Arizona Attic Remodeling
Arizona attic remodeling can provide much needed space in a cramped AZ home or can just be a bonus room that your children can use for a game room or a movie room. No matter what you plan to use the newly remodeled attic for, you will want to make sure that you consider the foundation and roof trusses of the Arizona home before you begin. You can shop online for available engineers and contractors in your AZ location and get excellent rates when you compare quotes.
Space Ideas
There are many ways to use attic space. Many people in Arizona use it for storage, but it can be refinished and used as a bedroom, playroom, office, or media space. Before you begin an Arizona attic remodeling project, you should first determine what you plan to use the space for. Maybe you just need a bonus room for your teenagers to hang out in, or perhaps you need a place to work. No matter what your attic remodeling plans, you will need to consider items like the location of the stairs and new windows.
If you are remodeling the attic for an additional bedroom, you will need to add windows to the space. Anytime a space is used as a bedroom, it must have egress windows that are big enough for a person to climb through in case of a fire. If the roof is a standard rake roof, this is easy to do. In a mansard roof, on the other hand, a window is a little harder to add. You may need to consider a dormer window for these, which can be slightly more expensive.
Cost of Attic Remodels
The cost of Arizona attic remodeling depends on several factors. Remodeling considerations include the type of trusses that the home has, what kind of stairway you plan to add, and the current foundation. The type of trusses are crucial when considering a Arizona attic remodeling project. If the trusses are W trusses, the cost of the remodel will be much higher than if the home has standard trusses.
Headroom is also an important factor when doing an Arizona attic remodeling project. The standard headroom in a home is six foot, eight inches. In order for you to get the headroom you need, you may have to cut the trusses and add knee walls to support the roof. A structural change such as this must be designed by an Arizona professional engineer and permitted through the local building department. It is important to have this done correctly to eliminate jeopardizing the structural integrity of the roof.
The foundation of the home is also an important consideration for an Arizona attic remodeling job. You will be adding an additional dead load onto the home when you do the remodeling project. You will want to be sure the foundation is strong enough to support the additional weight of the new room. Again, it is a good idea to have this inspected by a professional engineer in Arizona to eliminate any potential problems later.
Choosing Material
When choosing the material for an Arizona attic remodeling job, you will want to be sure to choose material that is structurally sound enough to support the additional weight of the new room. When you look at an unfinished attic, you will likely see the ceiling joists for the room below. Most of the time, there is insulation between the joists. You will need to add subflooring and then decide what type of floor you will want to have in the room.
For the flooring of the new space, carpet or linoleum is a good choice because it will be more lightweight than tile. You can choose a variety of linoleum products that are on the market today that can look like tile without having the extra weight. Of course, carpet also comes in many different styles and colors so you can undoubtedly find one that will work for your Arizona remodeling project.
For the windows in an Arizona attic remodeling job, the best choices are the ones that will tilt inward for ease of cleaning. You can find these in a variety of styles and colors to fit the needs you have. You can even purchase ones that have blinds in between the glass, which is an added convenience for cleaning as well. You may want to consider vinyl windows which are made to last for many years and require very little maintenance.
Arizona attic remodeling can increase the value of your Arizona home while giving you additional space. Be sure to request quotes from several licensed and insured contractors before beginning the remodeling project. Whether you plan to use the room as a bonus room, or just need a space to store your photos, you will find that remodeling the attic is the perfect solution.
