Finish Out Attic Separate Loft

Building codes vary by location but most require at least a 7 foot clearance for attic expansions.

Finish out attic separate loft.

Building code also requires that the. At least 50 step 2 make sure the attic has a full size staircase. Need more headroom in the basement. Every attic is different but a few established norms and practices will guide your renovation.

Figure out how you re going to get up and down from the finished attic space. A stair designed with an intermediate landing and two runs needs about 8 feet on the lower level. Enlarging an existing stairway or adding a new one will affect spaces below. For a finished attic to be to code it must satisfy the same living requirements of other rooms sometimes called the rule of sevens any living space in a home needs to have at least 7 feet 2 1 m of clearance from the floor to the ceiling and there needs to be at least 70 square feet of space available at least 7 feet 2 1 m in each direction.

Follow the rule of 7s. To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes. Enforcement varies but codes typically say that at least half of a finished attic must be at least 7 feet high and that this area must be a minimum of 7 feet wide and 70 square feet. A contractor or a local building official can help you assess how the rule will apply to your attic and how modifications like dormers can resolve height shortcomings.

The plywood will create a smooth strong ceiling without having to apply drywall tape and mud to the ceiling. A straight run stair will chew up 10 to 14 feet of floor space. That s measured after you finish the ceiling. Step 1 check the ceiling height.

Use screws to attach sheets of birch plywood to the angled ceiling over the insulation making sure to drive the screws into the ceiling joists.