Attic conversion done right

With a tough real estate market, many people are choosing to stay in their homes and remodel to suit their needs, rather than move. A good remodeling can create customized space and increase resale value while allowing you to stay in your current neighborhood and not have to uproot the kids from school.

One possibility when looking for additional living space might be lurking right above your head: your attic.

Attic conversions can offer several advantages over conventional room additions. They are already enclosed, which can simplify weather and security precautions during the remodeling and can often cut framing costs. And since there are no setback issues with an attic remodel, they may be easier and less expensive to get building permits and homeowners association approval for.

And let's face it -- attics are pretty cool. Their unique combination of angles, jogs, slopes and out-of-the-way corners can create rooms that may well become your favorite spots in the whole house. Your attic conversion might become a home office, a spare bedroom, a craft and hobby room, a kid's playroom, a home theater, or an expansive master suite.

Proper planning is essential

In some cases, you may be lucky enough to have a "bonus room" in your house, which is essentially an unfinished attic space that was designed from the outset to be enclosed for living space. This is the ideal situation, since the framing has already been done with the necessary span and load calculations already taken into consideration.

For most people, however, it's a little more involved than that. To achieve a successful attic conversion, you need to have an adequate amount of floor space and head room, as well as adequate structural framing. ...CONTINUED

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