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Planning a Second Story Home Addition
Building a Second Story Addition
Requires Detailed Planning and an Initial Structural Analysis
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Building a second story addition onto a home is a huge endeavor.
Consequently when planning a second story home addition it is important to fully
research and understand all of the structural and logistical issues, as well
as the family life disruptions, that will be involved.
From a structural standpoint key issues that will need to be addressed
include the evaluation of the size of the existing ceiling joists, how the
roof was built (e.g. stick built or with trusses), and the number and size
of chimney or vent stacks that are penetrating the roof. |
All of these issues can and will impact how you go about planning a second
story addition. For example, you most likely will end up needing to sister
larger lumber to the ceiling joists to support the load of a second story
addition. Similarly the floor layout of your second story addition will have
to consider existing chimney’s or vent stacks penetrating up through the
existing attic and roof.
Another major concern when planning a second story home addition are the electrical
and mechanical items that may be resting on the existing ceiling joists or
stored in the attic. Electrical wires will need to be disconnected from the
main circuit panel prior to cutting them away. Similarly, if there is HVAC
equipment located in the attic it will need to be disconnected and removed.
Removal of electrical and mechanical systems from attics and the exterior of
the home can add significantly to the costs of adding a second story addition.
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Also, depending upon whether or not the second story addition will entirely
encompass the first floor, the removal of the roof can be complicated,
particularly if the roof has multiple lines and/or sections. Moreover, the
type of roofing material used, and/or the number of shingle layers on the
roof, will also impact demolition costs.
Building a second story addition often involves having to temporarily relocate
the family due to the extensive demolition and construction work required.
Make sure your relocation plans are well thought out and you have a place to
go before demolition and construction begin. |
After your second story addition plans are nailed down and you have permits in
place, you can begin the demolition work. First, make sure the attic space is
completely empty. Also have one or two large nylon tarps handy to cover the
exposed areas of the home when the roof is removed.
To start the demolition, begin in the soffits by removing the lumber that
encases the roof rafter ends. Electrical and phone connections that may be
attached to the side of the home and/or near/on the soffit areas should have
been previously moved by the respective utility.
Once the soffits have been removed use a circular skill saw to cut away large,
but manageable sizes, sections of the roof sheathing and shingles. Its best
when doing this task to start at the ridgeboard, and work your way down to the
rafter tails cutting in between the roof rafters. Make these long cuts every
second rafter, such that the cuts are spaced approximately every 32 inches.
After making the vertical cuts, make horizontal cuts across the roof line
every 48 inches. This way you can then remove 32”x48” sections of the roof
using a pry bar and sledgehammer.
| After removing all of the roof sheathing you can them begin to disassemble the
roof rafters or trusses. Again, it’s best to cut them into manageable sizes
using either a skill saw, or better yet, a Sawzall. A sledgehammer also comes
in handy during this stage of demolition. Start by disconnecting the roof
rafters from the ridge board and then twisting them off the top plate at the
exterior wall edge. If you need to remove trusses you should first sister
larger lumber to the long horizontal cords that form the ceiling joists,
assuming they were built out of 2x4s or 2x6s.
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Typically you’ll need to sister 2x10s or 2x12s to the truss cords to
provide enough structural integrity for the second story addition. Once the additional lumber has been sistered in, you can then
carefully cut away the remaining sections of the trusses.
Once the roof has been removed, you can then attach ¾ inch plywood or OSB
sheathing to the new ceiling joists to create the deck of the new second floor
addition. Prior to installing the floor sheathing, however, you may need to
bring your plumber and electrician in to reroute pipes and wires to the
desired areas for your second story addition. In some cases, some of the
piping and electrical wires may need to be located in a crawl space hidden
behind a knee wall in the second story addition.
With the demolition complete and the deck sheathing installed, the second
story addition can begin in earnest. The second story addition should be
framed, shingled, and any windows and doors required, installed as quickly as
possible to button up the home from the weather elements. Until the addition
is completely buttoned up, nylon tarps should always be tightly installed over
the project at the end of each day to prevent water damage to the lower levels
of the home.
If your second story home addition is planned out well, within a week you should be
able to have the new addition sealed up from the elements. Once it’s sealed up
the interior work should be able to be completed in just a few additional
weeks, again if the project was planned properly.
For more help on building a
Home Addition, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Room Addition Bid sheet.
The
Room Addition Bid Sheet
will help ensure that your room addition project goes smoothly and is
completed on time and budget.
How to Finance your Home Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Building Home Addition Information
Additional Home and Building Resources
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