Some homeowners have never even stepped foot into their attic while others generally use it as another storage space. Whatever the case may be, attics are a great space to maximize in your home and we have some ideas on how you can make the best use of your unused attic.
First Things First
If you’ve never been up in your attic then you most likely won’t have an easy way to get up there so the first step in making use of this unused space is creating an easy entry. This is a deal breaker as attic spaces can already be challenging to move around in. Building a pulldown ladder equipped with a handrail will allow easy access to this space.
Once you’re up there you’ll notice that there isn’t really a safe area to place your feet. Hauling up a few pieces of plywood to create a floor for your attic will be exactly what you need even if all you are doing is storing bins in there. Plywood creates a sturdy flooring where they would otherwise have to balance on the floor joists.
Extra Storage Space
Attics are great for using them as extra storage space. It’s amazing how much you can tuck away in an attic especially if you make shelving. The one thing with storage, however, is that it’s often forgotten about and that means you may forget what’s even up there.
When storing items up in an attic there are a few things you need to think about. Attics are not usually properly insulated so storing items in cardboard containers is not ideal over time as pests will eat through cardboard and get into your belongings. Moisture can also damage your items if the attic is not properly ventilated. Unles you’re remodeling your attic, the best thing you can do is keep all of your belongings in plastic airtight containers. This will help keep pests away and you will not have to worry about items being destroyed by either pests or the outside air.
Lastly, labeling your bins will help make it easier for you to find when you do go looking through your attic.
In Need Of An Extra Room?
Depending on the size of your attic, an attic space can easily be turned into another room. Whether it serves as a bedroom, playroom, bonus room or just a quiet place to relax there are so many creative ideas that you could do with this space.
Of course, this will require some work going into it. Most homes just have the floors of the attic insulated. Adding extra insulation inbetween the roof rafters will help stablize the attic temperatures. Ventilation will also need to be looked into especially for older homes. Newer homes usually come with roof vents for the attic along with attic fans. Vents in the eaves will also help with proper ventilation but will not be enough for most repurposed attic spaces.
Before adding some of the final steps like electrical and drywall it’s a good time to check around for water damage or weak areas that are not properly sealed. Checking around plumbing or pipes that come up through the attic floor by pulling up insulation and then filling them with expanding foam will help seal in those weak spots and provide better insulation.
Once everything is finished you’ll be able to make this space into your own with any creative ides you may have and you can still make use of the space for storage by placing shelving in your new room.
Making Use Of Your Attic Helps Prevent Pests
Pests always seem to find their way into our living spaces but when they discover unused living spaces they can easily go unnoticed and turn into a major problem. Most pests that infest our homes end up destroying it in some way or another. Left unattended, we can experience major home repairs due to pests making our home their own. By making us of your attic you can help prevent pests from becoming a problem.
The more active you are in your home the more you are likely to recognize the pests that come and go. After first sight you can deal with them before an infestation happens. Unused attic spaces are known for pests like racoons and opposums as well as cockroaches and wasps that find their way in and decide to stick around. Racoons especially like attics because they provide a perfect shelter for them and their young.
Sealing off all the weak areas in your attic space as well as adding insulation and drywall creates a greater barrier between you and the outside world. The idea is that if everything is sealed properly, nothing can get in and when used on a more regular basis, the noise from people traffic can ward off pests like racoons and opposums.
Whether you are wanting a small project or a larger one, there are a lot of ways to enjoy an unused attic space and we believe you will love it!
