Property owners who want to add on to their home realize that they have limited space to expand outward. An innovative way to give your family more space is to add a second floor to your home. It is important to budget wisely and to consider the structural integrity of your home when you add a second level. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Dismantle your home's roofing to begin adding a second floor. Your roof is built to withstand a certain level of rain, snow and debris, as well as to carry weight for short-term maintenance. You can save shingles and other roofing materials for your second floor to save on costs.
2. Examine the footings beneath each wall in your home to determine the need for reinforcement. The additional weight of a second floor can cause structural damage to the main floor's walls. You should speak with your contractor about the cost and time needed for concrete reinforcements.
3. Speak with your community's zoning office to assess building codes that may restrict residential construction. Your desire for a second floor may necessitate a meeting with the zoning board and an application for a code variance.
4. Ask friends and family for recommendations for an experienced contractor capable of helping you build a second floor. You need a contractor with a verifiable record of adding levels on to residential and commercial buildings.
5. Map out the drainage, electrical and plumbing connections that need to be made between the main floor and the second level. You should plan the placement of a smaller second level near a convergence of pipes to save on building costs.
6. Construct a stairway that allows easy access to a second floor for visitors of all ages. The best way to cut down on space taken up by a stairway is to utilize a trap door with a folding set of steps accessible from a common area. Though inconvenient, this choice is suitable for accessing a storage area.
7. Test out the exterior and roofing of your new addition to determine if it meets local snow-load standards. You should request a snow-load assessment by a city inspector to determine if additional construction is necessary.
Tags: second floor, your home, second level, main floor, second floor
