Adding On - Home Additions

As the family grows from a nice couple to 4 or more space becomes a consideration. And as members of the family grow up (in size too!) small toys and kiddy cars turn into hockey equipment and a multitude of shoes, boots and large jackets. In addition every family member wants his or her own area so that living in the home is tantamount to making your way through a submarine yelling, “Make a hole!” So now our quest for more space makes us decide whether we want to look for a home in new location, build a new house or find room in the present one.

If you are dead set against moving from your present location, you have 3 more options: down, up and out the side. Basements are the logical choice for home expansion but many homes, such as ranch-style houses, are on a slab so this rules out the subterranean option. So this means either going up into the attic or punching out into the yard.

Through the Roof

Adding on to the home by adding vertical space is one of the options for gaining more space in an existing home. Unlike the other renovations for gaining space you will be literally taking the roof off your home so before they even start the building process there is quite a bit of labour involved. This means that the mess will be far greater and so will the safety factor. Therefore, you might have to move the family to a different location while this is going on. 

As well, there may be area covenants or zoning considerations so the first move you should make is to see your zoning office to see if the city or county will permit a second story in your neighbourhood.

If this type of renovation is approved the next step would be to consult with 2 - 3 contractors who are familiar with 2nd story remodeling. In essence you are interviewing them for the job so you want to get references and contact some customers who have had a similar remodel completed. Get rough estimates (cost per square foot) and get them to cost in a bathroom as well. Now add 25% onto their estimates just to be on the safe side. This will give you a rough idea to compare with adding a room out the side of the home.

Out the Side

Bump-Outs: There are a few ideas when it comes to adding on to the side of a home. In days gone by they would build a “bump-out.” Bump-outs are an extension of the wall 2 -3 feet few feet. It is more of an aesthetic project and would not require altering the roofline very much.

Room Additions: This type of renovation is when a full room, like a bedroom, is added onto the home. This could also be a porch depending on the amount of finishing work and whether or not there is heat. For the most part these additions have basements or are built on a slab and this foundation would easily be as much or more than tearing off the roof for a vertical addition.

Gable Extension: When a room is added onto the end of a home the whole shape of the house is extended. The roof pitch does not change. These are popular for homeowners who want to add a garage.

Wing Addition: Another renovation is adding more than one room either in a perpendicular position to the home (which would make a standard home and “L-shape”) or a full expansion of the back, side or front wall of the home.

In essence, a room addition is like building a small house except that you have to match the roofline of the old one. Whether you start with a foundation or just put the extension on concrete columns you need to match the floor up with the main home or have a logical, up or down step system to connect them. Some contractors drill a hole through the wall of the main home to eyeball the floor placement. This is so that, when the wall or doorway comes out to join the new addition to the main home the floors or steps will line up.

The Roof Line

In horizontal additions the roofline is very important. If you are adding a gable extension to the end of the home this means that the new trusses much match perfectly to maintain the pitch of the roof otherwise you might have a spot where leaks could occur and, besides, it would look very tacky. For other additions either the entire pitch of the roof will be changed on one side of the roof .

Whatever style of addition you choose it will be  large undertaking but it doesn't have to be stressful if you take it step-by-step. Because this project will entail as much planning and execution as is required to build a complete home from the foundation up.

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