How To Turn Attic Into Conditioned Space

If you want to save money by doing some steps yourself you could decide to tackle the renovation piece meal acting as your own general contractor and hiring specialists as needed.

How to turn attic into conditioned space.

The attic is fairly small at about 1 000 sqf total. However you do not describe the potential uses for that space and that gives me pause as to how to properly evaluate the risks of your options. In some cases a conditioned attic assembly may be desired where scissor trusses make it difficult to insulate the floor or in cathedral ceilings where the intent is to turn the attic into living space. Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes.

At least half of your attic space must be 7 feet high by 7 feet wide with a total of 70 square feet. To convert your attic space you can hire an attic and loft conversions company who specialize in attic and loft conversions. Currently the attic is vented and has zero insulation anywhere. Pull down stairs won t work for an attic room so you must add a permanent staircase.

I m unsure of what to do and i m unsure of the most economical way to do it. If you are finishing the attic and turning the space into a conditioned attic with insulation that follows the sloped roofline at which point the gable vents become irrelevant then you want to maintain a vented air space directly under the roof sheathing to allow the board sheathing and the slate roofing to dry quickly. A vapor retarder is recommended in cold climates. In cold climates attic ventilation is a common method to remove humid air.

You could also hire a general contractor to oversee the project. A luxury bathroom that makes use of high end materials and finishes costs 25 000 40 000. Building a bathroom transforms your attic into a fully functional room that you can use as a bedroom or office. Codes vary from place to place but the rule of 7 for using an attic as an actual room typically applies.

The average cost to add a bathroom is 8 000 12 000 depending on the size of the space and the scope of work involved a budget bathroom addition can cost as little as 5 000 6 000. From my research it looks like the best option is to make the attic a conditioned nonvented space.