Adding 2nd Story To Home
#1
Adding 2nd Story To Home
THE PROBLEM - ORIGINAL HOUSE WAS ADDED ON TO AND EXTERIOR WALLS AND CEILINGS ARE DIFFERENT HEIGHTS.
I NEED ALL EXTERIOR WALLS RAISED AND LEVELED BEFORE I CAN INSTALL TRUSSES. SHOULD I EXTEND WALL STUDS? HOW?
OR CUT ALL STUDS EVEN TO LOWEST LEVEL AND ADD A SHORT WALL? CURRENT WALLS ARE 7'2" AND 7'6" WE WANT TO END UP WITH 8' WALLS. HELP! STARTING SOON! ALSO WE DO NOT WANT TO TAKE OFF THE ENTIRE ROOF AT ONCE TO DO THIS. ITS COLD IN MICHIGAN NOW.
I NEED ALL EXTERIOR WALLS RAISED AND LEVELED BEFORE I CAN INSTALL TRUSSES. SHOULD I EXTEND WALL STUDS? HOW?
OR CUT ALL STUDS EVEN TO LOWEST LEVEL AND ADD A SHORT WALL? CURRENT WALLS ARE 7'2" AND 7'6" WE WANT TO END UP WITH 8' WALLS. HELP! STARTING SOON! ALSO WE DO NOT WANT TO TAKE OFF THE ENTIRE ROOF AT ONCE TO DO THIS. ITS COLD IN MICHIGAN NOW.
#2
Adding a second story
You need to check in with your local building inspector to see if your project is feasible. Adding a second story often requires additional foundation support as well as other considerations. The building inspector will advise you regarding building codes, permits, and inspections.
"Beware the old myth that adding a second story is the cheapest and easiest way to add space. It's hogwash. On constricted sites where no reasonable alternatives exist, second-story additions can provide a fine solution. In most cases, however, it's preferable to build at ground level. Here's why: Second-story additions often require reinforcement of the existing foundation, making them no less expensive and frequently even costlier than ground-level additions. They're also inherently less space-efficient, since both levels lose appreciable floor area to the staircase. But wait, there's more: It's also much more difficult to integrate the towering bulk of a second-story addition into the design of the existing house, especially a quintessentially single-story design such as a Rancher or Bungalow. Last but not least, second-story additions are far more disruptive, since they involve the temporary loss of a rather crucial part of your house -- the roof. If you weigh all these factors and still think a second-story addition fills the bill, push it as far back as you can to avoid a towering effect from the sidewalk."
Where Not to Build
By: Arrol Gellner
Retrieved 29 October 2002.
http://doityourself.com/architecture...nottobuild.htm
"Beware the old myth that adding a second story is the cheapest and easiest way to add space. It's hogwash. On constricted sites where no reasonable alternatives exist, second-story additions can provide a fine solution. In most cases, however, it's preferable to build at ground level. Here's why: Second-story additions often require reinforcement of the existing foundation, making them no less expensive and frequently even costlier than ground-level additions. They're also inherently less space-efficient, since both levels lose appreciable floor area to the staircase. But wait, there's more: It's also much more difficult to integrate the towering bulk of a second-story addition into the design of the existing house, especially a quintessentially single-story design such as a Rancher or Bungalow. Last but not least, second-story additions are far more disruptive, since they involve the temporary loss of a rather crucial part of your house -- the roof. If you weigh all these factors and still think a second-story addition fills the bill, push it as far back as you can to avoid a towering effect from the sidewalk."
Where Not to Build
By: Arrol Gellner
Retrieved 29 October 2002.
http://doityourself.com/architecture...nottobuild.htm