One of the most overlooked areas of a home is the attic. Often forgotten except to store old boxes and keepsakes, attics actually have a lot of potential when it comes to remodeling your home, creating more living space, and opening up the space you already have. Heres some attic remodeling ideas, as well as some common challenges most attic remodels face.

When most people think of remodeling attic space, they often think of lofts or other simple renovations to the space. Dont be afraid to think outside the box, however. If youre still in the planning process, heres a list of some popular remodeling projects involving attic spaces to get your gears turning:

Attic remodeling is full of possibility, however you should keep in mind that there are some challenges when it comes to remodeling attic space. The first is ceiling height. Consider 5 feet to be the absolute minimum height for a usable space, and know that even that is pushing it. Youll be hitting your head on a regular basis even if you do abide by this rule. Raising or modifying your roof is always an option, though the high costs of such a project can be prohibitive in the end. The second challenge you may run into is whether the floor of your attic can support a usable living space. Its not unlikely that you might have to reinforce or replace the floor to safely accommodate living areas. Finally, keep in mind the approach. Youll need a stairway to reach your new attic space, so its important that you plan space accordingly. Spiral staircases can save room, and if your attic remodel doesnt include bedrooms, then ladders are also an option.

Whether you plan to do your remodel yourself or hire a contractor, its important that you have the space evaluated ahead of time so you know what youre getting into. Attic floors and roof joists often play a large structural role in holding your home together, and your homes infrastructure, including wiring, plumbing, and ductwork is often housed in your attic as well. Hiring an architect, contractor, or engineer to come in and do a preliminary evaluation of your attic space can help prepare you for the remodeling project to come, and let you know whether you attic is a good candidate for remodeling in the first place.

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Attic Remodeling - attic space, design, ladders, cost, & more

Home Remodeling Services from the Home Improvement Experts at 31-W Insulation

Home remodeling projects can be huge undertakings, making it crucial for homeowners to entrust their projects to reputable and experienced contractors. Fortunately, you can turn to the experts at 31-W Insulation, a company that has served countless satisfied homeowners since 1972. Were not only committed to providing top-notch home improvement services and impeccable craftsmanship, but were also dedicated to giving our customers the level and quality of service they deserve.

Our devotion to exceeding our customers expectations doesnt end there. We also place great importance on completing each and every one of customers projects with superior building materials. Thats exactly why we only offer home improvement products that have been built to last by the industrys leading manufacturers. While our company may have initially focused on providing insulation installation, we now offer home remodeling services for the entire home. You can count on us for the installation of:

Best of all, because we never utilize the work of subcontractors for our customers home remodeling projects, you can rest assured that your project will receive the attention to detail that youd expect from 31-W Insulation.

Well gladly provide a complimentary in-home estimate for your next home remodeling project. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and begin the exciting process of turning your house into a home.

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Home Remodeling - Attic Insulation

Heating and cooling your attic can be a challenge. In summer, intense sunlight cooks the large expanse of the roof over your head; in winter, drafts from wind and cold suck the cozy out of your new attic remodel. Adequately insulating your remodel and extending your HVAC system are the keys to heating and cooling it year-round.

Insulation options

There are many types of attic insulation to install between roof rafters the most important factor in heating and cooling the attic. Choose the highest possible R-value (a materials ability to block heat moving through it), and install it correctly to prevent heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Also leave a couple of inches between insulation and rafters to allow airflow from soffit vents to roof vents.

Fiberglass batts: Six-inch-thick, high-density fiberglass batt insulation with an R-value of 21 (40 cents/sq. ft.) fits snugly in most 2x8 rafter space but also leaves a couple of inches of airspace. In extreme climates, add more insulation to your attic ceiling by increasing the depth of each rafter by nailing 2x2s on the bottom edges of the rafters. The added depth can accommodate R-30 (43 cents/sq.ft.), 8.5-inch-thick high-density fiberglass batt insulation.

Rigid foam: One way to bump up the R-value of your batts is to attach 1-inch-thick sheets of rigid foam to the rafters over fiberglass insulation, then drywall over it. That combination adds an R-value of about R-6. Expect to pay about $1.30/sq.ft. Of course, adding depth to your rafters lowers the ceiling, so make sure your new ceiling height doesnt violate code restrictions for attic ceilingstypically 7 feet 6 inches.

Spray foam: A third heating and cooling option is to have professionals spray foam into the area between the rafters. The R-value of spray foam is approximately twice that of fiberglass of similar thickness. Prices for spray foam installation vary widely by marketexpect to pay a minimum of $3/sq.ft.

Be sure to insulate interior walls between the living area and any unused portion of the attic, such as the space behind knee walls. Also, plug any heating or cooling escape routes at the ends of gables or around existing windows.

Extending heating and cooling systems

Insulation keeps heating and cooling IN your new attic space, but your HVAC system delivers the heat and cool TO the space. Consult with an HVAC professional to determine if your existing system has the capacity to handle the extra load. Even so, you may have to find a path for new ductwork. In some instances, you can borrow space from a closet in the living area below your attic.

If installing new ductwork isnt feasible, consider installing electric baseboard heaters. Two 1,000-watt baseboard heaters, plus a small baseboard heater for the bathroom, will warm the attic for about $150.

Small air conditioners also can supplement or replace your central air conditioning system. Small window units and portable air conditioners that provide between 7,000 and 10,000 BTUs of cooling power will adequately cool a 15x15 attic room. Expect to pay $300 to $600 for a small air conditioner.

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Heating and Cooling Your Attic Remodel - HouseLogic

Previous clients of Seitz Remodeling have one thing in common: quality, efficient, beautiful remodeling projects by fast and professional contractors. Weve been in business over 15 years planning, building and delivering flawless residential and commercial projects to our clients. Take a look at our many projects from tile and granite customizations in the bathroom and state-of-the-art kitchens, cabinetry and counter tops, custom carpentry design, outdoor fencing and indoor shelving and organizational spaces. We bring a total of 20 years of carpentry service to date to all of our clients and no two projects are alike. Hiring a remodel service team that is credible, listens to your needs, is capable of delivering trusted brands and aesthetically pleasing workmanship all on an affordable budget, is the stamp of approval for savvy clients. Seitz Remodeling aims to deliver these qualities and more for each client project. Contractors and homeowners in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area in search of quality remodeling services can count on Seitz Remodeling as a preferred member in the remodeling industry. If your project isnt mentioned on our site, we encourage you to talk to one of our expert builders. Call or email us today for a quote on your custom project.

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We can finally cross the laundry room door off our To-Do List/2015 Goals, and its only January 15th!

This is another one of my Re-use/Re-purpose projects. The door was the original exterior door to the basement.

When we did the attic remodel in 2009, our contractor used a metal door that he had from another project at the top of the attic stairs to try to keep dust down. It was dirty and banged up a bit and he was going to toss it when he was finished. It was the right size for our basement and Pete thought itd be a bit more secure, so we took it and replaced the wood door.

Like everything else in this house when we first moved in, the basement door was painted white, several times, and chipping and peeling everywhere. So waaaaay back in summer of 2010, we stripped it.

One of the wood panel inserts was cracked, but I wanted to replace them with glass anyway. Pete routed out the panels and patched up cracks and plugged the hole from the dead bolt.

Thats about as far as we got for apparently several years (sheesh, how time flies!). Our trim guy fitted and hung the door back in 2012, and down to the basement it went to sit on work horses. And sit

Pete would work on it a little here and there, and last fall I finally finished stripping the decorative trim that framed each panel. Pete had to cut out one side of the trim to remove the panels, so we bought glass bead trim to frame that side once the glass was installed.

FINALLY, we were ready to paint! I wanted to do a slate blue color that goes well with the Marmoleum tile. I chose Benjamin Moores Montpelier (AF-555) and realized as I was painting that it was a lot like the basement gray color! Of course Montpelier sounds a lot better than Basement Gray.

I really wanted to use ribbed textured glass panels, but we needed thick pieces and the glass place said it would have to be tempered glass which would greatly increase the cost. Since this was a free repurpose project, it didnt make sense to pay as much for glass as a new door would cost so we went with translucent white glass.

Over the past few days we put the finishing touches on the door, installing the glass panels with glazing putty and cutting and tacking in the glass bead trim.

Last night we hung the door (after a panicky search for the door hinge plates)!

Now that its finally done Im motivated to repaint the master bathroom, another small project thats been on my to-do list for several years. The door project was also one of the things I wanted to finish, along with cleaning up and re-organizing the basement, in order to move the litter box back downstairs. Romy and Lena have not been allowed down there because of what they might get into, and theyve been dying to know what weve been up to!

Now that were finally back to working on indoor projects, my highest priority was to finally finish the second floor trim, which required a second coat of varnish, and to finish staining and varnishing the utility closet bi-fold doors at the top of the stairs.

Every time I walked upstairs it was right in my face, taunting me. As long as those doors sat unfinished our entire attic renovation was going to appear to be unfinished, at least in my mind.

I was dreading having to stain all those louvers, but I finally set my mind to it. It was kind of a pain but all-in-all it really didnt take that long to do. Next came the sanding sealer followed by a light sanding and then the final coat of varnish.

Voila, the finished product:

Adding the second coat to the rest of the woodwork took the better part of a day, so just as I expected it was about a weekends worth of work. The problem was just finding the right weekend to do it, and with the cold weather settling in my window of opportunity was dwindling.

It was almost exactly a year ago when our woodwork was installed, and Im relieved that this project is finally complete!

Since we had to move all the furniture out of the way to do it, it also allowed me to do a thorough cleaning and find a place for all the crap that has been lying around. It feels great to walk into a neat, organized space.

So, now that thats done weve been working on other smaller projects.

Pete cleaned up his workspace in the basement and took down this laundry room door to finish working on it.

This 5-panel wood door used to be our old back basement door which we replaced with a more secure metal door that our contractor was getting rid of (and no, the panels werent missing when it was still our basement door!). Pete cut out the panels a while back when we stripped off the paint and hes finishing up routing out one side of the panel trim.

Earlier this week we picked up some glass bead moulding, which is the wood trim that holds the glass in the panel, and we also stopped at Evanston Glass and Mirror to choose a glass pattern that will become the new panels for the door. Once installed Ill be painting this door, but Im not sure what color yet Im thinking something a little different but not too crazy, like a nice slate blue?

Hopefully that will be ready to paint soon, but for now were back to working on the cottage remodel (which I havent talked about much lately, I know). Its been slow-going, and I really dont want to get into the particulars because I find it too exhausting, but suffice to say weve got a bunch of things to do over the next few weeks (insulation and other little things) and then were FINALLY ready for the drywallers! If that gets done over the holidays it will be the best Christmas present EVER (well, maybe the best one in recent years).

Well, I hadnt intended to take a 3-month hiatus, but there you go. Frankly, the past few months have been rather sucky for me, in addition to a good part of last year, but I wont get into that.

What I will say, on the positive front, is that after 3+ years we officially and finally passed our final inspection on the attic remodel yippee!

About a year ago we received a letter from the village, telling us that we need to essentially wrap it up or face a possible fine. I didnt think it mattered that we didnt have trim installed or even doors hung to pass, however I was pretty sure that theyd have an issue with our lack of stair railing on part of the staircase so I was reluctant to schedule an inspection. I pretty much ignored the letter for months.

Then our neighbor, who remodeled his bungalow attic after we did, received his letter and promptly called for inspection (that do-gooder!). He passed without a problem, so I thought I might as well give it a shot.

Fail.

As I suspected it was partially due to the stair railing, which because of the winder stairs (those pie-shaped stair wedges used to turn the corner) they required us to install a continuous railing from top to bottom. We also had to connect the shower light to the GFCI outlet (even though it was rated for wet areas), and probably the worst task was that we had to drywall the furnace closet. Ugh, that was going to be the tough one with the angle of the roof, and the fact that the furnace was pretty snug in that space and the spray foam insulation was sprayed around it.

So after putting it off for a few more months we finally decided we had to tackle it and get it over with. The shower light wasnt a problem. We debated about calling our carpenter guy to install the railing but we wanted to do it as cheaply as possible. Home Depot carried a simple style in poplar and we bought the cheapest railing brackets we could find.

I dug up my old-school protractor to figure out the angles we had to cut as it followed the winder stairs, and finally, after I dont know how many hours, it was installed. Of course it still has to be varnished and maybe stained too. I havent decided yet if I should stain it the same color as the trim, or just to leave it natural and varnish it to match the hardwood floors. I think the stain might make it stand out too much.

Even if we never sand the seams and paint it, the furnace closet looks a lot better than it did with the spray foam exposed, but it was a pain to do. Lucky for me, Pete did most of it, haha.

We called for reinspection and just like that, it was done at least the project is completed in the eyes of the local government. While it never seems totally complete in reality (according to my to-do list), its definitely nice not to have that hanging over our heads anymore!

Not only did I clean the bedroom this weekend (the Apartment Therapy January Cure weekend assignment), but we also cleaned the floors in the entire house which was the assignment for the first weekend that I had opted to postpone.

Look at how nice that hardwood looks!

I also decided to move the clothes hamper right next to the chair, upon which I usually tossed my clothes, in an attempt to quash that urge. I figured I could even use the hamper as a side table if I needed to.

Now it looks as though I need to hang something on the wall above it as it looks rather plain.

And as I hoped, Pete has finished working on patching and repairing the walls in the TV room closet, so I will be on track for painting this weekend. I may hold off on varnishing the woodwork until spring when I varnish the second floor trim, so that will save me some time.

The landing strip has been working out great so far. Even Ella gives it a big two paws up!

To me, theres nothing better to do on a dreary, rainy Sunday afternoon when I have the house to myself than to curl up in our master bedroom window seat with a latte, a cat or two and the latest This Old House magazine.

Pete is at the cottage, of course, and I jumped at the chance to stay home. I should be cleaning up the clutter or doing something more productive, but that stuff isnt going anywhere. It can wait until later.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! Of course I was super-busy with work leading up to Thanksgiving when I would have much rather had more time to prepare and just chill out. Along with some family issues its been a stressful month but things should start easing up in a few weeks.

Needless to say, my end-of-year To Do list has gone to hell, partly because Pete and I decided that we werent going to tackle the second coat of varnish this time of year. Its an alkyd varnish so its rather stinky and its just too cold to have the windows open. So that little project has been pushed back to next spring.

We have made progress, however. Even though this trim and staircase project isnt finished (and wont be anytime soon), at least it looks finished!

Oh, what a difference, no?! I think it looks like it was always intended to look instead of as an afterthought. I keep saying this but it really makes the upstairs feel like it belongs to the rest of the house.

I re-painted all the areas that were affected, and Im happy to say that the freshly painted areas blended in perfectly with the existing, even though our dining room paint job has got to be almost four years old now. (Nope, thanks to the blog, I see its actually almost five years old!)

It definitely pays to use a good quality paint for this reason (I used Benjamin Moore Aura), and even though the dining room is a deep orange and faces south there is no sign of color fading.

The carpenter also finished off some areas that I didnt really know how we should finish off, like our little stairwell ledge, which I always intended to use as a picture ledge, that is until the kittens knocked one of my prints over and broke the glass. Luckily they werent hurt, but my adored print was.

Anyway, he ended up extending the baseboard all the way. Once he finished I thought I must be able to find something unbreakable to put there which would also hopefully deter Henry from doing the cat walk (get it? Its a real cat walk! Haha.)

Off I went to Target, and sure enough I found the taller wood-like rectangular vase that fits perfectly in the space. My choices in dried flowers/objects were limited because of the cats, so I chose the wavy stick-like things. Henry still hopped around the vase, so I added the 2 short glass vases on either side and it made it wide enough that he stopped doing it. I need to add some decorative stone to those vases to keep them grounded, but it doesnt look like theyll be able to knock those over.

Now I need to revise that end-of-year list and update my To-Do List for 2013. Ugh.

I just applied the second coat of stain to the staircase and I am loving it! I need to brush on the sanding sealer coat of varnish by tomorrow so that its dry before Saturday when the carpenter arrives again.

He was here last Saturday as well and installed the baseboard trim upstairs its finally looking like a finished home! He has a little more trim to install in the laundry room and then install the door handles. Once all that is done, its still not finished: I have to fill the nail holes, stain the ends that he cut and apply the varnish topcoat.

So while it seems like the end is near, I have a big job ahead of me, not to mention all the cleaning up I have to do.

Looking at my end-of-year to-do list I havent accomplished much, although a lot of what I still need to do has been hinging on the carpenter finishing up first.

Im hoping to be really productive in the coming weeks.

Its Saturday morning and our dining room has quickly transformed into a workshop. The wood for our staircase was delivered yesterday and the carpenter was able to squeeze us in today.

He seems confident that hell get the staircase done, and might be able to start installing the baseboards as well. I was able to snap some photos while he ate lunch, and so far Im super excited about its appearance.

Well be staining this the same color as the trim, and Im hoping hell be finished with the staircase today so we can start on that tomorrow. If not, we still have some baseboard trim to sand (ugh!), and we can always install the kitchen baseboard trim.

There are 10 weeks left until my self-imposed deadline, but considering we are hosting Thanksgiving we really have five weeks to get this part done. It wont be the end of the world if it isnt our families have seen our house in much worse shape but it sure would be nice to show off the finished product by then.

It sounds like the carpenter is in the middle of a big project at the moment but Im hoping hell be able to return at least by next Saturday to continue with the baseboard and (hopefully) finish.

Now that Ive gotten the first coat of varnish on the rest of the baseboard woodwork, I can start to see the end in sight. Theres still a lot left for me to do though, even with the carpenter installing the trim, and Im determined to finish it all by the end of the year.

Here is whats left to really, truly finish the attic remodel:

As if thats not enough, while were doing the upstairs trim and stair installation, it makes sense to try to finish up a few other things on the main floor:

Gawd, I hope thats it!

Its a dreary Saturday.

I dont have anything in particular planned for the day.

The millwork said theyll be getting our order together early next week, so depending on the carpenters schedule, he could potentially be ready to install the baseboard trim and staircase within a week.

I must finish varnishing the trim.

That not only means this pile on the pool table

But also this pile

And this pile.

Yes, the trim in the right-hand side of this photo is lighter than the others. This trim will be going in the kitchen, which well do on our own. There are certain areas upstairs that I think are best left to the professionals.

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If the attic space is large and the roof is not constructed with roof trusses, often only minor framing work is required to create a useable bedroom space. On the contrary, building a bedroom addition onto your existing home requires an extensive amount of planning and design, as you are literally building a small home, if you will, onto the side of your home. Extra care has to be taken into how the bedroom melds into the existing homes exterior. In addition, there are demolishion costs with building a bedroom addition that also add to the overall cost of the project. So if your home has a large attic and you need an additional bedroom you cant go wrong by choosing an attic bedroom conversion for gaining the extra bedroom.

An attic bedroom conversion, however, does present its own set of unique challenges. For example, if the roof has a shallow pitch and there is limited ingress and egress into the attic then the attic may not be well suited for creating a bedroom in it. Also, an attics floor joists are often not large enough for supporting a finished living space. As a result, larger lumber may need to be sistered to the existing lumber. For example, nailing 2x8s to the existing attic 2x6 floor joists.

Most attics dont have windows in them.

So you may also need to figure out a solution for adding windows in the bedroom attic. Skylights are a fairly inexpensive alternative. Also, you can consider adding a dormer off the roof line where the attic bedroom will be located. The dormer can include windows to help bring in natural light into the room.

If you are seriously thinking about an attic bedroom conversion visit your local building inspector and an architect to see what your viable options are for doing so.

Photo by Mark Donovan

If, for example, the roof is constructed out of roof trusses you may not be allowed to finish the attic. Roof trusses are carefully designed to support the roof and each truss member plays a critical role in the roof trusses structural integrity. Thus, cutting roof truss members is typically not allowed. Unless, however, an architect can develop a modified truss design to maintain the structural integrity of the roof.

Access to an Attic Bedroom

Attic bedroom ingress and egress are imperative for functional and safety reasons. An attic ladder is not a viable or legal solution for ingress/egress to an attic bedroom. Consequently your attic bedroom conversion will need access via a standard staircase. Creating the staircase, if it does not already exist, can consume a sizeable amount of the lower levels living space. In addition, the placement of attic staircase needs to be such that there is full headroom as one enters into the attic via the staircase.

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Photo by Mark Donovan

Knee Walls

Most attic bedrooms will need knee walls constructed that tie in the roof line to the attic floor. Typically knee walls are three to four feet high and help to define the attic bedroom space.

Strengthening Attic Floor Joists

Again, most likely the attic floor joists are inadequate for supporting the weight of a finished room. Thus, larger (taller) attic floor joists will need to be sistered, or attached, to the existing ones.

Then subfloor sheathing can be attached to the taller floor joists. If you dont sister in the larger floor joists, the lower level finished drywall ceiling will most likely experience cracks in it in short order due to the deflection in the attic floor.

Inclusion of Natural Light

Attics are typically void of natural light. Consequently your attic conversion bedroom plans should include the installation of skylights and/or windows to bring in the natural light. Windows also allow for airflow into the attic. Consider adding windows on the gable end of the attic roof area, or include a dog or shed dormer in the attic bedroom area with windows. Dormers also enable additional full height headroom in the attic bedroom.

Heating and Cooling an Attic Bedroom

Attic spaces can be extremely warm during the summer months, and cold during the winter ones. Consequently copious amounts of insulation are imperative when building a bedroom in an attic. In addition, the inclusion of air conditioning and heat into the space are also vital. Tying an attic bedroom into a homes existing HVAC system is often difficult. As a result, look for HVAC solutions that can be dedicated to heating and cooling the attic bedroom separately. Talk with an HVAC professional to determine what the best solution is for your situation.

Incorporation of Bathroom in Attic

Including a bathroom in an attic has its own set of unique challenges. For example, where to locate the plumbing supply and drain lines. Installing drain lines in an attic can be the most challenging since there is limited height in the attic floor. Drain lines need to be pitched to ensure waste water can drain downwards and into the septic tank system or sewer. Ensuring the proper drain pitch can be tough with limited vertical height in the attic floor.

Photo by Mark Donovan

In addition, routing the plumbing drain lines and supply lines through the attic floor joists can be difficult as it requires cutting the joists. In some cases, an attic bathroom may need to be elevated in the attic to obtain enough space to route the plumbing drain lines.

Then there is also the issue with the additional weight of a full bathtub in an attic. Again, the attic floor joists will need to be sized properly to support the weight of a tub full of water and a person.

Attic Bedroom Safety

Attic bedrooms are high up and may have only one main ingress/egress method, e.g. staircase. Consequently, for safety purposes a window ladder may need to be included in the attic bedroom conversion plans to enable occupants of the bedroom to be able to exit it in the event of a fire.

It is also vital to make sure smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide detectors are included in the attic bedroom. If a bathroom is included, a GFCI breaker will need to be installed in it to prevent life threatening electrical shock.

Final Thoughts

An attic bedroom conversion is an ideal solution for creating an additional bedroom in your home, if the attic conditions are appropriate for it. Make sure to check first with an architect and your local building inspector before starting this type of project to see if your attic is suitable for a bedroom conversion. If it is, come up with a well thought out set of plans and get them approved with the building inspector before starting the construction. Also make sure to pull the required permits. With proper upfront planning and a solid set of attic bedroom conversion blueprints, you should be able to achieve the bedroom space you are looking for at a very reasonable price.

For help on Attic Conversion and Attic Remodeling Projects, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's Attic Conversion Bid sheet. The Attic Conversion Bid sheet will help to ensure that you hire the right contractor so that your attic conversion project is built correctly, on time and budget.

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Attic Bedroom Conversion | Attic Remodeling | Bedroom

Heating and cooling your attic can be a challenge. In summer, intense sunlight cooks the large expanse of the roof over your head; in winter, drafts from wind and cold suck the cozy out of your new attic remodel. Adequately insulating your remodel and extending your HVAC system are the keys to heating and cooling it year-round.

Insulation options

There are many types of attic insulation to install between roof rafters the most important factor in heating and cooling the attic. Choose the highest possible R-value (a materials ability to block heat moving through it), and install it correctly to prevent heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Also leave a couple of inches between insulation and rafters to allow airflow from soffit vents to roof vents.

Fiberglass batts: Six-inch-thick, high-density fiberglass batt insulation with an R-value of 21 (40 cents/sq. ft.) fits snugly in most 2x8 rafter space but also leaves a couple of inches of airspace. In extreme climates, add more insulation to your attic ceiling by increasing the depth of each rafter by nailing 2x2s on the bottom edges of the rafters. The added depth can accommodate R-30 (43 cents/sq.ft.), 8.5-inch-thick high-density fiberglass batt insulation.

Rigid foam: One way to bump up the R-value of your batts is to attach 1-inch-thick sheets of rigid foam to the rafters over fiberglass insulation, then drywall over it. That combination adds an R-value of about R-6. Expect to pay about $1.30/sq.ft. Of course, adding depth to your rafters lowers the ceiling, so make sure your new ceiling height doesnt violate code restrictions for attic ceilingstypically 7 feet 6 inches.

Spray foam: A third heating and cooling option is to have professionals spray foam into the area between the rafters. The R-value of spray foam is approximately twice that of fiberglass of similar thickness. Prices for spray foam installation vary widely by marketexpect to pay a minimum of $3/sq.ft.

Be sure to insulate interior walls between the living area and any unused portion of the attic, such as the space behind knee walls. Also, plug any heating or cooling escape routes at the ends of gables or around existing windows.

Extending heating and cooling systems

Insulation keeps heating and cooling IN your new attic space, but your HVAC system delivers the heat and cool TO the space. Consult with an HVAC professional to determine if your existing system has the capacity to handle the extra load. Even so, you may have to find a path for new ductwork. In some instances, you can borrow space from a closet in the living area below your attic.

If installing new ductwork isnt feasible, consider installing electric baseboard heaters. Two 1,000-watt baseboard heaters, plus a small baseboard heater for the bathroom, will warm the attic for about $150.

Small air conditioners also can supplement or replace your central air conditioning system. Small window units and portable air conditioners that provide between 7,000 and 10,000 BTUs of cooling power will adequately cool a 15x15 attic room. Expect to pay $300 to $600 for a small air conditioner.

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Attic Remodeling Heating | Cooling Systems Attic Remodeling

Attic remodel: This post shares how we converted an unused walk-up attic into ample space for a family room, train table, sitting area, playroom, and storage.

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Our attic was one of the areas that totally convinced us to buy our house. In the house I grew up in, the attic could be reached through a pull down door in the ceiling. When my parents stored stuff in there, you knew it wasnt coming out for a LOOOONG time because the access space was over our stairs. Not easy to get to. Thats why I thought it was so incredibly cool that our attic had stairs going up to it. Mark and I have always thrown around the idea of trying to fix up the attic space, but we knew the cost of fixing it up might be more than it was worth. We started off by painting the area to make it seem cleaner and brighter. Eventually we moved the train table and Geo Trax up there. The kids loved it but could realistically only play up there during fall and spring. Summertoo hot. Wintertoo cold. The more we thought about it, though, the more we realized that this area was the perfect hang-out spot for our family. Mark put so much work into the attic remodel, and we are happy to say that this is now our favorite spot in the house.

The train table used to be the first thing people saw when coming up the stairs.

Now, we have a Craigslist (awesome deal) table where we can play cards. Mark also put in a larger window and HVAC unit. The big window is what allowed us to get our furniture into the house!

Cant forget a picture of Mark on the lift. Hard to tell its 3 stories up! Yikes!

Turn to the left, and it used to be an open space with a ventilation piece sticking up from the floor.

We first had foam insulation put in.

Now we have the TV (sitting on a low entertainment center that Mark made) and two queen-sized sleeper sofas.

Keep turning left, and there is a small area that I was hoping could be a newborn studio area.Before, it was the dollhouse and GeoTrax area. (Aw, look how little my guys were!)

Keep turning left, and were back where we started.

The little door leading to Jordyns playroom was designed to not be immediately noticed. It is the fourth secret hidden playroom in our house.

Photo with the Mosers (our cousins).

Now, I just need to spice it up with a few decorations. There are very few options for wall art since we dont have many straight walls. In our attic remodel, we kept the knee walls short to maximize space. Anyway, were really happy with how the attic remodel turned out and were surprised how much space there really was to work with.

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If you're looking for a home improvement project that's going to increase the value of your home and improve your day-to-day life, you might rush toward a kitchen or bathroom remodel. If you stop and look around your home, though, you might realize you have attic space that can be used for an entirely new living area. Many Houston homes use their attic space for ductwork, but this creates a unique opportunity to upgrade your home in a number of ways at the same time.

Houston Ductless Air Conditioning and Heating If your Houston home does, in fact, have a duct-filled attic, the good news is that you probably also have a good amount of attic space, and ductless air conditioning and heating systems are now a viable home installation. An air compressor, refrigerated coils, and miniature air distribution units are the three main components of a ductless air conditioning system. These systems can improve your energy-efficiency, indoor air quality, and eliminate the need for ductwork, duct-cleaning, and duct-repair.

Ductless heating typically presents a greater challenge in colder climates, but in Houston you can probably get all the heat you need from a heat pump. Heat pumps exchange heat from outside and pump it into your home. This process requires an additional heat source in extremely cold weather, an irrelevant fact for a home in Houston. These units are extremely energy-efficient and are becoming cheaper every day.

In the end, this type of installation probably isn't worth it if you have a relatively new heating and cooling system. On the other hand, if your system has been around for a while, it may be nearly time to replace the ductwork, furnace, air compressor, or some other expensive piece of your heating and cooling system. If this is the case, now is the time to consider the switch that can also free your attic space.

Houston Attic Remodeling Once you've cleared your attic space, you're ready for the exciting stuff. Floor and wall coverings, lighting fixtures, and attic decorations will create a livable space that rivals the rest of your home. You can tailor these attic installations to create an extra bedroom, a home office or work space, an artist studio, or some other vision for your home. As improved as a bathroom or kitchen might become, it doesn't compare to an entirely new living area that effectively adds to the total square footage of your home.

Houston Attic Renovation If all this seems like a bit much, a simple attic renovation can make for a wise home improvement project without the exorbitant costs. An attic insulation upgrade can do wonders for your utility bill. Most of your heat loss (and a good portion of your cool air) escapes through your attic. Be careful, though, installing insulation without putting in roof vents as well. You don't want to improve your home's energy-efficiency just to sacrifice adequate ventilation that can ruin your home's indoor air quality.

Cost of Houston Attic Remodeling The nature of your remodeling project will also determine the cost. Installing attic insulation will probably run you about $1,500. Roof vents can cost another few hundred to a thousand bucks. Ductless cooling and heating systems can run anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000. This means you may spend as much as $10,000 or more before you begin the actual remodeling process. In some situations, however, you can get this part of the project done for $5,000 or less. In the end, a full-service Houston attic remodel can cost upwards of $15,000. Elaborate projects can even hit $25,000-$30,000. To put that in perspective with other major home remodeling projects, a bathroom remodel costs around $9,000, a kitchen remodel runs $18,000, and building an add-on to your existing home can cost $40,000 or more.

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Attic Remodeling and Houston Property Values As with any major home remodeling project, part of the true cost of the project should also be looked at in terms of increased value to your property. Not only will you have a brand new cooling and heating system for your home, you'll have a new and unique living space. Just how much value you're adding to your home with an attic remodel is extremely difficult to estimate. While you probably won't recoup all your expenses, you'll see a significant portion of it returned when it comes time to sell the home. In fact, a unique living area such as this can be the very thing that attracts your home to a potential home-buyer.

Project Length of a Houston Attic Renovation Attic insulation can be installed in a couple days. On the other hand, a full attic renovation in Houston, as you might expect, can take several weeks if it involves extensive labor to initially clear your attic space. Hopefully, you can schedule this work while you're away. In any case, an attic renovation is likely to present a sizable inconvenience, though nothing like the eating out for 4-6 weeks that is common with a kitchen remodel. Just remember what you'll have when the project's finished and trust that the hassle will be worth it in the end.

Marcus Pickett is a professional freelance writer for the home remodeling industry. He has published more than 600 articles on both regional and national topics within the home improvement industry.

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If you are dreaming of additional living space in your current home, look up. Many New Jersey homes have hundreds of square feet of attic space just waiting to be utilized. We can reinforce and transform your unused attic space into beautiful, liveable square footage.

Many of our satisfied clients in Northern NJ have renovated their existing attics into elegant master bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms, state of the art theater rooms, home offices and additional bedrooms for their growing families. At Monks Home Improvements, our expert project designers will work with you to show you how your unused space can be remodeled into your new favorite room.

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