You can expand your home by building a home addition above your garage. This new space can be used for various purposes. You can transform it into your home office, a game room, a playroom or guest room.
However you plan to use this home addition, make sure you consider the following tips.
Design
Your above-garage home addition should match the current look of your interior and exterior. If you can no longer find the exact materials you used on your exterior, you can choose to change your siding and trim along with your home addition. This will drive up the cost of your home addition since you’ll be replacing your entire siding, so make sure to budget properly.
Structure
Older properties may already have weakened structures, so hire a professional to check those components first. If your garage won’t be able to handle the additional structure, you may need to invest in structural improvements to support your home addition. It will cost more, but it will also keep your home’s structural integrity.
Safety
Building codes typically require fire-rated drywall that’s ⅝-inch thick on the garage ceiling and walls if an addition is built above it. Furthermore, penetrations in the drywall – such as those meant for electrical conduit – must be sealed properly.
Insulation
Garages aren’t usually heated, so they get cold in winter and warm in summer. The temperature in your garage will likely affect the room above it, so make sure your home addition is properly insulated. If you fail to insulate the space, its temperature will fluctuate along with the garage below. This can have an impact on your home’s overall energy efficiency, so don’t skip the insulation in your home addition.
For your home addition project, only trust experts who are experienced and qualified – like Nuss Construction Company. Call us at (856) 988-9982, or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
