Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 7/30/2007

Question
Richard,
Thanks for all of the great advice in the forum. I have a rather simply question for you. My wife and I own a 1960's walk out basement ranch (concrete block) we have two kids and only two small bedrooms. We want to add a third master bedroom by changing the peak of the roof to make the house look more like a cape cod. What should we be worried about with this idea (vs just adding an addition next to the existing house) we would really prefer to go up since the house in our opinion would sprawl to much if we went out. Also the layout of our property would require a 2 story addition anyway. Thanks for your time and help.


Answer
Hi Scott - thanks for your question!

What you're proposing is pretty common, and sometimes makes the most economic sense.  There are a couple of issues you need to consider.

How steep does the roof have to be to get enough room underneath?  Raising the pitch (steepness) of the roof will add more usable space, but maybe not as much as you think.  Make sure you'll be getting enough room.  If it gets too tall it might look a little weird, or you could run into zoning height restrictions in your neighborhood.

The existing ceiling joists most likely aren't strong enough to support a bedroom and bath.  You will almost certainly need to install new, deeper floor joists.  This will tear up the house pretty good!  Are you ready for the hassle and mess?

Is there a place to run plumbing?  Make sure the new bath location allows for a place to run the 4" drain line to connect to your existing plumbing stack.

Can the existing exterior walls support the additional load?  This is very often overlooked.  You're adding the load of a second floor, furniture, plumbing fixtures, and people to the existing walls.  The first floor walls and window headers can be easily overloaded.

The new, higher roof rafters will be larger (deeper) and will have to be insulated to current code requirements.  You'll also have to meet all the other code requirements, and the building department may require you to bring the entire house up to code.

The new bedroom will have to have an "egress" window; this could be installed on the gable end, or in a new dormer.

Finally, you'll need a stairway to get up there!  Stairs take up a lot of space - plan carefully!

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com