Finishing The Attic

Several years ago I decided to finish the attic in our house.


During the construction of our house, we asked the builder to build a stairway to the attic and also to put down a “live load” sub floor. I also asked the electrician to put in two electric wires from the basement all the way up to the attic along with Cable TV cable and a phone line. The attic has a cathedral ceiling with sloping roofs.

Building and Electrical Permits Application


The first thing I did was to contact the Town and get a Building Permit and Electrical Permit. I was also told to contact the City Fire Department. I had to submit plans for the construction which included a floor plan, electrical plan, and a sketch of what it would look like when finished. They also required an estimate of the cost of the renovation, a completion date, and the dimensions of the added floor space.

Photo 1  Unfinished Attic

Per the Building Inspector, in Massachusetts, the living space floor to ceiling height cannot be less than 5 feet for sloping ceilings and 7 feet for standard ceiling. There were crossbeams supporting the roof frame and the Inspector suggested that those could be moved up to give more space. He said that those were designed for high wind loads and in Massachusetts they are not necessary, especially since I was adding side walls that would add strength to the roof support.



Framing and Rough Electrical

I decided to do most of the work myself except the heating duct. I built the frame for the walls running along the length of the attic. The frame wall connects to the ceiling frame at the five-foot mark per the code. To take advantage of the remaining space behind the wall, I decided to add “sunken” bookshelves. I connected the electrical wires (12 AWG) and ran one each along the frame. I added several outlets at every 12 feet per the National Electrical Code (NEC). The receptacles have to also be at least 18 inches off the floor. The wires have to be run either through the studs or guarded. I also added light switches, dimmers, several track lights, and two ceiling fans. The next step was to have the ducting person install two heating ducts and a return duct.

I put in insulation for the ceiling and the walls. The code required at least an R13 insulation rating for the walls and R38 for the ceiling. Baffles made of foam were placed between the roof ceiling and the insulation. The baffles allow air to circulate from the outside eaves through the ceiling baffles and out the ridge vents along the rooftop.

Photo 2  Framing

First Inspection

The first building and electrical inspection were required prior to closing up the framing with sheet rock. The Building Inspector approved the framing and the Electrical Inspector approved the rough electrical wiring.



Wallboard & Plaster

The next phase of the renovation is to add wallboard. This was a major effort for one person because the wallboard panels were heavy and getting them attached to the ceiling was quite a feat. I constructed a stand to aide with the installation of the wallboard to the ceiling. Each wallboard panel was precut to size and any holes for outlets or light fixtures were also precut. After I had installed the wallboard for the walls and ceiling, I proceeded to plaster the seams.

After the plaster dried I sanded the plaster to obtain smooth surfaces.

Photo 3  Installing Wallboard

Photo 4  Plaster and Sanding

Painting

The next step was painting the walls and ceiling with base coat paint. After the base coat dried, the walls and ceiling were painted; chose a blue paint. Two coats were suggested for best results.

Photo 5 Painted

Electrical Fixtures

All the lights, switches, receptacles, fans, and ducts were installed. In the basement, the two electric circuits were connected to 15 Amp Circuit Breakers. The lights and switches were tested, followed by the fans, and electrical outlets.



Flooring, Bookshelves, and Finishing

We decided to use oak wood flooring and oak wood for the Bookshelves. The sub-floor was inspected for any unevenness, or dips, and voids. A wood filler was used to fill-in any dips or voids and sanded for smoothness. Screws were used to tighten down the sub-floor to the frame. The wood floor panels were installed using the special wood floor hammer and tool with special nails. About ¼ to ½ inch gaps were recommended between the wall and the wood floor to allow room for expansion. The wood floor was sanded to smooth out the edges and any unevenness. Next, three coats of polyurethane were applied to the floor. Light sanding was done between coats. A water-based polyurethane was used because it dries very fast. Good ventilation is required when applying polyurethane.

Photo 6  Finishing

The last remaining items before final inspections are: trim for the windows to be added, hand rails for the stairs, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors need to be installed and tested.

Final inspection involves the Building Inspector, Electrical Inspector, and the Fire Department needs to sign off for the occupancy permit.