Including a second story to a ranch house is a way to double the living space of a modest house, but it’s not a project which can be undertaken quietly. Doing this right requires the involvement of professionals, realistic and careful planning, and a readiness to push through some adversity and inconvenience.

Consult an Engineer

The walls and foundation of the ranch house were designed to support the weight of the roof and nothing else. When you add a second story to your house, you’ll be adding additional framing, finishes, furniture, mechanical processes and much more, and also the building’s existing construction might not be up to the job of holding all that excess weight. Before you even begin seriously considering adding a second floor, consult a structural engineer to learn what you need to do in order to earn a new two-story house structurally sound and compliant with local building codes.

Consider Mechanical Systems

Past the excess weight, you are also going to be adding a significant quantity of space to your house, and your mechanical processes will likely be challenged by the increased work demanded of them. Your existing HVAC Boston repair specialists Sacramento repair specialists system might be unable to adequately heat and cool the new second story, and you might be faced with having to update your electrical service too. If you’re going to be adding an excess Best Designer Bathroom Concepts Milwaukee Design Ideas Milwaukee on the second floor, a larger water heater might be a necessity, too. As you are planning the inclusion, don’t forget to allow for both the cost and the space necessary for mechanical upgrades.

Remember the Stairs

Even though you’ll gain space using the inclusion, a fair amount of that space is going to be taken up by the staircase which you will need to access the second floor. A stairway can take up as much distance as a small bedroom to both the first and the second floors, and finding a way to fit it in the Landscaping flowers Bakersfield, CA design Bakersfield, CA plan could be a challenge. The architect you hired at the beginning of the project can help you to obtain a stairway design solution that works.

Train to Move Out

The addition of a second floor is not the sort of renovation project which you could comfortably coexist with. Aside from the noise and litter associated with the job, your home’s mechanical systems are likely to be offline for extended amounts of time during the renovation, and the annoyance will probably be too much for most homeowners to bearin mind More significantly, adding a second story involves removing your home’s roof, and until the new roof is completed, the inside space will be almost unlivable. The ideal solution is to find somewhere else to live until you can move back into your new two-story house.

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