A Decision Maker's Guide to Attic Remodeling

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ATTIC SURVEY CHECKLIST

Width of space:________________________________________________
Length of space: _______________________________________________
Roof height above ceiling joists at peak: _____________________________
Collar tie height above ceiling joists:________________________________
Rafter size:____________________________________________________
Joist size:_____________________________________________________
Beam/girder size: ______________________________________________
Joist clear span:________________________________________________
Beam/girder clear span:__________________________________________
Collar tie size:__________________________________________________
Location of plumbing vents:_______________________________________
Location of exhuast fan vents: ____________________________________
Location of chimneys: ___________________________________________

ATTICTruss webs should not be moved without careful structural analysis.

Access and Space

Access is crucial. Indeed, stairway design is a good place to start on the plan for your attic conversion. You may have to build a new stairway or rebuild an existing one to meet standards. Risers (the amount each step rises above the last) can be no more than 8 1/4" high, treads must be at least 10 1/4" deep and 32" wide, and the whole staircase must have minimum headroom of 6' 8".

Will there be enough room to make a comfortable living area? Your first thought may be that this is a matter of personal opinion, but it's not entirely so. No matter what you may think of building codes, they are the standard guide to habitable space. The building inspector may not stop you from building or using a substandard attic conversion, but the square footage probably won't be counted if you sell your house. Your improvement then could largely be money wasted.

For your new room to officially qualify as living space, at least 60 square feet or 50% (whichever is greater) must have a minimum ceiling height of 7' 6", and no area with a ceiling height of less than 5' is considered habitable. Even if you have enough ceiling height, overall square footage and horizontal dimensions may be a concern. According to standard code, the minimum size for a second bedroom is 70 square feet, and it must be at least 7' wide. Hallways must be at least 36" wide.

Because roof pitch and building width control the headroom in an attic, a set of rules of thumb can help you decide whether there's enough space in your attic for a room. From your attic survey, compare half the space's width to the roof peak height to find your roof pitch. (For example, if your attic is 32' wide and the roof peak is 8' above the ceiling joists, the pitch is 8 in 16, or 6 in 12.) If you have 6/12 pitch, your attic needs to be at least 40' wide to have enough space. A home with an 8/12 roof can be 30' wide, and one with 10/12 will work with a 24' width.

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