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Deseret Morning
News, Friday, May 20, 2005
Turn your dusty attic
into usable space
By Ann Robinson, AIA,
and Annie Vernon, AIA
Space is like the wind: You can't see it, but you can feel
it. People tend to look at the space in a home in terms of
quantity — either there is too much space or, more likely,
too little. Architects, on the other hand, see space as a
way of creating an experience in a structure, a commodity
that should be shaped to fit the needs of the people who occupy
it.
Remember you'll need a staircase to access space in your attic. For
a straight run of stairs, you'll need a 3-by-16-foot area
on the main floor See
this project.
Renovation Design Group |
One way to make the most of a home's space is through effective
use of the attic. An unused, dusty old attic can be transformed
from wasted space into a lovely vaulted ceiling, a spacious
loft or additional upstairs bedrooms.
When one of our clients came to us because they needed more
space for their large family, we were able to incorporate
all three of these features into their unusually wide attic.
The previously unused attic space has been turned into two
children's bedrooms, a vaulted ceiling for the living room,
and a large loft that overlooks the living room on one side
and the family room on the other. The new vaulted ceiling
also allowed for the addition of a 6-by-9-foot arched window
in the living room, which lets wonderful light into the area.
What could be done with the attic space of your home? There
are several factors to consider. First, if you want to convert
your attic into living space, keep in mind that the usable
space of an attic begins where the height of each wall can
reach at least 5 feet. Ignore this rule and you'll often be
bumping your head on the attic ceiling! You may be able to
remedy this problem by converting your hipped roof, which
slopes upward, to a gable roof, which goes straight up.
Also, if you live in an older home you'll probably need to
strengthen your ceiling joists (located under the floor of
the attic) to support livable space above. The roof joists
above the attic may also need to be upgraded so they can hold
a sufficient amount of insulation. Both of these modifications
will slightly reduce the usable attic space.
In newer homes built since the 1960s, the roofs are often
built using prefabricated wood trusses that crisscross throughout
the attic space. In order to make the attic space usable,
these trusses will either have to be altered or replaced.
An open loft in an attic overlooks the living room below. A picture
window was also made possible by the renovation of this
home's attic. See
this project.
Renovation Design Group |
Finally, remember that you'll need a staircase to access living
areas in an attic. For a straight run of stairs you will need
an area of at least 3 by 16 feet on your main floor. A spiral
staircase requires a 5-foot-diameter space. By code, ladders
are acceptable for accessing only a loft, not attic bedrooms.
An architect can examine these factors for you and help you
determine if it is possible to turn your wasted attic space
into usable space that enhances the beauty and functionality
of your home.
Related Articles:
-
Making the Most of your space: Consider the Attic
Architects
Ann Robinson, AIA, and Annie Vernon, AIA, welcome your design
questions at Ask@RenovationDesignGroup.com.
Robinson and Vernon are founding principals of Renovation
Design Group, a local architectural firm specializing in residential
remodeling design.
To register for "Designing a Remodel with Character &
Class," call 533-5331 or click
here for details.
© 2005 Deseret News
Publishing Company
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