Attic Renovation – Planning Guide – Bob Vila

Photo: Borges Brooks Builders

Want more livable space in your home? Dont want to spend a kings ransom? Attic conversion has fit the bill for countless homeowners over the years.

Unlike many basements, attics are dry, and being free of major appliances (e.g., the furnace), they are also quiet. You can devote the finished space to any number of purposes: Attics are suitable as home offices, TV rooms, art studios and even bedroomsthe list of possible uses goes on at length.

Related: Planning Guide: Basement Remodeling

Before starting on an attic conversion project, youll need to negotiate a gauntlet of building codes. Of course, these vary from one municipality to the next, but most codes correspond to one or another edition of the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Story Dwellings (IRC).

To view the latest IRC codes (as well as previous editions), go here. If youre confused about which edition bears relevance to your individual home, ask an official in the building department of your city, town, village or hamlet.

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Attic Renovation - Planning Guide - Bob Vila