Attic Room

An attic room can serve as a bedroom, office or play room, depending on your family's needs and the amount of usable square footage in this region of your house. Attic space doesn't have to be consigned to storage. The classic stereotype of the spooky, cobweb-filled attic has been erased by new home improvement trends that allow families to take advantage of this area of their home.

If your attic is cluttered with old boxes, dust and debris, you may be overwhelmed by the thought of clearing out the area, much less creating an attractive, comfortable room. Photos in online galleries, design books and home improvement or architectural magazines can inspire you with new ideas for your attic room remodel. As you develop your plans, talk with a local contractor about your ideas for expanding and finishing the attic room. Building codes have specific spatial requirements for inhabited rooms, as well as requirements for exits and entry ways.

Attic Room Remodeling Requirements

Remodeling an unfinished attic can be a substantial undertaking. If you have exposed rafters, beams and installation, these elements will need to be integrated into a more livable environment in order to turn your unadorned attic room into a functional bonus room. You may need to update your ventilation and insulation in order to provide adequate air flow and temperature control in the upper regions of your house. If your attic doesn't have adequate access, new pull down stairs or a knee wall door may need to be installed.

Before you get started, discuss your attic window plans with a qualified contractor who is familiar with the building codes in your area. A certain amount of head space may be required in order to consider the room inhabitable. At least two exits are typically required, including the primary source of access and a second exit or window that allows access to the ground in the event of a fire or other disaster. Some codes require a full size staircase as an entry to the room for optimal safety.

Floors are often a major concern when remodeling this region of a house. Especially in older houses, floors may be unstable and lack a secure foundation. An unfinished floor can be hazardous in a room where children will play or adults intend to set up a spare bedroom or office. A subfloor and extra joists may be required to stabilize the surface and make it safe for normal activity and habitation. If plumbing and electrical wiring are added, the depth of the floor may need to be extended in order to accommodate pipes or electrical lines.

If you have a large, expansive attic, the space can be separated into distinct areas using trusses. If your ceiling slants at a narrow angle, you may not be able to utilize the entire area as office, bedroom or play space. In this case, the restricted area could be put to good use as storage space, while the larger portion could be inhabited. Review your attic room plans with a licensed home improvement contractor to assess the structural features of your house and how they will affect your remodeling ideas.

Insulation and Ventilation

Insulation and ventilation are key concerns when remodeling an attic room. Attics are notoriously hot, dark and stuffy because heat naturally rises upward in any home. A thermostatically controlled exhaust fan can expel heat out of the area when temperatures rise. Even if this part of your residence isn't occupied, an exhaust fan can play and important role in keeping your entire structure cool and preventing high utility bills in the summer time. Fans also expel the moist, cold air that can make your rooms uncomfortable in winter and encourage the growth of mildew.

If you happen to have a dark, classically shadowed attic room, a window or skylight may be added to increase illumination in the space. However, the addition of a skylight or window may also admit cold drafts and moisture into the house in the winter time, while allowing conditioned air to escape the house in the summer. The addition of a window requires a reconsideration of your existing insulation to avoid the loss of conditioned air and control the cost of heating and cooling your rooms.

In regions of the country that experience extremes of temperature in summer and winter, insulating and ventilating the upper segment of the house are crucial. Vents should be placed in the roof or the sides of the structure to allow hot air to be expelled and to block leaves and other debris from entering the dwelling. To ensure that your attic room is comfortable, well illuminated, safe and attractive, work with a qualified local contractor to achieve results that will maximize the value of your property and increase your satisfaction with your home.