Remodeling & renovations
Attic Conversions in the Lake Livingston Area
Turn unused attic space into a bedroom, a loft or a home office without adding onto your home.
Space you already have, overhead
If your home has a roomy attic, you may already own the extra space you need. Converting it can add a bedroom, a loft or an office without expanding the home's footprint.
Onalaska Builders converts attics with our own crews, where the home is suited to it.
Attic conversions can become:
- Bedrooms and guest rooms
- Lofts
- Home offices
First question
Can your attic be converted?
Not every attic can become living space. The main things to look at are:
- Headroom. There needs to be enough height over enough of the floor to be comfortable. Steep roofs have more usable space than low ones.
- Roof framing. Attics framed with rafters leave open space. Many newer homes use roof trusses with diagonal webbing through the attic, which usually cannot simply be removed.
- The floor. Attic floor framing is often built to carry insulation and light storage, not people and furniture, and may need strengthening.
- Access. A pull-down ladder will not do for a bedroom. There needs to be room for a proper stair.
- Comfort. Insulation, ventilation, heating and cooling make the difference between a usable room and one that is too hot to use in a Texas summer.
An attic that falls short on these points may be better served by a home addition.
The work
What an attic conversion involves
- Strengthening the floor where needed and laying a finished floor. See flooring installation.
- Building a stair to the new space.
- Insulating the roof and walls so the space stays comfortable.
- Adding light and ventilation, such as windows.
- Finishing walls and ceilings with drywall and trim.
- Heating, cooling and power for the new room.
Making the most of it
Designing around sloped ceilings
Sloped ceilings give attic rooms character, and a few ideas make the most of them:
- Place beds and desks where the ceiling is highest.
- Use the low space at the edges for built-in drawers, shelves and storage.
- Bring in natural light to make the room feel larger.
- Keep the stair landing open so the room feels connected to the house.
Lake and timber country
Attic conversions around Lake Livingston
Tell us about your home and your attic, and we can talk through whether a conversion or another option makes more sense. We work within about 35 miles of Onalaska, including Livingston, Point Blank, Coldspring, Shepherd, Groveton, Trinity, Huntsville, Cleveland and Willis. See our full service area.
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Questions
Attic Conversions questions
Can any attic be turned into a room?
No. It depends on headroom, how the roof is framed, whether the floor can carry a living space, room for a proper stair, and whether the space can be kept comfortable. Attics framed with roof trusses usually cannot simply be opened up.
What can an attic be converted into?
Common attic conversions include bedrooms, guest rooms, lofts and home offices.
Is an attic conversion cheaper than an addition?
It can be, because the roof and walls already exist. Floor strengthening, a new stair, insulation and heating and cooling still add cost, and some attics are not suited to conversion at all.
How do I get an estimate for an attic conversion?
Call (806) 480-0328 or send the estimate form with the town or ZIP code, a description of your attic and what you want the space to become.
Get started
Wondering about your attic?
Tell us about your home and what you would like the space to be. Send the form or give us a call.