In order to turn your attic space into living space the ceilings must be 7 feet from the floor.
How to convert your attic into living space.
Codes vary from place to place but the rule of 7 for using an attic as an actual room typically applies.
You also have to decide where the loft stairs will begin and check how much space it will need.
That means you ll need 2x10 floor joists or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances and at least 2x12 roof rafters.
More tips for converting an attic to a living space if converting your attic to a bedroom.
If your attic isn t 7 feet you could lower the floor or raise the attic height.
The room can be used for a few purposes such as a home office a study or a bedroom.
At least half of your attic space must be 7 feet high by 7 feet wide with a total of 70 square feet.
Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes.
Because of the complexity and safety of the load bearing supporting structure it is recommended that the work is carried out by a contractor with experience who will.
Get in touch with a local building inspector to get a list of all of the applicable codes and required.
Many building codes require a permanent safe staircase leading to an attic living space.
Pull down stairs won t be appropriate in this case and you ll need a permanent staircase.
Make sure you can easily access your attic.
Converting an attic into a living space is one method of gaining an extra room without moving.
Otherwise you re wasting your time because the space won t be safe usable or durable.
The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes.
From the beginning of the project to the end building codes and regulations will rule every decision that is made when converting an attic to a room.
Stairs must measure at least 3 feet wide and 13 feet tall and rise at a 30 to 35 degree angle.
If you ll decide to build a staircase in the corridor there shouldn t be a problem but if you want to create an access to the attic in the bedroom or living room it may take.
The international building code requires sleeping rooms below the fourth floor of a home or building to have at least one exterior emergency escape and rescue opening with a minimum size of 5 7 square feet.
You ll need a skilled contractor for either project.
As a result the many companies that specialize in machining roof trusses have greatly expanded their product line and offer many types of roof trusses that can be adapted to any project.