AboutRichard Taylor, AIA Expertise Ask me about all aspects of house, remodeling. , and room addition design and construction. Ask me about historic homes, renovation, and restoration. Ask me about materials and techniques, and about how you can get the best value for your design and construction dollar. Ask me how you can make your home a very special place. I can't, however, answer specific structural engineering questions in this forum - that's something you'll need on-site observation for.
Experience I own a five-person residential architectural firm, and have been designing custom homes, remodelings, and room additions across the country since 1983. Check us out at Richard Taylor Architects and RTA Plans. I have written and been published extensively on the subject of residential architecture. .
Organizations American Institute of Architects, City of Dublin Architectural Review Board, Past Editor of SPLASH (a CAD program), Past Editor of Open Directory Project, Boy Scouts of America
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) Miami University 1983
For more about home design, check out my blog at Richard Taylor Architects Looking for great Luxury Home House Plans? Try ours at RTA Plans.
Question We are thinking of adding more living space to our home. We have an screened in deck on the back of the house and it is complete with proper roof and supports, can we just remove the deck board and insulate the floor and rebuild the floor and then enclose or do we have to put a foundation in?
Answer Hi Dorothy - thanks for your question!
Building codes sometimes won't let you do that. Once you enclose a space, it has to meet all the requirements of a "habitable space" including heating, insulation, electricity, and so forth. You'll also be required to keep all wood at least 8" above ground, and you'll have to keep a minimum amount of space between the ground and the underside of the floor joists. If your deck is close to the ground, that might be a problem.
From a practical standpoint, it will be difficult to keep the room properly heated and cooled without a crawlspace or basement underneath. The insulation you place between the deck joists won't be very effective if it's exposed to the outside or even just covered with plywood. Plus, you need to allow for ductwork below - most times this means dropping a false ceiling below the floor, if there's room.
From a structural standpoint, as long as the deck's in good condition you should be ok. But since you're going to invest money in the enclosure, be sure to thoroughly check the existing construction first.
Finally, check with your local building department - they'll tell you what's possible within the limits of your local building regulations.
Hope this helps,
Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com
