Home Additions – Part II of III

Last week we discussed home expansion options and, specifically, the prospect of bump-outs. This week we will be looking at home additions on a larger scale!

ADDITIONS:
If you are looking for more space than a bump-out can provide, a home addition could be the solution for you! One of the main factors to take into consideration when preparing for an addition is the amount of yard space needed for your planned expansion. You will also need to think about the necessary setbacks.

A setback is the distance, as defined by your city of residence, that the home will need to be placed away from the property boundary. Every city has different setback requirements, all of which can be determined by a meeting with your local building official.

An addition can come in many different forms. The picture above depicts a one story addition. Depending on the layout of the home, this could be used for a four-season porch, a dining room, or a kitchen. Or, if you are looking for more space, you could complete a two story addition. How the addition is designed and completed depends completely on you, the homeowner.

Here is a list of additional considerations that will need to be made when preparing for a home expansion:

Foundation
Any addition will need a proper foundation. Foundation options include building a slab, including a crawl space beneath your addition, or incorporating a full foundation into your existing basement. There are pros and cons to each option:

1.A slab will provide a solid foundation and is the most economical option, but will not allow any access beneath the addition.

2.A crawl space can give you one to four feet of additional space beneath your expansion area.

3.A full foundation will provide you with a full basement with seven to nine feet of head room below the addition. However, a full basement will require the greatest investment.

Heating/Electrical/Plumbing
When completing an addition, you will be adding a heat source and electrical access. You may also want to consider air conditioning and you may need to include possibly plumbing, depending on how you plan to use the additional space.

Electrical
Adding more space may mean adding more circuits to your electrical panel. Complete the research to determine if your existing panel has the capacity to carry the additional loads. If you need additional circuits, you have a couple of options. First, you could add a subpanel; this would give you about six additional circuits. A second alternative option would be to install a new panel and upgrade the service to provide additional amps for the panel.

Plumbing
Depending on the remodeling project, you may have to install and/or move some plumbing around. If you are adding a bathroom, you should consider the size of your water heater. You may need a 75 gallon, 100 gallon, or tank less water heater to provide plenty of hot water to meet the demands of your family.

Budget
The costs for the addition will vary depending on the size of the expansion, cost of finished materials, and the scope of the project.

Next week, we will post our final instalment on addition options and discuss dormers and second stories!