing the loft ladder, does it force you to expand existing staircases or you need to create a new concept like space-saving spirals? So, you will determine the place you will locate your staircase and consider frequently used loft ladders. If you do so, it will be essential in determining how the outlook layout will be for the newly refinished attic.
- Heating and Cooling
In most cases, people are discouraged to extend the heating and cooling systems to the attic. They find that it can be a bigger task than the anticipated one. So, they will give the place it’s own standalone cooling and heating.
However, the baseboard radiant and heaters can offer good options that are located under-floor. So, it will be essential to consider your heating and cooling system.
- Storage
Lastly, storage will always remain premium in most of the homes. So, converting an attic to a living space will be a greater representation of a wonderful opportunity for creating built-in storage.
So, if you need to create storage in the attic, it will be a great idea. It will help in maximizing the space of the house. The place can also be used for other purposes that you want. Some also convert it into the bedroom.