Is Your Attic a Good Candidate for Attic Conversion?

If you’re thinking of a home addition project to do this year, you might want to consider sprucing up your attic. Attics often work great as home offices, art studios and even bedrooms. But before thinking of a design, make sure that your attic is really suitable for attic conversion. Check your local building codes, and thoroughly discuss the rules with your contractor. Reliable Design-Build-Remodel, your local expert on attic conversion in Mountain Brook, AL, has this to say on the subject:

In this article, Reliable Design-Build-Remodel offers an overview of the various factors that should be considered before starting an attic conversion project in Mountain Brook, AL:

Area

Your attic should have adequate space for it to be habitable. Codes typically require at least 70 square feet for this.

Ceiling Height

Ceiling height must be at least 7 feet in at least 50% of the usable area. For instance, if you have a total of 200 square feet of usable space, half of it should have ceilings that are at least 7 feet. Other areas should have at least ceilings that are 5 feet high.

Windows

For windows, the minimum glazed area should equal or exceed 8% of the usable floor space. For instance, in an attic with 200 square feet of space and a ceiling height of 5 feet, the window area should be 8% of the 200 square feet. Meanwhile, the openable area should be 4% of the usable space. To get a better sense of these measurements, you should have a remodeling service provider inspect your attic.

Heating

The heating system in your home should be able to keep the attic temperature steady at approximately 68 degrees. Typically, there’s no need to extend the heating into the attic since the attic insulation is already effective in keeping the heated air inside.

Support Capability

Your attic floor should have a load capacity of 30 pounds per square foot. It’s best to have an expert check this for you to be completely sure.

Reliable Design-Build-Remodel is a full service general construction firm operating in the Birmingham metro and Jefferson and Shelby County areas and surrounding communities, including Birmingham, Helena, Chelsea, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Homewood, Montevallo, Alabaster, Vestavia Hills, and Pelham with over 30 years of servicing our valued clients. Offering full service suite of general remodeling, design and build services including our small handyman division. Our specialties include bathroom remodeling, kitchen remodeling, exterior/interior renovations, painting, and more!

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