Renovating and remodeling unused attic space is not easy. You will need a lot of time and some preparation for a process like this. However, you will get a lovely bedroom, a playroom for your kids, gym or even an office space! But, as you know, many attics are constructed in a way that makes it very expensive and difficult to renovate and remodel and sometimes even impossible. If you have bought a house and you are planning to move soon, you should hire Inwood movers to assist you with the move. If your new house has one, let’s see what are the best ways to remodel an attic!
Remodel an Attic – Tips and Ideas
Most of the people use an attic as a storage space. If you don’t have a basement, the attic will be the place where you are pilling stuff for years. However, if you are planning to remodel an attic and make it livable, you will have to declutter! There are a lot of affordable storage facilities in Manhattan where you can store items safely.
The most important fact that you should remember is that attic wasn’t actually made, or intended, to be a place for living. This means that, most likely, there won’t be any windows or outlets. You won’t have true walls or even floors that are built up properly and up to code. In order to remodel an attic and make it a livable place, you will have to address all of the previous problems. These are the steps to finish and remodel your attic:
- Declutter – Clean Attic
- Fix the Electricity
- Build a Subfloor
- Insulate
- Drywall and Ceiling
- Paint!
- Choose and Install Flooring
Declutter – Clean Attic
Cleaning an attic will be the worst part, especially if you have tons of unnecessary things sitting up there. However, you can always ask your friends or family for help. You can also contact your professional mover and get packing boxes and packing supplies. If your attic has some old insulation layer, you should remove it and install a new one before fixing drywalls and ceilings. Same goes with the floors! If the floor is in good condition, you should add a layer of subflooring over it.
Remodel an Attic – Fix the Electricity
Since you have obtained a permit, you should hire a professional electrician to ensure all wirings meets the requirements also. You shouldn’t play with electricity and wires if you don’t know anything about it. Hiring a licensed electrician to install electrical wirings across the walls and ceilings is highly recommended. Keep in your mind that remodeling an attic will add value to your home!
Build a Subfloor
You will definitely need to build a subfloor if the joists are visible on your attic floor. You should start installing subfloor only after all the electrical and ventilation installations are done. If you want to reduce the sound traveling through your attic floor and spreading all over your house, you should add insulation layer under the subflooring or pick a thicker subfloor to install!
Remodel an Attic – Insulate
The best insulation for DIY attic walls would be batt insulation with vapor-retardant facing. Batt insulation is top of the line when it comes to completing an attic, simply because it is very flexible and simple to install, and can be layered for added coverage. Always caulk any spaces or leaks before installing the insulation, because air may pass to the rooms below.
Batt insulation is typically cut to be fitted between standard wall joists and up to 8-foot high walls. Walls in your attic may not always be this height. If the insulation does not fit, trim pieces may be trimmed with a utility knife.
Drywall and Ceiling
Done with the insulation? Time to finish the walls! Your attic conversion will take shape if you hang drywall! Hang drywall horizontally and secure it with screws. After that, cover those screws and seams with drywall mud. If you need to meet the building code standards, you should install drywall to the ceilings directly as well.
Time for painting!
It’s painting time! When you finish painting your drywalls, you will see that your attic looks more and more like a living place. Before painting your drywall you should put prime paint for protection. After that, you should add at least two coats of paint. Did you put drywall on your ceilings too? If so, you should paint ceilings first. You should paint your walls whatever you like. However, attic usually has small or no windows at all. In order to make it look more natural and lighter, you should pick brighter colors to paint your walls with.
Choose and Install Flooring
And there we go! This is the last step in your DIY remodeling! This is the time to choose and install flooring in your attic. Carpet is a good idea because it will give an extra layer of insulation and it will help to reduce the sound. However, there are a lot of different floorings. You can choose whatever goes good with the room design. Now, while you are still in a good mood for remodeling, you can also remodel your bedroom, kitchen or living room!
As you can see, it’s not hard to remodel an attic! If you have the will and a positive attitude, you can accomplish anything! Remodeling an attic will take some time, but, in the end, you will get a lovely bedroom, a playroom for your children, gym or even an office space! Remodeling an attic will also add value to your house in case you decide to sell it one day. See, it’s worth it! Good luck!
