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Adding a second story to your home can
be a fantastic way to open up the living space available when
adding an
extension is not possible. Some areas and neighborhoods may have
restrictions on adding on to your home, and on how far your home must be
from the property line separating your property from your neighbors.
Sometimes adding onto the first floor may not be possible because there
is not enough room on the property for an
addition or extension. Many
times upgrading to a bigger home by selling this one and buying another
is not an option either, for several reasons, and the big one is cost.
It is much better financially to add a second story than to buy another
home, because the cost is usually much less. If you want to add a second
story, check with your local city building inspector department first,
before you do any
 planning or interviewing. This will allow you to find
out exactly what restrictions and codes there are concerning your home
and area, and how they will affect any second story addition plans. Be
sure, to ask about any height restrictions, to ensure your second story
is not too tall.
Once you know that you can legally add a second story,
it is time to
decide all the important things, such as how many rooms you want added
on the new second floor, what those rooms will be used as, any
plumbing
and electrical that will be needed in the addition, and any other design
aspects that should be considered. It may be a good idea, to figure out
how many square feet you want, even just a rough estimate, so that you
have this information available when you meet with
contractors. There
are some questions that should be answered as well, before any work is
started. How is the
foundation of your home? Adding a second story to
your home can add a lot of weight and pressure on the foundation, and if
the foundation is not in the best shape it may not be a good idea to add
more weight until the foundation is strengthened. What about the
existing exterior walls? Will they be able to support the weight load of
another story? Will the
heating and electrical systems have enough power
to take care of the new story as well? Sometimes it may become necessary
to upgrade the heating, plumbing, and electrical systems to handle all
the extra space added by the new second story. Another option is to add
new systems to cover the second floor, while the existing systems can be
used for the older areas of your home.
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Adding a second story to your home can mean some aggravation and hassle
as well. These
remodeling projects are not simple one day jobs, they can
take weeks or even longer, and this can be very irritating if you are
trying to live in the home while the addition is being added. The best
advice is to vacate your home while the second story is being added, and
stay somewhere else for the duration of the project. When a second floor
is added, this usually means removing the
roof to add the
new floor, and
then either replacing the existing roof or having a new roof installed.
Many homeowners will have a new roof put on during the process, for a
steeper pitch and added storage room in the rafters of the roof.
Replacing the old roof with a new roof does mean more cost for the
project, but there are also some benefits as well. If you add a new roof
to the project, you will not have to replace the roofing materials for
years, and there should be no leaks or moisture problems because the new
roof has no gaps, missing shingles, or areas where water can slide in
under the roofing materials.
Adding a
second story to your home is an excellent way to get the room and the
designs that you want, without having to use the rest of your yard or
property for the addition. For anyone who does not have enough space to
branch out, branching up instead just makes sense. Once you have the
second floor completed, you will be amazed at how much more spacious and
livable your home will be. No matter what the reason is that you need
more room in your home, a second story addition can give you this space
without having to move to another house.
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