Converting Garage Attic Into Living Space

To meet most building codes your attic should.

Converting garage 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. Much of what is currently stored in your garage could go into a new shed the basement or attic or be sold at a garage sale. A guest quarter is a living space that has a bathroom and a wet bar but no kitchen. If you convert your attic to a room it needs to meet the same requirements for floor strength as any other room.

The average national cost for attic renovations is 49 438. While converting an unused basement attic or garage into additional living space is a popular option careful planning is needed to prevent potential problems. Considering how much space you will gain with a finished attic this cost could be very worthwhile. In basements issues include relocating ductwork wiring and plumbing as well as the lack of windows and doors needed to provide ventilation natural lighting.

To legally do this you must convert a garage by turning it into either a guest quarter or an accessory dwelling unit. To protect your vehicle from the elements consider building a carport. If your property is large enough you might even consider building a new detached garage while converting the old attached garage to valuable living space. Because this room is next to the roof you ll find it feels cooler and warmer than the rest of the house depending on the weather outside.

Now that you ve done the preliminary research here are a few ideas for converting your attic into usable living space. Technical issues such as locating a safe staircase and the distribution of additional joists required to accommodate the new load bearing and stress factors. Converting an attic into a living space is a great method of adding another room to the house but it is not a job for the average diy person. Since the size and spacing of the joists needed will vary depending on the span check building codes and books on house framing to see what you would need for your room.

That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters. Read on to learn everything you need to know about converting an attic space into living space. For this reason it s important to properly insulate the space. Yes your garage conversion can most definitely become a living space.

A guide to convert attic space to living space.